Atlantix2000

8 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Ok, I'll make this as quickly as I can. I got a new laptop a while back, probably over a year and since then I couldn't login to Royal Caribbean from that one brand new laptop. I could not figure it out to the point I had to login from a Chromebook I had but rarely used. I used that to login to Royal Caribbean. Then a few weeks ago I noticed I couldn't login to my work website either and I'm like huh that's strange. I got a message from my work website when trying to login that the time and date was incorrect. I was confused at what that would have to do with anything. 

Indeed the time and date was incorrect I guess from the factory. It was the wrong time zone and everything. I changed that to be correct and just like that I was able to login to Royal Caribbean and my employers website. Very, very strange but that's what ultimately fixed it for me. I'm still very confused why that was the issue.

Since there's no way for the factory to know what time zone the laptop will ultimately be used in, the initial setup process for the operating system should prompt you to update your time zone.  That same step should also have asked you to confirm you want automatic time updates enabled and what time server to use.  (Generally, everyone is just going to think "huh?",  click OK to use the default, and then forget they were even asked because it will just work).  Having the correct time (to within acceptable network travel times) is a requirement for a secure login system.  When computers disagree about the time, the security assumption is that there could be another computer in the middle intercepting, looking at, possibly modifying, and then re-transmitting the data.  So rejecting your login is the correct behavior for a secure website.  Unfortunately, Royal's website didn't provide a useful error message to let you know what was wrong.  It's a good thing your employer's website was more helpful.  If I was in a position to help you with your computer, I would have wasted countless hours looking at this and I'm not even confident I would have been able to figure this out!

Dynamic pricing causes strange effects.  Sounds like certain categories were closer to sold out than the algorithm expected at this point.  And even if the programmers noticed, I'm sure they'd consider it too much work to prevent such things from happening.  Just means we have to pay attention to make sure we always get the best deal!

Here's an article on the stop in Spain - Picked up the 10,000 plants for Central Park since Finland has such a different climate.  Used the dry dock for Azipod repairs, and updates to box coolers and sea chests.  (Whatever that means).

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2023/12/royal-caribbeans-icon-receives-10000-plants-in-spain/

8 hours ago, Shanethegriff said:

Would the seas generally be any calmer in either direction or based on time of year?

You don't really get any choice in the time of year.  Royal's ships don't keep going back and forth across the ocean.  They only cross each way once per year so that a ship could spend the summer in the Mediterranean and the winter in the Caribbean (for example).

4 hours ago, Bakerette said:

Does that me we use our passports up until to the day the day that they expire? Also does that mean we can use our passports after they expire for cruises to that Bahamas from the us and back?

Think of it like having one and only one credit card.  You can use that credit card up until the day it expires.  After that, it's a piece of plastic that says "I used to have this credit card".  Can you bring that credit card (with no cash) on a trip when it expires the day after you return?  Yes.  However, what if you were delayed coming home for a week for some reason?  Oops, you have no credit card to pay your expenses for that week.  Your credit card company usually sends you a new card a few months before the old one expires so you don't end up in this situation.
How does this relate to passports?  It's exactly the same process except YOU have to ask for the new passport.  The government doesn't just send one to you.

8 hours ago, MICHIKO said:

We are planning to stay in 14692 at the Oasis of the Seas in March 2024. The room has poor visibility, but please let me know if you know what the situation is.

You probably shouldn't use white text when the default background is white!

Just now, JFCruise said:

Or going solo on a suite?

That would be 3 points per night (start with 1 pt/day, +1 pt/day for suite, +1 pt/day for solo)

11 hours ago, Michelle Purnell said:

First time cruiser on Anthem of the Sea I do not think it is fair that with a dinning package you have to wait to get on the ship to  make reservations because you pay up front I got on board and just about everything was booked or I had to take leftovers and what ever time they gave me so what is the point they take the money people first and it is not fair they should not have a dinning package if that is the case

You could have paid full price and made your reservations right away.  That was the deal - lower price but wait to make reservations.

4 hours ago, jeffmw said:

It could be any number of things. It could be logistical, having to do with dock capabilities, labor, perhaps the location of items that need to go onto the boat, etc. If the furniture, for example, is being sourced out of an area that's easier to get to Cadiz than Finland, maybe it's easier to stop there on the way. They're in completely different areas of Europe facing different bodies of water so it may be easier to bring the boat to the appropriate people and cargo rather than the other way around. Perhaps the Finland port is more expensive and better for heavy duty construction while Cadiz is cheaper and better for putting on finishing touches, etc. Again, no evidence to support any of this, but all could be viable reasons for something like this. Doesn't seem too odd to me. 

Your explanations make perfect sense for docking in a different location.  But Scott M said Icon was in dry dock (as in out of the water).  That does sound unusual at this point.  Anybody confirm if that was actually the case or just an old photo?

10 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said:

I disagree.  They allow this ALL of the time, you just have to call and get someone who knows what they are doing over there.

