long4acruise

3 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

No more leaving clothes on hangers. It took up too much of their time. Now you have to pack suitcases just as you did when boarding. Cabin attendant will place your bags in new cabin.

Interesting, how recent did you experience this?  We just changed cabins on a B2B and left all clothes on the hangers and put our plastic cleaners/store bags on them.  Zipped up our packing cubes and put them in our suitcases along with the toiletry bag. Very easy and quick move. 

Perhaps you could switch the dates and do a 7N sailing after the 4N cruise to replace your canceled cruise.

Wishing you a favorable outcome!

24 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

Here is another report and another opinion from the Enchantment.

Carol,

Oh gee!  We'll be on Enchantment on the 23rd.  I'll just pack a few more protein bars as I usually eat these for breakfast or a shake.  Hope things will get better soon but I'm patient.

BTW: Curious, who's the Hotel Director onboard?  Dean Bailey was there when we were on previously in 2022.  Thanks!

Donna

(from Maryland)

48 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Anyone know what balcony prices were like when his sailing first became available to book. Just curious, not that it matters that much. 

Booked the Jewel 14N Greenland cruise on 17 Feb 2022, $1700 pp ($121/nite) for OV balcony.

Can't answer any questions on Carnival pricing or itinerary. 

13 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

Last Odyssey transatlantic cruise - the Solarium Bistro was closed to everyone but Pinnacles.

Ditto for the Wonder TA.

1 hour ago, island lady said:

Which is why I hit the bank at home for straps of cash before each cruise. 

Ditto. Always get a pack of new $1 and $5 bills for our B2B cruises. (I actually keep a small supply at home for cards to the little kids.) 

 New bills pack so nice and neat! 😆 

2 hours ago, MDPartyof9 said:

This is great info. Thanks esp for that diagram. 
The first TA I called was Interliner and they weren’t helpful. Would love recommendations for an agent who would be familiar with this situation. Is it better to book through an agent or directly with RC? 

Very helpful info in post #8.  Use Google or social media for add'l info.

Appreciate all the photos, menus and other info!  Continue to enjoy your cruise. 

Hated the Bengals-Chiefs game ending as it did. Thought we'd get some Sun night overtime.

8 minutes ago, Katems75 said:

Was there any way of minimizing that loss and still saving money?  

Is it possible to find a quick replacement for the one adult?

Unsure what ship you're on, but 3 adults and a baby in one standard cabin with one bath would be a little "too close for comfort" for me.

I may not remember all the details fully but someone posted a good explanation a few months ago after he hosted a slot pull and told how "few" points he actually earned.

It was something like:

The slot pull was $20 pp, there were 40 players with four $5 spins each... He earned one point for every $5 spent and no points earned on free spins.. At the end, I think he  earned less than 200 points.

Can't find his post but his explanation put it all in perspective for those thinking an organizer wins a free cruise!

28 minutes ago, vacationlover_mn said:

For the first time, I am organizing slot pulls, on my upcoming B2B.  I thought it was completely normal, that my card would be used for the duration.  Some random guy (not in the pull), is creating a major stink on FB, that I am basically scamming people, by having my card in there.  My question is- is it normal to use the organizers card?  I mean, I’ve put a bunch of time into organizing, and this is the only perk I get (other than the fun of participating).

Don't let others "rain on your parade", especially a non-participant!  Once I initially thought I'd have an issue with it, but quickly realized the work involved and the rules were known in advance. It's not like the organizer earned 1000 points. And if one did, so what.

Have participated in about ten slot pulls on my recent cruises and all organizers used their cards, we knew it ahead of time, we had fun and earned some $$. On one we all walked away with $67 more than we invested! 

Life is too precious to be worried about trivial matters. Go for it and enjoy your slot pull!

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

If you point out the issues, calmly, to someone who can do something about it (not on CC), they might.

Agree. Speak calmly with Maintenance and the Housekeeping Manager to get answers/repairs as I've always found them to be more than helpful. 

If the Freestyle machine(s) isn't working, as was one case on Oasis last week, RC will put a crew member there with ice and canned sodas & bottled water to fulfill the requirements.

Wishing you a positive outcome! Relax and do try to enjoy yourself.

Enjoy your relaxing time at sea! We live about 35 min from the Port of Baltimore and usually do at least 1-2 sailings each year from there.  Will board EN in late Feb. 

Wish it was still doing the 9N itinerary as we Iove Miami as a port stop.

Any chance you know the name of the Hotel Director onboard? Thanks

28 minutes ago, melbur said:

Yes I am on Oasis also right now and it's yeshiva. Solarium is the designated kosher kitchen. And tons of kids which shocked me as well so soon after the holidays. 

Note to self.... never again. It feels so over crowded.

Ditto for last week (Jan 15-22) on Oasis. Solarium closed a few days and saw large tables set aside in Main DR where passengers were served dinner using disposable containers and utensils.

It didn't feel too crowded as the announced passenger count was just 5700+

There's usually a maximum number of pre-bookings offered.  Once onboard (or nearby in the cruise terminal), sign onto the RC app and try to select shows. And/or go to the Entertainment kiosk where the rep can book shows for you. 

