HeWhoWaits

Ordered ours on January 19. Got the email today that they are expected to be delivered to us on Friday - will have been just over three weeks from order to receipt.

Can't speak for conditions in May, but the two time we've been to Skagway (July/August) we did the WP&YRR in the morning. It gives more flexibility to the rest of the day for shopping and sightseeing. One of those visits, I did a second excursion after lunch.

In the past, final payment due date and earliest available check in were on the same timing (90 days).

With the current situation of final payment not being due until 30 days prior to cruises through May, are you able to check in online BEFORE making final payment on those cruises?

On 2/4/2022 at 3:59 PM, twangster said:

No it doesn't.

CBP looks at the overall journey.  The port where you embark the ship and the port where you finally debark the ship.  

They have determined that an intermediary stop evades the intent of the PVSA.  Otherwise all carriers would do this, just split a trip between two US cities into two cruises and evade the PVSA.   

 

Why doesn't a STOP (visit) in Vancouver meet the requirement of a visit to a foreign port? If it doesn't, then boarding in Florida, stopping at Coco Cay, and returning to Florida shouldn't count either. Vancouver is just as foreign as Coco Cay.

Or does the requirement only apply when a ship departs and arrives at different ports?

13 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

stopping in a qualifying port of call.

Stopping in Vancouver (with or without getting off the ship) meets the requirement. 

Cruises that depart from a US port and conclude in a US port (same one OR different ones) must make a stop somewhere outside the US. That is all that is required.

34 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

Pinging @twangster for you. 

I think the possible issue is that while Royal consider each leg to be a completely separate cruise, from the PSVA point of view what counts is your original start point and your final debarkation point, so in this particular case your journey would be considered a single one from Hawaii to Seattle.

 

As with any B2B, the passenger is disembarking from the ship and checking in again to the same ship. Cruise originating in Hawaii ended in Vancouver. Cruise ending in Seattle departed from Vancouver. No issues with PVSA.

Another thing I found interesting is that the excursion said it is at 1:30 while booking it but it shows up in the calendar at the top of that day indicating "at your leisure." The beach is a good 30 minute drive from the port, so "at your leisure" doesn't make much sense.

1 hour ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

maybe it's a new one they're thinking of adding to rotation so they're giving it away for free to see what feedback is?

What sailing is this on?

Explorer - departing Miami on July 9

9 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

T_T I ran to my Cruise Planner and looked at my Curacao options but nothing free for me. T_T

The same thing wasn't available on another sailing on another ship with a stop in Curaçao that my wife is taking with friends three weeks earlier.

11 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

$18 drink package intern strikes again! 

I have my confirmation email safely stored as a pdf.

5 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said:

So you don't save these either

I have no idea what those are! 

1 hour ago, PG Cruiser said:

I save one from every cruise.  When I'm done sailing on all the Royal ships, I plan to mount them in a shadow box together with my SeaPass cards.

Don't have SeaPass saved either.

Doing my weekly check to see if any Cruise Planner items are less than what we already paid and stumbled across this:

A FREE excursion. Checked out and got a message that I only have complimentary items in my cart so no credit card is required.

Details page has this note: "Entrance fee, complimentary beach chair, shower access, and a soft drink are included."

We may or may not want to go to the beach that afternoon, but you can't beat the price!

39 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

I've literally *never* noticed this...

Nor EVER saved a luggage tag!

14 hours ago, FJ28 said:

I just got off of Odyssey and total with gratuity was $4.13

Which is consistent with the previously noted $3.50 price. 

All it takes to make the soda package worthwhile at $6.99 per day (plus gratuity) is an average of 2 sodas (or other beverages available in the Freestyle machine) per day.

16 hours ago, smiles998 said:

That's what I was thinking too.... My dad liked the fact that they didn't have an overwhelming eggy/fishy taste like Carnival's do. 

He likes that the eggs don't have an "eggy" taste?

The same stuff is used to make the omelets you order.

I always order an omelet made with "three fresh eggs broken specifically for THIS omelet, not dipped from a bucket." You can do the same if you want real scrambled eggs.

Just because it's an identical itinerary doesn't mean there is no reason to get off the ship in port. There's always something to do in port that you may or may not have done before. Two cruises scheduled this year. Already been to all of the ports once or twice but that doesn't mean we have no reason to get off the ship.

Based on the title of the thread, there may be some confusion about terminology. There is no "deluxe refreshment soda package."

Deluxe Beverage Package includes alcohol and requires all adults in a stateroom to purchase.

Refreshment Package and Soda Package do not include alcohol and thus do not require multiple passengers to purchase.

58 minutes ago, LovetoCruise87 said:

Covid is going to be with us always, just like the flu. And just like the flu there are going to be different variants. I believe that this will eventually be just as common as the common cold. 

Already is as common as the common cold. Many colds are caused by coronaviruses - that was known before the unusually serious strain known as Covid-19 appeared on the scene.

15 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

Congrats!

I just made diamond too. My vouchers were available on boarding day.

It was actually hard to get all my diamond drinks. 

The problem for me was I was solo. I had water, got more water from C&A and I always buy the soda/refreshment package. I don't drink coffee and I am not a heavy drinker. Plus, on occasions I was brought drinks. I didn't plan well because I would save drinks for shows and the shows would be bad, and I would leave. Then meet people who would buy me drinks and midnight would happen before I used all my vouchers. Next cruise shouldn't be an issue. 

"Oh, poor me! People like me and want to buy me drinks!" That's a nice problem to have.

Solution - "the next round's on me!" Use your Diamond drinks to buy the round.

8 hours ago, Baked Alaska said:

Yawnnnn.

This 100%.

About 40% of cases of what has always been known as "the common cold" are caused by strains of coronavirus. Three years ago, you hoped to get over your cold before cruise started so you could fully enjoy the trip.. Now, you have to worry about whether that cold will PREVENT you from cruising.

Mr. Miyagi didn't really teach karate.

But he had a great Sensei humor.

Those with mild dairy allergies can safely consume the soft serve. It is NOT ice cream.

As for egg-related ingredients? That's a mystery.

13 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

We're like the Progressive Commercial about not turning into your parents! 

Some of us ARE the parents that you're warned against turning into.