I am hopelessly lost... please help!!

[constable145]

Thank you so much for the video.. But now i'm super worried... That cabin is TINY for 6 people. I don't know what the sq footage is, but it literally looks the same size as a Ocean View Disney Cabin that only sleeps 3-4. Goodness, goodness, goodness.. what am I going to do????

 

 

 

Cabin 7200 is 293 square feet. It should sleep 6 "comfortably"- 2 on the bed, 2 on the couch, 2 bunk.

 

How comfortable you are when not sleeping depends on how much time you spend in the cabin. If you are only there to sleep and shower, you'll be fine.

[whitshel]

I would definitely look into changing to 2 connecting balconies, either 4 and 2 or 3 and 3. 2 bathrooms and even more room when you figure in the balconies as well, the dividers on the balconies open as well so you will have a nice large balcony. Plus with the new sale I think they are offering free gratuities so you would get gratuities paid for 4 people instead of just 2. Just saying....

[SPacificbound]

Maybe I am missing something but I am counting 10 people. :eek:

 

Do you have two of these cabins booked or just one?

[MNfamilycruiser]

Maybe I am missing something but I am counting 10 people. :eek:

 

Do you have two of these cabins booked or just one?

No, the OP is going with her daughter, her son-in-law and their 3 younger kids. She has 3 more teens and a husband at home - but they are not coming on this cruise. ;)

[mollyeilis]

I don't know what to tell you since you liked having the unstopping videogames for the kids. DS has said that kids have asked to play the videogames and they are denied. But I'm not sure of the age of the grandkids and if it might be different. Also, it's possible that letting them know of their issues might yield different results. My son is a major extrovert, always up for a game and willing to play with anyone, so I don't ask for any special consideration for him. Our tablemate's daughter was there at the same time as him, but she had a head trauma that prevented her from partaking in the dodgeball type games, so she hung out out of harms' way, talking with others.

 

 

Since my son is such an extroverted joiner, we have to insist he leaves the club/lab on Disney. (though he states that he prefers Royal, because he LIKES the games that are led by the counselors rather than the free-floating stuff on Disney) On Royal it's not the mean parents getting him and making him eat; it's Royal. :)

 

 

First of all, you need to do a lot of research between now and September. Check the Royal and this web site and most of your questions will be answered. Remember that RCI costs half of a Disney cruise, so don't expect the same things you get with Disney.

 

 

....The other package includes bottled water, juices and premium coffee (but not Starbucks).

 

Definitely a need for more research.

 

FWIW, depending on ship and itinerary, people aren't necessarily finding that Royal is half the cost of Disney. But it is generally cheaper (just not on Harmony etc).

 

It doesn't include Starbucks branded place on Oasis and Allure (and maybe Quantum class?) but it does include "proudly serving Starbucks" places on ALL ships (also Oasis and Allure which have non-branded espresso places).

 

Cabin 7200 is 293 square feet. It should sleep 6 "comfortably"- 2 on the bed, 2 on the couch, 2 bunk.

 

 

HOW do they fit 2 on the sofabed? Are they different sofabeds than in the rooms for 3? Because on the sofabed in 1864 (a room for 3) it couldn't have fit 2.

[MNfamilycruiser]

No, the OP is going with her daughter, her son-in-law and their 3 younger kids. She has 3 more teens and a husband at home - but they are not coming on this cruise. ;)

 

oops 4 - I didn't look back to the signature.:o

 

I think there is some confusion among posters since the OP has her teen children in her signature, and mentioned the twin boys with Aspergers, who liked/needed the availability of video games - but they are NOT coming on this cruise.

Edited April 8, 2016 by MNfamilycruiser

[waterbug123]

That cabin is TINY for 6 people. I don't know what the sq footage is, but it literally looks the same size as a Ocean View Disney Cabin that only sleeps 3-4. Goodness, goodness, goodness.. what am I going to do????

 

You can find the square footage on Royal's website.

