BrianB

On the Oasis, there is the suite sun deck forward...accessible to Sky and Star suites along with Pinnacle members. There are private cabana-type enclosures on the Suite deck forward overlooking the Solarium...first come, first serve. There is no hot tub...but there is a full bar! Lots of loungers and little clamshell daybeds. Towels are included. Plus, restrooms!

That IS weird...after I posted the link yesterday, I clicked on it to make sure and it brought up the T&L article with the link to the RC website to pre-register. Now it doesn't...

Waiting patiently for information on how it’s going to work….am I ‘pre-registered’ by submitting my name and email, or is that just to notify me that the giveaway has begun? Are we going to have to register again when it starts, or every minute…(that would be onerous). I try not to assume anything, but it certainly wouldn’t be good optics for there to be some sort of ‘buy-one get-one’ cruise fare thing. Or anything other than a free double occupancy cruise fare giveaway (I’m guessing taxes and port fees will be understandably extra). By the way…I lied when I said ‘patiently’…

Did NCL choose wisely? I think not… NCL chose to risk losing loyal and new customers alike by intending to create what they believed to be the safest cruise environment available…they did that with their 100% vaccination requirement, thus alienating cruisers with children who were unable to be vaccinated. They also received free publicity by suing Florida over their mandate. So far, so good….. But…looking at the CDC cruise ship color code chart today, NCL has four ships approved for restricted (passenger) sailings. As of today, three of the four have reported cases of Covid onboard. Two of them are in yellow status, which means the number of cases have met the threshold for CDC investigation. The other is in orange status, the number reported is below the investigation threshold and the CDC is monitoring. Royal has fifteen ships approved for restricted sailings. Seven have reported cases onboard. Only two are in yellow status. Lots of litigation and bluster…”Our ships have propellers and rudders and we can move them anywhere”…apparently was not the best strategy in servicing your loyal clientele…. Oh, well…just my opinion.

Update…I emailed three separate request forms, one for each of my cruises in November, along with one copy of my current brokerage statement…all in one email. The first cruise had the benefit applied quickly. Then I received an email from Shareholder Benefits that my other requests could not be applied because they did not have a copy of the brokerage statement attached. **by the way…they specified the statement date must be within the past 90 days** So I had to re-send the other two requests separately along with their own copy of my statement. They were then quickly approved.

Yes. Every minute for 24 hours…over 1400 cruises. https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/royal-caribbean-free-cruise-giveaway?utm_source=emailshare&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-share-article&utm_content=20211119

Thanks!

The news story I read linked me to the Royal Caribbean website to enter my email so I can be notified when the giveaway starts. Done!

Me too! For my Anthem sailing from Port Liberty on Nov 28. The change from what was on the Cruise Planner is arrival time. Previously, it said arrive during your reserved time and locate the Key signage. Now, it says to arrive before noon…to take advantage of the lunch and carry-on drop off. Much better. Plus, I also like that they kept the free room service and the 25% off any onboard dining purchase.

I don't know about feeling right...it was great! Big, airy and lots of room. Being a solo, I didn't check the sofa bed configuration. But, the sofa is perfect for lounging! The bed upstairs is enormous and extremely comfortable...not two beds put together. Really enjoyed the CL Suite and booked it again for when the Oasis is back in NJ.

Okay…second week of my b2b on the Anthem. Again, the announcement that both production shows…Spectra’s Cabaret and We Will Rock You are canceled for this cruise. Information is that some of the cast members had reported minor symptoms and they decided to play it safe and to quarantine all of them. I don’t have any info if any tested positive…but I was assured that they are all feeling great and the ones who originally had symptoms have cleared up already. Of course, everyone is fully vaccinated. This, too, shall pass.

The parking garage is multi-level…plus, there is a parking lot just across the street in the event there is an overflow, but I’ve yet to see it used. So…plenty of parking!

On the Anthem…cruise director Mark just announced Royal has corrected the fleet-wide internet issue…everyone who has the internet, whether it be purchased by itself or part of a package, will be refunded two days value added to our onboard account by tomorrow morning.

I got off the Oasis on Oct 31 and it was still $25. I get off the Anthem on Sunday and I’ll see at that time what it is……unless someone already knows??

Of the four cruises that I have completed since the restart…after each one I have had to call C&A and inform them the points given to me after each cruise were wrong. Each time they examined the policy and the points were corrected. It’s important to do my due diligence and keep track of what points I earn and how many are actually applied…especially during the restart where things can be a little confusing.

I cruise solo and did a Crown Loft on the Oasis b2b in Sept…..and then another CL b2b in October. It’s not crazy to treat yourself to the suite life. Enjoy it!

Ditto Dillo

On the Anthem….was out or sporadic most of the day yesterday. Anyone who went to the Voom desk to inquire was given a one day refund. I don’t know if they did it for everyone or just those who went to the desk because he entered the cabin number on a list when we asked. Right now it’s up…8am Wednesday.

Last week, I found out two days before my cruise that my bid was accepted. My credit card charge text alert came first…then the email from RoyalUp that my bid was successful and the cabin I was assigned. On the other hand…I found out the bids on other cruises were ‘unsuccessful’ on the first night of the cruise, while I was sitting in the Royal Theater checking my emails. The best advice I can give for using RoyalUp is to keep checking pricing after you bid. Sometimes, the price for the cabin category I’m looking at will drop enough for me to cancel my bid and just pay for the upgrade. Plus, then I get to pick the cabin I want and not risk getting assigned a cabin in a less than desirable location.

Just my opinion, but….I would expect it’s rather difficult to cover every exception to a rule when the rule is created so recently…but this one seems reasonable. If you are separated by PPE which is designed to stop the virus, then I would think you are not ‘in contact’. The 5 to 7 days CDC guidelines wouldn’t help if you worked up to the day before your cruise. I also think if you ask at the terminal, their reaction would tend to be on the side of caution and deny boarding. By the way…I applaud you for your work! You really are a guardian angel!

At Port Liberty there was a sign for Star Class Suites only. Is Port Canaveral including Sky Class now?

You can also check the price on a higher category cabin, like a Junior suite, and see if that price came down to where you would feel comfortable paying a little more. Just sayin’

I sympathize with your decision... if someone in my traveling party tests positive during the 2 day pre-boarding window, what to do? I believe if it's someone I have had sustained contact with over a period of time, such as a co-habitant, I think I would rather cancel and get the refund. I wouldn't want to develop an infection onboard. Even though I'm fully vaccinated and the likelihood of severe symptoms is very low...I still would feel better if I was home rather than at sea. If it's someone I planned to meet at the port....too bad for them. Bon Voyage for me!

Losing loyal customers creates loyal customers elsewhere. NCL’s loss is RC’s gain.