Linda R

Dion was good to us, we paid it forward

I don't have a ballpark figure.
I just cruise because I love it. I'm lucky to have made decisions in my life that have allowed me to be able to afford my cruising addiction.
I didn't get the cruise bug until after I retired and a friend who was employed on a cruise ship invited me to experience what it was like. 
His intention was to get me to accept a position like his. Unfortunately for him....but very fortunate for me....I really enjoyed being a passenger. Much more than he enjoyed being an employee. So I turned down the offer and never looked back.
I was hooked.
I live near the ports in Bayonne and Manhattan. Easy drive...especially on weekends.
My budget is personal and inconsequential...however I'm very appreciative of my ability to be able to enjoy as much time aboard as I do...and will continue to do so as much as I like.
Hello. My name is Brian and I'm a Cruisaholic.😎...*I love that line!*

There are so many factors that figure in when trying to price out any cruise.  Do you need to fly to the city of port?  If so, then a hotel room is most likely needed…which also will include dining costs.  Also transportation costs to and from port and/or hotel to get back to airport.  While on any cruise there is most likely going to be extra costs such as non-complimentary dining, shopping, excursions, oh…and for many…gambling (which may or may not be profitable!).
So trying to figure out how much to budget would be very complicated and, for me, almost impossible to figure out.  Not to mention we have never talked finances to others as it is and should be a personal topic.
Ballpark figures could be all over the place depending on any individual’s financial status…from a few thousand to tens of thousands!  Some spend freely…some spend frugally…some are rich…some not so!  Lol some people live in debt and some don’t 😆.
I do believe what your budget is for you is perfect for your financial situation and I wish you well in your travels now and in the future. 😊 

Just wanted to mention that I had issue with meat (mainly beef) that was served in Europe.  Went to Chops 3 times and the filet was tough and chewy,  Could not eat.  I  mentioned it everytime and they said it was the meat qualities and cuts are different in  Europe.  Not at all the quality as US meats.   When I do Europe cruises I do not expect to get the same beef as US, nor the quality.  Too bad really.  So I rarely order beef on Europe cruises.  But other food was good and enjoyed very much.  

I reached Pinnacle earlier this year and loving it.  

I reached Pinnacle earlier this year and loving it.  

Point is legally accepting a FCC could be argued as accepting as a settlement. Don't touch it. Contact an attorney. The most you want to invest is having an attorney contact Royal looking for something. I would not go beyond that. Royal can bury you in legal fees. 

To you it may have looked like a goodwill gesture, but legally it may now be considered an accepted settlement.  That's why everyone is saying you'll need to talk to an attorney.

We had 12 of us on a cruise once.  They put 2 tables next to each other to accommodate us.  We rotated seats at each dinner to be able to visit with different people.  As you usually only have conversations with the people near/next to you.  It worked great.

We had 12 of us on a cruise once.  They put 2 tables next to each other to accommodate us.  We rotated seats at each dinner to be able to visit with different people.  As you usually only have conversations with the people near/next to you.  It worked great.

We had 12 of us on a cruise once.  They put 2 tables next to each other to accommodate us.  We rotated seats at each dinner to be able to visit with different people.  As you usually only have conversations with the people near/next to you.  It worked great.

We had 12 of us on a cruise once.  They put 2 tables next to each other to accommodate us.  We rotated seats at each dinner to be able to visit with different people.  As you usually only have conversations with the people near/next to you.  It worked great.

I agree, do not think the cruise line will do anything.   So sorry you are going  thru this.

Just wanted to mention that I had issue with meat (mainly beef) that was served in Europe.  Went to Chops 3 times and the filet was tough and chewy,  Could not eat.  I  mentioned it everytime and they said it was the meat qualities and cuts are different in  Europe.  Not at all the quality as US meats.   When I do Europe cruises I do not expect to get the same beef as US, nor the quality.  Too bad really.  So I rarely order beef on Europe cruises.  But other food was good and enjoyed very much.  

