Mick B

Hi, I am currently D+ and have been for some time and will be for even longer. Don't really want to use the internet that much as when I am away on holiday, that is what I am - away! Nice to check in every now and then. More important is the 5 free drinks as this saves on buying a package or paying high prices. The free bottle of wine on day 1 is nice too and so is the free photo and the bag of washing. Unless RCI does away with all the above, I see no reason to switch to another cruise line. Just had 15 days on the Jewel's TA and had some really nice drinks and had the bar tenders find me some nice new drinks too. Cannot fault the loyalty program. A few more cruises and I will be over the 340 points and will get a few more bits and bobs, but I am in no rush to get to P. I just book the cruises on the ships I want to be on going to the places I want to go. Anything and everything RCI gives me whilst on board is muchly welcomed! Mick.

Hi All, Just done the 15 night TA on the Jewel, Did not go to any of the speciality restaurants as I have done them all before and I am happy with what the MDR and WJ offer. I can tell you that the food in the WJ was just as good as before. The MDR food was good. There were a few nights when the menu for that them night was not appealing, but the New York Stripe Steak was offered on those nights and was just as good as always. The only complaint I could spot was that the baked beans in the WJ were not done in tomato sauce as before and were a bit bland. I can tell you that the chips/fries in the WJ were really great and better than before. We also went to the Solarium Bistro some nights for a little late night pizza and that too was just as nice as before. Maybe we were lucky with this cruise as I could not find much of a fault with anything we tried. Sadly, not back on a ship until May 2025 which will be the Indy - let's hope the food on her is as good as before too. BTW, I can tell you that my wife would have said something if there was any sort of issue with the food and she did not. Mick.

Hi, I personally don't bother with it, but that is because I get most of the perks as a D+ member and only travel these days with the wife and I give her my free internet. Done all the restaurants and don't bother with them anymore. Get to leave the ship normally pretty quickly most of the time too. However, it is up to you. If you are a new cruiser and/or want all the perks that come with the key and believe it will enhance your stay on board, then go for it if that's what you want. But, I would suggest doing your sums first as the money may be better spent elsewhere unless you're lucky enough to have loads of it! Mick.

I will be on the Jewel in 2 weeks. Does anyone know who the CD is? And if so, are they any good? I've got 15 nights on her and want a good time. Mick.

Hopefully 14 days until we get on board the Jewel in FLL for her TA back to the UK. Just got to suffer 9hrs 40mins of travel with AA first. Mick.

Hi, I have only cruised on 2 cruise lines and the vast majority are with RCI. Depending on the class of ship, there is something for all ages. BTW You do not need to book the latest biggest ships. Some of the (now) slightly smaller ships like the Indy or Navigator have enough things to do on board to keep all family members entertained. Also, you need to take into account how long you want to cruise for and which ports of call you wish to visit as these factors may also affect the amount of time you have on board to enjoy all the facilities a cruise ship can offer. I think all have a rock climbing wall, multiple swimming pools and gyms. A good selection of ships also have a flo rider, golf course and various slides. A few of the newer ships have the north star and bumper cars, zip lines and sky diving simulators. If you go on RCIs website you can select each class of ship and see exactly what they include. It may depend on what interests all your family members have, but I would imagine there will be both enough on board and also ashore. Don't forget too that RCI have more slides and pools on their private island in the Bahamas - Coco Cay, but some of these cost $$$. Ideal if you are not on a ship already equipped with them. I think you can get some nice cruises out of Cape Liberty that go to places like Bermuda for 5 nights or down to the Caribbean and back for 12 nights. Or you can go out of various ports in Florida if you don't mind it getting busy. Mick.

Hi, It is always nice when you get back von board a ship and some of the staff are familiar to you, such as waiters and bar staff and entertainment staff too, all of which can move from ship to ship, so you never know when you book who will be on your ship. I know some people who booked cruises just because of the CD and then the CD was replaced for whatever reason and they were upset. I would never book for that reason, but each to their own. Anyway, I can name some great CDs in no order, but Clo O'Conner, well she must be up there as one of the best CDs, Eric Lopez is climbing up the ladder too. Bill Brunkhorst was always engaging, and who can forget Graham Seymour who has sadly retired I believe. Gordon Whatman had a great singing voice. There were so many CDs who really made the cruise even greater. Then Covid came and after the restart CDs seemed to keep their distance. Not sure if they were told to in order to avoid isolation, so I cannot comment on recent cruises as it may not be their fault. As stated, if you want to really meat your CD, then you can take part in activities which they may be hosting such as the belly flop, the Quest, Love and marriage, Battle of the sexes. And if you are a C&A member who is invited to a special event, then you may find them there at the door to chat to upon entry. Thats where I normally speak to them and some of them really have a good memory about our past cruises together. Mick.

