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cmdrfrag

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  1. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to Carlos A. in SCAM! Website price bait-and-switch   
    Agree. I wouldn't like to be treated like this if this was my first time posting something on this forum...
  2. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to Carlos A. in SCAM! Website price bait-and-switch   
    Don't listen to them. Not all of us here at royalcaribbeanblog are like that.
    Is sad to see how some people on this board has become more and more hostile like the usual members of the "other site".
    Please don't be discouraged by some people who only appears to be trolling.
    I completely agree with all that you said. 
  3. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to monctonguy in SCAM! Website price bait-and-switch   
    I checked as well..sounds like the OP is correct. And I am surprised others here aren't aware of that..its been like that for awhile on Royals website..
     
    OP did not ASSUME(even though he said that but)...its printed in black and white.......so it is deceiving...and of course  there is lots of small print at the bottom about NRDB and all the rules and regulations.
    it is defn NOT straight forward at all..especially for a first time Royal cruiser....
     
    To be honest I am not even 100% sure about all the ins and outs and rules and changes and what shows and doesn't show when it comes to Royal and I have cruised a dozen times with them....and I cant even find where the Redfundable deposit price is now...
  4. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to Mljstr in SCAM! Website price bait-and-switch   
    I worked for a cruise only travel agency for three years- ending in 2001. For many years I enjoyed booking my own cruises. However the present website is not very user friendly so now I use a TA. It’s not worth the hassle anymore. 
  5. Like
    cmdrfrag got a reaction from Sweety in SCAM! Website price bait-and-switch   
    I used the Website for my first 2 cruises, on the first 1 had had no issues and everything went smoothly, on the second there were issue. Amount on invoices did match what they had on their system, I owed more than the statements they sent to me stated, transfers I'd booked apparently weren't book... bit of a nightmare.
    Since I've switched to using a TA (Mostly from being on here and reading peoples advice) its been smooth, well at least for me, maybe the TA is fighting off all these things that previously I had to but if they are they are doing it very well and keeping the stress of me and the family. Its certainly something I'd now recommend to others now as its no extra cost for you and makes things soo much easier. 
    I really hope you get everything sorted as a cruise can be such a relaxing/fun/exciting way to holiday. Don't give up on it
  6. Like
    cmdrfrag got a reaction from Baked Alaska in SCAM! Website price bait-and-switch   
    I used the Website for my first 2 cruises, on the first 1 had had no issues and everything went smoothly, on the second there were issue. Amount on invoices did match what they had on their system, I owed more than the statements they sent to me stated, transfers I'd booked apparently weren't book... bit of a nightmare.
    Since I've switched to using a TA (Mostly from being on here and reading peoples advice) its been smooth, well at least for me, maybe the TA is fighting off all these things that previously I had to but if they are they are doing it very well and keeping the stress of me and the family. Its certainly something I'd now recommend to others now as its no extra cost for you and makes things soo much easier. 
    I really hope you get everything sorted as a cruise can be such a relaxing/fun/exciting way to holiday. Don't give up on it
  7. Like
    cmdrfrag got a reaction from JennyB in Drinks package August IoS   
    Best way to do it is if you don't already have the drinks packages, go on to the Cruise planner and grab it at the lowest price you see.
    After that, keep checking, if a better sale come along you can cancel you're previous purchase which will refund your money and you can repurchase at the lower sale price.
    Cruise planner sales happen all the time and sometimes without warning, they are also not always fleet wide and can be for certain sailings or sailings a certain amount of time out
  8. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to Ray in UK vs US Booking   
    Another sale on the UK website..up to £1000 off ? 
    So i check dates of my Booking as £1000 off is not to be missed ? 
    Original cost on UK site with free wifi was  £2,356.78 , cost today in sale with up to £1000 off is £2,337.64 with no wifi ?
    So to date US site is still the cheapest ? 
  9. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to SpeedNoodles in CocoCay and Sunscreen   
    I figure when there are choices between reef-safe and regular (and there aren't difficult to find these days), why not just choose reef-safe if you're going to be in the ocean, regardless of requirements.
