MLH

You are a saint.  Think of what an experience you are providing at the expense of your sanity.

On 10/11/2023 at 11:36 AM, Transportation said:

Hi!

I am staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Venice and I am meeting the RC shuttle at City Center. Has anyone else ever done this before?

Yes, if it is just the two of you, you could take the bus as well,a little cheaper, but requires a little more walking.  We stayed at the Hilton Tapestry in Mestre.  It was very close to plenty of resturants and grocery store. 

The Margaritaville Catamaran tour.  Very very loud and then they forced you to go to Margartiville at the Falmouth tour.  When we refused to go in, they blocked the way back to the boat.

We also did a Royal snorkeling tour in Aruba which was dangerous.  People were crying in the water and couldnt get back into the boat due to people coming off.  The water was very rough.  The tour guide said dont go in front of the boat as the current will take you away. Was supposed to see a sunken boat but the water was so dark you couldn't see anything.

On 10/10/2023 at 5:20 AM, Bazza said:

I would throw a warning around the phrase 'Small group' as not sure RCI's definition of 'small' is the same as other people's!!

Booked the 'small group' on Explorer for Dubrovnik, which was cable car and guided tour of old town. Expected a small van/minibus and about 10 to 12 people, hoped to be getting off first and reduced waiting times etc etc. Ended up on a full size coach with about 25 people. We were 2nd or 3rd bus to the cable car so waited about 20-30 minutes to go up - not a major problem and well worth it for the views, but not quite the small group experience you would hope for!

Was a decent tour, but for about $100 each not what we expected based on the description.

If go to Dubrovnik again will just get local bus or taxi to old town and pay to do the walls as there was not enough time to do that with our 'free time' on the group tour.

We did got into a taxi and he offered the a city tour including going up the mountain for 55 Euro total.

Thanks @SweetPea.  Your response was far more in depth than the one I received.  Maybe they are looking at it.  

I followed a blogger during covid who left for Virgin and said there was a world of difference on Virgin for employees.  They are losing some great staff and many did not return after Covid.

There are many reasons for the changes to Star Class and people are booking at high numbers so why change for a few people who complain. 

I am recently Pinnacle and find value in cruising.  I traditionally sailed in suites and Star, but we just got back from an Explorer sailing with 12 people and we all had balconies.  I was perfectly content and was treated better on the MDR than in CK.  If I want the Suite experience I will gravitate  to Celebrity or Viking  even though they have no flowrider.  My loyalty has been Royal but they are outpricing and underperforming in their suite programs.

@SweetPeaDid you hear back from your email response?

10 hours ago, AlmondFarmer said:

I have a group of 40 with 5 Star suites on Harmony this Nov 5th. I will provide highlights of sailing. 

Wow. That sounds fabulous!

8 hours ago, SweetPea said:

Just a note to say i did fire off that response to Esther. I "Norma Rae'd" on behalf of all of you who were disappointed that complimentary cupcake and sushi classes are no longer. On charging for Captain Jack at PDCC. On charging for wine pairings at Chef's Table. On charging an overage of $2.50 per glass for mediocre Conundrum, that's regularly on sale for $16.99 a bottle here. (Ok that was for me.)

All of these things remind me of everyone's biggest complaint about Norwegian: nickel and diming.

I also took one for the team and lobbied:

The biggest is the lack of perks for Star Class on the FlowRider. I understand that it's popular, but a single one-hour early morning session for Star Class guests hardly exudes VIP experience. I had inquired about this on behalf of a friend sailing soon on Oasis Star Class, and the Genie said something to the effect of, make sure your friend goes because "it's hardly ever busy" during Star Class hour. What does that tell you? Offering a perk at an inconvenient time still allows you to call it a perk without it really being a perk. 

And finally, i hope my shaming them on this is a small ripple that will eventually lead to course correction, if enough of us follow suit. 

Now let's talk about the product deterioration that mattered most to us: embarkation and disembarkation procedures. 

 

In 2019 on our first Star Class cruise, my husband declared your procedures worth the cost of Star Class alone. A porter met you at check in and your luggage stayed with you, through security, and followed you directly to your room. At disembarkation, your Genie and porter met you at your room at the designated time and escorted you and your luggage through customs and out to the curb.

 

Now? Sorry, you're EXACTLY on par with the Haven. 

 

You check your luggage at the port, albeit with a priority tag, just like everyone else. (Exactly like Haven.)

 

You wait for your luggage to be delivered to your stateroom, just like everyone else. (Exactly like Haven.)

 

You put out your luggage the night before (albeit at a later time), just like everyone else. (Exactly like Haven.)

 

You find your luggage in a priority section of the terminal. (Exactly like Haven.)

 

If this is a battle you lost with CBP, i would encourage you to try harder.

 

Thank you! I really do hope that enough complaints/issues things will change.

