vinob

Hi Folks, it's a shot in the dark, but hoping someone out there can help.

Has anyone done royal Caribbean's 4 hour (half day) tour of Pompeii which gives you about 2.5 hours in Pompeii, if so can you remember how large your group was.

I have hearing difficulties and worried will not be able to hear guide if its a very large group.  Did you think it was value for money, or does anyone have recommendations for company that does tours in smallish groups.  Thanks in anticipation.

We did the Baltic on Royal Princess about 3 years go and were quite impressed with the ship and the service, whilst we have cruised with other lines this was our first with Princess and we were not disappointed. You must do St Petersburg absolutely not to be missed.  We did our 2 day tour with a private company which was about half the price of the Princess tour for St Petersburg, everything went like clockwork and the beauty of it was that we were on a mini bus only 18 of us, so much easier to hear what the guide was saying and easier to move through the crowds in the Hermitage, also you didn't have to pay for the tour until the morning of the 2nd day. They also gave a guarantee to get you back to the ship on time on the last day, couldn't fault the company.  We did Tallinn on our own, but in hindsight I wish we had booked a private tour for the history of Tallinn.  We did our thing for Stockholm, we got the train into Stockholm and used local transport in Stockholm itself.  There was a hop on hop off bus for Stockholm at Nyhasham, which I imagine would be there every day there is a large sip in.   If you want I will look back for the company we used in St Petersburg, but I'm sure it was something like TJ travel. 

14 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

The double standard, at least for canceling and rebooking, are due to the stricter travel laws in your country.

Okay I stand corrected regarding cancelling and rebooking cruise, but I still find it wrong to be told the price showing for drinks package wasn't for british market when it was showing in £ sterling.  Wish I had tried to take a screen shot of the page showing it at £35.72 plus 18%.

we booked a cruise on Jewel of the seas and bought the deluxe drinks package. A number of cc members have said if the price comes down cancel the package and rebook it. When I checked today the price was down from £38.00 to £35.72pppd, so duly cancelled package and then went to book at the lower price, it wouldn’t process it. Thought ok log out go back in again, guess what price back at £38.  Rang rcl, explained what had happened,  couldn’t help was told that price wasn’t for the British market, said wait a minute, it was showing price in £ sterling, couldn’t answer and couldn’t help.  So it seems once again double standards, just like we can’t rebook if the price of the cruise falls. Sorry for the rant, but just needed to let the British contingent know. 

2 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

About half, 27 sq. feet. hope this video loads..  + not us..

 

Many thanks it's given me a better idea of the space.

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

About half, 27 sq. feet. hope this video loads..  + not us..

 

1 hour ago, robtulipe said:

Here is a shot of the balcony of cabin  8008 on Radiance which is the upper one. 

That balcony is pretty well a standard size one. I don't know why on the deck plan for that class it appears that this balcony and the one for 8508 on the starboard side are much smaller.

Many thanks its very helpful, it still seems you can get 2 chairs on it.

My hubby and I went to Pompeii a few years ago while staying on the Amalfi coast and spent half a day there and only saw about a quarter of it.  We do not want to do an organised tour as we feel 2.5 hours at the site is not long enough especially as our friends have never been. Does anyone have information on best way to do Pompeii on our own from Naples cruise port, is it easy to get a guide inside Pompeii and any clue on how much they charge. (last time we used a good guide book, but feel a guide would be of more benefit).  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Viv.

Has anyone information on these balcony cabins that are first balcony cabin (small balcony) either port or starboard.

How small is the balcony? is the cabin itself of normal size.

Any info or pics much appreciated.

21 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

Not to change the subject, but can I bring a small microwave oven.  Sometimes I like to reheat my leftover food that I saved from the night before.

 

 Won't rise to your bait, feel you're the rather sad type of person who has to quip at anything and everything.

On 2/17/2019 at 9:51 AM, kernow said:

Another vote for ask your room steward, it's worked for us in the past.

Hi Kernow, many thanks for reply, if you have done this in the past was it on RCI ships, not only do I like a cuppa in the wee hours, I also need to boil water and let it cool for my OH's CPAP machine, so wondering if it's worth trying their special needs section, but knowing my luck they'd probably say your steward can get you boiled water.

36 minutes ago, xxHadleyxx said:

also included and not yet mentioned would be:

 

milk/chocolate milk (at buffet or in dining room), basic hot chocolate, and apple and orange juices at breakfast (not fresh squeezed) in both the buffet and dining room (sometimes other juices, like tomato as well--but they seem to pretty much always have apple and orange).

 

If you are sailing on an Oasis class ship there is also free breakfast at Johnny Rockets.  

 

Main Dining Room usually has a couple of items you can pay extra for on the menu (steak brought down from Chops, for example) but that is the exception and there are many included items to choose from for each course.

 

Different ships have different areas which provide snacks (and sometimes light lunches) throughtout the day and evening (or on and off) at no upcharge which might include: Sorrentos Pizza, Promenade Cafe, Park Cafe,  Snacks at Cafe Lattitudes (the nicer coffee has an upcharge but the pasties do not), The Dog House (hotdogs),Soft serve ice cream machine (usually on pool deck) etc.

 

Basic breakfast (continental) from room service is also availabe without an added charge.