  10. Haha
    cmdrfrag got a reaction from Jason12 in Deluxe drinks sale in UK   
    Ohhh, Thank you for this.
    On my way
  11. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to WAAAYTOOO in Ovation Goes North, Way North to Alaska! 11 Nights, May 13, 2019   
    Horrible carpeting on the bridge !  LOL
  12. Like
    cmdrfrag got a reaction from Baked Alaska in DOH! What did you forget to pack?   
    Sunglasses, its always sunglasses for me.
    I have so many pairs at home cause I don't remember to bring them with me and after the 2nd day I have to buy some cause I cant see outside
  13. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to WAAAYTOOO in Drink Packages with Kids   
    Ok. Since it is confession time, I will join you. We always get the DBP too and I am a Coke snob so wouldn’t be caught dead drinking a fountain Coke. Dan doesn’t drink any soda at all.  Not very time but SOME times, if I meet a worthy candidate, we will give our cups away to someone who will use it. I also recognize that this is not legal.  Confession complete.  Oooh. I feel so much better !
    ??
  14. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to mpoole3 in Oasis' Amplify....What do you think?   
    The solo cabins were pulled from Symphony during build, so I have a feeling they won't be in the future of any other Oasis class ships.  Harmony has 3 ocean view & 10 inside solo cabins.  They usually go for $1,000-$1,300/week.  I often find you can get a Central Park balcony for $1,500 solo with C&A discount, so not much savings. 
  15. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to tonyfsu21 in Oasis' Amplify....What do you think?   
    I think the entirety of the Oasis Class is perfection in its current form. Adding $168m in upgrades to an already amazing ship can only be a huge win for everyone! 
  16. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to Traveler in Mediterranean cruise tips and information   
    As the European cruise session starts I thought to write some tips and information based on our past experiences. Before I start just short disclaimer , most of our European cruise were going out from Barcelona and Venice , still we haven’t cruise from the UK so it will be less focused on this area.
    First subject will be around transportation , after all for most of the readers here we need to take at least 8 hours flight over the pond to get there.
    The key of finding  a good flight is to be flexible and search for nearby airports plus try to be flexible with  the dates. For example , we have planned a cruise out of Venice , for some reason, this year flights to Venice were quite expensive so we looked for alternatives. After quick search we found flights to Milan are much cheaper , train from Milan to Venice (the Venice train station is in a walking distance from the cruise port) is only  2 hours and the cost  around 30 $ PP. So we will enjoy some time in Milan , we will take an hotel near the train station (Airport train to the Milan Central 15 $) and save around 350 on air fare. Another example , two weeks ago we wanted to visit Paris during the long weekend we had , tickets to  Paris were quite expensive (I guess we were not the only one who thought about it) but then we found tickets to another city in France (near the Atlantic) , Nantes,  that were way more cheaper so we took the flight to Nantes , visit it for few hours and jump on a 1:45 hours train to Paris that cost  us 18 $ each …
    Same can be done in many places in Europe which have a very good rail system (the TGV train in France goes faster than 200 Mph)  and distance are not that bad. Train tickets can be booked online very easy , most of the sites are supports  English, just be sure to take extra time for your travel as in some counties which I will not write their name , train time are  a suggestion , mainly if the country  known for their  Pasta and Pizza . Another option will be to rent a car and use this time to visit some other place, while travel by car from Milan to Venice for example ,  you can visit Verona for a selfie ay  Romeo & Juliet terrace.
    The key is to travel few days before , just think when is the next time you will visit Europe and there are so many nice things to see and do before or after the cruise.
    Even if your cruise port is far from the cheap flights/train  option there is always a possibility to check some of the low cost flights inside Europe, a flight between London and Rome can sometime be low as 10 $ …  Just keep in mind , low cost flight fare dose not include checked luggage which can cost between 25- 35 $ per suitcase if order online.
