sk8erguy1978

9 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

The RCCL stock OBC is not always applicable and often difficult to apply. Be very careful purchasing stock for the purpose of getting OBC. 

This. Do your homework, listen to earning calls, etc, etc. Buy because you feel it's a good investment and fits into your portfolio.

$8,000 in a modest 2% savings or CD should net you $160 in a year. That seems like a better way to earn $100 from $8,000.

Oasis - September 2020 - $79.00

Harmony - December 2020 - $79.00

Interestingly, Oasis we are at CocoCay from 9AM to 6PM (9 hours) and Harmony 7AM to 3PM (8 hours) so per hour it's more. Also, I probably will not leave the ship until AT LEAST 9AM if not 10AM or later, reducing time to just a few hours.

18 minutes ago, Tim B. said:

And, I did have a flu shot this year so It didn’t work so well. 

Glad it worked out! The flu shot (maybe you're already aware) is based on what "they" believe will be the most popular strain that season, statistics basically. You got another strain unfortunately. Kudos for doing the right thing. You wouldn't have enjoyed the trip anyway.

I personally don't get the flu shot, probably should.

27 minutes ago, mook1525 said:

also, can anyone please recommend 3rd party trip insurance company that covers "cancel for any reason"?

Any reason you're considering 'cancel for any reason' that wouldn't be covered by an insurance plan? If you're concerned about Coronavirus, rest assured, Royal will reimburse you if you're infected.
(Sorry about the formatting, didn't copy/paste well.)

Quote

Until further notice, ships in the Royal Caribbean International fleet will adopt the following health screening protocols:

1. Regardless of nationality, we will deny boarding to:

            a. Any guest who has travelled from, to or through mainland China, Hong Kong, China, Macau, China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy in the past 15 days.

            b. Any guest who has come in contact with anyone with 15-day prior travel to mainland China, Hong Kong, China, Macau, China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy. The CDC characterizes contact with an individual as coming within six feet (2M) of a person.

           c. Guests who report feeling unwell or demonstrate any flu-like symptoms.

       2.  Mandatory, specialized health screenings will be performed on:

           a. Any guest who has travelled from, to or through Japan, Singapore, and Thailand in the past 15 days.

           b. Guests who are uncertain about contact with individuals who have traveled from, to or through mainland China, Hong Kong, China, Macau, China, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Italy in the past 15 days.

          c. Guests presenting with fever or low blood oximetry in the specialized health screenings will be denied boarding.

All guests who are denied boarding due to these restrictions will receive full refunds.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates

I use AIG (insuremytrip) however, I've never used them. My credit card can provide some insurance perks, but I am old school and like the individual policy. It provides medical, evacuations, lost luggage, trip delay, all that... Again, similar to my Sapphire Reserve but having a separate policy for a few hundred dollars keeps my mind at ease.

I believe they have a "cancel for any reason" that can be added for more money, but think it comes with a ton of rules making it not that great.

https://www.insuremytrip.com/travel-insurance-providers/aig-travel/travel-guard-cruise-tour-travel/#tab_plan-summary

On 11/22/2019 at 11:46 AM, tdcackler said:

I'll put in a good word for Kathy Geiger - Kathy is a great TA and I recommend her to all my friends.

+1. Randomly selected via the affiliate link here, she's been great so far. Repriced two cruises without asking.

I decided to try a travel agent because of organizing a small group cruise for my wife's, ummm, "29th" birthday. Not sure we will get the minimum cabins but Kathy has been very helpful in putting together a strategy and all my options. So helpful, I passed her a cruise that's just 'for us' to manage as well.

I tried to manage a group cruise on my own once, back in 2015/2016 when we got married. Dealing with the groups department... Ugh. They are your best friend until you hit the minimum booking, never heard from again. Took multiple emails and phone calls to get the simplest tasks done (like out of town bags for guests). It was a lot of hours and work. Our wedding planner doubles as an agent but didn't use her because I know people like to do it on their own... Single biggest mistake. Never again.

21 minutes ago, whenismynextcruise said:

People mention that a TA repriced and rebooked trips for them. I can do that with either a few clicks on a website or a call to the TA's at Royal.

I'll always look at prices but waiting on hold and dealing with agents who probably have not even been on a cruise... Over it. I like that I can find a deal and let someone else wait on hold. Or, waking up to an email "hey, repriced your cruise" without even asking! 

