Gears

Do you want to start a fight on the RC Blog forums? Because this is how you start a fight on the RC Blog forums. 

Yeah, but good luck finding any bar service in the MDR.  You'll have a better chance of finding a leprechaun riding a unicorn through the MDR than finding bar service. 

Don't you mean choosing refundable vs non-refundable? Since OBC is going buh-bye, no incentive for me to choose non-refundable. I would choose refundable. I also note that the purpose of getting rid of the OBC is to give better pricing to the clientele, which is simply not true as I have an algorithm that I always run on past, present and probable future pricing on certain cruises that do not currently offer OBC under RCCL's new policy and the initial announced offerings are slightly higher. RCCL is pulling a fast one but I, for one, am not falling for it.  Competition is getting better out in the high seas with new cruiselines and I can't wait to try them out such as Virgin Voyages.  It all comes down to what does my loyalty mean to the cruise line.

Before jumping the gun on this, can we confirm this is actually a thing and not just a random one-off situation and/or a mis communication?

I have read very similar things to what you are referring to and I am not worried.  In fact, I have two cruises booked on Indy already.  You will find that those who like to complain will always find something to complain about.  And I have feeling that a lot of those "bad" reviews are coming from those who were devoted to Indy before her revitalization.  There are quite a few of those out there.  Point is, you will never know until you try it.  Don't just take someone else's word for it.  And read all reviews with a grain of salt.  For all the bad ones I have read post revitalization, I have also read many good ones.  I personally would not cancel over that.  By the way, welcome to the message boards! 

Because I want to support jobs in my own country and I think its terrible a company would use their own employees to train other employees to take their jobs away is racist.....nope, not even close. Or because I have a hard time hearing/understanding people who's mother tongue is not English I am racist? Nope, wrong again!
 
But its people like you that say these things and push these ideas and agenda's that has turned the US and the world into what it is today...
 
 
I am 100% ok knowing that someone from China would NOT want me to be working their call center trying to speak their language when they are calling for advice or help or upset...
 
Come on people..don't be so sensitive!!!!
 
 

What makes this racist?? Am I missing something?? I have to start handing out more Mimosa's  ??????? as they're too many people with their girdle bunched up!!  

Racist?  How?  Being Guatamalin or Jamaican IS NOT A RACE!!!  It's a Nationality and, perhaps, a Culture, but it is NOT a race...... That term is thrown around Waaay too often these days.

This is the same sale that has gone on the entire summer. So, actually, it isn't a Labor Day sale. Just a "sucker is born everyday" sale! ?

People abuse the system all the time.  A former neighbor claimed support animal so he wouldn't have to pay pet rent.  I drove him to pick up his puppy from the breeder.  It wasn't trained at anything, it was a ten week old puppy.   Sure enough though, he didn't have to pay pet fees.  With the talk of more restrictions coming, a year later he signed up for a 4 hour session that provided a whimsical certificate so that he could argue the dog had received professional support animal training.  It was basically a play session with other dogs or so he told me as he encouraged me to follow suit.
There have been many incidents reported on trains, planes and ships where a claimed 'service' or 'support' animal bit someone or otherwise behaved inconsistent with a properly trained service animal.  I imagine there is potential liability if another guest is injured by a fake service animal.   Even if the risk of legal action against Royal is low (or the chance of winning a suit is low), it certainly will create a negative experience for a guest to be impacted and have their vacation ruined by a misbehaving fake service or support animal.
Seeing someone else getting away with it may tempt more to try it.  "Why not bring Fluffy?, they did".
If Royal needs to lean on the ADA to support this change in policy, I'm all for it.  
 

I think there are legitimately people who need emotional support animals and like you I hope they are able to continue to have access to them, however, I think the whole concept has been massively  abused by a lot of people who just want to take their pets along.
We have a running joke about it at my office ... we kidded about "emotional support llama's" come to find out there is such a thing .... WTF ?? Moved on to emotional support dinosaurs as our running gag ... guess what ... that's a thing too ...
 

