BrianB

Hello! I’m booked!

Hello! I'm booked!

Hello! I'm booked!

Hello! I’m on this also.

I’m booked on this cruise, also.

I’m on this cruise also. I’m onboard the Anthem now and the Chief Engineer said the engine overhaul procedure will be completed by the end of November. Beginning on the Dec 3 sailing, we should be back on our original itineraries. Fingers crossed.

@NicoleTuttle The credit already there ($50) is non-refundable if it came as a credit for making the booking. Use it or lose it. The credit for the missed port is refundable…meaning if you don’t use it all by the end of the cruise…whatever is left will be refunded to your original form of payment…ie; credit card. Both are combined on your account and whatever purchase you make onboard…including the casino…is deducted from that total. I don’t know if they decide what OBC gets used first…but I’ve had some combined refundable and non-refundable left over at the end of a cruise, and it was refunded to my credit card. Your mileage may vary. Welcome to cruising!

I checked in yesterday for a cruise on the Anthem on December 31st. This is the first time I can remember seeing 10:00 being offered. Took it!

Cruising in December…the only ship in port at that time is the Anthem. So it’s a pretty sure bet that you’ll park in the garage.

You don’t want to deal with the typical agent on the phone with something like this. Many are just booking agents and not versed in dealing with complicated issues. Most will recognize that and transfer you, sometimes to a supervisor who may eventually transfer you to Resolutions, but why go through it over and over. When you call…ask to be transferred to the Resolutions Department. This is one of those times when booking through a good travel agent really pays off. A good travel agent is experienced in handling these issues for you. I say ‘good’ travel agent, because there are some that don’t follow up very well or are hard to reach. Also, if you booked through the casino, then you will be transferred to them. Only they can service your booking.

Flat out refusing to wear a life vest even after watching the video cannot be corrected by the Coast Guard or any other entity. Panic and reality (I can't believe this is happening!) can cause confusion and disorientation. It's ultimately up to the individual, with the help and direction of competent boat crews, and others, to do whatever is needed to safely handle themselves in an emergency situation. We can speculate, but we don't yet know all the facts and should wait until condemning the crew, or anything else, until then. Nobody really knows what they would do in a similar circumstance...until it happens. Condolences to the family of the victim...may she rest in peace.

I agree with the above comments. But, there are also some who tip on the food price only...and not the alcohol. Sometimes a meal's bill can be significantly increased due to diners who drink like fish! Sorry, but it's an accurate description! It's not really applicable onboard when many have the drinks package or loyalty coupons...but on land, the price can shoot up because of cocktails pre- and post-dinner.

I know this may not work for everyone...but I've had success booking the new, lower priced one before canceling the first one. Some get an error message when they try this...but I've been successful doing it. Give it a try. Let us know.

I’ve also cancelled a purchase made with partial OBC and partial credit card. The OBC went right back to my account and the balance will be refunded to my credit card. I think that happened in a few days. I never had to deal with travel agent supplied OBC, but I’m guessing it’s still considered the same. Maybe someone who has…or a TA…can advise.

I’m on the Anthem now on a b2b. I’m in a balcony forward on deck eight port side. I also hear a banging sound. It sounds like someone hitting a water pipe with a hammer. It happens about once every ten to twenty seconds. I thought it was something loose which made the noise with the motion of the ship…but, when we were docked the noise was still there. I tracked it down to the forward crew only door on the port side where it sounded the loudest. My cabin attendant said the noise sounds like it’s in the wall by the crew stairs and has been there for quite a while and he notified his supervisor as other guests have also been complaining but nothing seems to have changed. Fortunately for me…it isn’t really that loud in my cabin and I can ignore it, but I feel sorry for those who are closer, especially the interior cabins. I did find out that it’s a structural issue that cannot be corrected easily. I was offered to change my cabin but, as I said, I’m able to ignore it because it isn’t too loud. And changing cabins would be more annoying to me. Hopefully everyone who is impacted by this can go to Guest Services and change cabins and/or get some compensation. Better yet…hopefully they can find some way to fix it…as soon as possible. I’ve already booked more cruises in this cabin…and others near it!

At many ports I see crew members either leaving with their luggage or new crew members coming aboard. This is just their contract periods ending or starting. The company arranges travel and many times they’ll meet, or leave, the ship at ports along the way. In particular, headliners come and go from ship to ship at various ports. Sometimes you’ll hear a performer talk about how they joined the ship from another ship mid-cruise. I was on the Jewel sailing to Greenland in September and a group of performers joined us at Nuuk, Greenland. They were flown in the day before and stayed at a local hotel. Everything was arranged by the company. They had a great time waiting for us…hiking up a mountain and enjoying the local food and sights. The company handles all the arrangements and works with the local governmental agencies to facilitate crew members moving through their jurisdictions. Flights, hotels and transportation are pre-arranged. Crew members also get to enjoy shore leave at many destinations. But there is always the odd instance where a crew member ‘jumps ship’ and never returns. This happens sometimes in the US. Some restrictions are put in place for crew members on their first contract where they are denied shore leave. I’ve even heard where some ports will deny crew members shore leave due to past instances. But, any passenger who decides to ‘jump ship’ will be pretty obvious as they carry their luggage with them. Getting past ship’s security is one thing…and whatever penalty the company decides to levy, such as processing fees and future banning. But then it’s likely they’ll end up in the arms of local authorities who likely will be thorough in their inspection and investigation. As posted above, if you have a reason to leave such as an obvious emergency, the ship will facilitate your leaving and communicate with the local authorities. They can even help arrange transportation and allow access to WiFi or even telephone service onboard to help. But that requires some time. Being patient and cooperative is the only way.

