AnnetteJackson

On 2/18/2021 at 9:54 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

I guess I'm just a party girl.  I loved having parties in my suite.  I will admit that it may not be as cool of an idea in the COVID age, but it still sounds like fun.

One of the best suite parties I've ever attended was in @Matt's CLS during one of the previous Cruise Blog cruises.  @AnnetteJacksonand her team set that up....wow, what a great party !  BTW, they DID have hard liquor at theirs and if I recall, they had a bartender.  No expense too great for @Matt!

That was also the group cruise with the disastrous excursion to Bamboo Beach.  Don't get @AnnetteJacksonstarted on that one....

While The party in the suite was great - that was not me or Matt but a guest.    And @WAAAYTOOO thanks for the memories!  haha  Part of going with a group is to make sure everything runs smoothly and while there has always been something every group I have done that has gone wrong - there was NO WAY to smile and look the other way with the FIRE on the bus!   But now, like every other thing like this, I look back and laugh at how well the group enjoyed the day and all the memories - that burned in our memories - and i laugh!  LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF THESE!

2 hours ago, KathyC said:

I finally emailed Stephanie yesterday and she's working on our reservation.   I'll ask for a quote on Elevate - we don't usually do excursions, especially in those ports but if the ship actually goes to Key West maybe we will there.  Aren't gratuities included with Always?  Trying to think what I would use the OBC on...other than in the casino. 

Sorry... I should have explained that better.  I was meaning if you wanted to tip the crew more you could using this OBC.  You would just add to the gratuities onboard.

On 2/11/2021 at 9:20 AM, JLMoran said:

@twangster, I had read both on Celebrity's site and also on @monorailmedic's blog about this that individual passengers can still upgrade their drink package on board. Is that no longer the case? Hope it's still an option, since this would be a way around the double occupancy rate and having to pay for that Elevate upgrade for the entire room. Especially useful if you don't want/need the OBC or your cabin-mate doesn't drink or doesn't care about "the fancy stuff".

Yes, Celebrity has said that if you have the Classic package and want a better liquor you will only pay the difference.  I have been pricing this for clients and if you prefer better liquor or lots of blended drinks, you may want to consider the Elevate package so these will be included.  NOT ONLY do you get the better drinks but you also get an OBC that you can use toward your charges on the ship, excursions, or gratuities.  Once you look at the small charge to upgrade with the OBC - it does not take too many drinks to make this is a WIN.

On 2/9/2021 at 7:13 PM, Ken Jensen said:

I always used a travel agent until last year, when covid hit New Jersey required that all non essential businesses close. We had a July 2020 cruise booked, I couldn't get in touch with my agent (agency laid her off) to pay the balance of the cruise and when I called RC, they wouldn't accept it directly. I eventually got in touch with the owner of the travel agency and completed my payment. I have since booked 4 cruises direct. I don't have a problem using an agent, just wasn't comfortable with what happened last year.

 

Ken,  This did happen to several agents in the industry or they made changes with their agency affiliation.  Covid was a game changer that agents and the cruise lines were never prepared for as well as they NEVER thought it would go this long.  When working with a travel agent it is important to know how to reach them as well as the home office (which the cruise line can provide that information to you).   I know that it was frustrating to not reach the agent, but probably before this was never an issue.

The travel industry as a whole is going to need a lot of help to get back so anytime you can support a travel agent - please do.  Even when you have booked direct, you can transfer those bookings to a travel agent which should never cost you more, but you could find that it saves you time and money if they apply specials to your reservations.

23 hours ago, KathyC said:

We're looking at either the Deluxe Porthole View with Verandah or Edge Stateroom with Infinite Verandah.  I figure we won't be in the cabin much so the extra $200 for the second one may be better spent elsewhere...  

This is what I booked!

Super Excited to have Apex booked for 1/8/22!!!   Cruising with @monorailmedic

You guys are going to have a blast!  Great location, Great weather, Great place - and special Daddy Daughter time.  I cannot wait to see how well she takes to this and how bruised you are at the end of this

Meeting up with fellow cruisers or friends that live near the port the night prior to the cruise.  Always a PLUS if I can sit outside by water with a good view while visiting with everyone as well.

Was super excited to send an email to a client letting them know they saved a BIG $2 on their Labor day 2021 cruise!    BUT they were able to get On Board Credit of $100 so a good win for them!

