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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/26/2020 in all areas

  1. Okay, I'm just relieved that this is direction this thread is headed in...
    11 points
  2. Mrs. Thomas

    Silver Lining

    With all of the bad going around I have been able to find a silver lining. I got in contact with my TA and let him know that I wanted to use my FCC for a rebooking in October. He said that it was already there to use and we are all set. We even get to upgrade from interior rooms to balcony rooms! My mom will now get an ocean view balcony to sit on and drink coffee in the mornings. My MIL and son will have a central park balcony. All I have to do now is wait on the cash refunds, which will probably take longer than I prefer. Now to just hang in there and pray that we ALL are back cruising again soon!
    6 points
  3. Scatmanjack

    Silver Lining

    We just booked AFT Corner Balcony for 08/2021 on Deck 7 of Freedom Class with our FCC from 03/2020. Went from Interior to almost the biggest balcony on the ship... ? Love the drop-down ceiling bed for our daughter vs the sofa bed... That Balcony.... drool.... Trying to decide to show this video to the family or just surprise them...
    6 points
  4. We will see more smaller lines that don't have strong financials to carry them forward be impacted like Pullmantur. Few businesses can survive very long with no revenue. Even fewer can survive extended periods with no revenue. Hopefully Royal can start sailing in some regions around the world soon as a means to realize some revenue. The name of the game isn't profit at the moment, for now it's simply survival.
    6 points
  5. SteveinSC

    Silver Lining

    OH, OH, I WANNA PLAY!!!! I like silver linings. I had a sailing booked on Rhapsody, because it was the only ship going to Roatan (the only request my Honduran wife made for the cruise) the week we could go. THE WHOLE WEEK. Crazy. But, thanks to our dear friend Covid-19, we were cancelled, and rebooked for a sailing in 2021 that goes to Roatan, AND Coco Cay, on HARMONY. This will be my 1st Oasis class! AAAAAND were going from an ocean view to an ocean balcony!!!!
    6 points
  6. OK, since I've gone down this rabbit hole this far, I'll share one more thing and then I'll be done. My friends (who are all breed enthusiasts and one is the breeder of my lost girl) collaborated with an artist (painter) friend of ours and this arrived at my door yesterday.
    6 points
  7. Me, seeing that headline and opening this thread to see what's being talked about...
    6 points
  8. Neesa

    MEI-Missing Our TA Friends

    I reached out a few times and @AnnetteJackson responded not only on this blog but also via the private message. I am so sorry we are loosing some very fine individuals that we have learned to count on, they will be sorely MISSED. I wanted to publicly shout out to Sharla Manglass of MEI and the countless others of MEI TA's who are still sticking it out for us, I can't imagine how this situation has upended their lives as well. I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for continuing to take great care of us during these unprecedented times. I for one appreciate every single thing they do for us, please know you ARE appreciated Sharla, more then you know! Thanks for sticking it out with us, you are the BEST this industry has to offer.
    5 points
  9. This is going to be a common theme in the next few months in relation to everything not just cruiselines. Not every business is going to survive! As peoples places of work start to either lay off staff, reduce wages or close completely the domino effect is people spending less as their disposable income is reduced, things such as going to bars, restaurants or even on vacation wont be a priority or a luxury, the reduced business will result in even more bars, restaurants, hotels and even cruiselines closing their doors for good. The only upside to this is that if people dont have as much money to waste they may stop buying the Miami Herald ??
    5 points
  10. swinging and cruisinforabruisin as the OP soitenly twisted my mind retired "LEO" brain around the pole ???
    5 points
  11. WAAAYTOOO

