pmck

20 hours ago, JoeFan said:

 

Keep checking.

I saw this yesterday and my HOS 8/25/19 was still $56 and today it went to $49. Snagged.

I also did it by phone so I was able to keep my wife on Refreshment $20 while I upgraded to Deluxe.

I thought that all people in the cabin had to have the same package?  Also, trying to sell my husband on this.. How much are the drinks on Royal?  At 12-15 a drink, you could get to $49 p/p in the course of a day pretty easily I think...lol

4 minutes ago, panzafit said:

Ugh!  Wish ours on Harmony June 30th would drop.  It just keeps switching from $52 to $56.

Maybe too many people are taking it at that price.  As long as it's selling, why lower the price?  That's what someone else explained to me.

1 hour ago, keys24 said:

We are sailing on Harmony of the Sea on August 4, 2019 and want to pass along a beverage package price drop from $56 to $49.  This is the lowest price I have seen since we booked in the fall.  

 I just saw this on our May 26th sailing of the Allure of the Seas as well.  I wonder if it will go lower and if there's any disadvantage to waiting it out a bit.

I understand that you can buy it and if it does go lower, just cancel it and re-buy it at the lower price.

1 hour ago, CORKY_Q said:

By the time you land, gather your luggage and get an Uber or taxi to the port, you will be met by porters who will take the luggage off your hands.  (Approximately 10:25 - 10:30) You should be able to walk into the terminal and get checked in.  You will be on board no later than 11:00.

Enjoy!😎

Oh thanks.. Yes, I always forget that "landing" at 9:30 doesn't mean that we'll be off the plane or out of the airport then.. haha

Good Morning,

Looking for some suggestions.  We have an early flight from PHL/FLL on the morning of 5/26/19 (the day we sail). We are scheduled to land at 9:30 a.m. and are trying to figure out what to do until we can get on the ship?  We will have our luggage with us.  We can go and have a leisurely breakfast, but will be lugging at least 3 large suitcases (for the 3 of us).  Does anyone know if we can check our bags earlier, then come back and check ourselves in? Any suggestions will be welcomed. 

While we are on the subject of luggage, there will be my husband, our daughter and me in our balcony room.  Will there be room to store the luggage after we unpack?  I've read "under the bed", but I'm curious to see what past cruisers have done in this situation.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Patti

thanks!  Good idea !

Thanks Lee.  What's your input on the drink packages? Have you done them.  I see the price is down to 56 p/p now. Do you think that it will go lower?  Is it worth the price?  How much do mixed drinks cost on RC?   We did do the Empress 2 years ago, but I can't remember.  Princess had some kind of "card deal" that they offered about half way through the cruise.  You paid a set amount for the card and then they punched it when you got a drink. I think you got 10-20 drinks on the card.

Patti

20 hours ago, zdad59 said:

Sure did.    It was actually my 3rd cancel and re-book for this sailing.   First bought at $52...then $49....then $44...finally $39.   For the two of us, that's a $231 savings from original booking.

I have to look for this for our 5/26 sailing on Allure

3 hours ago, zdad59 said:

thanks, I booked a few shows.. I figure we can always change our minds or not go if something else comes up.  thanks for your help!

 

I varies from sailing to sailing.     Usually 90-120 days out you’ll see the shows open up for reservations.   Just keep an eye on your cruise planner.  

 

One tip....book Ocean Aria, the water/diving show, early in the cruise.    Sometimes weather or sea conditions will cause the show to be cancelled.   If you book it early, and it’s cancelled, you’ll still have other opportunities to see it later in the week.     It is an awesome show.  

1 hour ago, zdad59 said:

Planning ahead has its benefits.   It allows you to take the need to think about it on the ship away.    We really like it.   Allows us to be completely in relaxation mode once we board.   There is also SO MUCH to do, you can really wrap yourself around the axle.    Sit down and decide what excites you and plan for that, knowing you can change your mind at any time.

 

And in any event, if you change your mind, don't go to the event.    Shows are free.   And most show have room for people without reservations.  Maybe not the best sets, but there are really no bad seats.    Excursions can be cancelled and fully refunded up to 24 hours before the event.

 

Key think is don't sweat it.   It's all about taking your brain and putting it in a jar for a week.   

Thanks! When can you start booking the reservations?