    Car rentals  – Its easy to drive in most European countries  as long as you are not trying to get into the city center. If you rent a car I would try to find an hotel outside the center near good public transportation option. Please note , most of the cars  you will be offered in Europe are with manual transmissions , to get a car with automatic transmission you need to ask specifically and most of the times the automatic option will cost much higher . Another thing to take into consideration are the car size , cars are usually smaller than what you expect in the US, midsize car in Europe can be something you consider as a very small car, so check what you are ordering.
    Another aspect to remember in Europe is the car insurance , even if you book online and ask for all the insurance you might find out in the renting station that you are under covered for things like window protection and self-deductible that can be up to 2000 $ , you will be offer this extra insurance on site , check before what you are covered in your own insurance , including credit cards . If you refuse to the local insurance take some extra time while returning the car as its  going to be inspected thoroughly.
    City transportation  - Most of the big city in Europe has a very efficient public transportation system including subways , tramways and buses. Tickets mostly should be purchase  ahead of time at the stations , some will allow you to pay in the buss but will require exact changes. Most of the cities will offer some kind of discount for buying 10 tickets at once (Paris , Barcelona and some places in Italy) , some will offer a daily or weekly tickets. Most of the tickets are good both for buses and subways, at some countries all you need to do is to wave your CC (as long as it has the chip) against the machine and you are done  (if the conductor ask to see your ticket you give him the CC). Take into consideration that many buses dose not have air condition  which can be a problem during July/August in Italy and Spain  . You can save allot of money by taken hotels which are located near a subway while not located in the middle of the city.
    Many cities will also have one or two HOHO options , I also find it the best way to start a visit at a new city as it gives me a view of the important places to check , how far they are from each other and best time to visit. You can buy tickets online or at one of the stations.
    Uber – well a very sensitive question in Europe , many places had Uber and banned it (like Barcelona) other places have it but without Uber X just the expensive Uber black (Rome , Milan) do not be surprise if you will order Uber black in Milan and get a Jaguar or even a Ferrari.
    There are many other Taxi applications , most common is My Taxi which allow you to use CC or cache  , you will get a regular Taxi and pay the Taxi rate   (but many time you find coupons to be used which will reduce  the cost. Please note , in Italy while using any application you will pay from the location the driver answered your call , so if you see the estimate time of the taxi arrival is more than 5 minutes , just cancel it , unless it is very late and not many cars around. There are  other options , in Rome you can hail a scooter which will arrive to pick you with an extra helmet, not really useful for a family  but another experience ?.
    Bicycles are also a good option to tour , many cities will have a share bicycles system , using apps or fixed docking stations that can be rent for a rather cheap fee. As always I found the best way to travel is by foot , you will see much more doing that  and you will  have less guilt for all the food you consumed ? not like in man city of the US (Once  tried to walk 0.7 miles from the office I was visiting in NJ  to a nearby mall , the sidewalk suddenly gone and I was ended up stopped by the police telling me I should not to that, now I know better , car for any distance more than 50 yard ? )   , it is very easy to travel by foot in Europe , sidewalks are everywhere and most places are safe.
    Next , food and difference in   Mediterranean cruises.
     
     
  17. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to Hoski in I'm all packed and so excited   
    I needed to share my joy with someone so here seems like the place.  We leave Sunday on the Allure just hubby and I to celebrate 25 years of marriage then on the 27th we board the Empress with our three children for a family cruise.  I'm so freaking excited even though we just cruised in December.  I cannot wait to be without the kids for a vacation and I'm also excited for Cuba. 
     
  18. Like
    cmdrfrag got a reaction from JennyB in rubbish and misleading pre-cruise promotions   
    Promotions will always be changing and with that the nature of the offer and the price will change with it.
    If you browse the boards you'll see multiple threads for the drinks packages, watching and waiting for it at the right price. All sales end and the items will return to their RRP but the good thing is its never too long a wait till the next sale. Keep you're eye out and I would say that the BOGO dining option may return in time for your sailing
  19. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to MattCasey in Your funniest cruise story   
    My wife and I sailed on Enchantment in October 2017 for our honeymoon. We flew from Providence to Fort Lauderdale the day before. At the airport, passing through security, I forgot my money clip in my back pocket and set the metal detector off. I had to be wanded and searched by TSA.
