Ian T

When you consider that ships commonly operate a same day turn around between cruises this technically creates a continuous succession of B2Bs - the concept of a B2B only really applies from a guest perspective when we happen to be on two separate but consecutive sailings. IMO therefore, as in your case neither sailing is longer than 7 days I would expect you to be fine.

We are on the same sailing. Hoping we hear something from RCL about their plans for it before the Dec 11th final payment date.

Reference @Matt's recent blog article pondering whether RCL might follow suit, I can't decide what I think of the idea. The extras will of course be built into the cruise fare and I'm not sure I want RCL to set the price for me... I kinda like following the CP pricing and feel very pleased with myself when I bag a bargain! ? EDIT: Having now thought about it further, IMHO it will be better to leave RC cruises "as is" as the availability of the choice is likely to reduce the number of customers who may feel compelled to walk away from the wider RCL group (I'm not suggesting I'm one of them BTW).

Holding out hope that rather than cancelling our 8 nighter in Feb, RCL will cut it down to 7 by missing out Port Canaveral or Nassau... who knows, maybe they will cut both of the other stops and we can overnight at CocoCay and still get back in 7! (Nothing wrong with having dreams, right? ?)

7 days or 7 nights it sadly doesn't bode well for our 8 nighter in Feb 2021 ? Guess we'll have to sit tight and wait to hear whether RC decides to cut it short (maybe miss Port Canaveral and/or Nassau and visit CocoCay only) or cancel the whole thing (I'm afraid I am ignorant about what's involved in changing an itinerary, but suspect it doesn't come without its challenges). EDIT: Sorry... just seen the thread started by @JT2 on the general discussion board ?

Welcome to the forums @Elzbeth ?

After a long period of pestering we finally convinced good friends of ours to cruise with us and are booked on Anthem out of NJ in Dec 21. We have booked through MEI but as it will be their very first time cruising I am acting as the point person for them. They have a balcony cabin for their family of 4 and repricing has saved them a total of USD 2,424 so they are super pleased... we are now keeping everything crossed that we will actually get to sail so they can see first hand just how good an experience they will be getting for their money! ?

Thank so much!

I have a question that has no doubt been asked a number of times already so I apologise... Are the taxes and fees the only element that cannot be covered by the FCC or do the pre-paid gratuities also fall into this bucket (the comments above suggest they do)? The reason I ask is I have a FCC in GBP that more than covers my only remaining future booking in this currency (the rest are booked in USD following my conversion to team MEI) so I will end up forfeiting the balance. If pre-paid gratuities can be included then I "only" stand to lose about USD100, but if they cannot I am better off foregoing the extra 25% and converting the FCC to a refund, then paying for the future booking in the usual way. Thanks!

Absolutely! Each time I call I am asked to hold at the end in order to answer a feedback question but each time I wait a few seconds and the call disconnects. I have flagged it to the rep on a few previous occasions but it seems the gremlin that is causing it refuses to budge. I'll keep a look out for a possible feedback request...

I want to give a big shout out to a hard working RCL employee. I have just put down the phone from calling the number for the UK regarding my cancelled Anthem Oct 2020 Southampton cruise, where I reached Mary. I proceeded to throw a whole host of requirements at her including refunds of FCC and CP purchases, conversion of an existing unused FCC into a refund (required as this was the last opportunity to use it - it is issued in GBP and all my future sailings are now booked in USD through MEI), reactivation and reallocation of a CP 125% credit voucher - and to a TA booking to boot, and chasing a separate outstanding refund. I have to say that Mary was an absolute star! ? Whilst I was on the phone for the best part of half an hour it's absolutely no surprise given how much I asked her to do - in fact I expected to be much longer. To some extent the proof will be in when my refunds arrive; however Mary has little influence over this personally and she has done everything else that she said she would - I can already see the changes in my bookings records. I would love for RCL management to know about my experience, particularly as people like Mary are at the vanguard of flying the RCL flag whilst dealing with disappointed guests during these unusual times. I could of course send an email but I have no guarantee that it will reach its intended recipient... does anyone know if there is the equivalent of an on-board crew feedback card that I can complete?

Not necessarily a good thing IMO. I get that the Commission is looking to drive consistency of approach in the industry toward consumers but, although we may have some frustrations with the current situation, it seems to me that we have more favourable and flexible options available to us than we would under the Commission's proposed standards... I am not saying that they will do this as I would expect commerciality to win the day, but in theory if the cruise lines were to adopt the standards they would appear to be well within their rights to drop any 125% FCC or similar compensation offers and simply stick to a refund within 180 days policy.