 

As for what to do, I'd consider booking 2 cabins instead of the family ocean view. 6 people sharing 1 bathroom is tough, and with 6 in one cabin you'll feel like you are all on top of each other. It's entirely possible that 2 "lesser" cabins won't be that much more than the family ocean view but it will depend on how full the ship is as to what prices they are currently charging.

 

Also, I've seen where people mentioned the dining options that are included, but just to clarify, the specialty restaurants like Chops, Giovanni's Table, Sabor etc. will charge a hefty extra fee to dine there. I haven't paid attention to prices lately but they tend to be around $40 per person on average.

[BecciBoo]

$40 is not an average:

 

Sabor's - $15 for lunch $25 for dinner

 

Giovanni's - $30 for dinner

 

Chops Steak House - $35 per person dinner

 

Price includes the tips.

 

Edited April 8, 2016 by BecciBoo

[BecciBoo]

Take the time to read this review, it has loads of info for you:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2338894

 

 

Here is the dining excerpt:

MDR

We went to MTD the first night right at 5:30 when it opened, and the service was excellent. We tried to get the same table and waiters for the 2nd formal night, but our reservation was for 7:00pm and the place was bedlam. We waited about 20 minutes for the table to clear, but then gave up and said seat us anywhere. We got to our table and they informed us that they were out of prime rib, which the FW wanted since she doesn’t do lobster. So those of us who wanted lobster got our measly lobster tails, and the FW got some terrible piece of meat that they offered in place of the prime rib, so we decided to forgo the rest of the meal and headed for the Windjammer. It was interesting to go from MTD, which seemed like chaos, to the WJ, which was completely laid-back and quiet. I looked over and saw one family sitting in the Windjammer with a bottle of wine on the table having a nice quiet dinner. I always like the vibe the WJ has at night.

 

We did lunch in the MDR on every sea day. The items from the menu were pretty bad. I tried the steak sandwich one day, which was like a McRib sandwich without the BBQ sauce, and the beefburger another, which might as well have come out in an aluminum foil tray as a TV dinner. The salad bar was great, and they even had a sushi bar one of the days and a pasta bar another. In my mind the MDR is now just focusing on being the salad-based buffet at lunch, and they are making the menu so bad that nobody will even want anything from it.

 

As for the Specialties, we did Giovanni’s and Chops twice, and Sabor once. One slight annoyance was that they no longer put out the dinner reminders in your stateroom when you are booked for specialties. When you have multiple reservations it’s hard to keep track of them.

 

Giovanni’s

Giovanni’s on Liberty had a new menu since Oasis in October. The new menu was good, but they no longer offered items we liked, such as the scallops appetizer (which was my favorite dish offered anywhere on RCCL), crab ravioli and lasagna. When we asked what was going on the manager did get scallops for our second night there and they tried to prepare them Giovanni’s style, but it just wasn’t the same. Giovanni’s is our favorite on Oasis/Allure, but it just seems like something is missing in the converted Portofinos.

 

Chops

The whole Chops argument has been beaten to death, so to bottom line it from my perspective, it isn’t Morton’s or Ruth's Chris, and it’s not really worth $35 when you consider you already are paying for a meal as part of your cruise fare, but when you do it twice in a 4 meal package for $85, you can’t really complain. Everyone did 9 ounce filets both times, and they cooked it perfectly rare, just as I like it. Service was great, although you have to all but beg to get proper sides portions. Six people at a table and they bring out a small flat plate with a little bit of creamed corn splashed on it. C’mon…

 

Sabor

We did Sabor on Navigator and Oasis already, and we prefer the Navigator/Liberty more formal restaurant rather than the taqueria setup on Oasis. Not sure why they had to brand them both Sabor since the atmosphere is so different. As for the food, I thought it was great. They made me a separate spicy guacamole from the rest of the table, and I had the mole, which was excellent. The FW thought the food was too spicy, but the rest of our party enjoyed it. Needless to say, the FW won out in the end and that was the restaurant that got the single visit out of the five.

