monorailmedic

There are a few points that I can't shake when thinking about cruise line loyalty programs (for RCI and others):
I've yet to find any reasonably attainable perk that is worth compromising new experiences for.  Companies have loyalty programs because they can offer things of less than consequential value to keep customers.  If the benefits held that much value, it wouldn't make any financial sense for a line to offer them.  Digging in deeper for a loyalty program is, in a funny way, showing to cruise lines that they work - they can offer something of little value and get you to shell out more money. Loyalty program perks/rewards are benefits one gets FOR cruising with a given line, and shouldn't be seen as THE reason to cruise with a certain line.  The reason TO cruise with a given line is because you like their product!  If I have a local ice cream place that gives me a free scoop after buying ten, it'd be odd to keep going there for the "free" (definitely not free - you paid to get that perk), it makes sense to go there if you like their ice cream.  That's why you went the first and second time, right? Now, all that in mind, I recognize that there are certain circumstances in which "strategic escalation" might make sense, but they're very slim cases.  An example might be if after your next cruise you'll be just a point or two away from Diamond, and you know that the cruise after that you'll be sailing solo.  Since you'll get a much more favorable solo rate on that next sailing if you move up, you might do the math and find (depending on the rates), that a suite upgrade on your sailing has somewhere around a net-zero cost (or you might not - many variable exist here).  Again though, those are fringe cases.
Remember why you cruise a given line (or lines) in the first place - the things you like about that experience are the reasons to cruise.  The loyalty perks are just that, perks - not the part of the offering anyone is trying to sell.
A final thought (from me at least) on this: While I don't aim for loyalty levels, I'll of course welcome the benefits as they come.  This is much easier to do with Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, as they do have much more to offer than some other companies.  Ric and I went over perks of various lines on the below/linked podcast, and I think most here will see that they don't have it too bad at all.  
https://www.cruisehabit.com/podcast/loyalty-programs-do-past-passenger-programs-keep-you-coming-back-more-episode-5

There are a few points that I can't shake when thinking about cruise line loyalty programs (for RCI and others):
I've yet to find any reasonably attainable perk that is worth compromising new experiences for.  Companies have loyalty programs because they can offer things of less than consequential value to keep customers.  If the benefits held that much value, it wouldn't make any financial sense for a line to offer them.  Digging in deeper for a loyalty program is, in a funny way, showing to cruise lines that they work - they can offer something of little value and get you to shell out more money. Loyalty program perks/rewards are benefits one gets FOR cruising with a given line, and shouldn't be seen as THE reason to cruise with a certain line.  The reason TO cruise with a given line is because you like their product!  If I have a local ice cream place that gives me a free scoop after buying ten, it'd be odd to keep going there for the "free" (definitely not free - you paid to get that perk), it makes sense to go there if you like their ice cream.  That's why you went the first and second time, right? Now, all that in mind, I recognize that there are certain circumstances in which "strategic escalation" might make sense, but they're very slim cases.  An example might be if after your next cruise you'll be just a point or two away from Diamond, and you know that the cruise after that you'll be sailing solo.  Since you'll get a much more favorable solo rate on that next sailing if you move up, you might do the math and find (depending on the rates), that a suite upgrade on your sailing has somewhere around a net-zero cost (or you might not - many variable exist here).  Again though, those are fringe cases.
Remember why you cruise a given line (or lines) in the first place - the things you like about that experience are the reasons to cruise.  The loyalty perks are just that, perks - not the part of the offering anyone is trying to sell.
A final thought (from me at least) on this: While I don't aim for loyalty levels, I'll of course welcome the benefits as they come.  This is much easier to do with Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, as they do have much more to offer than some other companies.  Ric and I went over perks of various lines on the below/linked podcast, and I think most here will see that they don't have it too bad at all.  
https://www.cruisehabit.com/podcast/loyalty-programs-do-past-passenger-programs-keep-you-coming-back-more-episode-5

There are a few points that I can't shake when thinking about cruise line loyalty programs (for RCI and others):
I've yet to find any reasonably attainable perk that is worth compromising new experiences for.  Companies have loyalty programs because they can offer things of less than consequential value to keep customers.  If the benefits held that much value, it wouldn't make any financial sense for a line to offer them.  Digging in deeper for a loyalty program is, in a funny way, showing to cruise lines that they work - they can offer something of little value and get you to shell out more money. Loyalty program perks/rewards are benefits one gets FOR cruising with a given line, and shouldn't be seen as THE reason to cruise with a certain line.  The reason TO cruise with a given line is because you like their product!  If I have a local ice cream place that gives me a free scoop after buying ten, it'd be odd to keep going there for the "free" (definitely not free - you paid to get that perk), it makes sense to go there if you like their ice cream.  That's why you went the first and second time, right? Now, all that in mind, I recognize that there are certain circumstances in which "strategic escalation" might make sense, but they're very slim cases.  An example might be if after your next cruise you'll be just a point or two away from Diamond, and you know that the cruise after that you'll be sailing solo.  Since you'll get a much more favorable solo rate on that next sailing if you move up, you might do the math and find (depending on the rates), that a suite upgrade on your sailing has somewhere around a net-zero cost (or you might not - many variable exist here).  Again though, those are fringe cases.
Remember why you cruise a given line (or lines) in the first place - the things you like about that experience are the reasons to cruise.  The loyalty perks are just that, perks - not the part of the offering anyone is trying to sell.
A final thought (from me at least) on this: While I don't aim for loyalty levels, I'll of course welcome the benefits as they come.  This is much easier to do with Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, as they do have much more to offer than some other companies.  Ric and I went over perks of various lines on the below/linked podcast, and I think most here will see that they don't have it too bad at all.  
https://www.cruisehabit.com/podcast/loyalty-programs-do-past-passenger-programs-keep-you-coming-back-more-episode-5

I'll echo something several have shared already, speaking as someone who has been booking with MEI for a decade.
To me, it's not about saving money (though when it happens, that is of course awesome).  It's not even about how easy it is to book on any given line's site (more on that in a sec).  It's about the service.  There are agencies out there that rebate commission, and to those who use them - I genuinely hope you have awesome experiences.  I don't use agencies that do that for the simple reason that I've worked in that world, I've been around the industry - those agents are stacking as many deals as possible and just don't have the time to get to know their clients, triple check their work, provide guidance as needed, check for price drops, etc
I love that my agent (and others) at MEI have got to know my preferences (and they've got all my info stored, too).  I don't like to speak for @Matt, but I think it's safe to say we're both quite capable of booking trips ourselves.  Despite this, we've used MEI agents for a long time.  What's awesome is that I often book trips with a call or email of just a sentence or two.  My agent knows my tolerances, so if I ask for an OV, but they've got a group rate or other incentive that makes a verandah $250 more for a seven night, they know I'll probably want that - and I'll end up with a hold until I confirm that difference.  There are times too that I am not sure what I'm looking for, and I'll just throw out some basic criteria (x type of line, y date range, z part of the world), and that's another time when it's helpful for an agent to really know what you like.  
When something has come up, either because I've needed to make a change, or the cruise line wants to bump me, etc - I have a liaison.  Someone who will fight for me.  I'll never have to wait on hold for Royal or any other line (that's never fun), nor will I have to plead my case.  It's pretty great.
In short, booking is a bit easier, but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  Sometimes there are some additional perks (OBC, category upgrades, etc), but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  I use them because whether things go perfectly, or the trip encounters some unexpected turbulence, they're in my corner - and those are the times you'll REALLY wish you were working with a great travel agent - whoever that may be.

I'll echo something several have shared already, speaking as someone who has been booking with MEI for a decade.
To me, it's not about saving money (though when it happens, that is of course awesome).  It's not even about how easy it is to book on any given line's site (more on that in a sec).  It's about the service.  There are agencies out there that rebate commission, and to those who use them - I genuinely hope you have awesome experiences.  I don't use agencies that do that for the simple reason that I've worked in that world, I've been around the industry - those agents are stacking as many deals as possible and just don't have the time to get to know their clients, triple check their work, provide guidance as needed, check for price drops, etc
I love that my agent (and others) at MEI have got to know my preferences (and they've got all my info stored, too).  I don't like to speak for @Matt, but I think it's safe to say we're both quite capable of booking trips ourselves.  Despite this, we've used MEI agents for a long time.  What's awesome is that I often book trips with a call or email of just a sentence or two.  My agent knows my tolerances, so if I ask for an OV, but they've got a group rate or other incentive that makes a verandah $250 more for a seven night, they know I'll probably want that - and I'll end up with a hold until I confirm that difference.  There are times too that I am not sure what I'm looking for, and I'll just throw out some basic criteria (x type of line, y date range, z part of the world), and that's another time when it's helpful for an agent to really know what you like.  
When something has come up, either because I've needed to make a change, or the cruise line wants to bump me, etc - I have a liaison.  Someone who will fight for me.  I'll never have to wait on hold for Royal or any other line (that's never fun), nor will I have to plead my case.  It's pretty great.
In short, booking is a bit easier, but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  Sometimes there are some additional perks (OBC, category upgrades, etc), but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  I use them because whether things go perfectly, or the trip encounters some unexpected turbulence, they're in my corner - and those are the times you'll REALLY wish you were working with a great travel agent - whoever that may be.

