BrianB

I’ve noticed how some fast food places have combined raising prices with shrinking products. I really thought I was going through a mid-life growing spurt. I remember when those burgers took two hands…using two hands now risks biting my fingers! And those fries boxes seem to have shrunk too!

As for the cruise prices…I have a few booked and nearly every single day I do mock bookings to check on the current price. I used to be able to find a few that dropped and I would call and reprice. But…it seems like those opportunities are becoming less and less.

As I learned on these forums…I book as early as I can and get the best price as they only seem to climb as time goes on. Demand is strong.

Yes. Not to be confused with the Cruise with Confidence Promotion…which is no longer available. That program was to entice bookings right after the shutdown lifted. 

With this….If you book a cruise after the final payment date…then you are eligible to reprice it at a lower rate within forty eight hours of the booking date. The difference will be applied as Onboard Credit. This appears to be the only time where a cruise can be repriced at a lower rate after the final payment date. If you book prior to the final payment date…then you can reprice for a lower balance due.

It depends on the port how long it takes to get clearance from the local authorities. In my experience (mostly Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda and Caribbean) it’s been about 30 minutes after they complete tying up at the pier.

The port that takes the longest is CocoCay…and Labadee. After the ship ties up, they have to unload all of the supplies (food, drink etc) that are going to be used on the island…plus the crew members, bar staff, servers, chefs. That can take over an hour.

All aboard time is usually 30 minutes prior to departure. Most passengers know to be back aboard even earlier. Beats standing in line. Plus, it’s a nightmare scenario to miss the ship!

Great review! Excellent video! Loved it. 

@Lombert Just curious…what sailing date was this? 

@PG Cruiser  Onboard Liberty now...

 

@twangster   “The OP's rant is well deserved by Royal and other cruise lines that do the same.  They wouldn't have an agenda were it not for being poorly treated in the first place.”

I agree that the rant is well deserved. I addressed that in the second part of my comment.

But I wanted to point out that there is the possibility that some of these ‘hit and run’ posts seem disingenuous. They appear to me to have some similarities in wording and structure. Maybe it’s because the OP was surfing the forums and found like-minded posts and picked up some phrases that rang true to their experience…or maybe they had another agenda. That could be anything from slamming a business they don’t like…to just trolling. 
There does seem to be quite a few of them that just pop up every now and again. One and done.

Funny we never seem to get hit and run complimentary posts. Of course, some people would make an effort only to complain rather than praise, but still…

Just my opinion.

@teddy……..Royal bad…me mad…so sad.

‘Trip of a lifetime.’ ‘Dream vacation’. ‘Planned for months’.

Seems to me to be some of the key phrases in these hit and run rants.

They could just shorten it in the interest of brevity….. 

‘Royal bad, we mad, so sad.’

I empathize with anyone who has had a cruise cancelled…it’s annoying and ruins plans and dreams. I know it happens for only a few reasons…especially charters and unexpected mechanical issues. 
It’s frustrating to know the company made the business decision to bump existing reservations for a charter. Sort of like saying ‘yeah, we decided their business is more important to us than your’s’. 

It sucks.

But what also sucks are the agenda-driven hit and run posters who have an ulterior motive for their negative posts.

I’m certainly not accusing this poster of being one of those. That wouldn’t be in the spirit of this forum. Just my opinion.

Wow! Those Beach Club prices are not only up….but up, up and away!

Supply and demand are one thing…but some of these prices border on price gouging!

I guess as long as people will pay…prices will continue to rise.

It’s obvious Disney is paying very close attention to what’s going on with the Icon. Especially the pricing trends.

Here comes a brand new ship that focuses a significant amount of effort on a totally immersive family cruising experience. The Surfside neighborhood concept is very attractive for families with kids that are usually the bread and butter of Disney. Parents who would rather give their kids a cruise experience of a lifetime while sacrificing some of their own adult preferences are now going to have a choice that includes combining both experiences not only on one ship…but in one neighborhood on a huge ship with many neighborhoods.

Disney should be nervous. And it seems to me that their only sensible move is in making their pricing more attractive. If they only rely on repeat, loyal  customers who are willing to pay more, then they may be disappointed. It’s hard to win back customers who dip their toes in a competitor’s product…and love what they find. Just my opinion.

I saw their video.

My experience with the new MDR menu is quite different. In fact I used to get the specialty dining package and eat the rest of my dinners in the CK. But now, I only get a Chops dinner and the rest is in the MDR.

There could be many reasons for this…including…

All of my cruises since the new menus have been on the Anthem. 
I travel solo, and sit at my own table, so no worry about group service. 
I do early dining at 5:30 and I’m usually one of the first to be served.

I have found the service to be excellent. Every set of waiters/assistants have been very good at making the substitutions I want, and the timing of my meal courses has been just as I expected.

