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Another plug for using a travel agent.

This thread and @WAAAYTOOO has convinced me to move to Florida.

They may have taken down all Grandeur "sailings", but they can not take my dreams away. ? This one will become my home page on my computer ... until they make good on an "implied promise" ? Every night before I go to bed, dreams of Grandeur will dance in my head. Curt from Canada

Just to make sure you understand.... the government hasn't given Royal a dime in assistance during these times...... they ARE struggling and are trying to stay afloat (pun intended) just like all the other cruise lines. The federal government, to my knowledge, hasn't given any financial assistance to any of the major cruise companies (RC, Carnival, Norwegion) ----- Also, to assume that Carnival would've reacted differently during these tough times is just that, an assumption. When you made the booking, there were options out there, like, for example, booking a refundable deposit, which would've solved your issues immediately. The fact that you didn't is on you, not the cruise company. None of us could've predicted the world going to shit like it did, but there are things we CAN do to protect ourselves in the event that bad things happen...... like a refundable deposit or travel insurance. If you declined those options, again, that's on you, and only you. Personally, I DO hope you get it resolved, and I know these are emotionally charged times, but the charges you are making against RC are baseless without knowing all the facts. Hope things get better for you.

A perfectionist walked into a bar. It must have been set too low.

Hmm... think I'll sit this one out! Not to mention they were charging $1859 for the 14 night itinerary on the AUS site. Which even after currency conversion is still almost double.

So true. It's amazing how simple the whole process has become since we started booking with a travel agent. <insert shameless plug for Michelle from MEI> ?

Princess just extended it's pause through May 14, 2021 as well.

Hi Jen, When you booked it did you book as a non-refundable deposit? If so then you can only get FCC back. Royal Caribbean has been pretty fair with their Cruise with Confidence plan- no change fees and letting people move their cruises a year out for the same price.

For those of us who have a FALLEN IN LOVE with cruising. Thank you John Waite and the Babys. Come on CDC!!! I know, a bit cheesy! Falling in love was the last thing I had on my mindHolding you is a warmth that I thought I could never find(Sitting here all alone)Just trying to decide(Whether to go all alone)Or stay by your side(Then I stop myself because)I know I could cryI just can't find the answersTo the questions that keep going through my mindHey babeIsn't it time(Isn't it time it took time to wait)(Falling in love could be your mistake)Isn't it time(Isn't it time you took time to wait)(Falling in love could be your mistake)I've seen visions of someone like you in my lifeA love that's strong reaching outHolding me through the darkest night(Sitting here all alone)Just trying to decide(Whether to go all alone)Or stay by your side(Then I stop myself because)I don't want to cryI just can't find the answersTo the questions that keep going through my mindHey babeIsn't it time(Isn't it time it took time to wait)(Falling in love could be your mistake)Isn't it time(Isn't it time you took time to wait)(Falling in love could be your mistake)I feel a warmth in my heartAnd my soul that I never knewThis love affair gives me strengthThat I need just to get me through(Sitting here all alone)Just wondering why(Then I stop myself because)I know I could cry(Then I think of you)And everything seems alrightI've finally found the answersTo the questions that keep going through my mindHey babeIsn't it time(Isn't it time you don't have to wait)(Don't have to wait)I know it's time(Losing this love could be your mistake)Ooh yeah(Isn't it time)I know it's time(Isn't it time you don't have to wait)It must be time(Don't have to wait)(Losing this love could be your mistake)(Isn't it time)It must be time(Isn't time you don't have to wait)(Don't have to wait)It oughta be time(Losing this love could be your mistake)(Isn't it time)(Isn't it time you don't have to wait)(Don't have to wait)It must be time(Losing this love could be your mistake)(Isn't it time)(Repeat and fade)

A couple of things come to mind. All those ports that aren't usually available on RCCL will be awesome... to me especially Grenada. Second, I don't know there is much hotel availability on that island. I guess VRBO will pick up the slack. On a side note, and this is true, my GGGGGGG Grandmother was a servant from Barbados (indentured servant). To the best of my knowledge, she was born then in about 1630 (the island was settled in 1627 and was uninhabited for a period before then). I wonder if I can get a hometown discount.

I always think I want to move to Florida....then my wife reminds me that we've only been there during winter months.

