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I have used Cruiseline.com (aka Shipmate) but never once in a 18 months monitoring 6 sailings was it ever remotely accurate. I check what I paid against current prices on Royal Caribbean's site. Since I book through Royal it's the only price that is relevant to me.

I signed up for the shipmates app but find I see it days before they notify me. I check the Royal site daily.

Also parents responsibility to teach them right from wrong, have respect not only for others but also themselves and to understand how they behave reflects on you as a parent. I would hate to have children growing up now, this generation are set examples on how to behave by idiots on reality tv and the Internet

I agree with you @SpeedNoodles. I've tried other sites before and have found, even if they have been accurate, the info always lags the RC site.

I also use the RC site as @sk8erguy1978 said. What better place than the source. Also, as in my case, if you have a good TA, they will notify you about price reductions and do the work for you before you know there is a price reduction.

Yes. Immediately

At 15 i would have made my daughter sunbathe in nothing less than a sleeping bag ???

Which are you? hehe

@fgarvin see this thread: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/10443-fare-reduction-for-phantom-cabin/&tab=comments#comment-98112

Nope. If a cabin is sold out the the other cabin categories around it drop, more than likely, yours dropped too. I have gotten many price adjustments over the years this way. You just have to track it.

Nope! This is where your TA will be able to work their voodoo magic! They have ways.............

That's what another generation said about that disgusting Rock & Roll music. How can kids listen to that stuff?

+1

No, once it's in your CP, it is out of BOFA's hands. Like @WAAAYTOOO mentioned, it will go back on IMMEDIATELY, as in during that current logged in session.

Have just had some good news... We are booked to travel with another family on a 12 night Southern Caribbean sailing on Anthem in December 2021. For a long time the family in question were (just like me when I didn't know better - shame on me! ?) refusing to consider a cruise, saying it's just not for them. Anyway, fast forward to just before the COVID-19 bomb dropped and they finally relented and agreed to join us. Not only are they now excited about going on their very first cruise despite all that is currently going on but, with the help of Michelle at MEI, they have just bagged a $1,400 reduction on their fare by re-pricing in this weekend's sale. ? I am taking it as a good omen! ?

I periodically check Royal Caribbean's site and price compare against my spreadsheet with current price and possible upgrade options. In addition to that, I've used the Cruise Shipmate app, I'd sign up for price alerts for the cruise I want to monitor then uninstall the app (I hate clutter / apps sitting on phone I don't use), they send emails so no need to keep the app.

Yes. I recognise that this situation has been thrust upon them too and from all of the interactions I have had with them over the past couple of months (and there have been a fair few!) I do genuinely believe they are working hard to adapt to the regular changes to the process rules and smooth out the wrinkles that it is creating for guests, often seemingly with not a great deal more info to go on than we have, which is why I make a conscious effort to cut them slack even if I am fighting the urge to scream on the inside.

Oasis class Junior suites only have one bathroom. I am not a fan of Quamtum class ships, as many of you know, but one good thing about them is that the JS on them have the split bath which no other JS (in the fleet) do.

Bit embarrassing if after a few to many ???? someone gets the bottoms and the mask mixed up ???

Ask 10 people on this message board and 11 will give you the name of their MEI agent (Kathy here), there is a reason we all cherish their service, quick responses to simple email inquires is one of many. I'm not sure how FCC work with agents, whether they have control or you, however if there was a cruise / room that I wanted, I wouldn't wait for a FCC, I'd put down the cash and apply the FCC after. Not sure which agent(s) you're talking about on YouTube but Danny from Harr Travel does some awesome walk-through's / tours of ships, rooms, CocoCay, etc... However, I'm sticking with my MEI agent.

Hypothetical (I hope!) question... Let's say my wife and I have a booking and for whatever reason we are unable to go. Rather than cancel and lose the non-refundable deposit, can we gift it to another couple and pay any change fees that apply or does one of us need to stay on the booking? And a Happy 4th July to friends across the pond ? This year there will celebrations in England too... as it's the day that bars and restaurants are allowed to reopen! ? Although I for one am waiting with baited breath to see how sensible the English general public will be about following the rules once the beer starts flowing again ?

A few words on the subject of arranging a cruise and using a TA to do that. First, once you go down that road, you're stuck with the agency and agent you chose to do that. I don't need to tell posters here that the cruise lines won't talk with you about changing a reservation if you booked with a TA. Reputation is everything in the TA and agency world. This blog is a great place to learn who has earned their chops. I can't speak for MEI but I can for several others that I've used. I tend to go with whatever consolidator - and make no mistake TAs work for agencies that are just that - is offering the best cabin price and perks for the itinerary I'm considering. The differences in these two things can be mind boggling between agencies. In my experience, the bigger and more successful an agency is in selling out the cabins cruise lines have given them, the deeper the discount the lines will provide next time, the more leeway that agency has in pricing and perks they offer customers. There's obviously a relationship between top sales for an agency and the agents selling. Good agents sell cabins. You can get quotes from various agencies/TAs working for them and compare prices and perks - these are perks the agency is offering for you to book with them, not the cruise line's perks. Then go from there. For me, pricing is more important than service and that may not be the case for everyone. Accordingly, I tend to be a bit more patient with TAs although the ones I use now (Delta SkyMiles Cruises, Costco Travel and Cruises-n-More) I have relationships with TAs that work for these agencies ..... all of them recognize that I price shop and are not at all discouraged when I say a found a better deal. They'll say, I can't beat that or, if they can, they will tell me. I always get call backs or an email within 72h at the longest from all of them. Times right now are, to say the least, taxing. I'm juggling 5 cruises over the next 12 months and with different TAs/Agencies. And I'm only one guy with 5 cruises. Think about the TA's situation ..... he/she might have dozens of customers and is handling 100s of itineraries for both new bookings while dealing with the perfect storm inherent in COVID caused FCC, L&S and refunds. Patience should be your byword. OTH, the times you are experiencing for a call back from your TA seems to be an outlier. Maybe consider looking elsewhere to book your next cruise. PM me and I'll send you names of the TAs I've found to be pretty good within the agencies I've booked with.

