Goodtime Cruizin

Suites are expensive. I think people deserve a little more for their money.

I agree. So including amenities and calling them FREE is somewhat silly. At the current prices of suites and mostly likely increased prices going forward, when one books a suite, one would be paying for all of the FREE goodies upfront.

But you ARE paying the energy bills in your cruise fare! As those bills increase, so will your cruise fare.

I don't think any of us 'pay as you go' w/ meter readings!

If you want to open your door to hear the sounds of the seas, open it!

If you don't want to open it, then don't. There are no hard rules on this and like many of things on a cruise, it's all subjective. There are many that will tell you how you should enjoy your cruise. So much so, it's comical.

No they are not cheaper and do not get cheaper while on board. They will cost you less money if you do not buy the full cruise. Meaning, each day, the price is reduced as the day has expired.

The only advantage of buying on board is one can use OBC to pay for the package(s).

This may have happened at one time in the past, but it isn't currently being advertised. We took advantage of the BOGO50 sale and when you bought one premium pkg, you got the 2nd premium pkg at 50% off. This is the only time I've seen something like what you're asking about.

plus two additional water slides at her upcoming drydock in January. I think this will be a great addition to the ship as it starts sailing out of the hot summers of Galveston. Looks fun too!

I'm one to believe that if I was paying the bills for the energy of the ship, I'd post those signs too in an effort to reduce costs. But in reality, if the opening of one's balcony door effect the temperature of other rooms, that is a poor design by RCCL's engineers. It's probably why on the newer Aluure that they have devised a cut off switch, balcony door open = AC unit off.

We were on Liberty last Sept in the Med, for us, it was a tad too humid at night to have the door open, but nothing like a Caribbean cruise.

I don't smoke on my balcony but I find the responses more barbaric than RCL. The FACT is when the ship is at sea and clicking at 19 knots, if you're wearing a ball cap on your balcony, the wind will blow it off your head if you lean over. Lingering smoke is a cop out for the anti-smoker. Now I will give you and all anti-smokers the FACT that smoke lingers while the ship is at port.

Smoking on balconies had been deemed as a fire hazard and as such, it's against the rules. It's for this reason I don't smoke on balconies.

Now here comes the anti-smokers rant & bash which I will find entertaining.

1-2-3 Go.

I need some help and guidance and please I mean no disrespect to die hard Royal Caribbean fans but why are the prices so much higher then Carnival and even Norwegian for the same length cruise to similar ports. In fact I priced a 7 day to Bermuda on Norwegian that included unlimited beverages and it was still cheaper then a 5 day Bermuda on Royal Caribbean, same time of year as well. So what am I missing? Does RC include things that other lines don't? I know they have a newer fleet but so does Norwegian, I'm just trying to figure this all out as I'm new to cruising. Thanks!

It's about branding. RCL has distinguished & established themselves a better cruise line operator & brand more so than most others via their actions. As a result, than can and do charge more. And people are willing to pay more for a particular brand.

This is exactly the point.

 

Comparing RCI to a sports stadium or major city is just trying to rationalize. But the fact that RCI has doubled the price of a vodka and tonic on some ships is not acceptable.

There is no rationalization needed on my behalf. I'm on a ship, in the middle of a beautiful sea, enjoying down time, which is better than any stadium sporting event short of the Super Bowl. Comparing RCL bars to a local beer joint, local pub/bar or a 'do drop in' is the only rationalization I see. There's absolutely no comparison no matter how hard you try.

Trying to find out what's up as I've read that the dry dock will not include Sabor.

In atmosphere, white table cloths , nice place setting, but of course in food its much closer to Chili's.

It's also a ship sailing the Caribbean. This alone sets the tone for me.

You do not see shorts in the better restaurants in Dallas such as Del Frisco, Ruth Chris and 3 Forks. Chilis and Outback yes.

True. But I do not consider the MDR at the same level as Ruth Chris, 3 Forks, etc. Perhaps on formal nights, but otherwise. It's a nice place to eat & socialize.

Just a freindly reminder... you really can't drink all day....

unless you start in the morning.

OK, I admit it. I stole that from a FB post. :D

You wouldn't see shorts in the Celibrity MDR. How 'bout a little class?

The Navigator and soon to be Liberty sails out of Galveston, TX. Wearing shorts in Houston, Austin and Dallas is pretty common and even considered stylish wear for men. I think primarily due to the heat. Now I don't think I would wear shorts when sailing out of Boston or perhaps Jersey. So don't think for a moment those people who wear shorts do not have a class that you can't feel comfortable with.

My suggestion is that you adjust yourself a tad to the Port that you sail from. As this will be most of your cruise mates will be from. I at least try to.

Well being a fellow native Texan, I most likely would have handled things differently. I'm sure there was a level of rudeness from others that set him off a bit. Having said that, I don't think I would have stated the way it was stated in the OP. Meaning, while I'm a native Texan, I've also traveled enough to meet and mingle with other from different regions of the country, Each have differing mannerisms, sense of humors, and social interests. There is no doubt that Texans in general are polite folks, but some can also be brazen and loud as his post shows.

