GatorCruiser Posted February 24, 2022 Report Share Posted February 24, 2022 Matt’s not 6’6” and can barely fit in the showers though barbeyg, ScottishRobbie, Neesa and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMatl Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 On 2/22/2022 at 8:59 PM, GatorCruiser said: Poor Danny is getting savaged in here. But every rib mentioned is so true. All in good fun. He seems like a nice fellow. Nice Avatar picture. GG! GatorCruiser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMatl Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 I called RC and put a deposit down for a cruise in 2023 but nothing more. Can I still use a TA when I’m ready to book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 38 minutes ago, TMatl said: I called RC and put a deposit down for a cruise in 2023 but nothing more. Can I still use a TA when I’m ready to book? If you put down a deposit, you are booked. You may transfer it to a TA as long as it's within 30 days of booking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chill6x6 Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 You know....I. had a TA with my first cruise in 2007...Carnival Holiday! LOL! Local company. I wasn't thrilled about it the moment I booked thru them and liked it even less right up to the cruise. I made up my mind to learn everything I could about cruises/cruising via the Internet and do everything myself. That's exactly what I've done. I actually enjoy doing it myself and I know things are being done correctly. I can't see me ever going back to a TA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWDW1204 Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 5 hours ago, steverk said: Sorry Matt. Didn't mean it that way! Yours are good too, but not as in death Yes, not dying is good. VirtKitty and steverk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 16 hours ago, steverk said: Sorry Matt. Didn't mean it that way! Yours are good too, but not as in death No worries, I'm just teasing you. I've met Danny a few times. Great guy and very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl Chubokas Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 On 2/22/2022 at 5:03 PM, SpeedNoodles said: @Beci is! Could someone give me Emmy ice phone numberCould someone give me Emmy ice phone number Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psycho and Barb Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 We had a lot of our cruise canceled due to Covid and we took the FCC. Keeping track of all the FCC was a nightmare. We would apply a certain amount to a new cruise but for some reason Royal would only apply the amount they wanted and reissue us a new FCC...Or they wouldn't apply an FCC at all for some strange reason. Our only saving grace was our TA...He tracked all our FCC's, ensured they were applied correctly and made sure we got to use them all. We will only book a cruise by using a TA. VirtKitty and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Cheryl Chubokas said: Could someone give me Emmy ice phone numberCould someone give me Emmy ice phone number Did you mean M.E.I.? There isn't just one phone number, as they are all individual agents. You can fill in the yellow form on the home page and one will contact you. I usually just email my agent, Michelle ([email protected]) ***** EDIT: Sharla kindly let me know that there is a general number (425-396-7505) but she also said the fastest way was to fill out the yellow form. Thank you, @Sharla! I didn't know. Sharla 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 Emmy Ice, I like it! She's the voice to text spokesperson for MEI Sharla and SpeedNoodles 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharla Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 7 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said: Did you mean M.E.I.? There isn't just one phone number, as they are all individual agents. You can fill in the yellow form on the home page and one will contact you. I usually just email my agent, Michelle ([email protected]) There is a call center phone number, which is 425-396-7505. But the easiest/fastest way is to either contact an agent directly or request a quote on royalcaribbeanblog.com or mei-travel.com Neesa, SpeedNoodles, cruisellama and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 It’s great that sharla posts on here. She is Very knowledgeable and helpful to us on here. This site is a wonderful resource. Sharla, Neesa and SpeedNoodles 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserccl Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 Last year I advised a friend to read through this forum because he's very new to Royal. When he asked me about TAs, I couldn't really give him much help. But I suggested he read through this since a lot of TAs do post on this forum and that may give him an idea of who to contact. Fast forward to a week ago. He told me he contacted an agent and was very responsive - usually within a day, sometimes within a few hours. He was so impressed and he asked to book. But now the agent hasn't responded to any of his emails. It seemed really strange to me. I told him that there may be an emergency or something, but I assumed the agent would put a email auto reply if that's the case. I feel bad that I suggested for him to contact the TA. Not sure what can be done. So definitely do your homework! Pattycruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted February 25, 2022 Report Share Posted February 25, 2022 5 hours ago, smokeybandit said: Emmy Ice, I like it! She's the voice to text spokesperson for MEI Ice, Ice, Emmy, do do do do-do do do... LOL We're using a cruise travel agent for the first time since our honeymoon in 2000. We used one then because it was a complicated trip and she did all of the flights and transfers and hotels, etc. The four cruises we've been on since then, I've booked and managed myself and was happy doing so and I was VERY skeptical about using a TA this time (I'm just using a Royal TA assigned when I emailed a question). BUT, I've been happy so far! She was able to move us from one cruise to a different one (the original one I had wanted but was pretty expensive when I tried to book so we chose an alternative and then the price dropped on our first choice) with no hassle, and she was able to find us additional discounts and an onboard credit plus picked us really good rooms that weren't showing online. I'm still able to do everything I want to do myself on the website/planner/app. