SheehanDJ

Another *NO* - and we wouldn't book a cabin/suite next to one or above or below or anywhere near.

Smoke can permeate ... and get carried by the wind or gentle drafts in HVAC systems...

 

:eek:

You are absolutely correct!

Good thing cruise ships run off clean solar power...

Oh, wait a minute, they burn bunker fuel, the filthiest cancer causing diesel available. As you so wisely pointed out "Smoke can permeate...and get carried by the wind or gentle drafts in HVAC systems..." It must be "magic" diesel exhaust coming from the smoke stacks, magical bunker fuel exhaust that is oh so much better for you than that nasty dirty cigarette smoke.

Hotels are non-smoking. They should make cruise ships non-smoking.

Planes are non-smoking. They should make cruise ships non-smoking.

Office buildings are non-smoking. They should make cruise ships non-smoking.

Restaurants are non-smoking. They should make cruise ships non-smoking.

Hard Rock Hotel/Casino in FLL has smoking rooms available...

SouthWest is our go to airline because anymore they are the only one that is remotely affordable, that being said, we got an excellent price on Delta to San Juan in September. Cheaper and much better times. Maybe we just got lucky, maybe the airlines are starting to wise up.

There are dispensers in the shower, I claim that shampoo is dispensed. My wife claims it is crap.

Recommend a small USB powered one.

We used to be Loyal to Royal until the Empress of the Seas fiasco. Our B2B got canceled at the last minute so it was either no vacation or NCL. We chose NCL and have been expanding which lines we cruise on ever since. We still cruise Royal, but now they are just one of the many.

1992 - The Big Red Boat.

3 Day cruise, provided by work for president's club winners.

Do you and the child have different last names because you remarried? If so bring your marriage licence and documentation of your name change (you can get this at your local court house usually).

A certified letter from the father (if the last names match) should be enough. It would be like traveling with a friend's kid.

Your custody agreement may also help (unless the father has sole physical and legal custody), as it should list the minor child's name along with both yours and your ex's.

"If you’re like me, you’re more interested in the negative than the positive. So here goes…"

Wow, just...wow. I can't believe people like this actually exist. Spending all this money on something with the intention to nit pick and find something wrong.

OP, never leave the US. There is nothing but foreigners out there and the major don't even speak English. How dare they, am I right?

Be sure you are sitting down before you read the price.

Those were actually pretty reasonable.

My daughter had a small wedding in a public park and it set me back $5,000.

If you ask permission on board you will be told no. If you just use it no one will say anything.

RCL is doing massive amounts of work on Coco Cay including a dock.

Never been on that ship, but other's have answered your question about the ship.

We normally do 7 day cruises also, but took a 5 day last year as a quick get away. We really missed those last two days, when we got off the ship it was like we forgot something, very odd feeling. If it is a time constrant, there is really nothing you can do, go, enjoy it. If you are trying to save a few bucks, I'd really try and find the money for the two extra days. Stay in an inside, don't gamble, no shore excursions, something.

I don't tip bar staff generally (I do occasionally but only ever in appreciation). The service I receive is fine.

 

The way I receive great service is this :

 

Avoid bars with money waving Americans seeking preferential treatment.

 

Be polite to all staff and treat them with respect. I am never rude, even if the server is at fault.

 

Be patient.

 

I have no expectations for free drinks, extra shots or special favours.

 

If I was served before someone who was waiting before me, I would ask for the other person to be served first.

 

I don't get drinks in awkward places like the theatre.

 

I make sure servers are aware that I am not American. (last remark slightly tongue in cheek).

The irony is probably lost on this one, that one of European's biggest gripes about us Americans are that we don't bother to learn let alone attempt to follow customs in foreign country's. Right up until they come over here where our tipping custom is well known world wide, then not only do they know about it but down right refuse to follow it and on top of that go on rants about how we should change our culture.

This is why I switched over to flying Southwest a long time ago. I don’t like being locked into anything, and airfare is the biggest rip-off of all when people need to make a change. The change fees are often close to 100% or more of the cost of the airfare itself.

 

I once needed to make a change to my American Airlines flights and they told me I had to pay $900 ($450/ticket) plus the additional cost of the fare to change my flights to another day (our tickets were only $350 to begin with). I have flown Southwest ever since, even if the price of the flight is higher than other airlines.

 

 

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The only good news is this is really starting to burn the airlines when they are looking for volunteers on an over booked flight. No body even moved toward the podium until the "reward" for taking a later flight was in the $900 range the last time we flew Delta thru Atlanta. So someone pretty much got two free flights for delaying an hour and a half.

Since NR has become a thing we haven't really changed out cruise booking schedule of a year in advance. If we lose $200 we lose $200, looking at cruise prices over the past couple years, it would cost us more than $200 it we waited until closer to the cruise to book them.