 

Johnny Rockets:

We tried to go there twice with no luck. We got back on the ship from Belize at about 1:00pm and wanted to have a burger, but they didn’t open until 2:00pm. On the last sea day we tried again, but because the outside decks were closed you had to enter through the arcade, and the back third of the arcade was jammed with people with the same intentions as us. With the teen club being closed at the time the rest of the arcade was jammed with kids, so that idea was short-lived.

 

Ben and Jerry’s

To give you an idea how crowded it was the last sea day, Ben and Jerry’s had a line out onto the Promenade, and they couldn’t keep up with demand for waffle cones so you had to wait as they could only make one at a time and wait for it to cool. I had never seen more than 2 people in Ben and Jerry’s on any other cruises, but it looked like a Dairy Queen on a summer evening after little league.

[dcgrumpy]

Like others have suggested, I would compare the price of 2 connecting cabins to the price of the FOV.

 

I would also check if either FOV 8200 or 8500 are available. They are the same price as 7200 but more square footage. 8200 is the bigger of the two, but 8500 has actual doors separating the sleeping areas so there is more privacy.

 

 

8500

 

8200

 

Another option is one of the new Panoramic Ocean View rooms on deck 12, they have 1 1/2 baths.

Edited April 8, 2016 by dcgrumpy

[knittinggirl]

:o This is a relief. Where are the tea/lemonade stations at?

Windjammer! Be careful at Breakfast, because they also sell fresh squeezed OJ at a huge mark-up. Bought some once, then returned to the free juice.

 

Middleageddramaqueen mentioned her daughter getting in trouble after piling up a $200 charge in the arcade.

 

I'd suggest a balcony for DD and family, and an inside for you. You can visit them on the balcony, and w/ an inside (hopefully one of those virtual balcony insides) your single supplement shouldn't be too high. If you assign one of the grand children to your room, no supplement.

 

I wouldn't put small kids unattended in a balcony room.

 

If you have at least three in your room, you can get a Category E1 for someone.

 

Some use the shower facilities in the spa.

[TinyPinkBug]

I agree with the posters above, you have a lot of research to do. Disney has unusually specious rooms as far as cruise ships go. It sounds as though the room you booked with RCI is about the same size as a typical family room on Disney, but with an extra set of bunk beds squeezed in. Don't expect the split bathroom and tub like on Disney, expect a single bathroom containing your single sink, toilet and shower. It will be time consuming getting 6 people ready in there in the morning.

 

While I have only done one RCI cruise with the kids, I can say that the kids clubs are a different setup as on Disney. The space is much smaller and it is more like camp type programing than what they offer on Disney. Unlike Disney, it is not really designed for kids to be there 12+ hours at a time. Having a child myself with asperger's (well, he has autism since aspergers in no longer a diagnosis) I understand where you are coming from with the separate stations that allow the option to not participate in group games. For us, it means we don't send him to the clubs because he ultimately wouldn't enjoy it and it may not end well. Every kid is different and that is your call as a parent. But we found that our social butterfly daughter really enjoys the clubs so we would send her and enjoy the time with our son.

 

There is no rotational dining, that is a Disney only thing. I think Royal has been trying to implement it but it hasn't been working out, could be wrong there. Don't expect the same dining experience as on Disney, there will be no visits from Mickey, no talking Sea Turtles or magic tricks from your server to keep the kids entertained.

 

Ditto what previous posters said about drink stations. There are no free for all fountain stations like on Disney. Coffee, tea, lemonade and iced tea are offered at meals in restaurants. Regular juices and milk at breakfast.

 

Disney has less nickel and diming than any other cruise line, so expect to see more things that cost more.

[knittinggirl]

Messed up. Superior balcony D1 holds minimum 3 people.

 

Milk is available upon request. We have a standing order for milk in the dining room each evening.

[Merion_Mom]

First of all, you need to do a lot of research between now and September. Check the Royal and this web site and most of your questions will be answered. Remember that RCI costs half of a Disney cruise, so don't expect the same things you get with Disney.