We will be sailing on the Allure on 05/26/2019 and are excited. Have been on only the Empress on RC.  Our other cruises have been on Princess.  Have watched a few YouTube videos and we are very excited.  I see that people say that you need to book shows and such in advance of sailing.  My husband is having a hard time with that, since we don't always know what we'll be doing on any given day and it's hard to plan that far ahead.  Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Patti

Hello!

My family and I are sailing on the Allure of the Seas in May, 2019.  Has anyone been in cabin 6280?

We are trying to see what the feedback would be from people that have been in that room, since it looks to be in a busy place on the ship.

It is an Oceanview Balcony, about 24 rooms from the back of the ship.

Currently we have the room on "hold", deciding if that location will work or not.

Any information will be helpful.

Thanks,

Patti

I notice there are not a whole lot of posts about the Empress. Hoping to get this thread going with info about the Empress. So those of you that have recently cruised on her, please share information.

We sailed the last week of March and I have posted a review on the "review site".

I can't speak for the Empress concerning the start of the new $7.95 room service charge, but just ordering a continental breakfast of coffee, juice, toast, or pastries will not have that service charge, and will remain complimentary.

I think I remember seeing that charge was only for a certain time frame.. Like 12:00-5:00 a.m. Other times, there was no charge.

Thanks so much.......we cannot wait. Staying in the back on 9th floor.

 

 

 

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I'm jealous!! Have a blast!!!:cool:

PMCK-

Can you share with us a little about your Cruise recently on Empress? We sail out to Cuba/Costa Maya early next week, and we're all getting very excited. So happy it's not one of the cruises with 4,000 plus guests!!!! Where was your Stateroom, etc???

Sure I'd be happy to.

We sailed out of Miami on 03/27, our first RCI cruise. We had previously sailed 5 times on Princess, so this was our first "smaller ship" experience. We LOVED it!! Getting on the ship was relatively quick, about 40 mins total until we were up on deck, enjoying our first rum drink. We were in cabin 7672, which was towards the back of the ship. We were slightly nervous about it, because we had never been that far back before, but it was fine. We never felt any motion on the ship as the seas were calm for the entire trip. The cabin was an "ocenview" with a good sized window. The room was small, but we were prepared for that, after having read all of the reviews on this site. There was a spot for everything though. The suitcases fit under the bed, there were plenty of hangers and a spot for everything in the bathroom. Our cabin steward Harold was awesome as well.

The entertainment on the ship was fantastic as well, We saw a comedian, a juggler and a ventriloquist, all of whom we loved. Unfortunately, I can't remember any of their names now and I'm at work, so I don't have access to the daily papers with their names on it. The piano player in the Schooner bar was awesome as well, although we heard that he was getting off the ship when we were!

We loved the food. Ate at the windjammer for all breakfasts (except one sea day, when we ate in the main dining room)! I actually thought that the buffet in the dining room was slightly disorganized. We stood in lines, thinking we were the line for eggs, when we were actually in a different line. I think that could have been organized better. The windjammer food for breakfast and lunch was always good! Good variety and always kept clean and fresh!! I loved that you had to wash your hands each time before getting in the line. We ate every night in the dining room and our waiters Denery and Lenus always were wonderful and friendly. No complaints about the food either. Always very good right down to the dessert and coffee.

We went to Cozumel and CocoaCay on this cruise. In Cozumel, we went to Mr. Sanchos for the day. We paid $50 p/person for an all inclusive day with all the drinks (slightly watered down) and food (delicious) that you could eat. We had a great waiter (Edgar) there as well. Cocoa Cay was our favorite place. The beach was beautiful, the weather was perfect and we spent the day relaxing on the beach.

If I have anything negative at all to say about this cruise it would be that there was a very slight sewage smell at times in random places on the ship. The very last day when we were pulling into the Port of Miami a very strong sewage smell enveloped our cabin for about 5 minutes. Then, just as quick, it was gone. It definitely wouldn't stop us from sailing on this beautiful ship again. Everyone was so friendly and nice and we met some awesome people. It was definitely a much needed, relaxing trip!!

If you have any more questions, I will be happy to try to answer them. Have a fabulous time on the Empress!! :cool:

You have to go on Empress with the right expectations. Small ship with an amazing staff. Not for kids. LOVED it!!!