I'll echo something several have shared already, speaking as someone who has been booking with MEI for a decade.
To me, it's not about saving money (though when it happens, that is of course awesome).  It's not even about how easy it is to book on any given line's site (more on that in a sec).  It's about the service.  There are agencies out there that rebate commission, and to those who use them - I genuinely hope you have awesome experiences.  I don't use agencies that do that for the simple reason that I've worked in that world, I've been around the industry - those agents are stacking as many deals as possible and just don't have the time to get to know their clients, triple check their work, provide guidance as needed, check for price drops, etc
I love that my agent (and others) at MEI have got to know my preferences (and they've got all my info stored, too).  I don't like to speak for @Matt, but I think it's safe to say we're both quite capable of booking trips ourselves.  Despite this, we've used MEI agents for a long time.  What's awesome is that I often book trips with a call or email of just a sentence or two.  My agent knows my tolerances, so if I ask for an OV, but they've got a group rate or other incentive that makes a verandah $250 more for a seven night, they know I'll probably want that - and I'll end up with a hold until I confirm that difference.  There are times too that I am not sure what I'm looking for, and I'll just throw out some basic criteria (x type of line, y date range, z part of the world), and that's another time when it's helpful for an agent to really know what you like.  
When something has come up, either because I've needed to make a change, or the cruise line wants to bump me, etc - I have a liaison.  Someone who will fight for me.  I'll never have to wait on hold for Royal or any other line (that's never fun), nor will I have to plead my case.  It's pretty great.
In short, booking is a bit easier, but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  Sometimes there are some additional perks (OBC, category upgrades, etc), but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  I use them because whether things go perfectly, or the trip encounters some unexpected turbulence, they're in my corner - and those are the times you'll REALLY wish you were working with a great travel agent - whoever that may be.

I'll echo something several have shared already, speaking as someone who has been booking with MEI for a decade.
To me, it's not about saving money (though when it happens, that is of course awesome).  It's not even about how easy it is to book on any given line's site (more on that in a sec).  It's about the service.  There are agencies out there that rebate commission, and to those who use them - I genuinely hope you have awesome experiences.  I don't use agencies that do that for the simple reason that I've worked in that world, I've been around the industry - those agents are stacking as many deals as possible and just don't have the time to get to know their clients, triple check their work, provide guidance as needed, check for price drops, etc
I love that my agent (and others) at MEI have got to know my preferences (and they've got all my info stored, too).  I don't like to speak for @Matt, but I think it's safe to say we're both quite capable of booking trips ourselves.  Despite this, we've used MEI agents for a long time.  What's awesome is that I often book trips with a call or email of just a sentence or two.  My agent knows my tolerances, so if I ask for an OV, but they've got a group rate or other incentive that makes a verandah $250 more for a seven night, they know I'll probably want that - and I'll end up with a hold until I confirm that difference.  There are times too that I am not sure what I'm looking for, and I'll just throw out some basic criteria (x type of line, y date range, z part of the world), and that's another time when it's helpful for an agent to really know what you like.  
When something has come up, either because I've needed to make a change, or the cruise line wants to bump me, etc - I have a liaison.  Someone who will fight for me.  I'll never have to wait on hold for Royal or any other line (that's never fun), nor will I have to plead my case.  It's pretty great.
In short, booking is a bit easier, but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  Sometimes there are some additional perks (OBC, category upgrades, etc), but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  I use them because whether things go perfectly, or the trip encounters some unexpected turbulence, they're in my corner - and those are the times you'll REALLY wish you were working with a great travel agent - whoever that may be.

I'll echo something several have shared already, speaking as someone who has been booking with MEI for a decade.
To me, it's not about saving money (though when it happens, that is of course awesome).  It's not even about how easy it is to book on any given line's site (more on that in a sec).  It's about the service.  There are agencies out there that rebate commission, and to those who use them - I genuinely hope you have awesome experiences.  I don't use agencies that do that for the simple reason that I've worked in that world, I've been around the industry - those agents are stacking as many deals as possible and just don't have the time to get to know their clients, triple check their work, provide guidance as needed, check for price drops, etc
I love that my agent (and others) at MEI have got to know my preferences (and they've got all my info stored, too).  I don't like to speak for @Matt, but I think it's safe to say we're both quite capable of booking trips ourselves.  Despite this, we've used MEI agents for a long time.  What's awesome is that I often book trips with a call or email of just a sentence or two.  My agent knows my tolerances, so if I ask for an OV, but they've got a group rate or other incentive that makes a verandah $250 more for a seven night, they know I'll probably want that - and I'll end up with a hold until I confirm that difference.  There are times too that I am not sure what I'm looking for, and I'll just throw out some basic criteria (x type of line, y date range, z part of the world), and that's another time when it's helpful for an agent to really know what you like.  
When something has come up, either because I've needed to make a change, or the cruise line wants to bump me, etc - I have a liaison.  Someone who will fight for me.  I'll never have to wait on hold for Royal or any other line (that's never fun), nor will I have to plead my case.  It's pretty great.
In short, booking is a bit easier, but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  Sometimes there are some additional perks (OBC, category upgrades, etc), but that's not the reason I use an MEI agent.  I use them because whether things go perfectly, or the trip encounters some unexpected turbulence, they're in my corner - and those are the times you'll REALLY wish you were working with a great travel agent - whoever that may be.

