Ret MP

And a U.S. passport is required to travel back to the U.S. via aircraft. We can probably split hairs all day long. There are always exceptions/rules if this happens if that happens, and so on. But, you made the statement about "norm'. I'm saying our passport requirements for visiting certain countries are GENERALLY no more out of the "norm" than it is elsewhere (EU, for example).

Two great minds thinking alike LOL

Well, I believe that ONE reason is that the countries that don't require U.S. Citizens (mostly Caribbean countries) to have a U.S. Passport to enter are strongly dependent on U.S. tourism $ and wanted as much of it as possible, to include $s from those that don't have a U.S. Passport. Kinda like traveling within the EU, not border checks or no need to have a passport: https://european-union.europa.eu/live-work-study/travelling-eu_en Your rights & EU rules As an EU national, you enjoy the right of free movement. This means you’re entitled to travel, work and live in another EU country. If you’re a citizen of a Schengen country – which is most EU countries – you’re also free to travel to other Schengen countries without the need for border checks. And BTW, the U.S. Passport laws are part of the International laws/treaties and therefore are a "norm".

Yes, thank you. I was and am very capable of doing the math. I live by my Signature.

According to the UK's own website and Consumer Advisory website, Mandatory Service Charges, you can ask the servicing business to remove the "Service Charge" at the point/time of actual sale if you don't feel you received the usual and customary service. So, I wonder, not that I advocate doing it, if you can go to the Customer Service desk on the ship and have the service charge reduced or removed (credited back to your Debit or Credit Card if you're not a happy camper. And to clear up some semantics, a gratuity/tip is completely voluntary by the consumer in the UK, it's the Service Charge that is "Discretionary" or "Mandatory", and the decision to make it discretionary or mandatory is that of the business owner, not the government or consumer. A discretionary service charge doesn't have to be paid by the consumer, totally optional. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/e24-tips-gratuities-service-charges-and-troncs/guidance-on-tips-gratuities-service-charges-and-troncs https://consumeradvisory.co.uk/do-you-have-to-pay-service-charge-uk/

No, I meant "hurting" them. Why? Because that's what auto spell told me to say. LOL

We've done 13 at Chops on the Symphony. Other than that, the most we've done was 6 on other ships.

We don't do excursions often, hardly at all, actually. But, I got bored tonight and am getting very anxious to get my next cruise going, so I looked at the excursions for our Harmony sailing on Jan 2024. It looks like their sales for the available excursions are 10 - 15% off. But, like most sales on cruise lines, the % doesn't mean much because you don't know off of what. To me, even with the sale, they are very highly-priced. And I have no idea what the prices were before the sale. There are only 4 excursions listed for Roataan right now. We want to go to the Chocolate Factory and Rum store excursion but it isn't listed yet. My wife, the shopper, will be keeping her eye open for it as we get closer to the sail date. So, for us, this sale is a bust.

But wait, there's more!

Same here. But, I do go for breakfast, often, for the BACON. If no attendant comes over to me while I'm there, I don't leave a tip. If someone does come over and provides me even a little service, I'll tip generously, especially if they get me a drink from the bar.

Okay, my last response to YOU. What is a benefit to me could just be peace of mind and self-satisfaction. I don't have to have something in my hand to consider it a benefit. Of course, YMMV, and obviously does.

Apparently, you didn't read the post that I wrote or we have entirely different meanings of "ENVY". I do not have, "A feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another". No, what I see is a goal, a challenge, a desire to achieve. But, I don't hold any discontent or resentment for those that have what I don't, period. I have sailed Star Class a number of times. I feel that I received exactly what I expected and paid for. It doesn't have to be a physical, hold in my hand, or even a financial benefit for me to consider what I want and to be satisfied with it. I guess you require a physical, financial, or hold in your hand for it to be a benefit or status for you. Not me! People drive Bentleys but could do well with a Prius. I guess that Bentley was a fool's errand, eh. I bet not to the Bentley owner and I don't hold any discontent or resentment towards the Bentley owner but I would like to be able to afford one, one day. But, it's too late, I'll never be able to unless I win the lottery. I do have a small problem with watered-down benefits, no doubt. However, I don't go into social media sites and say that some people that purchase a suite, and "chase benefits", are on a fool's errand or anything like that. IT'S A PERSONAL PREFERENCE/CHOICE, not yours. But, I have never been in the SL or CK and it was crowded, so far, that is not an issue for me. ALSO, I haven't gone into purchasing a Suite without knowing that the suite lounge is utilized by Pinnaclesd, et al, it was not/is not a surprise to me. Why? Because I try to be an informed consumer. Doesn't matter what they call it, I'm informed of it because I checked it out. I have yet to be denied a benefit that I paid for or knew in advance that it could be omitted if conditions change. I didn't get many things that I expected on my May 2022 Star Class cruise, early post-COVID but I expected it because we were just coming out of the COVID debacle. I don't care to address the last paragraph, in detail, of your post as you intended it to be. We all have our own opinions of the deposit policy. Mine is, I don't care, if I can afford it, I'll book, if not, I won't. But, just as a side note, I have never canceled a cruise, RCCL has canceled one ON ME though. So, don't punish me for something others do. I like the current policy of the final payment date. I don't want to pay in full upfront at the time of booking unless it is within the 90-day time frame, which I never do.

Well, thank you for continuing the tradition of "Hijacking" this thread. And I appreciate the fact that this is a discussion board and I do care what others do or don't do while cruising and the process leading up to the cruise, the cruise, and post cruise. It's not only a discussion, but educational. Otherwise, why the hell do we need a social media site like this one? And I do earn my status by earning the money to pay for that status, something I work hard for. I am not a "class envy" type of person. I do work to upgrade my status though. I like the perks and luxuries that I've worked for. My only thought, when I see someone that is receiving a perk or luxury that I don't qualify for is, "I can't wait to achieve that perk or luxury" or "I need to work harder to get to that status". NOTE: I do not ask for personal information like how much they paid for the cruise or airline ticket. But, if they are offering the information, I'm willing to listen and learn. If they paid much less than I did, I want to learn how they did it. If they get more perks/luxuries than I do, I want to know how I can get them. My thought isn't defaulted to, look at those a----- over there getting all the attention.

I think that is exactly where my wife got the Info yesterday. I've looked into the Annual Policies and decided against them. Why? Well, the companies I looked into stated that the limits are for the entire year. In other words, if you have a 100K limit on "emergency evacuation/repatriation" expenses, and you use, say, 70K getting home early in the policy term, then you only have 30K left for the rest year or have to purchase another whole or partial policy. Since I rarely cruise more than once a year, and my other travels are usually done by car and I don't book hotels in advance unless they have a cancelation of 0 up to 24 hours before, and the annual policy doesn't seem to be my best option. There are more reasons, just the easiest to explain. Everybody else's Mileage May Vary.

Yep, I haven't purchased any Cruise Line sold/provided travel protection coverage since I was a baby cruiser. I purchase my travel protection from my TA, whomever that may be in the future. I've actually got a couple of quotes from an insurance sales entity that, I believe, advertises here in C.C., and is in the running. My next cruise is Jan 2024, so far. 3 couples are on this booking and we are having a conference call (one couple in Texas, one in Indiana, and one in Alabama) today to decide what travel protection we want to purchase and then make the call to purchase it. To be honest, it's like hurting kittens to get something done like this, everyone has their own preferences and budgets. Right now it looks like we are going to be going with the TA-offered travel protection, though.

1 Billion dollar Lottery Ticket. Katook was very happy!

Okay, got it now. I have been struggling to come up with a better way to say it. Yours is much better.

I'll agree, they are reasons and are personal options and your opinion. I could retort further but I don't want to turn this into another multi-page debate with you or anybody else. <EDITED IN

Actually, what I was alluding to is the pre-pay or automatically added to the daily room charge gratuities. They are not "mandatory", they can always be deleted or any portion thereof. The 18% on a beverage or in a restaurant isn't optional.

Got it. Cryptic, eh!

I agree, no matter what others want to throw up as smoke and mirrors, there are very good reasons for having a Passport for ANY travel outside of the U.S. of A., period.

Sorry, but does that mean that you confirmed it with a TA or do I need to confirm it with a TA? I'm calling my TA now.

I'm not sure where my wife got the information but she told me that there was a post or email that said the cost of travel protection insurance on RCCL is going up on June 1st. Take that for what it's worth, it was on the Internet, after all.

I hear ya. But, I don't want to enter into the politics of the cruise line and how it treats its crew. So, I just go ahead and figure the 20% +/- total, regardless. If for no other reason, I sleep better doing it. I deeply respect the crew, especially the 3rd World nation crew, and want to, within reason, treat them with respect and do my best to give them a helping hand to help them and whomever they support at home, if any. Nothing I'm saying here @vjmatty, is to say that you do or don't respect or tip or whatever. Again, I'm just using your post as a basis for my comment(s).

I have scales in my storage shed. I get them out after a cruise and weigh with them for the first month or so after I get off of a cruise. Oh, the scales are stuck on XXX pounds and it makes me happy.