I booked one of the Sky Class Junior Suites in the Suite Neighborhood as soon as booking opened. There’s only eight of them on the ship. I’m sailing solo and was able to book the same suite back to back. The price was, in my opinion, very reasonable…especially for a new ship with such an iconic roll out (see what I did there.). Im looking now and I see so many lower category cabins are priced even higher than what I paid. I’m thinking some bean counter is kicking themself in the butt for originally pricing it so low!

No charge for roller skating and bumper cars.

I print the luggage tags and the SetSail Pass. I also print just two pages of the booklet…I think it’s page 4 and 5…with my reservation/ship/cabin information and itinerary. I also bring my printed ‘paid in full’ cruise receipt and the page showing how much onboard credit I have.

I cruise solo and do mostly back to backs. I love having the same cabin. When I get into my cabin on day one…I sanitize it with anti-bacterial wipes. I use Hydrogen Peroxide based wipes because they kill Norovirus along with all the other nasty viruses, including Covid. After putting my stuff away as I want it…then I’m done! No need to pack everything up the night before turnaround day. Granted, it’s not so bad when I can leave the clothes hanging in the closet because my attendant will use a rolling garment rack to transfer them to the closet in the new cabin…but it’s still annoying having to move. Then, of course, I’ll have to sanitize the new cabin. But, the best part is I can go right back to my cabin after I re-board the ship on turnaround day. I like to put my passport back in my safe and just have everything as it was. I always tell my cabin attendant that he/she can skip servicing my cabin on turnaround day. He will change the bed linen and give me extra towels the day before and I can make my own bed that day. They really appreciate having one less cabin to turn over. For me…the $400 is worth it.

I know some have had a problem doing this…but for me it’s always worked; If I have already made a purchase on the Cruise Planner and later see the same item has dropped in price…I’ll want to cancel the higher priced purchase and get the lower amount. But, if it’s a limited amount item…such as the CocoCay Beach Club…it’s a risk cancelling and then trying to re-book it right away. Sometimes the lower price gets snapped up so fast that’s it’s no longer available by the time I navigate through the purchase process. And the spot I cancelled has already been taken at the lower price…so I lose out completely. So I’ll just try to book it without cancelling the one I already have. This way if it’s says it’s no longer available by the time I get to payment, I’ll still have my original spot booked. If I am successful, then I’ll go back in and cancel the higher priced, earlier booking. But some have noted that the system would not allow a double purchase under the same passenger. They would need to cancel the one they had first. Give it a try and good luck.

I always get the early dining in the MDR every cruise. I like eating early and at the same table with the same waiters. In the past, I always purchased a three night dining package on the Cruise Planner and had to rush onboard to make sure I would get my preferred reservations in before they booked up. So, I like the idea of having the ability to make my reservations before boarding. The way it is now, if I really want a specific date and time at a specialty restaurant, especially with a group, it’s always best to pay the more expensive price online and be able to make the reservation. It was worth the extra cost to lock in the reservation and not have to worry about missing out. But…the thing I don’t like about purchasing the dining package on the Cruise Planner…it seems every time I do, the ship defaults my Early Seating dining in the MDR to My Time Dining. If I call Royal as soon as I notice I was changed to My Time, I’m always waitlisted. Then, when I get onboard…not only do I have to rush to make my specialty restaurant reservations, but I also have to get into the line for the MDR host and hope he can switch me back to Early Seating. It became so annoying and pressured that I don’t buy dining packages anymore. I’ll pay more by booking a specialty after I board if I really want it. Plus, I’m one of those who really like the new menus in the MDR.

@WAAAYTOOO Congratulations on reaching Pinnacle! I like the paper copy of the Compass too. I like to scan it rather than scrolling through my phone…although I’ll check my phone occasionally to see if anything changed since the compass was printed. That happens sometimes. On day one when I meet my cabin attendant I advise him/her of my preferences. I like the early cabin service…I let him know that my used towels that I would like replaced are folded neatly and on the shelf (I think throwing them on the floor is rude…but that’s just me)…I let him know that I don’t need service on crew drill day (saves him time) and also on turnaround day when I do b2bs. He will change the bed linen the night before…less work for him and I can access my cabin after CBP. I also let him know that I would like a printed Cruise Compass each day. He will put it on my bed each evening for the next day. I hope this doesn’t change, but who knows…

1. Appoint myself CEO/President of RC with both salaries. Direct deposit. 2. Have a huge staff to handle everything so I won't have to do anything. 3. Name next ship 'Brian of the Seas'. ***Seriously, some of these comments are excellent! A lot of common sense ideas that can really improve everyone's cruising experience. Thanks @FSUFAN for starting this post and I hope it gets the decision makers thinking.

‘Public health officials made Serious Mistakes’ Yes. They did. They panicked. I compare some of these government actions with what happens when a residential building catches fire. Rule number one is ‘evacuate the building’ and remove residents from the danger of a spreading fire. In too many cases, governments forced otherwise healthy but vulnerable individuals to remain onboard. They refused to allow a ship that had some infections to dock…or refused anyone to disembark as the virus spread. So many uninfected individuals were forced to just sit and wait as the disease made its way from cabin to cabin…victim to victim…until it got to them. How many died or suffered because they weren’t allowed to escape? Even when they eventually allowed passengers off stricken vessels, they sometimes kept them quarantined together. I understand this was something none of us have ever experienced…but panic and public perception ruled the day. Science took a back seat to government. I don’t know if this ruling by this judge will stand the test of time and challenge…but I sure would like to see some government decision makers face scrutiny for their decisions. As always…..just my opinion.