 

As far as beverages go, there are several alcohol and several non-alcohol packages (or you can just drink water, tea, coffee and lemonade, juice at breakfast). The cheaper non-alcohol package includes fountain (gun) sodas only - either at any bar, dining room, or from a Freestyle machine if your ship has one. Around $8/day/pp. The other package includes bottled water, juices and premium coffee (but not Starbucks). Or you can buy soda cans at any bar for around $3 each. Lots of folks bring on cases of water and soda although this is technically illegal.

 

Dining options - a bunch available, most free. Room service free as long as you don't order after midnight. See the page below for the dining and beverage brochure - click on the link in the upper right corner that says "PDF" to download.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/statichtmlpage.do?pagename=brochure_dining_guide_options

 

As far as printing out your boarding pass is concerned, you can usually do this as soon as you fill out your online checkin information on the web site. The last page of the online checkin will have the button available if you can print the boarding pass (might not be available yet for you since you are six months out.

 

Full documentation can be printed out about 49 days prior to sailing (although the only thing of real value is the last couple of pages, which are luggage tags).

 

RCI doesn't do the timed boarding reservations that Disney does - they give you a suggested time to arrive by deck. Most folks arrive when they arrive. Assuming the prior cruise didn't get off the ship late they will let you in the terminal around 11 and onboard around 12, or anytime after convenient to you. You won't be able to get to your room until around 1.

 

Enjoy the time researching your cruise and relax!

 

Liberty of the Seas does not have the Freestyle machines.

[Paulxyz2004]

Iced tea, juices, lemonade, and milk are included. The soda is, I believe, around $3.00 a can. I'm not sure of the exact amount. The soda drink package is $8.00 a day per person and you are not allowed to share.

 

Someone else may be able to add to this info or correct it if I am wrong.

 

:o This is a relief. Where are the tea/lemonade stations at?

 

Slight correction there. Juices are only included at breakfast time. Outside of breakfast you have to pay for them. As it´s been said there is fresh squeezed OJ at breakfast that is not included.

[BecciBoo]

That is most certainly not true, I get orange juice all the time, they have never charged me for any of it. I knew the difference between the fresh squeezed and regular though.

[bubba83]

Is the little one potty trained? I dont know if this ship offers an area for her to swim/splash around if she is not fully potty trained, swim diapers are no allowed in regular pools....

 

I know some of the newer ships have baby splash zones

[sftnslky]

I agree with the posters above, you have a lot of research to do. Disney has unusually specious rooms as far as cruise ships go. It sounds as though the room you booked with RCI is about the same size as a typical family room on Disney, but with an extra set of bunk beds squeezed in. Don't expect the split bathroom and tub like on Disney, expect a single bathroom containing your single sink, toilet and shower. It will be time consuming getting 6 people ready in there in the morning.

 

While I have only done one RCI cruise with the kids, I can say that the kids clubs are a different setup as on Disney. The space is much smaller and it is more like camp type programing than what they offer on Disney. Unlike Disney, it is not really designed for kids to be there 12+ hours at a time. Having a child myself with asperger's (well, he has autism since aspergers in no longer a diagnosis) I understand where you are coming from with the separate stations that allow the option to not participate in group games. For us, it means we don't send him to the clubs because he ultimately wouldn't enjoy it and it may not end well. Every kid is different and that is your call as a parent. But we found that our social butterfly daughter really enjoys the clubs so we would send her and enjoy the time with our son.

 

There is no rotational dining, that is a Disney only thing. I think Royal has been trying to implement it but it hasn't been working out, could be wrong there. Don't expect the same dining experience as on Disney, there will be no visits from Mickey, no talking Sea Turtles or magic tricks from your server to keep the kids entertained.

 

Ditto what previous posters said about drink stations. There are no free for all fountain stations like on Disney. Coffee, tea, lemonade and iced tea are offered at meals in restaurants. Regular juices and milk at breakfast.

 

Disney has less nickel and diming than any other cruise line, so expect to see more things that cost more.

