RCI secrets they don't tell you

[Allis154]

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

 

They put your cabin number on the key card???? WOW...talk about a security risk if you lost it on the ship!!! Or a crew member had 'ideas'!!!!

 

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

 

Love this idea!

[mjeff87]

It's just the last three digits of your cabin number. You still need to remember what deck you are on.

[Scootch]

We too grab a seat, one of us sit while the other grabs their food. We eat and clean up our mess as much as possible so the staff can sweep in and get the table ready for the next guests. With deck chairs - if we see folks looking for chairs and we are done, we wave them over and tell them we are done and they can have ours.

 

We all have to work together.

[Dajbman22]

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.

 

Where are the staff getting this output from your RFID chip? Have they all been given Google Glass, or some kind of top secret contact lens HUD?

[mollygirl61]

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.

 

For many cruises I took with us clever colorful magnets I made, personalized with our names (for our large family traveling in several rooms) and lots of activities, such as "at the pool" "dining room" "off to the island" "waiting for sunset" etc. They were adorable and passersby often seemed to enjoy rearranging them. I also brought a set of refrigerator poetry words - you know, the kind you can arrange to make phrases. Our hallmates liked those too, and we ended up with some pretty humorous sayings on our doors sometimes! Then on a Carnival cruise a few years ago, the magnets were stolen, and we found several of them strewn on random doors down various hallways; the phrases were abused and taken, and the fun was gone for us as a result of a few presumably drunken late nighters. Oh well, I guess it was a "Fun Ship" for messing with other people's things. That had never happened on 4 RCCL sailings and 6 HAL cruises.

I realize that someone will respond to this post with something like "well you should have expected it when you put things on the outside of your door," but frankly I don't like to expect boorish behavior from people, and I am unhappy to see it.

Just beware when you put things on the outside that there are always spoilers out there. I just hope this trip they aren't in my hallway.

[dmndlil]

They put your cabin number on the key card???? WOW...talk about a security risk if you lost it on the ship!!! Or a crew member had 'ideas'!!!!

 

 

Just the last three numbers and the first number is your deck number. You have to know what deck your stateroom is on.

[tanzer22pilot]

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

 

Lol! Future politician.

[Hotelfixer]

 

my door decoration

[Hotelfixer]

I read all 50 ish pages of this thread ... great ideas although some is outdated.

 

I now know, children cant be trusted

Power strips may or may not be used

Towels may or may not need to be signed out

and getting a table in windjammer is tough .. ;)

 

Happy Sailing :)

[Goodtime Cruizin]

I read through quite alot of this thread but here's one I haven't read...

 

Men's rooms Port side

Ladies rooms Starboard side

Food..Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner are AFT

Entertainment/Shows are Forward

 

At least on Mariner & Navigator

[Goodtime Cruizin]

Compman: I am a Brit. I live in both cultures and I think you are being a tad rude yourself with your comment above. Again, I disagree with you re, your take on cultural norms. There are rude people in all cultures. One more point: If I am in a different culture, I do not expect that culture to change for me. I try to adapt. I suggest you do the same.

 

I tend to agree. If you're standing around with food on your plate getting cold, one should plan to leave a bit earlier instead of getting frustrated. BTW... this not a cultural thing by any means, it's common sense. If somebody is sitting at a table looking around for the mate I take no issue with that except to say I should made my way down earlier.

 

Now it's different if I go to the pooldeck and there are no bodies around a larger group of chairs but yet there are towels "reserving" them... i'll move one, perhaps two if the wife is with me. I've been approched before for doing this and I just point to where their towels are and tell them "well there's plenty of charis, please do join me! :D Most don't, but I'm not sitting in the shade or standing in the sun when there are a couple of hundred empty chairs not being used except to hold a towel.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Goodtime Cruizin

[Heytray41]

[ATTACH]308881[/ATTACH]

 

my door decoration

 

Ha!

LOVE IT!!!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[DrD]

There's an easy way to prevent your kids from spending your money in the arcade. first, set up a bank account or college fund. Encourage relatives to put in money here and there for gifts etc. Require kids to put some proportion of their money in there as well. Next, simply explain that any arcade charges that you did not explicitly authorize will be reimbursed from this account on your return. Foolproof! Not only are they quite unlikely to spend the money but also if they do you aren't out a dime. Works for us.

[Time To Cruise Again]

The "Real Secret" is to explore the entire ship, deck by deck, to see what is there.

 

Print deck plans from the RCI Web Site before you board and then just wander and explore.

 

You will be glad you did!

 

 

Here is proof that this system works.

 

On our first cruise on the Jewel of the Seas, every time we went to the Windjammer we got our food and then found a nearby place to sit down and eat. At lunch on the 4th day, the Windjammer was pretty full so we kept heading aft to find an open table. And we found the open air seating area across the stern of the ship. For the rest of the cruise, that is where we ate.

 

Had we not walked back there we would never have found it!

 

 

That is my favorite part of the Jewel.

[poncho1973]

There's an easy way to prevent your kids from spending your money in the arcade. first, set up a bank account or college fund. Encourage relatives to put in money here and there for gifts etc. Require kids to put some proportion of their money in there as well. Next, simply explain that any arcade charges that you did not explicitly authorize will be reimbursed from this account on your return. Foolproof! Not only are they quite unlikely to spend the money but also if they do you aren't out a dime. Works for us.