I want to move to Florida too!

Buy 'by the inch' 'jewelry' chain.

The way I found it was going in through "Ships" --- then selecting Grandeur, and lo and behold, sailings pop up ---- what really made it so wonky is that all the descriptions of the ship still referenced Baltimore, Bermuda and Canada sailings and such. Also, the sailing having times on certain days without a port or mentioning a Sea Day tells me things are still being put together. I think we unintentionally just got a sneak peak at things to come. New and creative itineraries, which seems to be the trend. For examples, sailings from Florida going to Bermuda --- that's new stuff right there.

It would be SO much better if they showed a couple dock runners that DON'T make it in time.

I keep a whole bunch of travel shows on PVR for that reason. I like Mighty Cruise Ships, Samantha Brown's Places to Love and The Island Diaries (which is more informational than touristy). Bourdain's shows were great for this as well. My only gripe about the Mighty shows is that there is always a minor crisis where cruisers are late to get back to the ship - but make it back right before the ship casts off.

@monctonguy ... Canada vs. USA results: Americans shock Canadians with shutout, win gold at 2021 World Juniors !!!

I would say so, they have now been removed. I'm guessing an announcement is incoming.

@coneyraven 14 days is a problem. However, I am ready to quit my job to sail on Lady G again (especially with that itinerary). The Centrum is one our favourite places at sea to go dancing. (We have even danced in the Centrum elevators). How far can Bridgetown, Barbados be from Baltimore ... They all start with letter "B", so they must be really, really close. ? Curt from Canada

I will never tip the cabana attendant in advance again. We were on Labadee in a cabana a few years ago. We thought it would be easier to tip the attendant up front in case we got busy and forgot later or decided to leave and couldn't find him. We gave him $20 at the beginning of the day and never saw him again. Won't make that mistake again !

I like your thinking as well!!!!! If by chance they do start Caribbean operations(embarkation) in another port other than San Juan, my grin will be from cheek to cheek!? ?

One thing that most of us have learned - if you don't agree with what the first person on the phone tells you, call back and talk to someone else. All you have to lose is time.

I just selected some random dates...nothing in particular. It appears that there is 1 non-stop flight from CLT - GBI There is 1 non-stop flight from MIA for the same dates. Everything for AA seems to go through either MIA or CLT.

Coming to a cabin near you.

And Barbados is such a beautiful island too, great place to stay before or after the cruise!

I guess the idea of Barbados as an embarkation port shouldn’t come as such a surprise. During the worst of the COVID travel restrictions, Barbados was one of the only countries that allowed crew to fly in and out from. I think it would be great if Royal rewarded Barbados by making it an embarkation port. There are those posters who have advocated, for some time, that Royal should have a Caribbean embarkation port. Perhaps this will be it !

14 days in the Southern Caribbean for $749PP?!?!?!?!? Man that sounds nice. I'm gonna save up my PTO! (Easy to do right now with nowhere to go!) Relocate to Barbados? DO IT! This past year has proved we can work from anywhere!

Well, guess we will see about Europe cruises considering Germany, Italy and UK are all in lockdown. I don't think they will be sailing until Sept., the earliest.

Just saw HAL cancelled all cruises through April 30. Glad I bit the bullet and cancelled my April 2021 on Indy the day before final payment!

I would move to Florida in a flash if I wasn't Canadian...cant get in! :(.....now if I went to Mexico and could climb a wall I would be all set.....sad you have to break the law to get in really..... If anyone knows how I can do it legally...let me know!..lol To keep this on the cruise topic....I would be diamond plus by now and well on my way to pinnacle if I could live in Florida!

One thing Royal could do is make it alot easier to choose a refundable option on their booking screen...they charge WAY more for it...but I bet 90% of people who aren't familiar with Royal or with cruising don't know or even see that option....i mentioned on another post I visit the Royal site and this site almost every day and I cant see or find how to get pricing for the refundable cruise option.....hence I don't book anything on the Royal site for cruising!

Watching with interest. I wonder if Royal uses a third party call center for these bookings. Are there travel agents in the UK who could take it and run with it for you in exchange for the booking? In the US, it doesn't cost extra...I am not sure about the UK. Regardless, I would want to take it to a supervisory level with the company directly so they know there has been a failure.

Considering moving there even if I will melt year round.