I don't see it as a contradiction - The website alludes to the information on the FCC email when it opens with "Future Cruise Credits in most cases are nontransferable." It then goes on to set out where "most cases" doesn't apply. At least that's my take on it... I have to admit that I haven't put it to the test and will of course defer to the experience of anyone who has.

Have just read my last post back and am sorry if it sounds like a moan... that really wasn't my intention, I just felt like sharing my thoughts! ? Staying with the positive, another bonus should RC cancel is the CP credit is issued in USD regardless of the currency used to book the cruise fare, so I will be able to take advantage of the 125% uplift and apply it to one of my later cruises ?

I also expect RC to follow suit - NCL have made the decision despite the work being undertaken by the healthy sail panel and I can't see RC being in an different situation, particularly given that the panel is a joint venture - however given RC's track record in this regard the big question is when... This is important to me as the final payment date for an October sailing out of Southampton is looming. I have been doggedly holding out but, sadly, more in hope than expectation and given the recent developments in Spain I have now resigned myself to the fact that I won't be cruising again until 2021 (when I have three sailings to look forward to - Yay! ?) FCC will be no good to me as I booked it in GBP (before I saw the error of my ways and joined Team MEI! ?) and by virtue of using MEI all of my future bookings are in USD, but if RC cancel before the final payment date I can get my non refundable deposit back without the need to shell out the balance. In case any of you are wondering I looked at L&S too but the only sailing within the qualifying window is same itinerary but with an extra sea day, so it's off the table as far as L&S goes.

This is a shock to me too as it is contrary to what I have been advised by RCI.

Nope not yet, but if you choose the 6th Feb 8 day sailing you may well see us on board! ?

I'm all for that! ?

I am a UK citizen due to sail on Anthem out of Southampton on 17th October, but I still don't know if I will be able to travel either given the recent UK FCO advice to simply avoid cruising indefinitely... whilst it is an advice rather than an order, if the advice does not change I wonder (i) whether RCI will bother to go ahead with the sailing given that a large proportion of the guests are likely to be UK citizens, and (ii) if the sailing does go ahead, how my travel insurer will feel about me sailing contrary to FCO advice! ? Much as I hate to admit it, cashing in my FFCs for refunds and sitting tight until all the wrinkles are finally ironed out is looking a more attractive prospect with each passing day. ?

From the Q&A section on RCI's web site: I am presuming that the "new Future Cruise Credit" can then be transformed into a refund as per the following:

Good advice, thanks.

Ever the optimists, we have booked two sailings to the Caribbean in 2021/22. We want to ride a zip line (or two); however the question is which experience(s) to choose. Dragon's Breath at Labadee looks awesome and has already made the list, but we also have further options at Twilight Canopy, San Juan Pelican, St Maarten Canopy Tour, Antigua Hotwire Pitons, St Lucia Sky Safari, St Kitts Countryside Adventure, Dominican Rep. Does anyone feel that any of the above are worthy of a special mention (good or not so good)?

I know that @Sharla is on the case and will no doubt be in a position to share the definitive answer in due course, but FYI I have just got off the phone with RCI. I called on another matter but I too have applied CP 125% FCC to a forthcoming cruise and so asked out of interest what would happen if the new cruise is cancelled by RCI (it's out of the UK in Oct 2020). The agent advised that as I have a FCC certificate number it will simply be reactivated, reverting me back to the position that I was in before I applied it. Time will tell as to whether this is indeed correct, I am sure; however I hope of course that I don't have to find out as we will be on board spending it instead!

I suspect it is glitch. I am seeing similar for a Dec 21 Anthem sailing where there is no Chops + 1 listed. Given that it is over a year away I am just waiting it out for now...

Every time I speak with the RC call centre on the number provided for the UK I am asked whether I will stay on the line afterwards to be transferred to complete a survey. Every time I agree to do so and every time I wait for 15 secs or so only for the line to then be disconnected. I have raised this with the RC rep on each of the last few occasions and I am apparently not the only person to do so; however RC have not fixed it... I guess with all the challenges around refunds, FCCs, L&S etc, they feel they already have more feedback than they care for! Whatever the reason it is a real shame as the RC reps themselves have generally tried hard to help me and it would nice to be able to recognise this.