momneedsrest

Thank you for sharing that link...my Mom, sis and I are on Ascent in May and are sharing a cabin. I'm abit concerned about three of us in one cabin for almost two weeks. Has anyone else sailed three adults in one cabin? I'm a bit anxious and am wondering about reaching out to Celebrity to see if there are any solo cabins left on our sailing and how much $$ damage to move one of us to that. Help!

Oh gosh! That is so not good! We’re actually getting the car at FLL and then returning it to the port location. Hopefully the situation will be better in September (but I’ll keep the Uber app handy just in case!)

Thank you so much!  I did select that location but have been struggling to backtrack to verify! I appreciate the map link-this is so helpful. I am relieved to know there is a shuttle and we will take your advice to drop the group and luggage and then return the vehicle. 🥰

Thank you so much for your review.Sailing in May with Mom and Sis and am getting quite excited.

     Sailing RC Freedom oS in September and arriving FLL day before and renting a car from Budget. Need advice for rental return day of sailing. Can I return it at Port Everglades?  If I can, how close am I to the RC terminal? Is it a walking situation or a shuttle ride? Should I drop the rest of the group at the terminal first with the bags and then return the car?

     At one point in the process, I found info that there is a Budget outlet at the port but I can't find that info now. In my next life I want someone else to do all the planning so I can just enjoy the trip!

28 minutes ago, GimmeOcean said:

 

No fees for most lounge chairs w/ umbrellas, you can bring/exchange towels from the ship (they use the same towels), most food is included. Drink & internet packages work there as well if you have one of those.
 

There is no need to pay extra on CocoCay unless you want to get in to the exclusive areas (Coco Beach Club, Thrill Waterpark, or Hideaway Beach), or rent a daybed or cabana.

Thank youi so much! 

We will be a party of four (all over 60) on FOS in September-haven't been to Coco Cay since before pandemic. It looks so different/developed! Are there any areas that are fee free where we can just enjoy sun, sand and surf? Will we need to rent chairs, towels umbrellas? TIA.

20 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic and welcome to the reality of sailing with NCL.  After plowing through 20 pages or so of fine print in your cruise contract you may find a full and complete explanation, but the short answer is that freedom isn't free.  If you select a "Free at Sea" (FAS) option such as the beverage package, the price of the package is included with your fare, but a gratuity of 20% of the retail price of the package will be added to your total.  The Daily Service Charge (DSC) is $20 per person per day for most reservations.  This is separate from the FAS gratuity.  NCL indicates that it is intended to provide incentives for certain crew members, such as waiters and stateroom attendants, but also for other personnel with whom you may not come into contact, such as laundry workers.  Many passengers think of the DSC as a gratuity for service workers.  The DSC is optional, but most passengers do pay it unless there is a serious problem with service on board.

Thank you so much for spelling this out! Now if only the bathroom situation on the Epic wasn't so freakin' weird!

My sister and I just booked ourselves and our mom on  Epic for a 10 day Greek Isles for Apr/May 2024. I am looking over the itemized bill and am wondering what the heck this is: What does this mean? Why is there a charge for something called "Free at Sea?" The next box on the page has a radio button/option to pay $600 for service charges in advance, which kind of tracks-$20 per person per day, if we so choose. Are these two separate things?

Can someone please explain this?

• I have 2 cruises for next year on "HOLD" but now I can't find what the "HOLD" rules are. Can someone please advise?
• The current promo for said cruises indicates "risk free cancellation" but I cannot find any rules/guidelines/explanation for that either. Can someone please explain or point me to the answers?
• TIA

4 minutes ago, blackshirt said:

No. Definitely nothing for gold, I’m not sure there is anything in the way of swag until you hit D+. You get a welcome back gift such as water or soda starting at Emerald, I don’t recall any merchandise.

I didn’t think so but thought I’d ask.

Do gold level C & A members get any swag on board? I see am to remember getting ball caps on our second cruise and tote bags on our third-but those were quite a while ago.

1 hour ago, sh2738 said:

 

They aren’t 100% needed but it depends on how long you would like to wait. Personally, I would prefer not have to wait a long time for a table so I always make reservations for most nights even when doing my time. Simply because most nights that I have done MDR, the line for no reservations has been really long. So it would depend if you are alright with potentially waiting a while. But depending on your cruise and what time you are planning to eat, there might not be a long line. Just depends on your preferences. But just to note, at least on my last cruise a couple years ago on RCL, with my time dining, there were two lines one for people with reservations that was shorter and that moved faster by a good amount, and another longer one for people without reservations. So if y’all aren’t in a hurry and don’t mind possibly needing to wait a while since people with reservations are seated first, then yes there isn’t any need for making reservations. 

 

Just depends on how you want to cruise. Either way my time dining is wonderful! Have a great cruise. 

I appreciate your advice! I will need to discuss this with the fam. 

7 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Nope, reservations are not necessary.  If you want to make reservations, visit the My Time desk at the entrance to the dining room.  The Cruise Compass will also list a phone extension for My Time dining reservations.

*Whew* thank you so much! 😎

I'm on Oasis 11/4 with the fam and have not picked a seating time in MDR. Is it necessary and if it is, when/where do I sign up. We have a rez for Chops on the last night for our big splurge. 

Thank you for posting your review. I will be on this route in November with my family. You’ve clarified many of our questions about the ports.

☺️ thx

Dear OP,

I just read your entire trip saga and LOVED it! Not gonna lie-I did not read all of the extras supplied by your wide and varied audience. My fam and I will be on Oasis in November and I feel you have set the bar quite high for future cruise reviewers. Thank you for your honest and entertaining review.

Thank you to the original poster and everyone else! Hubs and I will be on Oasis in November with our two adult kids. I am looking forward to enjoying all that Oasis offers. I so appreciate all of the tips about dining options and beverage packages. We just need to nail down shows, activities and excursions ;p

I don't usually plan to exercise while on vacation but I absolutely would zumba on a cruise if it was offered! It is so much fun!

How many days until your next cruise?????? Hopefully it's soon, as I know we all enjoy time spent on the open seas.

 

I only have 78 days until my cruise, and I am already getting ancious to go. I wish it was sooner, then the time on the cruise would just crawl so it seemed longer, lol.

Way too many!!!! haha:(