I hope people do not get the wrong idea toward all Texans because of his post. I'm Texas Proud as most Texans are, but I also enjoying meeting people from different walks of life and regions of the US. And if by chance, we cruise together, I'm sure we'll mosey on up to the bar and pop a top or two and perhaps toast to General Sam.

Can I join you?

I don't think the ship's manifest is completely filled yet! And while I'm not sure that these cruises are considered "party ships", but I will be enjoying the fruits of my labor, the DW's BD celebration and the old addage of work hard/play hard. :)

We've not sailed on RCCL since the advent of the all-inclusive alcohol packages and, having read these boards of late, I'm worried.

 

In the past, there were countless threads on smuggling alcohol. Now it seems that every other thread is about drinking -- how much you have to drink to "break even," which package, etc. And reviews of the ship we're sailing suggest long lines for drinks, horrendous crowds at bars and lounges, etc. -- all due to the introduction of these packages.

 

We aren't doing a drink package. I enjoy the occasional glass of wine but would never drink enough to warrant a package, and my DH is a non-drinker.

 

We don't want to be on a ship where most of the passengers are getting tanked in order to get their "money's worth" on the alcohol packages. We're not looking for a "party ship."

 

Someone please reassure me that my fears are unwarranted!

Look at the dates of our next sailings in my signature. Avoid these.

Always ask for 8 or larger. Unfortunately, it seems like we often only have 4 show up on any given night

Yepper. The specilaty restaurants do indeed take a few nights away these days. We'll take two nights on the next cruise to enjoy Chops and also the Mystery Dinner. Undoubtedly, we will have one night where just not in the mood for the MDR so we'll hit the buffett. Because of this, we're doing a four top another another couple for this cruise.

I'm the odd ball out...I think Option 1.

 

14 nights with only 3 sea days...and 1 embark/debark day...sounds exhausting. 12 nights with 4 sea days sounds like a much more enjoyable vacation over all.

 

I've never been on a Brilliance class ship, so I think I'd lean toward that ship over the Vision because that's the one class I haven't sailed or have a booked reservation for at this time.

 

I get the whole Venice as a port and being excited...but as I said...European cruises are TRAVEL...not relaxing...and the B2B would be too much for me.

 

Malaga and Barcelona were my first steps into Europe this past April. LOVED THEM.

This would be my pick as well. we did 5 ports in 7 days, with the sea days as bookends and w/o a break in-between and while it was fun, it was also very exhausting. 12 ports, in 14 days that includes a turn around day, it will be a very, very busy vacation.

It's amazing how much people spend on drinking and then having a hangover.

What I'm amazed at is your concern for the finances of others. Your commentary causes me to quote Hillary, "What diffence does it make?"

Blah blah blah. This thread just reminds me once again why I mostly despise people in general. I'm done here.

Wait... before you leave I want a picture of you! :D

You are missing the Point. It´s not about taking a Picture when there is a crowd and not have any People in them.

 

It´s no Problem to take the Picture. The Problem arises when you publish that Picture, especially online, without consent of the People in the Picture.

Your permission is not needed and not required. There is nothing illegal in taking a picture of you or anyone and posting them on the internet unless it involves some sort of commercial gain.

And no differently, you're not supposed to post video and pictures of people that didn't give you permission to do so.

 

 

If you intend to disregard people's desire to NOT have their faces and the faces of their children plastered all over the internet, then perhaps you shouldn't be too surprised if your phone "accidentally" ends up overboard.

If you 'accidentally' threw my phone overboard, that is a violation and against the law. You would pay a very steep price for this type of action, in that you might be escorted off the ship. Plus pay punitive damges.

Liberty appears to be sold out for 7/30. Royal is doing a good job filling ships.

 

I tried to book a last minute cruise from the UK in May also sold out.

Yes they are despite the complaints posted on this board and those that claim they're going to cruise with other cruiselines. Add to this the increase in drink prices, additional costs in specialty dining and the cruise fares rapidly increasing. RRCL's business model is doing very well.

Ok,

So... I see in many peoples signatures that some of you already have cruises booked in 2017. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous, but I don't have the flexibility or certainty in my schedule to book that far out, but I do have some questions.

 

1. What are the reasons that you book that far in advance?

2. How frequently do you see the actual itinerary change ?

3. How often do you end up cancelling or changing dates?

4. How much as a percentage does the price drop before final payment?

 

 

thanks for your input ;)

Here are my experiences...

1. Prices in most cases are the best at the introduction of the sail dates.

2. We haven't so far.

3. We haven't so far.

4. So far, of the three we booked 22+ months in advance, none of them have dropped in price before final payment. In fact, of our three cruises, all of them have almost doubled (85%+), one of them has.

I'm a believer in booking early for the reasons I've listed.