Holy moly!
I've often said numbers and stats are nice, but not the focus of what I'm trying to do. I'd rather have a community of 10 people who are supportive, helpful and fun than 10k people who do not talk.
I think it's safe to say that we've retained a good balance of fun and knowledgeable folks here, while attaining a tremendous goal.
The credit lays not with me, but with all of you.  Seriously. These boards do not grow to 10,000 people just because of me. I can't answer every thread, start my live blog ridiculously early (*cough @Lovetocruise2002 *cough), share breaking news or comment for the umpeeth time if @twangster is indeed real.
So many of you have been posting here for years, and others have recently joined and already feel like part of the family. It's been a tremendous journey so far and I am so thankful you are all here to share in it.
A special thank you to the moderators, who help enforce the rules; to some special long-term members who help flag down spammers and alert me when @monorailmedic is being overly annoying; @WAAAYTOOO for answering all those casino threads that I know nothing about; the entire MEI Travel team for helping support our great community.
There's no question the needle is moving in the right direction, and I thank you all once again for being part of this. One of the few regrets I have in the history of this site is not starting the message boards sooner, and today is a great example of why that is.
Thanks all, and let's celebrate with a Kraken and diet coke while onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Moderator Note:
Please refrain from name calling or other personal insults, including labeling others in a negative way based on their preferences. I'll weigh in on dress code simply by reminding everyone that simple human kindness is far more important than dress code or anyone's take on the subject. 
Thanks!

I wouldn't doubt that prices are trending higher - RCI beverage packages are arguably the best value of all cruise line beverage packages, and if people keep buying them, they'll raise the price until it plateaus.  Now, do I think that a price increase has anything at all to do with that $18 thing?  Not a chance.  That $18 error impacted revenue, but in a really small way, as it happened for a small window of time.  Further, while it seems like many people may have taken advantage of this, do remember that if you're reading this, you're likely representative of less than 1% of Royal's customer base, as others don't follow this site, Facebook groups, etc.  Think about how many people you see looking into purchasing beverage packages once they board - even though all of us here know that a few small exceptions, that's the most expensive way to go about it.
TL;DR - I'd expect that, barring world events that would cause a significant drop in spending, prices will only go up.  I'm also confident it's unrelated to the pricing error.

I wouldn't doubt that prices are trending higher - RCI beverage packages are arguably the best value of all cruise line beverage packages, and if people keep buying them, they'll raise the price until it plateaus.  Now, do I think that a price increase has anything at all to do with that $18 thing?  Not a chance.  That $18 error impacted revenue, but in a really small way, as it happened for a small window of time.  Further, while it seems like many people may have taken advantage of this, do remember that if you're reading this, you're likely representative of less than 1% of Royal's customer base, as others don't follow this site, Facebook groups, etc.  Think about how many people you see looking into purchasing beverage packages once they board - even though all of us here know that a few small exceptions, that's the most expensive way to go about it.
TL;DR - I'd expect that, barring world events that would cause a significant drop in spending, prices will only go up.  I'm also confident it's unrelated to the pricing error.

I wouldn't doubt that prices are trending higher - RCI beverage packages are arguably the best value of all cruise line beverage packages, and if people keep buying them, they'll raise the price until it plateaus.  Now, do I think that a price increase has anything at all to do with that $18 thing?  Not a chance.  That $18 error impacted revenue, but in a really small way, as it happened for a small window of time.  Further, while it seems like many people may have taken advantage of this, do remember that if you're reading this, you're likely representative of less than 1% of Royal's customer base, as others don't follow this site, Facebook groups, etc.  Think about how many people you see looking into purchasing beverage packages once they board - even though all of us here know that a few small exceptions, that's the most expensive way to go about it.
TL;DR - I'd expect that, barring world events that would cause a significant drop in spending, prices will only go up.  I'm also confident it's unrelated to the pricing error.

