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Be Sure and Check for Military Discounts, if you Qualify


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I was checking pricing on some of my short term cruises and noticed that some of them have a nice, big military discount.  It seems that they are showing up only on the really short term ones, but if you wanted to book now, get the military discount and L&S....well...could work.

My Dec 6 Oasis cruise has a $675 military discount but the one the very next week (second half of my B2B) does not.  Go figure.  BTW, it seems that they are allowing the military discount AND the C&A balcony discount so that's a nice discount when stacked together.

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2 hours ago, rjac said:

Haven't received a state discount yet.

Oh wow! I have gotten a state discount on 3 of the 4 cruises I have booked.. Royal really wants Californians leaving from FLL, I guess. Gonna start plugging in my C&A number even as a lowly Gold. I have never even tried it! 

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1 hour ago, Matt said:

Mentioning me usually gets worse pricing! 

Only if we're sailing toward Florida. If we sail in any direction to be further away from you... ?

I've noticed I get the Maryland resident discounts on cruises out of Baltimore (not really a surprise there) and out of Cape Liberty. My Thanksgiving cruise out of Orlando doesn't have a MD resident discount.

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On 6/1/2020 at 10:40 AM, rjac said:

I have tried the elusive FOM discount, but to no avail (FOM=Friend of Matt). I guess you have to go on an official blog group cruise to qualify for that one. :3_grin:

At first I thought FOM is some kind of support group, then I realized it is! ?The hard part is cracking the code ??

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  • 3 weeks later...

I just checked into a cruise on Grandeur in Feb 2021.  It's a 12 day over President's Day...what an awesome Military discount !!!  Of course, who knows if Grandeur is ever going to sail again...but still a great price on this cruise.  The amazing part is that they are stacking 4 discounts on this one.  I'm tempted to do this one just b/c it is such a great deal...over 50% savings and it has nothing to do with the casino !!!

image.png.18ddc68f70667b19a58bedd9dbcade31.png

 

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2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I believe an active duty or retired military ID is required.

In all my cruising history, I have never had to prove my military service (ID card or DD form 214) at check in. I doubt, too, that they would know what they ere looking at nor where to look on the ID card or form. :27_sunglasses:

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26 minutes ago, rjac said:

In all my cruising history, I have never had to prove my military service (ID card or DD form 214) at check in. I doubt, too, that they would know what they ere looking at nor where to look on the ID card or form. :27_sunglasses:

Well when you referred to all there ships being bigger than the Mayflower, they assume you’ve served in the military within that time period! ?

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Many, many years ago, when I booked a cruise with Carnival using a military discount, I was required to fax them a copy of my military dependent’s retired ID.  I have never used a military discount with Royal, so I have no idea if they will ask for any verification or not.  

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Okay, I'm head-spacing or something.

Where do you put those qualifiers in?  I've been trying to book a room and add in my military (watch it, rjac, the AF is real military) but

I can't find the place where you put all of that stuff in.  I know I've done it before.  Do I have to go past putting in our names and info

before I get to that page?   I have two scheduled sailings (Nov and Feb) but they are quite high compared to when I booked them.  Just

trying to find a better deal, especially for the Feb cruise - it's really high.

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@Floski it’s on the same page that you put in your C&A status for discounts. You won’t see what discounts you getting until you go thru the process a few more steps to finalize the booking. It appears when your given the page to add names to the booking. It didn’t offer military discounts on the sailing that I selected, but you would see it in the summary.

 

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Well now let me back that up a bit, it now appears on the screen under MORE FILTERS  as an option  when you're searching for a cruise. i didn't see that on a mobile device earlier. However it does't work for me right now..must be an IT work in progress function for the new intern. ?‍♂️

 

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I see it on the screen where you select number of people with a link to check for exclusive discounts.  Same place I click on over 55, CT resident and enter my C&A number.  Checked this morning and it’s a $510 discount on my cruise.  Shot an email to Danette and am looking for his DD214!  Certainly worth a try!!  Thanks for the tip?

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So I THINK hubby is eligible?  Danette sent me an email with the attached verbiage:

Veterans with an Honorable Discharge serving a minimum of 2 years, or 6-months in an active war zone, in any of the United States service divisions listed above. Proper identification in the form of a DD 214, plus a current photo must be presented at time of check-in.

He served 4 years at the tail end of Vietnam BUT was never in a war zone (Siragusa, Sicily).  Yes? No? And he has a General Discharge under Honorable Conditions.