3 hours ago, SteveinSC said:

The moment I step into that ship....instant happy and looking for that first drink in hand.

Also....staring out into the ocean, at night, with the moon reflecting on the surface, enjoying those tropical breezes....nothing like it. 

Yes, yes, and yes! Nothing beats these two experiences.

7 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Thank you!  Good idea...will add a sweatshirt to the packing list, which will help with a lighter coat.  Appreciate the feedback.

I live about 90 minutes from Bayonne and yesterday was cold with a nasty wind. A sweatshirt and a spring jacket was fine since I wasn't going to be outside long. Later in the night I was 60 minutes from Bayonne but outside more, a wool coat was all I needed. As it's been stated, it's actually getting warmer, last few days was just a bit of a cold front. It's almost time to start complaining about cutting the grass :).

I'd hold off on the boots. I'd also go for a lighter jacket vs something heavy and bulky. It'll be chilly for about a day or so but quickly warm up as you pass the Carolina's. Same for the return, weather permitting, it'll start to get cold again the last day or so after you pass the Carolina's. Anthem has plenty of indoor things & a covered solarium so it's always HOT HOT HOT in there! 

Enjoy the cruise!

45 minutes ago, emsff02 said:

I have a few. My first happy place, is when we first approach the ship. I love the look on my kids faces when they marvel at the size of the ship. I also enjoy sitting on my balcony early in the morning, coffee in hand just looking out at wherever we happen to be at the time. 

Last year, hearing our first time cruise friends reaction to Anthem of the Seas as we came along that bumpy drive in Bayonne NJ was really something special. 

To choose one is impossible, but I'll limit myself from ranting.

1. When I step aboard for the first time.
2. Balcony, at night, staring into the darkness listening to the sounds of the ocean (and me chomping on midnight pizza).
3. Lounger, listening to pool side music and people watching as I sip whatever adult beverage I've ordered.
4. Most importantly, enjoying private time with my wife on our balcony... Sipping coffee, eating breakfast, having a snack, or just chatting. 

I'll stop there because I have 99 more (at least).

Their site was up the other day as I'm eyeing this and about to book an hour. Maybe it's just one of those things where the sites down do to maintenance or web hosting server outage.

25 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

@sk8erguy1978 This is indeed true but I have also seen some horrible Gmail names. The secretary at my company's Gmail is LoosBoott....which is loose booty and she uses it for everything. Thankfully the boss is foreign so he didn't quite understand it at first.

LOL! Yep, that's why for job hunting related tasks I use my [email protected] only to keep it separate from my [email protected]. I too have both my web used handles as gmails and a few others. I am trying to consolidate since they all go to my phone, I'm not really using them for the purpose of creating them (send the junk there). I've now since created a filter for the word unsubscribe, it works pretty darn good!

On 2/25/2020 at 7:47 PM, AGSLC5 said:

For years my friends have made fun of me because they said no one has AOL email address anymore.. Well I still do but I have also recently made a gmail account

On 2/26/2020 at 10:29 AM, Ampurp85 said:

I still use my AOL account for almost everything and my Gmail account for nothing.

On 2/26/2020 at 7:25 AM, RWDW1204 said:

Nothing wrong with AOL email. We still have ours, over 20 years now.

I agree nothing wrong with using an AOL email for every day stuff but I wouldn't for job hunting. A lot of AOL emails are attached to whatever your screen name was (oppie328 is not a professional looking email), It can also show your age (I know shouldn't discriminate but employers do), and shows you're not embracing what's new/trending/etc.

I made my wife create a gmail account when she was switching careers, it lets her look that little bit more professional. 

Otherwise, I kinda miss the AOL days. My wife and I met on AOL back in 98 before it was cool to meet people online. We dated for a few months and I broke it off because I'm an idiot. She stayed in our friends circle and we started dating again in 2004 and the rest is history. Maybe that's why she keeps her AOL email around?

On 2/25/2020 at 5:37 PM, JLMoran said:

Now, @twangster -- there's a handle I don't get. I've listened to his scopes and there isn't a hint of twang (southern or otherwise) in his voice at all. Maybe he plays a killer banjo? 

