Goodtime Cruizin

An 11:10 flight would not be fine because flights must leave 11:30AM or later on most carriers. Sometimes a carrier will allow a flight that departs at 11:25 as ours did in April.

 

If you disembarking in Port Canaveral and using LV, your flight must leave no earlier than noon.

 

What time did your flight depart from FLL?

2:42pm EST

Just a quick post regarding Valet Luggage Service. We used this yesterday and it was pretty sweet! We were on the Indy out of FLL. Paperwork was due at 1pm on Wed. We set out our luggage at 10:30pm Sat night and never dealt with it again til the arrival of the flight to Houston. We paid with OBC (Luggage Valet fee, $20'person) and Royal used our CC# on file to pay the United Airline fees.

Pretty simple & very well worth it.

Thanks for the responses everyone. We enjoyed the Champagne but I do think that a quick email to RC is needed. I'll also place this on my comment section of the survey.

If you book online it must be for the whole cruise. If you wait until you are onboard you can get the package on any day as long as there are at least 4 days remaining in the cruise.

This is correct and described very well.

That is strange. I've never heard of anyone charging a cork fee on a bottle you bought from them.

I should have been more clear... the bottle of Champagne is one that I brought on board. I was told there is no cork fee if I was in my state room.

Probably because of the location. All talk of corkage fees I've always seen was within the MDR and there definitely is no corkage fee in the MDR.

Well to be fair, I did mention to the bartender that we there was no cork fee in the MDR, once again, he told me there was. I questioned him very hard too as I've had Champagn placed on ice at the sky bar w/o any cork fee. But not so last week.

Just a heads up!

or perhaps they never left, but I've read on this board that there were no cork fees. Anyway, last week while on the Indy, we wanted to enjoy some Champagne for the DW's Birthday & Sail Away. So on Day 1 a little before Sail Away I went to Olive or Twist (Deck 14 formerly Viking Lounge) to have them place the bottle on ice and was told that there was a $20 cork fee. I requested the bartender to verify this and he called the "Bar Manager" who confirmed the charge. I told him no thanks. We enjoyed the Sail Away, the Birthday party and the Champagne in my buddies GS.

We bought the drink package for our upcoming Anthem cruise. One ultimate and one premium. I see in the fine print that it excludes several things, one of them being "super premium" drinks. Can anyone give me an example of what this would be, or tell me something they wanted but couldn't get with their ultimate or premium drink package (alcoholic drinks only, not worried about juices or Evian, etc.)? Thanks.

Any drink priced above $12 ea would be considered a Super drink (using your term). Unfortunately, I can't supply a list. But, there was a tequila at Boleros that had a price of $30/shot, and another at $50/shot.

It doesn't matter if you pay it off before the final due date, you can still get a price reduction as long as the actual due date hasn't passed.

Our experience shows this to be correct. Our son pre-paid in full everything for his last cruise to the Mediterrean. He did this before final Due date. The price dropped $900 for the balcony cabin for two and although he was paid in full, they credited his CC the $900.

Part of paying the higher price is the convenience of having a great selection of rooms, as well as the guarantee that you will be on the ship for that sailing. As it gets closer to sailing, the price may drop so that they fill the ship to as close to maximum capacity as possible.

 

It is always possible to take the chance of trying to book a last minute cruise cheaper, but it isn't always guaranteed you can get on the ship.

 

If I was fine with the price I paid when I booked, I'd be fine with it even after the moment I get off the ship.

 

Theater and airline tickets are often the same way.

Disagree. When you book very early, you get price and selection.

I have to say though I once had a booking on Celebrity, way back in the day, and there was a price drop after I booked. I called and they did honor the new, lower price. I guess this isn't done anymore.

This is still done, but not after final payment date.

Unless you're on a cruise that typically sells out, it makes no sense to book and pay early with RCCL. I gave them the entire fare 5 months before sailing and the day after the 75 day window for 100% cancellation refund, the price dropped 16% which equated to about $430 for us. After two calls and this email response, it was clear that they werent going to even try to ease the pain. BTW--the "upgrade offer was to a Boardwalk balcony from a superior ocean view balcony room on Allure...doesn't sound like an upgrade. Maybe if a majority of the people hold out till inside 75 days, everyone would get it for less..It seems to make no sense to be a good customer.

