# Royal Caribbean Cruise advice?



## skint (8 Mar 2011)

Hi, we have booked a Royal Caribbean med cruise for June. Can't wait!

Does anyone that has cruised with them in the past have and tips or advice...

 I think i'm ok about the clothes side of it now which i was stressing about for a while.

It's things like tours when you get off at a port, they are expensive so i'm hoping not to have to do them all and maybe just walk around ourselves but i dunno if the ports are far from the town/city etc....

I know for Rome the tour is probably best option...

Itinery is:

Barcelona
Toulon France
Nice France
Florence Italy
Rome Italy
Naples Italy


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## Petermack (8 Mar 2011)

skint said:


> Hi, we have booked a Royal Caribbean med cruise for June. Can't wait!
> 
> Does anyone that has cruised with them in the past have and tips or advice...
> 
> ...


 
Hi Skint,

Your best port of call is the cruise chat sites. The most popular is http://www.cruisecritic.com and http://www.cruisereviews.com   . I have always found that I prefer to wander around on my own and see what I want to see. Royal Caribbean will always provide a bus service to the town centre if the port happens to be a distance from the town centre. This usually costs in or around $5 dollars each way.

Just in case you are not aware the ship will use Dollars even when in Europe. Rome is possible to get to on your own, there is a direct train service from the post of Civitavecchia which taken about 1 hour if I can remember correctly. Just make sure to validate your train ticket before you get on the train, a lesson I learned the hard way.

Barcelona is easily navigated on your own, the harbour is right in the heart of Barcelona.

Naples was my least favourite port of all of those listed and your best bet is to use the hop on hop off tour buses which stop just outside the port. We got to naples on a Sunday and everything shuts in naples on Sundays and I really mean everything.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask


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## skint (8 Mar 2011)

Oh i don't think we will be in Naples on a Sunday (hope not anyway) 

I know everything is put on a sea pass card so do i still need to get some euros changed into dollars?


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## Slim (8 Mar 2011)

Hi Skint

We cruised for the first time last October with Royal Caribbean. First, you will only need Euros for taxi or bus to port at the start and end of your holiday. Everything onboard is charged in dollars to your Seapass account - no cash is used onboard. Tips are probably included in your fares, check this. You then settle up at the end of the week by credt card or in cash. Of course you will need euros onshore at the ports. As for the organised trips, this is where RCCL make their money. For example, the Rome excursion, at a basic level is about €26. This is simply a bus into Rome and back. The advantage is that the bus gurantees you to get onto the ship whereas if you travel independently, you are responsible for getting back on time. A train ticket into Rome return is about €9. Journey is about 90mins and there are lots of trains. But it is a slight risk. I posted a review of our cruise on Cruisecritic.com here: 
http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=74055 . 

Have a great time. We did. Slim


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## skint (8 Mar 2011)

ok so at the end of the holiday to we pay the sea pass bill with dollars?


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## Camlink (8 Mar 2011)

Your sea pass bill is issued in dollars - you can pay by debit/credit card or cash. The only place on board that you'll ever see hard cash is the casino & even there the cashier can debit your sea pass (& credit it if you win - not that husband had huge experience of that, or so he told me anyway).
You can view your account at any time through one of the channels on your cabin/stateroom tv. Prevents any nasty shocks at the end of your cruise.
Have a great time.


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## Slim (8 Mar 2011)

Camlink said:


> Your sea pass bill is issued in dollars - you can pay by debit/credit card or cash. The only place on board that you'll ever see hard cash is the casino & even there the cashier can debit your sea pass (& credit it if you win - not that husband had huge experience of that, or so he told me anyway).
> You can view your account at any time through one of the channels on your cabin/stateroom tv. Prevents any nasty shocks at the end of your cruise.
> Have a great time.


 +1

Yes, be careful with the Seapass account. Most transactions are electronic, tills etc. When you sign for things like wine packages, bus tickets, there can be mistakes. Make sure your SP account is correc t before you pay. Watch out for mysterious minibar charges!


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## Petermack (8 Mar 2011)

And remember that you can book in, in advance of the cruise departure. You will need to go to the Royal caribbean website  and fill in the relavant info and your credit card details. This saves you time when you reach the check in port.


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## TLC (8 Mar 2011)

Never been on a cruise, so what are prices like on the ship - apart from the trips, drinks etc?


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## Petermack (8 Mar 2011)

TLC said:


> Never been on a cruise, so what are prices like on the ship - apart from the trips, drinks etc?