    First Time in a Suite

    Congratulations and condolences. You are going to LOVE the suite life thus the condolences...b/c you will be ruined from now on. That's a good thing ! Approximately 5-7 days (I've found lately that it is 5 days) prior to sailing, your Suites Concierge will reach out to you via email and provide you with a full list of Suites benefits. At that time, you will be able to interact with the Concierge, ask them questions and have them make reservations for you. If you have a dining package, you can ask the Concierge to make specific reservations for you at the restaurants and times of your choice. Another big time saver, as you will not have to go stand in line at the kiosk or specialty restaurant and do that once you board. If you are going to Labadee or Coco Cay and want a cabana or bungalow, the Concierge can do that for you ahead of time...another time saver. You will be able to check in with the Suites....which usually means a shorter line to go through check-in and security. I can't remember whether Galveston has a separate entry for Suites or not. I should remember, but I don't. At the very least, you will have your own line...which can be a huge time saver. You will have 24 hour access to the Suites Lounge. There you will find a self-service coffee machine that you can use any time it is working. I says any time it is working b/c there have been issues in the past with it running out of coffee or milk, etc. Of course, there is the Happy Hour (usually 4:30 or 5:00 - 7:00 or so) where you will get complementary beverages and snacks. You would also be eligible for this (in the Diamond lounge) since you are now Diamond (Congratulations !!!) so that's not such a biggie for you...but it's generally less crowded in the Suites Lounge as there usually fewer Suite and Pinnacle guests than there are Diamonds and D+. Most of the Concierges will provide priority disembarkation at ports of call. This can be hit-or-miss but most of them will escort you off the ship ahead of the masses, if you want to disembark that early. This is particularly important if you have any tender ports. Just be mindful that this service is only in 1 direction. You have to get back to the ship on your own the best way you can. Of course, the most valuable assistance with disembarkation is on the last day when the Concierge will get you off the ship expeditiously. Unfortunately, I have found the disembarkation service at Galveston to be kinda lame. They really don't escort you down to the CBP line like they do at some of the other ports....but it's better than nothing. One service that can be really valuable is the fact that the Concierge can help you with any Seapass/billing issues you might have. If you find that you've been charged for something that you should not have, the Concierge can take care of it for you. Generally speaking, anything that would require you to stand in line at Guest Services, the Concierge should be able to do for you. Minimizing time at GS is a real bonus !!! The Concierge will arrange special behind-the-scenes tours for you if you are interested. These generally include entertainment operations (we did one at the ice theater once that was really interesting), galley tours and bridge tours. No idea how COVID is going to affect the tour situation. My guess is that they will probably curtail some or all of these, but you never know until we get to sailing again. Of course, you will have reserved seats for all of the main theater productions and the ice shows. There are special sections that are available to suites and Pinnacles. You still have to fight for a seat, but at least there is a section cordoned off for you. My favorite Suite benefit is private breakfast at Chops. Only Suites and Pinnacles are allowed. It is a full service breakfast from a static menu. Very nice, quiet and tranquil. Such a great way to start the day ! Labadee has a Suites area that is exclusive to Suite Guests and Pinnacles. It is a nice area and they provide shuttle service from the main entrance over to the Suites beach. Even if you do not rent a cabana you will find lots of loungers. The Suites area has a private lunch that is pretty much the same as everyone else's lunch but generally less crowded. Nothing exclusive for Suites at Coco Cay, unfortunately. There's probably more...just can't think of it right now. Congratulations again !!!
    4 points
  12. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey! @WAAAYTOOO @twangster Ask and ye shall receive..... https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2020/06/26/you-can-combine-future-cruise-credits-instead-of-separately-being-reissued
    4 points
  13. Wellllll, THAT subject was clickbaitey
    4 points
  14. I'm still laughing at this one ?
    4 points
  15. This just in!! RCI will limit swingers to 2 persons per hammock and/or 2 persons per room until further notice...
    4 points
  16. Floski

    Prices Going Up on Cruises

    When all else fails, I tend to follow the WWTD axiom. What Would Twangsterbot Do?
    4 points
  17. If CLIA is like other trade associations, it's actually made up of members of the various cruise lines. So it would seem that the cruise lines compromised on this date themselves.
    3 points
  18. I fear they grow desperate. They are hoarding cash, trying to avoid people taking refunds at all cost. For Royal this is akin to a deal with the devil.
    3 points
  19. Mrs. Thomas

