Jump to content

cruisellama

Members
  • Posts

    2,393
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

Reputation Activity

  1. Like
    cruisellama got a reaction from MaryS in The Evolution of Cruising   
    Publicly traded companies have an obligation to increase the value of those companies to the stockholders - yes the mass marketed lines can increase the bottom line by increasing efficiencies through technology and automation, reducing personnel costs.   If the service / experience become negative to the point of losing a customer base, then they adjust the other way.  Those of us who remember a "better" days of more attentive cruising are not the new market lines are positioning to capture.   They're setting up for the next generations that don't have the same expectations (experience) we may have had.  They'll expect technology and experiences over the personal service touch.  
    If you like cruising, you don't have to necessary adapt.  There is also the option to go to a premium, inclusive experience line.  We're being nudged that way.  We'll see what things look like after getting through the planned 2024 bookings.
  2. Like
    cruisellama got a reaction from Neesa in Changes to Celebrity MDR   
    I watched Laura's webinar on this topic and was impressed that she agreed with guest concerns after experiencing the menu on the Equinox with her team and directed change to the fleet.   We' be sailing in a couple of weeks -updated  menu should just start rolling out.
  3. Like
    cruisellama got a reaction from Neesa in The Evolution of Cruising   
    Publicly traded companies have an obligation to increase the value of those companies to the stockholders - yes the mass marketed lines can increase the bottom line by increasing efficiencies through technology and automation, reducing personnel costs.   If the service / experience become negative to the point of losing a customer base, then they adjust the other way.  Those of us who remember a "better" days of more attentive cruising are not the new market lines are positioning to capture.   They're setting up for the next generations that don't have the same expectations (experience) we may have had.  They'll expect technology and experiences over the personal service touch.  
    If you like cruising, you don't have to necessary adapt.  There is also the option to go to a premium, inclusive experience line.  We're being nudged that way.  We'll see what things look like after getting through the planned 2024 bookings.
  4. Thanks
    cruisellama reacted to Mike.s in Changes to Celebrity MDR   
    Sounds like Celebrity have listened to feedback on the recent changes to the MDR menu and are rolling some of them back.
    Perhaps Royal might listen to feedback and do the same??
    https://www.cruisehive.com/celebrity-cruises-makes-dining-changes-after-guest-feeback/114720
     
  5. Like
    cruisellama reacted to Ampurp85 in Gratuities raised   
    I always prepay my gratuity. I don't think this is such big deal to me that I would be upset. However, this is slightly getting out of hand when everything is going up, but quality and service is decreasing.
  6. Like
    cruisellama reacted to smokeybandit in Gratuities raised   
    Even more of a reason now just to include this in the cruise fare instead of a daily room charge.
     
    Heck they could have just rolled the increase right into the cruise fare and no one would notice.
  7. Sad
    cruisellama reacted to WAAAYTOOO in Gratuities raised   
    🤬
  8. Like
    cruisellama reacted to smokeybandit in Gratuities raised   
    And $18.50 to $20.50 for suites.
     