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@Pooch  If I am correct, he needs that DD form.  Your TA will than place it into the booking as verification.

I will say my husband served 21 yrs. Our last sailing on Adventure using a TA it came out cheaper.  We had to scan and email her his retired military ID, otherwise she said he had to scan/email that DD form.

He did not have to show his military ID at the port upon check in. Being a retired military member, he rarely pulls out that ID from a security reason aspect.  He uses his passport and DL.

 

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4 hours ago, Pooch said:

looking for his DD214!

If you can't find it contact the nearest military base/post ask for the VA office.  They can send you a copy.

Here's the biggie.  Your Husband has to call and request it.  You cannot.  They may even require him to appear in person as proof that he is the person requesting this federal document.  

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Yup, I think I will have to contact the VA for a replacement DD214.  I downloaded a form from the VA for him to fill out and request. I found a DD215 correcting an error on the DD214 but not the original DD214.  I am going with yes he is eligible and have Danette tell me what I need to do.  Its a substantial savings.

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6 minutes ago, Pooch said:

I think I will have to contact the VA for a replacement DD214.

Again, just remember to them, unless you have a specific power of attorney, they will not speak to you.  He has to contact them.

Trust me...I am a retired military spouse.  They will not speak to me at all as a spouse.  It must be my husband.

I would also suggest going to nearest military base.  The military is like most companies with tele-work.  Just my guess is that those phone lines will ring and ring and ring.  It might be faster since you are asking for 40+ yr old records to be pulled, and you need proof that he is that person requesting it.  They always try to protect those that serve from frauds. 

 

 

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According to the VA Affairs site, he can do this through the mail.  Here in Northern CT, there isn't a military base in the neighborhood, maybe down state in New London at the Sub Base.  I have also called the Town Clerk.  In CT we get a Veteran's exemption on municipal taxes and have to file the DD214 in the Clerk's office.  I also work for the Town so I made a quick call & they are looking for me.

 

your help is very much appreciated!

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28 minutes ago, rjac said:

Yes, of course. And the Air Force has its own spirited cry which can mean anything positive. Here are some examples:

Hooah - Army; Hoorah - Navy; Oorah - Marine Corps; Nice Putt - Airforce.

:3_grin:

Nice Putt....love it.

 

91st Security Police Squadron stationed at Minot. I took every TDY I could and saw the world 2 weeks at a time...lol.

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1 hour ago, rjac said:

Yes, of course. And the Air Force has its own spirited cry which can mean anything positive. Here are some examples:

Hooah - Army; Hoorah - Navy; Oorah - Marine Corps; Nice Putt - Airforce.

LMAO.

We are AF.  What is PT to the AF?  Lifting a beer after a round of golf!   What is the other joke for the AF?  They build the runway 1st and the golf course next!

Hubby did a tour with the 82nd (JUMP ALO) and attended CGSC at Leavenworth.  Talk about being teased! 

When we got to Bragg I thought after being married for 4 yrs I knew all of the acronyms for the military.  He was a young O3.  4V4 double turn as a flier, got it.  Difference between a missile and a bomb, got it.  PCS, with a TDY enroute and 10 days in the TLF using TLA, and TMO will pick up our HHG on this date, got it!  

Get to Bragg.  1st a.m. at 5:30 in the TLF he kisses me goodbye and says I have to go to PT, I will be back by 7 a.m. ME:  OK.  BYE!  30 seconds later, eyes pop open and start going through the acronym list.  PT.  PT.  What on earth is PT?   Could not fall back to sleep.  He comes home and I ask him what is PT?  He laughs and says Physical Training!   I was like ...really they make you do that?

Back on topic.

Military discounts are there, but to me it is a hit or miss.  More of a miss than a hit, but that might be due to the fact we book so far out in advance.

 

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@Pooch, I'm not sure what RCCL uses to verify military service.  I do know that AAFES (the Army/Air Force Exchange Service, or BX/PX) now allows all honorably discharged veterans to shop online, and the process they use can be found at https://www.shopmyexchange.com/veterans.  Also, Apple offers a military discount for veterans, and they use a website called id.me.  I think Princess Cruises uses id.me as well.  I would urge you to be careful about providing copies of the DD214 (Certificate of Discharge) to RCCL or anyone else, as most of the older ones will display the servicemember's SSN.  If nothing else, if you do get a military discount, just take a copy of the DD214 with you when you board, to prove eligibility.

 

 

Edited by IRMO12HD
clarified term (DD214)
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