twangster

Two suites can have it's benefits.  Total privacy and no shared bathrooms.

Plus you can manipulate names in each suite so that drink packages make the most sense, if that is a consideration.

5 minutes ago, DoomSlayer said:

I think my wife would disown me if I got Master's level.  Can't think what she would say if I told her I was 3x Master's.

3x disowned isn't that much worse from 1x disowned.

Go big or go home.  

26 minutes ago, Mturk said:

The SetSail pass may not say D or D+ but it does show up in the color of the pass (at least when I see it in my Apple Wallet).

My son's setsail does not match my color when we share a cabin.  He is platinum and so is his setsail pass.  The word "Platinum" is plainly visible.  

This screen shot has my setsail pass off to the left in my native color while my son's setsail pass is clearly platinum color.

YMMV

They have to be careful with verbiage because there are so many scenarios and there will always be someone with a situation that falls into a gray area beyond the words of the policy.  At the same time you want the policy to be easily understood and easy for crew to apply.  It becomes a compromise between a lengthy and wordy policy versus simplicity to implement.  

• ...each Pinnacle Club member may now bring one guest staying in their immediate stateroom to accompany them into the Suite/Concierge Lounge, Suite Sun Decks, and Coastal Kitchen!

To me it's pretty evident how this would work.  If I share a cabin with my non-Pinnacle son for example, as I did last year on a cruise, then I could bring him with me into the SL/CK assuming I myself have access on a cruise.

If my son had his own cabin, then no, I couldn't bring him with me into the SL/CK assuming I myself have access on a cruise.

When I visit the SL or CK I typically consume one seat but at a table for two people.  Rarely will another solo guest attempt to sit with me.  

Consequently this new policy doesn't really impact the SL/CK capacity for me as a solo Pinnacle.  

Ma and Pa Pinnacle who book their own cabins and have one non-Pinnacle guest in their respective cabins is a possibility but probably not a frequent scenario.  I'm not saying it will never occur, I'm saying it's not that often.

In reality I think they ran the numbers and it didn't amount to a significant impact in the modeling outcomes.

It does clarify what will occur for Pinnacle parents with a dependent child.  In theory Pinnacle is not conveyed to dependent children so could Pinnacle parents bring a child from their cabin into the SL/CK?  By policy no, until now.  

20 minutes ago, warrenz1963 said:

So this means we would have separate boarding times?

Check in times are not rigidly enforced but D+ boarding could be.

Understand the check in time is per cabin and there is no advantage for D+ members.  Once the check in process opens up, usually around 45 days from the sail date, anyone can select a check in or arrival to the terminal time.

IF you have an early arrival time AND IF the ship has not started boarding yet once you have been checked in on boarding day, then boarding will start with suites and pinnacles, then D+, the D and so on until everyone can board.  In reality there is a 5 minute difference typically between boarding groups and it only applies if you were early enough to be there before the ship commenced boarding.  In this scenario they often look at everyone's setsail pass and your setsail pass will not indicate D+.  Sometimes this means the terminal staff will ask you to wait until your group is called. 

IF the ship has already commenced boarding once you are checked in at the terminal then there is no D+ advantage.  At this point everyone who has completed check in can board regardless of status.

Welcome to the message boards!

Unfortunately you will not receive a cabin mate's CAS benefits.  Benefits are unique to the individual.

1 hour ago, Mike n Ky said:

This must be something that has changed. I have booked JS on Next, as well as balconies, on the ship and once used the book later, and never paid more than 200 as a deposit.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/05/22/royal-caribbean-increases-suite-deposit-policy

4 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

Yours may have been the last trip there for a while.  Beautiful photos.

If I had known I would have had more Labradoozies.  

Not a rumor unfortunately.  

3 hours ago, DunkelBierJay said:

Orlando to West Palm is $49 for Smart Class. First Class is $109. The fare to Cocoa Beach is probably comparable. I used the service from Miami to Fort Lauderdale and can't speak highly enough of it. Personally, I prefer this to Uber/Lyft the whole way even though you have to use Rideshare to/from FLL and to/from PortMiami.

Fares are highly variable.  They use dynamic pricing.  I’ve seen one way Orlando to Miami fares over $200 for the regular class.  

3 minutes ago, F1guynz said:

I do not understand what this means, in the same cabin?

If they have family or kids in a connecting cabin then nope.  If in the same cabin number specifically, yes.  

Eliminates potential of pinnacle grandma booking six cabins for grandchildren and expecting all have SL access.  

