twangster
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Posts posted by twangster
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I *think* closer in sailings are more safe and likely to continue as planned due to grandfathering rules.
Where it gets tricky are sailing 30 to 45+ days out. As you look at over 45 days away traditionally those sail dates may not be fully booked. The further out you go the more likely they aren't fully booked up. As you move to 120 days or 150 days away even less likely to be fully booked.
Somewhere is a date where the numbers don't make sense to continue sailing there. If 40% of the ship is booked, that's not enough to operate that sailing at a profit. New guests can't book after today so they'll have to come up with the magic number for each ship and make the call, continue to Cuba, plug in alternate ports or cancel.
I'm scheduled for October. Quite possible I'm not going to Cuba.
Looking at 2020 they have a much larger issue. The 2020 season was just opened. What do you do with two older ships six months from now? When is the next earnings call with investors? They'll be asking that very question.
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28 minutes ago, baltodave said:
My wife and her parents are booked on Majesty OTS to Cuba in November. They've paid the deposit but still owe the balance. I wonder if that cruise will still happen.
Wait until Royal responds.
The conundrum now is having to sail partially full if they can't continue offering Cuba bookings for new guests beyond June 5, 2019.
If they do swap in alternate ports like Nassau/CocoCay it's a short sales cycle to fill ships through the end of the year. Majesty and Empress competing with Navigator and Mariner to CocoCay is a hard sell and not the metal they want to put into the short Florida market.
Time will tell.
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Edit: Oops... wrong thread...
News agencies reporting a outright ban on cruise and air travel to Cuba unless booked by June 5, 2019.
Book it now!
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2 minutes ago, Weaselpuppy said:
Right now, my concern is does the grandfather clause that is in effect for travelers that have completed a travel related transaction for a flight or an accommodation apply to cruise ship visits? Since we board Majesty in 6 days for a Havana destination...well, we are let's say urgently curious...
It sure looks like future cruise ship visits are kaput based on the State Department Fact Sheet that is a little more plain English, summary wise.
I would assume it's business as usual for anyone booked prior to June 5, 2019.
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13 minutes ago, bobroo said:
My guess is Royal replaces the Cuban ports of call with something else. It's too much uncertain political BS to deal with.
Frankly, I wouldn't blame them if they did. But I will feel sorry for those who paid a premium for a Cuban cruise and their ports are replaced with somthing lesser and more common.
:0(
The same was said after the 2017 amendments were made.
They'll have the appropriate people review the changes and make an informed business decision.
Traveling to Russia on a cruise ship is much simpler if you book a ship excursion. In that case it's the Russian government who makes it that way. In the case of Cuba it's the US government that makes it this way.
Requiring a full day excursion that qualifies is a business opportunity. Don't like it? Blame the government, not the cruise line.
- bobroo, Matt and Baked Alaska
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37 minutes ago, MikeK said:
Considering the amount of hours they put in a week the hourly wage would be a joke.
By the standards of developed nations, absolutely. By the standards of many other nations, not as clear cut.
I've been to Chile a couple of times. What people do there to survive would shock most Americans. To them that is their way of life. There are some 9 to 5 jobs, but the majority of the population isn't employed 9 to 5 or they find additional sources of income to survive working outside of 9 to 5 every day in multiple forms of ways to earn money to support their family. Some can't even be called jobs. They do what it takes to provide for their families.
Many here don't appreciate how good we have it.
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This may be a critical aspect going forward.
It's possible that certain excursions that are full day in nature may qualify under this authorization. I recall full day activities were a component in the past after the 2017 changes as well. Now they are a requirement.