I would bet you will get nothing from the cruise line. If you have to you will have to try and sue for damages. Hire an attorney.

Totally agree

Totally agree

The Oasis class ships don’t seem crowded at all for the most part. The exception is always going to be the elevators and the buffet regardless of the size of the ship. If you are able bodied then the stairs are always an option. As for service, that’s hit or miss depending on the ship and the venue. I’ve had entire cruises with exceptional service across the board and others that were pretty bad. In late 2023 it’s all about managing expectations. If you pick apart every aspect of your cruise regarding service, food quality (and the list goes on) you will find plenty of flaws and room for improvement. IMHO time is better spent focusing on the fact that you are fortunate enough to have the ability to afford a vacation  that many families are not able to take. 

DEFINITELY make time to spend in 270!! even when nothing is slated to happen there, it was our favorite indoor area of the ship. 
giovanni’s (the new format) is also delicious!!

Every soul on board must have a seat in a lifeboat.  This applies even to an infant that is 6 months old even though an infant at that age would not use their own seat in a lifeboat.  SOLAS regulations don't recognize or reflect a difference from an infant to an adult, a soul is a soul that requires a seat in a lifeboat.
If there was one slot left for anyone to book a cruise before that cruise was sold out, an infant booked on a cruise prevents an adult from booking that available slot.  Given the price models for the industry an infant is no different from an adult right down to the capacity of a muster zone that groups of cabins are assigned to with all the guests in those cabins having a seat in the lifeboats assigned to that muster station.
It's common for new parents to hope for a break in pricing for an infant but the price models for everyone who books a cruise are built so many common costs are covered or shared by the masses of adults booking that cruise.  "But it's just one baby" until there are 30 or 40 or 100 babies on a ship that carries several thousands of passengers.  At that point for a cruise line to offer cheaper rates to infants someone else has to pay more and that would be all the other adults.  That's fine from a socialist perspective but not all other adults want to cover the cost of someone else's infant.  
Fortunately for parents Royal does offer Kids Sail Free promotions but as many families discover those rates require more expensive cabins that can accommodate more than two guests which gets back to the seats in a lifeboat concept.  The vast majority of cabins on a ship are designed for two guests and that is part of the safety equation so that every guest has a seat in a lifeboat.  Hotels on land don't have lifeboats with finite seating capacity so cruise ships are not at all like hotels in this regard which can be a hard concept for some families to wrap their heads around. 
"It's just a tiny infant" except it isn't from a safety on a ship perspective.   If safety regulations were to be relaxed then there would be some less honest company that would attempt to circumvent safety regulations by over-stuffing a ferry or some other type of passenger vessel to leverage such a loophole.  For this reason safety regulations are not flexible even though a reputable company like Royal may not choose to find a way around the regulations should the regulations be less strict than they are. 
These regulations are international and they have evolved over the decades generally resulting from loss of life and previous disasters.    
And so it's complicated, more than apparent at first glance.

To fair I'm sure the majority of Pinnacle members are invisible. It's just the few arrogant ones stand out. I'm not here to hate on Pinnacle members. I wish I could cruise enough and in suites to get to that level. 🤣 I would be absolutely invisible as I am now. The only way you would know is if counted the number of free drinks I got per day. 🍻🤣

I prefer larger and newer ships.  Oasis class is fantastic.   Symphony, Oasis and Harmony are my favorites.  I also like Odyssey.

I prefer larger and newer ships.  Oasis class is fantastic.   Symphony, Oasis and Harmony are my favorites.  I also like Odyssey.

They use sales data for that, as they should.
Which cruisers? Some do, some don't, just like big ships. I hate smaller ships.

Wonder>Symphony>Oasis>Harmony>Allure
It’s pretty easy when you have 5 of the greatest ships ever in the same class. RC hit a home run with Oasis class!