b_resh_uh

5 hours ago, CruzOnBye said:

Are they offering an option to change ships/itineraries instead without penalty, or are they just rerouting you guys to new ports with no option to make change? Just curious. Two years ago we had an itinerary change with Odyssey and they sent an email stating we could change ships/itineraries with no issue if we weren't happy with the updated itinerary, but in our situation they cut us from 7 nights to 6 nights and we lost Labadee port.

In my case, I used a casino offer that is no longer available. So I could cancel and rebook with something else, but I would lose that offer which I don't want to do. 

Got the email 90 minutes ago. 08/29 sailing on Independence routed to Coco Cay... 

Really disappointed it wasn't a more interesting alternative, but I guess swapping one RCL private stop for another makes sense. 

Haven't gotten anything yet for our late August sailing on Independence. Sucks to have to divert, but if we do, would prefer a port not oft visited to echo @WAYNO

The industry is incredibly cyclical. Bargains will be different as we progress through the cycle. Whenever the next correction comes, something will normalize and we'll see where we land. 

However, I've said this in another thread before, I do think the insane pricing going on at the Orlando theme parks has a part to play in this. If someone is flying into the market, they can easily take a three-day cruise out of Port Canaveral for a lower price than what they might pay for park tickets. I think it's becoming more a viable option for people and RCL knows this - hence their investment in the short cruise itineraries. 

They've cancelled through May. Just went on to try to book a trip to Labadee and first available itinerary was June 10th on Independence. I've got a Labor Day weekend trip planned on Independence, so I'm curious to see what moves they make for this summer. I'd welcome another port like Grand Turk or Grand Cayman, but will be disappointed if we just end up on Nassau and PDCC for a four night cruise. 

Get ready for a whole lot more armchair quarterbacking with regards to this...

Actually did a really fun ATV/Zip Lining excursion back in 2019 in Falmouth - was impressed with the excursion. There are worse places to stop on a cruise. 

Bid on an upgrade for our last sailing and we weren't notified of it being unsuccessful until about 12 hours before sailing. Was holding out hope...

Really sad all this is happening in Haiti, but unfortunately, if you know the history of the island, it's more of the norm than anything else. First time we went to Labadee, I was amazed with how beautiful Haiti was and still is. Sailing in August there again and plan to enjoy the beach and tip the workers well. 

thank you! always a wealth of information @WAAAYTOOO!!

Looking at a Junior Suite upgrade for our upcoming August sail on Independence. Does anyone have any experience with the Junior Suite Guaranteed experience where they pick your suite for you? I can't imagine any junior suites being in a bad spot or undesirable. Is this a safe assumption? 

Also, specific to Labadee, can Junior Suites access Barefoot Beach? I'm finding conflicting information. 

Thanks for the help!

3 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

The percentage discounts are largely meaningless. If you monitor the cruise planner prices regularly you will often see that the final price with a 30% discount is cheaper than with a 50% discount!

The only number that matters is the one on the bottom line!

The best strategy is to buy when you see a price you can live with and then keep checking. If the prices goes down later on, you can cancel and rebook.

Use this strategy. Assume most drinks are $14 if you're drinking cocktails and figure out what you realistically could pay out of pocket depending on your drinking habits. I've learned that getting it for a longer cruise is absolutely a waste of money for me. But I consider it for shorter sailings. 

@KrisD what did you decide? Looking at Amiga for August 2024 sailing and was hoping for a recent update. 

8 minutes ago, ChessE4 said:

I can see the appeal of a short cruise to complement a few days at a theme park within a 7-8 day vacation week.  I wouldn't do it now but 15 years ago it would have been a possibility.  A week at a theme park is a little much....

Especially with theme park tickets the level they are now. For the price of a three-day park hopper at Disney, you could take a family on a cruise for the weekend. 

Don't forget Florida is one of the most frequented tourist spots in the world. With over 130 million annual tourists and a population of over 20 million people and having four easily accessible ports within driving distance of each other, Florida has got to be a focus with this. We're cruising short durations more than we ever have since they're an easy getaway when you're local. I also met a family from Scotland last weekend at Perfect Day that was just in Orlando for vacation and decided to do a three-nighter on Allure because of the convenience. 

The market is changing a bit, but the only way you can affect change is to spend your dollars on the things that matter to you. 

Wife and I are getting away from the kids to celebrate 15 years. I love my kids, but can't wait to cruise kid-free again.  

This is number two for the year for me. Father-in-law and two of my brothers celebrating Father's Day this weekend. Anyone else planning to be on board? 

Wow, this is actually a really cool tool

One suggestion - have the entry tiles be sortable. 

+1 for St. Augustine. Such a cool town with tons to do in the area. Depending on the time year, awesome beaches to enjoy, great history and lots of amazing food. 

18 hours ago, billdauterive said:

This.

Also something different is both dice have to hit the back wall or it's a no roll.  *Watch the dice carefully because they will definitely call a 7 out when 1 doesn't hit but is close to the wall and call no roll if both hit just barely or in the corner but isn't a 7 out.  Always argue in your favor if it's close because the house definitely takes advantage...  I've had them stop the game and go to the eye in the sky to verify it did or didn't hit when I know I was in the right a few times and the pit boss wouldn't change the call.  I've had about a 50/50 success rate but it does take about 30 mins to verify so make certain you're correct and the money on the table is worth the lost rolling time if you do that.

Field bet can be as low as $1 (assuming at least $10 else where on the table).

No ATS or World bets.

+1 to keeping an eye on the craps dealers. Had tables go cold on Odyssey last year multiple nights due to questionable calls from the dealers. They didn't appreciate any time a table got on a roll. Could just be coincidence, but someone wise once said, "fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

Sailing tomorrow with the family. Will anyone else be on board? 

Hey All, 

I know it's been said here a million times before, but just another reminder to continue to check cruise planner up to your cruise for fresh discounts. I've cancelled and rebooked plans twice now for deeper discounts as our cruise on Allure gets closer next week. Every penny counts!

34 minutes ago, Atlantix2000 said:

There is no such thing as a cruise approved surge protector.  There are unscrupulous companies that put that on their marketing but it is NOT real.  Surge protectors are NOT allowed and anything that even looks like a surge protector may be taken from you and returned after the cruise.  Bring something that gives you more USB ports if you need them.  Bring a voltage adapter so you can use 120V devices in the 240V European outlets.  If the outlet configuration doesn't meet your needs you can ask your cabin steward for an extension cord to bring an outlet where you need it.

I mean, I'm not educated enough to know if you're right or wrong. All I know was every member of our party (five rooms) brought a simple "cruise approved" surge protector which had two USB outlets and three additional plugs and not one of us had any issues.

Now clothes steamers...that's a different story!

My recommendation would be to just get a cruise approved surge protector that expands your socket availability. We just did that on Odyssey and had more than enough plugs for everything we needed - night light included. 

I've seen some conversation about this, but still a little unclear... 

This is the first time I've reached prime level and have my free cruise voucher for the year. I'm interested in finding an itinerary I want, using the associated benefit that the prime voucher would allow (interior, oceanview etc.) and then paying the difference to upgrade to a junior suite. Is the best way to do this is simply call the casino rep and book this or is there a better way to accomplish this?