Aus ATC

We have booked on board, with both Royal Carribean and Celebrity. In both cases we have had to change the booked cruise. In each case, we have been able to transfer the deposit paid on board to another sailing, though there does seem to be a limit to the number of changes that can be made (and they mark your file accordingly). The OBC received at the time of the bookings was, of course, spent on the earlier cruises, so doesn't seem to factor into the equation.

We have even cancelled and rebooked a completely new cruise, and had the deposit refunded (after benefitting from the OBC, which was more or less equivalent to the deposit paid).

My NAB Velocity AMEX did charge the 3% fee on an RCI purchase in AUD. Pretty poor form in my view (I can understand it if the transaction was in USD).

My ANZ Frequent Flyer AMEX did not charge anything extra on an RCI purchase in AUD.

How do we buy OBC before a RCI cruise?

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Had a similar experience on the Australian website. I was able to proceed through a booking which combined OBC, C+A discount and the current "sale", almost all the way, but it was always failing on the credit card payment page - but not with the actual reason: "The price we have quoted is a mirage - give up now, we are not going to sell you this".

Rang up to try and get it over the phone; the agent could not see the price I was seeing, so I had to settle for the non C+A price (the OBC was better).

Another example of half baked IT systems leading customers to an expectation of a certain price, only to fail to deliver.

It will be difficult to tell the effect on the overall cruise price as they vary from week to week anyway, depending on what "sale" is being promoted. That said, I welcome the "all inclusive" quote, which will presumably be the rate indicated at the start of a search on the RCI (and Celebrity) com.au web sites.

WOW! I had no idea.

 

I guess I am a typical Aussie. I want to do the right thing, morally, within my means but due to inexperience I am clueless. Lol.

Me too - just leave the auto tipping in place and enjoy the cruise. Tip (and this in the true sense of the word) if you want to, but don't feel obliged.

IMHO, then best approach is to simply consider the auto gratuities as part of the cost of the holiday. We prefer to prepay, and then it is done. If I didn't prepay, I would not dream of removing the per day charge (unless perhaps in the case of a consistent service failure - but not something we have encountered). Anything extra for the room steward, MDR staff etc is given as an acknowledgement of the (good) service provided.

Same for the drinks - we are generally on a package and don't tip, but may sling a favourite barman or 3 a few dollars on the last night - but not from any sense of obligation. I don't think actual currency matters - they will sort it out!

It is a pity these "gratuities" have to be separately itemised, but as the cruise industry is largely born of a USA culture, it is just something those of us from other countries have to live with. The important thing is that the people who work hard to make our holiday great are fairly compensated - however that happens to be structured.

The price you're getting (and I booked also) works out to $42 per day before gratuities - I think that's a pretty good sale.

Please don't get me wrong - I'm very happy at AUD66 per day - considering I had previously booked the premium at AUD72 per day before the packages changed. The irony is that I booked at 20% off, and it is now supposedly 30% off and the same price.....

I checked my account after the offer email came out. No change to the price from what w had previously reserved - $AUD 66.xx per day.

Maybe RCI are expanding the same percentage off strategy to drinks packages as they do to the base fares - change the "normal price" and then take off the promo of the week (30%, BOGOHO etc), so the actual price is essentially unchanged....

We booked the same last year for 2 staterooms (Radiance balcony guarantee). Ended up with both midships and adjacent to each other - a great result in my book.

Allocation came through quite early and never changed.

Looking to book Jan- Feb 2017, Southern caribbean...

 

We are sailing on Celeb. Sil. in Jan 29. 2016.

 

 

Mike

So did you book?

If we knew the answer to this question, we would all be rich, and RCI would probably have gone broke....

But seriously, you might get some additional OBC if you book on board, and (I presume) some measure of price protection for the inevitable "sales" that will follow after you have booked.

Some great advice I heard once - book at a price you are happy with. And if you can beat it later - then that is a bonus.

1) On Connie (our first Celebrity Cruise), we enjoyed the Tuscan Grille, Ocean Liners not so much (on balance). Don't be afraid to try and negotiate a discount on the upcharge. The wait staff seemed to enjoy the banter, and you might get 20-25% off the "list price".

