Ret MP

6 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

What ships would that be?

M

I don't know, that's why I said: "I understand".  A Google search may help you with that if you are interested, I'm not.  Or, even ask the question in here somewhere.

On 12/16/2023 at 12:30 PM, cruisegirl1 said:

Not necessarily accurate.

Diamonds are ONLY restricted from the lounge for certain evening  hours  and only on certain sailings.  Most sailings there is NO restriction. 

M

Ya, there may be one or two sailings a month <(that may not be 100% accurate) on the worst ships <(again, that may not be 100% accurate) that will not put restrictions of some type on them.  If I can't get into the "Diamond" Lounge, then it is restricting me from something I could do freely before the name change.  The main premise of my post was the integrity or lack of, of the CEO and others.  

BTW, many or most ships, from what I've read here and other sites, are going out full.  Which doesn't bod well for the chances of getting into the "Diamond" Lounge.  I'm of the mindset that it should be "first come/first serve".  

NOTE:  I understand that not all RCCL ships have "Diamond" Lounges (Crown Lounges).  I'm not talking about those.

On 12/14/2023 at 5:35 AM, crazyank said:

since when is Diamond not enough for Top Tier??

I don't know but, apparently, Diamond can no longer go into the "Diamond" (Yes, I know the name has/is changing) lounge, anymore.  This after the CEO (or whatever his title is) and/or his sycophants/underlings said that the name change wouldn't change a thing, hah, and so many people believed him.  

56 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

wine wasn't even cooking quality.   

Now that's rough.  LOL

3 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

I was correcting @Morecruisesplz, not "debating" with you.  They said Baltimore; I was simply stating that neither of the cruises you listed sailed from Baltimore (impossible as the ships wouldn't fit under the bridges).  And I mentioned Anthem, since that is the one that listed Bermuda.

 

Your grudge is with @Morecruisesplz, not me.  😄

 

P.S.  I've sailed out of Baltimore 13 times and never went into Baltimore proper.

You are 100% correct.  I didn't mean to quote you.  Hit the wrong quote button.  Sorry!

3 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Lol, no autopsy table. When I have a chance I'll see if I can locate a picture for you in my old photos.

Yep, by definition a morgue is simply a place where bodies are stored for identification and final disposition.  Now, can a morgue have an autopsy table, the vast majority of them are coroner's offices?  Yes!  But, it isn't necessary.  Most human remains don't go to coroner's offices, depending on state laws, of course.

7 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

 

Neither of the two cruises listed sailed from/to Baltimore; those ships will not fit under the bridges in the Chesapeake Bay.  FYI - Anthem sails from Cape Liberty (aka Bayonne).

I don't understand what you are trying to get at.  I never said that I cruise exclusively out of PC or any other port.  I said that I was moving to a ~ centralized location, which I have for 2+ weeks now, to PC and Galveston.  I think I know that Anthem sail(ed) out of Liberty.  How do I know that?  I sailed on her out of Liberty, which I plan on never doing again and I have no desire to go to Baltimore, either.  I was stationed at Ft. Meade, which is just down the street from Baltimore, and didn't like the city back then, I can only imagine what it's like now.  

What are you trying to get at?

EDITED IN:  Oh, I do cruise out of Galveston in 30 days on the Harmony.

35 minutes ago, Morecruisesplz said:

I had no idea. (Spontaneous) was it a bargain?

LOL, it was a good price.  Do I remember the price?  NO!  

I don't know.  I was thinking a place in a medical facility that keeps bodies on ice/cold is called a "morgue".  Anybody disagree?  

Just now, Morecruisesplz said:

Sort of, but after all the talk about pc, moving, how tempting more ports could be, why Baltimore. A mistake?

Nope, a desire for the destination (Bermuda), timing, availability, and price.  It was a last-minute booking.  We are sometimes spontaneous.

LOL.  Of course, they have a morgue.  A ship can be days away from a port.  What would they do with a body?  Not put it in a food refrigerator, that's for sure.  And I too have seen the morgue and the holding cell for the bad boys/girls, it ain't a suite.  

2 hours ago, Morecruisesplz said:

Last time that you didn't cruise a suite being... ?

What is this, a test?

October 31, 2022, Independence of the Seas, Perfect Day & Nassau, 4-nighter, Balcony Cabin.

November 23, 2018, Anthem of the Seas, Bermuda & Boston, 7-nighter, Balcony Cabin.

4 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

But you book "all inclusive" Star class.  🙄

 

Not always, maybe 60% of the time.

1 minute ago, Wheels Up said:

I understand what you’re saying, that even if they give it away for “free” that we will actually all pay for it with increased fares. I’d truly rather book one all-inclusive price.

