Chadster

Are you sure the phone flipped the image and that you haven't just had several Krakens and this is your view? 

@Neesa This is exactly what happened with me! I talked with Sharla about the June cruise on Adventure just before she left, and she told me if I wanted to wait to get back, she'd book it for me. Well, that's when all the madness started, I saw prices on Adventure were really awesome. I didn't want to take something away from Sharla, so I PMed Annette and asked her if there was any way somebody could put a courtesy hold on a cabin for me, but that I could still work with Sharla. Annette had a courtesy hold for me in a few minutes, and shortly thereafter, my connection with Kelley happened, and she's been a champ through it all -- even after I've said more than once "I shouldn't need anything else!", an email has gone out to her because of the fluid situation, and she's always helped me!

Now I'm trying to give them a break from me for a couple of days!  Besides, RCCL hasn't got any update on the situation with Canadian ports before July 1, so they can't really do much for me, even if I wanted them to!

MEI has been amazing! Somehow, their training and cool heads are able to handle me and my obsessiveness -- not even my loved ones can do that some days! 

7 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

I realize that but I prefer a refund. We’ve already lost money on nonrefundable air from UK. I am going to hold out hoping it will still be canceled at a later date. 

Completely understandable. I'm certainly not looking as hard at it as a possible future cruise now, either. It seems like I'd likely be wading into a tough situation.

24 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

@Chadster @Kata  I tried to fill out an online form for a refund for the April 12 cruise and it isn't included. So I guess it's still on and we don't get a refund.I can't  imagine going now. The  UK is full of coronavirus, the airlines are cancelling flights right and left, the Americans are running like rats off a sinking ship, events are canceled and RCCL is still going there? That's nuts.

You can still get a refund via the "Cruise With Confidence" program, per RCCL's Facebook team. I know a cruise credit might not be what you're feeling right now, but it's always an option.

9 minutes ago, Zambia-Zaire said:

Hmmm....I wonder if both options only apply to those whom cruises fit within the 30-day suspension or is it across the board  for cruises up to the July 31st FCC date???

Per RCCL's Facebook folk, it's just those within the 30-day window. Others before July 31 still qualify for the "Cruise With Confidence" policy announced last week.

13 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

Well, the captain can't count! Our cruise is April 12 and it is cancelled. Try to book it! It has disappeared.

Oddly, I just tried, and this was my result...

Thanks for this perspective! I've had a rather rocky road getting toward my first cruise on Royal, but now I'll get to go back to a blank slate and figure it out.

Good thing for me that I love logistics and planning! 

33 minutes ago, CowboyMedic said:

WHAT?!?!?! This day officially sucks.

Yes. Yes, it does. I was originally planning on sailing on Grandeur to New England/Canada on May 14, but I cancelled that last Saturday in favor of a carbon-copy itinerary out of Cape Liberty on Adventure a few weeks later in June. So now, I await whatever odd combination of cash/FCC I'll end up for both of them.

At this point, no changed itinerary could get me to keep the cruise booked. Without the Canadian ports, the cruise is kinda a wash for me, even though yes, it'd still be a cruise.

Here's the official announcement from Transport Canada.

3 hours ago, JLMoran said:

You know, the more things like this I see, the happier I am that I booked a cruise that departs in August for Canada (and Greenland, Iceland, and Ireland). 

Ugh...if only all this FCC I'm going to end up with could be used with Celebrity! I cancelled my cruise in May and rescheduled for June, and now I'm guessing that one's cancelled, too.

I might see if I can take refund penalties and just get the cash back on my card; if so, I might be joining you!

I...

Well, there goes my much-needed cruise in June. Now, I guess I just wait for guidance from Royal.

I'm holding out hope that maybe they'll just change the itinerary to cruise the St. Lawrence and back -- because nothing against our New England port visits, but they weren't exactly why I booked the itinerary...

2 hours ago, sabarwolf said:

This chaplain (and church nerd) goes for the Doxology.

You apparently aren't the only one!

9 minutes ago, Kata said:

We have a Transatlantic on April 12.  We still debating if to cancel or not????

I was actually trying to decide whether or not to book it today; since the ship docks in Southampton, getting home through London wouldn't be a problem -- though I can't help but think if this travel ban continues, British airports will become quite crowded.

It's an odd situation -- the flight is nearly as expensive as the cruise itself.

I might try again in a couple of days, depending on availability and prices at that point. The last week or so has left me with a bit of cruise-planning-and-pricing fatigue, and I know my travel agent has plenty on her plate! 

Here are a few more.

23 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Has the price of the upgraded cabin fallen below what you paid ?

Yes.

However, I'm not going to worry about it. I'm happy enough with the fact I was able to move to a corner aft-facing cabin! 

Per my TA, Royal's not offering the available JSs as a complimentary upgrade on my sailing. Ah, well -- I tried!

Among the available JSs are aft-facing ones.

So, I keep watching the wild room-availability game going on with my June cruise to New England and Canada on Adventure; there are inexpensive junior suites to be had! My question is, as a solo traveler, is a junior suite really "worth it"? I'm not talking economically at this point with the way prices have been stood on their head. Would I really notice the extra space when as a solo traveler, everything is more spacious? I'm currently situated in an aft-facing balcony.

I know you don't get the suite perks, and I've seen a JS basically called a "spacious spacious ocean balcony" room. Given that, would you rather...?

#stillgoing

84 days til Adventure out of Cape Liberty to points American and Canadian!  Hey, Boston: "The cruisers are coming...the cruisers are coming!" 

There are definitely good bargains to be had; the OVB I booked on Monday evening is, as of about 48 hours later, now nearly $800 less than I paid. My TA managed to get me a price drop yesterday when it went down less than 24 hours after I booked when it dropped nearly $200, so I'm not so sure RC would be accommodating now...and I think my TA needs a break from me. 

That being said, I might have her look into a possible paid upgrade in a day or two -- if there's anything that's still actually higher than I paid in the next day or two...at the moment, even a JS is cheaper than what I paid 48 hours ago. 

I cancelled my 5/14 cruise on Grandeur and booked the same itinerary (different departure points) on 6/4 aboard Adventure. I put the cruise on Adventure on my credit card, and once my FCC is processed and issued, I'll use it on this new cruise and get the amount back on my card since it will process as an over-payment. And of course, I'll be getting the taxes/fees/prepaid gratuities from my cancelled cruise back as well, separate from the FCC.

Weirdly, with my cruise that I just cancelled, I could actually make a bid (I didn't). My new cruise, I get the above message. In the case where I could bid, I was well on the other side of 30 days out. 

54 minutes ago, AnnetteJackson said:

One thing to consider is if you are cancelling your upcoming cruise under the "Virus rules" and getting a FCC for your rooms.  Those FCC's are tied to you and not the agency.  This means you could find new cruises and use that with another agency.

This is exactly what I did, and I'm already very thankful I did. I now have much more peace of mind and I feel like me having a positive cruising experience is one of their utmost priorities -- and that means a lot, especially when I can actually reach out and be answered in a timely fashion.

Thanks for the insights, everybody -- I'll be cruising on Grandeur Dec. 18-26 this year! I'm excited; Christmas honestly hasn't ever been one of my favorite holidays -- I'm not an Ebeneezer Scrooge by any stretch, though -- but this year, I'm really excited that I'll be on a ship on Christmas Day in the morning (and I guess the rest of the day, too...)