2) We upgraded straight away. Meant we didn't really have to think about it after that. Open slather at the Martini Bar (and who wants a small martini!) and a much better selection of wines for dinner.

3) Similar to the previous post. Shows were not great (I'd have to say Royal Carribean were generally better) - we like to arrive about 10 mins before to get a reasonable seat and a drink...

We found Ocean Liners OK (just). We enjoyed a nice dinner there one evening, and then went back for a lunch "special" a few days later which we felt was disappointing, given the upcharge. Pretty much all the wines on the menu were priced above the Premium Package threshold.

On the other hand, we really enjoyed 2 x visits to Tuscan Grille. We found the food really good and the ambience and service really good. Worth the upcharge (particularly of you negotiate a discount - which the staff were generally willing to entertain - think 20-25%)

Yes - visit Christchurch. I was there about a year ago. Sure, the impact of the earthquake is still evident, but that is part of the reason to visit - to empathise with what occurred. There are plenty of innovative busineses setup that will welcome your support.

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We enjoyed the Concierge welcome lunch on Connie in May. A nice start to the cruise and more relaxing than the buffet. As for making sure you have a lounger by the pool - you can always head there first and leave a couple of towels on your preferred seats while you enjoy a leisurely lunch...:D

Generally ex AUS, the prices on board are adjusted to include gratuities. The USD$12 cocktail, or wine, is priced at USD$14, and the package limits are adjusted accordingly.

In our experience, with the packages (the old premium/ultimate packages, but the new deluxe is equivalent it seems) you won't pay for most beers, moderately priced wines, and most cocktails/spirits (whether basic spirits or mid range - e.g. Grey Goose Vodka, JW Black/Gold). It's only when the wine gets above $USD14, or for top shelf spirits, that you have to pay a difference.

Fancy cocktails are around $12. Beers around $6 to $8. Wine starts at $7 per glass.

And those prices quoted by Bob are in USD. So compare against a USD equivalent cost for the Deluxe package of about $50 per day (including the 18% gratuity). Also, wine may start at $7, but we tend to enjoy the $10-12 wines more.

You have to call RCI on 1800 754 500 to cancel. They will refund back to your original credit card. Then just book the new package on line.

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Today, we cancelled our Ultimate packages (bought at $72 per day which I was quite happy with at the time) and have now rebooked the new Deluxe at just under $67 per day. Saved a tidy $100 for our upcoming cruise.

We took a maxi taxi earlier this year from SYD to Circular Quay and I think it cost around $70.00. Including tolls etc. It was mid morning with little traffic.

Question: Can I cancel on line - or do I have to call? We bought 2 x Ultimates for a 10 day cruise (and thought I was doing quite well) and can now save AUD60 by changing to the new package. Thanks.

We're booked on the Ovation from Sydney to NZ (Christmas) and it is still offered -it was horrendous at AUD 2296 for the two of us for 15 nights (AUD76.53 pp/day or USD57.63) for the Premium Package - does include grats and yes, a 20% discount!

AUD76.53 with a 20% discount?? Are the prices different for different ships/dates? For our upcoming Legend cruise (January 2017) the Premium package was about $69 and the Ultimate $72.11 - including grats and the discount.

We had a day with Fernando in February. 4 of us and another couple. It was a good day out to get a taste of Noumea and surrounding areas. He is a nice guy (a real character)and took us to his (modest) home for lunch prepared by his wife.

Thanks for the review. Our own experiences of the X80 from Piraeus to Athens are not dissimilar - here is a perfect opportunity for a public transport to excel, and it fails. We waited a long time for the trip to Athens - why is there not a 10-15 minute service with ships in port? Build it and they will come - maybe that was the Romans?

We also experienced a failed return service (took a taxi instead). Perhaps symptomatic of the Greek economy?

Don't feel too hard done by. Just priced my upcoming Legend Cruise on the US website - USD 3600(AUD4800), vs AUD3400!!. So I'm happy with the Aus booking conditions in this situation!