We did this excursion years ago and loved it. The beach "resort" (it was a glorified tiki hut with a bar) was quite the bus ride away. Everyone had to leave the ruins and go to the beach together. There were several small shops and restaurants at the entrance to the ruins if you didn't want to take the walking tour. The ruins and tour were fantastic. I would have happily skipped the beach break for more time there, but that wasn't an option.

Yipes! Those are not good response times. Give MEI a try!

And don't forget those heathen kids with their Jitterbugging!

Weeks, well, at least a week, but more often, more than that. it's never days and certainly never hours

Kids are going to be kids, but it's the parents responsibility to protect them from themselves.

One thing to note is that no one at this point knows exactly how the JS on Odyssey will be laid out. Will it have the half bath like quantum class? Nobody knows yet... Photos on cruise deck plans show that it will follow suit, but like all things Royal, I would not believe it until I see it. ?

If you are booked under the CWC program, there is language that allows for price drops up to 48 hours prior to embarkation.

Thank you for catching that...It saved me alot of time. ?

Here's my timeline FWIW and may differ for your Odyssey cancellation... Our 5/31/20 Oasis sailing was cancelled by Royal on 4/16/20. We received the e-mail from Royal with our FCC certificate numbers on 5/22/20. We called our TA on 6/10/20 to have Royal apply the FCC to our upcoming (hopefully ) 4/24/21 Symphony sailing. As the TA was handling that FCC transaction with Royal, they (Royal) mentioned that we also have our 125% OBC from the Cruise Planner purchases available which we also applied to that same cruise. The OBC will not show in the Cruise Planner until you instruct Royal to apply it to a specific booking. Once we applied it to the booking we wanted, it showed up in the CP a couple of hours later (they tell you up to 72 hours). I initially thought we were supposed to receive a second e-mail from Royal when the OBC was ready, but we did not receive one. It will appear in the CP as credit...

I have looked at Junior Suites and from what I recall, just the one bath... here is what Royal lists for a "J4" cabin:

Working on it, now that we are in indefinite dry dock. ?

Wait....you don't get your own personal Solarium? Egads ?

Ever since this article came out, this has been a big concern for me, as well. If this is what happens, I can't help but feel like we'll be punished for taking advantage of a good deal. Our next cruise (Late January '21) continues to be available for booking and I'm starting wonder if someone that books MUCH later at a higher cost will be accommodated while loyal customers that book early, like myself, are left standing on the pier, so to speak. I certainly hope the determinations would not just be made by initial booking costs. We like to book cheaper fare so that we can spend more in other areas of the overall vacation experience. (i.e. Dining, drinks, casino, excursions, spa, onboard shops, activities, etc.)

Hospitalizations are up, people need to take this serious to get through it. From what I can see and read the idea that this is just going to go away isn´t reality. It also seems a far greater number of medical professionals and scientists are in that same mind set. Just trying to ignore it doesn´t seem to be the right path forward.

South Carolina ....

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/fabulous/4431089/glasgow-swimsuit-fail-vagina-upside-down-viral/ Even more embarrassing if you write a complaint to swimsuit manufacturer

I also use Michelle. I had three cruises booked and she has helped me navigate each one. She is responsive to the point of even telling me she is unable to help at that moment but can the next day. Most of these changes I made in advance of any cancellation and yet she still found the time to help. She has also been a superstar navigating the ever changing interpretations from Royal. Thank you Michelle!

I honestly bought a bright yellow mask specifically to match my best bathing suit! Covid vacay here I come

If Celebrity starts sailing 4th quarter, I'm guessing Apex and Edge will be 2 of the ships they'll put back to service. Apex is supposed to start with the Med before coming to the Carribean. Now that the EU has clamped down on tourism from the states, will be interesting to see if Apex stays with the med itinerary, or is redeployed to Carribean early. Bunch of what-ifs - we're all guessing right now. But as no one can cruise, what other diversions are there?

After watching a little of the senate hearings today with Fauci.......one of the big discussions was how important it is for kids to get back to school. If schools open in August in Florida and it goes well, we will be cruising by October. Always the optimist! ?

I was at Coco Cay when it wasn't windy, until it suddenly was and it took a while (and a flock of staff RUNNING to it) to help bring it down. Good times, good times.

We have cruised over Christmas and New Years many times. I completely agree with @twangster. Everyone always seems happy. More kids ? Yes, but it is not overwhelming. I highly recommend holiday cruising. It especially takes the stress out of the Holidays, whether you celebrate Christmas or not.

You'd just have to keep checking back. There's never any saying when you'll get the best deal. If it's something you know you want to do, just book it and check back for price drops frequently. The best deals I've gotten on shore excursions have occurred when there weren't any advertised cruise planner sales going on - they just randomly dropped and I snagged them (at a price I never saw go that low again). It can really pay to check frequently.

I sure did, Jr. Suite to Grand Suite on Oasis next September, just under $4500... Cannot beat that!

Omg I thought the same thing....

Okay, I'm just relieved that this is direction this thread is headed in...

Well @Suzie Q , as we told our friend who is also missing her 40th birthday celebration this year, you get to be 39 for another year. Covvid canceled your birthday.

Good Morning! It’s cruise day! ”Symphony starts when you walk together, feel the heartbeats, and understand the unspoken words.” — Amit Ray 17 years ago today we started this journey, after 17 years, we’re getting there