deep1

Not sure if anybody has any insight but I thought I'd ask about something i seem to be seeing. Maybe its just me? I've been circling like a hungry shark on an itinerary with different dates. . Nothing elaborate. Girlfriend wants western Caribbean that includes Roatan so can hug a sloth... It has to be Oasis class... And it has to be ocean balcony... . Ok, simple. We have been looking at dates and prices. Slight differences in prices. What I'm seeing though that this question about is that when I go to select a room and pull the trigger the room selection is really poor. Like one or two on the whole ship. Multiple ships on multiple dates this seems to be a thing ? Several months out? If i go back and look again. The rooms I looked at are gone but other really poor selections have become available. Are they purposely doing this? Is it possible that there genuinely is that few rooms available? this far out on multiple dates? on multiple ships? Do they hold the better rooms back for agents or some other reason? Do they release them to direct bookers at some point? I never ran into this before so thats why I'm asking...

October til March there is a fair wahoo bite in that area. (Grand Bahama) May to July the Mahi and tuna are in the area.. I'm not sure which boats they will be using so tough to vouch for their skills. At Nassau I suggest "Chubasco" charters.

I'm not seeing an obvious answer... How about that its just plain a fun thing to do?. People hide or find ducks, they dress up on 70's or white night or formal night for the MDR. They sport high dollar purses of wear Rolexes. They go out of their way to decorate doors or make tee shirts for their groups. For them its fun , Fun that they earned. I said it earlier in this thread. How many that won't wear pins drive that fancy car or have a big house or custom tailored suits? Give em a break! Live and let live...

Ours was all over the place price wise. I was only looking from corner of eye as I was focused on internet. Few weeks before cruise I noticed it was less than the internet alone and grabbed it. Glad I did. Worked out to like $340 for the two of us for the 7 day sailing.

Oasis...

Live and let live... If somebody has earned something let them show it if they want. How many drive fancy cars or live in big houses or wear custom tailored suits? I doubt that those opposed to pins in the higher ranks ranks here would be open to non d or d+ using their lounges? So maybe you don't wear pins but you're still proud of the status you've achieved?

Aqua 80... Maybe 15 minutes early. Ice show just a couple minutes... I didn't notice when or if they released seats. Aqua 80. There was a very long "no reservation line" and standing room only like under the rock climbing walls.

Pattycruise you are correct that lunch itself was not til noon but we dropped our bags there just after boarding and it was promptly put on a luggage cart (gently) and wheeled off. On leaving , yes there are special "key" tags and place in the hall. We carried on and off. All the shows we attended we were directed to nice seating. At Aqua 80 we were seated one row directly behind "Star Class" . Ice show right down front and center. We didn't do "Cats". Only one venue, a bar, for adult comedy show, did we get no special treatment. The "differently abled " lines were a few deep They had one dedicated for key and we were directed to and walked through that one straight to the one for getting pics and checking docs which was also empty. All the lanes for general public were very long. I don't have D+ or even D benefits so I don't have something to compare this to.

It wasn't the "early " part of the boarding for us. We were walked right past countless long lines. I knew it would be easier, but not as easy as they made it for us... I had no idea how nice of a perk it would really be. I think I might enjoy it as much as I did because I remember some departures that were a little stressful instead of accomplishing what a vacation should be.

We had reservations for my time and there was still pretty long lines. When we mentioned key we were walked past the 7:00 reservation line (where we would have normally been) right to the guy who gives the tickets to the staff to walk you to your table.

Each day they sent us notes about benefits. Two nights before departing they sent details for last breakfast and leaving.

There was a meeting point on deck 5 promenade and they escorted us right out to customs window, Lightning fast...

We went to breakfast and went back to room for bags... Breakfast was deck four. Went back to deck 5 where there was a "Key" meeting place. We were escorted from there to the hall and customs window.

