VillainsGin

The good old English language and interpretations🤣.

Maybe I can shed some light on this, I was chit chatting with our cabin attendant about this too!
Not just Navigator OTS but many other smaller ships are slowly transitioning out of compact/mini refrigerators to coolers (no refrigeration) in their efforts to optimize operating cost on smaller ships. (Since the pandemic)
If you take a look at the sticker attached to the front panel door you can request for an actual mini-fridge if you require one for medical purposes BUTTTT you can also ask them for one even if you have no medical conditions.
Ive requested a mini-fridge and notify them I did not have any medical needs for one, they checked to make sure they had spares, sent a attendant to install it while we were out of the cabin. The attendant stated there was a storage room stacked to the ceiling with mini-fridges and there is more than enough for anyone who requested during the sailing.
All the oasis and quantum class ships I've been on have mini-fridges so far but several of the small ships similar to navigator has replaced them with traditional coolers.
Those coolers purpose is to extend the coolness of food and beverage for maybe a few hours but definitely not recommended for longer periods of time to avoid bacteria and spoilage.
They have mini-fridges prioritized for medical needs guest first but they have a lot of spares, don't be afraid to ask and let them know you have no medical purposes but would like one if available!

Actually, it's considered a fridge if you can adjust the temperature, otherwise it's just a cooler. Cooler can have cords or be battery operated. But fridges have adjustable temperatures. 

Funny story relating to finding long lost connections!
Me and my S/O met another couple we got along with so well we started doing activities on the ship together on rhapsody OTS year 2000.
Myspace was popular back then so we kept in touch there until facebook came out and we lost connection, fast forward from 2000 to 2022 i was on oasis OTS with my S/O and finally bumped into him in the funniest way.
I'm a big time "enthusiast" and enjoy frequenting the casinos to wind down after a long day of excursions/activities. I play mostly tables and I ALWAYS carry two lucky charms placed on the tables i'm playing on. (picture below)
He was walking past my table and noticed the charm and approached me saying "he used to know a scumbag with that exact charm that ghosted him 20 years ago". At first it didn't click with me and thought he was drunk then after he dropped a few more hints my face lit up with nostaglia! He was able to recognize me only by my lucky charm because there was no way for me to recognize him. 20 years sure has changed us both, unfortunately he was no longer with his partner but we grabbed drinks at the bar and reminiscence/caught up in life.
NOW thanks to social media and technology we have kept in touched via multiple platforms (instagram/twitch/discord/twitter/etc) no way to lose him this time.
Attached below is one of my two lucky charms (my second one is a lickitung)i always gamble with.
 

What a great story, @VillainsGin !  So glad you got back in touch.
Whats incredible about your story is the fact that not 15 minutes ago, Dan and I were having dinner in the Solarium Bistro (Wonder).  A man walked up to Dan and said, “I know you…”.  It turned out to be a fellow Legionnaire from Virginia that Dan hadn’t seen in probably 6 years.  What a small world it can be !

sounds like printing $1 bills is a greenlight, they'll never suspect it. 🤣😈
all of a sudden we see a splurge of culprits with thousands of $1 single bills HAHA

Also keep in mind the language barrier. Crew members often play telephone as well, so they could hear something and relay it without it be accurate.
I can't recall ships having min-fridges before the pandemic either, probably a different kind of cooler. I could see them replacing the older coolers with more energy efficient ones. 

beautiful, i might just start doing it by your method than the online form submission. copying your template and will let you know how it works for me. thank you!

this is absolutely helpful, i'm a big gambler and been starting to take advantage of casino comp'd cruises rather than booking directly with RC at full fare.

I've been a shareholder for several years now. I bought it for the shareholder benefit. Lately, it has performed very well, although I'm still underwater from where I bought it earlier.
I've used the shareholder benefit many times.  I've had issues with the on line submission. Sometimes, I'd submit and never see or hear anything again.
Since then, I've submitted via email and found it much more reliable. Occasionally, I receive a response that they can't verify my ownership. A follow up email has always resolved this promptly.
Send the email to [email protected]. Attach a copy of your brokerage statement to prove ownership. (You can use a marker to redact your account number and any other holdings, then scan it in, if you want to keep that information private.)
In the body of the email I use the following text:
Please process the shareholder benefit for my upcoming cruise as follows:
 
Guest Name: XXX XXX
Ship: XXX of the Seas
Sail date: November 26, 2023
Booking number XXXXXXX
 
My brokerage statement is attached.
 
