DunkelBierJay

One thing that is a constant...the RC website will behave differently each time you try to log in these days.

As long as there are enough people willing to sign the NDA, Royal will continue staffing under those terms. It's a risk potential employees should take into consideration when considering an offer.
The article is so short, the tons of details that surround these cases are omitted, and we are left with hilites...Since Voyager is registered in the Bahamas, and the incident happened while in port in Barcelona, and Royal is based in Miami, I wonder how long jurisdiction was deliberated and if things like this typically go to company headquarters' location for adjudication.
I shuddered when I thought of getting fingers trapped in that door handle, and I hope this case drastically affects the design of water tight doors in future builds. Another thing that crossed my mind is having non-maritime crew attend to the doors during drills against how there's no sure way to guard against freak incidents like this. I'd love to know how this is affecting the company's policies in this area.

I recommend buying now and watching for sales. You can always cancel and repurchase. I did that for a cruise last year when the cruise planner sales kept bringing the price lower and lower. The kicker is that you need to check fairly regularly and jump on it every time you see a price reduction.

Because I have no discipline !!!  LOL  It's just that simple !
If this were 1987 and the interest rates on my checking and savings were 15% I could see holding onto that money but the interest on my accounts is not enough to influence my spending behavior and I would rather pay off the CC in smaller monthly increments rather than see a bill for a brazilian dollars.  It's just a habit that I have developed over a number of years and it works well for me.  I'm certain that it drives Michelle crazy but she never says a single word.

MEI has been a wonderful agency to work with, proactively letting me know if my fare is still the best, sale after sale. 
Long before I joined this site, over years of travel I built a relationship with others and I maintain that relationship. 
Once booked, you are free to continue to use the cruise planner to make My Time reservation, entertain reservations, Voom purchases and so on.
The only thing I've noted using a TA if if you want to change cabins.  If you booked cabin 1234 and suddenly cabin 4567 becomes available, instead of calling Royal you have to call your TA. That has yet to stop me with 34 Royal cruises booked or completed.
In the end, all of those 34 will have involved a TA (plus many others on other cruise lines before I came over into the light).  I've yet to find a reason why not to, even when applying C&A balcony discounts.

Interesting experience tonight booking Radiance. (YOLO moment).
It's a 2019 cruise and I wanted something refundable so I emailed my usual TA.  I received a bounce saying she is out of the office and I was interested in a specific cabin so I called Royal direct, given that the website doesn't offer refundable anymore.  I booked direct it, refundable and paid the $450 deposit.
Had I fully read the bounce email from my usual TA I would have seen she was actually working tonight which I learned when she called me.
For the same refundable cabin, she was $200 cheaper, I get $50 in OBC, a spa treatment, one specialty dinner, plus 15,000 miles on my favorite airline.  Oh, and no deposit. 
I cancelled my direct booking and booked it through my normal TA.  Same cabin.  I added the prepaid gratuities and I'm still less than RCI direct without prepaid gratuity.  
Other observation - I first called the RCI 866 number and listened to MOH (Music on Hold) for about 10 minutes.  I hung up and called the C&A number who answered immediately.  I booked it through the C&A team, then an hour later cancelled it through the C&A team.  No issues cancelling the refundable booking but it will likely take a few days for $450 deposit to appear as a credit.
Radiance here I come!
EDIT - To be fair,  I don't get spa treatments and specialty dining on every cruise booked.  They are occasional perks typically on longer cruises but with double digits of cruises booked, I've yet to find a downside of using a travel agent.
The airline miles are nothing to sneeze at.  I'm flying on points to 3 cruises this year (so far) including Barcelona in the comfort plus cabin for Symphony and will likely get a 1 or 2 more cruise flights for free before 2018 is done. 

The Allure is only 8 years old...I will sail her in 18 days and plan on doing posts in the live blog section about it.

The Allure is only 8 years old...I will sail her in 18 days and plan on doing posts in the live blog section about it.

