Joseph2017China

I think you mean immigration and/or security.  Dallas to Newark is a domestic flight, and will land in the domestic terminal.  In Dallas, they should take your passport info, and luggage and it should to through to BCN.   However, some airports when changing to an international flight/terminal, you need to pass through TSA a second time.  Most likely it is not at Newark and you use the airtrain from terminal to terminal  When you get to Spain, you will absolutely go through immigration, since Barcelona is your point of entry.

TSA is security to get into the airside of a airport.

Airline check in - loads your passport info into the flight info system

Immigration - enter a country.

Just a note, you will go through immigration again when you return in the USA and this is not TSA.    

Just to add, you go through security for the ship in Barcelona, where they verify your passport info, and when you get off the ship, you will go through an immigration officer to enter Spain.  On very rare occasions, on a cruise, when entering one of the ports, you may need your passport but I don't think your cruise goes to any of those places.

16 hours ago, Livesteamer said:

With the increased level of crime in Mexico, the US State Department is raising some of the threat levels for Mexico.  Is anyone starting to rethink about getting off a ship in the cruise ports of Huatulco or Puerto Vallarta?   

 

With the increased levels of crime in some USA cities such as NY and Baltimore, is anyone thinking of not cruising with those ships out of those areas?  Just asking.

12 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Do you mean that you have seen nothing else with inflation and shrinkflation in your personal life??? Do you expect the cruise line to hold prices when 100% of everything they use is more expensive. 
 

Around our parts, we could get a dozen eggs for $0.79/dozen a year ago. Now it’s $6.00/dozen. 

No, I don't mean that.....but I'm not really sure what eggs have to do with it.  The labor cost for international employees have not changed.  

6 hours ago, MarcsSharon said:

So, 40 days out and just got an email from RC, stating due to a change in plans, your excursion has been canceled. This was booked and paid for months ago. Now, most of the tours are sold out and we’re stuck trying to find something to do in Marseilles, France. So disappointed with RC..not even offering alternatives. If anyone has any ideas…would be greatly appreciated.

RCCL contracts with vendors to do tours.  They are called 3rd party vendors.  When one of them cancels, you get your money back.  It is not RCCL to find an alternative since all alternatives are listed.  They just can't find another 3rd party vendor on a short notice.  

26 minutes ago, Ryder101 said:

All at once is best. After I hand over the menu I sanitize my hands before touching utensils, food, etc.

so you clean hand touches the germy utensils? 

Well, the oldest is 12 so I'm going with having the older kid babysit someplace, or the kids club is a place also.  

1 hour ago, kaz828 said:

I have not been on a RC cruise in a long time, my boyfriend has never been.
Looking for a ship for 2 adults, we are big pool people and would love a really nice indoor pool area as well if the weather is bad. Adults only areas would be nice as well. Want to make this a great experience since this is my boyfriends first cruise ! Thanks ! 

 

Well the only thing you want is a ship with a pool, and that just about covers all ships.  Just me, but you need to expand what you really want in a cruise.  Do you want the ship to be the destination, or do you want to go places, around the world? 

1 hour ago, HappyTexan44 said:

 

If you don't want to be rushed and aren't sharing a table, can you order courses one at a time?   

 

It's easier for everyone to order at once, so that less trips are made, and the kitchen has the numbers to prep for the next round.  Plus you might not be rushed, but that table does need to be turned for the next group

Things happen in life, that is not fair, but you must move on.  

This all depends on the insurance, but if the event happened and the funeral happened, and it is a few weeks later, I don't think any insurance would cover it, unless it is a policy to cancel for any reason.  No one on this board can answer it, better than your insurance company.  

12 hours ago, Trailcon said:

=I have use them on my five cruises in 2021[2022 and most of the crew liked them or made no comment.  I had I bartender on Anthem that loved them as he had a collection of over 600.  I use them to identify myself for future visits.

First, if you give a bartender a 33%, they are not going to tell you that they don't want it.  Next, if they tell you they "collect" the bills and have $600 of them as a collection, that only encourages you to continue giving a 33% tip.  So it is a win win for the bartender to get your money. 

1 hour ago, Flannel1 said:

As a Brit about to do a cruise which will very fleetingly involve the US this autumn (and after a fair few years covid etc and all that!) pls can someone provide a summary in a couple of bullet points with a few words about what is wrong or difficult with US legal tender currency and in particular 2 dollar bills? Apologies - I maybe late on this thread and a complete numpty about US currency and particular bills. But if someone could succinctly summarise the pros and cons it may help those that don’t tend to use it until we have to ( which for us will be October) sorry no judgement or anything else here other than fact finding as I don’t know - genuinely!

Simply put it’s not widely printed or used.  Yes it is money but you just don’t see it and it’s become more of a novelty. It’s always a discussion in these boards since giving it to a foreigner to USA just make so it harder for them to use internationaly

I like my room cleaned daily and refreshed with clean towels, made bed, and general cleaning.  However, the turn down in the evening I could live without.  

My biggest complaint is that cost is going up, and the service is being cut.  Been going on for a decade with cut services, but at the end of the day, am I on vacation, and am I enjoying myself.  

Well, I don't tip extra, and always tip the customary amount.  Prepay my tips, and drinks have 18% added to it.  

