DoomSlayer

My TA bought my wife Travel insurance once, because I didn’t and he found out she had some mobility issues as we were planning excursions. I thanked him, but told him we were covered under my credit card and that’s why I didn’t buy insurance. He said it was too late and that she was double insured now. It was too late for him to cancel that insurance unfortunately. While it never benefited us, it showed that he cared and wanted us to have a great experience even if something went wrong. He gained a very loyal customer out of the money he spent on us.

I usually don’t book more than 6 months out mainly because I can’t really plan that far in advance with my wife’s and my jobs. Depending on the price, I usually just pay about 3/4 up front and the remainder at around the payment date - keeping an eye on going rates and potential upgrades. Comp cruises I just pay taxes and fees up front because I can get that back 100% if I cancel anytime and because you kind of have too - there’s no point in repricing comp cruises in my opinion. Comp cruises also become good Royal Up candidates, which I try to win with low ball offers. I do usually prepay gratuities, but do that about a month out. To me it’s more about budgeting and cash flow. Ultimately, I look at repricing opportunities as a nice bonus, but I never book and commit to a trip unless I am happy with the going rate at the time I initially book.

Not sure. Just shows a variety show tonight with no one named. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out. going through the events, looks like el gaucho

I am about to go to guest services and change my card on file to use my balance. Just boarded today and got all my refunds to a different card than I had on file for the trip.

They had people past security guiding people to their waiting areas based on status. Only reason we were allowed to “jump the line” was because we had the key. Other than that, it seemed pretty organized and people were waiting patiently in the waiting areas.

I am on board and enjoying the music on the 11th deck waiting for sail away.

Just boarded adventure at the new terminal. Covered parking was great as it was close to terminal. Got through security no problem and first to board with the key. New terminal is AWESOME!

These are Royal’s ships and designs. They can classify them any way they want. There’s no regulatory body defining these classes. So easy answer is, if Royal says Grandeur is a vision class ship, then it’s a vision class ship.

I started receiving refunds today for repricing I did on 11/18. I had different packages and excursions on different cards. Amex came through this morning. I am expecting the others to come through over the next few days.

Great in-depth explanation despite being from your phone. This is the sheet I look for from the host at the start of the cruise. At the end of the cruise, I have the host print any certificates and then go to Next Cruise before I get off the ship which is probably why I always received the bonuses on the right and have not had problems. I usually book my appointment with Next Cruise for disembarkation morning and just stop by after breakfast.

@Va4fam It has full coverage including medical and evacuation as long as you used the card to purchase the trip. About the only thing it won't cover is if you get hurt jumping out of a plane (skydiving lol). You do have to be more than a 100 miles from your home for most of it to kick in. Also, if you have to do the global assist, you have to do it through them and let them coordinate it, you can't just do it and then ask for a refund. They also have other travel perks, like refunding your TSA pre-check application and some awesome deals from time to time with Royal Caribbean resulting in more on-board credit if you use their card to pay for the trip.

Well, now I know... I got my upgrade with the bare minimum. Going from a casino comp free interior cabin to a Promenade View interior.

That is a tough call. Current orders prohibiting unvaccinated non-citizens int the US expires January 8, 2023. But they defiantly have a chance to be extended beyond that. Have you spoken to Royal to see what they suggest and options you have for canceling if it does get extended?

Alright, now I am really confused, it went back to Pending with no way to modify or cancel. Maybe there is still a chance?

Lately, when I get the certificates printed from the casino host, they make it clear to me that it needs to be handled by Next Cruise while onboard. And when I use Next Cruise onboard, I found out that I get both the casino comps, like freeplay, and the Next Cruise perks, like onboard credit. As an added bonus, I tack on my TA to the reservation while at Next Cruise and get their bonuses too. I did have a problem though once when I forgot to add on my TA at Next Cruise, they would not allow me to switch the reservation to my TA even though it was within the 30 day window.

Maybe you can reach out to their social team on Facebook? They have been able to help me on issues in the past. Sometimes they are slow to pick up the message and respond initially, but once they start conversing, they typically act as an ombudsman and help get you to someone that can help resolve the issue. I know it's frustrating, and for what it is worth, I wish nothing but the best possible outcome for you here.

Next Cruise is usually open early in the morning on disembarkation day. I have scheduled many cruises from casino comps right before disembarking the ship. That aside, I do hope they make it right with you.

Never mind - I think I just happened to catch it exactly when it was updating in the backend. I hit the refresh and it now says Upgrade Unavailable instead of Pending. Oh well, will be a great trip anyway.

