CruiseGus

23 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

And that's why I stick with android.

Android has same problem with Apps no longer working when OS becomes outdated.

Basicly just forced to upgrade from my samsung S8 due to non working Hotel and Airline apps

7 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Air2Sea is nothing but a travel agent for flights. They aren't actively changing flights.

Actually Air2Sea is a Consolidator.

"Consolidators have contracts with airlines to buy airfare in bulk. They are negotiated at a lower rate, letting the consolidators sell them for less than the publicly listed fares for the same flight"

That is part of the problem in that even when you pick flights from them, they are only a soft reservation and normally not actually ticketed until around actual final payment date.

I understand what you are saying.  I see on their search page a price of $274 per person, by the time I pick the lowest priced interior the cost for 2 is $1800. 

It is there pricing magic, I just hate wasting my time going through the motions to find there advertised up front price is extremely bogus

19 hours ago, happy cruisers 2 said:

Unfortunately (I guess) we have already paid in full.  This situation is probably another reason to work with a TA, which we now have started doing.

Already PAID in full should not matter as long as you're not past the final payment date.  I have a 1 sep 2024 sailing and final payment is not until 3 June 

As most have said, each waiter makes there own drinks in the service bar that is through those doors that you don't see.

I have no idea how charged gratuity tips work when you pay individualy for a drink.  But for cash tips, generally the bar tenders at the bar itself pool among themselves.  Wear as wait staff are each on there own.

Recently, seams they have cracked down on all bar tenders measuring pours, last 6-8 months tip or no tip pours are the same measured.  No healty pours as experienced right after start up

Symphony February 2024

Terminal 18 surface lot $140.

Early February on Symphony the specialty restaurants pictures were the printed varity (yes I hate that also) but we had left the restaurant before the photographer returned.  They were avaliable to view in hard copy at the photo area.  We used are diamond coupon there to purchase one.  Future I'll ask photographer before letting them take photos if digital, if answer is no I won't waste my time letting them take any pictures.  I don't want hard copies, to difficult to transport.

On 2/1/2024 at 8:02 PM, smokeybandit said:

You'll get a form in your room mid-cruise.

If on setting up you departure info you say you have a domestic flight on one of the valid airlines

Confirmed. I rcvd the letter on Symphony today

Confirmed. I rcvd the letter on Symphony today

Confirmed. I rcvd the letter on Symphony today

Typical fly by, never to be heard from again.

Btw on Symphony now as well as last week. Crew is marvelous and accommodating.  Ship is in great shape.  Wonderful and approachable Master, Capt Rick.

Things can happen, 2 cruises ago we had no cards on our door, grabbed the first officer I saw, he went to guest services for mehad my cards in under 15 minutes.

On 2/3/2024 at 11:36 PM, SpeedNoodles said:

Try right away when you get on board.  You will not be able to walk into Izumi Hibachi and get a place. (Well, never say never, but it's extremely popular).

Normally you will be lucky to snag the latest reservation of the night if anything at all on maybe a few nights being the first ones there on boarding day.

10 hours ago, twangster said:

Over the years I have had a number of cancelled cruises for various reasons.  

Typically I just take the full refund.  The offers never seem to be very appealing.    

Agree rairly is the offer as good or better 

Royal already hits you up for 18% per purchased drink or on the total cost of the package.  That is more than adequate.  Now on free Diamond or Casino drinks you might want to add something,  but it really has started to depend, how generous is the pour?  Seems that lately past 9 months they are measuring more, generous pours less often.  Compound that with the fact that most bars the bartenders pool tips.

Jmho but tipping extra helps very little in the overall scheme.

6 hours ago, Crown&AnchorEsq said:

If you are in the suite lounge, they should be, as long as you stick within the limits on available labels. 

I have spent numerous sailing in suites since the covid resumption.

When the SL lounge did not have the brand label I preferred, if it was on the ship they gladly found it for me.