Of course it's allowed but that's not the point.  I was responding to the part of the post that said the wife wouldn't actually use the non-alcoholic package.  If that's the case, it's not a matter of whether Royal allows/requires them to purchase the refreshment package.  It's a question of whether it makes financial sense to purchase any packages at all.

If you really don't want to purchase any package for your wife, perhaps the best answer is to also not purchase a package for yourself.

7 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

But they didn't say that. You are speculating. Until we know why and quite frankly it should have been in the cold letter they gave them why. I guess we may never know why unless one of the YouTube cruise channels actually does some digging. 

I'm giving one example.  There's plenty more examples in this thread.  You seem to believe companies owe you 100% transparency on all issues whether you are personally affected or not.  That's just not how the world works.  I don't believe there is a company anywhere that would meet your expectations.

4 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

Not the same thing at all. If a plane is oversold there are 20 more that day. It's just not a realistic comparison. And it should not happen. You take my money, you give me a cabin. 

Let's ignore the GTY side of this and imagine a ship where every cabin has been booked outright.  If a sewage pipe burst and flooded your cabin with human waste, would you honestly prefer to sail in that cabin or be bumped?  Let's say they hold back 5 cabins to cover possibilities like this but that sewage pipe flooded 6 cabins.  What should they do?  As much as it sucks, there ARE reasons to bump people.  It's easy to say it shouldn't happen but it's totally unrealistic to believe that any company can prevent all possible problems.

6 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

When I book a cruise, booked and paid for, whether it's a suite, inside, balcony or GTY balcony I don't want to hear it's rare to be bumped. I want to hear it can't and will not ever happen that you get "bumped". Most only get one change a year to have vacation. This is completely Royal Caribbean fault for even introducing this doubt. 

This is just my opinion. 

No one can ever promise that bumping can't happen.  It happens with airlines.  It happens with hotels.  It happens with cruises. I'm sure I could go on.  There is no system that is perfect.

1 hour ago, KJones said:

Is having to go to Cafe Promenade just a Symphony thing? On our Radiance sailing last year it was in our cabin in the same envelope as our shore excursion tickets.

And they may even double punch for the 16oz, at least they did on Radiance. 12oz was 1 punch, 16oz was 2 and 20oz was 3. It was actually "cheaper" to get (2) 12ozs than a single venti.

It's actually one punch per shot of espresso (where 12oz = 1 shot, 16 oz = 2 shots, 20 oz = 3 shots).  So two 12oz drinks is more liquid but less espresso.  So the value depends on how much caffeine you want.

4 hours ago, SLB said:

 Mine Exp Jan 2024. I will never be able to get one renewed.

Will I be denied> ?

If it's actually a requirement for your cruise, yes you would be denied.  But there are VERY few itineraries where this requirement exists.  If you're on a common Caribbean/Bahamas cruise, it's almost certainly NOT a requirement.  To be sure, let us known where you are traveling.

8 hours ago, mom2mybugs said:

And actually, is there a way to delete threads entirely,  since I don't really think this is relevant anymore... Don't see any signatures...   Jane

As cedricmr says, it's in account settings and you can choose to hide signatures there too.  If you've done that, you won't see any signatures.  (I've done that because signatures end up being larger than the posts in many cases, and that can be especially annoying when there's a conversation in a thread between multiple posters with long signatures.)

Companies have learned to spread their "best" sales across multiple days and weeks because they can capture more customers.  There's a limit to how many things I can shop for on a single day (whether in person or online).  Thus a Black Friday sale is now a multi-week sale followed by a multi-week Cyber Monday sale.  It doesn't matter what the sale is called, just look to see if there are good deals.  That's true any day of the year.

On 11/22/2023 at 10:09 AM, bobroo said:

Not one of you have been to Labadee to see that it is very commonplace for zipliners to get stuck and not make it to the end? Especially after sand and salt spray has caused corrosion on the cables overtime and slowed the speed of the ride all while increasing friction? 

Finally, I don't know nutt'in about rollercoasters or theme park rides. Especially how they are designed or engineered. But I tell ya' once you get on one of them, that ride is going to bring all its' occupants back to where it originated whether they like it or not. If someone faints, has a medical condition, panics, or even has misgivings....they are forced to return to where the ride originates. This is not the case on the Crown's Edge. So yeah I'm tellin' all ya' alls this poorly designed and not well thought out.

Have you missed the news stories about people getting stuck on rollercoasters?  Sometimes upside down?  Rides are actually designed with multiple stopping points along the track for evacuations in the event of an emergency.  There are often stairs alongside the rails in those sections so that people can just get out and climb down.  But those are only useful if the emergency causes a controlled stoppage under control of the operator.  Other emergencies may cause the cars to not stop in an official stopping place.  Then the fire department has to raise their ladders and help people out one at a time so it can take hours.

