Spurschick

That may be true, but they could have jacked up the price for people who might have no other option.

Agreed. I have seen plenty of times profiteering has occurred during times of need. When I looked at the Hilton for an upcoming cruise the rate was just over $500 per night plus taxes. $89 is far better than them charging full rate.

 

Hi Nikki, hope you and family are all safe.:)

HI Ken, we are all good thank you. We have had a drastic temperature drop (was 78 when I just went out:eek:) and it is dark and dreary but luckily no heavy rain yet just steady light rain. Edit as soon as I hit submit torrential rain starts at least it was short lived. Expecting some more bursts like that.

 

Say hi to everyone for us.

 

I woke up at 4:00 AM and turned on Weather Nation to see the radar and such and saw the reports of flooding, 4 (count 'em) active tornadoes in the Houston area, and 7 inches per hour rain fall. This is bad. Way beyond my petty vacation concerns, these people are getting pounded.

In my not so humble opinion based on my experiences the last couple of days (not all of which is here, but what I can remember as "highlights"), RCI not only dropped the ball but poked a hole and stomped the air out of it. They have had so many opportunities to get a grasp and become more realistic and responsive but it seems that they are living in a dream world based on "hoping for the best ".

 

I have seen some stuff on CC about credits, etc. but truthfully I am giving it a rest. At least until later today. I have no intention as I sit here at 9:58 AM Sunday of trying to get to Galveston either today or tomorrow. That could change, but I am weary of this. To be as honest as I can be, I really have no desire to ever set foot on another RCI ship. Again, that could change, but with Carnival, MSC, and all the other options out there I see no need to. I do not ride flowriders or care to zip line on board. I like the ocean. The same ocean you can't see from most places on the new RCI ships. I may be in the minority, but have a look at MSC Seaside and I think I am not alone.

 

Happy sails to all. I will be around, and I want to thank those who showed understanding through this. I am not the only one affected and angry by a long shot. I am just the big mouthed (fingered?) guy who gripes about while others do not. Mainly, I want to encourage those who are in the hurricane zone to stay safe and have faith. Protect yourselves and your families. Property can be replaced and rebuilt. Human lives cannot.

Well said.

We predominantly sail RC and have no desire to sail Carnival, but I tip my hat to them on how they handled this.

I have watched the flooding on the news today and it is devastating. My thoughts with all the CC members who are in or have relatives in the area. The flooding and devastation is reality. But unfortunately it's a reality few chose to think would actually happen. There were far too many people with rose tinted glasses that it would be a short lived and over sensatilaized event.

One thing in life to remember is NEVER underestimate the power of Mother Nature. It is far better to be over prepared than under prepared. Cindy hit the nail on the head when she said prepare for the worst and hope for the best. RC has quite frankly done the complete opposite.

I do not blame you in the slightest for questioning whether you (and I know there are plenty of others with the same sentiments as you) would ever sail RC again. Whilst we have been predominately loyal to RC over the years we are venturing out for some of our upcoming cruises. Seaside included. You are far from being the only person here looking at jumping ship (no pun intended ;))

I wish you and your wife a happy and safe anniversary. (Even if memorable for all the wrong reasons)

You would think after RC had some bad publicity in the past that they would learn from their mistakes. I have been on two Disney Cruises. We are going on our first RC cruise in October for Our 25th wedding Anniversary. We did not purchase insurance. Wondering if it's too late to purchase and if it worth doing.

 

 

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You will still be able to get a policy with Travelguard.

Yeah...a Quigee board had the same probability of forecasting this hurricane, despite the best of intentions of many weather professionals.

But normally models change the closer to the event they get. This stayed pretty consistent. The lingering rain and flooding should not have come as a surprise. Cindy's husband got this spot on.

Sorry, but this is incorrect. Carnival took the Freedom and Valor to New Orleans because they needed supplies. The Breeze remained in Cozumel (because they were already there) and departed last night. All 3 of the Carnival ships are currently headed to Galveston and will dock when the ports open.

 

https://www.carnival.com/travel-alerts.aspx

4 ships potentially all docked tomorrow sounds like the area could be chaotic. Immigration and baggage handlers could be spread thin. When was the last time they had 4 ships in dock at the same time?