 

I go to an all inclusive resort in Mexico where alcohol, tips, all meals, and Wi-Fi are included for $5,000 per week for two. Price varies by which week, of course. But it’s one price to consider different dates, book, pay for, and you’re all done. I would be less attracted to the resort if it was $2,500 for the week for two people plus $1,000 for two drink packages, plus $500 for the good restaurants, plus $500 for tips, plus $300 for Wi-Fi, even though that would come out cheaper in the end. Especially if the prices of extras vary wildly (in RCI’s case ship to ship and between itineraries) and I have to keep an eye on the app because dynamic pricing and “sales” means I could end up paying more than $5,000 if I don’t book the extras at the right time or I picked a ship where DBP and Wi-Fi prices are never low.

 

And that’s not a major gripe that would cause me to abandon RCI. I like Royal Caribbean. Free Wi-Fi is just my one thing I would change if I only got one wish. Even if it was built into the fare… for that matter I’d prefer they do that with tips too.

All-inclusive pricing?  What if I don't drink?  What if I don't use the Internet?  What if I didn't like the service?  What if I don't like specialty restaurants?  I want to pay for what I use, what is top-notch service, what is good quality, and on and on.  I've never done an all-inclusive land-based resort for those reasons and others.

5 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

From the WSJ article, this guy needs a slap upside the head, in addition to a lifetime ban.  

"A 25-year-old TikTok influencer from Orlando, Fla., says he was asked to disembark in Jamaica from a seven-day Royal Caribbean cruise midway through the trip after he was caught on surveillance smoking marijuana on an upper deck of the ship. The man says he has a medical-marijuana card and had previously sailed with products containing THC without any issues."

Ignorance has no conscience.  Willful ignorance should be dealt with harshly.  

Just now, travisma81 said:

I think Johnny Rockets should be included with the price.  Better yet, like someone else said.  Replace it with Waffle House and keep it open an hour after the bars close.   

I agree except we like the milkshakes and cheese fries.

4 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Actually it seems that you might be the one reading only partial posts, just saying.

It seems that someone in here is full of contradictions.  LOL 

1 hour ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

 Are you not saying above that you will always tip 0-14% for bare minimum or less? So you would tip for rubbish service yet not want it added to the cost of the fare? 

Why an earth would anyone tip for poor service, a tip in my eyes is above and beyond....if its expected its a extra service charge. 

However tipping is completely up to the individual 👍

If the service is "rubbish", depending on the degree if "rubbishness", my tip would be between 0 - 14%.  If the server just brought my food in a timely manner and hot, 15 - 19%.  If the server is extra friendly, helpful, caring, and makes frequent stop bys, 20%+.  Can't do that effectively with mandatory gratuity.  The "rubbish" servers still get an inflated gratuity.

Truthfully, as long as what you, <meaning anyone, do doesn't affect me, my family, my friends, and/or the safety of the ship, I don't care what you do.  Just know that if you are caught breaking the well-publicized rules/laws/edicts and ramifications of any business or government jurisdiction, don't come into a public forum and whine/cry/complain, which is not a discussion, about the ramifications that you may have suffered for breaking those well-publicized rules/laws/edicts. 

I'll never support (not that I think that I'm all that important or special) mandatory included gratuities.  All that does is support mediocracy or less.  I like to pay those, generously, who exceed my expectations, not pay for subpar or mediocre service.  15% for expected service and 20%+ for exceeding my expectations.  0% - 14% for those who do the bare minimum or less.  I've been known to leave a penny and as much as 50%.

I hate spell checker but have to use it.  Maybe I should just slow down a bit.  But, I'm a multi-tasker and always in a hurry to do something else.

Celebratory, not celebrity

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

If you read the ingredients you will not see milk on that list for their soft serve

I don't know and don't care what the actual ingredients are!  That's why I said, "As far as I'm concerned".  

26 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I don't think RCI suffers any penalties for sailing into a port with an iron or bottle of booze aboard. They seem to have their reasons for taking such a hard stand on this matter don't you think?

Not only that, people who tend to break the rules tend to hide their contraband in their own space (on a cruise ship that happens to be their cabin) and then forget or just don't care where they put it at the end of their vacation/event/whatever and just leave it where hidden.  What happens then?  Well, the next innocent people that move in stand a chance of the stuff being found by a crew member and or government official and are wrongly accused of bringing the stuff onboard or wherever.  Unfortunately, there are far too many folks who don't see beyond their own nose and/or don't care about THEIR OWN actions or others.  

Many other things can affect other folks legally, health-wise, convenience, and/or just plain old comfort.  It all, usually, boils down to just everyday plain old selfishness.  Soooooooo many folks who are the most rabid anti-tobacco smokers (I'm neither a tobacco smoker nor MJ smoker/eater) are the first to defend MJ smoking!

FULL DISCLOSURE:  I do enjoy a celebrity cigar once or twice a year and always in an authorized area/zone.

Just now, Ocean Boy said:

I'm also pretty sure not many people are versed on the CBD laws of destination countries. I give the cruise lines the benefit of the doubt on this issue.

EXACTLY!

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

20 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Also, not all CBD oil is legal in all states.  AND many that CBD is legal in have certain restrictions such as the THC content can't exceed over ~.03%.

Correction:  0.3%.