gerif

You can call and get a refreshment package for your mom. 

1 hour ago, Big_G said:

We're doing back B2B shorties on Independence in November. It'll be our first without the DBP...at least for the first leg. The problem will be getting waters. Wife is a 1 water for 1 cocktail/wine drinker and I'm a 1 for 2. That's a lot of waters between the two of us. Add the convenience of not signing and not keeping track of C&A drinks and the experiment is already teetering on failure.

The bartender will gladly give you glasses of ice water at no charge. 

4 hours ago, BennyandBo said:

But you do not have to tip extra. The 18 percent is fine.

 

And if you are not using the main dining room and want to remove your automatic gratuities (providing you didn’t pre pay before the trip) you can do so at guest services for any reason at any time or by calling guest services from your cabin. Or maybe if you have bad service etc. 

that’s assuming you will not be eating any meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks) at any other venue since the automatic gratuities cover all of those places. I’d rather not be cheap than run the risk of stiffing these hard working people. 

20 minutes ago, mafig said:

Since when can't you get a cocktail or glass of wine with dinner in the mdr or specialty restaurant?

You can but in CK on Oasis class beer and wine are included. 

Only suggestion I can make is to order several shots, pour them into a disposable coffee cup and take them to your cabin. Then you can have a drink there whenever you want. I know you can order individual drinks from room service but would probably be more expensive. 

You do get to order room service from the MDR (when it is open) at no additional charge. An OS does have a table where you can sit and eat. 

3 hours ago, GEORGIEGIRL said:

They charge a corkage fee if you have them open it in the dining room. I think its's like $25.00 or so. 

If you really like coffee I would suggest that you purchase the "Coffee Card" for $31.00 and it gets you 15 coffees at "Cafe Promenade". That way you can save your "Drink Vouchers" for the more expensive drinks (alcohol, etc..) For RCCL a drink is a drink. You just need to let the waiter/bar tender know that you want to pay for the drink (ex. water, soda, etc.) and not to use a "Voucher" for it. Much better deal if you do it that way.

 

Yes, the cost of the drink packages is per day... 

Typically there is no corkage fee if you open the bottle yourself in your cabin. Just bring you own corkscrew and ask for a couple of wine glasses from either your cabin steward or at any bar.

Corkage fee has absolutely nothing to do with who actually opens the bottle - it is a charge made for bringing a bottle of wine to a venue where it is normally sold, just like in a restaurant. Having said that, I have yet to read a report of anyone actually having incurred the charge in the dining room. 

Just got around to reading this post. First of all, the OP was very wrong in that they were not overcharged (charged exactly what they agreed to pay when booking the cruise) and did not pay too early (paid what they agreed to pay and when at the time of booking). What else I found confusing is that while OP claims to have been cruising for 39 years, nowhere is it ever mentioned how many cruises were taken during that time and how many were taken on RCI. 
 

In any event, as the saying goes, once the ring is on your finger, quit looking! 

Might get port fees returned. Have you read your cruise contract?

17 minutes ago, Cigar King said:

One thing to keep in mind is that only those booked in the GS will get the perks.

 

 

Just what I was thinking. Your wife would not be able to accompany you to the suite lounge, etc. 

You cannot bring a case, only 12 cans/bottles per cabin. Absolutely nothing wrong with drinking the ship’s water. And it’s free. Believe it or not people were drinking it for many years before anyone even thought about bottled water. 

You also need to make sure that the bed is NOT near the door - otherwise there is no way the scooter can get into the room. 

9 hours ago, Katems75 said:

Why can't you take a handheld steamer?  It's just basically an electric teapot that has steam...how is that dangerous or likely to start a fire?  How is it worse than a hair dryer or curling iron?

Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think you can bring an electric tea pot either. 

I don’t have an iron. If a fabric requires ironing I simply don’t buy it, and certainly wouldn’t travel with it. If an item has a few creases, I find the easiest thing is to spray with some water and then hit with a hairdryer. Perfect. 

On 3/22/2023 at 9:58 AM, LobsterStalker said:

That's an interesting question. On my only Norwegian cruise I was 'solicited' by a bartender after ordering several double rum and cokes ,.. several evenings in a row, and it was suggested to me that I would be much better off buying a large bottle ( which I was free to carry around the ship). The hassle was not worth what would have been quite a savings for me .Aside from the fact that walking around the ship looking like a drunk carrying around my 40 ouncer was also not appealing. However , never thought to ask at a bar onboard any royal ship if this were possible

 

Cheers

It’s not possible. 

28 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

You can bring prepackaged food off of the ships, you can even pack her favorite snacks from home.

Best idea. Not much other than the little cereal boxes you can take off the ship. You’ll need prepackaged snacks. 

31 minutes ago, BND said:

My entire family had the flu (4 of us) two years in a row when our boys were in elementary school before we started getting shots.  Aches, fever, lethargy, exhaustion, headache, cough for a full week.  That was full blown flu.  I've also had a "mild case" one time when vaccinated and low grade temp, and all the same symptoms, but milder but I could still tell it was the flu.  With a cold, I get a runny nose, cough, no temp and no body aches at all.  Very different illnesses.   You may have tested positive, but Flu symptoms are more than a stuffy head.   

I’ve had the flu, Covid and, of course, your basic cold. With the flu I was sick as a dog but my case of Covid (verified with a test) totally mimicked a regular cold. No fever, aches, cough or anything. Just a runny nose and slight sore throat.  The only reason I bothered to test was because I had a vet appointment and they asked if you had flown recently and had any sort of symptoms, both of which I had. 

I think it would be easier to deal with in a specialty restaurant since food is made to order rather than mass produced like in the MDR. 

I often wonder what people did when cruising prior to the time when people used bottled water.  Nothing wrong with the free water available everywhere. At home I use a water filter attached to my kitchen faucet because our water has a strong chlorine taste when boiled for tea or coffee but don’t purchase bottled water. In response to the OP, again it’s a case of what the market will bear. If people are willing to pay, they will keep raising the price. 

Much prefer being near the elevator. No noise at all. 

I enjoy Indian food but what is served on the ships is really a cheap variety and I don’t think I’d be inclined to pay extra for it. For what it’s worth, I detest Mexican. DIL is Indian but doesn’t cook it at home. She will not permit her mother to cook it in her house, she must bring it over already cooked. 

Pressing is half the cost of (individual) laundering.  There will be a price list in your cabin. 

45 minutes ago, jencruzin said:

Agree with the OP. Tipping is OFF THE CHAIN these days, especially considering the added gratuities to the already high fees. We haven't extra tipped the dining staff the past couple of cruises because they really never went above and beyond for us. And, extra tipping the cabin steward? Only if, again, they really WOW us and do something very extraordinary.

 

Head waiters stop by and interrupt the dining table's discussion to tell us something we already knew. Tipping them is throwing cash away, IMO.

 

Gratuities in advance = tipping in advance. 

The head waiter is not there to amuse you or be your new bff. S/he is there to assure that service runs smoothly and that there are no problems. Occasionally, they need to change waitstaff if there is a problem (had that happen once). If everything is running smoothly they are doing their job. 

My local supermarket has Maine lobster tails (6 oz i believe) on special this week for $5,99. Sure, you need to cook them yourself but I learned how in high school cooking class so doesn’t really require much cooking talent. I’m sure buying them in bulk like Royal does makes them much cheaper. Their upcharge is ridiculous.  I think a $5 upcharge without the extra gratuity (you wouldn’t need to pay that if they were bringing you an extra plate of meatloaf) is much more reasonable. 

It’s not available on all ships. In any event, it’s a very small bottle that comes with some mixers.