I was asking about this even before they asked for volunteering.  I want to see fair treatment of ALL Travel Suppliers.  Hoping that by planning and showing people that you can travel without cases happening if everyone is following rules and careful, will get us all back to some resemblance of normalcy.  

Highly recommend this! And if you can bring friends and family with you even better.  Nothing Better than starting the new year on a ship!

I love seeing all these pictures and memories.  I swear had I known my cruise the first week of 2020 would be possibly it for all of 2020 - I would have taken a lot more photos!

On 10/3/2020 at 5:56 PM, Firefly said:

My 8 night Brilliance cruise in June finally changed over to Indy...but they put my husband and I on one side of the ship and our minor children on the other...what a mess. Hoping my TA can get it all sorted out. 

Yep!  I had the same thing happen to clients.  They were able to put the back into connecting rooms just in time for us to find a better option for them with the KSF offer.  So 8 calls to get things all moved around to then move to one Ultra Spacious room for them!    They will get you are straightened out.  I think the redeployment team sometimes forget to look at notes or what clients had.  

I have a short cruise Dec 14th...... fingers crossed

8 hours ago, Kelly m said:

Hi, I was booked for Brilliance on 5/8/2021 changed to Independence 5/8/2021. Told cost was price protected . The change was made yesterday. I received an email stating I will get back the money I paid for drink package and dining within 45 days.... ok then I checked my booking and it says I owe $1,104? My cruise on brilliance was paid for already! Has this happened to anyone else ?

There were lots of issues made with the moves from deployment.  Call them if you booked direct or contact your TA.  They will adjust to price protect and to be honest the current promotion might be better than your price protection.  So make sure to ask.  ALSO  - make sure if you were booked refundable rates that you still are.  I had a couple yesterday that were switched by deployment when they made the changes.

18 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

 

For myself, I sadly did not get the cabin I wanted so I am likely "jumping ship" back to Brilliance or dare I say, maybe Alaska...

Make sure you call and ask about a room change.  I have seen these rooms changing a lot today inbetween the 5 calls to redeplyment - so worth a try in a couple of days.

3 minutes ago, twangster said:

That is a trend my TA and her coworkers have observed frequently recently.

I had her apply an FCC to a booking and they converted it from refundable to NRD without telling her.  I later cancelled the cruise and they refused to refund my deposit.  Plus they refused to re-issue the FCC that was applied.  

 

Yes, this has been going on for awhile as Royal loves to defer to Non-Refundable - BUT so annoying!  If you do not catch it within 24 hours or so they tend to refuse to fix it.

Heads up to anyone that is being moved by redeployment........ Just got my first set thru and it is all messed up!  Connecting rooms on Brilliance are now on different floors - yep two kids in one room and 2 adults in the other - so not even their policy is being followed.  BUT WORST PART - they were refundable on Brilliance and now on Independence they are nonrefundab!e!!!

Check your confirmations over carefully!  This is one that is not easily fixed.

I have been working with Royal on a couple today in hopes they would move them because of the room configurations that was needed - NOPE.  Redeployment says any changes can cause issues with their process - so its wait and see.

Seeing so many memory posts from many groups that cruised in September over the past years and thinking back to my last cruise.....

My favorite memory from my last cruise was spending New Years Eve with the Royal Caribbean blog group- who knew 2020 would be like this!

What do you think back on to that last cruise you were on?

On 9/18/2020 at 8:21 PM, twangster said:

Thinking a bit more about this... I wouldn't do a river cruise just because Royal started offering them.  I like C&A points as much as everyone else but not that much.

It might fit better under the Azamara brand.  "Azamara River Cruises" even sounds better.  They are better at small ships and it fits their model better unless some other brand is built or acquired for the concept.  It doesn't seem to fit RCI so I doubt C&A points would be on the table.  

I agree - a family brand where I got some of the benefits for your C and A points would be great, but it would have to be a small ship. Azamara or SilverSeas might would work, but still might be too large for a river cruise.

Lots of people are ready to get out and relax.  Seeing many people booking all inclusive and land vacations with a backup as a cruise vacation just in case they start back. We are all ready to vacation!

It's 2020  .... 

I hope this is true - I like some of these changes!

I thought the same as everyone above..... yay!  a show around a cruise ship,,,,,, hmmm, love the shots from the pool deck... not sure I am following all of this show.... BUT MAN I WANT TO CRUISE!  I did find a way to watch The Love Boat old shows..... kinda of the same reaction to those as well.