Download the Royal IQ app on your device before you leave home, you can use this to reserve restaurants & activities onboard. It runs using the ships wifi, and the wifi is complimentary for this app only.
Try to reserve as many restaurants & activities as you can via Cruise Planner before the cruise. This ensures you are less likely to miss out once onboard - weather permitting!
Arrive at the pier at your checkin time, they turn away people that arrive outside of their slot.
You can drop luggage to the pier from about 730am if you want to do some Sydney sightseeing. A ferry ride across the harbour and a walk across the Harbour Bridge looking towards the ship is always fantastic.
Speak clearly to all crew onboard, most do not speak English as their first language, they are doing a great job at a confusing language.
Grab a full Cruise Compass (the daily newspaper for the ship telling you all about the activities) from guest services on embarkation day - you are given a boarding day edition when you check in, but the full version is at guest services.
Port side = Left when facing forward (I remember it by knowing both have 4 letters).
If you are in a rush for a drink, look in the cruise compass for an area that might be less busy ie avoid the schooner bar if trivia is on.
No cash is used on board except for USD in the casino. You can buy USD from the cashier in the casino using your seapass card or withdraw USD from the ATMs onboard using your debit card. There is a $4.95 USD charge approx for the ATM and a 5% fee from the Casino.
Make sure you notify your bank that you are travelling and will have a US transaction on your credit card - on our previous cruise many many people thought they had setup to pay their seapass account on their credit card, but their bank stopped the transaction and they couldnt leave the ship on disembarkation day until the account was settled at guest services.
You can view your seapass account on your tv.
If you choose to pay your seapass acccount with a linked debit card, be aware that RC will take 'holds' everyday similar to when you check in to a hotel, then at the end of the voyage they will take the whole amount and return the holds. The holds can take a few weeks to be returned by your bank.
You can order room service on your tv.
Guest services is open 24 hours, so if they have a line you can try later.
The 2 bottles of wine per cabin you can bring on board must be in your carry on.
You can access your cabin from about 1pm on embarkation day.
Sorrentos has food 24 hours including pizza, sweets and tea / coffee station.
You can add a beverage package at any time on the cruise (but as far as I am aware can't remove them at any time). This can be done at any bar. The official literature says there must be a minimum 4 days remaining in your voyage to purchase one, but friends of ours purchased with only 3 days remaining.
No power boards allowed.
No irons allowed.
EU or US power adapter required for use of personal electrical in your cabin.
Every time I see a purel dispenser I use it, in hope that I won't pickup someone else's flu etc.
Pack a jacket as it can get chilly on the top decks while the ship is moving.
Having your photo taken onboard is free, but obviously you have to buy the print. So you can have your photo taken 500 times and not be out of pocket, until you purchase one.
Luggage delivery is a huge process for Ovation, almost 5000 passengers with at least one piece of luggage, no wonder it can take all night! Make sure you pack your toiletries and a change of clothes in your carryon in case you are one of the unlucky ones that get their luggage upwards of 10pm. If you have contraband i.e. Alcohol, weapons, irons, power boards in your luggage, yours will be even later & you will probably need to get it yourself from security on deck 1.
If you have your heart set on something in the cruise compass, ensure you arrive early, Ovation has almost 5,000 passengers and can get busy at times.
You do not need to pack bathroom or beach towels.
Travel insurance is a must! You never know if your luggage will decide to take a dip in Sydney Harbour, whether you will get seasick or the dreaded stomach flu on board, Medicare is not a system used by any cruise ship so you have to pay out of pocket to see the ship Doctor. (My mum sprained her ankle onboard once, and hubby stood on a sea urchin in the South Pacific, so you never know!!).
The emergency muster is mandatory, boring and taken seriously by the crew. But don't let it ruin your embarkation day, it is only 30mins!
Remember things will probably go wrong, but how you react will determine whether it ruins your trip or not
No comments:
Post a Comment