JohnK6404

Absolutely no desire right now due to the ridiculous pricing and since these are the identical itineraries we recently sailed on Wonder or will be sailing next May on Icon. This will give us a chance to book some of the many ships we have not had the pleasure of sailing on to date including Symphony, Harmony, Ovation, Anthem, Mariner, on and on!

I agree with the group. We've sailed Allure and Oasis and prefer Oasis overall post amplification (except for Cats ... Mamma Mia! was much better).

I'm sorry, I meant the instant messenger feature via Facebook. You chat with them live, not by e-mail. There just may be a wait until someone gets to your IM. One time they were available in about a minute or so... during peak times (Covid, IT issues, etc.) you may have to wait a couple of hours for someone to get to your IM.

We've had good results utilizing the RC Crown & Anchor line (800-526-9723) which generally has significantly shorter wait times (vs. general CS line) and can assist in all matters. Also, the Royal Caribbean Facebook page has a messaging feature (instant messaging). I've had 5 minute waits and some up to 2-3 hours, but someone will always get back to you relatively quickly via FB.

Yes, Wonder had WOW bands earlier this month. We forgot about them and started noticing them half-way through our sailing and skipped them this time. We've never had them on Royal, just the Magic Bands at Disney, but will try them some day!

Same here! Late last night the CC balance suddenly reflected the total charges, but no transaction details. This morning all 6 purchases are properly posted with the 11/8/23 transaction date. Happy this resolved sooner than later for sure!

Phew... we booked it for next May for the first time based (in part) on the recommendation of one of Matt's awesome RC blog videos from 2021. No kids, so we wanted a more chill atmosphere and we liked what we saw on the video. I guess it's changed in the last year or so? I've heard so many negative comments about Mr. Sanchos over the last few years and we had no desire to go there. Happy to hear you had a great time!

I didn't want to, but I did ... I contacted Royal via the chat function through Royal's FB page this time. I pushed and they too insist emphatically that everything is in order and they even sent me an e-mail confirming all 7 of my completed cruise planner purchases (6 from this sale) with transaction numbers, amounts, dates, etc. Excerpt... just Royal's FB chat comments... I called Chase again... this time they state there are no pending transactions (as previously confirmed in detail by Chase as waiting for "collection" by Royal) and that they all have dropped off... they assured me that if Royal collects these funds they were pre-authorized, etc., and not to worry... we'll see... There is nothing showing on my Chase credit card in any status related to these purchases. I have a feeling, as mentioned earlier, that the charges will mysteriously appear next month with 11/8 and/or 11/9 transaction dates.

I agree! I comment on the "crazy" price for now, but at some point we'll probably book it down the road just to have the experience (maybe not this sailing)!

Enjoy your cruise! We did the best we could to keep her tidy for you!

Enjoy your cruise!

I would definitely call the Crown & Anchor line (800-526-9723) and question them! I'm not sure if you were in a "solo" cabin or "normal" double-occupancy cabin. That may be the reason. Please let us know how you make out either way!

Not that I'm aware of.... the latest C&A guidelines for sailings 10/13/23 and onward per RC... As long as you paid the single pricing rate (booked cabin for one vs. two guests at double occupancy rate) you should get 2 points per night. Our friend had paid the double occupancy rate for a sailing last year... her husband could not make the cruise and she sailed solo, but only received one point per night since she had paid the double occupancy rate for her cabin. Doesn't make any sense to me, but who am I? Last page of document... Crown and Anchor Member Benefits (royalcaribbean.com)

It certainly won't be easy... you figure on a week-long sailing (assuming every night is sold out) only a max of 266 guests will be able to experience it for the entire sailing. Please report back on your experience!

We had 10:30-11:00 check-in too for our 10/29/23 Wonder sailing (PC).

I don't think it should be included, but at least they should get the same discount as those with the UDP at $130 pp. The number of Star Class guests is very limited compared to the folks with the UDP.

I'm sorry to tag on, but is it just me? Are they still holding back on specialty dining restaurants for Icon? Only 4 specialty restaurants listed in the Cruise Planner (Chops, Giovanni's, Izumi Sushi/Hibachi, and Hooked). We know no Mason Jar, 150 Central Park, or Wonderland on Icon, but I can't imagine there will be fewer choices. ... or are they just offering more casual (no reservation) choices similar to Playmakers, Portside BBQ, etc.

Yes, one seating daily at 6:00 PM for my 5/11/24 sailing.

It's ridiculous, but it appears so... no discount for Star Class guests, only for folks with the UDP. Star Class guests should at least get the UDP discounted price! We like the new concept, but that $200 cover price is a little crazy! It's more than twice the cost of Chef's Table! I mentioned it to Christine tonight and she yelled, "no way!"...

I'm going to wait and see for now...

I should set that up! LOL! I have it set for deposits/withdrawals on my other accounts, should set that up for my CC's!

A similar issue occurred a few years ago and the explanation sounds familiar. Apparently, the process is: (1) Royal submits charges to CC, (2) CC confirms either approved or declined, and finally (3) Royal electronically "collects" the funds from the CC. Chase claims I'm stuck in step 3 right now... Royal has not reached out to collect after Chase verified/approved the amount(s).

Not sure if they ever showed as pending transactions... I did not check for 2-3 days (when I checked to confirm the credit for the cancellation).

OK, here's my update... As mentioned previously, on the evening of 11/8 I cancelled one previously purchased CP item, rebooked it at the lower sale price, and purchased 5 other items. The credit from the cancellation hit my Chase VISA within a couple of days with 11/9 as the transaction date. None of the 6 purchases from that evening have posted or appeared as pending on my Chase VISA. I called Royal Caribbean via the Crown & Anchor number (800-526-9723) and got through immediately. The rep confirmed all 6 items were in "Approved" status in their system (vs. "Pending") and I should have absolutely nothing to worry about... They of course suggested I call Chase to find out why these charges have not posted to my account. I called Chase and they explained all 6 transactions are showing as "Approved" in their system (not declined), but have not posted because Royal has not "Collected" the funds electronically to date. Only after the funds are collected by Royal, and the transaction is fully completed, will the charges post to the credit card. I called back RC... the CS rep had no idea what I was referring to and just explained that everything is proper/approved in their system and I have nothing to worry about... So, Chase explained the posting "issue", but Royal CS apparently could not offer anything further. I'll just wait a few more days and call back if these funds are not collected by Royal.

My wife an I were briefly looking at the Oasis 8-night Southern Caribbean itinerary in early 2026 as we want to get back to Aruba, Curacao, etc., but we may also just change gears and wait for the FEB release to consider Symphony up here and take advantage of no airfare/hotel/food expenses (just parking). We'll see! Hmmm...