Many thanks, very useful.

Many thanks for your replies folks, much appreciated.

Whilst we've cruised a number of times this is first cruise with RCI, so can you  RCI regulars tell me exactly what is free on RCI food and drink wise if you've booked a cruise without the drinks package.  It would seem that even if you've booked a package there are still things you have to pay for drink and food wise.  Any help appreciated.

4 hours ago, Btank said:

 

That's it, Imma pack my dress robes for my May cruise.  

Love it.

• IMO (no doubt someone will put me right), I think that on cruises in the European region you will find lots of people in long pants and dresses in the evening due to cooler climate, however, can totally understand that on Caribbean cruises people want to wear shorts etc on an evening due to humidity, and yes I know MDR and restaurants are air-conditioned but there are lots of the evening activities take place on deck, so shorts make sense. I know the few times we have been to the Caribbean and the sunshine state of Florida we have been greatly affected by the humidity.

10 hours ago, blueridgemama said:

 

But a really good travel mug, fill it before you go to bed and presto, you can have your coffee or tea at 5AM.

The Simplest of things, I never thought of taking a travel mug, can I ask in the bars late at night for them to fill it if we are on a drinks package or would they insist in serving it by the cup, never had this problem as we've mostly sailed with P&O, Princess and Norwegian who have kettles in the cabins.

22 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Coffee and tea are still free with room service (part of the continental breakfast)

I believe they charge for room service in the wee hours, but hey ho I can’t do without my cuppa at 5am So I’ll have to bite the bullet, thanks.

15 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Prohibited items:

• Firearms & Ammunition, including realistic replicas.
• Sharp Objects, including all knives and scissors. (Note: Personal grooming items such as safety razors are allowed. Scissors with blade length less than 4 inches are allowed.)
• Illegal Drugs & Substances
• Candles, Incense, Coffee Makers, Clothes Irons, Travel Steamers & Hot Plates. (Items that generate heat or produce an open flame. This includes heating pads, clothing irons, hotplates, candles, incense and any other item that may create a fire hazard. NOTE: The only exception to this policy are curling irons and hair straighteners. Matches and normal lighteners are allowed onboard. However ""torch lighters"" and novelty lighters that look like guns are not allowed onboard. Torch lighters emit a powerful concentrated flame, and therefore are prohibited.
• Hoverboards
• Illegal Drugs
• Martial Arts, Self Defense, and Sports Gear, including handcuffs, pepper spray, night sticks.
• Flammable Liquids and Explosives, including lighter fluid and fireworks.
• Hookahs & Water Hookah Pipes.
• HAM Radios
• Baby Monitors
• Electrical Extension Cords
• Dangerous Chemicals, including bleach and paint.
• Alcoholic Beverages (Note: On boarding day, each stateroom may bring up to two 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne. Guests who purchase alcohol bottles onboard, in a port-of-call, or bring more than the two permitted bottles on boarding day, will have their items safely stored by the ship. These bottles will be returned on the last day onboard for enjoyment once home. Alcoholic beverages seized on embarkation day will not be returned.)

I suppose kettle comes under coffee maker, thanks

Oh dear, I feel I’ve opened a hornets nest, I like to dress up and will, even wearing cocktail dresses on non-formal nights, but as I said everyone to their own, I won’t blink an eye. There are many reasons why people choose to dress or not to dress and that’s entirely up to them. Please live and let live.

Just now, Biker19 said:

On sailings out of UK some ships provide them. Also JS and up cabins have them.

Sailing out of Rome in Balcony cabin, just another ploy for RCI to make money, actually I couldn’t find anything in the brochure terms & conditions re kettle, but may have missed it.

Hi folks, has anyone managed to take a travel kettle onboard, I often wake up about 5am desperate for a cuppa, and usually again at 7 before breakfast, don’t really want to pay room service charges and tips each time, or have to wait for room service to come. Has anyone else managed to take kettle on or will it be picked up when scanning luggage, can’t see the difference between someone taking straighteners for hair or a kettle as long as it has safety cutout. 

1 minute ago, wayne_trisha said:

Cover your butt and boobs and no one cares. Sadly, Formal nights are history.

 

Could always sail with Cunard who I believe still enforce their dress code.

Surely it means shorts etc are fine through-out the day and that they are just asking everyone to make a little effort in the MDR and speciality restaurants on an evening,  I know its a vacation but If you were going out to a nice restaurant at home you would probably wear a nice shirt and slacks or a nice dress,  there are few opportunities to dress up these days and personally  I like the idea of dressing for dinner. But hey ho! everyone to their own, I will dress up, but appreciate there are some people who spend their lives in suits at work and want to chill out and go casual on holiday.

Hi Folks, much appreciate all your replies, great to know most standard drinks are within reach on the package.  Kind regards Viv.

Hi Folks, on RCI site for  buying package it says drinks up to 12 dollars, however while trawling through CC I saw someone posted bar menu from 2017 and most drinks were around 12$,

does anyone have a current bar menu price list, I'm assuming prices would have gone up a lot in 2 years and now thinking we may be limited to what we can drink. Us girls like Prosecco and the cocktails and our OH's are wine and G&T drinkers (decent gin and bottled tonics).   Does anyone know if the package will cover this.  Thanks