This is awesome and exciting! James

I love how 'Not reinforcing your opinion' = 'working for Royal Caribbean'

Hang on a minute... Your first post says "So we made what we thought was the best decision and canceled our trip." Your second post says: "If things were different and we canceled then I can see them keeping the deposit."

Many car rental companies will pick up at the port and shuttle to their closest location. In some cases that is the airport in Miami but they ask to see a booking confirmation to avoid people using them as a transfer to the airport. Hertz has an "HLE" location downtown with a shuttle to the port for example. Some will only pick up at the port, some go both ways. The trick is to get the phone number for that site because the centralized call centers never know about port shuttle buses.

I LOVE massages!! I guess I'm too cheap to pay for the inflated price on a ship. Be careful with a deep tissue massage. If done right they are awesome but if they are done wrong, its very painful!!!! I have a feeling that a bamboo massage is like a bad deep tissue massage.

I did a Google search: Day 1 - Saturday - Mar 16, 2019 Fort Lauderdale, United States Fort Lauderdale, United States Depart: 4:00 pm Day 2 - Sunday - Mar 17, 2019 At Sea At Sea Day 3 - Monday - Mar 18, 2019 Costa Maya, Mexico Costa Maya, Mexico Arrive: 11:00 am Depart: 7:00 pm Day 4 - Tuesday - Mar 19, 2019 Cozumel, Mexico Cozumel, Mexico Arrive: 7:00 am Depart: 6:00 pm Day 5 - Wednesday - Mar 20, 2019 At Sea At Sea Day 6 - Thursday - Mar 21, 2019 Fort Lauderdale, United States Fort Lauderdale, United States Arrive: 7:00 am

Wow ! Great catch. Too bad I'm already booked for Jan and Feb 22 or I would definitely take this 14 day one !

Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. Unfortunately those are the terms of the contract you agreed to. In hindsight booking with a refundable deposit would have allowed a full refund. I am assuming you chose a non-refundable deposit and with that choice came terms and conditions which you accepted at the time. All cruise line have been shut down by the government (and the pandemic) and they have had no income for 9 months and unlikely to have any measurable income for several more months. They are struggling to survive like so many companies during this pandemic. As such they need to adhere to the terms everyone agrees to when booking a cruise. Giving everyone full refunds would wipe them out, they would go bankrupt in which case you'd have nothing. Per the terms of the contract you do have your future cruise credit and many FCC were extended to April 2022. It is always possible they could be extended again but that isn't known right now. I understand your frustration but the cruise lines didn't create the virus or the pandemic. Travel insurance may be an option to pursue assuming you purchased travel insurance. Welcome to the message boards.

Fall asleep in the sun. I haven't done this on a ship but I see people doing it and that sunburn before formal night makes getting dressed up a b^%$#! Lobster anyone?

I imagine your “plans” may look like something like this when replaced by your cruises on the left. Haha

Regarding the "hard sell" that inevitably comes at the end of the session.... I have found that I can cut them off at the pass by telling them before they even start that I am not interested in purchasing any products or services and please do not waste either of our time. You can do that in a way that isn't offensive and it saves a lot of time and pressure at the end. Once, I had them try and do their "schpeel" on me anyway (even after I had told them not to) and I just walked out. I didn't feel bad doing that as they had already been warned.

2020 just turned '21 and is already drunk.

Well, I am now officially re-employed ! Here's the ultimate irony. It seems I am going to have to fly back to DC to get the badges and equipment I will need to work from Florida. We threw all of the ideas around (for trying to do it from here) and it just seems that you can't get there from here....so after the first of the year, I will be going BACK up there to get everything formalized...then fly back home and actually start doing the routine stuff. Since I've essentially been off the job since Feb I am ready to go get back to work. The nice thing is, I will pretty much be able to work when I want to with a few structured requirements (meetings, etc.). I will still be doing the travel that I love so it's totally win-win. It took far longer to get the paperwork done than I had thought it would, but I've been in no hurry so it's all good. YIPPEE !!

A step in the right direction, but they really need to extend longer IMO. At least until summer 2022, or allow us to stack them.

Ok, if you insist. Just don’t tell @twangster or he’ll run off with it!

I am willing to bet any cruises that involve Canada will not be happening for the 2021 season.