How many people of the $2 tippers, will walk into a store at home, or in port, and pay with the $2 bill?  I bet most do not,  because if they did, they would know that no one wants them.  The reason is, not because it is $2 but because it is not a circulated currency like the €2 coin.  My suggestion is only tip in circulated currency, and leave the $2 bill to giving to grandkids who think it is cool

If you prepay your tips, no need to tip extra.  The times I had MTD I had the same table, and I neve left a tip.  I already paid the customary amount. 

8 minutes ago, beverland said:

Do you happen to know how to get this discount applied?  I am Diamond Plus and eligible for 30% discount?  Anyone know the number to call for this or email address?  Thanks in advance!

The discount is only off the full price.....and once on the ship.  IF you pre purchase it, you will note that it has a percent off.  You don't get 30% off the sale price.  So in most cases, you will not save any money and in some cases ending up paying more by waiting.  

2 hours ago, LinRon3 said:

You're not alone.  If some 'stranger' invaded our space [this goes for windjammer, solarium [beds], or any seating that normally is for intimate partys]...well, we'd just get up and leave.  It's happened to us in the windjammer...and yes it gets crowded there, but privacy is important and a stranger to just plop down at your table, that's RUDE!  Just like the 2 person loveseats in OP.  Yes, we see them as 2 person.  Whomever heard of a threesome in a love seat anyway?  Hmmm...how about sitting in the aisles of those small movie theaters on Serenade class ships?  

Just a thought....in the USA, most would agree that sitting on your table, is rude, but world wide, it is very common to share tables and it is considered rude not to let a person sit at the table.  I think many people forget that on a ship, it is an international ship, and the definition of being rude, has many different meanings (the love seat thing is not what I"m talking about, that is just plain rude anyplace)

For food and drink, I used to tell my boys to order off the adult menu, and act like a big boy.  Since they ordered anything they picked out, they seemed to like it, even if they did not, they were excited to pick it and have it.  Side note, they never starved or was thirsty.

2 hours ago, luvbrady said:

I've looked but can't find info-so turning to the pros!  Does RCCL offer the same beer selections (specifically US Macro-brews lol) on the European sailings?  Considering Athens this fall and would just like to manage expectations.

TIA!

A domestic main beer is considered a imported beer in Europe.  So, the ship orders a distribution of beers found on the menu, but it is not always possible to get.  Athens is not a big beer area so having something like Michelob Ultra would not really be a market for that.  Keep in mind, that it is not uncommon not to have some types.  However, they also will bring and purchase other types of beer not found on the menu that is local and easily found.  

Budweiser is well known, but something like Michelob ultra is not.  Heinikein is always available just about anyplace.  Just be open to variety. 

So the poster asked about filling up a water bottle, at a water fountain, which is more common these days.  The answer to the poster, is that any older ship would not have this, but it is a great idea for them to have.  By the way, for all that post about using a cup, the water fountains are designed to fill direct.  Touching still can happen.  Just like the freestyle machine.  But soda fountains are not that common on a ship, and a water bottle usually could not fit.  Just ignore all those posts since most of them won't drink from a fountain anyway. 

Hopefully the new ships, they add this feature some areas.  It would be great and easy.  

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

Once on our 10 day to Hawaii on Legend, we went Solarium in the afternoon and it was so crowded there were only 4 loungers empty but they had towels on them.  We stood waiting for what seemed like forever, no one in the pool though.  Finally, we just removed the towels and sat down.  Immediately a guy got up from the table at which his party of 4 was playing cards and said those were their loungers.  I politely told him he couldn't do that.  Either you take the table and chairs or the loungers not both, this was 6 sea days you can't hog these loungers.  He argued and argued but we did not vacate the loungers.  They could glower at us for the rest of the cruise but I will not tolerate that kind of entitlement nor such inconsiderate behavior.  That was my only encounter with hogs in 25 yrs of cruising though.  Stand your ground.

After sitting an hour, someone informed me that I was in their chair.  I tossed the towel over a few chairs.  Wanted to know how?  I was there for an hour?  

18 hours ago, phd1003 said:

Appalling...Has covid not taught us anything. If there is an event in one of those smaller venues like the one pictured, Wife and I will go early so we can get one of those seats and we will play cribbage until the show starts. Then the mad rush when the show starts and people will ask to use the single seats which is fine until they position them directly in front of us instead of off to the side. On some occasions people will sit on the floor in front of us and then place all there empty drinks on the table in front of us leaving no space for our own drinks. I'm all for sharing but please don't abuse it.

What does Covid have to do with sharing a table.  Plus were those chairs in the front row already?  If so, than why not sit in those, to insure you have the front?  Plus personally, if two seats are empty, we take them, no need to even ask.  It's not yours to ask for. 

22 hours ago, whitecap said:

And I could understand that once an item becomes "popular" that it may cause a slight increase but Doubled?  I kind of think that doubling the price may actually be taking advantage of your customers.  But thats just me.

Any price of water is taking advantage of you.  Water is free on the ship, but in a bottle it cost money.  I think two decades ago, bottled water was only for hikers and campers not it seems people carry water with them where they are.  So the price is whatever people are willing to pay.  It is a profit stream.  

So free water went up.  Soda went up.  All packages went up.  Either pay it, or just drink the free stuff like I do for my entire life.  (Still alive)

no need to call.  Just press the button to cancel.  Once canceled you can than buy it again.  All within 5 minutes 

I'm kind of wondering also.  Why would you bring it?  And yes, it is an honest question because I can't see a reason other than to throw the ball up in the air, and catch it?