Reina del Mar

4 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

On Royal Class ships, the buffet will always be open (but there won't necessarily be food, 6 am to 10 pm are the hours with food), and the dispenser will always have brewed coffee/hot water/tea.  On some, the lemonade/iced tea dispensers have been removed and you can only get these during service hours in pitchers.  Crew doesn't have problems with passengers going in to get a cup of coffee prior to breakfast service or after food service has ended at night.

 

On the Grand Class ships, there's been reports on this board upon the switch to Lavazza coffee pre-brewed coffee is put out in coffee dispenser urns.  I assume once the buffet wraps up for the night, these won't be replaced until the next morning for breakfast service.  Haven't been on this type of ship since the switch so cannot comment.  I know when it was still the coffee concentrate, you could go in at anytime to get brewed coffee.

 

 

I haven't seen a drink gun at the IC.  You can always go to the nearest bar for a cup of water.

Not helpful if you visit the IC in the middle of the night !!!

Suppose Room Service would work, or ordering via the Medallion might work..if you have a package or have paid to activate medallion.

We used Southbound.

Our travel agent booked us a taxi bus from the Santiago airport to the Sheraton Hotel, then three days later from the hotel to the cruiseport in San Antonio. Different drivers and minibus taxis but both clean, punctual, comfortable with professional drivers. Would use again

On 9/19/2023 at 5:01 PM, beshears said:

Reina del Mar, are you saying the package (even though it was expensive) you booked through Holiday Inn Resort in Galveston, they picked you up at the Galveston airport,  you stayed overnight at the Resort, and transferred you to the ship as well? If this is the case, ballpark figure per person what was it? There are 7 or 8 of us going and I'm trying to get some figures.

Sorry to take so long replying.

We drove to Galveston, stayed a couple of nights at the hotel, then used their park, stay cruise package. People we met used Uber from Houston airport and to the port and found it easy. 

Thank you- that’s good to know.

6 minutes ago, 1965 said:

Reina del mar is your 26 day cruise Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale departing Nov. 12? We're doing that one as 2 b2b cruises. 

No, it’s 26 days around Australia…delayed for several years due to Covid. Just grabbed what was offered, as we in UK, seem to be bottom of the list…was offered in Australia first, then States..then we had to grab left overs….need to look into it to see if it is sold in segments…just checked and is showing that it could be booked as 2 x B2B but currently unavailable, so probably full.

Thank you. 

Don’t think it is a B2B..but who knows?  Booked as one cruise around Australia, as far as I know.

Debating a drinks’ package. We couldn’t order a water package on our last Australia cruise and doesn’t seem like we can do so this time either.

It’s worth finding the steward of your second cabin during the first week and explaining you will be moving to his section. He might be prepared to ‘do’ your new cabin as one of the first cleans to allow you to settle in.

We have only had to change cabins once..packed everything in cases ready for first steward to move…he didn’t do it quickly enough for us and cabin door left open to anyone walking the hallway.  We decided to take the suitcases ourselves as there was no sign of steward. New steward was cross with first steward for not sorting our bags straight away.

We have done a Princess excursion between back to backs to see alligators..Flamingo Park rings a bell..bit underwhelming but something to do and an expensive way of using our OBC. They dropped us back to Port Everglades and we just used our ‘In transit’ cards to walk straight onboard.

Thank you..our cruise is 26 days, so won’t really touch the sides !!

Seems a bit unfair to have just one set up for two people..suppose it is cutbacks.

We will be Elite on our next cruise.

Interested to know what the benefits will be regarding mini bar and being able to change what we don’t like.

Also…without wishing to sound grabby…if both of us will be Elite, are there two mini bar set ups??

Many thanks.

11 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

It depends on the ship. Skywalkers can be a really nice spot for the views and some cruises have very good snacks. We had one in the spring that had sushi most nights.

 

On the other end, boring cheese and veggie sticks in the Vista Lounge on Enchanted wasn’t worth it for me.

As I said, each to their own, I wouldn’t give thank you for sushi!!!

On 9/18/2023 at 6:46 PM, JimmyVWine said:

All food at the IC is included in your fare, regardless of whether one has a package or not.  It is just like going up to the Buffet area on a ship.  In fact, much of the food served at the IC is also served up at the buffets during certain times of the day. Just think of the IC as a "mini-buffet."  Coffee drinks are another thing altogether.  

In the equivalent Central Park Cafe on Royal Caribbean, non speciality teas and coffees are without charge even if you do not have a package!

Or even if you don’t have the drinks’ package?…..sorry to say ther’s not much to get excited about. Mediocre snacks and small saving on selected cocktails. 
 

But each to their own!

We booked a stay and cruise package at Holiday Inn Resort on Seawall which included parking and transfers each way. Booked by phone as unavailable online. Not cheap but solved our problem..

Depends on your plans, if you are driving from IAH  to Galveston, there is a retail mall and outlet mall about 20 miles outside Galveston -Baybrook Mall..can’t miss as on roadside.We drive down a few days pre cruise,

If taking cruiseline transfer this won’t work.

Suggest bringing your chosen detergent. Years ago used Purex 3 in 1 sheets…now difficult to acquire, other sheets are available.

Have travelled many times with a bag of detergent.

Don’t know whether these are cutbacks but am not keen on the Plus/Premium packages offered by Princess, nor the increasing amounts of up charge restaurants.

Before anyone comments…I know I don’t have to buy/use either !!!!

Many thanks.

Hope the comment quoted in my original  post was an exaggeration then.

3 hours ago, ldubs said:

I find this is all confusing.  

This is definitely all very confusing…maybe if passengers showed their feelings by sticking with MDR or buffet, Princess would get a message. Obviously this would limit choices, but all these  ‘at additional cost’ dining venues, seem to be one way of Nickel and Dime ing..to me anyway !!!!..

Maybe I’m just mean ! I appreciate others may feel differently.

7 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Very poetic. Mine was the Arcadia (confusing that these names get recycled decade after decade). 30 days on board as a child was the best summer ever.

I was thirteen.

An amazing fortnight in the Med.,out of Southampton…

29 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

My first cruise (that I was old enough to remember) was also in that year. Golden days. And no-one would have dreamt of not dressing properly for dinner! Lovely evening entertainment and happy days on deck. 

 

My first cruise was on TSS Reina del Mar…where I acquired my Cruise Critic name. Nice to chat to you.

Oh yes, I can find it now..thanks for sharing it was on first page.

Fingers crossed it is all very ‘fishy’!!!

Even more strange, the post now seems to have disappeared into the ether !!!

I took a screenshot, so know I did not imagine it and have name of poster.

OP here- I didn’t say I was on the ship- but expecting to travel Spring 24.

I am Reina not Rex del Mar and I am female with pronouns she/ her!!

I have quoted from a current Cruise Critic post in the Princess section. Someone asked for information about a specific cabin and the quoted comment was one of the replies !

Whether this is considered a reliable source I don’t know but was posted yesterday and still available for viewing online.

I have used the app successfully since 2019- that doesn’t mean I don’t prefer the old fashioned way !!!!

Hadn’t thought of a current roll call..but not sure how many would check roll call once aboard.