WAAAYTOOO

I think Izumi sushi is included in the BOGO but I've never tried to use it for a lunch.

Your reasoning is sound.....and as you know, I am an oft-victim of the food coma. I struggle with my love for food and food overload. Having said that, I have found, over the years, that I can more easily handle a 3 night UDP than a 4 night. We recently sailed on Jewel (4/3/4) and we did the UDP for the middle one (3 night). By the time I began to really feel the burden of the food coma, it was over ! I don't think I could have done another day though....just sayin'. My point: consider keeping the 3 night and if you want to cancel something, maybe cancel the 4 night ? I have similar anxiety about passing up a deal. I know you have struggled with this before (as do I)...but sometimes you have to consider the practical side, not just the $$. For example, we are on a 16 night Panama Canal cruise in October. They put the UDP on sale for that one and it truly is a remarkable deal, $$-wise....but really ? 16 days and nights of specialty dining with only 4 specialty restaurants onboard ? I'd be unconscious (and bored) before we even got to the canal ! Some on CC were going on and on about what a great deal it is....but sometimes $$ isn't as important as the practicality. I purchased the 10 night package plus a couple of random lunches and I still think this is going to be A LOT of food for us. On a per-meal basis, the UDP is probably a better deal (although, I did the math I still have, overall, a lower total cost than what the UDP would be) but the very thought of eating SO many scheduled meals over such a long period of time, is just no bueno - for us.

Who would EVER give up those cuties ? Goldens are a gift from God. The most wonderful souls ever created.

You were fortunate. They usually won't let you change a comp cruise (including annuals) b/c once the offer code has been redeemed, it cannot be used again. Nice job !

+1

Congratulations on a good deal on SC ! They are pretty hard to come by. i don’t recall having any soot issues but anytime you are in an aft room (on any ship) there’s a chance for soot. I have to say, the attendants cleaned our balconies EVERY day when we were SC so there may be an added level of due diligence there…I really don’t know. Moving to one of the center loft suites was a very good move. When we stayed in the corner unit after being in the center unit the week before, we couldn’t even fit all of our hanging clothes in the upstairs closet. It was such a disappointment after our wonderful week in the BIG center loft suites. Being on deck 10 is also a good move. Enjoy the beautiful GLS !

Congrats ! Wow

Fantastic ! Wow…glad you had GOOD luck. I seem to be having plenty of the other kind…. You did exactly the right thing by getting a Next Cruise open booking. That’s all you need to do right now. Either the second-to-the-last day or the last day, you will get an instant cruise reward certificate….probably attached to your stateroom door. Look for it. Keep that, but hopefully you won’t need it. Only once have I ever had an instant reward NOT show up on the website but that one time, boy was I glad I had my “hard” copy ! Very shortly after you disembark (usually the next day), your instant reward will show up on the Clubroyaleoffers.com website. Depending upon whether or not you lost $$ during you casino quest, your certificate may get upgraded above what the hard copy certificate awarded you…there is some voodoo algorithm that they use to try and placate those who lose money (me) by upgrading the certificate…but that doesn’t always happen. If you did not lose money, then chances are, your online reward will be the same as your hard copy. Either way, you will have a NICE comped cruise. There will be a nice, long list of cruises to choose from. Once you decide which one you want, it’s time to call Club a Royale and book it ! You can either do that directly, or get your TA to do it for you. Side note: TA’s, generally, hate dealing with casino comps. They yield very little commission and are a complete PITA to do….but that’s entirely up to you. Was the cruise you are on done by a TA ? If so, then the Next Cruise open booking is, most likely, in their name and you will have little option to book your comp cruise yourself. If you booked your current cruise directly, then all is well, and you can book the comp directly with Club Royale. Congratulations ! You have a new side addiction now !

Dan loves sushi but lately he’s been getting the teriyaki steak bowl. I don’t care for the taste of teriyaki [seasoning] so it’s not something I choose but there are a number of “cooked” options.

Yeah, right ?

@JustUs275, the B2B luncheon is a nice, calm alternative to the mania of boarding day chaos. The menu is extremely limited but good. It is not a steak menu like The Key folks get but it’s good and it’s complimentary. Given the choice between a “free” B2B lunch and a paid Chops lunch, I would choose the B2B lunch but that is due primarily to the fact that have had so many Chops lunches over the years. Chops lunch is a really nice treat if you haven’t done it before. If you got a good price for your Chops lunch ($14.99 PP or less) I would stick with Chops. If you paid more than that, get a refund and enjoy your complimentary consecutive cruiser lunch. Pertaining to whether or not they will have a B2B lunch, I do a lot of consecutive cruising and there has not failed to be a B2B lunch on any of the ones I’ve been on -ever. I can recall once when they just put us with the Key folks (we scored a steak that day !) b/c the turnaround numbers were [apparently] low so I think they will give you lunch one way or the other.

Oh…so it’s something newish ? Maybe I will still sleep through it…

Thanks for this info. Do you know whether or not there is a suites/Pinnacle line for getting into the terminal ?

Well, I somehow slept through the Pink Pony Club era. Never, ever heard that one before.

+1 for the Rice Krispy Treats. Enjoy the Fruity Pebbles ones while you can ! I’m certain that there’s some [soon-to-be] banned dyes(s) in there somewhere ! Pink Pony Club ? Is that one of those “you’d know it if you heard it” tunes ?

What a pleasure to meet Mike and Cori. They are a beautiful couple and delightfully friendly. I sure hope we cruise together some day ! Thanks, Mike, for taking time out of your last day of cruising to spend with us old farts !

Ugh. Remember…those are Canadian dollars (I think)…but yes, it’s expensive. I admit that…

This is one of those “maybe“ situations. Some have had success doing this and others have had huge hassles. Personally, I would not do it…but many do.

We have a similar situation in September. We are staying at the PanPacific in Vancouver for 1 night prior to boarding Radiance. Yes, the PanPacific is pricey but it seems like it will be soooo convenient. They will take your luggage directly to the ship for you and you just take an elevator down to the terminal right from the hotel.

No ! That’s the best part of a B2B with the same cabin. No packing at all ! AND you get to go right back to your room when you re-board….no waiting til 1:00 for your room to be ready. Your room attendant will (should ?) do your room first so that it’s ready to go when you get back on the ship. You will feel SO special…especially with the rest of your group having to disembark and YOU get to relax and stay on !

This is hear-say....I have no idea if it's true....but I've heard that when you have a GTY (any kind), the system automatically assigns you a room (in the background...IOW you cannot see it). However, that room (which you've been assigned) remains in general inventory (which means that anyone can choose it). If the room that you have been assigned gets snagged by someone else, you are then re-assigned another random room and the cycle continues until the rooms are all gone (although I don't believe that they reserve all of the rooms in any category until VERY late in the process). So it is my understanding that you ALWAYS have a room assigned, but it is subject to change at any time.

I had a guarantee for our upcoming Panama Canal cruise (October) and we’ve had our room assignment for well over a month now. I think that’s b/c the ship is entirely sold out and all categories except for interior guarantees have closed for months. Normally you never get a GTY assignment that far in advance.

My experience is that dinner in the WJ is usually pretty low key. Most people (presumably) are in the MDR or specialty restaurants. It’s breakfast and lunch that are more manic.

Welcome to the boards, Sylvia ! So happy to have you onboard !

Hmmm...those sprinkles look delish....but since Dan discovered that he's allergic to chocolate, I try and steer clear of the really chocolate-y stuff. Now, if I was to skulk about (alone) like you do, Mike, I might snag one from time-to-time....