Net operating profit is a very common term in the financial industry. Having worked for 2 of the top 10 financial services companies...they all used that term. Net is all that matters, since operating costs are taken out of the equation prior to determining the net profit. So much for that...

 

Please let me preface my observation comment by stating this is neither a criticism nor personal statement towards you or your husband...but he would likely be the first to say that given the scale of this hurricane...weather can significantly change at an hourly pace...any forecast a week old is likely less reliable than flipping a coin.

I think that's what most people assumed. The weather can change at any moment. The issue with Harvey though was that it was unique in the sense that every model had it staying put in the same area and not moving anywhere. Most of these storms would hit and shift east, west etc but would keep moving. Therefore after a day or so the area would be passable etc. Harvey was always, no matter how many models you looked at going to be pretty much stationary. That meant the flooding in the area as a whole was going to be worse. Added to the fact that there is only ne way in and out of Galveston made for a highly unfavorable situation.

This clearly up or changing significantly in a favorable stance in a short time period was minimal to none with this storm.

i am expecting from the update above most people are staying onboard if you make it in today. Even if you make it in there may well not be the staff shoreside to disembark.

What is RCI thinking of when they elect to debark 2,000 plus people into a disaster area?

Agree completely.

The only people I have seen helping and not being greedy is the local hotels. They are offering people stuck on the island waiting for ships discounted rates. I saw the Hilton and San Luis both for $89 or less.

I am sorry. as I have stated on other threads something needed to be done on Friday. There were plenty of people that were saying oh the weather will be fine and the ship can get back in on Sunday. I will reiterate that these people (especially RC) did not look at the big picture.

This was already a disaster area. Whilst it was calm yesterday rain wise, the forecast was there was a lot more rain and flooding to come.

Those on the ship are unsure of what is happening. What is worse is that RC gave next cruise passengers a choice. Sail or lose your cruise. Even this morning people are on FB complaining that they are trying to cancel but are being asked to provide photo proof that they can't get to the port. Others that travelled down yesterday, as everything was supposed to be fine, were trapped in their hotels with their cars underwater.

This whole debacle should never have been allowed to get to this point.

My thoughts go out to all those both on and off the ship as well as all those in the effected region.

I also can't believe RC expects the people that work at the port to have to travel in with little to no regard to their safety as well as most of the surrounding area is flooded.

I have been fond of RC over the years but there has to be questions being asked as to how this was handled.

I have been following your posts the past few days. I/we too have hurricane experience living in FL and for a time in NOLA area. When I turned the TV off last evening around 11pm the mayor, police chief and others had just held a news conference in Houston. They reported Houston was under FLOOD EMERGENCY and many roads were blocked off due to flooding. How do you plan to drive from Houston to Galveston to meet Liberty? I have been texting with friends in Houston and League City and they verify the road flooding.

 

Has Royal Caribbean bothered to read the weather reports or watch TV? I simply don't believe anyone is minding the store, so to speak. How can you still this morning report you plan to dock today and then embark new passengers tomorrow? Have they totally lost their minds? Maybe my eyes are deceiving me but have been watching Weather Channel and FOX News for the past 2 days and I am seeing flooding all over the area. What channel are those in decision making position at Royal watching? The last reports I saw said they underpasses on the I-45 and I-10 were blocked off due to flooding. How are you supposed to get to Galveston?

 

So sorry that this has happened to you and your wife and I do hope you will still have a Happy Anniversary. Please don't drown, Turn around.

One traveler (see roll call) stayed in League City last night. Reports their car was under water from the flooding last night.

If you look at RC!s Facebook page people are now claiming they are only going to get a refund if they prove their flight was cancelled and can't get there by Monday or if driving to provide photo proof that they can't get there.

Absolutely unbelievable.

THere have been some great drops recently. Last week I saved $900 (over 2 people) on my Explorer cruise booked for March 18

Glad some people have found drops. Out of all of mine booked they have all gone up over $$$$ Not holding my breath that there will be a true sale anytime soon.

