geogran

Thank you all for the helpful answers and a better explanation of how and why the prices vary and change between the various D balcony categories. I will have less angst when selecting my cabin for my next cruise.

So all I need to do now is enjoy my cruise while relaxing on my 'hump' balcony. :)

CC members are awesome! :D

Where we live the best store in town is K-Mart and the nearest Walmart is 65 miles away. Would it be OK to wear a polo bought from K-Mart?:confused:

K-Mart polo will be fine, as long as it wasn't a 'blue light' special.

Sailing RCCL first time on Allure later this year and have balcony cabin and category question.

Originally booked a Cat D8 ocean view balcony forward (starboard) on Deck 8 very near the forward elevator and central park at a very good price earlier this year. But since I am prone to motion sickness, I decided to try to find a better situated (for me) cabin on same deck but aft near an elevator – no luck there since I didn’t want to spend a lot and was hoping to stay on Deck 8 if possible ( seems lot of CC’ers like Central Park). I found a Cat D1, midship, deck 8, starboard, on the hump (parallel to Giovanni’s). So I gave up my forward D8 cabin; it cost less than $50 (for 2 persons) to change to the D1 cabin. I think I will like this better since it is midship and has a larger balcony, even though I sacrificed being near an elevator and will have a much longer walk to get to Central Park in either direction. Or maybe I’m just crazy for changing…

Finally to my questions for Allure cruisers that might help me select this type cabin in the future:

Is a D8 category ‘better’ than a D1 category?

Will a D8 category always cost more than a D1? Are D7, D6, etc, always less than D1 or D8?

If so, what criteria makes a D1 or D8 category better?

The other day I went to the RCCL website looking for a different Ocean View balcony cabin, (not counting discounts/etc), I found that, of the available cabins, the D1 cabins for 2 persons were $1500 less than any of the D8 cabins that I found. (when I had looked earlier this year, I thought the D1 cost more than the D8 but I could be wrong).

This week, when I changed from my D8 to the D1 (both on Deck 8), there was a slight additional charge for the D1 cabin which wasn’t a problem for me. And yes, when I went back later, my ‘old’ D8 cabin was showing available, at a cost of $1500 more than any of the D1’s that were available.

hope someday to move up to a JS…

Thanks in advance for any answers!

Did you pack your wine at home and put in your checked luggage or did you purchase your wine at your destination before you got on the ship?

Afraid we won't find a place to purchase wine before we board the ship..

short reply-- NO

 

 

Thanks for the info! I always see folks posting info on available cabins and thought there was a shortcut in how they found stuff so quickly...

Guess I'll make that call tomorrow to the TA.

Clear your cache, or use another browser...

 

other than that you'll have to just call or keep trying. It's possible that the cruise is full, though maybe not...

Thanks MEGR1125! Will give that a try,

And the troll has already been taken off of cruise critic......again....

How does that happen and how do u figure that out - just curious...

That's cause we seniors monitor the prices almost constantly and when we see the discounts we immediately grab the few that Royal throws out there:D

Is there an easy quick way to check price changes? I've got my 1st RCI cruise coming up in a couple of months and would like to upgrade if price is reasonable. I've been unable to 'book' although just looking for better price on the RCI website for the same cruise I've bought - it's like RCI knows I've got the cruise booked and won't show that cruise available... I don't want to call anyone until I can see for myself what is available and the cost...I must be doing something wrong in my searches...

"The first fall of snow is not only an event it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different; and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found??" JB Priestly

Oops! Thought it was a discussion about snow, not snobbery....:)

Are there websites available to search easily for available cabins on a particular cruise / cruise line, for example RCCL Allure without having to provide all the personal details? If so do you save that site name for a future quick lookup? I'm curious how folks keep up with cabin availability so quickly when a question is posed on this site! Are cabins blocked out to various TA websites or is the cruise line the most accurate source? Just trying to find a quick way to look for available cabin for an upgrade closer to sail date...

Appreciate any suggestions...

Thank you for all the replies. Anyone that is familiar with NCL CAS, can you tell me is royal program similar? Do they have a CAS booking department?