We are happy to hear you had such a great time on your first cruise vacation with us! Please accept our apologies for your disappointment with seeing price drops after your final payment date. Regrettably, this is one of the issues with supply and demand. Many guests make reservations without knowing if they will keep them or not. This drives price up. Once the final payment date arrives, guests cancel before they incur any penalty. This drives price down right after the final payment date. This does not happen on every sailing, but it does happen. Unfortunately, after the final payment date, our only option is to offer an upgrade, depending on availability. After reviewing your reservation, we see this option has already been offered. We are unable to adjust prices or offer onboard credit after the final payment date. Again, please accept our apologies for any disappointment. Rest assured that we have forwarded your comments to the appropriate department for an internal review.

I find your strategy wrong for my likings. In fact, if you bought at 5 months out from sailing date, IMO you most likely bought too late and your cruise fare was most likely priced at prime or high cruise fares. I find that you either book extremely early or extremely late. I only book cruises early. I have three cruises booked and each of them were booked 18 months or earlier of the cruise dates. There hasn't been a price drop yet that has effected my cruise fares. And mostly won't ever be. We're finally taking one of these cruises on the 25th of this month and the current 'after final payment date' is still $1600 higher than what we booked for the two of us.

3 for us w/ two land vacays sprinkled in.

But stop pretending like it's everyone else doing something to you about it.

Stop pretending you don't choose to go into a designated smoking area, the Casino. You do. If you can't handle the smokey casino, don't go. It's your choice. And since you do go, you, no one else, have placed a higher value on your time gambling above the smoke in the casino you complain about. Stop pretending you don't. Man up. Either go and deal with it or don't go and avoid it. The casino is a designated smoking area. And to be honest, when I smoke in a designated smoking area I really don't give a flip how/what non-smokers think or feel about my smoking. I attempt to be courteous and accomodating but bottom-line, I really don't give a damn if smoke bothers non-smokers because they made their own choice to be there. I don't smoke in non-designated smoking areas... so when I do smoke, stay out of my smoking area if it bothers you.

We toss up magnetic Scrabble letters. Each day we start a phrase and our neighbors add to it, etc. It becomes interactive, fun, and quite entertaining. We'll be sailing over Halloween in a few weeks and the Indy embarks on the DW's birthday so we'll have a few Halloween something's from the $$ store up as well.

I was told that cruises in Europe and Asia do not have to abide to RCCLs smoking rules as much. Am I wrong?

I did not see this first hand, but I will say this, there appeared to be far more smokers, (mostly being Europeans) on the Liberty last Sept when we sailed the Mediterrean than we've experienced on our Caribbean cruises. The designated smoking areas, outside on Deck 4 & Deck 11 were always packed. To the point, one struggled to find any seats at the tables on Deck 11, which often were standing room only situations. Chair Hogs existed in the smoking sections.

Well...we TRIED! Some knucklehead kept moving our university's team mascot magnet all over the place. I was irritated and by the third day we gave up & took it down.

As an Oklahoma fan, if I saw a Texas Longhorn logo, I would never move it down the hall, but I would flip it upside down w/ the horns facing down. :D

Celebrity does not allow smoking any place indoors. Why can't Royal follow along with that policy? Its a matter of time before smoking will be banned inside on all cruise ships.

So you have choice! Either cruise w/ Celebrity (no inside smoking) or RCL (indoor smoking). Which do you truly value the most? It's a rhetorical question and no answer is needed, but when it comes down to it, that's the real question and actually the only question.

This happened last Friday night as several friends decided to go to drinks & dinner. We selected a specific restaurant as it allowed for smoking on the outdoor patio. Although it was hot & humid, we all elected to sit oout on the patio. There was seven of us. (4 smokers, 3 non-smokers) We all arrived pretty early and was the first group on the patio of aprroximately 30 tables that I would estimate that could handle approximately 200 persons.

About 30 mins into our drinks prior to ordering dinner, a young family sat next to us. When I went to fire up, the young mother requested that I not smoke saying she was 4 months pregnant. I immdeditaely put the lighter down and complied w/ her wishes. "Of course!" I then explained in a very polite and nice way that she was sitting in a designated smoking area and that she may wish to request another table. She said that she was fine where she was sitting and Thanked me.