Thanks!

Here is the link to the online "form".  https://rcg.questionpro.com/a/TakeSurvey?tt=286lFZCRCioECHrPeIW9eQ%3D%3D  Yes, it needs to be requested for every cruise.

Adding to personal hair dryer being allowed on the cruise ships:
Be careful to what type of hair dryer you are bringing, our room attendant by policy had to confiscate our hair dryer (left on vanity desk while attendant was cleaning) because it was a "ceramic" style hair dryer which generates more heat and airflow which can be a fire hazard.
I completely understood after he explained the potential dangerous of our specific hair dryer and was able to get it back after the cruise. Great learning lesson to take into account the types of hair dryers/curling irons/etc.
 

I am not a shareholder, but I do know if you have 100 shares you can get $100 OBC for every sailing.
Also, for reference, there will be post already related to some of your questions. Either here or on the actual blog. 

Here it is
 
https://www.rclinvestor.com/contact-us/faqs/shareholder-benefit/

Thanks for all the insight on how everyone books their suites and how they got to diamond. By no means was I trying to police how people spend their money or judge, it was just genuine curiosity perhaps not portrayed properly through text!

Thank you so much for this I am contacting RCCL right now I need a fridge for my insulin, so thank you for letting us know you can request one! Plus also I literally drink a gallons of milk a day so this would help!
Thanks Mitch!

Thanks for all the insight on how everyone books their suites and how they got to diamond. By no means was I trying to police how people spend their money or judge, it was just genuine curiosity perhaps not portrayed properly through text!

Everyone spends their money the way they see fit.  There will always be someone wealthier and always someone poorer.  
 
Here’s a non-cruise personal example: A long time friend of mine (48 years) just bought a top of the line GMC pickup with the Duramax diesel engine.   I can’t fathom spending that much on a vehicle, but he’s happy.  He and his wife can’t imagine paying for 3-5 cruises a year, but we’re happy.
 
We reached Diamond earlier than expected thanks to the double points promotion during the pandemic.  We mostly stay in Inside Cabins.   People thought we were insane for cruising during that time, but we were happy.  
 

The suite prices now are much higher than they were during the 21/22 cruising season. There was a ton of deals back then. But also, as I said just sailing solo during the double points was a boon. 7N in an interior would net you 21points, so after 4 sailings you could be diamond. 
Each person has their own value, and some people can easily afford suites and justify paying those prices. 

As someone who has ended up sailing exclusively in suites (not snobs I swear...just....like to splurge) we afford it by only sailing once a year. And before the restart and better jobs for us we actually only sailed once every 18 months. So we saved up between cruises. Thanks to suites and two doubled point restart cruises, we made Diamond in 5 cruises.
And we aren't wealthy by any standard. Upper working class/low middle class at best.

Mostly everything is covered but I want to add on to your first question. If this was booked with a "won onboard" certificate it is only valid for the date you chose. You will not be able to change the dates to any Icon sailings, only what is offered on the certificate and if you do, you will get the money off and not the room (i.e., interior, OV, etc.). 
I now consistently book through Club Royale. Sometimes they aren't as knowledgeable, but you can call back and get the right answer. 

Everything JZX had said is the case.
additionally, if you ever get an answer from the phone rep that you don’t agree with (think is incorrect) end the call and call back. Typically the next agent might understand and/or gave correct info.  Worst case ask for a supervisor.
ex of incorrect info:  wrong pricing for an upgrade. Being told there are no cabins available.  Incorrectly charging on a comp. and more 

Answers to questions 
1) you can change the sailing date as long as the certificate you're using to book that comp hasn't expired
2)Yes you're allowed to upgrade cabins and pay the difference 
3)I don't recall any limitations, I've booked 15 cruises with casino Royale and twice regularly with Royal. Seemed similar 
4) yes if you booked through Casino Royale you have to call them if you have any problems or need to make any changes 
5)I've  booked my last 15 RCL cruises with Casino Royale 

During covid the net was we rebooked at a higher price even with extra credit. This year our 24 Hawaii cruise was cancelled and all we were offered was 50 OBC. The other options didn't work. Last minute cancellations are the worse because of fare increases since original booking. PS. Our travel insurance was rolled over to new dates by Allianz.

