steverk

On 2/2/2024 at 12:38 PM, Kcusack89 said:

Follow up question if anyone is still following. I'm looking to book a spring 2025 cruise. Do those of you who plan so far out in advance purchase cancel for any reason policies? So much can happen in over a year for now. Just trying to gauge the general consensus here 

I don't.  Depending on pricing, I might by a refundable deposit,  but lately it has made more sense to book ob board with the lower deposit and just take the chance 

7 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

 Luggage (and even passengers) contribute a very small amount to the ship's overall weight.

 

Hmmm. I always thought gross tonnage was a measure of the passengers after visiting the buffet!

5 hours ago, Jamesszy94 said:

What do we think they'll name Icon 3? One of the 24 trademarked ones? Or something new? 

Whatever it is, it as decided some time ago. I've heard more than once that they had a name for the third icon class way before they had a name for icon 2. Trinity maybe? Sounds sacrilegious. 

It's rather strange.  I'm booked b2b from Australia to Vancouver in April 2025. I've heard nothing from Royal about any cancelation. As noted,  the first leg is no longer listed. So, is the whole thing going to be canceled with Ovation going somewhere other than Alaska in 2025?  If not, how does Ovation get from Australia to Hawaii/Vancouver? 

Royal rarely canels cruises and they usually give a clear explanation when they do. Examples include a whole ship charter or mechanical issue. They never say there aren't enough cabins sold.

However,  they do occasionally redeploy ships for a month or two.  I suppose you could say that's canceling for insufficient demand,  but it would be a group of sailings and done months in advance 

I have an annual policy through Allianz. I'm not a big fan of cancel for any reason insurance so the annual policy fits me fine. 

Please note that vision class balconies have always been ridiculously priced. There aren't very many. Enchantment is probably more competitive if you look at interiors or Jr suites.

On 1/27/2024 at 4:55 AM, twangster said:

I'm booked on Ovation's last cruise of the 2024-2025 Australian season followed by the transpacific to Hawaii.   Both have been closed for new bookings since December.  The next cruise from Hawaii to Vancouver remains open.

There may be something bigger going on involving redeploying multiple ships.  Or maybe not.   Time will tell. 

I'm booked on that as well.  Also missing is the 9 night April 3, 2025 South Pacific cruise. 

I'd say I'll see you on board,  but maybe not!

34 minutes ago, pat8635 said:

Oh that's what emergency release means...no wonder they said it.didnt need cleaning or paint. Dang it. 

 

seruosly it will be interesting To see if mechanical or human failure!   Human means more training mechanical could mean lots of retrofitting and maybe cancelations...

According to the 2nd officer, it was mechanical failure due to undiscovered corrosion to the equipment. By removing the cover, or ceiling as he called it, they made it possible to inspect the equipment on a regular basis.  That should solve the issue.  Keep in mind that navigator has been in service for more than 20 years. It took that long for this to become a problem. Monthly inspection should be more than sufficient. 

There's no question that cruises are more expensive than they've been for some time.  Possibly ever. However, it is still possible to find occasional deals. For example, I just returned from a 9 day cruise on Explorer that cost me $500 per person. That's the exception, but it can still be found.

My best advice is to book as far out as possible. 2025 sailings are still being released. Booking as soon as they hit the market will usually snag the best deal.

Now everyone has me worried about my November sailing on Explorer! No indication of a problem,  but I'm really looking forward to an overnight in Aruba. 

The difference between the ships is less than you might think. Both are the same layout.  Both have very similar decor. Independence is slightly newer and bigger, but not all that much.

As a practical matter, Indy has a sorrentos in the promenade. Adventure does not. Indy has cantilevered whirlpools,  Adventure does not. Indy has a designated kiddie pool.  I'm not sure if that was retrofitted to Adventure. 

Unless these features mean a lot to you go with the better itinerary 

I struggle with this question as well. Generally,  my solution is to use carry on only if at all possible.  If I do have to check a bag,  I go to the size and weight limit so I can check as possible. 

Once I arrive at the gate, I ask if I can gate check th carry on for free.  I've never had them say no.