    Looks like I'm going to be calling to pre-pay at the old rate.
  9. Sad
    cruisellama reacted to RCIfan1912 in Gratuities raised   
    I didn't see a thread so I apologize if there is and I didn't see it or this is old news I missed but I just got an email gratuities are going up again by 2.00 bucks a day. 18.00 bucks a day, per person. I mean I love the crew on the ships so I'm not gonna flip or anything. It is what it is I guess. My favorite saying. 🤣
  10. Like
    cruisellama reacted to twangster in Diamond Lounge   
    Overcrowding in the lounge has been an issue for a long time.  The original 3 free drinks nearly 10 years ago was an early attempt to deal with it.  The limited drink menu back then made the 3 drinks less appealing.  Before the shutdown and the double points promo there were numerous threads on how Royal needs to fix the program due to high numbers.  The 4/5/6 anytime drinks from the full bar menu was another attempt to deal with it.  Restricting D+ and P lounge access on high top tier cruises started before the shutdown.  These are examples of tweaks to the program to deal with increasing numbers and most of the current tweaks have roots from before the shutdown and double points promo.  
    The double points promo for most cruisers just restored what would have been their natural place if the industry wasn't shutdown.  The exception is frequent cruisers who gained more benefit from it.  I've not heard Pinnacles complaining about it, just the opposite as many used it to advance themselves to another free cruise certificate (or two, or three).  Instead it's mostly Diamonds who I've heard complain about it, unaware for many that crowded lounges are a decades old problem.
  11. Love
    cruisellama got a reaction from WAAAYTOOO in Isreal cruises 2024   
    You can't know what will happen, but if you look back on Covid, they played a game of getting people to make final payments, then once in the window, cancelled the cruise.   So if you let them cancel, you get a refund, if you cancel on your own by not completing final payment, they keep more.  Plan on it going and put the burden on them to cancel.  That's how I'd play it.   (Had a similar situation during Covid - and that't how it played out- made final payment then they refunded everything once it was cancelled.)  Additional thought, if Israel is only a stop and not an embarkation/disembarkation point, , they'll just change the cruise itinerary to stop at a different country and the cruise would not cancel - just change.  
  12. Like
    cruisellama reacted to tjcruisers in If you were in charge of RCCL, what changes would you make?   
    Well, if I was in charge I'd have to think like CEO, would be trying to look at win/wins
    I remember a time where they multiple levels of drinks packages (beer/wine, spirits, everything). Not sure why they went away from that. While I can drink enough to recoup the cost of the current package, my liver doesn't want me to do that 🙂 . This causes me to pay as I go and for the most part I really don't drink much on the cruise. Maybe has some in the middle type thing (i.e. 10 drink card). Fix the website. On page 1 I can look at prices for inside, outside, balcony and suite. If I filter for balcony, having page 5 asking me again is somewhat annoying.  Enforce rules that they have, whether it's chairhogs, dining attire, etc Have some type of all in fare option.
  13. Haha
    cruisellama got a reaction from rjweber3 in Integration of RC Loyalty Programs   
    Celebrity ships lack the spare "real estate" to add a separate high tier club. (If you look at their current on board Captain's Club space - it's pitiful - CC rep desk and a few chairs..     Their business model relies more on buy-in for some level of inclusive perks.  ie  - "money can buy you love..  😁".     If you look at higher end lines, you're paying for greater inclusivity of on-board benefits like dining, drinks, etc.   Getting a few drink coupons doesn't really help you out on the high end line as you've already paid for it.
  14. Like
    cruisellama reacted to twangster in Integration of RC Loyalty Programs   
    If anything Royal is probably trying to figure out how to de-emphasize the focus on the loyalty program.  
    Carnival has loyal followers yet VIFP is mostly all about nothing.  
    Who is better off?  Carnival offering very little to the masses and some very minor perks to the top elite, or Royal, offering so much to the growing masses?
  15. Like
    cruisellama reacted to Cello56 in Please help calculate (I am anxious!)   
    I am not trying to be snarky, just genuinely curious. Why? What is it about Pinnacle that would make you want to spend this much money to sail alone just to reach that milestone faster? I'm wondering if you have added up the additional value of Pinnacle level verses the cost of all these cruises? Free internet - not expensive to purchase. Free drinks? Diamond Plus already get  5 per day each. Free cruise? $2500 or so is a drop in the bucket in comparison. My DH and I are completely loyal to Royal with over 50 cruises and over 400 points, but we just don't see the value of chasing Pinnacle. That is why I am curious. No judgement, just wondering. 
  16. Thanks
    cruisellama reacted to twangster in Please help calculate (I am anxious!)   
    Keep an eye out for transatlantic deals if you really want to climb the ladder fast and have time.  Great value especially on older ships.  Twelve to fourteen nights doubles to a nice big number for climbing the ladder.  Splurge on a suite solo transatlantic and 14 x 3 = 42 points.  
    Also keep an eye when they have to re-deploy a ship like Rhapsody in Panama.  Sometimes they waive single supplements or offer reduced single supplements quietly without telling the world about it.    
  17. Like
    cruisellama reacted to Ampurp85 in Please help calculate (I am anxious!)   
    Any cabin but a solo cabin would be an extra point. Obviously sailing in JS or above would be 3pts.
    You only pay taxes, fees and gratuities for one person. Only the fare is double.  Once you reach the 340 threshold it will be 150% as opposed to 200%.
    Keep in mind that the points aren't cumulative. That means if only you sail, then the points are only yours. Your partner will share status but not points. That means if she sails without you it will be her points.
  18. Like
    cruisellama reacted to melmar02 in PDCC Twice, Our First B2B - Liberty OTS 10/31/23-11/10/23   
    Being from Dallas, we love sailing out of Galveston because it is relatively close to home – a 5 hour drive, a day in Houston at a museum or Space Center, then a short drive to port the next morning. But to say itineraries are limited is an understatement. We were looking for something a little different this time, and DH found a 6 day followed by a 4 day on Liberty sailing from Ft. Lauderdale. This was a no brainer for us as Liberty is our favorite ship, we get 10 days instead of our usual 7, and while we do go back to Cozumel and Costa Maya, which are on every Galveston sailing, we also get to visit two new ports for our family - Nassau and CocoCay…twice!  
    It will be the usual suspects: myself, DH, DD 15, and DS 11. We are staying in our favorite cabin, the 2 bedroom Grand Suite 9708. The 2 bedroom suites face aft on the Freedom and Voyager classes of ships, so we have a partially obstructed view with the superstructure. That doesn't bother us, and the extra living room and balcony space makes up for it.
    We will hit 140 points on embarkation day, so we should be receiving our first crystal block. This is also our first back to back. We booked an excursion through Royal on turnaround day, so I will make sure to report how that process goes.
     
