twangster

Looks like Mother Nature isn't done messing with me. It's a comfortable 72° right now with up to 4 to 8 inches of snow possible tomorrow. I'm supposed to be on a cruise right now...

Nearly 50 cruises on the books among different lines and 99% were booked through an agent. Next is disappointing to me. I research fully and know what I'm looking for and what an agent has already quoted me. I still check every cruise but rarely book with Next, the numbers don't work for me. The trick to saving money is knowing when peak seasons are and booking early. If you wait a few months to be on board and hope Next gets you something you will usually have been better to have booked it months earlier on land.

Curious if their email address has changed. You don't have to post it.

It's short ride on a truck up the hill, 3-4 minutes. I wouldn't be concerned about it. RCI employs several hundred locals. This little corner of Haiti prospers because of Labadee. I wouldn't visit anywhere else in the country but wouldn't anticipate any issues there.

Just respond... ."I'm saving my money for a better masseuse"

Depends on the ship ? Mariner and Navigator have The Bamboo Room with some really cool drinks that are very good. A frozen lemonade with Grey Goose is a refreshing drink on a hot summer day. The Kraken Lavaflow deserves honorable mention. Pictures of drinks? I kind of went overboard in the Bamboo Room on Navigator. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/11143-navigator-mar-1-2019-9-nights-southern-caribbean/&do=findComment&comment=107806

151 days seems a bit harsh as well but at least it states 151 days. Our wording just says "final payment due date" like everyone knows when that is.

I'd be surprised if they change guest areas on the impromptu dry dock in a few weeks. A two week dry dock April 18 - May 4 is hardly enough time to do major changes. I'd be very surprised if they announced a revenue transatlantic in November. On such short notice few people would book it. Transatlantic sailings likely fail to break even as it is when they are scheduled a year + in advance. Putting one on the calendar with 5 months to sail will result in very few bookings. The current plan was to finish the AMP during the transatlantic. It is unlikely they have the slides and materials for the changes already sitting in Cadiz when they weren't suppose to be there until October. It's not like a shipyard just has this stuff in inventory in case a ship drops by and requests it. Time will tell.

I received a zero bill in Chops that indicated gratuity was included. Like any specialty restaurant receipt there was a space for me to enter additional gratuity if I chose to.

Marketing graphics in the cruise planner for late August 'suggest' there will be Voom at CocoCay but I doubt that's a scientific method to calculate if there will actually be Voom there on that day. Note the "Enjoy at Perfect Day" badge. There is a cell tower on a neighboring island so depending on your cell phone carrier you might have international cellular options to explore. My T-Mobile phone has worked there since 2017.

FWIW - A North American booking a Sydney cruise on the US website yields the standard US verbiage: *Price is per person, cruise only, reflects any promotional savings, and is subject to change and availability until booked. Non-refundable deposit booking (“NRDB”) cancelled prior to final payment due date will receive a future cruise credit in the amount of the deposit minus a $100 per person service fee. FCC is non-transferable and expires after 12-months from issue date. 100USD/100CAD/80EUR per person service fee applies to changes to NRDB ship or sail date.

Update the thread as this plays out. Should be interesting.

Doh! Don't jinks us! ?

Looks pretty much like our wording up here. FCC = deposit minus the $100 fee as written.

They all face the same direction so the "front row" has a better "full" ocean view.

Like this table coming off Navigator last month?

Exactly. However on a longer cruise or something more exotic (beyond Caribbean) then there may reason to join the ship.

June 16 I'm on Allure then Symphony on October 5th.

Oasis is unfortunate and disappointing but what can you do? Losing 52 C&A points this year is a hard pill to swallow. Hopefully my bad luck is over, or else those fellow guests on my next cruise have no idea what they are in for ?

Cabanas https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/8865-empress-73018-5-nights-inc-cuba/&do=findComment&comment=79860 Beach Bungalows https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/8865-empress-73018-5-nights-inc-cuba/&do=findComment&comment=79861 Beach Loungers https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/8865-empress-73018-5-nights-inc-cuba/&do=findComment&comment=79862 Names and locations subject to change with Perfect Day

I've sent you a private message with the Harmony Sky Class Concierge email addresses, assuming they haven't changed. Welcome to the message boards!

When you look at this area there have always been loungers close to the bar just on the other side of the rope: I've often wondered who in a Cabana would use these loungers because each Cabana has loungers right at the cabana. Why would someone leave their cabana empty to sit over here? Is this the suite area they are referring to?

I was supposed to get a crystal block on this cruise too. My first block for Freedom class. Now my crystal block strategy is all messed up ?

Cruising solo I often try to slip some work in here and there. That way once I'm back all the fires have been put out and the next week is easy.

Ships cruise at full speed only when required. They consume vastly more fuel at top speed compared to normal "cruising" speed. The most economical speed is likely somewhere around 15-17 knots. It's not uncommon for speeds to be higher than the economical cruise speed to meet waypoints on time. Sometimes that may be based on where a storm is forecasted to be in 4 or 5 days time, or they may run slightly faster for the first part of a long leg in case they run into foul weather or encounter a delay in the second part of a journey. Running faster now allows them a buffer later in case they need it.