I would never have expected my response to having the Key. Normally something I wouldn't consider it popped up on my cruise planner for less than the Zoom Internet alone. Made no sense not to get it for my Oasis voyage. Arriving "Port Liberty" there were lines around the building. Dropped off my sweetie while I parked the car. Got to the garage that was already full and asked the attendant where I should go and that I had the key. He just said " Key? there's room in here". Walked back past thousands in line to my sweetie. Asked where "Key" goes. They escorted us past long lines to one roped off and nobody waiting. Right to and through security then to check in and escorted right to the ship with zero wait. Deck four MDR was waiting for us to set down our carry on bags and eat a really way good Chops lunch. Shows? Right in... treated royally. Anywhere we dropped the "Key" word we bypassed lines and were pampered, even the dinner lines... A special line at customer service even was open for suites, diamond and up and Key people. Getting off special breakfast of crab eggs benedict was had then walk past the crowds and fast tracked back to the car. I didn't ever think I'd like being pampered but I did and my Fiance' really loved every bit of it. I will splurge any time it gets available at reasonable rate...

I'm booked Oasis in a couple weeks out of Jersey. I got the "oops" message when trying to use cruise planner the other day. Called and they said it was down for maintenance . Came back next day and prices had increased... Took some "creativity" but they made good on the prices. Just looked up my cruise and it must be close to sold out. Prices doubled. i can see the May 28 cruise to Canada just fine? Then when I click on it I too get the "oops"...

Per the companies that find employees for the lines like Indeed or Zip Recruiter... Pay offered is 50,000 Philipine Pesos a month. 50,000 PHP per month works out to be roughly $900 a month for near 100 hour weeks (5000 hours per year, not 2000. ) or maybe $2.25 an hour. Not sure where the $16 per hour stuff came from and no $32k is not near the norm. Maybe for an officer or director but general staff? Not even close.

Fiancée will like that...

Just got the key for upcoming cruise. Same price as the Voom Hi speed so why not... I do know: Chops lunch, store carry on til room ready, expedited boarding, VIP show seating, leisurely disembarkation, etc. I know it shortens lines at certain things that I don't plan to do as well. What am I missing? Are there things I'm missing that I should take advantage of? Never really thought about it but now that I got it, I'm kinda excited... Don't be shy about basics. I'm entirely new to this. Like what do you suggest for the chops lunch?

A chunk of my income comes from tips and I gladly tip very well as well. Its supposed to be a little extra thank you between guest and server. I hate that they mandate it. One of my family homes is in a very upscale community in the Keys. They for decades built in 15% on top as a tip. Mixed feelings on that as the affluent guests often left hearty tips that well exceeded the 15%. The facility actually asked guests to refrain from giving more as it was a cashless society there. They upped to 18% to include more layers of help, many who had good salaries already. For me, I got ticked off when the upper management wanted to tack on 18 % tip on the annual membership dues. This on top of high 5 or low 6 digit salaries. Ship crew are paid painfully little. I grease everyone I can along the way. I really enjoy that interaction and affirmation that they went over and above. Smiles are priceless. Thats being said I'm not pleased with the "mandates". It takes away from that "good feeling" of that "thank you" when its forced. I get why they do it as a lot would simply walk away without leaving a thing. With that in mind, I'm for rolling it into a cruise fare then "tips" can be meaningful again.

Yeah that would put the pucker factor at a ten...

How long is the cruise? Under 6 nights I believe you get a pass. 6+ nights same ol but I think I read now test within 3 days instead of 2????

Thats what makes this site great. Matt does a first rate job of getting the scoop on all things royal. I was having some really complicated issues with FCC that had never ben communicated to us except perhaps somewhere in those multipage disclaimers (no email type ) I spent numerous days on the phone trying to understand and fix. It seems they, themselves often gave me differing answers. Here on this site I have had a better time being educated and had tricky language translation than I have had from RCl themselves...

Yeah I know but already have another cruise only fund set up. Problem is its accessible and temptation gets to certain people. Go to use it for say an ABC cruise and instead I have a new refrigerator... That FCC pile can't be penetrated for "stuff". Some of the FCC was in GF's daughter's name and it was a very long hard fought battle that made it available to actually use for cruising without her. (It was paid for when she was a minor). If it were "cash" I could see drama about turning it into a ski trip for her and her friends.

Not sure on that... If it is i see a few ways to get my money out but I was enjoying having a cruise only slush fund with funds set away for just that... Again. Oh well.

A couple of the ones I have would more than cover whole fares for what I intended which was quick getaways ... Oh well... Just need to book less but longer getaways...