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Remember, there are no stupis questions.........stupid answers.....probably
The Ice Show tickets will be announced in the newsletter that you will get in your cabin. When you first board it should be either on your bed or on the desk. It's called the Cruise Compass.
You will get one every evening for the next days activities. Be sure to read through it every night so you will know what is going to happen the next day.
It has a tear out sheet for the daily activities and we always use a yellow hilighter to mark the things we want to do. This way we don't forget and the yellow attracts our attention to the important things.
I was just on the same ship last September and have my receipts from the cruise
I didn't see this mentioned and just in case you aren't aware of this....everything you purchase onboard will be applied against an onboard expense account that you set up usually with a credit card; although this may also be set up with cash, but your balance cannot go over the amount of cash you give them, you'd have to add more if your balance is nearing the limit of what you put on the account up front, I hope this makes sense?; You use your "room key" (on RCI ships called a SeaPass) which is also your "purchase card" for the duration of your cruise, this card is also your ship ID card for exiting and reboarding the ship at all your ports of call, so this is a very important card! Everything that you purchase onboard the ship will be done with this card. You'll have a running tab for the whole cruise. If you purchase shore excursions through the cruiseline while on the ship these will also go onto your onboard account. You also have the option of pre-booking them with the cruise line prior and you would pay for them at the time you booked them with a credit card if they were booked via Royal Caribbean's website.
These are some of the receipts I have. Ultimate Mai Tai was $7.25 plus tip total $8.85. An Amaretto & Coke was $5.75 plus tax and tip so the total is $7.01 per drink; Mango Mai Tai was the same price as the Amaretto & Coke. Strawberry Marguerita $8.75 plus tax & tip $10.67. I paid tax for drinks purchased at the Pool Bar outside, but no tax on the drinks from the other bars. Unfortunately, I have no idea why as I went directly to the bar for all my drinks? A Coca Cola costs $1.95 plus gratuity of about 30 cents; total $2.25. Johnny Rockets charged a $7.90 service charge for 2 of us to eat there in addition to purchasing a Coca Cola and Vanilla Shake. Total for the shake, soda/soft drink and 2 burgers for lunch was $15.32, that includes a gratuity being added. On another cruise (Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas) a friend ordered a cosmo and she said the price was around $14 by the time the gratuity was added, but I don't have that receipt
If you do go to the specialty restaurant (Portofino's), in addition to the $20.00 charge; there will be a charge for bottled or evian water, but not for regular tap water. I was not at Portofino's, but I did try Chop's on Brilliance of the Seas and it was very good!
If you drink wine; they offer different wine & dine packages. If this interests you, I would wait until onboard the ship and you could see which wines are in which package.
You can buy drinks to take to your cabin and you could preorder a bottle of champagne or something else to be in your cabin upon embarkation....but you cannot buy bottles of hard liquor in the duty free shop and take it to your cabin. If you do buy hard liquor in the duty free shop, they will hold it until the end of your cruise. If you are flying anywhere immediately following your cruise, I would look into whether the liquid flight restrictions will apply with your airline and departure airport! If they do, you would need to pack any alcohol purchases made onboard the ship that you plan to bring home in your checked bags.
I think that may cover what I know of the alcoholic beverages; I'm sorry I don't have a clue about beer. Apparently, we didn't drink any according to my receipts
The plus side is that you'll be paying in $US vs. £GB; since you mentioned London I'm guessing that is where you're from
That's great info, thanks for that. It's funny the sort of questions you think of when this is a first time cruise!
Does anyone recommend any restaurants, other than the Italian? Any menus / wine lists etc
Carly x
I just realized you asked this question. Onboard Explorer Portofino's (the Italian) is the only specialty restaurant. Johnny Rockets is a burger place with booths and a counter so not really, in my opinion, a restaurant, it's more a step above fast food.
The Windjammer Cafe/Island Grill are buffets. The Dining Rooms (served food) are 3 floors of main dining rooms with 2 "set" dining times; early around 6pm and late around 8:30pm. There is also the option of My Time Dining; it is in a section, somewhere (it wasn't available yet when I cruised on Explorer) of the "Main Dining Room" and you get to choose the time you want to eat each night, between a certain time frame (sorry I don't know the time frame). It's flexible dining if you don't like the dining times above. If you chose this option you would make your reservation the night before, or if you knew which time you wanted for all the nights of the cruise, once you're onboard the ship. You would need to prepay your gratuities for the cruise if you want to add this option.
We did it on Freedom, they have a little section set off to side, on freedom there as even window seating, excellent!
It is during the two dining times, just walk up and say My Time and assuming there are free seats, you will be seated!
My opinion, the best thing.
Just to add something to MTD (My Time Dining). You have to pre-book this option before you get on the ship and the gratituities has to be pre-paid.
You can choose to dine between 6pm-930pm.
You can walk up to the Matre`d and ask to be seated. You should go and see the Matre`d the day you board the ship and say you would like a table for 2-4-6 etc at the time you prefer to dine.
You can keep the same table, same waiter and same dining time the entire cruise if you wish or you can of course change. If you would like to change dining time tell the Maitre`d, preferably the day before or give him/her a call during the mornng/early afternoon the day you want to dine.
We prefer MTD to the TD (Traditional dining)
Char and Judy really had some massive amounts of information.
Judy as a side note, what is the time stamp for the receipt with tax. Does it say NJ tax? If you are not out of NJ yet, you need to pay NJ tax.
This happened to me in Miami.
I don't have the receipts with me here at work But I think those bar purchases were before we set sail so that would explain it! Thanks sk8erguy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by *Lars*
Just to add something to MTD (My Time Dining). You have to pre-book this option before you get on the ship and the gratituities has to be pre-paid.
You can choose to dine between 6pm-930pm.
You can walk up to the Matre`d and ask to be seated. You should go and see the Matre`d the day you board the ship and say you would like a table for 2-4-6 etc at the time you prefer to dine.
You can keep the same table, same waiter and same dining time the entire cruise if you wish or you can of course change. If you would like to change dining time tell the Maitre`d, preferably the day before or give him/her a call during the mornng/early afternoon the day you want to dine.
We prefer MTD to the TD (Traditional dining)
Thanks Lars Your description makes so much more sense than mine
For port intensive itineraries I like the MTD option so you don't feel rushed for early seating or too tired for late seating.
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Thanks sk8erguy! 
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