You do realize the news can say whatever they want. They are NOT the port authority nor did they get the closure info from them. If you follow the port itself, at no time have they said it will be closed until Tuesday. In fact they said their MAY be a window for the ships to come in tomorrow. Update to come tonight. It's a wait and see situation. News outlets tend to sensationalize a situation. So in this instance I'm following the ports FB and I'll get my info from them.

 

 

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Yes the news can say what they want and so can the weather channels. That doesn't always mean it's sensationalized though.

The whole point of many people's disgruntlement is that RC are not allowing any cancellations and now the next update is less than12 hours before the ship is due to dock.

The vast majority of guests on this sailing would travel to the area today. A lot of guests have already had their flights cancelled yet RC still won't let them cancel or change to other sailings this weekend that they could have made.

The main argument of all of this is Carnival made an announcement and gave guests a choice. RC is still leaving people in limbo. For a "MAY" be able to get in but we still don't know chance. That's the problem.

To proceed to the port, yes. But if I were coming from out of state to board the ship in 22 hours I'd be making my way into a weather disaster anywhere within a few hundred miles including Houston.

Agreed. Even when we drive down from DFW we would normally be checking in to our hotel by now.

You should definitely be in charge. You obviously know when the storm will pass and the port will be able to accept ships again

The whole point of this site is for people to share their opinions. If I don't agree with you on this then sorry. But I am perfectly entitled to my opinion and no I do not believe RC have handled this well at all. Especially when multiple news sources have said the port is closed through Tuesday..

Whilst I might not know when the storm will pass, I do know that gusty winds, strong rain, are expected to persist through Monday. There are 340 weekend flights cancelled in and out of Houston. The Houston area Has been declared a state of disaster. Parts of Galveston have been advised to evacuate. Galveston schools are closed through midweek.

So whilst I would love to be as optimistic as you, sadly I am not.

Ok - let's pick Tuesday.

 

And if the port does open early? Stay at sea? Listen to everyone complain that they could have driven home and made it to work/school?

 

Go back before Tuesday and listen to everyone complain that they are stuck after they changed their flights to Tuesday? Why were they given bad info?

If the port opens early and they can get in great. But if they decide the next cruise isn't sailing until Tuesday let those that want to get off, off if they can.You do realize that the streets are flooded, no one can currently get in or out of the port. They have already made an official announcement that whilst the car parks are not flooded, no one can get in or out of the car parks. Galveston is under a voluntary evacuation, and with all transportation around the island cancelled do you really think that customs and baggage handlers will be able to get to the ship to get passengers off.

I think some people are not looking at the overall picture. It's not as simple as to whether or not the ship can get in. It's all the logistics of the fact the roads are flooded and how many personnel are left to be able to get the ship disembarked and all the new passengers on the ship.

If they made a decision and then had to change it, they'd be criticized for that too. Probably by you

Why would they change the decision? People want definitive answers not wishy washy maybe situations filled with uncertainty. That's the point of decision making. You decide what will happen and then you stick to it. Even if the decision is erring on the side of caution.

If they said next cruise delayed to Tuesday then the decision is made. At least people know what they are working with.

I don't know how you can say that. No one knows what it will be like yet

In case I'm missing something today is Friday. Tomorrow is Saturday whereby most of the next cruise passengers would probably under normal circumstances be making their way to Houston / Galveston area.

By saying it s okay not to make an update until Saturday means that if there are any changes to be made they are not giving the customer any room for change. They are asking those that drive down to drive into a potentially deadly situation whilst rescue teams and emergency responders try to head into these affected areas.

Also by not advising people on board they are diminishing their opportunities to change their travel plans back out especially if flying. If they can't get into port until Tuesday tell them now so they can try to get alternative arrangements made.

You state no one will know what it's like at this stage - it's a Hurricane and a very strong one at that. The enormity of it is not unexpected. You may be okay with having your plans changed by last minute decisions, but I feel for all those that have been trying to switch to other sailings etc to try to salvage what they can, whilst those on board have little idea of what will happen over the next few days.

My thoughts are with all those affected by Harvey.