Yes, casino info on the rccl website can be found at:

select:

All about cruising, onboard experience, Casino, players club

Then select club royals or mlife for MGM resorts players details

Based on mlife tier level you can qualify for a free cruise or $350 or $700 on sailings thru dec 2014...plus more benefits

The RCCL number to call is 800-762-0702 for the equivalent to CAS booking.

Does Royal have a casinos at sea program? Have not cruised RCI in quite some time have been thinking about trying oasis.

Just as NCL casino at seas has a tie in with CET total rewards program, RCCL casino Club Royale has an arrangement with MGM properties ' mlife' players. The program gives you lots of perks even if a first timer on RCCL - I'm a 1st timer on RCCL with an upcoming cruise and with my mlife platinum status got $700.00 credit towards my cruise plus 10 free drinks in casino, priority boarding etc...gold status has benefits as well.

If you are an mlife MGM/Mirage etc mar and interested I Can provide more info on request - still a novice in many areas but glad to help point you in that direction.

Maybe my memory is foggy (senior here) but when we sailed out of Barcelona on NCL in 2010 we did not relinquish our passports to NCL...stayed in our safe and we carried copies into ports...maybe on next cruise will keep original on my person except for beach time...

Our friends booked us into Cambria Suites in Dania Beach -has free airport shuttle with a reasonable shuttle fee to the port. From what I can gather it's not close to anything although our friends say it's a nice place to stay...our first time out of FLL...keeping our fingers crossed..

In future will use one of those recommended by everyone here!

Thanks all for the responses! Can't wait!

Anyone stay in or near cabin 8548 -category D8..outside balcony.

Since it is so far forward, could feel a lot of ship motion?

Is bed next to balcony or nearer to door?

Booked this because midship was $800 more for two of us and thought that was a little pricey. Thanks for any info.

I like your style and super tips !!! Alternative dining spots and take out food options make for a good 'plan b' - I always like having a plan B. :). :)

Exactly where does one pick up folding map of the ship. - my first time on RCCL Allure this August...

Many thanks and happy sails..

My mistake in not correctly reading what you initially wrote.. :D Thanks for explaining - it does sound like a deal since we are planning a European cruise for late 2014.

CC cruisers are the best!

Thanks!

Lucky you Roger to have three more cruises booked!! I'm just amazed at how many cruises folks take - some multiple cruises in the same year! Guess it's a real testament to the affordability and enjoyment factors. It took many years to convince DH to take our first cruise to the Mediterranean but it was so awesome he was easily hooked after it. We would cruise more often but are so wrapped up in our two young grandsons that is is hard to tear ourselves away - and so we are now doing the Disneyworld thing with them.

Thanks for the good advice about booking the next cruise while on board this one - had heard it has many benefits like OBC - so will look into it now that we are retired. Also, we seem to have the same mindset regarding suites - while it seems like something we might do in the future -it's a little out of our comfort zone at the time and we'll have to ease into the luxury of a suite and all it entails - butler/concierge etc....afraid we could get addicted to that!!

Happy sailing on all your future cruises!

Thanks to all for the helpful latitudes information. As a 2nd time cruiser/bronze member I hope we get the invite for the Monday session at Spinnaker! It appears NCL makes an effort to keep repeat cruisers connected and a fun way to meet staff and other fellow cruisers. We are also looking forward to the Meet & Greet a fellow CC cruiser set up. This cruising thing is more fun than DH and I ever thought it would be. Who knows, some day we may upgrade to a suite-something to look forward to-but for now we are happy to be in a mini-suite!

You should do this for a living....your answers were spot on and easy to understand....

Re boarding - you read my mind... thanks for the really helpful boarding directions - and the suggestion about the MDR for lunch - now I have one less thing to stew about....lol.

We are really excited about our Alaskan cruise - rain or shine; cold or moderate - we are THERE!

Will be cruising for 2nd time on NCL next week on Pearl to Alaska.

I noticed on the NCL website there is a 'members only cocktail party'.

Does anyone know when and where the NCL member only cocktail party is held - and is it for all previous Latitudes members or just a certain level?

Also, on the Pearl, where is the Sky High Bar & Grill?

Is 'Latitudes' boarding a priority boarding or just a separate line??

Sincere thanks!