    Silver Lining

    SURPRISE THEM!! My kids don't even know we are going on a cruise. So the fact we have balcony rooms now is going to make it better when they find out. I'm even going to surprise them special with the excursions I have for them as they are things they love.
    3 points
  20. This is EXACTLY what they told me on our upcoming booking. I was attempting to reprice our cruise, and the agent ended up making excuses as to why he couldn't rebook; This went on for DAAAAYS. (he kept saying the "hold lines are super long" and "they aren't repricing cruises right now"... I used the advice from this blog. I called the service number and used the phone routing intended for travel agents (was connected in no time). Then I had to fight with the agent to release the travel agent's grip on our cruise. They said they are unable to do anything about it. I expressed that I HAD contacted the TA (who is the owner), and I kept getting the run around. The rep kept putting me on hold (I think they were just contacting the TA on another line). Lo and behold... I got an email from my TA saying the cruise had been rebooked for a lower price. The rep came back on the line and explained that everything should be corrected... and I insisted otherwise. After some back and forth, I eventually got an email, and was told I had to email them with my request. I emailed them, and no more than 2 days later, we were released. (not notified... I just noticed I could finally pay our balance online). The email is: [email protected] Good luck!
    3 points
  21. This depends a lot on which country you live in. Here in NZ you cannot book refundable and move to non refundable at a later date. If the cruise does get cheaper and you have a refundable deposit you can cancel and rebook at the lower rate. However, the refundable fare price is quite a lot higher than non refundable so if the cruise does not get cheaper or in fact goes up you are stuck with paying the extra $ for the refundable fare. The deposit here for seven night or longer cruises is $400 NZD and the refundable cost can be up to $700 NZD so we still tend to book NRD and if the price drops significantly cancel and lose the deposit as sometimes this works out better. Our last Independence cruise was an example of this when the price of the Owners Suite dropped $2500 less than the GS we had booked at the time. Cancelled the GS and lost the deposit so save $2100 ($2500 - $400).
    3 points
  22. Ogilthorpe

    coastal Kitchen

    While all of the dining venues are excellent, for us, the first time in a suite on a quantum class ship gave us full Coastal Kitchen access and it was the impetus to keep us in that class or above on all future cruises. It has the ambiance of a specialty restaurant coupled with a menu that changes throughout the week ... and I suspect many here would agree: Filet night is a can't miss!
    3 points
  23. Omg I thought the same thing....
    3 points
  24. I hope to god we never follow what New York does, just my opinion! I know we have had a rise in the number of cases in FL, but the death rate has remained steady or has gone down!
    3 points
  25. Chadster

    Covid 19 Memes

    One of those memes that make me think of the RCB crowd, especially #TeamDX (myself included!)
    2 points
  26. WAAAYTOOO

    FCC problem

    Honestly, I think what they told you is not correct. If you move your January cruise, your FCC should be re-issued. I think they were mistaken. I would certainly call back again....or better yet, transfer the booking that you just made to MEI and let them take care of it for you !!!
    2 points
  27. SteveinSC

    FCC problem

    I would have thought that means you cant give it to someone else?
    2 points
  28. Ampurp85