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Writergina Posted February 27, 2022 Report Share Posted February 27, 2022 First, I have to join in the Danny chuckles. My husband and I were watching his Coco Cay tour video last week and by the fourth or fifth time he went into a cabana and demonstrated the cooler table and the coffee table with safe like they were brand new, we were laughing so hard we could barely speak. He'd get to a new cabana and we'd be like, "But I need a place to store my valuables while I am in the water. Do you think this cabana has a table with a conveniently located safe too?" They are definitely super thorough tours! Anyway, TA thoughts/question. We've used the same TA for years and lately it seems like they are very difficult to reach and a bit unresponsive. Obviously, travel agents have gone through so much over the past two years and I'm totally all about cutting slack on just about anything. If it takes her days or weeks to get back to me, as long as nothing urgent/time sensitive is involved, no biggie. But... Over the past couple of months, doing occasional mock bookings for our upcoming Oasis cruise, I have twice found sales that reduced our overall fare by about $700 each time (about $1400 total). I contacted our TA about the first one and she eventually responded and was able to do the reprice, but seemed very impatient and annoyed about it. I wouldn't have bothered her for like a $20 price difference, but for $700 FCC? Um, yes please. (Also, I see many people here and on other boards talking about how their TAs alert them to repricing/deals on cruises they've already booked, etc. Our TA has really never done that.) At the same time, I was booking a new cruise for August and she told me she was too busy to do it and I should book directly. (Which I did, fine by me.) On this latest reprice attempt, I just found the deal on Friday near the end of the business day, wasn't able to reach the TA before they closed, can't reach them on the weekend and it looks like this particular sale is ending tonight unless Royal extends it. So we're probably out of luck, which is a bummer. We've already made final payment but there's a lot I could do with $700 OBC! I sat on hold with Royal for a while Friday evening to see if there was anything at all we could do, but of course the TA has to make any change and they couldn't help. Anyway, I do recognize the value of having a good TA, in the cruise world particularlyIt sounds like everyone here is really happy with MEI. Am I expecting too much from the TA we have now, or would we likely get better service with MEI? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverk Posted February 27, 2022 Report Share Posted February 27, 2022 5 hours ago, Writergina said: First, I have to join in the Danny chuckles. My husband and I were watching his Coco Cay tour video last week and by the fourth or fifth time he went into a cabana and demonstrated the cooler table and the coffee table with safe like they were brand new, we were laughing so hard we could barely speak. He'd get to a new cabana and we'd be like, "But I need a place to store my valuables while I am in the water. Do you think this cabana has a table with a conveniently located safe too?" They are definitely super thorough tours! He could have edited that one a little better! He did that because he cut out thT section in to its own video for each cabana type. Have you seen his ship tours? They run an hour per ship then he has additional videos for each suite type. Like you said, very detailed. They're also well photographed, which is unusual for tour videos. And just so we're clear...Matt does a great job on his as well. This is especially true if you don't have 2 hours to spend in front of youtube! BeachGal and Matt 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaMG Posted February 27, 2022 Report Share Posted February 27, 2022 When Odyssey debuted I watched just about every ship tour I could find on the Internet, Matt's and Danny's included! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Writergina Posted February 28, 2022 Report Share Posted February 28, 2022 On 2/27/2022 at 4:22 PM, steverk said: He could have edited that one a little better! He did that because he cut out thT section in to its own video for each cabana type. Have you seen his ship tours? They run an hour per ship then he has additional videos for each suite type. Like you said, very detailed. They're also well photographed, which is unusual for tour videos. And just so we're clear...Matt does a great job on his as well. This is especially true if you don't have 2 hours to spend in front of youtube! That's kind of what I figured, that he would do some cuts so he needed to repeat some of the content for each cabana, but it was hilarious watching it over and over again. We love his ship tours as well, especially when I'm feeling like super-obsessing about cruising (which gets more and more often as my next sailing approaches). And yes, I love Matt's videos as well! Honestly, my kids just roll their eyes at me now when I nonchalantly say, "Hey, maybe we could watch another cruise video?" steverk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted February 28, 2022 Report Share Posted February 28, 2022 Ship tour videos are so helpful. Before my wife and I sailed symphony for the first time , I watched a bunch of them to