I say that not to scare people but to point out that returning to the origin is not actually guaranteed by the design of the ride.  Whether zipline, rollercoaster, or Crown's Edge, evacuation and rescue is absolutely part of the design and training of the operators.  Pre-Covid (and pre-kid) I was a half-decent indoor rock climber.  I constantly put my trust in the ropes, clips, carabiners, harnesses, and other safety gear required.  I have to believe similar equipment would be used for Crown's Edge and would have no fear stepping over the side of the ship while properly clipped in.  Of course, I'd like to think I would recognize if I were not properly clipped in and I realize most people will not have that option.  There's supposed to be a thrill element that comes with feeling a bit unsafe.

15 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Oh maybe, it's seems like a Thanksgiving dinner. Roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce. I'm confused. 

Betting you're seeing the menus for the current cruise.  Is Thanksgiving day 5 for the current cruise on your ship?  It's been commonly reported that to figure out the menus for your own cruise, you either have to look at the menus while the ship is cruising an identical itinerary, or you have to select your actual sailing.  (And I'm sorry but I don't remember the details of how to do that but there are posts about it.)

10 hours ago, JFCruise said:

@BRY7 @Linda R SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?

What gives me a little hope is that the category I was offered when mocking a select-your-room, there were only 5 staterooms available. I'm not exactly sure how that works since we are only 3, but were offered 5+.

Honestly, it's mostly whatever. I was just curious to know if there was any chance of anything better.

First, Royal's website is known to not show all available inventory.  Second, you said this cruise is in Jan 2026 (over 2 years away).  That's a LOT of time for bookings/cancellations/rebookings/cabin changes/RoyalUp/etc to drastically change the inventory.

12 hours ago, DJtech666 said:

1Q Hi all any info would be appreciated. Family and I booked a cruise from NJ to Bahamas and back. However upon looking at the passport one was expiring very shortly. We we're able to get it renewed and returned quickly,  It would not be valid for full 6 months prior to boarding. Will this cause any issues? Do we need to bring driver license and birth certificate as back up? 

I think you've misinterpreted the 6 month rule.  Where it exists, the 6 month rule refers to how close your passport is to expiring, not to when it was issued.  You can always travel with a brand new passport because it is valid for 10 years (or even longer? I don't remember).  Countries with the six month rule are concerned that you would enter their country with the intention of staying for a week but due to medical/legal/etc issue, you end up staying in the country longer and your passport expires before you leave.  (This would mean you are now stuck in their country).  So they require that your passport will remain valid for 6 months after you arrive.

32 minutes ago, Floatingby said:

I've cancelled and rebooked my drink package several times. I did the booking with a travel agent and booked the drink package in the ap on the same day.

While true, your experience does not apply to the circumstances of the question.  There is now an option to book the drink package while booking the cruise (in other words, not as a separate purchase in the app/cruise planner).  The question is whether a drink package booked that way can still be rebooked for a lower price or is it locked to the purchase price.  Unfortunately, the option is new enough that I'm not sure there is a known answer yet!

I thought TA supplied OBC shows up in your account on Day 2 of the cruise so it isn't available for use pre-cruise.  Did that change?

4 hours ago, GJ_123 said:

Has this always been the case with RC? I honestly can't get my head around why they do this, what is the purpose? Surely it would make more sense to hold the amounts as they please, and actually just claim the transactions at the end of the cruise. Why do you essentially need to pay again?? 
I was recently on Symphony and I overheard a guest saying they didn't understand how the holds worked, and they basically didn't have enough in their account to cover twice what they had spent... so I've no idea how it was resolved.
For this reason we always do a cash account. We just stick $500-$1000 into our account in cash as soon as we get onboard.

It's a quirk of the card processing systems in combination with Royal (and most hotels/resorts/other cruise lines/vendors/etc) trying to save money.  Whenever you run a charge on a card, the vendor gets charge a fee from the payment processor.  There are actually 2 parts to this fee - one set fee per transaction and one variable fee based on the size of the charge.  Therefore, it costs the vendor more to do five $20 transactions than one $100 transaction.  In order to minimize costs, the vendor is allowed to place a hold and modify they size of that hold.  Then, when they know the final bill, they cancel the hold and put through one final/real transaction.  This works great for the vendor but not for the consumer because cancelled holds don't cancel immediately, but the new charge does go through immediately.  This means for a short time, the card appears to have been charged twice.  (The length of this time depends on the policies of the bank that issues the card and cannot be controlled by the vendor.)  So how does this effect the consumer?  It depends on whether the card is credit or debit and whether whether there is enough money to cover both the hold and the real charge.

For a credit card, the issuing bank has plenty of money to cover all possible charges so the hold has no real effect.  The only question is whether the hold plus the real charge plus any previous balance would hit your credit limit.  If you're under the limit, great.  If you're now over the limit, the real charge gets denied and you'll have to use another card or cash.  The important point is that the hold effects someone else's money (the bank's).

For a debit card, the money in your bank account has to cover all the charges and the holds.  Your bank won't know the hold is cancelled so it ties up your money twice.  That can lead to denied charges or overdraft fees depending on your account's rules.  The important point is that the hold effects YOUR money.