The reputable tour companies offer a return to ship guarantee. If they miss the ship they will get you back to it.

We have only sailed the Bahama's/Caribbean so we don't really worry about it as none of the islands are that far away so if something does go south it should be a minor deal reuniting us with the ship.

The whole back half of the ship is getting made over.

I would suspect anything in that area right now will become unavailable on the cruise. So mini-golf, rock climbing, flow rider if they have one, sports court.

Weather reports in the Bahamas/Caribbean should be taken with a grain of salt (other than named storms). It may technically be forecast to rain in Coco Cay but the island never sees a drop as the storm is miles off shore, in all of our cruises we have really only had one whole day ruined because of rain. That was last year on Harvest Cay in Belize (NCL)

It has rained on us multiple times in the past, but nothing usually lasting more than 10 minutes. Of course your mileage may vary.

Your generic dance music. I'm well past clubbing age, but I've heard it told they are a bit behind so it won't be the newest thing.

Check again at midnight and they will magically be there.

For those replying to my post about how their filters at home aren't as dirty as what OP showed. The reason is duct work. The air intake for your furnace isn't at your furnance it is from cold air returns. These are the vent(s) in your home that don't blow out hot/cold air there is at least one, ideally more. All the hair, dust, dead skin, etc, etc goes thru these ducts before reaching your expensive filter for your furnace. A LOT of debris gets stuck to the walls of this duct work never making it to your filter.

All furnaces leak incoming air around the filter (All in the reality sense of the word. I'm sure there is at least one person who has hermetically sealed their furnance) that filth is recirculated and gets all over your heat exchangers (this is why you should have your HVAC system cleaned yearly).

I also enjoy how everyone ignores the part I typed about their office. I'm sure they are lining up to demand it is cleaned or they will quit their jobs.

I also enjoy how everyone acts so disgusted but no one is posting about how they are cancelling their cruise.

I am positive some, including the OP, will use this info to get discounts on future cruises. Act disgusted about it, but keep on cruising.

I have a suggestion for posts like this, before generating one substitute "smoking" for the request.

Smoking seems to be the only rule everyone demands that is met. The real ironic thing is a lot of folks demand all smoking rules be strictly adhered to but then go on to explain how their 12 year old is mature enough to use the solarium with them, or how they smuggle alcohol on board.

Wait a minute Bob, aren't their unpredictability predictable.

From what I've found over the years with RCCL is that one sale out of all the promo's and sales they are constantly running is actually worth a damn. Which one exactly there is no way to tell.

Usually we book one year in advance. I check prices periodically throughout the year and if something comes along I call the TA and get a reduction. Just reduced the September cruise on Freedom by $400+ and got $50 more OBC. Been plenty of years where this happens, and plenty of years where there is no better price.

We have our TA request a 6 top. The majority of the time it is filled with couples, occasionally we will get a family with kids. We have enjoyed both.

The reality of this situation is every room on every cruise ship this exact same thing will be found.

Further, the exact same thing will be found in your own home. Every home, I don't care how well you think you keep your house clean. The difference is in your house it is all your hair and dead skin.

Here is my problem with OP's demand for compensation. They are willing to accept 50% off a future cruise. A cruise in a cabin that they know they will find the exact same thing in.

If this disgusts you, because it is other peoples hair and dead skin don't cruise and don't stay in hotels. Any of them, no matter how expensive or supposedly well maintained. Sure the carpet and the base boards may be cleaner, but there ventilation system won't be. I'm not talking about any filters that may or may not exist in the room I'm talking about the duct work and coils, and heat exchangers in the HVAC system. The stuff that is just impacted with dead skin cells, hair and dust mites from all the previous occupants of any given hotel.

I don't think I'm making my point. Forget hotels and cruise ships, what about the office where you work? There is an HVAC system there too, there are door knobs, elevator buttons, key boards, phones, etc. How much dried spit, and food is in the phone you use every day at work? No one is singing washy washy songs by the restrooms, how much fecal matter is on the door knobs and elevator buttons?

Let's go further. There are standards set by the government of acceptable levels of contaminants in the food we all eat everyday. That means all food has some bits of bugs, or ****, or urine, or ground up rodent pieces in it. As long as it doesn't go over a specified amount it is considered safe for human consumption.

The stuff the human body sheds minute to minute is absolutely disgusting. If you leave your house you will be exposed to it.

The OP deserves no compensation by RCCL. The OP staying in that cabin added their own filth to it for the next person.

For those saying it should have been cleaned better, what about what can't be cleaned? Specifically the mattress. A mattress almost doubles in weight in 7 years. That weight is dead skin and dust mites. Should RCCL replace the mattress after every cruise? You can put a thousand sheets on the bed, it won't make a difference in the world. Lay down and you are engulfed in a cloud of microscopic leftovers from your previous fellow cruisers.