I wouldn't doubt that prices are trending higher - RCI beverage packages are arguably the best value of all cruise line beverage packages, and if people keep buying them, they'll raise the price until it plateaus.  Now, do I think that a price increase has anything at all to do with that $18 thing?  Not a chance.  That $18 error impacted revenue, but in a really small way, as it happened for a small window of time.  Further, while it seems like many people may have taken advantage of this, do remember that if you're reading this, you're likely representative of less than 1% of Royal's customer base, as others don't follow this site, Facebook groups, etc.  Think about how many people you see looking into purchasing beverage packages once they board - even though all of us here know that a few small exceptions, that's the most expensive way to go about it.
TL;DR - I'd expect that, barring world events that would cause a significant drop in spending, prices will only go up.  I'm also confident it's unrelated to the pricing error.

This is (and please feel free to point to policies stating otherwise), pretty much the policy for most every domestic flight I've been on.  I know Southwest says 45 mins - and there may be others, but the point is it's a reasonably common requirement.  International flights sometimes require an even longer lead.
I agree, but I also think that they were fighting an uphill battle.  Customer service issues plagued AirTran - and even when temporary, it can be very damaging to an underdog brand.  Another challenge was the legacy of their original name...ValueJet.
FLL has a lot of JetBlue flights, I don't know if they fly to MIA at all (I generally only fly out of MIA if an international flight is cheaper out of there than FLL).  PBI (West Palm Beach) has a lot of JetBlue flights considering the small size of that airport, but they're mostly to NYC and the surrounding area.  PBI is a delight though - I used to fly PBI to AVL and it was awesome going between two small airports.  The good news for those flying into South Florida is that it's only about 15 mins extra to go from FLL to PortMiami than it is to go from MIA to PortMiami, and depending on traffic, plus the absolute madness of MIA (not that FLL is a delight) could make that difference moot.

Moderator Note:
Please refrain from name calling or other personal insults, including labeling others in a negative way based on their preferences. I'll weigh in on dress code simply by reminding everyone that simple human kindness is far more important than dress code or anyone's take on the subject. 
Thanks!

Moderator Note:
Please refrain from name calling or other personal insults, including labeling others in a negative way based on their preferences. I'll weigh in on dress code simply by reminding everyone that simple human kindness is far more important than dress code or anyone's take on the subject. 
Thanks!

Moderator Note:
Please refrain from name calling or other personal insults, including labeling others in a negative way based on their preferences. I'll weigh in on dress code simply by reminding everyone that simple human kindness is far more important than dress code or anyone's take on the subject. 
Thanks!

Moderator Note:
Please refrain from name calling or other personal insults, including labeling others in a negative way based on their preferences. I'll weigh in on dress code simply by reminding everyone that simple human kindness is far more important than dress code or anyone's take on the subject. 
Thanks!

Moderator Note:
Please refrain from name calling or other personal insults, including labeling others in a negative way based on their preferences. I'll weigh in on dress code simply by reminding everyone that simple human kindness is far more important than dress code or anyone's take on the subject. 
Thanks!

You'll be able to quickly and easily change currency at the CADECA located within the cruise terminal.  We found it very efficient.  Cuban currency is now supposed to leave the island, so as far as I know you can not change any money before arriving.
It's important to know that with very limited exceptions, US credit cards are not accepted in Cuba (and cash is king there anyway).  There are also two currencies, CUCs and CUPs, and they're valued VERY differently, so it's important to know the difference.  The exchange at the terminal will only give you CUCs, which is what you want.  This article explains how to pay for things in Cuba, how to identify the two currencies, a way you *may* be able to save a bit when changing money, and more.  You may want to check the rest of the Cruising Cuba series as well.  
http://www.cruisehabit.com/cruising-cuba-credit-cards-and-changing-currency-cuba-how-pay-goods-and-services

I can't say for certain that this is the case every time, but in general, cruise lines (not just X) tend to strip OBC or other incentives for resident rates and other discounted fares.  It's another reason it's important to compare apples to apples when looking at prices.

This small contribution that I may have made to the Fantasy may be the closest I'll even come to being an imagineer.

I can't say for certain that this is the case every time, but in general, cruise lines (not just X) tend to strip OBC or other incentives for resident rates and other discounted fares.  It's another reason it's important to compare apples to apples when looking at prices.

I have unlimited paid leave, and they're pretty reasonable with letting you actually use it so long as your work gets done and it doesn't cause a big issue with coworkers helping out.  Not a bad perk.