firegal2539

I will never pay retail price for anything I buy. All merchandise has to be at least 50% off. I shop at the Outlet Malls, unfortunately a lot of them have their inventory made just for the outlet store. It is lesser quality merchandise. I usually buy my MK handbags online at his store in the clearance section. I have gotten 2 of my 4 handbags for over 70% off. If I spend my money on Michael Kors handbags than I might not be able to take a cruise. Let's see, a cruise in one hand and a MK handbag in the other. I will pick the cruise every time. Unfortunately Matt I spend my OBC in the casino. I just realized I have a handbag and shoe obsession and a gambling problem. Glad I am enjoying them. Candie

I did not want to know that there is a Michael Kors store on the Oasis. I only own four of his handbags and I just know I could buy more on the ship. Really bad news for me.

Travel Guard is my insurance of choice. I had to cancel five cruises due to surgery and recovery time and did not have a single problem with them. Three had gone past final payment. TG has a cancel for any reason policy and you can book even if final payment is made. If you used a travel agent I would contact them and have them find out which one will cover pre existing.

Raye, Teri doesn't think that is what it is. Teri was so funny in her email to me, she said Tracy had a bucket and put $1034 in this bucket, but realized the numbers weren't coming out right, so she took a second bucket and put the $84.80 (Teri's commission) in that bucket. I then mentioned that no one had said anything about my $35 payment for Chops Grille, so Tracy started a third bucket and put $35 in it. I told Teri, that no offense, but I think Tracy's 3 buckets had holes in them. Teri said she will get all money coming to me or she will die trying, Gosh I hope not. On another note, I received a $26 refund from RCCL on Friday, but didn't charge anything that cost $26 or adds up to $26 so Teri and I don't know what this refund is for. Maybe Tracy needs to start a fourth bucket with $26 in it. I don't know, all I do know is I am terribly confused. How is your reservation going? I cancelled my air but haven't booked the new one yet. Waiting for the first of the month and I will book air and then attempt to get a refund for the cancellation fee from RCCL. Good luck on getting it in a reasonable amount of time. Candie

In the online magazine, Travel Weekly, there was an article about Oasis of the Seas sailing out of Port Canaveral in the 2016-2017 season. Also Freedom and Majesty sail from PC.

I couldn't see hauling a pillow through customs, on the plane, to the port and on the ship. It would take up too much room in my luggage. On top of that, knowing how forgetful I am, I would probably leave my pillow when I disembarked. I use a very specific pillow because I have had neck and back surgery but RCCL's pillows are fine for me and I always ask for two more than what is on the bed.

I was raised in Massachusetts, on a lake, so water has always been a huge part of my life. My dad had two boats, a Cris-Craft (beautiful and powerful boat) and another smaller one. I was allowed to ride, drive, ski behind, whatever I wanted. That is where the love of the water comes in. I took my first cruise to Alaska in the mid 1990s. I remember it was with Princess but don't remember the ship. I fell in love right there. First with Alaska and next with cruising. The next cruise was two years later on RCCL to Alaska again. I love the freedom of cruising, back when I first cruised there were no phones, computers and fax machines. It was a vacation where I was powered down. Everything was included and you could take a year to pay for the cruise. I could de-stress and relax in many different ways and get to visit places I thought I would never see. Since retirement I try to take a cruise every six weeks. Of course, the problem is the money to pay for it. But so far in 2015 I took a total of 7 cruises and because of surgery I haven't been able to cruise in 2016, but I have a cruise planned for every month from August through December 2016 and from January through May 2017.