Hi, One thing I know used to happen, and not sure if it still does, is RCI would invite C&A members to a special event where drinks would be given out. They would leave an invite card in your stateroom to be taken to this event. However, I know some people used to give these cards to their family/friends who sailed with them in order to gain entry. Then if they themselves wanted to enter, they would just show their sea pass cards to staff. Maybe everyone entering an event should be made to swipe their sea pass card into a reader at the entrance and witnessed by staff as they do so. Can't be that hard to set up and implement if RCI wanted to save money on giving perks to people who have not earned them. Ouch! Mick.

Oh, yes, don't forget that unlike the drinks package where the drinks are not sharable, the D, D+ and P drinks are. That means that if you are lucky enough to be travelling with a family member or friend(s) who get the 4, 5 or 6 free drinks per day but either don't drink or don't normally drink all of them each day, then they may choose to share some of their drinks with you. Just a glass of wine in the MDR or a cocktail by the pool each day may be all some need to be happy and if so, no need for a package then. Oh, and another way in the past to get a free drink was to join someone who was on their own in the Quiz and win it for them and then except the free drink they would offer you for making their day. Naughty if they have the drinks package, but perfectly Ok if they want to share one of their D, D+ or P drinks. Mick.

Hi, Yes I find that booking a one-way flight from the UK to the USA or visa-versa comes in at around £450pp. Making it nearly £1000 for the flights. It can actually be cheaper to book a return as they sometimes come in much cheaper, but this only works if we are flying to the USA and then sailing back as you cannot cancel the first flight without cancelling the second. However, we are screwed as we book the flights through our TA and have them add an hotel and turn the whole thing into a package so we have protection against cancelling, as we now live in the era of strikes, illness, war - yes I know we have always had those for a long time, but recently travel has become a casualty of recent events and I don't want to lose out. Anyway back to the Indy in May 2025. Ship: Independence of the Seas Destination: Discover the Caneries (from Southampton) Dates: May 12 - May 24 2025 # of Nights: 12 Cabin Type: Promenade View Interior Total Price (inc. taxes & port charges, inc. pre-paid gratuities): £2887.85 for 2 people Average Price Per Night (per Person - GBP): £120 Other Perks: 5 free (D+) drinks per person per day to the value of $14 = $1680 Free Photo each = $40.00 ish Free wash and fold = $34.00 ish The cheapest option (other than GTY) was Interior. However, it was only around an extra £100 each for the Promenade View room above guest services. This is a really great location for us as it should be quiet and is close to the aft lifts for going up to the decks and the Crown Lounge, plus only a few floors walking down to the MDR and Ice Rink if the lifts are busy. Only the Theatre is the front end and we would normally go there after dinner so would walk from the MDR through the Casino anyway. Oh, and there are 5 sea days including going round the Bay of Biscay twice, which is why I booked the room I did in that location - good luck with Royal trying to tempt me to Royal-Up to a location that might be at the front or back for hundreds of pounds more (lol)! Can't wait to see what 2026 offers - hopefully a TA from NY to Southampton via Bermuda and if the price with the flights and hotels comes near to what I paid for the Jewel's TA then I will jump at it - but I won't hold my breath! Mick.

Ship: Jewel of the Seas Destination: Fort Lauderdale-Southampton TA Dates: Apr 5 - Apr 20, 2024 # of Nights: 15 Cabin Type: Interior Total Price (inc. taxes & port charges, inc. pre-paid gratuities): £1880 for 2 people Average Price Per Night (per Person - GBP): £62 Other Perks: $100 OBC (via Future Cruise) 5 free (D+) drinks per person per day to the value of $14 = $2100 Free Photo each = $40.00 ish Free wash and fold = $34.00 ish Had to purchase train fare from Nottingham to London, a nights stay in London, flights from the UK to Miami and private car travel from MIA to the hotel the night before the cruise, and then another private car ride to the ship. Then after the cruise, transport from Southampton back to Nottingham. When you also factor in restaurants during travelling too, the travelling part comes to almost the same price as the cruise. When you factor that into the holiday, the price per day jumps up to around £100 pppd. I factored this in when I booked the cruise as the D+ free drinks just about cover the travelling fees. If I didn't get the free drinks and had to buy a drinks package to get the same drinks then this cruise would not have happened as it would then have worked out cheaper to go round Europe instead. Whether you just take the cruise fare, or whether you want to factor in the travel costs too, both come to an amazing value for 15 nights o board the ship, or 17 nights in total with the hotels. BTW, I always pre-pay the grats as I come from the UK and like to include everything in the price upfront. Just for comparison, I have a 12 night cruise on the Indy booked for May 2025 from Southampton to the Canaries and back with taxes, port fees and pre-paid grats paid and that comes in at £2880 for the 2 of us. Thats £120 pppd for the cruise only as there are no flights involved and at the moment no hotels or transport booked yet, so you could had another £500 on to that price. Not bad in the scheme of things, but the Jewel is a longer cruise and even with all the extra travel costs added, is still cheaper. Hope that helps. Mick.

