Diamond Dandy

That is true. RCI confirmed it is part of Star benefits yesterday.

Great info so far. Many thanks. Some more thoughts:

Pictures I have seen of the 2nd bedroom make it seem kind of cramped. Any pictures or comments?

Gratuities are included in Star, but should we tip the Genie and/or Stewards extra?

Is there added cost for special meals or parties?

Since you get free Beverage Plan would that apply to in-suite alcohol?

They mention specialized tours and the like. Costs?

Obviously I am trying to get the most out of this cruise and appreciate all input.

Decided to splurge on this suite for the 8/20/17 sailing. As this will very likely be a one time thing I want the benefit of the experience of the folks on Cruise Critic.

All input will be greatly appreciated as to positives, negatives, and other things I need to know.

Thanks for the info. Appreciated!

We are on Eclipse for both the 2/5 and 2/19 sailings. We have been continuous cruisers on RCI but this is our first on Celebrity.

Any feedback from others with this experience will be greatly appreciated. In particular: (1) What should we expect on turn-around day? (2) As Elite we get the free bag of laundry. Do you know how far into the cruises this becomes available? (We obviously can't take 4 weeks of clothing so knowing this may help us with packing and planning.)

Any other information eagerly welcomed as well, and thanks as always for your input.

Haven't tried this myself yet, but would an Uber pick up make sense? Are they able to pick up at terminal?

While I never had a problem with ship tour groups, the others just ticked me off. Like in so many other areas of life the few tell the many "The heck with you. I'll do what I want." Subject closed I guess.

Just did B2B on Allure, returning 9/11. On 3 port departures (which adds up to 50% over the 2 weeks), we were significantly delayed by folks missing or just ignoring the All-Aboard time limits.

While I have compassion for problems with excursion groups, I think the number of other late returners is becomimg a problem. For example in Nassau I watched well over 100 people arrive late. Many where nowhere yet on the wharf at the time they should already have been onboard.

Am I right that the line might incur additional costs for late departures and/or subsequent late arrivals? Wouldn't the ship incur higher fuel costs if they have to hurry to meet their next arrival window?

Wondering if RCI should start leaving folks behind or developing ways for the late returners to share in any additional costs. Opinions?

I recall that there was a limited menu for the evening cocktail hour. Does someone have a copy of a recent menu?

Please allow me to expand on this thread. We will be back on Allure at the end of August.

(1) I have heard that on some ships Izumi no longer has the hot rock/self cook items, rather replacing them with table top cooking similar to Benihana. Is this the case on Allure?

(2) Please explain how dining package discounts work in the case of a la carte restaurants like Sabor or Izumi rather than one-fee restaurants like Chops.

As always, thanks for the help.

Sorry about the duplication. Never replied before and did not know about the dealt.

On the Anthem right now, enjoying the free Wi-Fi since Friday afternoon.

Changed course to kind of tuck in behind the storm, in the Bahamas now. Original route would go throughout the heart of the storm with maybe 30 foot waves.

We will get some motion overnight, but nothing like what we endured on day 2 heading South. Tomorrow will be calm, with possibility of some sun again1

Yes I am, enjoying the free Wi-Fi since Friday afternoon. The ship changed course, sailing much closer to the US, sort of tucking behind the storm. In a detailed weather update you could see that our. Original course would have taken us right through the storm, necessitating much slower speed, and encountering waves as high as 30 feet and winds perhaps as high as 30 feet.

We will still have some moderate to rough seas, but overnight tonight. Tomorrow should be much smoother with some possible sunshine.

Changing the route was an excellent idea, especially considering the seriously rough seas we had already experience on day 2 on the way South.

I take it that Carmel is a car service? I am leaning toward a car service (same date and same time). If we can't know the time we will make it off the ship, how do you arrange the trip? I have looked through some on-line services but just do not know anything about them, so would again rely on Cruise Critic member expertise.

Some time ago I think I saw a thread that said that this was true, but do not recall which line it was. Is this the case on Royal Caribbean?

I will post the same question on Celebrity since I think it was one of the two lines.

Some time ago I think I saw a thread that said that this was true, but do not recall which line it was. Is this the case on a Celebrity?

I will post the same question on Royal Caribbean, since I think it was one of the two lines.

Info, please. (As indicated elsewhere I have trouble with the web site)

I'll bet someone can provide the regular price for Qsine, Murano, and Tuscan Grill, as compared with package price,

Thanks, as always.

Just checked, and find I am having the same problems as in the past. Using my I-Pad, I find it basically impossible to view Deck a Plans. Also, the site seems to be basically unfriendly. For example, when I try to view specialty menus I am limited to one category (usually appetizers) with no real details.

Am I doing something wrong? Do others have the same problems?

Thinking about taking some family members along and wonder about the facilities in those cabins marked handicap. I assume they are larger bases on the deck plans and also assume wider doors for wheelchair. What else is different about these cabins?

Thanks as always!

From what I can see these two types of balcony are the same size. What would be the difference to warrant the higher cost of Concierge class?

Been a while since we sailed out of Miami. Seems to me that we would have 3 options:

Transportation through the Cruise Line (in this case we are on the Norwegian Getaway)

Taxi on our own

Using that luggage valet package, also through the ship.

Keeping in mind that our flight is at 11:26, we welcome opinions, cost comparison, and any other options I did not consider. Thanks as always.

The NCL website may have been having some trouble so we thought we'd get the help of the folks at CC. We are considering the package but have a few concerns (but all input will be appreciated):

Can you visit a particular restaurant more than once?

I recall folks recommending reservations on line before sail date. Is this the best way to go? Can you only reserve some of the nights in case you find one you want to repeat?

Is the Teppanyaki restaurant included?

Happy to take advantage of your experiences and knowledge. Thanks

We've done pre-cruise hotels on our own, as well as through the cruise line on our over 30 cruises. We are weighing our options for cruising out of New Jersey.

What hotels will Royal Caribbean likely use if we have them handle the arrangements?

I assume the cruise line will arrange transfers and luggage handling, right?

If we do the hotel on our own, are there cruise line transportation options available?

We are always grateful to have the benefit of your collective experience.

We have sailed Oasis and Allure several times and were always amazed at how smooth and fast the Boarding process was in Port Everglades. We are sailing again this Sunday 8/17 and just received notices of specific boarding times based on the Deck your cabin is on. We are on a Deck 9 which is among the last to board at 3:30 PM!

Anyone know what caused this change to what was always a smooth process?

I've travelled with a Swiss Army Knife so long I don't even think about it. Nice tool to have. Sailed Navigator for 2 weeks starting at the end of March and got the "come to security on deck 1" call this time. As we disembarked I was directed to a separate room beyond Customs where it was returned.

Four of us traveling from Galveston. Wife and I are Diamond, Son and Mother in Law are not. Can Wife and I book as first in each cabin, then re-arrange things when we board, thereby taking double advantage of the status?