Sailing out on Monday on Adventure of the Seas. Just checked my Royal Up and it says pending and I do not have an option to modify or cancel. I have not done Royal Ups for a while and I know they changed the UI and messaging to us in the system, but given there is over 3 days until I sail, does this mean I got it? I thought I could cancel or modify up until the last minute.

I use my Amex for this reason. It is a refund policy, meaning you will need to pay out of pocket and they will refund your money when you provide them details and receipts. It’s also very tight on what proof you need to submit for your claim to be processed, what is actually covered, and how long it takes to get refunded. But honestly, I think Allianz has similar requirements, so it is comparable in my opinion. Either way you decide to go, just have enough resources to take care of yourself immediately while you wait on help from the CC or Allianz. Edit - Just for reference, it is an Amex Platinum card I have which includes the travel insurance. The annual fee is comparable to what Allianz costs on an annual basis. You won't get similar coverage with the old Amex green card for example.

Sorry to hear that. I usually run straight to Next Cruise and book onboard as soon as I qualify, so I have never had a problem trying to do it later. Also, I have never had a problem using the comps they email me. I would be upset too if I were in your situation.

I am probably not the best to judge the smokiness question for you, sorry. As for slots, your goal is to get as many spins in as possible without losing your money too quickly. You will lose over the long run, but hopefully comps will make up for it. Make sure you are using your player card and you will get points at a rate of 1 point per $5 played. Video poker is not considered a slot game, and you only get 1 point per $10 played. Also, introduce yourself to the casino host. They are usually friendly and can tell you how many points you will need to get a free cruise. They often run special and I have seen 800 points get you a free comped cruise. I usually take about $500 to $600 for slots per trip, and usually get about 1200 points per trip - usually resulting in a free cruise by booking with nextcruise onboard. I also get a free cruise offer by email every couple of months or so too. I usually stay away from what I call "Branded" slots (anything associated with a movie, tv show, games like monopoly or wheel of fortune) because the casino has to pay royalties to the brand owners, and they usually set the RTP (return to player) to about 80 to 85% since they have to share the profits. Progressive slots (with growing jackpots) are also pretty poor on the RTP and I usually avoid them. Probably some of my favorites to play the older Aristocrat games like the original Buffalo and the Buffalo Gold Collection. They have a lower volatility, which means they don't eat your money too quickly, and they are entertaining during the free spins. Buffalo became extremely popular and they keep making newer versions. Stay away from the newer Buffalo and similar games though, because they have worse RTP and more volatility - the developer was targeting casinos that were wanting to cash in on the popularity of the original buffalo games, but with worse odds for the players. You won't find much too much variance in RTP on the ship's casino between denominations, they set them all pretty low because they have a captive audience and no competing casinos you can go to. I have never worried about penny vs. dollar slots, I just pick what is fun to me within the guardrails of the previous paragraph. My average bet is usually about $2-$5 per spin, which racks up points quickly. My general rational is this -- if I am already inclined to book a cruise and that cruise will cost me $1200 or so, why not use that money to try and win a cruise. I have not won anything big in the casino payout wise, but I defiantly have saved several thousand dollars using their comp cruises, and I don't have to buy the UDP because I get comped drinks in the casino. I will also add, the only real downside to comp cruises are they are not available during peek busy times and can sometimes be in the near future. I live near Galveston and am happy to jump on board las minute because I don't have added expenses like air travel to worry about.

Table limits seem to change based on demand. Lower limits in slow periods, higher limits in busy times. Odds are not favorable for some games like blackjack, 6 to 5 payout is becoming more common and 3 to 2 payouts are only at high limit tables. Getting points for status and comps in the casino is also tough for table game players, if your looking for these, slots comp a lot better. I have not seen poker tables open for normal play like I used to, but they still have poker tournaments. Poker tables are usually just considered a player convenience because they typically don’t generate money for the casino. Other table games, like craps, have the same basic rules as land casinos, but laying odds will be limited. Not sure if this answers your question completely, but hopefully it helps a little.

Is there a tax advantage for the "Tips" and "Gratuities" for Royal Caribbean that we are perhaps overlooking? If they truly are tips and gratuities, payable directly to the staff, then I would imagine the cruise lines do not have to report this as revenue and not pay corporate taxes on the money collected. Instead, it gets passed to the staff and they would become directly responsible for any taxes. This may be advantageous for some of the staff as they are not under US labor and tax laws (unless they are a US citizen), and this arraignment may actually be a benefit for both Royal Caribbean and the staff. I would imagine that the income tax laws for RC ship staff and crew are with the Bahamas because that is where they are flagged. But sales and corporate revenue is in the US because that is where they are headquartered. These are just my thoughts and questions, I would be curious is anyone has any insights or thoughts on the topic.

Thats awesome. They seem to be owning the issue and trying their best to make it right with us.