    Silver Lining

    I guess a silver lining is I L&S to a new ship. My job isn't allowing travel or vacation until after Feb 2021. I had a 4 night Mariner Jan 2021 that I planned to turn into a B2B or S2S. So I L&S the Mariner to a Jan 2022 Indy that I plan to turn into a S2S. I have been on Mariner but never on Indy so I get to explore a whole new ship. This also means I might be able to squeeze in another cruise sometime in 2021, when things settle down a bit.
    2 points
  29. What about us Air Force folks?? I keed, I keed
    2 points
  30. Yes. I agree. This is another problem they need to solve.
    2 points
  31. I just upgraded a studio interior to an ocean view. FCC was left alone, I just needed to follow the math to make sure my new invoice was correct.
    2 points
  32. This all has me: So then, not at all what I thought it was. MY BAAAAD. I can see how that would be frustrating, especially at these times when cruisers like you have several cancelled sailings and too much FCC to juggle. My only wish is that I can apply cruise credits from ONE CABIN to ONE CABIN how I wish. Meaning, we got FCC independently for me, my wife, and my boys in different amounts....I wish I could distribute that how I wish within the cabin. TA seems to think if she calls enough times, she should be able to get someone on the line that will do that....but yet to be determined.
    2 points
  33. Especially when visiting NextCruise. Many times NextCruise refundable rates are crazy while at that same moment in time the Royal website has a somewhat reasonable refundable rate. Or... NextCruise OBC is all but eliminated when you ask for a refundable rate. Not always, but most of the time.
    2 points
  34. One thing I noted recently. Not all of the available discounts are eligible for refundable deposit bookings. I have been on a rampage lately, utilizing military discounts. Every time I asked, the refundable rate was not eligible to incorporate the military discount...only the non-refundable deposit option permitted the military discount. I think the D+ balcony discount almost always applies but I know for sure that the military rate sometimes does not.
    2 points
  35. Royal has had no income for several months now. Royal will continue to have no income in the near term. Once the restart happens Royal will need some new income, some cash injected. By allowing multiple FCCs to be applied it will extend the timeframe where the company realizes no or little income. I'd be surprised if they allow multiple FCCs. It generates more work and there will be more residual left over FCCs to generate while reducing new cash that is injected after the restart. As they struggle to survive I'll give them a pass on the multiple FCC issue.
    2 points
  36. Not surprised...and I expect more to follow...the longer this goes on..even the "big guys" are going to have some issues...... And its going to take a few months more to really feel the financial effects of Covid here in Canada..ppl can struggle for a Cpl mths with bills and less pay...but I suspect this fall is going to be brutal for business bankruptcies, business closing and ppl claiming bankruptcy.... And if there is a second wave, I really fear for the whole travel/tourism industry as a whole.
    2 points
  37. @rshov, here are a couple of other suggestions for you. Marseille: I do like the city and if you prefer not to venture farther afield there are a few things you might like to do. First of all, know that the ship does not dock right in town. There is (or at least used to be) a free bus service from just outside the port gates but to be honest, there are loads of taxis and the last time we were there it was about 20 euros each way in a taxi. There are marshalls organising the queue so it's not a free-for-all like you find at some ports. If you take a taxi, you want to tell the driver to take you to the Vieux Port (which means Old Port) and you will be dropped at the taxi rank there, which is nicely central and from which you have several options. There is a free walking tour from the top end of the Vieux Port which my daughter has done and said was very good. No pre-booking was required for this pre-Covid and there were normally two separate daily tours, one in English and one in Spanish. However, at the moment you do have to pre-book and there appears to be only one bilingual tour. Anyway, you can browse their website here: https://marseillefreewalkingtour.com/marseille-free-tour/ Right by where the taxi would drop you is the terminus of the Petit Train (Little Train), which covers several routes. The one we did takes you around the port area and up to the Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica on a hilltop overlooking the city. This is not a HoHo service. Everybody has to get off at the Basilica and then you catch another train to complete the circuit. Tickets for the train can be bought from one of the agents working the queue. I can't remember how much it cost us but it wasn't expensive and it was an enjoyable trip. Here's the Petit Train website: http://petit-train-marseille.com/en/home-7/ Unfortunately the Basilica's website is not working at the moment but you can look it up on Google and you'll get hits from the big travel sites like TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet, etc. If you enjoy museums, MUCEM (Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean) is also very close to the Vieux Port. They are currently closed, again because of Covid, but you can see their website here: https://www.mucem.org/en/your-visit I don't know if you know, but Marseille is famous for its soap (savon de Marseille) and there is a soap factory/museum (Musée du Savon) on the opposite side of the Vieux Port from where the petit train departs. Unfortunately, the website appears to be only in French, but here is the link to it anyway because it has a short video of the museum on the site: https://www.savon-de-marseille-licorne.com/le-musee-du-savon-de-marseille-vieux-port-de-marseille My daughter visited this too. There are three options: just visit the factory shop - no charge, pay only for what you buy; visit the museum - entry fee includes a bar of soap; visit the museum and the factory - entry fee includes your own personalised soap (you can see them doing this in the video). Here's a photo of my daughter's: So that's it for Marseille. On now to the other port I have a recommendation for and that's La Spezia. Yes, you could go to Florence from here but it's a long way. You'll be spending ages on a bus and when you get there you won't have time to even scratch the surface, let alone do the city justice so, unless you're really enthusiastic about architecture and history and know you won't get another chance to visit, I would recommend giving it a miss. La Spezia is the gateway to Cinque Terre: https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/ and Cinque Terre is unmissable. If you're reasonably mobile you can skip the expensive cruise line excursions and do it yourself by train. You can walk from the port to the train station in about 20 minutes. Inside the train station there is a dedicated Cinque Terre ticket office with very helpful English-speaking staff. They will sell you the train tickets and give you a free map and timetable. There are reduced fares for (if I remember right) 65 years and up. You can also buy souvenirs or a little guide book like the one in my pic. You must validate your ticket by sticking it into one of the yellow machines on the platform and then you're good to go. It works a bit like a HoHo bus; you can get on and off the train at the different stations along the route, spend some time in each village and get back on the train again at the end. We have done this twice. The first time we got off the ship quite late so we didn't make it to the last village, Monterosso. The second time we used a different strategy. We visited the first village, Riomaggiore, which had been our favourite on the previous trip, and then went all the way to Monterosso, where we spent a bit longer and had a tasty panini lunch at a beachside restaurant. If you enjoy beaches and think you might want to spend some time there, it might be worth sticking a towel in your bag and wearing a bathing costume under your clothes. Doing this had an additional benefit. The trains get quite busy in the afternoon with people making their way back to La Spezia. Since Monterosso is the last of the five villages, it's the first one on the way back, so we got seats on the train. From the second village onwards, it was standing room only. That said, the total journey time is only about half an hour. Anyway, apologies for the length of this post, but I wanted to give you plenty of information in the hope that it would help you in your planning. Feel free to ask any questions; if I know the answers, I'll be happy to respond.
    2 points
  38. monctonguy

