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What if you had the cheers package, and wanted to buy a fishbowl just for fun, paying out of pocket for it-how would this impact the 15 a day drinks limit, if at all?

I had to call this evening to cancel our cabin (a price drop made it worth forfeiting our £88 deposit, as we then saved £300 on the lower priced cabin) and I managed to get answered after 8 mins-not great but not as bad as I anticipated. The adviser was lovely and very helpful, sorting out our dining on the new booking and re-linking is with other friends on the same sailing. I got through on this number: ‭0345 355 5111‬
 

Ah thank you that’s very helpful. Would we miss much in the MDR if we did the steakhouse on the Thursday? On past cruises (not carnival) there has been singing etc in the MDR, and to be honest I don’t mind if we skip that, but wouldn’t want to miss the elegant night experience if it’s something special. 

Good evening folks

we are sailing Saturday to Saturday on Panorama in August. The Thursday is our wedding anniversary and I’d love to book the steakhouse for a special treat, however I don’t want to miss any gala/formal event that might be on. Does anyone know what day they would usually take place (if at all)? Or would a gala/formal evening be just as well spent in the steakhouse? Many thanks for any input. 

It’s not unusual for me to gain a stone on a 7 day cruise, particularly if we have enjoyed many cocktails and lovely desserts! However I find the bulk of this drops off within a couple of days of getting home, as much of it is water weight...not sure why this happens at sea, but my feet tend to swell and I know I’m holding on to water. Once that drops off I’m left with a 5/6lb actual weight gain. 

Thanks all, the clarification is much appreciated! We have purchased drinks packages many times on Royal Caribbean so we know they represent decent value for us, particularly as I enjoy the coffees etc as well as pre dinner cocktails! Thanks again for the info. 

38 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I believe you only pay per day, so on a one week cruise, booking on day 1 you would pay for 7 days, booking on day 2 you would only pay for 6 days.

Yes indeed my point exactly...I was told on the phone that we could purchase the package and it would be based on 7 nights, however we couldn’t start using it until day 2, thereby making it only valid for 6 days. I’ve come to the conclusion that there has been a misunderstanding or perhaps there is a training need, as I double checked what the adviser was telling me, however I don’t think it can be correct. I’m hoping that you can purchase the package once onboard and it becomes immediately valid, as it does on other lines. He kept repeating that it couldn’t be used on the day of embarkation....I can only assume he meant the day of DIS-embarkation, which would make much more sense!

Thanks Andy, the info didn’t seem correct because why would you pay for 7 days and only be able to use it for 6?? He said it could be purchased straight away, but not used until day 2, but I think there must have been a misunderstanding...at least I hope so!

Good morning, I wonder if anyone can help clarify? I have just spoken to a P&O agent regarding linking our dining with friends, and whilst on the line we chatted about drinks packages...he told me that the package only becomes valid on day 2 and on the first day all drinks must be purchased normally?? This doesn’t seem to make sense to me but he was very confident in this, however I have just looked up the terms and conditions and it states that the package is valid every day except the day of disembarking, which is what I would expect. Can anyone clarify? We are sailing from Southampton in May. 

Many thanks 

I had it twice last week on the Navigator. First time in Chops which was delicious, then on the last night the MDR waiter offered us ‘surf & turf’ of filet mignon and jumbo shrimp for $12, and the filet was equally delicious. 10/10 both times!

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I know you said you had the drink package, however did you notice if they sold the 10 drink punch card? If so, which day was it available? Thank you.

Yes I did see the 10 drink card being promoted in the cruise compass, and I’m sure it was available right from the start.

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Just enjoyed our 8th cruise with RCI, although this was our first on Navigator. Thought I would share some highs and lows.

We had an excellent boarding experience and were enjoying our first beverage in The Two Poets by 10.45am. We really like this size of ship, plenty to do but not so big that we don’t feel we can’t do her justice on a short 5 night sailing. We have previously sailed on Anthem, Independence and Freedom, and Navigator certainly held her own compared to hear other ships.

We had an excellent stateroom attendant (Sandra) and she looked after us beautifully. We had an interior cabin (7435) which was tucked away in a very quiet area behind the library. A great location which we would choose again without hesitation.

We had fabulous meals in both Chops and Giovanni’s, I had the filet mignon twice as it was so delicious! Our dining room staff were excellent but I didn’t appreciate the hard sell to purchase a dining package. Having spent our first 2 nights in the speciality restaurants, we went to the MDR on the third night and I was disappointed that we received a hard sell from the 3 different people within 2 mins of sitting down. In the end I had to quite sharply say we had done all the speciality dining we intended to do,and didn’t want to hear any more about it!

The bar staff were excellent and the cocktails were very enjoyable! Everything seemed to be covered on our drinks packages (deluxe) although annoying we had to make several visits to guest services to have odd charges removed for water, coffee etc. It was done without question, although no apology was ever received, we were simply told ‘mistakes happen because the bar staff are very busy’!

