Xtentions

App is working for what can be done in there.  Booked several excursions and canceled rebooked UDP and Refreshment package and a couple excursions for our Oasis in January.  Still need to cancel/rebook the key for that sailing but cannot find it in the app.

We've saved almost $400 with this sale love it

19 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I have not been in this situation, however, if I was, I would immediately begin the process of getting a[nother] certified birth certificate. 2 is better than none…and if he does not have either the BC or the passport, he will not be sailing.

Exact advice I was about to give.  I would immediately begin the process of getting a new certified copy of the birth certificate.

My wife and I needed to renew our passports earlier this year.  We had everything done and mailed them to the same processing address on the same day.  We mailed them separately but at the same time.  Mine came back in roughly 4 weeks.  Hers took 8 weeks.  The difference?  she got the newest version while I got the older version.  We must have hit them right at the transition from old to new and got one of each.

1 hour ago, PastorW said:

Just FYI, I looked up Premier Parking and their garage clearance is 7 feet.  We drive a huge van that wont fit, so that may be an issue with your truck too.

Thanks for the lookout.  7 feet is not enough for our truck.  We will likely park at the terminal anyway.  I am hoping we can get a small car purchased in time but we shall see.  We'll be in Florida for 4 to 5 months for winter and I would like to have something that gets around a bit easier than the truck and doesn't use quite so much fuel.

We will be in the Courtyard Miami Brikell area for both our Nov and Jan cruises out of Miami.  Never stayed there but is close to the port and only costing me Marriott points

I have another parking question.  We are cruising out of Miami in November and January.  We are full time RVers and will be driving our F350 Dually down.  Will our truck fit in the port parking garage or will we be forced to oversize?  We may be buying a small car while we are in Florida for the winter but we may not have time prior to the November cruise as we arrive in FL the weekend before the cruise.

We usually stay only in Marriotts as well.  That is where all my points are.

My order of preference

On Island  I like the townplace suites and Courtyard these are basically on the same property on Sea Wall BLVD at just past 89th street.  Always quiet.

On Island but not a Marriott but next door to the older cruise port so not as convenient going on Allure out of the new port is the Harbor House.  This is an awesome place if you can get in as it is on pier 21 with a few very good restaurants and very close to the strand

Off island

Springhill suites Texas City

Springhill suites NASA/Seabrook

I see it my planner for Grandeur in November for @139 pp but does not show up on our planner for Oasis in January.  Debating on it I have always wanted to do it but I dunno about that price.

I do not believe you will get the benefits until your next sailing not the one you tick over on.  We are in the same position and will tick over to Platinum on our cruise in November but will not receive the benefits until our January cruise.

I am very interested too.  My wife and I are planning for Alaska in 24 as well.

I do both fill out the special needs form and ask the cabin attendant as soon as we make introductions.  8 cruises and only one time has the sharps container been in the cabin on arrival.

Here's what I see right now.   A little cheaper.

Likely been answered before but I could not find an answer searching.

I have two cruises booked out of Miami upcoming and never departed anywhere but Galveston before.  In Miami do I need to arrange for my parking ahead of time or can I just show up and pay?  Looking at the port of Miami website regarding parking it just gives Royal's phone number for questions.  Am I missing something?  If at all possible I would like to have parking arranged and paid for ahead of time as it just one less thing to worry about on departure day.

Cruises are November of 22 on Grandeur and January of 23 on Oasis Nine and ten days respectively.

Many Galveston hotels will transfer you from the Hotel to the terminal for free/cheap in exchange for staying the night.  I've never needed to do it but have talked to people who have. 

If you can get a room Harbor House is the closest Hotel to the terminal and is a short walk away.  It is located right on the dock and depending on room you can see cruise dock.  It is a small hotel with not many rooms but is very nice.

Showing a discounted Drink Package

WE bring such things everywhere we go.  I am diabetic and sometimes need a snack to keep my blood sugar from going too low.  Especially on the ship or shore excursion that I might be more active than normal.  They just need to be unopened prepackaged and you will have no issues.

I have a 9 day on Grandeur in Nov 22 and only one port has excursions up and that's Labadee.  Have a 10 day on Oasis in Jan of 23 and no packages are available yet

As I stated in the other thread we are in a JS for our sailing on Grandeur and it will be our first JS.  The price difference between a balcony and JS on our sailing was minimal and we get the double points pushing us into the next loyalty level prior to Oasis in Jan.  We'll only be platinum but it is something.

After reading through the other thread we are very much looking forward to this cruise.

Wife and I are on this sailing as well.  Very much looking forward to it. 

