Shari3

It's an election day miracle !

I did not use our crown and anchor balcony discount. I booked it under the current promo BOGO 60% off the 2nd guest.  We were able to apply the 10% discount off that promo. 

Now that the CDC is proceeding down the road to conditionally approve cruises here in America insurance will follow and apply like it used to.  U.S. Insurance companies are eager to receive premiums having had their revenues drop like so many other companies impacted by the pandemic.  
Canadians will have to wait until the border reopens AND for Health Canada to update their guidance AND for Canadian insurance companies to follow.  Once that point is reached, Canadian insurance providers will also be eager to receive premiums for travel insurance just like they used to.  They too have lost revenue from the pandemic.
It's never amusing to observe people being unable to follow their dreams or being unable to travel.  The restart may require Canadians to observe from a distance until such a time both countries agree to open the border and for Canada to give it's blessing for Canadians to cruise.  When that time comes Americans will welcome Canadians back on board and rejoice in our shared interests.  

I just screwed up my brother's cruise in March big time.  Totally my fault - playing around with Lift & Shift and I went too far.  Emailed Emily and she is getting it all fixed for me.  She has been beyond helpful, kind, understanding of my type-A personality and never once complained.  I really need to do something special for her.  Is there some way I can send her a gift?  Who do I contact at MEI to show my appreciation for all her hard work (and working with me is HARD!!)  
 
Thanks
Gail

These are the same prices they had 2 or maybe 3 weeks ago.  I need them to do better... lol
 

I've always assumed they unplugged a database server somewhere to plug in a toaster.  Once their toast is done, the server comes back online.  

I always assume that they’re upgrading my reservation to a better room but then when I log on again, no such luck. Seriously though, I think it happens when they are doing maintenance on the system or something like that. 

Anyone else counting the hours (minutes? seconds?) until we can finally see the 2022 itineraries and make some fresh plans that actually have a good chance of happening?
I know we don't get them all at once, and I might be waiting until late in the month to finally see the Northern Europe / Med / Alaska options. But dammit...
SHOW ME THE ITINERARIES!!!!
 

Yes....by the sun ?

Yes, the Oasis Lagoon pool is indeed heated......by the sun!

Yup.  And if you leave your fam at home, you can get 6 points per night! Just saying.
Looks like they changed it to be a true daily double!
 

Yes! Only for my April 2022 booking. I hope it doesn’t go away...

Has anyone else had mystery OBC posted to their CP accounts ?
This morning, while doing my morning perusal, I noted $100 OBC show available on 3 of my upcoming cruises:  Serenade, May 23, Allure, Nov. 13 and Symphony, Dec. 31.  In all 3 of these cruises, the "OBC banner" popped up and said that I had $100 OBC available.  I did not spend any of it...prices are "up" at the moment, but if they are still there when the next "sale" starts, I am going to gobble it up !!
Needless to say, no, I have not applied any OBC to any of these cruises myself.  They just mysteriously appeared this morning.

Michelle Cunningham is in VA if it matters.  She is really good....but I have not heard anything but positives about all of the MEI agents.  They REALLY earn their commission (which is paid by the cruise lines...not us).
[email protected]
703-986-0661
 

I really had no intention of using it but with pandemic and kids virtual schooling the school board took away vacation dates that would have been for one of our bookings. I researched other sailings that might work and gave them a call. I had a "favorite" in the list of potentials but figured "not in a million years". The agent read off the three most likely  that would match up and then "Oh one more. Yes it qualifies" ! It was my dream trip. We locked it down. It cost me about $80 in extra taxes. But saved me over half of what I would have had to pay if I had tried to book without the L+S... If you are considering L+S don't let it get away without at least calling and seeing what you can come up with...
 