19 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

but I still have no clue where @twangster gets his handle from

I'm going with this: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Twangster

It's been a fun read so far!

I've been using this name sk8erguy1978 and oppie328 around the web for years. I used to skateboard back in the 90's and was actually okay (at the time) I am also a male born in 1978. The 8 in the middle was me trying to be clever many years ago (8 = ate - although I do add the e back so? I was young LOL). The oppie328 is because in high school I was given the nickname Opie as many claimed I looked like Opie Cunningham. The 328 is my bday and the extra P is due to me trying to be slightly different (back in the late 90s) while embracing the nickname (I actually did like it).

I remember considering buying in early 2009 when it just went over $10 a share... I said to myself, when it dips back under $10 I'll grab a quick 100 shares. It never dipped, so a few hundred in greed cost me. LOL

16 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

The cruiseline will deny you boarding in this case and refund you, so insurance doesn't need to cover that part, though.

Thanks, I didn't read the update put out by Royal Caribbean, but it does state:

Quote

"All guests who are denied boarding due to these restrictions will receive full refunds."
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates

My comment was more against an insurance company trying to get out of coverage, could be for anything, replace Coronavirus with Flu because I didn't get a flu shot they will not reimburse me. (Not saying that's true. It's just a wild example, since it's in the insurance companies best interest to collect premiums and not pay out LOL).

24 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

any claim arising from Coronavirus may not be covered if the policy was purchased or the trip was arranged on or after January 24, 2020.

Thank You for this... It does say "may not" so, maybe if you can prove you caught it after you got the policy you'll get lucky.

I have not purchased travel insurance yet and I also didn't catch Coronavirus yet. If I purchase today for my September & December cruises and they didn't cover me catching Coronavirus I'd be raising hell.

24 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

Also fear of contracting the coronavirus is not eligible for reimbursement.

This should just be assumed LOL.

10 hours ago, PG Cruiser said:

This same lawyer has an ad on Facebook reaching out to (Diamond) Princess passengers who want to sue the cruise line.

I wish there was an angry emoji! The cruise line did their part in trying to stop the virus from spreading. It's not like they wanted to halt sailings and lock everyone up like a prisoner. Ugh! Maybe slipping Jimmy here should use his powers for good instead of evil. 

53 minutes ago, tiny blonde said:

Aha! I knew it. 'Remember the old-style "ambulance chaser" lawyer? This guy's a cruise ship chaser.

Better Call Saul! My favorite line in the Breaking Bad series is when Jesse says: "You don't want a criminal lawyer... you want a criminal lawyer."

11 minutes ago, Anastasia said:

Exactly! This will be our second cruise ever and instead of looking forward to it, it’s filled with paranoia. 

It's never too late to book travel insurance! While fear wouldn't be a covered reason, if someone does get ill, or a doctor says the elderly family member cannot travel, hopefully you can get some costs back.

Speaking from my experience, once that one outspoken family member gets filled with paranoia (usually from too much news TV) it becomes stressful for all. You don't want to dismiss their concerns, but you also want to tell them to shut the *bleep* up.

Enjoy the cruise & welcome to the forums!

44 minutes ago, amille69 said:

Hi, our cruise is in late December.

How do I know when Royal starts the "deal" cycle?

Make sure you're getting RCL spam, check @Matt's blog (aka the main page here) as he'll always post latest and greatest sales, and just check cruise planner periodically.

Also, don't be afraid to purchase something now, if the price drops you can cancel and rebook with a few clicks of the mouse. I usually do it with a victory drink in hand

Whatever is advertised online is the price you're "entitled" to (assuming similar cabin, etc) you would move from current promotion to new promotion.

Your travel agent is either misinformed, lazy, or describing why you're not eligible correctly. 

Did you go on to RCL's website and do a mock booking? If not do that and see if it would truly be lower. Sometimes, these sales seem better in the advertisement than execution... IE: marketing makes it seem better than it is, and you could be sitting on a better deal.

Good Luck and welcome to the forums.

I enjoy the larger ships in the fleet. Although, I've only been on Voyager, Freedom, Quantum, and Oasis class ships. However, we did sail NCL Gem in 2011 at just under 94k gross tons and while no major complaints, we definitely like the larger ships. 

I would like to experience a smaller ship like the Radiance Class but for a shorter cruise.