Thomo7

Ship - Ovation of the Seas Deck - 13 Stateroom # - 654 Stateroom Category – 2D Starboard or Port Side - Starboard Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Husband and I heard some tapping noises on occasion (not consistent or constant) which were hard to work out the origin of. However, the stateroom is located directly below the Coastal Kitchen so maybe that was the cause. Noises didn't continue all through the night and most nights we slept well and we're not particularly heavy sleepers. Next to no noise from the hallway and no noise from neighbouring staterooms although neighbours could be heard when out on the balcony which is to be expected. Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - no Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Loved it, although when going through the 'sounds' in New Zealand couldn't see the tops of the mountains as the floor above (Deck 14) protrudes further out than Deck 13 and effectively creates an awning. Also, a supporting beam to the right side of our balcony gets in some photos but didn't bother us unduly. The Stateroom next to ours (13 652) had what appeared to be a window washers cage suspended above their balcony (see image) which would have blocked part of their view but didn't impede ours. We did need to go up to Deck 15 for full views due to the awning. Have read other reviews complaining a lot about this issue but for us it was only one day. Would not choose this location for destinations that had lots of mountains eg, Alaska, fjords. It did provide shade at certain times of day which was quite pleasant. Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Normal Was wind a problem? - Only on a day which had high winds, which would have impacted the whole starboard side of the ship. If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - No Any specific problems with this cabin? - No Any other comments? - Layout was great with the bed close to the balcony doors. Plenty of walk space which narrows around the end and balcony side of the bed but still easy enough to walk through. Lots of storage, we didn't need to use the cupboards above the bed at all. Husband said he felt the shower space was a little small. Plenty of shelves in the bathroom for toiletries etc. Everything was in great condition, no signs of wear anywhere. Electric kettle and instant coffee, teabags, sugar and long-life milks available in room which was amazing.

Hi again, This may be a silly question, but can you use your credit card, Travel wallet or even cash to pay for onboard expenses as they occur or can you only use your Seapass for all purchases and transactions which are then automatically put onto your account?

Yes, I think so. You can elect when to load your card and how much. I believe that if you go over the amount on your card in the chosen currency, they can draw from another currency on the card (if you have another currency as well) but at the exchange rate current at the time of charging. Hope that makes sense. Also, our bank does not charge fees for the card, or for loading and unloading the card or a transaction fee. We originally just wanted cash for some occasional ripping if warranted! Very difficult to get cash where we are!

Hi Birdofsong, thanks for the info and hope you enjoy Sydney and anywhere else in Australia that you have the chance to go 🙂 We are having some difficulty getting cash exchanged. Living in regional NSW, the banks are simply not stocking foreign currency! Never know, might bump into you onboard!

Thanks Twangster, will definitely weigh that up. We haven't used it a lot and usually in areas that are very open, might have to test it a bit more (and check the call costs again) before deciding. We have a couple of weeks to decide. Appreciate all the input. Cheers, JT

Thanks Steveru621, short and sweet. I couldn't see a ban anywhere online but did want to check rather than risk it being confiscated when we arrived! Cheers.

Thanks for that. Not sure about a router, would have to buy one I guess. I think sat calls are expensive but we won't be using it much and cost starts at 31AUD per guest per day and not sure if we both have to get it or not for that. Yes, BND I think so but 'tis only for the occasional check on family and business. JakeIl7, as I mentioned to Jean87510 the cost per day starts at 31AUD about 20USD per day per guest. Our mobile plan works out at $1.00 AUD (abt 63US cents) per minute for calls on roaming and 50cents per text. Sorry smokeybandit, no idea re your reference. But do like Smokey and the Bandit! Thank you Another_Critic, after reading the responses from all I'm looking into the details of the cost of the sat calls (yes, I know I should have checked that first) Seems silly worrying about the price differences but it all adds up!

Hi, Wondering if anyone knows if Satellite phones are allowed on the RC cruises around Australia and New Zealand (or anywhere else really)? I have one already, I just activate it when I need it. Hoping to avoid internet while cruising and just need to call or receive a call every now and then. Thanks, JT

OzKiwiJJ, ozzielozzie18, MicCanberra, mr walker, thank you all for your input. The travel wallet we have organised is a Westpac World Wide Wallet and the current rate to load the card seems quite comparable to other rates I've checked out. Sounds like a good option. Thanks again and happy cruising, JT

Thanks Chiliburn. Was wondering if anyone had used the travel card to pay and therefore skipped the exchange expenses. Sounds like you've done just that. Will do what you've suggested. Thanks for the heads-up. looking forward to it, cheers. JT

Hi all, My husband and I haven't been on a cruise since the travel card/wallets have become common. We will be travelling on RC Ovation of the Seas in a couple of weeks and from other Topics I've seen that option B, (having your own bank convert currency) seems to be the go. However, with the option of using a travel debit card with either US or NZD on it versus using a credit card with AUD I'm at a bit of a standstill. The travel card doesn't have any fees to set up or to transfer money to, it simply gets changed from AUD to USD (&/or NZD) at the current exchange rate. When the cruise is done if I have cash left on it, I can either let it stay there or convert it back to AUD at whatever the rate is (don't know if there is a fee involved in getting it transferred off the card to another acct.) Using the credit card with my bank converting payments from USD to AUD sounds okay (and is relatively unlimited) but If I put a set amount of cash into the Travel card/wallet in USD and NZD (NZD for use onshore) will Royal Caribbean simply charge my card in USD (and therefore not have any change over fees)... If anyone has used this method, I'd love to hear how it worked out. Cheers, JT