 

Your faith that a tween/teen kid will give a crap about money they don't even (most likely) consider theirs is high!

 

That's either really encouraging or really naïve! :)

 

But, you are correct, if they spend it the parent wouldn't be out the money. The lesson being learned by the child is the only thing I would question.

[WetToes]

Your faith that a tween/teen kid will give a crap about money they don't even (most likely) consider theirs is high!

 

That's either really encouraging or really naïve! :)

 

But, you are correct, if they spend it the parent wouldn't be out the money. The lesson being learned by the child is the only thing I would question.

 

I agree with you. I don't think the average kid cares about a college fund.

Now maybe if the money were to come from an allowance, or maybe making them sell some personal items (phone, games, gadgets, etc,). They might learn a lesson from that.

[DrD]

Your faith that a tween/teen kid will give a crap about money they don't even (most likely) consider theirs is high!

 

That's either really encouraging or really naïve! :)

 

But, you are correct, if they spend it the parent wouldn't be out the money. The lesson being learned by the child is the only thing I would question.

 

They do seem to care. I probably wouldn't take it from college fund to to w/d penalties, but they do care about bank accounts as they actually take money out every couple of months to buys things, and actively save for things they want. My 12 yo just bought himself an iPad mini.

 

But certainly everyone's different, and my method may not work for all.

[poncho1973]

They do seem to care. I probably wouldn't take it from college fund to to w/d penalties, but they do care about bank accounts as they actually take money out every couple of months to buys things, and actively save for things they want. My 12 yo just bought himself an iPad mini.

 

But certainly everyone's different, and my method may not work for all.

 

 

I just did a dollar conversion online. An iPad Mini is $300 and a 12 year old bought it.

 

$300 to a 12 year old in 2014... I was 12 in 1985. In 1985 dollars that = $664.

 

 

I don't think I could've saved $664 if I saved my entire allowance for years and years and years. Of course, my father wasn't a doctor either... so that could be the skew.

[Kova15]

I grew up with Parents who taught simular things as DrD is suggesting. I had an allowance weekly that if I didnt do my chores I wouldnt get my allowance. If I wanted a toy or something special I had to save my money to buy it. IF my parents would have taken me on a cruise as a kid or teen I wouldnt have wasted all my money in the arcade. I might have bought something from the gift shop but thats about it.

 

But I had to work for my money and wasnt given anything. I saved enough to buy a car at 16. I also got a cell phone in the 8th grade (2001) that I paid for by cleaning my grandma's house every 2 weeks. If I didnt have the money my cell phone service was cancelled and I didnt have a phone.

[Dajbman22]

I read through quite alot of this thread but here's one I haven't read...

 

Men's rooms Port side

Ladies rooms Starboard side

Food..Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner are AFT

Entertainment/Shows are Forward

 

At least on Mariner & Navigator

 

In general that is true, but Cafe Promenade (Voyager Class) and Sorrento's (Freedom Class) are technically forward.

[LetsGetWet!]

I just did a dollar conversion online. An iPad Mini is $300 and a 12 year old bought it.

 

$300 to a 12 year old in 2014... I was 12 in 1985. In 1985 dollars that = $664.

 

 

I don't think I could've saved $664 if I saved my entire allowance for years and years and years. Of course, my father wasn't a doctor either... so that could be the skew.

Huh? You're calculating inflation backwards somehow. $300 in 2014 is actually equivalent to $137.50 in 1985 dollars.

 

CPI Inflation Calculator

[poncho1973]

Huh? You're calculating inflation backwards somehow. $300 in 2014 is actually equivalent to $137.50 in 1985 dollars.

 

CPI Inflation Calculator

 

You're absolutely correct. I realized I did it backwards and was coming back to edit it (my window has closed, though), but the sentiment is still the same.

 

$140 to me at 12 would've still been like Scrooge McDuck swimming in a pile of gold.

 

That is an exaggeration for effect. I didn't run it through any engineering specs or anything, I just winged it.

[LetsGetWet!]

You're absolutely correct. I realized I did it backwards and was coming back to edit it (my window has closed, though), but the sentiment is still the same.

 

$140 to me at 12 would've still been like Scrooge McDuck swimming in a pile of gold.

 

That is an exaggeration for effect. I didn't run it through any engineering specs or anything, I just winged it.

*shrug* To each their own... My family was lower-middle class, but when I was 12 (in 1966) I guess I must have been more motivated and ambitious. I was earning close to that every month from my paper route, and even more in the summer when I mowed a number of lawns on a weekly basis. (No exaggeration, for any reason...) ;)

Edited April 9, 2014 by LetsGetWet!

[beshears]

All the doors/rooms have numbers, but they are at the side, not on the doors. Also, there are "two" sides, so they can be the "same" number, but you need to know which side your room is on. I discovered that the hard way.:(

[Ourusualbeach]

All the doors/rooms have numbers, but they are at the side, not on the doors. Also, there are "two" sides, so they can be the "same" number, but you need to know which side your room is on. I discovered that the hard way.:(

 

The door numbers may be close (out by one digit) but they are not the same.

 

One side may be 7254 and the other side would be 7554.