To continue my tale of my TA, myself and the RCCL rep. Tracy, I have now found out that she shorted me about $80 I paid for the Empress cruise. When we were talking to Tracy she kept saying the numbers aren't adding up. No kidding, why would you transfer my money over to my Alaskan cruise when the money isn't adding up? My TA and I have not received an invoice or any communication from Tracy or RCCL saying the money has been transferred to the Alaskan cruise. At the end of our conversation with Tracy she said an email with all the new information and the cancellation of the Empress cruise would be forthcoming by the end of the day, well four days later and nothing. My TA has called them and all RCCL says is they are working on it. I hate that I have nothing, no paperwork, to show what is going on and my Empress cruise has been cancelled. TA said she will try with a supervisor on Monday to get some kind of paperwork and get them to find the missing $80. Teri, my TA, said she can see on RCCL's travel agent area, that some money has been put towards the Alaskan cruise but not even close to all of it. I thought cruising was suppose to be fun :(

I use or should I say my TA uses TravelGuard and Allianz (probably not spelled right) and I asked her and once final payment is made they will not insurance the cruise or air. I always put the cruise lines insurance on my reservation and then right before final payment I get my TravelGuard policy and cancel the cruise lines.

I, too, have received offers. I called on this one because I liked the July cruise. I did a mock reservation online to see how much the cruise was, with grats, transfers, taxes/fees, insurance and the cruise it was around $1200. Then I called RCCL reservations and gave them the cruise offer, same exact room type, and all the extras added on the cost was $1255. It was more! Forget those deals. Candie

lb0336, I cruise NCL quite a bit, mainly because they give me free cruises. You need to take the time to read the reviews on CC, Trip Advisor and Google. The Sky is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars. The reviews all state that it is a party ship because of the free bar. Average age of Sky cruisers is 25 to 26. I don't tolerate drunk, stupid people very well. A lot of the complaints on the reviews are about passengers being sick in the bathrooms, hallways, bars, etc. Passengers so drunk they can't walk, falling down and injuring themselves. Complaints state passengers are lot and obnoxious. Before you book I would do a lot of research. Candie

I have been told by my TA several D+ and Pinnacle members, never book the first cruise on a brand new or newly refurbished ship. Way too many problems. But one of the Pinnacle members brought up that you can usually earn a free cruise or at least a half price cruise when this happens.

My TA sent me a copy of the email from RCCL to all TAs. It differs from the one I received. It says you have 1 (one) year to book and take your 100% free cruise, it is one year from when they email or snail mail you the certificate. If you would like to see the email let me know. There is some personal information about me in it and I will have to figure out had to delete it out of the email. Candie

I find on any cruise that I am nickled and dimed to death. I have to tip the porter that drags my suitcase to the counter, $2 or $3 for that. I can't drag it myself, just had my left hip replaced. I then use wheelchair service because the airport is huge and to walk all of it wouldn't work. Depending on the person pushing me around that is at least a $5 tip. Repeat when you get to the port airport, another, $2 or $3 and another $5 to $10. Then the bus driver, I really don't understand why he is tipped, he picks up my luggage and throws it in the bus, $2 or $3. When I get to port, the porter there, $3 to $5. It just goes on and on. I kept a record when I went to Vegas about three weeks ago and ended up tipping a total of $75, that included waiters/waitresses, bag handlers, airport personnel, etc. That is absolutely ridiculous. I have read how much I am suppose to tip and I follow it, but I can't believe for a three day trip I tipped $75. I could have played that in a machine. :D I would definitely take a couple of hundred for Nassau, if you are gambling, take lots more.

First of all Todd do you have a telephone number or email address or street address and who to talk to for the Corporate Legal Department. Next, my TA and I spent 90 minutes on the telephone with Tracy the rep. This is what I was told, I can book any cruise on the Enchantment of the Seas or Majesty of the Seas from now until June 27, 2016. Both of these ships only have 3 or 4 day cruises. My full money in will move over to that cruise, that is the cruise fare, taxes/fees, gratuities, shore excursions, beverage package, specialty dining, and insurance and no more will be charged to me. If I want to book an Empress cruise I can book any cruise until July 16, 2016. Empress has the same exact cruises in June as was cancelled, again all money will move over to that cruise. I will get a $200 refund check, no matter what I choose, for the cancellation of the air. Whoopee!! I then asked could I move all of this money to one of my three other RCCL cruises I have booked? Tracy said no, I asked for a supervisor, Tracy said let me check. She came back and could move only the cruise fare and taxes/fees. The rest would be a refund. No I want all of it moved, off Tracy goes to talk to her supervisor and she came back and said we will move it all to your Alaskan cruise in May 2017. Tracy tells my TA that the commission will be a buy back, whatever that means, and I lose $84.80. WHAT??? I lose money because it is my TA's commission, back to the supervisor, no Tracy was wrong, I will get a refund of $84.80. Can you put that on the Alaskan cruise, no it is commission we can't. Why am I included in something that is between my TA and RCCL? Tracy couldn't explain that. I then ask for $100 OBC for my Alaska cruise, we can't do that. My TA said I want a supervisor, this isn't going well and I believe for everything you have put people through she should get OBC. Supervisor came on phone and said no. I am now writing my emails and trying to get names and numbers. Any passenger that had their first Empress cruise cancelled and just had their second cancelled is being handled differently. They can choose another cruise, same dates as above on any of the three ships, full airfare refund, and a certificate for a 100% free cruise. Since I didn't qualify for this she wouldn't answer questions about it. I wanted to know if it could be any cruise that RCCL offered but she wouldn't answer. I am happy with my resolution but not with no OBC. OBC is not a loss for them, you give it right back to them, why not give some to us that have been affected by RCCL's handling of this situation? Candie Terribly Upset in Texas

Nope my May 14-19, 2016 Empress OTS trip is going to take place or else all HE&& will break lose. They have known for way too long about the refurb on this ship and all the things that have gone wrong and extras that needed to be done after the refurb was finished. WAAAYTOOO, you and I together are unstoppable when it comes to someone screwing with our money. RCI had better watch out. WAAAYTOOO did you see the CC post about the woman who booked a I-GTY (guaranteed interior cabin) and ended up with a Studio Cabin? 165 sq. ft. as opposed to 108 sq. ft, a queen bed as opposed to a twin bed. She has been on the phone with RCI, reps and supervisors, for 10 hours total and can't get it resolved. They claim an SI (Studio) is the same thing as an I-Interior. She has already made final pay. I would be contacting every single person in the corporate office. RCI said ship is sold out but if she wants to upgrade they have a balcony for her. Way Too Crazy! Candie

These are my luggage tags from Amazon. They come in an 8 pack that I bought two years ago and am still using the first two out of the package. They stay on without a problem. I do the same thing Todd does, double print my tags and put two in the holder. Have never had a problem. Candie

On CC board under Roll Call Empress of the Seas is one pic of her heading to Freeport, that is the only one I have seen.

I don't drink alcohol either so it would have to be a Pepsi. If I do try an alcoholic drink it is Bailey's Irish Creme over ice but Raye I think I have to try the Pina Colada made with Amaretto when I cruise in May. Candie

Marc that is great. I was trying to figure out how to copy that and paste and got very lost. Thanks for doing it. RCVoyager, this isn't new. I always download my tags. Now I have never received an email from RCCL telling me they were ready but I have received an email saying my SetSail pass is ready to download but sometimes the tags aren't ready yet. I just keep looking about once a week. Candie

I have been on the CDC's website many times but forgot that they do the cruise ship inspections along with the Coast Guard, I believe. It is really mind boggling to look at the site, all of the norovirus outbreaks and the reports when they inspection a ship. It is really interesting in a way. PRC, you sure have sailed alot, do you want to adopt me? I'm from Texas too!

I am just so tired of all of the rumors about Empress. I wish either RCCL would come out and say "The Empress will begin sailing on April 29, 2016. All other booked cruises will sail." I am tired of all of the rumors, some pretty stupid. Candie

I just read a blog on CC that stated the Empress did not pass her inspection by the CDC, many problems with her. Some were roaches, (yuck), potable water system, and many others. I have Googled and nothing. I went to www.cdc.gov, nothing in their files about Empress with the exception of a 2005 report. Has anyone heard anything about this? What was said on CC was the April 29, 2016 cruise will be cancelled and possibly the next one. Candie

I just read on Jim Walker's site (he is a huge maritime attorney), in fact he is suing RCCL right now, that Empress of the Seas on August 16, 2016 will be home based in Havana Cuba. Has anyone else heard this? It was on his website. Candie

So AGSLC5 your saying you want to adopt me. Great! Send me your address so I can start packing and sell my house. Yeah!!!!