What's new with Royal?

We haven't cruised with Royal in about 6-7 years and are now considering booking. I'm sure there have been changes in that timeframe that I should know about. Please share! Thanks, all !

Fake sales.

Room service now costs $8 per order, except for some items in the morning.

Two bottles of wine per stateroom are allowed to be brought onboard.

Gratuities are charged automatically.

No smoking on balconies.

OBC can be used for pre-cruise purchases.

Non-refundable deposits are required on Grand Suites or better, and are optional on other categories.

Fake sales.

Care to elaborate?

Room service now costs $8 per order, except for some items in the morning.

 

 

Two bottles of wine per stateroom are allowed to be brought onboard.

 

 

Gratuities are charged automatically.

 

 

No smoking on balconies.

 

 

 

OBC can be used for pre-cruise purchases.

 

 

Non-refundable deposits are required on Grand Suites or better, and are optional on other categories.

Wow, thank you, Bob!! Can you give an example of what you can use OBC for pre-cruise?

Wow, thank you, Bob!! Can you give an example of what you can use OBC for pre-cruise?

Excursions, beverage packages, specialty dining, etc.

Excursions, beverage packages, specialty dining, etc.

Awesome, thank you.

Awesome, thank you.

You're welcome.

By the way, with regard to using OBC pre-cruise, it has to be OBC from Royal or Visai points. OBC directly from a travel agent cannot be used pre-cruise.

You're welcome.

 

By the way, with regard to using OBC pre-cruise, it has to be OBC from Royal or Visai points. OBC directly from a travel agent cannot be used pre-cruise.

But can be used to pay gratuities once on board.

Care to elaborate?

For the past 3+ years, RCI has been marketing "sales" all the time, but the sales are based on made up inflated prices.

Drink prices have REALLY gone up since you last cruised. A basic mixed drink that used to cost around $6.50 including tip 4-5 years ago is now around $10 or more.

Dining room menus have been shrunk to one menu and dinner and desserts are ordered at once. No more bread service, just bread slices and limited selection of rolls placed on the table.

In addition to the two bottles of wine, you can now bring up to twelve 17oz containers of non-alcoholic beverages on the ship per stateroom, in your carry on bag to the ship. This is just more of an official clarification from RCI since they used to be pretty lax about it.

Dan

I too havent cruised RCL in IDK when and finding out that my emerald status is now diamond and now there is a diamond plus.

I used to have a bar where i could sit and drink wine. Im not sure i get that now or not, but now i am reading I get 3 drinks use it or lose it per day, which seems like a nice perk. I might or might not be allowed to order these free drinks in the MDR, depends on the ship.

I know you cant combine obc like before, i was still cruising when this changed. I asked about a sale with $65 obc, if you can say you dont want it and then still get $100 obc from stockholders> No one answered me that i saw. though might have missed it.

Im playing catch up too, will follow this thread.

you and me both missed some new ships and changes to loyalty program, they posted happened in 2011.

idk if this is true only of Carnival or RCL too, i got so beat up on the Carnival threads for not knowing. I know when I last cruised i have had a bottle of sealed water in my hand when i reboarded the ship. lol i was accused of encouraging people to break rules.

There might now be a rule you can only carry on soda at embarkation in cans now, not in bottles or cans. And it MIGHT be a rule in ports idk, that too seems to have changed.

Same here cannot even find my old CC account 🤨 not cruised RCI for 5years lots of changes in favour of the cruise line mostly, the room service is a kick as my wife is a wheelchair user and used to order most days.

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Wow, thank you, Bob!! Can you give an example of what you can use OBC for pre-cruise?

You can use OBC for any cruise planner purchases, including internet, drink package, speciality dining or excursions.

Pretty sure if an alcoholic drink package is purchased in a stateroom, all guest 21 or over in that room must purchase also.

That was not the case the last time you cruised.

Dan

Sodas can officially be brought on-board now.

The cruise line announced that guests will be able to bring small quantities of non-alcoholic beverages in a carry-on or hand luggage onboard only on boarding day. Checking in non-alcoholic beverages will no longer be permitted.

Specifically, non-alcoholic beverages brought on-board may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. Distilled water or specialized beverages such as, milk for medical purposes, dietary or infant use, are permitted.

Drink prices have REALLY gone up since you last cruised. A basic mixed drink that used to cost around $6.50 including tip 4-5 years ago is now around $10 or more.

 

Dining room menus have been shrunk to one menu and dinner and desserts are ordered at once. No more bread service, just bread slices and limited selection of rolls placed on the table.

 

In addition to the two bottles of wine, you can now bring up to twelve 17oz containers of non-alcoholic beverages on the ship per stateroom, in your carry on bag to the ship. This is just more of an official clarification from RCI since they used to be pretty lax about it.

 

Dan

In regards to the bottles of wine, what size?

In regards to the bottles of wine, what size?

Two standard 750ml bottles or smaller

Dan

In addition to "fake sales" prices on stuff like drink packages fluctuate a LOT before your cruise date. For my upcoming cruise, the deluxe drink package has been everywhere between $47 and $52 a day. I know it's not much, but with 2 people, and the 18% gratuity that is charged, that adds up to $83 for the two of us :) The good thing is you can book it whenever, and then cancel/rebook if the price goes down. I think you have until 3 days before your cruise to rebook your things in the planner.

That was not the case the last time you cruised.

Drink packages may not even have been available back when OP last cruised.

I too havent cruised RCL in IDK when and finding out that my emerald status is now diamond and now there is a diamond plus.

 

I used to have a bar where i could sit and drink wine. Im not sure i get that now or not, but now i am reading I get 3 drinks use it or lose it per day, which seems like a nice perk. I might or might not be allowed to order these free drinks in the MDR, depends on the ship.

 

I know you cant combine obc like before, i was still cruising when this changed. I asked about a sale with $65 obc, if you can say you dont want it and then still get $100 obc from stockholders> No one answered me that i saw. though might have missed it.

 

Im playing catch up too, will follow this thread.

 

you and me both missed some new ships and changes to loyalty program, they posted happened in 2011.

What I have found is every single cruise has a discount of some kind so never can I use my stock 100 obc. But usually use the diamond discount balcony of $250.00 . Therefore better deal than getting the Stock holder credit. It is all a game.

Something that has changed since i first started cruising also is that if price for cruise decreases within a certain window (i believe by final payment) they will not give you credit

I like the 3 free drinks. It is happy hour thing 5-8. When diamond lounge is extremely crowded, good to go other places or meet friends and get free drinks. Never tried getting in MDR

FWIW---I HATE COMMUNITY BREAD BASKET with strangers rifling thru breads with questionable hand cleanliness.

For more easy communication is the 12 cans of soda pop per cabin or per person?

For more easy communication is the 12 cans of soda pop per cabin or per person?

Per stateroom.

Do they still have the Crown & Anchor coupon book?