dwp10mm

40 minutes ago, baltodave said:

Great post @twangster !  I've also heard that the further north you go (e.g. Alaskan cruises) , the weaker the signal.  @twangster: care to comment?

I was on Quantum to Alaska two weeks ago.  I heard this as well.  While I didn't try to do any work meetings, the connection was very reliable.  So much so that I stopped testing after the first 2 days.  1st test was 9.2down/2.03 up.  2nd test a day later was 9.4down/2.95 up.  I never once had a problem checking email, sending pics/video, etc.  This was a blessing compared to the pitiful performance I had on Harmony in February.  Upload was almost unusable.  Funny thing is I remember having poor internet on Harmony even before Starlink was the solution.  So it makes me wonder if that just has something to do with their onboard network.

Likes others have said, it is a gamble.  You never know what you will truly get.

When I was on Oasis in December, I visited the Next Cruise desk to check pricing on an upcoming Harmony sailing.  The agent did show rates for both a Neighborhood Balcony Qty or an Oceanview Balcony Qty.  Prior to that visit I never saw that option on the website.  So if you call they may be have that ability as well.

14 minutes ago, LinRon2 said:

Wait....really!  You received shareholder OBC for all your sailings...months in advance?  No...actually a year in advance?  What gives?  RCI info we have says submit 21 days out [about].  Hey great gig if you can get it!  Don't understand though since one could sell their stock at any time [much less a year out and Brandon is doing such a great job at it and all]?

We have no plans to sell of course since we are now deeply in the RED, LOL.  But would be nice to submit just once for sailings throughout the year.  I somehow am suspicious of this though [that RCI really does that].  

We still haven't discerned what method succeeds in this...by email, on line submittal form, or written snail mail form?  We usually receive the benefit [not always though] and we usually submit several times using different methods [my wife and I each own 100+ shares in separate broker accounts so can submit separately, though just looking for the single benefit per stateroom of course].  

 

Worked for me a few weeks ago.  I submitted the online form one time and noted 4 cruises.  The OBC showed up in my cruise planner about 3 days later for Aug. 2022, Dec. 2022, Feb. 2023 and June 2023.

I'm getting on Independence on 8/29.  I had to get a hotel off 95 since hotels in Cocoa Beach were going for crazy prices if not sold out.  I certainly hope to see the launch that morning, but also hope it doesn't impact me getting to the ship for my 11:00 am arrival.  If it is scrubbed, then I have a second chance to see it when I get off on 9/3.  If that happens, then I plan to stick around for it and make it a two day drive home instead.  I haven't seen a launch since the very first Challenger flight.  This is a great opportunity for a rare first launch viewing.

The website can be finicky on the discount.  I never book until I see that my C&A number was captured in the pricing and there is some corresponding discount shown.  Just make sure you are always putting it in the field for guest information.  There is also a pop-up option when looking at a cruise price that asks for details such as State and C&A number to ensure you are getting the best price.  When I booked Oasis for December, I swear I had to enter it and re-enter the information at least 5 times before the pricing screen showed it adding the balcony discount on my rooms.  Calling may be best be even then it depends on the quality of the rep you reach.  So far this year I'm 4 out of 6 on talking to quality reps.  So I know I'm winning that game based on other people's feedback on the various boards.  LOL.

13 minutes ago, AlohaLivin said:

If you don’t get your pins , you can see the loyalty ambassador next time you are onboard about that. They may be able to give you the ones you’re missing as well. 

This.  We were on a B2B on Odyssey in February.  On week one we crossed the Diamond point threshold.  So we went to see the Loyalty Ambassador in week one so he could "approve/flag" us as Diamond for week two.  When putting the information in his computer, he asked if we wanted our pins now.  I replied yes because we have never gotten the pins for any level before.  He came back with Platinum, Emerald and Diamond pins for both of us.

Get rid of the bionic bar and put a real one in its place.  I would also vote for the art auction and crazy number of watch/jewelry shops on board.  

Agree with all here.  That actual "sale" hasn't changed in months.  I've been tracking a 4 day for about 2 weeks now and was waiting to see if any new sale was going to start. Instead, I noticed I haven't received a promotional email from Royal in a week now.  Normally these are daily mailings.  So either their email is being blocked or they stopped the marketing frequency in the past week.  At this point no sales is going to make a material pricing difference in the cruise I'm tracking.  So I'll just log in and price it several times a day.  For cruise planner purchases, I'm holding out for Black Friday.  Only concern is if that is too close to my Dec. 11th Oasis cruise to secure a larger than normal discount on the Deluxe Beverage Package.  

16 minutes ago, KristiZ said:

MisterZ is with you here! Just off Jewel where they actually had Newcastle Nut Brown Ale on draft in the Schooner Bar. He was over the moon! 

27 minutes ago, PatsFanBrian said:

My issue isn't the hard liqour, I'm always specific with my requests (my wife is Tito's, I'm Bombay Sapphire), but it's the beer selection.  I've railed on this in the past, but it's definitely a pain point for me.  It would be nice to have an occasional IPA offering, or a seasonal brew.  But we just keep getting the Bud, Bud Light, Miller Light, Corona, Coors Light, etc.  There's a whole world of beer out there and there's plenty of good commercial beer to stock up with.  Yeah, the Pubs sometimes have other choices, but those choices have remained stagnant for years and I don't always want to be in the Pub.  A few years ago, the pub on Serenade had an IPA, I may have single handedly wiped out what they had in stock.

 I'll be happy to become the Royal Beer Guy if they need some help.

My first post here to tell you I 100% agree with this.  Then to my surprise, I had a B2B on Odyssey in February and was shocked to find Terrapin Hopsecutioner on draft in Playmakers.  I would love to find something like this in the Pub on other ships.  Like you I had to rely on cans of Stone IPA or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in the Pub on all previous cruises.