My food has been delicious. But…I’m not really a food ‘connoisseur’ and I’m pretty easily satisfied.

In particular…I love hot soup and have been very impressed with the flavor and the temperature. My meals have been tasty…fresh, hot, and very nicely plated. I never had any reason to send anything back. I think the portions are perfect for me.

The only concern that I have is with the dessert. They are too delicious and I can not avoid them. Thank goodness for the treadmills.

Who’s this Matt guy you speak of?

@WAAAYTOOO That’s been happening on the overnight cruises for quite some time. The casino opens at approximately 9pm, if I recall correctly. It was like that since before the pandemic. But we’re only there for the day on this cruise. I’m on a b2b so the next cruise is a five day with an overnight at Bermuda so I’ll let you know the hours of operation.

Welcome to the boards...hopefully everything gets worked out for you and you have a fantastic cruise!

As you can see from the other posters with a similar issue…they are ‘one and done’ or ‘hit and run’ posters which makes their tale of woe suspicious. 

Hopefully you are not one of them. Please post again with your results. We’d really like to know if your issue gets sorted or not.

@Robert M Just curious….did Liberty complete the Wet Dock? I’m booked on her May 4 from Port Liberty and was worried something may happen during the wet dock that would cause a cancellation.

I think if they sell a soda package on a ship without a Freestyle, then the price should be significantly less. Just sayin’.

I do early dining and always go to the MDR as soon as I board to make sure I have the time and table size I want.

Usually, if I pre-purchase a specialty restaurant, I find that I have been re-assigned to My Time…even though I requested early dining and it actually says it on my reservation confirmation. But when I go to the restaurant host desk as soon as I board, they take care of it. 

If I wait until I get my room card when the cabins are ready in the afternoon, that’s when I’ll see the MTD listed on my card and when I get to the host, there’s not many assigned small tables left…if any.

My BIL has brought his collapsible fishing pole with him on cruises. It’s in a small travel bag that includes a small gear box. Never had an issue going through security. He always checked online and made sure he knew where it was permissible to fish at whatever port we were visiting and if any type of temporary permit was required. 
Oh, and if he ever considered trying to bring fish back to their cabin…my sister would have made sure that as the ship pulled away, he’d be standing on the dock with his precious fish!

Not in any way taking sides. This is a horrible situation and I hope whatever happens with this, the family finds peace and consolation for the loss of their loved one.

But…as @twangster pointed out…there is only the one side of the story right now. It reminds me of that other horrible situation where a small child lost their life falling from an open window on an upper deck. The story put forth by their lawyers gave the impression that the window being open was negligence on the part of the ship…and that was the reason the child fell. As the story gained traction…as the lawyers probably intended…the cruise line was careful not to respond. Apparently for two reasons…one, they wanted to let the investigation continue until all the facts were available. And two, they didn’t want to bring more pain and suffering to a family already suffering unimaginable pain. 
But…the lawyers were looking for public shock, disgust and support so that they could influence a future jury…or manipulate a more expensive settlement. I’m not blaming the lawyers for being the best advocates for their clients…that’s their sworn duty. Finding truth and justice is not their job…representing their clients is.

The cruise line finally felt they were forced into releasing some of the videos. Just enough to support their position as to what happened on that terrible day. Turns out there was another story.

So, I’ll wait and see what results from this investigation before making a judgment. And I’ll try to get my information from a reliable, reasonable source. Not some of the agenda-driven, click-bait-seeking, usually slanted media. Just my opinion.

Difficult for me to relate with those who cruise with kids.....I cruise solo. Plus, I'm sort of a neat freak. Everything is hidden away in drawers and my bag is under the bed. If it weren't for the binoculars on the vanity shelf, my cabin would appear unoccupied.

So I guess I'm somewhat easier for them to service. 

For me, I prefer morning service. But here on the Anthem, my attendant said just put the magnet on the door whenever I want service. We still have the two-sided magnets. 

Even though I get serviced in the morning, I noticed he still pops by during the evening and leaves a Cruise Compass...and puts the pillows down. I told him that although I appreciated it, not to waste time doing towel animals.

Oh, and I still tip the same as before.

@Sara_MEI  What is the time limit for switching a booking I made myself, or via NextCruise, to a TA? 30 days from the initial booking?

Keep in mind that one of the best reasons for using any TA is their ability to continually monitor your specific booking and take advantage of any price drops prior to final payment date. That, and being able to deal with the occasional unforeseen changes and difficulties that occur with many reservations. 

Most big company TAs don't give that personalized service. Their goal is volume, not servicing individual bookings. Once you book through a TA, they 'own' the reservation and you can not make any adjustments on your own. So, if you choose to use a TA...choose wisely.

Just sayin'...

My issue is the opposite of this.

Not only do I not want to get off mid-cruise but...I hate getting off at the end of the cruise and have to drag myself, kicking and screaming, off the ship!