strategize how I wanted to attack that ship in terms of maximizing everything on it. They were indispensable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordell1 Posted February 28, 2022 Report Share Posted February 28, 2022 On 2/27/2022 at 10:09 AM, Writergina said: Am I expecting too much from the TA we have now, or would we likely get better service with MEI? You would get better service with MEI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaffyTaffy88 Posted August 19, 2023 Report Share Posted August 19, 2023 I have used Harr Travel and I didn't like them. It was my first time using a TA so not really sure about the services they are supposed to provide. But, from my research I thought once you book with them they handle everything and take a commission off the price. Well, I transferred my Alaskan cruise on Royal Carribean to them. And that was pretty much it. They didn't assit me with anything else. I felt like since I didn't book one of those suites he's always talking about then I didnt matter. If I wanted them to book my flights/hotels they would send me to another company who would then charge $50 pp for hotel and flight so essentially $100 pp. So I booked my own flights, hotels, and shore excursions. They didn't recommend any shore excursions or anything to do while we were in Seattle before the cruise. The itinerary was supposed to be 2 days in Seattle before the cruise, then we did a 7 night Alaskan cruse followed by another day in Seattle before returning home. I booked a balcony cabin because it was for my husband's 61st birthday. I literally just turned 35 so that was a lot of money for me to pay by myself. But as I stated I felt like I didn't get the "Harr Travel" service he's always talking about because we did not book a suite. THE WORSE PART... when I initially booked my cruise through royal carribean I signed up for their travel insurance but when I transferred my booking to Harr Travel they canceled my travel insurance and booked it with another company name Travel Insured who they stated was one of the best. My husband had a stroke a few hrs after we got off the cruise and we ended upbstaying in Seattle for an additional 3 nights as he was in ICU. Now, I'm getting the run around from the travel insurance company. When it's time to okay claims apparently they give people the run around so they don't have to pay claims. In my opion Harr Travel gets kick backs on everyone they refer to this company. I say this because this company has such shady reviews when it comes time to pay for a claim so why would you book a client with them if it wasn't for money. Just my opinion not sure if it's true. P.S. I booked Harr Travel because I liked their YouTube videos and I felt like he was very informative and knowledgeable. Well I won't make that mistake again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetPea Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 @LaffyTaffy88thank you for your review. I have always been curious about Harr (my favorite part of a stateroom? The door. & I always bring Euro adapters to maximize ...). Yes, i find their videos informative. But I've not heard too much positive about them beyond their videos. And i get it. I bet they get a healthy revenue from YouTube, so why would they care as much about their cruise commissions. It's smart marketing. I have a travel agent i adore. I know there are a handful on this board who adore her too, but since MEI sponsors the board, i feel funny mentioning her, though i know those of us who do use her have sort of a secret nod. WYKYK LaffyTaffy88 and Lovetocruise2002 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCIfan1912 Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 I tried to book through Harr travel for our last cruise but it was very, very strange. I love the videos on YouTube as well so that's pretty much why. I contacted them and then got an email from a harr travel partner several times and then I finally replied, I wanted to book through Harr travel why am I being referred to about another travel agency? I guess Harr travel doesn't want my business? Never got a response. I booked these last 3 through Matt Hoffman from Cruise planners and I have to say, awesome! Just awesome! This guy will respond extremely quickly or his assistant and he will jump on whatever request you have. I can't say enough about him. He and his wife also have a YouTube channel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaa Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 Never booked with them, but I do like Matt and Chelsea's videos. They are long, but you get a good feel for how it is being on the ship, see the lines and crowds etc. RCIfan1912 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCIfan1912 Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 11 minutes ago, Xaa said: Never booked with them, but I do like Matt and Chelsea's videos. They are long, but you get a good feel for how it is being on the ship, see the lines and crowds etc. Absolutely love them. Have 3 booked through them. He has taken care of many, many things. Extremely happy with Matt. They do have long vids but like you said very detailed. They truly have fun in their videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AandD Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 55 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said: I tried to book through Harr travel for our last cruise but it was very, very strange. I love the videos on YouTube as well so that's pretty much why. I contacted them and then got an email from a harr travel partner several times and then I finally replied, I wanted to book through Harr travel why am I being referred to about another travel agency? I guess Harr travel doesn't want my business? Never got a response. I booked these last 3 through Matt Hoffman from Cruise planners and I have to say, awesome! Just awesome! This guy will respond extremely quickly or his assistant