I am so glad I found this thread.  I was actually coming to ask similar question only about Grandeur.  We booked a 9 night on her leaving Miami Nov 4th.  It was a really good deal on a JS.  We understand that it won't be the same JS as the larger ships but we still get the double points we were after and will move up a loyalty level  prior to our 10 night sailing on Oasis in January.  We reasoned that with these two cruises we can see if we like the smaller or larger ships better.  Both sailings give us a bunch of new to us ports and we are looking forward to them

Our previous Royal cruises have been on Liberty and Adventure so what I would call medium sized ships.  We did not notice much difference and enjoyed ourselves.  Prior to the above two sailings all of our cruising has been out of Galveston.  We are now full time RVers and will be in Florida for winter this year giving us a great opportunity to sail Eastern and Southern Caribbean instead of just the Western which we are kind of burnt out on.  I love Cozumel but 8 times is enough for now.

I have a Nov of 22 and Jan 23 cruise booked neither have full planners open.  The Nov has most everything except for excursions it only has Labadee excursions.  They are a 9 day in Nov and 10 day in Jan.  The 10 day just had one port dropped and two added due to berthing issues.

So it looks like a was not remembering how things went down with my RCI canceled cruise. I went back through my cruising email folder.  It was not the old TA that got my refund fixed it was the new one.  After searching her name on here she has pretty glowing reviews and comments and appears to be what I look for in a TA. 

I will be talking over with my wife and possibly transferring my booking to her.

Thanks to all for the comments.

We also tend book early do the discounts down the road may not come because of that.  We have also been known to book really late.  The Dec last year cruise on Adventure was booked 8 days prior to sailing for a great price in a GTY balcony and ended up with a minor upgrade to a spacious balcony.  We then booked our 10 day on Oasis in January 23 on board.

The ease of handling the cancellation and refund was nice though.  RCI gave us FCC automatically and we wanted the refund.  All it took was an e-mail to the TA with the cancellation letter offering the refund option and she made it happen.  Again it took a while but was stress free.

Thanks for the comments so far.

In the end the perks really are just that perks and I don't really care.

I did just remember that the no longer with MEI agent did help us when our cruise was cancelled during covid.  We wanted full refund instead of FCC and she helped to get that.   This was in accordance with the first wave of cancellations and refund was an option.  RCI I believe changed that shortly after but I had an email from them with the option.  It took a bit but the TA got it done. We were to be on Allure out of Galveston Feb of 22.  Obviously with the delay of the Galveston pier that cruise was canceled for multiple reasons.

My main expectation is the repricing and or better fare for a better cabin.  Especially the rep[ricing for a better fare without need for me to contact the TA would be awesome.  Is this something all MEI TAs do?  The two we had with the TA never got repriced but they were good fares to begin with.

I am trying to determine if MY expectations for a good TA are reasonable. I read other forums as most do and see all kinds of tales of both good and bad and want to find out if my experience using a TA and my expectations are reasonable.  Mostly  I am trying to determine the worth to my wife and I returning to using a TA.

Background we have been on 8 cruises since 2017.  5 on Carnival and 1 on RC we booked and managed ourselves with little to no issue.  2 on RC that we booked using a TA.  The two we booked using the TA were with an MEI TA that is no longer with the company.  My wife and I are both control freaks and planners so when we called the TA to book we essential had everything already laid out even down to the cabin and she just had to book for us.  This is how both cruises we booked through her went.  We did all the planning work which is fine; we would do that regardless and the  TA booked it.  The only perk we got was $50 OBC on each sailing.  Rates and everything else was the same as on the RCI website.

Through other boards I am led to believe there is much more to a good TA.

discounts on cruise fare

bottle of wine (don't care we don't drink wine)

free gratuities

Specialty dining.

other random things I cannot think of

checking on reduced rates and repricing the fare when lower.  This is the big one.  Do any TA actually do this? without input from the  customer?  we do not have the time to check rates and I just wonder if this is actually done by TA.

We still get e-mail offers from the original no longer with MEI TA as well as the new MEI agent that was assigned.  I am just looking at if there is more value in using a TA that I have not seen yet.

We have a  10 day booked on Oasis next January and wonder if there is any worth in transferring to a TA.  The cruise was booked on board Adventure in Dec on our only RC cruise we did not use a TA.

*Additional info.

Up until the upcoming cruise all of our sailings have been out of Galveston so no other arrangements were needed.  We are now full time RVers and will at time need additional arrangements as well like flights and rental cars.  For the upcoming cruise we will be back down in FL for and won't need that but we are starting to plan for Alaska and B2B and will need flight and car arrangements in the future.

Thanks for any comment and guidance

It was in Dec of 21