    Here are the itinerary and excursion details:
    Sunday 10/29 Fly from Dallas to Ft. Lauderdale
    Monday 10/30 Ft. Lauderdale – Beach? Surf lessons as a Flowrider warm up? Nap all day in the hotel? We haven’t decided yet.
    Tuesday 10/31 Embarkation – The kids have their Halloween costumes ready to go.
    Wednesday 11/1 Sea day
    Thursday 11/2 Costa Maya – No plans. Maybe the aviary to stretch our legs.
    Friday 11/3 Cozumel – Save a Sea Turtle Experience
    Saturday 11/4 Sea day
    Sunday 11/5 Perfect Day. No plans. 
    Monday 11/6 Turn around day / Ft. Lauderdale – Everglades Airboat Ride
    Tuesday 11/7 Sea Day
    Wednesday 11/8 Perfect Day – Thrill Waterpark
    Thursday 11/9 Nassau – Queen’s Staircase, Fort Fincastle, and Pirate Museum on our own
    Friday 11/10 Debarkation
  19. Like
    cruisellama reacted to smokeybandit in Diamond Lounge   
    Seems kind of an odd thing to do since the happy hour isn't an open bar anymore.  It would make sense in the old days. Unless this is a quiet trial of what response will be. Or this just due to Quantum's current itinerary being a relocation cruise.
  20. Like
    cruisellama reacted to smokeybandit in Diamond Lounge   
    If this is going to be a fleetwide thing, that's pretty bush league of RC to say "don't worry, access isn't changing" then to change it a couple weeks later.
  21. Like
    cruisellama got a reaction from FireFishII in The Evolution of Cruising. Silver Origin to the Galapagos Islands   
    Fantastic documentation - quality photos - you could publish the Twangster Cruise Coffee table Book.   
  22. Confused
    cruisellama got a reaction from rjweber3 in Selling Celebrity at Next Cruise   
    Could this become the beginning of combining/consolidation of all three line reservation staffs?
  23. Like
    cruisellama got a reaction from rjweber3 in Sitka wants to slash cruise ship volume   
    Same kind of thing happened in Key West where they limited the size and number of ships that could visit.
  24. Haha
    cruisellama got a reaction from twangster in The Evolution of Cruising. Silver Origin to the Galapagos Islands   
    Fantastic documentation - quality photos - you could publish the Twangster Cruise Coffee table Book.   
  25. Love
    cruisellama reacted to twangster in The Evolution of Cruising. Silver Origin to the Galapagos Islands   
    After a warm shower and a cold drink delivered by my butler it was time to head down to the Explorers Lounge for another lecture and our final destination talk.
    The Bloody Baroness (see drink menu posted much earlier).

    After the talk it was dinner in the dining room.  I managed to slip in before anyone else so here are some pictures of the dining room aboard the Silver Origin.


     Dinner menu:

×
×
  • Create New...