Even if you don't add additional tip to the already paid 18% gratuity, you need to know that being a waiter in specialty restaurants and even CK is a highly competitive and sought after position On Royal ships, once they have achieved it, they are then in line for the next open position On their next contract.  So basically once they have achieved the position when they return they have the next open position on that ship.

9 hours ago, She Sails Away said:

... ... The congestion was unbelievable, I waited in line and waited for the shuttle well over an hour, and after an hour I had made it near the front of the line (not really a line, a loose crowd that were shifting and pushing and shoving each other, there was no line manager and no organization of any kind ) but there was one elderly bus driver in charge of loading everybody's suitcases into the bus all by himself, so we were looking at quite a long while before he got that accomplished. People were frantic and worried about making their flights, everything was super slow, people were crowding and it was pure chaos. After over an hour waiting for this shuttle to get loaded, ... ...

It's been a while but in Sep 2022 sail out of Miami our experiance was the same taking royal shuttle to MIA.

Sailed again from Miami in Nov 2022 and decided to Uber to MIA, much better, on the way out I pointed out to wife the backup already forming for Royals shuttle service.

So I'd venture to say this is the typical experiance 

Highly recommend a private tour with Ronys.

He was able to customize our however we wanted.  Not sure of price but he was very quick to respond to my numerous inquiries, usually within 24 hours or so

FYI, just returned from a horseback excursion through Ronys in Roatan.  He used Big Rock Horseback Riding and they were excellent.  Highly recommend Ronys.

Just return from a private tour with Rony.  5 of us all day most activities, sloths, horseback ride covered.  Around $100 per person.  Much better than a ships tour.  EXCELLENT service, well worth the slight additional expense.

Not a worry at all about returning to ship on time.  Very professional in that regard.

3 hours ago, Geezer Of The Seas said:

thinking the add-ons such as drinks and specialty dining might be suffering the effect of the fare hikes.

Last trip out on Mariner in November, there were employees of Jamie's and Chops making the rounds of the Windjammer soliciting individual night reservations.

Wonder this morning day 5 at breakfast in Windjammer we were offer dinner at Mason jar as buy at 50% off.  When I mentioned so just like my Pinnacle BOGO, she offer to let me use my BOGO at 50% off the 1st full price meal and 2nd one still free.

Bummer because we are traveling with family and they are very picky eater and are not interested in the menu at all.  Just my luck.  Yes we are not going to abandon them.

On 12/20/2023 at 7:23 PM, FionaMG said:

You don't have to use your husband's phone. If he's not going to be using his free days you sign in on your own phone with his login details.

Or both just share the logins one at a time, your 2 days, then later his 2 days.  If you can forgo day one and start on day 2 you can make this work.  If you can also skip one day in the middle it really stretches out to most of the cruise.  Also when using the 2nd two freeway chxk the price for the rest of the cruise.  Sometimes it only $20-40 to add the rest of the cruise.  We do this all the time.

Good luck

5 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

I saw one trip report mentioning that the ship was serving brunch in the MDR instead of separate breakfast and lunch, and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this recently? 

Yes I have seen it a number of times on sea days.  Personally I dislike it, but aperently somebody does like it.

It is always totally up to the master of the ship (Captain).  We can generalize, but no guarantees.

On 11/23/2023 at 3:23 PM, WAAAYTOOO said:

I assume this cruise is this year - as in, next month ?  If so, I would be hesitant to cancel and rebook online as the UDP could be close to selling out and you cannot purchase the UDP as long as you still have the 3 night purchased…meaning, it will not allow you to have 2 dining packages at the same time.  I would hate for you to cancel the 3 night package just to find that the UDP had suddenly sold out.  It’s unlikely to happen but I wouldn’t take the chance.  I would call and have someone help you with this dining plan shuffle.  A bit of a hassle but at least you won’t be caught with NO dining plan.

Great advice @WAAAYTOOO