20. What constitutes “support for the Cuban people” for generally authorized travel and other transactions?
This general license authorizes, subject to conditions, travel-related transactions and other transactions that are intended to provide support for the Cuban people, which include activities of recognized human rights organizations; independent organizations designed to promote a rapid, peaceful transition to democracy; and individuals and non-governmental organizations that promote independent activity intended to strengthen civil society in Cuba. In accordance with the NSPM, OFAC is amending this general license to require that each traveler utilizing this authorization engage in a full-time schedule of activities that enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people’s independence from Cuban authorities and that result in meaningful interactions with individuals in Cuba. OFAC is also amending this general license to exclude from the authorization certain direct financial transactions with entities and subentities identified on the State Department’s Cuba Restricted List. The traveler’s schedule of activities must not include free time or recreation in excess of that consistent with a full-time schedule in Cuba. For a complete description of what this general license authorizes and the restrictions that apply, see 31 CFR § 515.574. [11-08-2017]
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Effective June 5, 2019, a regulatory amendment to the CACR removes an authorization for people-to-people educational travel that was conducted under the auspices of an organization that is subject to U.S. jurisdiction and that sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact (group people-to-people educational travel). This amendment also includes a grandfather clause authorizing certain group people-to-people educational travel that previously was authorized where the traveler has already completed at least one travel-related transaction (such as purchasing a flight or reserving accommodation) prior to June 5, 2019.
and...
15. What constitutes “people-to-people travel” and is it generally authorized?
Effective June 5, 2019, there is no general license authorizing people-to-people educational activities in Cuba. The term “people-to-people travel” refers to an authorization, subject to conditions, for persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to engage in certain educational exchanges in Cuba on an individual basis or under the auspices of an organization that is a person subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact. On November 9, 2017, in accordance with the NSPM, OFAC amended the general license for people-to-people educational activities in Cuba to remove the authorization for individual peopleto-people educational travel. Effective June 5, 2019, in further accordance with the President’s foreign policy toward Cuba announced in April 2019, OFAC removed the authorization for group people-to-people educational travel in § 515.565(b). There is a grandfather provision in § 515.565(b) that authorizes certain group people-to-people educational travel that previously was authorized where the traveler has completed at least one travel-related transaction (such as purchasing a flight or reserving accommodation) prior to June 5, 2019. For a complete description of what this general license authorizes and the restrictions that apply, see 31 CFR § 515.565. The export or reexport to Cuba of items subject to the EAR, including vessels and aircraft used to provide carrier services, requires separate authorization from the Department of Commerce. See 31 CFR § 515.533. For additional information regarding BIS’s regulatory amendments, see BIS’s Cuba webpage. [06-04-2019]
Source:
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_new.pdf
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New OFAC rules have been posted and go into effect June 5, 2019:
Publication of Updated Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) and Frequently Asked Questions.
The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is amending the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 515 (CACR), to further implement portions of the President’s foreign policy toward Cuba. In accordance with newly announced changes to non-family travel to Cuba, OFAC is amending the CACR to remove the authorization for group people-to-people educational travel. The CACR amendment will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday June 5, 2019, at which time the changes will take effect. OFAC is also publishing a number of updated Frequently Asked Questions and a Fact Sheet pertaining to this regulatory amendment.
For more information on this specific action, please visit this page.
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20190604.aspx
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23 minutes ago, JLMoran said:
It's important to note how the cruise lines report median annual earnings in their regulatory filings, rather than average earnings. Since the median is simply the mid-point in the range from lowest to highest, regardless of distribution, it allows them to report a number that is higher than if they gave the average earnings, and thus looks better ("We're taking great care of our employees! Look at those salaries!"). Average earnings will accurately reflect the distribution of the salaries; assuming most of the employees are at the lower end of the range (not an unreasonable expectation, as the crew handling housekeeping, dining services, maintenance, etc. will make up much more of the total crew complement compared to the staff and officers), the average will be lower.
Only question is -- how much lower? Could just be by a couple hundred dollars, or it could be by a few thousand. No way to know since we have no real way to know the actual ratio of low-paid crew to mid-salary staff to high-wage officers. And it's possible that they did report average as well as median; Business Insider could have chosen to omit the average number to get the slant they're looking for with this rather light / minimal story. I'm inclined to doubt it since they were reporting averages for most of the story.
