Ok.. hope all the below info is helpfull.
NoVA_Agent:
Thanks for the info! Looking at the schedule it appears we'll be in Grand Cayman 9-5 and docked in Cozumel 7a - 11p. Anyone know whether the times scheduled are pretty accurate or are they just ball park?
From my experience they usually get into port about an hour or two before the "scheduled time". But they have to get the boat tied up properly, clear customs (usually as a the whole boat at once and not individually per passenger, though I've had to do that also). Of course I've seen them late also, but that's typically weather related (or mechanical if they have a problem). They never have left early on a port. It always seems there is a crowd at the "last minute" trying to get back on the boat at the scheduled time. I think they realize this and just account for it but not really publish that they allow for it.
I was thinking maybe we ought to schedule a dive through the cruise at Grand Cayman as our window is shorter there but we've got plenty of time in Cozumel so perhaps find my own charter there.
that's what I'd prob do it was me. There was just a huge long line to get off the boat in Grand Cayman. If you had shore excursion tickets, you got off before that huge line (which made their wait even longer). Just my observation.
I've heard about the formal night but I'm unclear on what it means as far as dining. I was planning on taking a suit and tie for any formal occasions. If I choose not to go to the formal night I take it my dining options are to go to a buffet in another restaurant aboard ship? And that those restaurants/buffets won't offer the same dining option as the main dining room (e.g. lobster)?
Formal night you'll have people wearing just a dress shirt and slacks, to suit and tie, to formal tux. Same range on the women. Most men you'll see in a suit. You can rent a tux on board and it'll be delivered to your stateroom. I've noticed that on the "longer" number of night cruises that the food is better and that the people dress better for the formal diving room. On the 2-3 night cruises you've got lot of people doing "weekend getaways" that really don't care about what they are wearing.
Most other nights in the formal dining room most men are just wearing slacks and a nice shirt.
If you don't do the formal night, the buffett dining rooms are open during all the dinner meals. Don't expect lobster in the buffet line though (but I guess that can vary per ship). Room service is also included and you can order from it. (however their menu is limited).
When you choose the dinning option might I suggest the "2nd seating" for the formal dining room. 1st seating is usually from 6pm to 8pm. 2nd seating is 8pm to 10pm. The reason I suggested 2nd seating is that it gives you more time to get back to your room, shower, clean up, rest a little after your shore excurison. Again that's just preference, but we've found it works better for us.
As far as tipping I've seen some posts on this board and saw the guidelines suggested in RCCL's website. From what I gather, this cruise line uses an envelope system in which you place your tips at the end of the cruise and you are expected to present them to the staff in person?
yes they give you envelopes. This is more of reminder to make sure you include everyone that deserves a tip. You tip your head waiter, your waiter, your bus boy, and your room attendant. (Bar tips are included at time of purchase automatically on your bill). you can either put cash in the envelopes or charge the tip to your room account, which will be charged to your credit card at your departure. They give you a form to fill out to charge it and then the last day of the cruise the coupons for the charges are put in your room. you put the coupon in the appropiate envelope and give it to the server and he can redeem them from the ship. I found this way to be much eaiser.
The ship will provide you a guideline of how much to tip each server/attendant. It's basically something like $3.50 per person in the cabin per day for the room attendant for example. So a 5 day cruise with 2 peopel in the cabin would equate to $3.50 x 2 people x 5 days = $35. You'll tip your server about the same and maybe the bus boy a little less. the head waiter who acts more like a manager of several servers will be the least amount.
There is an ATM machine on most ships (conviently located in the Casino of course) if you need more cash or the pursers office can cash a personal check. Expect a high service fee at the ATM (like $5 to $7).
The drinks are another mystery to me. I gather that all alcohol drinks are extra but I notice that you can purchase a soft drink and juice package. From what I've read juice will be served at breakfast so I guess the package just allows you to get it all day long? What about other drinks? If it's mid afternoon and I want bottled water or a soda does that mean I've got to buy it? Are any drinks provided at no cost round the clock?
The only drinks provided for free are coffe, tea, breakfast juices at breakfast meals, ice water, and maybe lemonaide at the lunch buffets. If you want cokes, bottled water, alcohol, etc, they charge you. I can't remember coke costs, but it was maybe $2 or $3 each. Beers were maybe $3.50 to $6 each, mixed drinks were avarage $4 to $6 each (but in large glasses). They add a 15% service charge (tip) to every drink served. This makes tipping bar servers easier since you don't have to worry about computing anything.
Everything is charged on your "ship card". you can't use cash for anything. The only thing you can use cash or other credit cards on for on the ship is something like the jewelry store, etc.
You can buy a "coke card" which is a sticker they put on the charge card that allows you unlimited cokes and juices. The cost is figured per day, but I think if you drink 2-3 cokes per day, you break even. It's much eaiser to just get the card and not worry about it because you don't have to spend time at the cash register charging it to your ship card each time you buy a coke. you just show them the coke sticker and that's it. You can also buy a package for alcohol/beer. I can't remember the package, but it's a cost per day. If you're going to drink a lot it's prob worth it, but they restrict it to certain beers and liquors.
You can also order drinks at dinner. Along with wine by the glass or bottle. you can also order a bottle and they will cork it each nite and put it back on your table the next night. (they write your number on it). I thought surely they'd mess this up so I put a 'knick mark' on the label in a certain spot and sure enough we actually got the bottle with that mark on it every night. So it works pretty well.
I never saw bottled water for sale as part of a package, but they sell it per bottle on the ship. But it's overpriced in my opinion. I often just bought them in port for 1/4 the cost and brought a bottle or two back on the ship with me (or drank coke/juice with the coke card).
As far as our 1 year old, we weren't planning on taking him off the ship much if at all. Perhaps we'll just take him to the beach at Costa Maya and stay onboard at Belize City as I've not heard good things about the city itself.
Maybe someone else can answer kid questions. They have kids programs on the ship, but I'm not sure if for that young.
Hope all that helps.
mike
Any input for new cruisers would be greatly appreciated!