We've never used anything other than USD. Just take enough on an excursion that you think you need and leave the rest in the safe.
 
I wouldn't be too keen on using a credit card unless I reallllly had to. From a point of view of 'issue avoidance' leave it in the safe...helps prevent a $10,000 cash advance transaction that's not yours from giving you a migraine.
 
Also, many credit cards also have a service fee tacked onto a foreign exchange transaction.
 
Just have an awareness of what the general exchange rate is so that you know you're not getting ripped off. Going beyond that and it turns into more worry than a vacation.

Boarding Allure tomorrow. If they tell me that I am starting at zero they’re going to have 2 very very very unhappy passengers.  I will report back.
Tony,  I don’t blame you for being upset. This NOT what we have been promised.

This was posted somewhere on Cruise Critic.  Not sure where it came from but it's awesome!!
It's drink packages explained and for those that "already know this stuff" it's noted that any changes to the RCCL Drink policies are noted in red in the article.  This document ALSO contains Harmony's Bar Menu and Drink Listing WITH prices!! 
 
LAST BUT NOT LEAST...the last 4 pages documents the names of special drinks and how they are made so you can make them at home for yourself OR you will know what to order on your next cruise.  I love this pdf and wanted to share with you all.  Enjoy!!!
 
 
Cruise News Harmony 2019 Drinking.pdf

I agree when looking from the outside financially it is very fair compensation when you are emotionally invested in a cruise it must be extremely hard to deal with. We book a long time in advance so getting down to the last 3 days and then being advised it is cancelled would be difficult. At least for those living in Australia and New Zealand the flights aren’t so bad. I really feel for the people from the other side of the world who may have already departed for Australia.
Very expensive for RCI as well paying 100% compensation for a whole ship. Well done to them for being that fair.

Are passengers allowed to use drones on the cruise ship? My husband wants to bring his toy with him : )

Because we'd like to send you to college some day.
 
As has been said on the podcast, the smaller ships and/or weekend cruises are more appropriate for veteran cruisers looking for a quick getaway or to scratch the cruise itch.  I really enjoyed our past Enchantment cruise, but for us, that was a relax by the pool and watch the sea go by getaway cruise.  

My first cruise was in 1992, on my honeymoon.  Brand new, biggest ship at the time, Majesty of the Seas.  Comparing cruising then to cruising now....not even something I can do.  Other than someone making my bed & leaving a towel animal and waking up in a different place than I went to sleep - the rest is so different.  From the food to the entertainment to the class separation to the loyalty levels & perks & cruise points to...I could go on and on.  We fell in love with cruising all those years ago, have patiently accepted the changes that happened as I've accepted changes that happen everywhere (20 somethings still don't believe me when I tell them I had to go to bridal shows on the weekends and read newspapers to plan my wedding as there was no internet LOL).  The older I get the more I realize that you gotta go with the flow.  Tvs were black & white when I was born, and now I can watch tv on my phone.  If I don't like the change, I don't spend my money there and look elsewhere.  That's the freedom of choice I have.
That being said, don't even get me started on what they did to my university...grrrrrr

Hey, wait a minute. Kayla?!?
@KLAconQueso, you got some 'splainin to do!

HEY!!! Don’t look at me - if it was my call it’d be open bar all the time!! 

Yeah...about a 25% diff in exchange rate which really hurts....but I usually book in USD so easy to compare...and looking back at what I paid in 2013 and 2014 for my cruises with Royal and what the same cruise goes for now...plus increase in grats and drink packages(and having to buy 2 now) plus plus plus..its easily close to an extra 50% difference..then add the 25% exchange rate difference (not Royals fault) and it really hurts...
 
Again, they have to recoup these huge costs for new mega ships and island make overs...someone has to pay for it.
 