Hi, I know, I assume its sold out as I have printed my boarding pass and now luggage tags and other docs from royal. I have also been constantly bombarded with the Royal Up where they offer me the chance to move from the nice quiet cabin I purposely booked for this TA in case of bad weather and sea conditions during the cruise to another cabin which could be in the most worst place possible during a storm and pay a few hundred dollars more for it - I don't think so. I wonder if they expect people to cancel for whatever reason at the last moment to free up those Royal Up rooms? Mick.

Best make sure they enter Love and marriage then, unless they can think of something better to do with their time on board! Mick.

Hi, My idea for going on a TA is to have a nice long relaxing holiday. Its nice to have some sea days where you can just relax and take it easy without having to get up and get off and get back on and get ready for the evening. On previous TAs there have been many outdoor events to take part in depending on the class of ship and the equipment available such as golf, belly flop, bumper cars, rock climbing and so on. But, indoors there have been things like progressive quizzes, battle of the sex's. Also, normally plenty going on at various venues around the ship, so you can do as much as they offer, or just relax somewhere out of the way. Again, its going to depend on the ports of call and how many sea days are inbetween them, the class of ship and all its trimmings, and the weather - not just the sun, but also the sea. I think a good TA is a nice way to get to know the ship and your fellow passengers. Also, TAs are normally done by the seasoned cruiser and very few have families on board unless the kids are too young for school as most TA are during term time. I am on the Jewels' TA next month out of FLL for 15 nights to Southampton. After a stop on day 2 at Coco Cay I have 7 sea days before getting to the Canaries and then a week of travelling up the west coast of Europe into the UK. Mick.

Hi, Never purchased a drinks package, but been given one for free a few times in the past. I think those days are gone. When we first started sailing we did lots of 12 to 14 night cruises which were port heavy. Therefore on most days we were off the ship and liked to enjoy a drink at the port of call. At night we would just have a glass of wine with our dinner and possibly have a seconds drink later that evening. Sometimes bottles of wine were given away as prizes in the casino or for taking part in things like Love and marriage. There was the captain's night where you could get many glasses of sparling wine down you. Also, there was the art auction where you could get some free drinks too. Also, depending on what C&A tier you are, there were some nice private functions where buzz was aflow! Then when we turned Diamond we have not just a free bar from 5 until 8 each night, but also 3 free drinks at the same time. I used to nip down to the Casino bar during this time and get 2 glasses if red wine and take them back to our cabin and put them in the fridge. In fact, I would fill the fridge with all 6 free drinks during the HH and return to the DL and then take a drink to the MDR. Then if there was still time after dinner, go back to the DL and have more drinks and then take the last one to the show. That meant we still had 3 drinks each to last until whenever, and on some occasions the following morning if it was a sea day. I tried every trick possible to get as many drinks as possible for free and not buy a drinks package. And I wasn't being tight - I used the money saved to have an extra cruise each year. When we turned D+ we got a bottle of wine in our cabin each cruise, plus if it was one of our birthdays during the cruise, we got another. RCI did away with the HH after Covid, but now puts 6 vouchers on our sea pass. So, we now normally follow the following 5 free drinks per day... A Kraken-Colada or drink of the day around 1430. A glass of sparkling wine (Prosecco or Chandon) in the MDR around 1900. A glass of whiskey or a Tequila Sunrise in the Crown Lounge (if early from the MDR) or something similar in the Theatre at 2000. A rum punch sort of drink in a bar around 2200 or try something new! And finally either a Disaronno or a Side-Car/French Connection drink around midnight. As you can see from above, having the 5 free drinks per day goes more than far enough. I will be around 106 by the time I get to Pinnacle, so won't worry now about what my 6th drink may be. As you can see, I do not waste my vouchers on beer or soda. We have spent a lot of money over the years cruising with RCI, so if they want to give us some free drinks, then thank you! BTW, It is possible to work out that if we do a 14 night cruise and both use the 5 vouchers to the max, then we are getting around $2000 worth of free drinks. Therefore, whilst this happens, I cannot foresee a reason to purchase a drinks package. It may be worth anyone who has done a few cruises with RCI who has not joined the C&A program to do so as they will backdate your cruises and you may find you are not far from 80 points. You may find that if you like JS and above you will get double points and that may pay you if it then takes you over 80 as the next cruise after that you will be Diamond and get 4 free drinks a day. I would never suggest cruising to get the points as we have always cruised to go to the places we wanted to go to, but if you are close to the 80 point mark then doing a short cruise to get there or even a B2B where you won't get the free drinks on the first leg, but should on the second may be another option and may work out cheaper than buying a package too. At the end of the day, it's up to you what you want to do and how you go about doing it, but there are ways to enjoy drinks without splashing out on a package, unless you really want to just drink as much as you like. Mick.