WrittenOnYourHeart

1 minute ago, OrtonPark said:

Thanks for the question! I’m going on that cruise (or a similar one) and I’d appreciate information, as well. Also, we are starboard side - can we sit on our veranda and get good views or should we be watching from public areas on the other side? 

It will honestly depend on what is going on around the ship. When I sailed RT from Seattle on HAL on basically the same itinerary, there was sceneery on both sides. BUT wildlife did not always cooperate and appear on "my" side - it almost felt like it was always on the other side regardless of if we were going north or south. LOL.

1 hour ago, zitsky said:

I would disagree with you on that.  You didn't control whether or not you had outside air.  The captain did.

Having actually sailed in an IV, the only times the tops are locked is when they are cleaning (announced in advance in the planner) OR if the weather is adverse enough to warrant it, which is a time you wouldn't be (or shouldn't be) on a balcony anyway.

Them being locked by the captain is presented as far more than an issue than people on here want to make it.

9 hours ago, billc23 said:

It is but it is easy enough to bypass...

Yeah, Ive accidentally leaned back on the upright lid too hard and flushed while sitting there (no, I did not get suctioned to the seat), so it's possible.

I'd imagine there are some that slip their hand behind and flush, leaving it up.

12 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I chose a non refundable deposit which I’ve done several times.  So I don’t think I can cancel.

Not sure you could change the travel agent then either.

IF you can, you'd have to get the current TA to release it, which if it's part of a group booking they may be unwilling to do.

Just now, Sir William said:

I agree. I routinely take a book with me everywhere.  The book visibly lets others, including servers, know I’ll be returning.  

This exactly! As a solo, I either need to do this! Otherwise I'd have to impose on the people at a table next to me to hold it, and I hate to be a pest like that.

I think you'd probably just need to cancel and then rebook either on your own or with a different TA.

15 hours ago, 1Virgo said:

Oh. Bonaire.  Not sure what you are into but DH did the land sailing.  Loved it so much we cruised there again 2 months later.    Aruba we did an island tour and saw the north side. Totally different from the beachy side.    You have some fun coming up

I’m currently booked with the 4x4 Arawak Off Road Safari in Bonaire. Aruba I have snorkeling booked in case I cannot get a day pass to Renaissance Island and the flamingos. Curacao is TBD.

On 3/7/2024 at 12:57 PM, BytownMatt said:

Yes it is multiplied by 2 for solo - so if you bid $200 per person as a solo cruiser, you would pay $400 if your bid is successful.

Yup. Which is why as a solo I book what I'm happy with. Not playing bidding games!

My July 2024 cruise on the Beyond is set: It's going to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao! All new ports for me! I'm in Aqua after being spoiled on the Summit this past summer.

I currently have Beyond booked for July 2020 going to Nassau, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas.  Nassau is a ship day for me; I've been to St. Maaretn and love it...do an excursion with Soualiga Destinations; St. Thomas is new to me. I'm booked in a Porthole Veranda - it was only like $80 more than the solo IV, and while I don't mind the IV I couldn't turn down double the points for the Porthole Veranda. (No double points for a cabin designed for solos)

I'm pondering moving that one to Beyond Feb 2026 which hits St. Thomas, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Puerto Plata. All three would be new ports to me - I was close to Puerto Plata (and I think I rode through it) when I was on fathom and we were going to our projects, but we didn't really get to see anything around there. Because this one would be later, I could bump up to Aqua...

Thoughts on the ports in bold?

Thanks!

2 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

No idea why I didn't pay any attention to this before but it looks live I've got myself an Ocean View room. I really like how dark it is in an inside cabin and can never quite achieve that in a window room, even with good curtains.

How does this happen? Did you have nothing to do with booking the cruise? If you did, how do you accidentally book a cabin type you don't want?

2 hours ago, soccermommy said:

We did the World Wine event on the Summit last year, and it was a lot of fun. I found my walking was a little unsteady towards the end…the pours were good and it’s a lot of wine if you try everything.

I had signed up for it on the Summit last summer but I guess not enough of us had and it got changed to the Food and Wine pairing which I didn't really want, so I was able to cancel it.

7 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

 

I'm sure based on that you'll get it.

I know it isn't much compared to years ago but we got to take every perk we can get these days.

Agreed!!

5 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

Good news it got updated this afternoon - first picture was on the 28th Feb and the other today. As I told the rep on the phone if it was 1 or 2 points I probably wouldn't care but this is a big jump in points.

 

Hooray and congrats!!!