If I was going to guess, given the total crew complement is somewhere around 1,500 on the average large ship that carries about 4,500 passengers, I'd guess it was in the neighborhood of 100 : 15 : 1 crew : staff : officers. I'm assuming there's only about 15 officer level staff on any ship, so let me know if that's way off base. But if it's about right, reporting the average would skew the annual wage way down.
The numbers are from SEC filings and earning reports that are poured over by investment analysts.
Mean typically isn't used in reference to salaries.
Why is median better than mean for a typical salary
Mean (average) would appear to be higher when salaries such as the Captain's is included. However the Captain's salary isn't representative of 98% of all other salaries on board. By including this outlier and using mean salaries it would appear everyone makes more which is the last thing any publicly traded company desires to do in earning reports filed with the SEC.
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MDR staff also take morning and afternoon shifts in the WJ when most meals are consumed. Dinners in the WJ see a reduced staff there since many WJ crew are in the MDR in the evenings and since not as many guests eat dinner in the WJ.
I've gotten to the point now where I eat most meals in the WJ yet I leave my auto-gratuity alone.
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2 hours ago, Atlantix2000 said:
Good points but in this case, they weren't trying to dock anywhere near where they hit. They were supposed to keep going down the canal and turn into the berths at the end of the island. Their speed may have been perfectly appropriate if the ship was going in the right direction. There were 2 tugs guiding the ship down the canal with cables attached. One of those cables broke at some point. I've seen some reports say it was after the collision and some before. I think before makes more sense because then the remaining tug could have accidentally turned the ship with its cable due to lack of balance from the other tug.
Not sure I accept the tug inclusion.
First we are talking about an Azipod ship. Bow thrusters, 2x azipods plus a stern thruster.
If she was a shaft and rudder ship I might see it different
I agree it was supposed to transit the channel but the momentum observed started long before she hit the pier and subsequently the River boat.
The question is what drove the bow so off course and into the pier and river vessel. Did they know it was going to be bad and turned hard to starboard ? This would absorb most energy into the pier rather than destroying the much smaller vessel
If they hit that small river boat first it would disintegrate. Perhaps the Captain is a hero who saved a lot of lives by driving into the pier when he/she knew it would be better to play their ship into the pier
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58 minutes ago, bobroo said:
So, with all that experience and human oversight. How do they not know “Hey, we should be much slower at this point in time” “Dude, there is another vessel that is way too frick’in close to our berth” or “We are Waaaytooo close to the dock”
I suspect they did know and may have been trying to do something about it. There is incredible momentum involved, even at slow speeds.
"Reverse 1/3"
"Engines not responding Captain"
Captain can repeat or scream it all they want, if the ship doesn't respond to commands issued, that is a mechanical failure.
In the case of Roatan they dropped anchors to try to slow it down. That takes time to do when the crew isn't expecting that command.
Even when a Captain allows a staff Captain or first officer to make the approach, they will quickly jump in when they see things going South.
Two ships in the same class a few months apart having the same outcome. Hmmm.
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Ask a travel agent. They give free quotes.
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Highlights:
"There's a big gap between the highest and lowest-paid cruise ship workers.
Business Insider spoke with 35 current and former cruise ship employees, who reported monthly earnings between $500 and $10,000. Some 40% of their reported monthly earnings were equal to or less than $2,000."
"Many cruise ship workers, particularly those who work lower-paid positions, come from regions with lower median incomes than the United States, like the Caribbean, South America, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia. A former bartender for Royal Caribbean who made between $1,600 and $1,800 per month said the pay was better than what he had previously made in Chile, his home country."
"In addition to their salary, crewmembers typically receive free medical care, room and board, meals, and many other benefits that are often unavailable in their home countries," said a representative for the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade association for the cruise industry. "Crew members are very satisfied with their jobs and the opportunities for career advancement, which explains why employee retention rates in the cruise industry are upwards of 80%."