and he will jump on whatever request you have. I can't say enough about him. He and his wife also have a YouTube channel. I agree with you about Cruise planners. We use a different agent which we are very happy with. There are times we won't call or email, like early morning, because he will answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachGal Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 48 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said: I tried to book through Harr travel for our last cruise but it was very, very strange. I love the videos on YouTube as well so that's pretty much why. I can totally relate to this. I had checked out their videos and thought, "Wow, they really know their cruise business," and tried to book with them. I got the run-around numerous times and had to track them down with multiple emails and calls when I had a question or concern. The only time they were quick about reaching out was when they needed a payment. There were a handful of situations that made me realize that providing top-notch travel service is not their priority. SweetPea and RCIfan1912 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 "I'm 6'7" and even I can fit in the shower!" SpeedNoodles, BeachGal and RCIfan1912 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCIfan1912 Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 2 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: "I'm 6'7" and even I can fit in the shower!" That is what he says in just about every video. That and kiddos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 14 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: "I'm 6'7" and even I can fit in the shower!" I'm 6'2 and didn't fit in the shower of a 2br suite on Jewel OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 31 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said: That is what he says in just about every video. That and kiddos. And mini golf. Lawd. OCSC Mike, teddy and RCIfan1912 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 Some good info on here with regards to Harr travel. I’m surprised to hear the negative experiences cause as other have pointed out , based on the videos they make you’d expect white glove service. Man, those happy Hoffman travel videos are corny. I’m glad to hear they provide good service though. RCIfan1912 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCIfan1912 Posted August 20, 2023 Report Share Posted August 20, 2023 1 hour ago, GatorCruiser said: Some good info on here with regards to Harr travel. I’m surprised to hear the negative experiences cause as other have pointed out , based on the videos they make you’d expect white glove service. Man, those happy Hoffman travel videos are corny. I’m glad to hear they provide good service though. Cheesy yes true but he is excellent as a travel agent. They are goofs for sure on the videos. But I think that's what makes them fun but that's just me personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaa Posted August 21, 2023 Report Share Posted August 21, 2023 16 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said: Cheesy yes true but he is excellent as a travel agent. They are goofs for sure on the videos. But I think that's what makes them fun but that's just me personally. They are who they are. I find them both to be authentic. I'm happy with MEI, but if I were not, it's nice to know they are strong on the travel side. RCIfan1912 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCIfan1912 Posted August 21, 2023 Report Share Posted August 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Xaa said: They are who they are. I find them both to be authentic. I'm happy with MEI, but if I were not, it's nice to know they are strong on the travel side. Yeah I'm absolutely 100 % happy with them. Excellent people and excellent travel agents. They have a price monitor so if it drops it's automatic. It's happened a few times. Xaa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteSoxFan Posted August 21, 2023 Report Share Posted August 21, 2023 I've been very pleased with my MEI agent Beth. On our last 2 bookings, one past one on Celebrity Beyond and an upcoming on Celebrity Summit, she has been able to offer us group rates that saved me over $900 combined. The latest also provided $150 of additional OBC versus the offer that was current when I booked. WAAAYTOOO and Matt 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaffyTaffy88 Posted August 21, 2023 Report Share Posted August 21, 2023 On 8/19/2023 at 9:11 PM, SweetPea said: @LaffyTaffy88thank you for your review. I have always been curious about Harr (my favorite part of a stateroom? The door. & I always bring Euro adapters to maximize ...). Yes, i find their videos informative. But I've not heard too much positive about them beyond their videos. And i get it. I bet they get a healthy revenue from YouTube, so why would they care as much about their cruise commissions. It's smart marketing. I have a travel agent i adore. I know there are a handful on this board who adore her too, but since MEI sponsors the board, i feel funny mentioning her, though i know those of us who do use her have sort of a secret nod. WYKYK Thanks. I think I will look into this company for our next vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaffyTaffy88 Posted August 21, 2023 Report Share Posted August 21, 2023 On 8/20/2023 at 9:06 AM, smokeybandit said: I'm 6'2 and didn't fit in the shower of a 2br suite on Jewel Don't forget about the ice cream and that he used to play basketball in high school. teddy and SweetPea 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravisMA81 Posted August 22, 2023 Report Share Posted August 22, 2023 I just booked a Boardwalk balcony on Oasis for $2,100 through a TA. On Royal's site they are $3,200. That's a huge PRO. I'm booked as a solo btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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