Below is an example cancellation letter.
Typically when they cancel a cruise they will offer a couple of options with the ultimate option of a full refund of money paid.  
As far as airfare, the typical compensensation is $200 per person for domestic and $400 per person for international.   Their assumption is you will get something from your airline such as a flight credit to use for a different trip.  The $200/$400 is to cover any change fees an airline might levy.  If you booked your airfare through Royal's Air2Sea program then everything airfare related is refunded.  
In my experience the alternates that are offered never work for me so I typically go the refund option.  In my opinion when sailing in suites the alternate options rarely work out but when in a regular cabin the alternate options are more appealing.
As far as frequency I can recall six times when it has happened to me.  Three of those are from a full charter occurring.  One time a crane in a shipyard fell on the ship.  Twice they redeployed the ship (such as below).  
ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS   Dear Guest,
To enhance your experience, we’ve adjusted the itinerary for our upcoming March 16th, 2024 Rhapsody of the Seas sailing. Rhapsody will now sail a 7-Night Southern Caribbean itinerary.
The time and effort you took to plan your cruise is important to us, and we apologize for the inconvenience. Every aspect of your time with us should be enjoyable, so we’ve put together some alternate options that we hope will work for you and those in your party.
Option 1: Stay on our new Rhapsody of the Seas 7-Night Southern Caribbean sailing. Below is the updated itinerary for your review:
<itinerary omitted for brevity>
 
What you’ll receive:
We’ll move you to a like for like stateroom once the new sailing becomes available. Please note, in the meantime, you may be moved to a GTY category while we work to complete this process. Once your stateroom has been assigned, you’ll receive an updated invoice with all of the new details. Your original stateroom category price will either be protected at your original cruise fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower). This excludes taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items.  If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for the difference. You can expect to receive your refund to your original form of payment within 14 business days after we move you. Kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution. You’ll also be reimbursed for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees incurred (such as a flight, train ticket, or rental car).  We’ll cover up to $200 USD per guest for Domestic changes, or up to $400 USD per guest for International changes. Please email your receipts and booking information to [email protected] for review and reimbursement. If you have any travel expenses beyond these amounts, please send us the receipts including a brief summary of these expenses for review. Option 2: Re-book any other Royal Caribbean International sailing.
If you prefer to re-book another sailing, we’ll waive any non-refundable deposit change fees. Please know, you’ll be responsible for any difference in pricing for your cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items.  If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for the difference. You can expect to receive your refund to your original form of payment within 14 business days after we move you. Kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution. You’ll also be reimbursed for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees incurred (such as a flight, train ticket, or rental car).  We’ll cover up to $200 USD per guest for Domestic changes, or up to $400 USD per guest for International changes. Please email your receipts and booking information to [email protected] for review and reimbursement. If you have any travel expenses beyond these amounts, please send us the receipts including a brief summary of these expenses for review. Option 3: If you can’t find a new itinerary that works for you and choose to cancel, we’ll be sad to see you go, but hope you’ll come back soon. You’ll receive: 
A full refund of any paid portion of your cruise fare (including non-refundable deposits) and any pre-paid amenities to the original form of payment within 14 business days. Kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution. If you used a Future Cruise Credit on this sailing and you request a refund instead, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount and we’ll reinstate your original certificate.   Please know, if you choose this option, we will not provide additional compensation. There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to updating sailings and rebooking all guests, and we may need to temporarily place your booking into a Guarantee (GTY) status while we work to complete this process. We ask for your patience as we work to make this process as easy as possible for you.
It’s important to us that you find the best vacation option. Please call us at 888-281-9344 or contact your Travel Advisor by August 29th, 2023, to let us know your decision. We’ll send an updated reservation confirmation with your revised details to the email address on file as soon as your reservation has been completely updated with the pricing fully adjusted. If we haven’t heard from you by August 29th, 2023, you’ll remain booked in a like for like stateroom on the NEWMarch 16th, 2024 Rhapsody of the Seas sailing.