Hi everyone,

I'm new to CC and had signed up as I was wanting to join the roll call for my up and coming cruise. (Been with royal the past six years and have brought friends or family the past three years.)

Problem being this year they have CANCELLED my trip.

Bear with me here goes......

My wife booked the trip with our travel agent back in February. So on the booking was my wife me our son and our newborn who was to be born on the 28th March. Also we were bringing my wife's parents on their first cruise. On booking our travel agent rang us about a query on her age from RCI stating the 6 month infant policy. But we made it known on departure day that she would be 24 weeks and 5 days. The girl on the phone from royal took this info and passed it on to management support after a quick conversation she came back on the line and stated that the booking was ok from her management and we proceeded to book and paid in full around the start of April.

We knew no more and were gearing up for a week cruise around the med everything in order until last Friday when our TA rang and stated that Royal were pulling the booking over our infants age. Needless to say sparks started to fly as flights to Barcelona had been booked time off work etc.etc. since Friday we haven't heard much from Royal and we have been going through the head royal person in Ireland.

Has anyone had anything like this happen them around infant age and if so what came of it. Also any info or contacts you may have would be great as I will contact anyone I can to try get us on the cruise, as it stands we have heard from no-one and are expecting the worst that we will have no trip to go on even though they took the booking and all was grand at the time.

TIA

Martin

If I am reading this correct the TA took the booking then RC came back with questions regarding the age.

Whilst I agree that RC should have dealt with it better at that time a good TA should know the minimum age requirements and should not have taken the booking to start with.

I would be interested to know if you had just checked in on line shortly before they cancelled. Entering the birthdate may have triggered them catching the age issue. I am curious as to whether your wife heard the TA's conversation with RC. Is it possible that the TA advised RC that your baby was old enough when in fact you were short a few days.

I am also surprised that you paid in full in April for a September cruise. If you chose to that's your choice, but most TA's in UK take a deposit with full payment about 90 days out.

If that was my TA I would be getting them to refund everything.They are your representative and they should know the rules. It sounds like they didn't even question it until RC contacted them. And then they should have had the response in writing given 24 weeks is clearly less than 6 months that they were advised.

Waterslides and Ice Skating show

I would call in to add. Occasionally we have had issues with spelling not matching 100% especially with DD as her name is hyphenated which causes all sorts of issues !

I agree with you on this. That's just downright nasty. When you can SMELL a diner, they should be politely asked to leave. Just my opinion.

A very dear friend and colleague of mine had breast cancer. Due to the type of treatment she received she was not allowed to use deodorant for an extended period of time and had to use salt balls. She was horrified as no matter how many showers a day she took, she found the salt balls did nothing for the smell in her case.

This was not a case of her having bad hygiene but a case of a smell caused by a serious and life threatening illness.

I get there is a difference between a sweaty person who has not showered and my friends case. But put yourself in the position of my friend if you had asked for her to be removed because you could smell her due to no fault of her own. That's like saying she should not be allowed out of her house in case her smell offends someone. Not everything in life is perfect.

I'm not opposed to Indian food, but Sabor does a mean tableside guac. I'd miss that tremendously, believe that.

Then you will miss it anyway as it's no longer table side and nowhere near as good as it used to be.

Never considered Thanksgiving a peak date. One of the cheapest cruises I ever took was Brilliance over Thanksgiving.

 

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We have seen some cheap cruises over Thanksgiving over the years and some (especially out of Texas) have been the most expensive we have seen. From our experience it depends on the duration of the cruise and length of cruise, as well as departure port.

Our Thanksgiving Liberty sailing was more expensive than our Spring Break Allure sailing. Texas Thanksgiving sailings are definitely priced like Holiday pricing. a JS for this Thanksgiving is just shy of $4500 for 2 guests after Bogo.

Here I am again, help please. I have searched for cruise compasses for The Navigator 5 night Western Caribbean cruise out of Miami sailing to Cozumel and Puerto Costa Maya but no luck. Can anyone provide those along with dining room menu's please? I also wanted to know if that ship offers the silent disco party?

Navigator is currently in Europe and does not come over to Miami until November. As such, recent cruise compass for that itinerary on her will not be available until she starts those itineraries.