I booked it! 1104.  I would have taken 1106 but it was already taken.  Watched a scope of Adventure 1106 and the newer bathroom and shelving pretty much sealed the deal for me.  Hopefully it's the same on Mariner.  If there is motion or noise...it's 4 nights...my one daughter and I will deal.  Hubby and my younger one aren't bothered by it.  Thanks again everyone!

I would go deck 11 panoramic in a heartbeat. I wouldn't worry about noise. I asked the same question about the same type of room on Explorer and was told it wasn't an issue.

Bottom line - a guest is unhappy about NRDB becoming the only option on the website or at the NextCruise desk and uses the NextCruise presentation to vent his or her frustration.
They questioned the presenter, a member of the NextCruise team who is basically a travel agent, a policy question they know they can't answer.  In doing so they framed it incorrectly, suggesting there is no mention of the NRDB policy anywhere publicly which is false. 
The NextCruise travel agent correctly and appropriately responds "That is covered under the terms and conditions, which refers to the pricing structure and OBC." - which it is. 
The terms and conditions including NRDB is presented early in the process of booking a cruise on the website and having used NextCruise since NRDB became the standard I can verify they do disclose it during the NextCruise booking process.  On my NextCruise printed confirmation it is highlighted with a green highlighter that the NextCruise agent specifically pointed out including my ability to cancel within 30 days without penalty.  At no point was the NRDB policy hidden or kept from me and if I just had not listened and discovered it a week later I could still cancel without a fee.
Seems pretty reasonable to me. 

Perhaps the reporter was expecting the policy to be hung on the wall of each cabin as a poster?  Possibly handed out on a sheet a paper as your board the ship?  Played on the TV system right after the "Wash your hands" jingle?
I get people are upset that Royal is matching other cruise lines now and they have made NRDB the standard or default deposit for new bookings.  However sticking to the facts, it is anything but hidden or a secret. 
 

C'mon, tell us how you really feel! ?   I'm sure there are some good ones, but many have certainly earned the title of vulture.

I would also add...caveat emptor, and never lose your posture or ability to walk away at any point in a sales presentation...
At the same time, it doesn't look like (and it is not surprising) that any of the players there were completely altruistic...RC wants to close the sale, the questioner thinks they have a gotcha scoop which is characteristic of the vultures in the press who are as despised as the government. The difference is that if you don't like it, you can cancel with no penalty, so the winner is RC 2-1 in my opinion.

Who me?  I'm a teacher.  Teachers have no money.  ?
After reading through this thread, maybe I too am missing the point in that I don't see what the problem is??  The default now is the NRD option so why is it a big deal that the presenter left it out in a general info presentation?  That is not any more sneaky then it disappearing off the website (until the very end).  That being said, now my curiosity has got the better of me so I'm going to ask...Who is the news correspondent and the major news network??  Don't start at topic and move on and leave us hanging.  If it's not fake news, then it should make the news right?  That would be something I would want to keep my eye out for.
 

The presentation is series of powerpoint slides they step through. 
Do they have a slide with 96 point font in bold stating "NextCruise booking are non-refundable"?  - NO.
It's intended to be a general information session with the goal of informing people that they exist and to highlight different types of cruises available.  .  New or inexperienced cruisers don't know there is such a thing as the NextCruise desk. 
Is it a sales pitch?  Yes!  That is the goal - get people to visit the NextCruise desk.
I do not believe it is designed to be a technical session explaining the intricacies of every detail in the terms and conditions.  

Blind siding someone giving a presentation compared to conducting a proper media interview are two different things.  No wonder you can't believe anything the media says.
If you book through NextCruise they explain during the booking process what the terms and conditions are, including that you have 30 days to change your mind penalty free. 
I still make refundable booking through a travel agent.  This is an option not available on certain other cruise lines who only offer non-refundable. 
If you seek to find a conspiracy you will. 