 
All food and entertainment is included in the cruise price so that leaves just excursions which are optional and extras such as massages and other treatments which are offered and again these are optional. I have often met people who will spend absolutely nothing on a ship apart from what the cruise cost them.  I have seen last minute cruises being advertised for £50 per person per night on one particular website, and you can see why Cruising is so popular, especially if you can take your holidays at short notice.


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## skint (8 Mar 2011)

Camlink said:


> Your sea pass bill is issued in dollars - you can pay by debit/credit card or cash. The only place on board that you'll ever see hard cash is the casino & even there the cashier can debit your sea pass (& credit it if you win - not that husband had huge experience of that, or so he told me anyway).
> You can view your account at any time through one of the channels on your cabin/stateroom tv. Prevents any nasty shocks at the end of your cruise.
> Have a great time.



Thats really good that you can view your account on the tele... i was worried about over spending and not realising it


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## skint (8 Mar 2011)

Are there many hidin cost... Friends were saying even tho our booking cost included tips (gratidues) thats  they still added tips on to everything?


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## thewatcher (8 Mar 2011)

The grats only include the dining room and your cabin staff, you will  pay tips on any drinks ordered, specialty restaurants, spa ,room service  etc but it is only small money. 
   Don't be too bothered about the whole formal thing, shirt and tie is  quite sufficient for men and evening dress for the ladies, june will be  warm so i wouldn't even bother with a suit jacket.

On the excursions, if you book through RC you will get you money back if  the ship diverts course, probably not an issue in europe but just be  aware, our cruise diverted because of a hurricane.

Also you don't have to get off at every port, staying on the ship is  just as enjoyable, we got off in mexico and it was so warm we got back  on after about 20mins and spent a relaxing day on the ship.


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## skint (9 Mar 2011)

ok thanks for your replays 

I dont want it to be a rushing around holiday but i still would like to get off and see all the places


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## Petermack (9 Mar 2011)

skint said:


> ok thanks for your replays
> 
> I dont want it to be a rushing around holiday but i still would like to get off and see all the places


 

Enjoy the cruise Skint,

I think you will find that cruising is very laid back and relaxing.


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## skint (9 Mar 2011)

Thats good to know just worried about getting off at the ports and doing our own thing and then missing the sail time but i still dont want to book a tour for every port as its very expensive.

Would it be worth buying a water package ?


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## Petermack (9 Mar 2011)

skint said:


> Thats good to know just worried about getting off at the ports and doing our own thing and then missing the sail time but i still dont want to book a tour for every port as its very expensive.
> 
> Would it be worth buying a water package ?


 
I very much doubt it. All water onboard is free apart from bottled water. You can get glasses of water, lemonade & ice tea for free at all times in the Windjammer (Buffett style dining room) and the main dining room. You will find that bottles of water cost a fraction of what they do onboard the ship when you get to the various ports. If you buy a bottle of water you can refill it in the Windjammer at the drinks dispenser or at one of the water fountains


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## shoppergal (9 Mar 2011)

I'd agree about the water package. If you drink alot of soft drinks or if your "drink" is a spirit and mixed it's probably worth your while doing the soda package. I think(open to correction) it's something like $40. You'll have a great time. We did a Caribbean cruise last year with Royal Caribbean and absolutely adored it.


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## skint (9 Mar 2011)

Brilliant thank you all and im sure i will have more questions nearer the time


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## Slim (10 Mar 2011)

TLC said:


> Never been on a cruise, so what are prices like on the ship - apart from the trips, drinks etc?


 
Two beers on the pool deck, one large and the other a little smaller, $16 incl IVA(spanish vat) and service charge. A package of 7 bottles of wine with dinner, medium quality, $210. On the last day at sea, they were selling 5 bottles of beer for the price of 3, I think it was about $15.

THe sodas package put me off because you have to carry around this childish large cola mug for refills. I would feel pretty foolish in the bar with that ordering vodkas. Could stock up a supply in the cabin though!

We smuggled loads of drink onboard. They will confiscate it on re-boarding if they find it. We decanted it into water or soft drink bottles before approaching the ship. All bags are X-rayed on return to ship.

By the way, formal and informal dress is totally optional. Lots of people sat in shorts(tailored) and polo shirts on formal nights.

Go onto CruiseCritic.Com for lots of inf. Slim


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## Staples (10 Mar 2011)

You whetted my appetite and I went browsing. Good user pic here of one of the rooms.

[broken link removed]


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