RCI secrets they don't tell you

[gogispu]

Just had to weigh in about the arcade. On our last cruise, our 14 yr old figured out that after we had said no charging on his card, he convientely lost his sea pass and was issued a new one. The new one wasn't locked (hmm...) anyway by the time we had caught it , over 270 dollars had been used to play video games in the span of an hour and a half. Had called RCCL about this and they said they were looking into it. So Parents, check your kids cards. We ended up putting a cash deposit on both of our kids cards. That worked

[rum & monkey]

Just had to weigh in about the arcade. On our last cruise, our 14 yr old figured out that after we had said no charging on his card, he convientely lost his sea pass and was issued a new one. The new one wasn't locked (hmm...) anyway by the time we had caught it , over 270 dollars had been used to play video games in the span of an hour and a half. Had called RCCL about this and they said they were looking into it. So Parents, check your kids cards. We ended up putting a cash deposit on both of our kids cards. That worked

 

Wow, sure he wasn't playing black jack:eek:? Not sure how you rack up that amount that quickly, it's like being in the casino:cool:. We refused to pay ours and it took them a while but they did take it off the bill (actually they told us they couldn't but they gave us an OBC to cover the cost).

 

We were told that each card had to be disabled individually on board after the fact, so I guess if a card gets replaced you have to disable it as well. It is definitely a secret of RCI about disabling the card.

[KazAllen]

Is this ship mate app available for Ipad?

[Toulmantwo]

YES SAME APP WORKS ON BOTH . Very nice app!

[DrD]

Is this ship mate app available for Ipad?

 

Yes I just downloaded it (so I could answer your question.)

 

I didn't even know about this app, looks great! Thanks for the question!

[first_time_dav]

For the people who stick things to their door in order to find the cabin....do the cabins not have numbers on the doors? That's how I usually find my room in a hotel.

[mistshar]

For the people who stick things to their door in order to find the cabin....do the cabins not have numbers on the doors? That's how I usually find my room in a hotel.

 

The cabins are numbered but it is just easier to spot your cabin when you go down the hallway if it has something to distinguish it from the others.

[knittinggirl]

The cabins are numbered but it is just easier to spot your cabin when you go down the hallway if it has something to distinguish it from the others.

 

Great idea

 

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[Anthony63]

Well after you have had a few adult beverages the numbers might be a little harder to read but the decorations you put on the door more than likely will not be duplicated

 

Eat more Shrimp

[first_time_dav]

Do you guys decorate your room door in hotels aswell?

[Yillup]

Do you guys decorate your room door in hotels aswell?

 

 

If I were in a hotel with hundreds of rooms down long corridors I probably would put something on my door so I could find it... I haven't been in a hotel like that yet, but if I do I'll get back to you...

 

 

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[goodycruising]

People who decorate their doors look like they are having fun to me. We are going to take something next time too! Maybe a couple of cheap magnets or something. We have seen quite a few different things, but hubby likes the birthday banners with the fringe along the bottom. He likes flicking along them!

 

We sometimes reference a picture on the wall or something, but after a couple of cruises back to back in different rooms, remembering your room number is not always easy! Luckily last time they were in similar positions just a few decks different. A few times our room attendant was close by and opened our door for us. The hardest thing is remembering which way to go when you get off the elevators! But yes, we read the signs they put up.

Edited April 6, 2014 by goodycruising

[DKane]

The cabins are numbered but it is just easier to spot your cabin when you go down the hallway if it has something to distinguish it from the others.

 

IMHO, these door decorations are just another way for the cruise lines to make money.

[knittinggirl]

On Independence, someone had decorated their door with fishes. Really cute.

 

We didn't decorate ours, but we did stick a magnet there to send notes to our steward. The magnet made it easier to find our room. Am I the only one that tries to enter other people's rooms because they're all alike?

[vulcan1971]

On Independence, someone had decorated their door with fishes. Really cute.

 

We didn't decorate ours, but we did stick a magnet there to send notes to our steward. The magnet made it easier to find our room. Am I the only one that tries to enter other people's rooms because they're all alike?

 

One of my cruises was a charter that had a couple of themes running concurrently during the cruise. My roommate and I did some decorating for that cruise, but that is the extent to which I would decorate. I have read stories here where people have put things on their stateroom door that turned up missing/stolen. Obviously you shouldn't put anything on display that you won't miss should it fall of the door or "walks away".

[WetToes]

IMHO, these door decorations are just another way for the cruise lines to make money.

 

How? The people who decorate (I'm not one of them) are bringing items from home, not buying from the cruise line.

[Kimnjimnkids]

We displayed our name (just some little family pride :) )

Me and the kids made it at home. Wouldn't have been a big deal if it came up missing but it was so nice to find our door super easy after walking the LONG hall of FOS!

Just a little fun craft...no biggie :)

 

 

Royal~FreedomOfTheSeas 2014

Carnival Glory 2012

Disney Magic 2011

Carnival Triumph 2010

Carnival Victory 2009

Disney Magic 2008

Carnival Inspiration 2008

Carnival Victory 2007

Carnival Triumph 2002

[sharse]

We are from DC, so I think I'll try to find a large number of magnets that depict this area and put them on the door. Since I've read that sometimes the magnets go missing, I'll just consider them my gift to a fellow traveller who will go home with a souvenir from Washington DC. :)

[first_time_dav]

I'm gonna love cruising, seems like a different world once you climb aboard. Think we'll hang our Burnley FC flag on the door. Our cabin is fairly near the lift so not a lot of walking down long corridors for us thankfully!

