BrianB

I have re-priced many of my cruises…some of them more than once…without an issue. One of them, in Nov, was cheaper and past final payment. So I would receive the difference as an OBC. When I reprinted my confirmation receipt several days later, there was no indication of an OBC…but when I went into the Cruise Planner, there it was. I don’t think it took more than a few days. I hope you get it resolved.

“To cruise or not to cruise…that was the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of schedule-conflicted cruises, or to make reservations against a sea of uncertainty, and, by cancelling, end them?”…my buddy Billy Shakespeare said that while considering a river cruise on the Thames back in the 1570’s. It gave him the idea for a play!?

There’s also the possibility that the final cruises on the other side of the pond are cancelled…along with the transatlantic. Or a combination of both. Determining which cruises to cancel is probably based on revenue earned per cruising. I really can’t see the CDC relinquishing it’s hold on the industry especially during the Delta variant. Then the Epsilon through Omega variants…etc.

I decided I didn’t really need to focus on expanded trip cancellation coverage because I drive to the port. So no flights or hotels. With Royal’s Cruise with Confidence covering up to 48hrs prior to sailing up until April 30, I’ll risk having to cancel within that two day period. Insurance does not apply if you are compensated with FCC. Also, medical coverage amounts are secondary…which means whatever amount my health coverage pays is deducted from the insurance benefit. But I do like the peace of mind knowing I will likely be reimbursed for out of pocket medical expenses…up to the limits. As they say on their website…Prime is like a warm, comfortable coat…and Premier is like an Arctic winter parka. Get whatever makes you feel confident to travel.

Alltrips Prime. I found it’s good to call and speak with them directly.

Yes…bidding up to a JS or higher from a balcony or less doesn’t give the extra C&S points. Only if you upgrade directly without using RoyalUp. I have heard some folks complain that they should have gotten the extra points because it turned out that their bids ended up being pretty close to the price they would have paid if they just paid to upgrade. I think the lesson for them is to pay attention to pricing. Sometimes prices drop and paying for an upgrade can become affordable as the sail date approaches. Plus, by upgrading you know which cabin you get rather than being assigned one during RoyalUp.

I also found that check in availability on the app has been pretty slow. I have an Android…I think others with Apple did better. I checked in to my Oasis cruises on the app…pretty quick and easy…but the Anthem cruises in Nov only allowed me to check in on the Royal website. So…check both…with emphasis on the website! The app on my phone still shows check in unavailable for the Nov 14 cruise, even though I checked in on the website last Monday. Also remember, if during check in, the only arrival time offered is 3pm…take it. Then you have to keep checking for other times to open up as your sail date gets closer. I think the 3pm is a default until they’re ready to open up scheduling. Good luck!

No email notice. My Oasis cruises out of Port Liberty in Sept and Oct opened for check in all at once. I learned on this forum that they were opened and checked in to all four. Both of my Nov Anthem cruises opened up as they usually did pre-pandemic…exactly 90 days prior to sail date. I don’t know if I would have received an email if I didn’t check in right away. However…I did receive emails from Royal confirming that I was officially checked in.

With Cruise with Confidence you can cancel the cruise up to 48hrs prior to the sail date and receive a Future Cruise Credit. It would take time to process the credit and you would need to use it by the expiration date. You can book, and pay for, the next week’s cruise if there is availability and hopefully with the same or similar price. The problem is tying up the $$$ with the FCC spent on the cancelled cruise. Or…………..understudy!?

Pre-pandemic I would always purchase the Key. I usually sail solo, always get Voom, and loved the way that the program worked at Port Liberty and onboard the Anthem. I’ve learned that the experience may differ depending on port and ship. At Port Liberty, the Key was boarded immediately following suite class passengers (this was important for me as I wanted to make my dinner reservations right away…pre-purchased dinner packages don’t allow pre-boarding reservations) …and onboard the Anthem, Key disembarked immediately upon receiving clearance from port officials. We gathered at the excursion desks right across from the exit and were the first to leave. I knew I was first because the port workers/CBP would see me coming and scramble to get to their places! I was in my car and out of the garage in minutes. On embarkation, I liked dropping off my carry-on and having it delivered to my cabin…and I enjoyed the lunch at Chops. That’s all it used the Key for. I didn’t sit in Key member entertainment areas nor did I take advantage of Key times for activities. I rarely took advantage of early disembarkation at visited ports…although it worked well for tender ports. I’ll wait and see how the program works in the future to determine if I purchase it again.

That’s a nice number of b2b’ers. Another indication that confidence in cruising is rising…especially among frequent cruisers.

It may be different depending on which ship and port….but, so far I have checked in to six cruises from Port Liberty in NJ, four on the Oasis and two on the Anthem. I’m pretty sure I got the earliest time offered on the Oasis sailings as check in became available for all of them at once. The earliest time was 12 noon. On both of the Anthem cruises, my check in time is 1pm. It’s possible more times may become available as the sailing date gets closer…so I keep checking.