    Decision

    That's where we are at...looks like it will be a Caribbean vacation on land in the fall(if our borders are open by then)...there is WAY too much uncertainly and Royal is NOT being forthcoming with information in my opinion..we are not giving them thousands either(plus flights and hotels to figure it out etc) to sit on and let us know at their convivence if the cruise will happen.
    2 points
  39. I did look at this but with the exchange rate cruises are still cheaper in NZD and also include all gratuities. Last years Canaries trip on Independence seems like such a long time ago now. looking forward to getting back to cruising but I don’t think it will be until the 21/22 season starts down here.
    2 points
  40. Also if you get really sea-sick, discuss with your general practitioner a Scopolamine patch. (it is a transdermal patch worn behind the ears). In the UK it's called Scopoderm. As a natural alternative, ginger pills can help a lot! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! (... or in metric... 28.3 grams of prevention is worth 0.4 Kg of cure... doesn't sound as catchy...)
    2 points
  41. Many thanks. I plan to use MEI for all my future bookings so everything you have said applies.
    2 points
  42. I’m betting there are charters for the type of swinging we all assumed that was being referred to!?
    2 points
  43. It was probably my thread. ? I couldn’t do it online but Michelle at MEI got it done for me!
    2 points
  44. Nope. With the exception of possibly Alaska, Hawaii and now the Tri-state area, we can go wherever we want. Because we're Americans and want the right to spread our germs wherever we want, I guess, lol.
    2 points
  45. Well, isn't is "No gnews is good gnus" I'm currently stuck in my childhood tv/movie screening.
    2 points
  46. Thank you! I am still around - just not with MEI-Travel. Always happy to help if I can.
    2 points
  47. Some possibilities for your ports: Nice: either walk into town for Promenade d'Anglais and old town or make a trip to Monte Carlo. Personally, I don't care much about Monte Carlo but apparently that's just me ? Marseille: I don't like the city so I'd suggest a trip - both Avignon and Aix-en-Provence are not too far and much more worthwhile. Personally, I'd prefer Avignon. Bonus point for Avignon: depending on when you're cruising you could see the lavender fields (June/July). La Spezia: Florence is definitely worth a trip but it's 2 hours from La Spezia. Lucca might be an alternative - only an hour away and a beautiful city. Pisa is also only an hour away but for me it'd be only 3rd choice. I assume you're from the US, so another piece of advice:: if you're planning on renting a car make sure you book one with automatic transmission. Manual transmission is pretty common in Europe, automatic is usually an extra with costs.
    2 points
  48. No need to be sorry! I can only speak for myself, but it was a welcome redirection! In case there is a vote later, I am all in favor of renaming the thread ??
    2 points
  49. Absolutely disgusting is right! I would welcome the total elimination of the Windjamner and replace it with something more sanitary. There’s nothing more gross then watching people grab food with bare hands and then deciding they no longer want it and put it back for some poor unfortunate soul to eat. Pre or Post COVID19 still not a fan.
    2 points
  50. Mentioning me usually gets worse pricing!
    2 points
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