You reap what you sow.

We've sailed out of Tampa, Miami, Bayonne, Port Everglades, San Juan, Manhattan and Canaveral.  Each one is a blur as we are just so excited to get onboard, or exhausted and want to get home.  ?  Just went thru the Bayonne on and off this past week, so still fresh.  Very easy on, very easy off.  No issues with parking or exiting.  Very easy.  Last September was Port Everglades, and some to report.  Love how everything is so close between the airport, the port, hotels and fun.  Personally, I don't care if the airport or cruise port is shiny and pretty, it's a small place in the overall vacation and I guess I have low expectations.  As long as I don't have to sit on the floor and be a zombie, I'm good.  I can't remember saying we'd avoid cruising out of any of the above.  
Next up for us, Boston and Baltimore.  Two more to try! 

I find it interesting you dislike the FLL airport so much. Having mostly flown out of EWR and knowing the experience there, my family and I all thought that FLL airport was much nicer and more pleasant to deal with than EWR.
Kind of makes me wonder what your reaction will be to EWR when you finally get a chance to sail out of Bayonne. ?

@DunkelBierJay great summary! 
I also found it interesting too that you disliked FLL. I like the size of that airport and I find that people always flow smoothly through there. And I have only ever left from terminal 18 and I love it there. FLL is one of my favourite ports to leave from.
EWR is actually one of my least favourites. Made me laugh reading Joe's last paragraph because I felt like that airport was so dated!  Maybe it was just the terminal I was at but there was nothing there at all, barely any food options and no working wifi.  Very primitive lol.  I was very impressed with the terminal at Bayonne though. Not quite a dressed up as Terminal 18 in PE but fastest flowing ever!
 