"The 35 current and former cruise ship employees who spoke with Business Insider had average monthly earnings of around $3,233 and median monthly earnings of around $2,600. The three largest cruise companies — Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings — reported in regulatory filings the following median annual earnings for 2018:
- Carnival Corporation: $16,622
- Royal Caribbean Cruises: $19,396
- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: $20,101
The annual median income in the United States was $31,099 in 2016 (the latest year for which data is available), according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. That would translate to median monthly earnings of around $2,592."
Source:
https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-ship-workers-reveal-how-much-money-they-make-2019-5
Also keep in mind that rate of income tax isn't the same in many countries, or applies at all for ExPats who don't work in their country of citizenship.
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They also vary as a D+ member.
Benefits & amenities may vary by ship. Some benefits may not be available on all sailings.
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35 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:
Now I have another question...bids can be accepted up until 2 days prior to sailing. Is that too late for Cruise planner cancellations?
Right on the line. You should be able to cancel Voom upon boarding.
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Losing the 1/2 bathroom is a factor.
No Suite Lounge on Anthem, but there is a Concierge Lounge and a nice one with aft views. However it is a walk from the elevators to the aft CL.
Better chance of CK reservations in a GS over a JS (that gets what's available after suites and pinnacles book it up). If there is a low pinnacle count on that sailing you may end up okay with JS access to CK, but if it's pinnacle heavy you may just get one or two nights in there at odd hours.
Keep in mind with RoyalUp there may be no GS actually available. They may accept bids just in case someone cancels last minute so don't count on it.
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How will you be arriving to the cruise terminal?
No challenge really unless you didn't know about it and ask your driver or cab to take you to the Old San Juan pier.
It was like any other drop off and check in experience.
I suppose if you have never cruised before there may be some unknowns but if you have ever cruised before from any port it's pretty much the same process.
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6 minutes ago, jce2 said:
Watching your videos I am beginning to think I might have made a mistake....Alaska is #1 on my bucket list, so when it came time to finally book my own Alaska cruise I pulled out all the stops and splurged, spending the extra bucks to get the corner aft balcony room.....now perhaps I am overthinking this but it seems to me there would be a greater chance of seeing aquatic activity from a normal "side" balcony than from the aft as off to the sides is seas relatively undisturbed by the ship while to the aft is water being actively disturbed by the ship and therefore may be lacking in aquatic activity....hopefully I am wrong as everything else about the aft balcony seems to be a plus (room for 4 chairs!!)
There is marine life all over. Who knows what someone on the other side or on the aft was able to see that I missed.
This is one of the reasons why on an Alaskan cruise I often spend time on the top decks or down low on outer decks like deck 4 or 5 (depending on ship) moving around the ship. Even then some of these sightings require luck and for you to be in the right place at the right time.
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Curious - are the grandkids Diamond members? It would be odd for Diamond members to be turned away regardless of age.
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Only the newer ships have outlets near the bed. They've yet to retrofit outlets due to the effort involved with running new circuits and wiring. It could be done but for the tens of millions involved so far they have decided to put that money into new features in public areas.
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I believe you will get the perks such as JR meal for boardwalk or bottle of wine with central park.
So far the only known perk that doesn't seem to come through RoyalUP is the extra C&A points when you upgrade from non-suite to suite, although some have reported success with that.
The End To Future Cuba Cruises!!
in Royal Caribbean News and Rumors
Posted
Wait for now. You have until June 11th to cancel the Royal excursion. Or keep both knowing you may never get to go back.
The VISA itself remains unchanged. The Cuban government who issues the VISA doesn't care what type of excursion you do. There is an OFAC form that will remain the same in essence due to grandfathering. Fill it out like you would have if none of this happened. Royal keeps a copy for 5 years, you need to keep a copy for 5 years. That hasn't changed.
In essence nothing has changed for you as long as Royal sails to Havana on that cruise.