Totally agree..It was perfect for my husband and I too!!

I was on Empress with my family on 3/23-3/27. We were caught in a storm the first night, but that is not the ships fault more would I give the ship a bad review because of it. Anytime between January and April can have bad weather off the Florida coast or Caribbean due to winds. Other than the bad weather the first night, we had an amazing time and food was great. I didn't experience the stench the I have seen people complain about, maybe people didn't back up the sanitary system while I was on board, we were the lucky sailing, I guess. Food was good, not bad but it 5 star restaurant but what do really expect from a cruise. Overall our experience was great and but not everyone is the same. You will always have that one person that will compare every situation to something.

 

 

 

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So true.. When we were going, there was one poster that said "Good luck" to me.. he knows who is is...but I must say...My husband and I had a fabulous time and we enjoyed every minute of our "little ship" cruise. There will always be the "cruise snobs" that think that they know everything about everything, but the trip is what you make it. ;)

A friend was on this cruise out of Miami and said it was AWLFUL...... any one else on it? First of all a storm caused high waves -- NOT the ship's fault

 

.......she said the food was not good (said she heard others on the cruise say how much better Carnival's food was)..... eggs cold several mornings in the buffet...... smelled bad on lower decks -- they had an ocean view even though I HIGHLY suggested she get a balcony for fresh air......

 

This was her first experience with Royal Cb. Said others on the ship said it was 'not normal' for it to be this bad.

 

Curious if anyone else had a better experience on that sailing?

I'm surprised to read this.. We got off of this ship on 4/2 and despite reading not-so-great reviews before we sailed, we had a wonderful time.

We did end up going to Mr. Sancho's last week on our cruise and we loved it as well. We had the "Ticket to Fly" as our first drink that day and numerous rum punches to follow. I did think that the drinks were on the weaker side (especially since the ship was very generous with their alcohol..lol).. But, they tasted very good anyway. We had coconut shrimp which were outstanding. some quesedilla's and fajitas.. everything was delicious. The service was terrific too. We did go to the swim up bar and hung out in that pool area for a while. It was all enjoyable. The only thing that we didn't like were the sales people in the shops. They hawk you the entire time that you're in their shop. They follow you around, take stuff off of the shelves and just annoy the crap out of you. We bought one shirt and left for the day. It was too aggravating to even bother with it. All in all, it was worth every cent of the $50 p/p that we payed. :cool:

What's the "regular" price? My Allure planner says $48/day, but it doesn't have a sale banner or indication that it is discounted at all. Is that a sale price? I thought I recalled the "regular" price to be about $55/day.

 

 

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Just got off of the Empress and the package was $61 p/p per day. However, we sailed on Monday and on Wednesday evening they began to offer the $59 (more like $69 after the gratuities) drink card. You can get up to 10 drinks. The drinks are $12 (unless you get the "drink of the day" (around $9 + grats), plus the 18% gratuity. So for 2 drinks, you would normally pay $25. So you save about $50 when you get one of these cards. Anyone can use the card (it's not specific to who purchased it) and they just mark off the number of drinks as you go. You have to wait for this until you see it advertised either in the daily activities paper or on the TV. I've heard it's offered on the 2nd day of most cruises.. On ours, it was the evening of the 3rd day.

When Empress of the Seas re-joined the fleet last year, cruisers reported that replica ship models weren't available onboard. Is that still the case? My wife and I are sailing on her later this month and we have a request from a long time Nordic Empress fan to bring a souvenir home.

Saw the Empress model in the gift shop on our cruise last week - $30 I think.

Thanks! I've been enjoying your review thread!

Thanks!! :)

Not much of a Bloody Mary guy, so not sure. Sorry.

There were Bloody Mary's and Mimosa's at brunch.. Sorry had the mimosa's, but people at our table seemed to enjoy the Bloody's.

Just got off the Empress on Saturday and let me tell you, you are in for a treat. The entertainment was awesome. We saw a comedian, a ventriloquist and a juggler and everyone was fabulous. We just went to the shows a little bit early (20 mins or so) and were always able to get good seats. The piano player was also fantastic in the Schooner Bar, but I think I heard that he was getting off of the ship when we were unfortunately. I hope you have a blast! We sure did!!:cool: