Larry Muster

The Royal Caribbean cruise planner math is really tough.  I can rarely tell if a deal is a deal without going through the effort of a mock-purchase.  I keep track of all my cruise planner purchases over the years to compare prices and help myself know what prices to aim for on certain things.  Every once in a while I get something that looks too good to be true (like the $17 drink package) and assume others have the same experience so I wanted to brag.  Does anyone else have any "rock bottom" scores recently?

I have a 7 night Oasis OTS sailing in July.  I did a mock-purchase this morning on a Voom Surf and Stream 4 device package.  It came in at $531!  I looked back at my log and noticed I purchased it for $216.  It was such a big difference that I doublechecked my receipt and confirmed I had it right.  I was going to go down to 2 devices, but it would cost me MORE than what I scored for the 4 devices.  Can anyone beat $216 for 4 devices 7/nights?

I'd love to hear about any other recent purchases you all have made that you want to brag about.

The fine print of the updated Crown and Anchor society benefit grid includes a link (in red below) to an upgrade preferences site.  Not sure if this was always there or not but the link does not appear to go anywhere.

Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club members will receive welcome waters & a snack on day ("welcome amenity") one of their sailing. These items will be placed in the guest's stateroom. In addition, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club members can go online to RoyalCaribbean.com/UpgradePreferences or call one of our Loyalty Representatives (RoyalCaribbean.com/ContactLoyalty) in their local offices to pre-select from a list of beverages to be included with their welcome waters & snack. One beverage can be selected per guest 18 years of age or older. Preferences must be entered or updated for your upcoming cruise vacation up to 5 days before a US based sailing and 7 days for an internationally based sailing. The beverage selection list for Emerald and Diamond members will include water, juice and soda items. In addition to the previous list Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club members can select from a more expanded list of beverages. If a guest has not selected an item then bottled water will be sent to the stateroom. House alcoholic brands may be substituted or changed, and are subject to availability.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/crown-and-anchor-society-benefit-grid.pdf

My bet...  Unless there is a lull they may put you off to the side and wait until closer to 1PM.  Room access can vary but usually by 2PM.  Pack your bathing suits in a carry on and you are good to go.

I too worry about things like that.  Minimize the worry by using the Royal approved test.

https://store.optum.com/royal-caribbean/

8 minutes ago, KimL said:

I read that walkie talkies were not allowed.

I think they are allowed because I see at least one group with them on every cruise.  They are SUPER annoying to others and don't seem to work well, no matter how high-end you go.  

14 hours ago, carlosalonsor said:

So, where are you supposed to collect your bags? Next to your room or anywhere in the same hall as your room?

 

I will usually throw my work phone in my checked luggage.  that way I can track it (which is pretty limited) but I can use the find my phone app to make in beep so I can walk down the hallway and find it easier.

16 hours ago, chris watson said:

We are booked on the Oasis of the seas on 28th August 2022. Currently the Deluxe drinks package is $65.99 per person 'on sale'. I know the prices go up and down a lot. Anybody know if thats a good price or should I hold out and hope it goes down a bit more. I am in Canada so the refunding and buying the package again if the price drops isn't so easy for us as the credit card companies like to take their cut every time there's a transaction either paying or refunding . Thanks for any info.

This has been said before, but when looking at the price, instead of just looking at the $65.99 pricetag consider the difference between that and the price of the refreshment package.  If you know you will get the refreshment package (for the bottled water, use of your soda cup etc) consider the difference between the two the "real" price of the alcohol.

15 hours ago, Bean79 said:

Since re-buying is such a headache, I would just buy at a price I am ok with. It will always be cheaper than the on-board price.

For what it's worth the cancel and rebuy has gotten MUCH better with the latest updates to the site.  Refund still takes 5-7 days but the transaction is much more streamlined.

It varies but I usually tell people to plan on having luggage by 5PM.  

I believe it's exactly the opposite.  Companies push for numbers in the surveys they want quantity.  If you notice even the grocery store now often hands you the receipt and highlights the survey link with a marker.  

On the last two, StarTrek cruises there was no loyalty benefit whatsoever.  No special boarding, no diamond lounge, no diamond drinks etc.  I did have a drink package and I asked one of the bartenders if my card showed diamond drinks and he said no.  Normally even with the drink package, I have those five sharable 'vouchers' on the card.