The home ports thread intrigued me in that what are the differences between the ports from various perspectives. So, here it goes from a bit different angle for ports that Royal Caribbean uses off the top of my head...I'd love to know what others think and what their experiences are...
Port Canaveral (overall favorite so far)
Physical Characteristics -- big port and not too busy around -- arranged nicely -- really exciting to drive to it from Orlando on 528 and seeing a few ships docked. Distance from airport -- this is very manageable using a rental or using a shuttle or ride share service -- it is an extra expense you don't encounter at the other Florida ports Hotels -- lots of hotels within a couple miles of the port Rental Car Agencies -- plenty to choose from Parking -- it's right there and very convenient. There are also lots of third party options. Embarkation -- I've experienced the most efficient boarding process at this port Sail Away -- this is very nice, however, once the lines are dropped, you are pretty much gone. To the north is Cape Canaveral and lots of beach and flat vistas other than a distant view of Nasa. To the south, it's pretty much Cocoa Beach. Not as much to look at as other ports. Disembarkation -- efficient -- I've never been in customs too long -- easy to get out of there Port Miami
Physical Characteristics -- because of the geography, there is only one way to get there -- really exciting to see five to seven ships docked all in a row -- coolest turning basin I have seen Distance from airport -- two big airports are close. Miami International is expensive for domestic flights. Fort Lauderdale is about 40 minutes away -- I do not like this airport at all, it's awful, but it doesn't take too long to get away from there. Hotels -- there are lots to choose from -- they are fairly expensive, but if you look diligently, you can find a good rate -- I have stayed in a South Beach hotel that I really liked on Ocean Drive for less than $180. Rental Car Agencies -- lots Parking -- it's right there and very convenient. There are also lots of third party options Embarkation -- it's pretty good, but it seemed to be very frenetic getting in the terminal and getting on board since there people disembarking are crossing pretty much the same space as people embarking. I think Port Canaveral does it better considering the terminals are spaced out more, and people leaving don't necessarily intersect. Sail Way -- absolutely gorgeous -- I guess I like the urban points of interest -- it's seen more in photos and videos, so it is really nice actually to be there Disembarkation -- pretty quick and efficient -- the sidewalk outside the terminal seems frenetic like on embarkation day, and it's easier just to grab a cab to get out of there. Tampa
Physical Characteristics -- it is pretty much downtown -- always cool to see ships docked there -- the terminals and the area is small and compact -- it's perfect for the size ships it handles -- up to 90,000 grt from what I understand Distance from airport -- it's very close -- about 15-20 minutes Hotels -- it's downtown Tampa -- I will probably continue to do what I did before when I sail from there and stay at the Marriott at the airport. If I have time, I would stay at the Waterfront and just walk to the terminal if it's not too hot. Rental Cars -- not really necessary here because ride shares and taxis are plentiful -- there is one agency in a nearby hotel that you can use that I know about Parking -- essentially across the street Embarkation -- the two (of three) terminals I have used are small and efficient -- I really like this port -- one terminal is very nice -- another is like a warehouse --aesthetics are nice, but not critical. One sailing (at the wareshousey one) required a wait for the ship to be cleared, and it was fine. The other sailing had us getting on board just a couple seconds after completing check-in. Sail Away -- to the left (or the east), it is very industrial -- to the right, you get absolutely gorgeous views of Tampa -- I love sailing through Tampa Bay to the bridge which take almost an hour Disembarkation -- I paid a porter to get us out quickly both times because I witnessed the lines being very long. He got us through customs quickly Port Everglades -- as of this writing, I sail out of there for the first time three weeks from today -- I will report about it in a live blog on this forum -- I am excited about it being close to airport, hotel, rental cars, etc
Other ports on the bucket list
Bayonne -- can't wait
Baltimore -- I expect to sail from here within a couple years
San Juan -- I really look forward to sailing from this port -- I can't wait to spend a couple days there before a sailing
New Orleans -- may be the first port I drive to from home -- wait, I drove to Tampa one time
Boston -- if we decide to do a New England and Canada cruise, it will be from here. I love Boston despite how expensive it is.
Galveston -- I expect to sail from there eventually, but it may be one of the last on this list that I pick
Southampton -- I am working on a back to back from there sometime in May of 2021 to celebrate a milestone anniversary
Barcelona -- I am looking for an opening for a sailing from there...maybe Icon Class?
Sydney -- If I live long enough
Singapore -- see Sydney
Shanghai -- see Singapore
Other Ports?

I'm east coast all the way, work in NYC, live on Long Island. I travel to visit a friend 2x a year in Texas. I LOVE IT THERE. While our views at times may be different, they're the most polite people I've ever met.

Wow , for one second I thought I am reading a thread in CC?
As part of my work I am traveling all around the world (most of the US, Canada , South America, Asia , Europe) and I like to watch and learn about the differences and similarity in culture, food , sports , way of doing business , many time I find much more similarity than differences  (well maybe not in food). I will be very bored if everyone act the same. 
I cruised from the FLL, Barcelona , Honk Kong  and all was very nice, I guess I will not cruise from Baltimore in the near future just because currently we prefer big ships and from Baltimore I can see only small ships cruising, also much easier to fly to NYC.
Planning to cruise next year from Southampton has I found some nice itinerary with Indi , I am sure we are gong to enjoy it as we enjoy all our cruises until now. 
 

Apparently the keel is as thick as her Captain's head.

I have no idea about "conservative and all-American demographic " especially since Baltimore is not a conservative city in the slightest. Besides, who cares about the politics of an area? Insulting people on a post may not be received well.
In term of ports on cruise ships and large ferries:
Port Canaveral --> favorite
Tampa --> second favorite
Miami --> did not care for it, although I like the spectacular views
Tallin, Estonia --> one of the coolest places I have been
Helsinki, Finland --> very cool city
Holyhead, Wales --> small and full of character
Dublin, Ireland --> very cool
Portsmouth, UK --> love this city
Le Havre --> very nice
Southampton -- I've been there, but haven't sailed from there -- nothing special to me