I understand. I'll be watching and ready to contact them after my July cruise on the Beyond. I'm currently 87 points from Elite. I've got 1 coming from the last Power Up opportunity. And unless those opportunities go away, I should have more of those coming. It's an 8-night cruise and I'm in Aqua, so 40 points. I'm solo, so double points. Up to 80 for the cruise. I'm doing Go Green, so add 5. 85 for the cruise.

So yeah...even if there's only one more 1 Power Up opportunity I'll be Elite after this cruise!

Just make sure that whoever she is assigned to room with gets her any information or things delivered to the room from the group. When groups have things delivered to the cabins, it is only to the cabins registered in the group.

5 minutes ago, true45 said:

Another time the spray started and reached the sliding door but we were quick to close the door.

Do they not have the same rules as regular balconies that the door is not supposed to be kept open?

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

There is an option to eat before boarding the ship or (a lot of people don't know this), if you're a US citizen and boarding in the US, you can usually board the ship, drop off your bags, and walk off the ship

 

Cruising is about making memories, having an MDR lunch most likely won't be as memorable as eating at a local restaurant

Dosn't help of you don't have checked bags. And if you don't have a car and would prefer to not rack up taxi/Lyft/Uber charges.

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Yes!  I don't recall if I could see the water looking downward but I wouldn't consider that an obstruction bc I don't do a lot of looking downward.

Thanks. Yeah - I agree, I look out and not down.

On 1/17/2024 at 2:37 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

We were in 8111 on Ascent. Great view from the porthole balcony and very quiet location. Here’s a few pics from all directions standing at the rail. 

 

So basically the obstruction is only in the way if you look in that direction? Straight out you're ok?

18 hours ago, helen haywood said:

Free embarkation day lunch options on Equinox (in a non Concierge Class cabin) are the Oceanview Cafe (Buffet) or the Mast Grill (hamburgers and hot dogs etc.)  If you don’t mind a charge Sushi on 5 is often open.  If you haven’t sailed Celebrity ever or lately you now go directly to your cabin on embarkation day to collect your Sea Pass card and can drop off your carryon bags.  This has the advantage of reducing the congestion at the Buffet since everyone and their brother and all their hand luggage are no longer parked there waiting for the announcement that the cabins are open.

Correct in that it makes such a difference! I was on Royal Caribbean over Presidents' Week and their buffet was JAM PACKED! The Windjammer manager kept making announcements every 15-20 minutes for you to please free up your table if you had finished eating and that you could wait in any of the lounges. Well, ALL the lounges were full too. I kept muttering to myself (as I wandered around with my bags because I didn't want to be one of those people just sitting and taking up a table) that all this mess could be avoided if they'd do like their sister company Celebrity and allow bags to be dropped off in the cabin. I *almost* got The Key (their version of the pass Celebrity offers) just to have the ability to drop the bags off somewhere.

58 minutes ago, bikerunner said:

You can, but I would get the premium and just watch sales as I got premium upgrade for 6.99 pp pd over Christmas time.  Been running constant sales 

Thanks... Do you mean you'd go ahead and get the Classic and watch the sales for upgrading?

17 minutes ago, Liao said:

Still can't hurt to escalate and ask

I have to agree with @gold1953 here. Thanks to boards like this and social media the days of companies going above and beyond and making exceptions are long gone. Even if the OP never came back on here and said she'd been given the points, she'd tell someone (or she'd be booking another cruise since she's said that this is the reason she's jumping ship) who would put it out there and then every time someone else has something happen where they have to late cancel they'd be screaming "But you did it for one person!! I read it on Cruise Critic (or insert other social media site)!!"

I know that you can't stack discounts - like I couldn't stack the Captain's Club Select 10% discount on the Classic package with the current sale. BUT could I purchase it at the current sale and then use the 10% on UPGRADING it to Premium?

25 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

Are other cruise lines willing to award points for canceled cruises?  I wasn’t aware that any were.

No. At least none that I know of.

And Disney now resets to 0 if you don't cruise within 5 years - you can imagine the outrage of kids who never paid a cent for a cruise and were Platinum or even Pearl thanks to Mommy and Daddy, but because they now have to cruise on their dime will likely not be within 5 years so they'll have to gain status on their own dime.

57 minutes ago, Liao said:

I don’t mind generic brands but as a premium line I’d expect at least Lays or Utz with lobster.

I'm curious as to how they know they were generic chips. I've never seen the brand stamped on the chips, and I've never had bags brought out with plates.

On 2/28/2024 at 4:56 PM, mac_tlc said:

Here is the menu from the app for the current Beyond sailing:

 

 

 

 

Bummed they took the fries off the menu. That is what I'd been looking forward to at lunch.