10 hours ago, McGinnis29 said:

Question: So, my wife and I are supposed to go on a cruise in March, but there is a strong possibility she will be unable to go. If my wife can't go, I don't really want to go. So, can I switch my wife's name out for my brother's name so there are still two names on the reservation, but I just don't show up and am a "No show" and my brother goes by himself?

It's my understanding that at least one person on the original reservation must go on the cruise.  I'm not sure what Royal would do in the circumstances you listed since you're still on the reservation but missed the boat. It probably depends on who, if anyone, notices.

I have at&t and usexwifi calling all of the time. I've never sailed Wonder, but my success seems to depend more on where we are sailing than it does on the ship. 

Generally,  it works really well, but drops out completely between Galveston and Cozumel. This has been consistent on Allure, Harmony, Voyager, Adventure and Radiance. 

5 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

But is that with a trip cancellation coverage of only $2000 per year?

I like to have enough to ensure total cost of one cruise is covered.

I guess it depends on how you view insurance and how likely you are to have to use cancellation insurance. 

In my view, insurance should be purchased to protect against catastrophic, low probability events you simply cannot afford to lose. Med evac from a cruise ship is a great example. 

On the other hand, if a cancelled trip is going to break you financially,  then why are you going at all?

50 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

When I price annual, it seems $1000-$1600 for a family of 3 seems to be the norm, at least for any tangible coverage that would be key for international travel.

I just ran a test for Allianz All Trips Premier,  which seems Good to me. Cost for a family of 4 living in Texas was $435 for the year.

6 hours ago, Neesa said:

Thank you everyone who responded. I'm thinking of waiting until final payment for our first sailing and get it then, just roll it into the cost of the sailing, get it and forget it. One last question with the annual policy, start date should be embarkation day of first sailing? It looks like you can schedule when to start. Thank you all again for sharing your experiences. Here's hoping we never need it! 

I'd start it the date you leave your house. 

13 minutes ago, JFCruise said:

There is a one way on Quantum on April-May from Vancouver to Seattle. I know because I'm going.

True, but one way from Vancouver to Seattle is essentially a round trip itinerary.  The 2 cities are about 100 miles apart. You don't see more of alaska on one of these cruises than you would see on round trip Seattle. 

I'm in agreement with @OCSC Mike. Go with Radiance one wat between Seward and Vancouver.  its not as nice a ship but the itinerary more than makes up for it.

You absolutely need travel insurance with med evac coverage! For example,  I had a coworker that was mugged in Tianimin Square in China. He couldn't get medical attention without repaying. Then a medical evac to the US was $180,000 USD. 

I use Allianz. An annual policy is reasonable, but I've never had to make a claim so I can't really comment on how good they are in that department. 

1 hour ago, GatorCruiser said:

It’s hard to articulate how much I love cruising. I take it personal when people who don’t know diss it. 

I understand and agree. 

But look at it this way. If everyone that disses cruising suddenly liked it, there wouldn't be enough ships to handle the demand and prices would skyrocket 

Sounds like Royal Caribbean math has struck again.  I'd book the 4 slot with 2 real friends that aren't going and have them be no shows.

1 hour ago, jeffmw said:

These TikTok feeds, etc., are absolutely not for us. They play specifically to every negative stereotype of the cruise industry: it's dirty, it's cramped, the food is bad, etc. The internet is an echo chamber, and this stuff plays perfectly into the type of stuff casual social media users love devouring online ("My trip is a disaster!")

Overall, I wonder if Royal didn't see this coming. The World Cruise was clearly something that they promoted (outside of simply being being ON it) to being attention to the cruising industry and Royal specifically but it seems to be having the opposite effect. 

Idk thart the tik toks are bad for the industry.  There's an old saying that there's no such thing as bad publicity 

20 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

That seems an obvious design flaw or poor inspection protocol. One or the other.

The point is that it has been identified and fixed.

The complaints I've seen on line are minor gripes meant to create drama. I mean really, is it surprising that an excursion got canceled? Is it really a crisis to all of humanity?

I've had some hot tub discussions with new sailors on my current cruise though. They really don't understand how anyone would think a world cruise would or could work. They were shocked when I pointed out that world cruising may be new to Royal,  but it has been a thing since the 1970s. People who go on these things are very experienced cruisers and they know what they are getting into. I  seriously doubt any of the regular customers are surprised or unhappy.