    The next day, after arriving at the terminal in Miami, we had to go through metal detectors and I managed to set them off again, despite making sure anything metallic was off.
    This continued for the entire voyage. Anytime getting back on board, I would always set off the metal detector. It was a recurring joke between my wife and I and even some of the security staff who recognized me. 
    Finally our last port of call - Key West - we were coming back on the ship and again, I set the metal detector off. The guard wanded me and did not detect anything. He noticed my sneakers and asked me to take them off and pass through the metal detector. Surprise, it didn't go off. He wanded the toes of the sneakers and it set the wand off, then sent them through the X-ray, which revealed that my sneakers had steel tips in the toes.
  20. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to Traveler in Independence of the Seas 2020 – no more Southampton but COCO CAY!   
    I think the main issue here is the price and the price structure, 
    RCL Europe cruise cost almost twice than Caribbean cruise , 7 nights Rhapsody Of the Seas for a European cruise starts around 1000 $ PP while  you can find 7 nights around 500-600 PP when she doing a Caribbean route.
    One can say its just a matter of higher cost of operation in Europe or just a matter of demands , but when the other cruise lines offer much better prices (beside NCL) issue starts.
    Another issue , is the market change , more families are traveling with children , here RCL have a huge cost disadvantage, while they do offer from time to time "children sell free" its not include July/August while in many other European based company the kids sell free is for all the cruises .
    That has dramatic price effect  , for example , my brother which  hears from me  only good things about RCL  and would love to try it  but he has two kids , if he wants to travel during Jul/August   while the kids are on vacation he will need to pay almost twice to do so on RCL ship than on MSC (on a ship the size of Voyager).Now he is going on his third cruise with the kids and they love it. 
    Regarding the reduction in Europe , you can see it also on Barcelona sails , I am monitoring my 9-Jul Sail , and you can still find many cabins beside maybe insides , including star class suite.
  21. Like
    cmdrfrag got a reaction from 3trinitythree in Independence of the Seas 2020 – no more Southampton but COCO CAY!   
    Doesn't just seem to be UK that the prices jumped either.
    I've been keeping an eye on a 2020 sailing from Barcelona and this morning when I looked at it again the price jumped up higher than I had seen it before. At the start of the week it had dropped to, can only assume that the announcement to move Indy out of the UK in 2020 has prompted the price jump. Either that or its very very coincidental
    The price for the sailings for Anthem for 2020 are just insane. I'd love to go back on but I just cant swing that amount. Big jump from when she was here last time
  22. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to twangster in Oasis Class Ship "Secret Deck 19"?   
    It's deck 18 and a crew only area.
    At one point in time a decade ago it was conceived to be a guest area.  If you visit the ship model on Oasis in the aft elevator banks you will see loungers and what clearly looks like a guest area.  Why it never was utilized as such is unclear.  
    Crew do use it or so it seems.  
  23. Like
    cmdrfrag got a reaction from Bluegrass Gal in Ship activities on port days?   
    Port days are a great time to experience the ship when its less crowded.
    Pools will certainly be opened along with the pool bars (weather permitting of course), other bars will be open as well but there may be a couple that will open later in the day.
    With regards to activities I'd recommend having a look at a old Cruise Compass for a similar sailing, take a look at one for a port day and you'll be able to see what sort of activities they'll have on over these days for you.
    Also as a side note, you might get lucky a score a bit of discount for the Spa or a Restaurant, the crew will sometime wander round offering a bit of discount if you come that day/night
  24. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to hayley_bopp in Ship activities on port days?   
    We went on the waterslides on Independence and had them to ourselves ?
  25. Like
    cmdrfrag reacted to The Cruise Junkie in Ship activities on port days?   
    I Like To Do The Flowrider On A Port Day Because There Is No Line!!
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