The one thing I did get that I was surprised at was the 2X points in the double points promotion for cruises booked before X and taken before Y.  The staff in the MDR did know my status.  They referenced it when they introduced themselves to me the first night.  They said something like I see you are Diamond so you've cruised with us many times or something like that.

Fellow Trek Fan!  I just got off STTCV.  It was awesome!

Bring a label with your room number on it.  You will likely forget the cup somewhere once and #cruiselife people will be kind and return it.

I was on a charter in February.  Our sailing there were no pre board or onboard benefits based on status.   So no special boarding lines, no diamond lounge, no diamond drinks etc.  My status wasn't even printed on my card, but it was on my boarding image on the app.

Dealing with the shareholder people is the one thing my Agent does not handle.  I forget the reason but that I've always had to administer myself.

I think the 25% extra applies only to the cash you laid down on the original cruise.  It does not compound if there are multiple cancellations. 

If there was a second cancellation, you get your original amount plus the original 25%, but not an additional 25%.

Not sure about 2023 but I'm eyeing the repositioning cruise out of Boston to San Juan in October 2022.

I went through security there earlier this month.  It was super well organized and fast.  Masks were required.  The only thing I remember that stuck in my mind has to do with the wine I brought on board.  

It was the first time in all my years of cruising where they made me open my bag and take out the (single) bottle of wine.  They looked at the neck of the bottle, to make sure it hadn't been tampered with presumably.  Smooth sailing other than that (literally).

Thanks @kadmgs for the clarification.  My next cruise is a Junior Suite level - which does not get me access to the suite lounge I don't think.  But if I were to Royal Up to an official suite, do I get access to the suite lounge even if I got there via RoyalUp?

On 2/24/2022 at 3:46 PM, kadmgs said:

We will be diamond at that point and in a GS, so we want to see if the 4 vouchers and suite lounge happy hour are enough. 

Hold up...  Are you saying we get 4 "free drinks" loaded on our card and free drinks in the Diamond Lounge?  If I have four drinks at the pool and then head to the lounge before dinner - do I drink for free while in the lounge?

There are a number of other factors that sometimes make it so you cannot use the benefit.  I've had a few since I had the right number of shares where the shareholder benefit told me that my booking was not eligible.

I just got off of a 7 day charter cruise on Mariner.  I was a solo traveler in a promenade room.  The last time I did the cruise, I got a full 14 points (as a solo traveler on a 7 nigher).  The booking dates and the cruise dates are within the parameters of the double points offer below.  I wonder if it will apply to me even though it's a charter.  Anyone care to guess?

Just had a little win I wanted to share.  My wife and her sister are cruising together each with a daughter.  We originally booked interiors.  I bid on obstructed view balconies for both at $10 over the minimum and won both.  

The reservation that was just a guarantee room came in first, (two weeks before sailing) and the other came in today (4 days to sailing).

The only thing I look forward to on disembarkation day is walking by the “Table of Shame”.  For those of you who have not seen it or do not know what it is, the table of shame is usually one of the last things you pass before picking up your luggage.  What looks like a few port employees having the worlds worst yard sale is really just the place for you to pickup anything that was confiscated from you on embarkation day.

I love to look at what is there and would love to see if we could get members of this group to snap photos and post them here for us all to enjoy.

We sailed Odyssey on the NYE cruise and the table of shame was top-notch.  I saw a full size stand up fan, the kind with the round base that oscillates, a space heater and several irons.  I’m kicking myself for not snapping a photo to kick this thread off properly.

6 hours ago, rfsdvm said:

very much appreciate the status updates...keep em coming.

scheduled for 12/26 sailing...see that my JS royalup is pending and others expired, but

worried that more crew cases will lead to more cancellations....guess I have another

24 hrs to still cancel.

Hey, we are booked on the 12/26 sailing as well.  Our family is pretty vacation starved right now and our position is if the ship sails we will be on it - regardless of the restrictions.  Making that decision has helped put some of our anxiety at bay.  Our policy is to make the most of whatever we can get.  Assuming it was booked to 100% capacity I wonder what actual capacity will be when she sails.

What is the mood of your crew RFSDVM?  Are you also committed to going if she sails?