I met Mark Tamis VP on the Presidents Cruise where I was sailing Star and brought up a minor issue the genie was having trying to wow us.  He told us that the company would rather hear about it during the sailing when they can correct the issue.  Sure enough within 2 minutes our genie called and told us our issue was resolved.   Mark Tamis has left the company and his vision for Star has burned out a little.

We have a sailing on Harmony Dec 3rd which is one of my last ones booked. 

9 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I wanted the "mad" emoji reaction for this one. Terrible.

IKR. This is why I have stopped wasting my time filing surveys out unless there is a blatant issue.  Maybe if enough of us say would not recommend,they would get the message.

5 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

This perfectly sums up all of the negatives with Star lately! Very well articulated. I am curious if they responded to you after that?

Yes. They said thank you for your feedback,our operational teams will reviews this.  lol

We just got back from Explorer out of Ravenna and  8 out of 12 ended up with Covid.  My daughter and I had it prior to the sailing, so we more than likely would have gotten it.  

Not saying we got it on the ship,but with all the travel on planes, trains, busses,  shuttles and crowds in Greece who knows????

9 hours ago, SweetPea said:

I've been sick as a dog today but i just realized i got this message. Yes, i didn't rate them that highly in the "likely to recommend" category because of the cost, for one (what do you kids say? Too bougie? Sure, you too can defer retirement for a full year to pay for one week in Star Class!). 

And two, embarkation and disembarkation were what sold Batman on the cost. Now their embarkation/debarkation procedures put them exactly on par with the Haven's procedures. (I told them this already. Not sure what else they want me to say)

Recieved the same email after I gave them poor ratings.  Here is my repsonse.

Does Harmony have them for StarClass?

There is also a bus from Tronchetto City center of Venice if you are staying closer.  We stayed in Mestre and it was a bus ride to the Shuttle center.  Just got back yesterday.  It is a 3 hour communte that goes slowly on back roads. 

15 hours ago, JVPIII said:

At 1 pm we still did not have our luggage so I text Wendy when she thought we should get it. Her response: Oh it should already be there let me follow up.

Two hours later we did not have luggage because It was hiding behind other luggage according to Wendy. Got luggage to the room at 3:30 pm. 

Note this on your survery!!!!!!!  We never get our luggage since after covid.  From now on when sailing on Star, we will be carrying it on board and send a photo of us to corporate hauling our own luggage.   I  think it gets lumped in with all other luggage and put off to the side and the stewards don't recognize the tags.  For non star sailings,  I have found that when I print the tags with the colors verus the hand written ones at the port they get there a little sooner.

2 hours ago, SweetPea said:

I went through all my email comms with Leticia, but she doesn't mention the FlowRider at all. I will find out for you though.

Thanks. More ammunition for December if they are doing the every 3 or 4th person durin gnon peak hours.  When we first started sailing Star the thermal suite was included for the week. I thought who would want to do that and lo and behold after one session, I was hooked.   Now you have to ask for a single day pass.  They don't offer it unless you ask.

On 9/19/2023 at 7:55 AM, SweetPea said:

I

 

For the record, i caught Batman in a good mood one night and asked him the max he'd pay for a week-long cruise in Star Class. Unsurprisingly, it was a *bit* less than the cost of this one.

My husband never asks.  lol  I  just say we got a good deal.  Enough for him.  I think he is afraid to ask.  My new excuse is Delta is changing its Medallion program so I have to pay off all the cruises we have booked.

We rented a car from PBI to Everglades. Florida does not have drop off fees for other locations.  We flew out of FLL coming back.

Criminals could not attack RCL because no one knows how it works in the company, so hackers would have a hard time too. 

6 hours ago, Rags1 said:

fter the show the ladies all had some casino time while I went back for the third performance of MO5AIC. I’m certain that classifies me as a fan!  

 

I think the term Groupie is appropriate

16 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I have asked a long time genie those questions too. Same responses

I know some will want to run

Not  popular opinion but I think they should stop Star Class on those 3/4day cruises.  There simply is not enough time to squeeze everything in from restaurants to shows.  We did STAR once on a 4 day and it was not as enjoyable, everything was rushed and had that been my first experience, I would not have probably booked anymore.  The genies are going to be running ragged. I  talked to a concierge on my Alaska trip and told her she would be an excellent genie. She said no way.  It is one of the most stressful jobs on the ship.

You had a great day in Seattle with weather!  Hopefully it will improve for you.

We got back August 20th. We had rain a few days and it was overcast. Very foggy and we could not get into one of the glaciers.  But the Hubbard was the clearest it has been all season.  It is hit or miss on the weather as my friend got back right before I left and she was in shorts and sunny the whole time.  

Love She's a geisha drink!  I have standing orders for them when I sail Star Class.

Maybe you can teach Sorrentos how to make pizza!