Overall we had a great cruise and have already booked for next October, as we really enjoy our break at this time of year, coming as it does between our main summer holiday and the events of Christmas. Navigator is a lovely ship however she is starting to look a little tatty and tired- missing tiles in the solarium, rust around some external doors, scuffs and dents in many areas, and very old and tired looking in the spa changing areas. We also felt there was a lack of activities particularly on the pool deck. I realise that an October UK cruise will not have great weather, however we had a lovely sunny day when we were docked in Spain, and the pool deck was very busy, so some music or activities would have been very popular. As it was a movie called ‘The Promise’ played on the pool screen, which was completely inappropriate given that it is a movie about genocide, showing as it did the mass graves of children!! We complained to guest services and asked that this 12 rated movie be switched off given that it was mid afternoon and the pool deck was packed with children, but it wasn’t.

All in all, we had a lot of fun and look forward to our time on board!

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We are currently on a 5 day Navigator, and we saw the ice show yesterday (day 2) and it’s being repeated on day 4. We had to collect our free tickets for one of the 4 performances from a desk outside of studio B.

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We are currently on board Navigator and were hoping to book in room babysitting. Apparently the sitters (as others have said, it’s always 2) can be any crew members who would like to perform the role, and they receive some basic training when they sign up. However the service relies on their being staff who want to do the additional hours, and on our current sailing nobody does want to work the extra hours this week, so there is no in room sitting available.

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I’ve also just searched and found that it may be serving Indian dishes. We love Indian food and coming from the midlands region of the UK we have many authentic curry houses to choose from, so I was hoping for Sabor to be serving Mexican food. I guess I will find out when we board in a weeks time!

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It certainly appears on the deck plans, but I was a little puzzled as when I log in to my cruise planner, it does not mention Sabor as a dining option. I’m really hoping it’s still there as I have been looking forward to trying it! If it is indeed still there, can anyone confirm if it can be included in the ‘Buy One Get One Free’ dining package that we have purchased for the first 2 nights?

Thank you :)

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It seems to me that a very obvious point is being missed. Carnival are not the alcohol police, telling you that you may not consume more than 15 alcoholic drinks per 24hrs. As long as you are behaving appropriately, they don't care how many you have! What they are saying is that if you have the Cheers programme, only the first 15 alcoholic drinks will be included. Once you've reached that limit, it becomes pay as you go and of course they will serve you as long as you are not intoxicated and behaving inappropriately.

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Really enjoyed this review, fun, informative and very level headed. Thank you for taking the time to report back!

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Hi all,

We are on the current 4 night sailing of Indy and are having a great time. Formal night was last night (day 2) and I was surprised to read in the compass that we are having formal

night again tonight (day 3)! We enjoy formal night so it's all good for us, although I only brought one really formal dress, but I was nevertheless surprised. Has anyone else encountered this before on such a short sailing?

We are having a great time with friends and have enjoyed the newly upgraded drinks package, which has included the liqueur coffees in cafe promenade. Indy was the first ship we sailed on and holds a special place in our hearts, although I must admit she is looking a little tired in some places and the food has been a little disappointing at times. However, she is immaculately clean and the staff have been excellent, really friendly and accommodating. Any questions, please feel free to ask!

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May we always remember the great citizens of ALL the nations that died that day. My childhood friend died in the north tower, we are both British. God Bless America and all the other countries striving for a peaceful world.

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We are from the UK and did this exact cruise last summer, we never needed anything other than our sea pass card when getting on and off the ship-we were never asked for a passport or visa.

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^^^^ Except it's really not our custom not to tip!! :)

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As an aside, for those wondering about tips when on shore, as a uk traveller who has spent many years in Europe (studying and travelling) I can confirm that it absolutely is customary to tip, although not 18% as our US friends do. In a restaurant, 10% is the norm for good/great service, and for taxis rounding up to the nearest £5/€5 is fine. For a tour guide who has looked after you all day I would tip around £5/€5 per person. At counter service coffee shops etc, there is often a tip jar for you to pop in loose change, no particular expected amount. Although this won't necessarily be relevant to travellers, we also always tip at hair salons and beauty spas! Those in the service industry are paid a better wage, however a tip is always appreciated and gratefully received, and as it is discretionary I guess it is genuinely a tip in the true sense of the word.

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Honestly, I would never waste my money or time to visit NYC. I have been to NYC hundreds of times. It is a dump and in the summer it is HOT, MUGGY AND SMELLY. It is truly awful. You have much better options. If you want to cruise in the Caribbean, take Bobs advice and cruise out of Puerto Rico or Florida. There are 5 great cruise ports in Florida with fabulous ships.

I respect your opinion but I can't agree with this!! I spent 2 weeks in NYC in August 2014 and it was fabulous! Beautiful weather and we had plenty of time to spend at the parks, The Highline, Coney Island Boardwalk, we went to baseball games and explored this amazing city in the sunshine. It was definitely hot, less muggy than I expected and never smelly! We can't wait to go back for the 3rd time in 2018 when we plan to spend a week in NYC and then take an internal flight in order to cruise, most likely from Florida or Texas. I would like to cruise from New York but based on this/ next summers prices, the Anthem is overpriced (I sailed on it from Southampton and it was lovely but I prefer Voyager, Freedom or Oasis class) and also the itinerary doesn't do much for me. I'd rather take a flight, explore a new city for a night or two and then jump onboard!

Ours was in the American Icon restaurant, very relaxed and we sat at a table and made friends with some fellow cruisers!

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