Enjoy your cruise on Harmony OTS!

7 minutes ago, Willwils said:

My travel  agent said to use a taxi as they are waiting  outside the cruise  terminal. But for the very short  ride to FLL $104 + seems outrageous. Was that the exception? Our flight is scheduled  for 2:35 PM. 

Just did this yesterday! Disembarked Oasis in Miami @ 9:30 for our 2PM flight out of FLL (as it was $99 pp cheaper than MIA).

Used SAS Transportation (www.ridesas.com); $15 pp and only 10 passengers. Have used them many times between FLL & POM or area hotels as listed on their website. (No p/ups or dropoffs @ MIA).

12 minutes ago, LeeW said:

We used ridesas.com for a transfer.  Pickup is 7-8:45 and goes directly to FLL.  You call them as you go into the customs hall and they will tell you where the vans are.  Cost was $15pp.

Have used them multiple times. Very pleased and booked with them for our Oasis departure on Sun with a flight departing FLL.

Most of our flights - domestic and international - are on United. When using Air2Sea, I provide them with our Mileage Plus loyalty numbers.  Within minutes of completing the booking, my reservation is listed in my account or I add it using the "Missing flight" link. I'm always able to immediately select our seats and complimentary upgrade.  YMMV

And if by chance there's a Booking Bonus (FreePlay $$$ offer), that has to be booked within 7 days of the end of the cruise where offered.

10 minutes ago, pittnh said:

Why the difference if I'm on a cruise and sharing a room with my wife?  Also my credit card billing period ends about a week prior to my cruise.  Is that enough time for the points to be transferred to my onboard credit?

Those are always standard options - shared or individual. I assume in case the BoA holder wants the OBC just for one account (to use in casino as many do) or could be sharing cabin with a friend or simply using separate onboard accounts tied to different payment methods. It's not a big deal so select your desired preference.

I would think the points need to be reflected in your account the day you're requesting the OBC. Sometimes it may take a week for the transactional OBC to appear in your RC onboard account.  Call BoA Rewards Dept at 888-305-4626 for assistance as they can see your pending transactions.  Good luck!

5 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

In a way, a passport is a form of travel insurance. You don't want to ever need to use it, but if you need to use it, you're sure glad you have it.

Yes!  Just ask the 100+ would-be Princess holiday cruisers who supposedly said they were told they didn't need a passport. Sadly they were denied boarding and were quite upset. This sad story was constantly repeated on all our local TV channels.

12 hours ago, Rubyfisch said:

The CD also said he only has two more weeks on this contract

I was hoping Eric would still be onboard for our Feb 23rd cruise. 😔 

We sailed with him last year for NY Eve and he was very good.

Agree with the previous posters. Have recently been on MSC Virtuosa and Seashore and love these beautiful ships. MSC offers wonderful diverse itineraries at great prices. The onboard experience has been nice - wonderful shops with reasonable selections and pricing; lots of relaxing seating areas around the ship; matching loyalty status and 5% cruise price discount. Many eateries & bars, delicious pizza, etc. Also, only 15% gratuity including spa services. Their Aurea Thermal Suite Spa is much bigger and handsdown better than RC. Don't think we paid a service fee % either.

Yacht Club Experience: Granted RC offers a nice selection of bigger suites on its O & Q class ships, but the YC Experience is far superior in customer service!  Recently on MSC Seashore in Nov/Dec for a 20N Miami to Brazil repositioning itinerary in YC, great itinerary and YC was well worth it.

Decks 16-20 FWD (no deck 17) holds the dedicated YC with Concierge guest services (including wifi assistance and account issues) & the Top Sail Lounge (16); its own YC Restaurant (18); YC pool & sundeck with buffet & bar (20). Each suite is assigned a Butler and Jr Butler; free wifi streaming, a mini bar and fruit basket refreshed daily; free pressing (8 items); escorted on/off the ship and to the excursion meeting points (a big plus and no long lines!).

The YC Lounge & Restaurant are big and a stairway inside to go from one to the other. Both are spacious and about the size of RC's combined Coastal Kitchen & Suite Lounge.

CON: MSC's finance/accounting can be a tad difficult. It seems as though anything pre-booked/paid online via msccruisesusa.com can't be canceled or refunded onboard. We decided to change one of the tours we'd pre-booked for day 15. We could book a new tour for that day but had to send an email to the Post-cruise Dept. to request a refund for the pre-booked tour. Just a slight annoyance and their refunds/charge credits take forever!

Since you already have a two-day buffer between your SW planned flight and the date of the cruise, I'd tend to stick with the flight, and perhaps have a tentative plan to depart even a day earlier if offered the possibility . Not sure I'd want to drive that distance but that may depend on upcoming weather forecasts.

Whatever you decide, put safety first and have a wonderful relaxing cruise! The Wonder is a beautiful ship.

Glad everything is well now and no major loss of power!

A few years ago my "white elephant" Xmas gift was a 4-piece set of  small LED flashlights that are very bright. I always travel with two for us and place next to the bed, just in case.  Also handy when trying to find something in/around my seat when the lights are dimmed on my long flights.