[Anthony63]

We are from DC, so I think I'll try to find a large number of magnets that depict this area and put them on the door. Since I've read that sometimes the magnets go missing, I'll just consider them my gift to a fellow traveller who will go home with a souvenir from Washington DC. :)

 

Now if everyone who cruised had an attitude like you it would be a much better place.

 

Eat more Shrimp

[travelplus]

Royal Caribbean doesn't tell you that the dining room table assignments are done using a lottery system except for those who need a specific table assignment.

 

The computer has a list of all guests and will randomly assign the guest to a table. All the Director of Dining has to do is press a key"Assign all unassigned tables" and voila all the tables have been assigned.

 

Another thing they don't tell you is your SeaPass Card has an RFID chip and your name appears on the screen so they can greet you by name even without purchasing anything. Notice how a crewmember from a year ago remembers you from the Serenade. Well what the see is your past cruising history and to make you special if they worked on X ship they would say "Welcome Back Mr. so and so" .

 

One other thing they don't tell you is the Elevators can be programmed using the RFID technology to say Welcome back Mr. so and so. But they don't use it in case someone gets scared. Just look on the back for the small barcode on each side. there is an RFID chip stored there and it can be read without scanning(:.

 

 

Another insider tip they don't tell you is if you want to book a future cruise just pick up your room phone and connect with the Loyalty Ambassador. You can be sitting in your PJ's planning your next cruise. If that doesn't work call down to Guest Services and they will patch your call to Miami for no additional charge.

 

If there is something you crave just tell your waiter or waitress and you may be surprised to find that item maybe not tonight but sometime down the road.

 

Which leads me to my next inside info. You know how they bring your Iced Tea and other beverages every time. They don't remember them. There is a secrete employee who is recording your preferences and uploading it to the computer. Your wait staff checks into their section and sees what you like. All your preferences are being silently recorded and used. In fact preferences from your last cruise are kept on file and shared with the sister ships.

 

Want to know one less reason not to use the ship's computer? Because its running Windows XP and as of today there will be security vulnerabilities.

Edited April 8, 2014 by travelplus

[poncho1973]

Another thing they don't tell you is your SeaPass Card has an RFID chip and your name appears on the screen so they can greet you by name even without purchasing anything. Notice how a crewmember from a year ago remembers you from the Serenade. Well what the see is your past cruising history and to make you special if they worked on X ship they would say "Welcome Back Mr. so and so" .

 

I don't gather from your tone that this is said tongue-in-cheek... but IF IF IF IF IF this were true, they are doing a horrible job with us. The only person we've had recognize both of us on any of our cruises was a server we had on a cruise a few months prior. Even then, she didn't remember us until the second night. My wife had a girl in the spa remember her, but the girl couldn't remember where from.

 

Different crew members call us by name, when they have our sea passes in their hands. I expect them to be able to read.

 

I'll place my tongue firmly in my cheek and say that I've heard that if on the first day of your cruise you walk up to a random bartender, gaze deeply into his/her eyes, unfurl a $20, plead with your eyes for special treatment, and hand the bartender the $20 as if you are helping them win the lottery... they will know your name for ALL OF TIME and share your name with every bartender on the ship, granting you many free drinks and heavy pours!

 

 

Which leads me to my next inside info. You know how they bring your Iced Tea and other beverages every time. They don't remember them. There is a secrete employee who is recording your preferences and uploading it to the computer. Your wait staff checks into their section and sees what you like. All your preferences are being silently recorded and used. In fact preferences from your last cruise are kept on file and shared with the sister ships.

 

I will also say that I've never experienced this. They know on Night #2 my preference... I'm assuming they note it somehow. I know most of the wait staff carry little notebooks in their pockets. I've never once had a member of the wait staff know my preferred drink on Night #1.

 

Again... maybe this is true if you reach a certain level of coolness, but as a random plebeian, I've never seen it.

 

Although, I do usually get greeted with "Welcome back Mr. Poncho" when the waiter first arrives and they are checking off who is who at the table. He/she is usually holding a list of some sort on Night #1.

Edited April 8, 2014 by poncho1973

[Thoie]

 

I will also say that I've never experienced this. They know on Night #2 my preference... I'm assuming they note it somehow. I know most of the wait staff carry little notebooks in their pockets. I've never once had a member of the wait staff know my preferred drink on Night #1.

 

Again... maybe this is true if you reach a certain level of coolness, but as a random plebeian, I've never seen it.

 

The secret secret is that all the cool kids wear "I <heart> iced tea" (or your drink of choice) t-shirts on the first night ;)

[DrD]

 

We sometimes reference a picture on the wall or something, but after a couple of cruises back to back in different rooms, remembering your room number is not always easy!

 

 

That's true but fortunately they put the number on your seapass card.

 

I find it easy to remember which way to go by thinking in terms of left/right and front/back. So on our last cruise I knew if I was on aft elevators/stairs I had to go forward, and vice-versa.

 

On Freedom class direction is easy as long as you're on decks 6-8, you can see Royal Promenade from elevator lobby, then it's easy to get oriented.

 

Funny thing is on land I have a terrible sense of direction. I guess ships just make sense to me.

[Ba' Datz]

That's true but fortunately they put the number on your seapass card.

 

I find it easy to remember which way to go by thinking in terms of left/right and front/back. So on our last cruise I knew if I was on aft elevators/stairs I had to go forward, and vice-versa.

 

On Freedom class direction is easy as long as you're on decks 6-8, you can see Royal Promenade from elevator lobby, then it's easy to get oriented.

 

Funny thing is on land I have a terrible sense of direction. I guess ships just make sense to me.

 

NCL has an interesting trick. The carpeting has fish and the fish are pointing forward. Just follow the fish