A bit late while on my way to the Men's room, I stopped to visit w/ the GM of the restaurant and explained the situation and requested that either my party or her party be relocated so there would not be any further conflict. He imediately went to the patio to assess the situation. He apologized to both parties and then relocated the young family out of the smoking area.

My point in all of this is that each of us have choices that we make every day, all day. As a non-smoker pregnant woman, she of course did not want smoke waffling on her. This was her choice. But she also had the choice of sitting or not sitting in a designated smoking area. I didn't understand her logic at the time and I still don't.

Likewise, I had a choice. I could have chose to not be so caring and tell her to move. But I chose differently. I respected her wishes although in my eyes, she was absolutely in the wrong. I also had the choice of being content with not smoking, or requesting that something could be done to reduce conflict as I wanted to enjoy my spent with friends in a relaxed area for smokeers. I chose to get Management involved.

While I recognize that many hate & despise smoking and I'm not disputing their rights to do so. What I am doing and will continue to do is be respective of the non-smoker and likewise, I expect the same in return. If one chooses in enter into a designated smoking area, one is also choosing to deal with the smoke. They go hand in hand. One is not without the other. While I respect the non-smoker, I have absolutely no sympathy to those that place a value on their need to sit in a designated smoking area and then complain.

Smokers & non-smokers can easily get along if they attempt to understand and respect one another. When one of either party crosses that line, it's bad for all.

I've read several posts in this thread that it's right to complain...it is, but not if you are encroaching the rights of others. One even stated, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." Which is true in most cases. But many forget that when a wheel squeaks too much, it gets replaced.

If you're a non smoker, be respectful and avoid designated smoking areas. And if you elect not to avoid, don't complain. It's pretty weak sauce. If you're a smoker, be respectful and go to the designated smoking areas. If you elect to smoke in non designated places, don't complain when you get busted. It's lame & pretty weak sauce.

If smokers & non-smokers can't do this, then it's time to change the wheel. Either quit cruising or cruise with a line that offers a non-smoking cruise.

Peace out.

Formal nights on many ships were designated as "no smoking" nights in the Casino. This was an excellent compromise as it allowed me at least 2 nights to sit at a slot machine without smoke wafting in my face. Yes, I know there is a no smoking section, but none of the machines I enjoy playing are there :(

I think a few ships still do this, but none I have sailed on recently....

It sounds like that you make the choice that certain machines have more value to you than the cigarette smoke. At least you have the choice!

How can it be too smokey when you are in a smoking area?

"Like"

Reminds me of someone going to a Chinese Restaurant and complaining that there isn't Enchiladas on the menu. :rolleyes:

On our Rome to Rome trip a couple of years ago the customs agents came onboard and were available in the atrium. Basically no lines and easy process.

Last Sept. Barcelona to Barcelona, the Custom Agents came on board the Liberty but only processed VAT tax forms from purchases made on the ship, not on land.

They are also super interested in the "wow" cards but I don't know why or how they really work for them

I've been told that WOW cards of a good nature earn them 'extra' days off etc but not exactly how this works.

We always take two of the flashlights shown in the shot below for emergencies and to use as a night light. It is compact, weighs 16 grams (just over 1/2 oz) and uses two lithium #2032 batteries which provides a long use time and the 5 LED bulbs provide a very bright light. I got them in a dollar store for $1 each including batteries. ;)

 

Great buy! You can't find 2032's that cheap! I'll pick a couple up tomorrow !

Thanks!

Typing on this tablet is very hard, my apologies

 

I'll skip to disembarkation and fill in the rest tonight when I am on my own computer.

 

Disembarkation.........arfghhhhggggg. the later you leave the longer you wait. After your number is called you go to a warehouse and search for your bags. The problem is the line for customs goes through the luggage area and the bags are sorted by the numbers correlating to when you left the ship. The numbers are very low and not posted where you can see them. After you get your bags there are two choices....1) get your bags and stand in a line about an hr long that snakes around. 2) stand in line to get a porter then he gathers your bags and then you stand in another line to exit with the porter..this goes much more quickly.

 

One of the main problems is there is no direction and people tend to walk all over around and through people. There is a lack of organization when you disembark, then after you pass through customs there is a table that are collecting taxes for the alcohol you purchased while on your cruise...3 bucks a bottle. We did not find any great liquor deals at least not mouth dropping "we gotta get this ' prices.

This tax is for Texas residents only.