 

Thank you so much for your extremely helpful insight. When you are used to one type of cruise line...the transition is not always smooth.:( And just for the record.. [not you] but I NEVER said we wanted to NOT feed the kids or get rid of them or sit them in front of video games all day. However the more relaxed free style kids options on Disney are very inviting.. and you can plan your whole day around YOUR family's needs and wants VRS what the cruise line says you or your child MUST do in order to be allowed to participate. :confused: So we have pretty much determined that the 3 grand-kids will not be utilizing the kids club at all except maybe on one port day...which is fine, they enjoy more outdoor activities anyway... :). By the way which port days are they open?? Or is it everyday your in a port?

 

As for the nickel and dimming, I have read many reviews regarding this and I am preparing my self for this.. but thankfully I know before hand so I am ready...or else the shock factor would have be in full LOL

 

Am sad about no rotational dining but sounds like the WJ will be a godsend for the 3 year old and myself..because honestly 3 floors of BUSY/LOUD dinning isn't really my style either. :)

[Clarea]

Is the little one potty trained? I dont know if this ship offers an area for her to swim/splash around if she is not fully potty trained, swim diapers are no allowed in regular pools....

 

I know some of the newer ships have baby splash zones

The OP is planning on Liberty, which does have the splash area for kids in swim diapers.

[sftnslky]

Maybe I am missing something but I am counting 10 people. :eek:

 

Do you have two of these cabins booked or just one?

 

LOL no my "other" kids are staying home with Dad...Which btw he is THRILLED about :D I am only going with my oldest DD and her hubby and my 3 grand-kids :)

 

We do have just 1 cabin booked..#7200 which says it sleeps 6, but the square footage is literally a few feet shy of what a normal Disney Cruise Line family cabin is that only sleeps 3-4. I called RCCL yesterday after reading a lot of everyone's suggestions and I will be switching to 2 Ocean View staterooms for only $400 more...HOWEVER right now we would get $190 OBC for each stateroom and with our 1 stateroom right now we only have a $100 OBC so it would basically cancel the extra cost out. :) I feel 10X's better with the extra space, extra bathroom and more privacy. ;)

[cb at sea]

I think that was a wise move, getting the 2 cabins. Aside from cabin sizes, and the lack of "rotational" dining, I think you'll find RCI to be similar to any other cruise line.

 

You can buy cans of soda ($2.85 or so, with tip) which yields 2 glasses over ice....or even bring a few cans of your own...they say you can't, but they really don't care. Fountain soda is what you get with a soda package, but you can guzzle the stuff all day long, if you want!!!

[MNfamilycruiser]

LOL no my "other" kids are staying home with Dad...Which btw he is THRILLED about :D I am only going with my oldest DD and her hubby and my 3 grand-kids :)

 

We do have just 1 cabin booked..#7200 which says it sleeps 6, but the square footage is literally a few feet shy of what a normal Disney Cruise Line family cabin is that only sleeps 3-4. I called RCCL yesterday after reading a lot of everyone's suggestions and I will be switching to 2 Ocean View staterooms for only $400 more...HOWEVER right now we would get $190 OBC for each stateroom and with our 1 stateroom right now we only have a $100 OBC so it would basically cancel the extra cost out. :) I feel 10X's better with the extra space, extra bathroom and more privacy. ;)

:D You will be much happier this way! Now you have lots of time to research all there is to do on the ship, at the ports etc. Have fun!

[sftnslky]

:D You will be much happier this way! Now you have lots of time to research all there is to do on the ship, at the ports etc. Have fun!

 

Thank you so much.. I think so to :D:D

[BecciBoo]

Yay! You'll be a lot happier with this configuration.

 

And Don't worry about the dining. We never notice the noise no matter which level we are on and there will be plenty of options available to you without spending $$.

[Wheresthesalt]

I have done Disney and they are a wonderful cruiseline and have great activities for the kids. RCI seems to have some cool things for the kids to do also.

Disney is also quite more expensive. So with the $$$ you are saving you will more than able to purchase sodas and still have money in your pocket.

Enjoy your cruise.