 
 

Has anyone noticed that some Labadee excursions have recently increased in price?
Since 2016 the advance cruise planner prices for the zip line and jet ski were $96 each ($110-$115 on board the ship).  I used to get them both on sale for ~$76.  Now the advance cruise price is $105 and $109.  They have introduced a combo of the two for $194 - basically the old regular price for each.

New Combo:

At 2,600' with a price of $105 that is $.04 per foot. 
I think I heard CocoCay zip line will be 1,600'.  At Labadee per foot rates that comes out to $64.
 

My thoughts exactly.  I'm very interested to see if it really is a big enough draw to justify the costs.  Will this actually increase revenue?  Will this attract more cruisers?  I'm looking forward to seeing how it pans out after it is open for a few years.  I do see the logic and agree with twangster on this being a great way to keep smaller ships relevant.  Can't argue that someone who might normally not take a short cruise on a smaller ship could be persuaded by a visit here.
I however completely disagree on hurricanes being no more issue here than Miami.  Miami is in much danger to hurricanes, no question, but they are on the mainland.  After the storm passes semi trucks and trains of materials and supplies head in.  Bucket trucks from power companies all over the country converge on the affected area (I have seen the convoys heading down I-75 from here and Michigan after hurricanes).  An island does not have these luxuries.  Cruise lines are still avoiding Tortola 6 months after they were hit.  And I can't wait to see people (most likely unfairly) decry RCCL for diverting ships and supplies from needy islands to "fix their water park".  I'm sure the engineering team is aware of and doing their best to account for hurricanes, but the comparison to cities on the Florida coast is thin at best.
Regardless, I still say the design choices are ugly, that the water slide is a terrible eye sore, and that aside of adding the dock this is not a positive move.  Time will tell whether I'm in the minority or not.  I'm fully prepared to be, if most people love it then I guess RCCL is making the right move.  Like I said, I look forward to seeing the results.

Royal did say a while back that its strategy was to modify their product towards the millennial generation (not over used any more than baby boomer generation, generation X, etc.). I think this aligns to their strategy as do the facilities on the Oasis class ships we see and are going to see.
BUT...
My reaction was something else. RC...are you in the cruise line business or the resort business? Many, many, examples exist of business ventures not being successful because the company(ies) ventured outside their core competency in a effort to increase revenues by trying to be everything to everybody. Is this the same? Some may say yes, others may say no.
I see BIG business risk in this. The size of the capital investment along with the operational costs for a resort (not their core competency!) of this nature...on a small island in the Bahamas...in hurricane alley. What makes this special versus something on the mainland a few hundred miles to the west that will compel people to get on a cruise ship? I've filled out many RC surveys and I don't recall a 'would you like a wave pool at a port of call' being part of it...I have to wonder how they have arrived at the conclusion that this is a good investment beyond someone's personal pet project. Hope they don't turn CocoCay into an eventual rusting piece of junk. I think their capital could be better deployed.
 

Royal did say a while back that its strategy was to modify their product towards the millennial generation (not over used any more than baby boomer generation, generation X, etc.). I think this aligns to their strategy as do the facilities on the Oasis class ships we see and are going to see.
BUT...
My reaction was something else. RC...are you in the cruise line business or the resort business? Many, many, examples exist of business ventures not being successful because the company(ies) ventured outside their core competency in a effort to increase revenues by trying to be everything to everybody. Is this the same? Some may say yes, others may say no.
I see BIG business risk in this. The size of the capital investment along with the operational costs for a resort (not their core competency!) of this nature...on a small island in the Bahamas...in hurricane alley. What makes this special versus something on the mainland a few hundred miles to the west that will compel people to get on a cruise ship? I've filled out many RC surveys and I don't recall a 'would you like a wave pool at a port of call' being part of it...I have to wonder how they have arrived at the conclusion that this is a good investment beyond someone's personal pet project. Hope they don't turn CocoCay into an eventual rusting piece of junk. I think their capital could be better deployed.