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

The most important part of this announcement, to me, is that they are pledging to now inform Pinnacle members, 48 hours prior to embarkation, if they are going to be restricted from the SL/CK.  This has been a point of stress for us as we never know if Pinns are going to be restricted or not, until we board.  We have yet to be restricted from the SL/CK but there's certainly every chance that can and will happen at some point.  Hopefully, if we're going to be restricted, going forward, at least we will know about it before we board !

Agreed.  They know the numbers, don’t make it a guessing game.  It’s not like Pinnacle will cancel at T-2 just because SL is restricted.  

Another day at Labadee is in the books.   We had great weather and a great day at Labadee.  

Bonus for seeing my shadow (I’m the one waving).  Does that mean six more weeks of cruising?
 

Farewell Labadee, until next time.

1 hour ago, DoomSlayer said:

Thanks for sharing this and looks like you are enjoying your Labadoozie!  So the main port area seems to be business as usual?  I would be curious if the beaches feel more crowded with some of the out of port excursions canceled.

With only Liberty here there appears to be plenty of available loungers everywhere.  Maybe not front row though.  

All in all it's a pretty normal day here.

I understand some excursions were cancelled such as Jet ski tours and Amiga island.  I don't know the reasoning and didn't ask.

I would not hesitate to book another cruise with only a stop in Labadee.

Now back to Labadee for round two with the Labradoozie Society.  

The point was now open so I ventured out for a look.

Walking along the fort the little bit of cloud cover has burned off and it's a beautiful day in full sunshine.

With the ship in full sunlight I stopped at the overlook again for more pictures.

Finishing at the base of pier the area was much busier now so a few last photos of the ship.

Guests were streaming onto the roller coaster and by now zip liners were making their flight over water.

These featherweights stalled at the bottom and needed a rope assist to finish their journey.

More guests have been strolling off the ship and it was getting harder to take photos without guests in the pictures so it was time for a Labadee tradition.

The Labradoozie Society was calling my name.

A quick stop at Barefoot Beach before it was heavily populated with suite guests for the day.

Next over to Nellie's Beach.

And on to Columbus Cove.

A short stroll through the artisan's market.

Then over to Adrenaline Beach.

It's an absolutely fantastic day here at Labadee.

Our arrival was on time without any special announcements.

Right on time the gangway was open and off I went, nearly first off the ship.

Being early off means the usual instagram photos spots were void of fellow passengers.

I walked up the nature path to the overlook for another view of the ship.

Around the fort the path to the point was closed but I later found it was open so back to that in a bit.   Meanwhile... it's a normal day in paradise.

I didn't plan to do a full live report from this short 4 night cruise on Liberty from Port Everglades with a single stop in Labadee, Haiti.  However Haiti has been in the news lately and so I thought I'd at least post some Labadee photos to illustrate Labadee is still as beautiful as it has always been.  

I booked this cruise at the last minute just three days before the sail date.  Haiti has been in the news since before I booked this cruise yet on Friday morning when I saw a relatively okay cruise fare that was open for solo cruisers to book I had no hesitation booking this cruise. 

I've been to Labadee countless times and I'm very familiar with the social economic and political background of Haiti.  There is no need to visit any of that in this thread.

I'm here in Labadee as I write this, back on the ship after a two and half mile walk around Labadee.

Spoiler alert - It's still beautiful here and I still love Labadee.

Next up, some photos...

1 hour ago, Jax said:

 

We had sewer gas gurgling and bubbling up in the master bath tub on HM this past December filling the master bedroom with sewer gas. I took a video and mentioned it to my contact at Michael Bayley’s office who called me post cruise.  She wanted me to send the video to her and she was not impressed by what she saw and heard.  It was being escalated.  

So four months later, what was the outcome?

2 hours ago, steverk said:

But you can, or least I did a year ago, book a refundable deposit cruise at NextCruise. However, the OBC is reduced. Sometimes they also bump up the deposit from $100 per person to $250. Sometimes they don't. Royal is wonderfully inconsistent on so many things!

The other thing about refundable deposits is that the price of the cruise increases. You need to watch that carefully as it may not be worth it to book refundable, especially at NextCruise.

Booking a refundable deposit cruise is one thing.  A refundable “book later” or future cruise certificate isn’t possible.  

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I still can't believe this wasn't part of the original plan.

Politics, competing interests and greed got in the way.  Brightline had to move forward without Cocoa on the original plan.  

The toll road companies have and are lobbying hard against Brightline.