I empathize with people who go through these types of disappointments, but…there is such a thing as taking responsibility for one’s actions (or inactions) and doing due diligence regarding traveling during a pandemic. It’s not like there hasn’t been any media reports about how the cruise industry has been devastated by the fifteen month shutdown and how they are trying to reopen as safely as possible…and are sometimes struggling to do so. The health protocols are always issued with the caveat that they could change frequently and passengers should be aware of all policies and restrictions before and during their cruise. I’m sorry for them…sorry that they ruined their cruise because they failed to be aware. They failed to plan.

Refundable deposits are like insurance. You pay extra to have peace of mind if you really want that specific cruise but are not completely sure of your future schedule. You can lock in your preferred cabin and know you can cancel if necessary, provided it’s before final payment. But it seems like a toss up….pay more for the cruise and maybe take advantage of the refund, or pay less and risk it. For me, being solo and an unabashed, unapologetic raging cruisaholic…I’ll take the risk.?

A lot of changes have taken place there since the old MOTBY days. Bayonne still has a long way to go to take full advantage of the property…even after all these years.

The key is not offered on either of my Oasis sailings in Sept…but is available on the Oct sailings. However, purchasing it doesn’t guarantee I’ll get it. When the sail date gets closer, I’m sure they will re-evaluate the practicability of the Key as far as early boarding, lunch, carry on delivery…all the way through to breakfast and priority disembarkation at the end of the cruise. I think there is the possibility that a refund (or partial refund) may become necessary if the benefits purchased are eliminated or scaled back. Except, of course, for the internet. These are changing times….never know what’s going to happen.

There is a website ‘InsureMyTrip’ which gives you comparisons of different insurance policies. I have the annual Alltrips Prime from Allianz…I have had it for years (except of course this past year). They have an app so it’s easy to access the benefits and use their resources or make a timely claim. They email me the Embassy Letter which is used to prove I have medical and emergency transportation coverage…and specifically anything Covid-related. Allianz has several annual policies and each one has the Epidemic Coverage Endorsement…but the coverage limits are different for each. Take your time and research each company, policy, coverages and specific exclusions to determine what’s right for you.

I’m thinking it would be revealing if the infection numbers on all ships are similar. We know from what we’ve seen so far that there are few cruises with zero cases aboard. I’m hoping the numbers are especially similar on ships with entirely different protocols regarding masks. That should indicate whether masking is necessary or not. Also, if ships with 100% vaccinated start seeing similar breakthrough numbers on board, it would indicate that the cruise lines are successfully managing the disease as well as possible…and bolster the claim that cruising is safer than Main Street. But, we really don’t have a comparison. There is no mandated testing in all public settings. Imagine if everyone was tested as often as those boarding or working on a cruise ship. IMO those numbers would be significant.

I also thank you for being a ‘test case’ for us. Your on scene contemporaneous reporting is giving me lots of insight and boosting my confidence that cruising is back to stay! You are right! Expert opinions, facts, science and data are unfortunately being manipulated and muddied by political and personal agendas. The so-called fair and balanced media are the worst offenders! Trust in what are supposed to be apolitical organizations is eroded….it’s a shame.

I checked in to my Sept and Oct cruises on the Oasis before they did the test cruise. Also, I’m checked in to two of my Nov cruises on the Anthem and she’s still in the UK. I don’t know if it is different for each ship…but test cruise completion doesn’t seem to matter. Good luck!

If you are a frequent traveler you should consider an annual plan. Either way, make sure your plan covers Covid related illness and medical transportation…ie, Epidemic Coverage Endorsement. An Embassy letter showing you are covered for Covid is good to have. With Royal’s Cruise with Confidence program…trip cancellation for any reason (48hrs prior) is covered with a future cruise credit. Provided your booking takes place before Aug 31 and your sailing is before Apr 30. The FCC has an expiration date so it’s important to know if you have other cruises planned or not. Royal has been pretty good so far with Covid related issues onboard as far as partial reimbursement and transport. So the big expense potential is if something happens while off the ship…or if you are transported to a medical facility while in another country. Medical care and potential air transport home (especially if it’s a medical flight) can be very expensive.

I’ve had this happen to me. As soon as check in opens, or close to it, I check in and the only time offered is 3-3:30pm. I’m thinking this is a default time…because I kept checking two, three, sixteen times a day and eventually, days later, the list of available times appeared. I was able to choose 1pm. Keep checking!

Don’t just rely on the app! My Nov 14 cruise opened up for check in at the 90 day out point…but only on the website. That was this past Monday. Even today, the app on my phone still shows check in unavailable… ‘we’re working on the fun’. I tried refreshing the app many times, even rebooting my phone, so unless there’s something wrong on my end…the app apparently isn’t working for this cruise. My other cruises before Nov 14 worked fine on the app.

At least now we know why they greased the top of the smokestacks!?

The plank!?