I generally tip a $1 with the DX.  First of all not all of that 18% goes to the server.  They get an amount per swipe of the card but it isn't the full gratuity you or I pay.   
Secondly, I tend to use the DX a fair bit.  The more you use it the less your effective tip is.  If you drink one drink per day with the DX then you have contributed a good amount to the tip pool.  If you drink 10 or more drinks per day, alcohol, coffee, water, juice, etc. then not so much.    Everyone I know who scored the $18 DX deal committed to tipping extra because they recognized they weren't contributing very much.  If you get it on sale your tip contribution is lower compared to buying at full price.
It's funny because so many express concern that crew wages are low but when you introduce the topic of tipping they clam up and shut their wallets.  "The company should pay".  But the company doesn't pay, it is what it is.  Don't like it, don't cruise but by removing tips or avoiding them you aren't hurting the company, you hurt the crew, the very crew people claim they care about.  
Regardless I've definitely noticed better service when tipping extra.  On more than one ship I've had a bartender recognize me months later and know my drink months later when I return.   On another occasion I had the DX on cruise #1 of a B2B but not on cruise #2.  During C&A happy hour on cruise #2 my drinks were often never empty and made with something I prefer.  That would not have happened otherwise.  Take care of your bartenders and they will take care of you.

Completely disagree. Beverage tipping, like dining in a restaurant, is how the service industry works. 
Unfortunately all employers (including cruise lines) pay employees with understanding tipping will make up difference. This happens everywhere, and it's a debate for another day if that is right or wrong.
In the meantime, tipping is not only expected, I absolutely see a big difference in the speed and friendliness of service when waiters/bartenders notice tips coming their way.  You don't have to "make it rain" by any means, but I definitely have seen a difference with even customary tips.

thanks for the support !

@Jaymac Radio Just finished posting an email in favor of lifting the no sail order, I read it over multiple times to make sure it was fact driven and devoid emotion. Enough already, we want to sail!

Just a friendly reminder not to make any decisions until they do formally announce the change.
I'd hate to see anyone make a pre-emptive change and then regret it later because the specifics ended up being different.

Simple spreadsheet, go to the number of days you will be cruising on the tabs at the bottom, change the cost of the deluxe and refreshment package to what yours is. Go down and approximate (don't be stingy) how many of each type drink you would have each day, this will vary for most due to port/at sea or private island.
After you've done this it will tell you how much you would save with the package.
I think my pricing of drinks is still right, let me know if I'm off.
Hope this helps!
Beverage Package Comparison 3-8day.xlsx

@twangster I love how you have a picture for everything!

This is slightly different subject but somewhat aligned, so I will use this opportunity to brag on my wondiferous Travel Agent yet one more time !!!  @michelle has once again proven that she is the TOP TOP of the heap (no disrespect intended.  It's a FABULOUS heap) for customer service - especially since she has been working for 6 months on a DAILY (and often more than that) basis for us for $-0-...
I have read, from time-to-time, people ask whether or not they can "swap" cabins with a family member or another reservation. It's not a super common question, but I have heard it asked before.  @michelledid it for me yesterday.  Of course, the primary requirement is that she (the TA) must hold control of both sets of reservations.  If the other party had been booked with someone else, she would not have been able to affect the swap.  I learned that someone in our unofficial group cruise wanted to switch their suite to a different one that had suddenly become available and I desperately wanted THEIR suite.  I knew that if I let that suite go back into general inventory, my chances of snagging it were minimal.  So, when I found out that Michelle was going to be making a change on their reservation, I asked if there was any way she could immediately change OUR reservation so that we could jump into their recently-vacated suite without having to put that suite back into inventory, first.  To be completely honest, I fully expected to hear "no", I cannot do it that way.  But, as usual, I was wrong.  Within minutes, Michelle had transferred the other reservation to the suite that they wanted and moved Dan and I into their vacated suite.  I had to pay the prevailing rate, of course, but I didn't care.  I was so happy to get the suite we really wanted...and the other couple got the suite they really wanted.  Win-win.
Here's the real lesson in this story (and why this is slightly aligned with the thread topic).  The Star Loft Suite that we vacated never came back into inventory on the website.  Michelle said that there was probably someone on a waitlist for a SLS so that when we vacated it, they snatched it up automatically.  THAT is precisely what would have happened to the other suite had Michelle not been there to affect the swap herself.  It would have never shown as "available" and I would not have been able to snag it.
So kudos to @michelleAGAIN and to all of the other TAs who are working so hard for nothing right now.

It's $199 now for the Harmony GC sailing over Thanksgiving 2021.  I got it for $79.

I have never seen pricing this high for Oasis Sept. 2021 sailing. I’m so glad I already purchased it at $79 pp. I hope this is not a sign of future pricing trends.