Engineroom Snipe

Wow! This thread just started on Tuesday. It seems like we have another hot button issue that has made an impact on many cruisers. I see another revenue stream from RCI as they put the "Boot" on strollers, scooters, wheelchairs and anything else left in the hallways. It would be a hoot to see a 100lb yellow boot holding a ten pound stroller hostage for "a release" fee. Do not get me started on the Philadelphia Parking Authority. They would eagerly jump on an idea like that if there was a little bit of payola involved. 😧

On my Oasis cruise in September, I noticed many trays on the floor in our hallway. There seems to be no "sweeps" from what used to be many crew members that would get these items. One very clear memory was walking the 5th floor running deck for almost two hours with my wife. We try to do 6 miles between 8am and 10am. I saw a plate of what looked to be beef tenderloin on the starboard side about midship on an area that would be used to board the boat. We were returning to Bayonne and the sun was very bright on that side of the ship to the poiint there was a reflection from the plate. It had to be from the night before. There was no way anyone walking by would not notice it. I joked to my wife,"One of the officers left it there to see how long it would take for anyone to notice and take action." This was not an idle comment. In the Navy, anyone who walked past a glaring problem signaled to command leadership that something was amiss. Even if we could not fix the problem, we would bring it to the attention of someone who could address it. We completed our walk two hours later and it was still their despite dozens of crew members working on the deck vacuuming water from the deck channels, painting the area, and maintaining the lifeboats. Crew in dress uniforms walked by it and nothing happened. Each day we noticed something small but very obvious. A cup and plate on the aft port side just before the stern wake view. It was there our whole two hour walk. It left an impression on me.

I have foraged for my luggage on my 2020 cruise just before the big shut-down. Our cruise was out of Bayonne and the ship was only 75% occupancy. We checked in two bags. The bags were checked in at 10:00 am with a tip, properly marked, and before the normal surge of passengers. On previous cruises, they were waiting near our cabin when they opened at 1:30pm. One garment bag (very easy to differentiate from regular bags ) was found at about 7pm after a local search every hour past the time our cabin was opened for use. I even placed special colorful strips on the handles to make them standout from a other grey and black bags used by so many fellow passengers. I first just checked our immediate area of about fifty-feet each way from our cabin and then extended the search pattern each time. I eventually found my last bag on the opposite side of the ship at the stern. It had the proper tag with the proper area attached yet it was in the wilderness, alone, and undelivered on the wrong side of the ship and at the opposite end. I only found it because of my colorful stripping and it being abandoned, sitting by itself, with no other bags around. Since then, I pack a bit lighter. We take all of our luggage aboard with us. I take a personnel item bag, a small roller bag with one larger bag. I can attache all of them together and it is a manageable load. I spent a bit more on luggage and they all roll beautifully together. My wife packs a personnel bag with one light roller. She puts her larger items in my larger bag so we only use one larger bag. She can quickly and easily handle her personnel bag and light roller without any assistance, even up ramps and escalators. Many fellow cruisers look at me in astonishment as I roll my bags with ease onboard. They look heavy but roll with ease. When I get to my room, I have everything in tow and I am ready to start my cruise with no time wasted looking for my checked bags. We all have our idiosyncrasies, I do not like wasting time on my cruise looking for my checked bags.

I would think that any business would like to get as many paying customers as possible regardless of age. I am sure that the business would not like to limit their possible profits by creating a minimum and maximum age of their customers. The business has its reason for doing so. I cannot threaten them with taking away my business from them because they would not have me anyway! 😁

You will value this vacation as a validation of her wisdom. The apple never falls far from the tree (unless 'Johnny Appleseed' got hold of it). I am told I am too old to do things. We deal with these stereotypes and try to change the perception of things. My goodness, sounds like the 60's! 🤣

No argument here. Everything in life is arbitrary. It should be about ability but it is not. Adapt or die. I learned that over 50 years ago. I wish life was so simple and predictable. NOT! 😁

I do not think anyone here takes joy in the fact that you will probably not be able to get them suite access. We have no ax to grind. Most of the posters are very experienced with disappointment over the years learning the "rules" so they can share the truth with you. The suite perks are very nice. Everyone would like to have them. Many of the ships are very full and you have said that all of the suites are sold. This would indicate that many of the suite only accessible venues are going to be full of guests with little wiggle room to try and accommodate non-suite guests, no matter how well intended. RCI has shown an increased effort to ensure that only suite guests have access to the perks due to the high suite occupancy of this past year. There are many posts describing how Pinnacles who used to have access to some of the suite perks are now being denied those perks because of the spaces dedicated to suite guest being overloaded with non-suite cruisers.

This thread is right at the top of hot button lists: 1. Chair Hogs 2. Unruly children 3. Rude and poor behavior of guests. 4. Imbibed guests. 5. Overloading the pools and jacuzzis 6.Shorts and hats in the MDR. 7. Finger licking guests in the Windjammer. 8. Poor elevator etiquette. We as children were admonished, "You are too young to do this....." When we grew, we told our children, "You are too young to do this..." We told our parents, "You are too old to do this..." Now we are older and the shoe is on the other foot. 😉😇🤣

I have a spacious hump balcony exactly where I want to be for a 9 day cruise in November. I was offered to bid on a Junior Suite starting at $100 per person, a Grand Suite for $200 per person, and a 2 bedroom Panoramic suite for $150 per person. I do not need a two bedroom and I wanted a large balcony (about 120 square feet) so the I did not bid on it. I did not bid on the JS rooms because I liked my location and larger balcony more than any of the JS locations. I bid the minimum for the GS since I liked the locations and would enjoy the additional perks (but believe it or not, most of the GS balconies have less square footage than my hump balcony). I really like my original room. so an upgrade would be a surprise at such a low bid. Once you get into bed with your eyes closed, the size of the room does not matter. I have had some of my best cruise experiences (and sleep) in interior rooms. There are advantages to all of the cabins, just depends on your preferences. Always pick the minimum room that you would be satisfied with and never count on an upgrade to make your cruise enjoyable. 😁

You are like a squirrel who has gathered a bunch of acorns running back to his tree. You run the gauntlet of casino and cruise predators trying to take them from you as you do your best to keep them. Good luck! By the way, I never heard anyone regretting their empty pockets on their death bed. 🤣

Would not all of these offers would be categorized under the "suite" category and be available to any one who currently has a "balcony" category which is only one tier below suite?

@Biker19 Your answer is similar to my experiences. Some may interpret the offering on an Oasis class ship as "multiple" tiers but they match your analysis. I have had a "QTY" interior cabin or an assigned interior cabin. I have been offered the following: 1. Spacious interior, still an interior. 2. Outside View. 3. Spacious Outside view, still an outside view. 4. Panoramic outside view, still an outside view. 5. Central Park view, still an outside view. 6. Promenade view, still an outside view. 7. Central Park and Boardwalk Balconies, regular balcony. 8. Outside Balcony, regular balcony. While there are many offerings, I only get to go up two tiers from my original. Outside view or balcony, no suites.

When he starts tapping the bar every fifteen minutes, I'm out! (remember the bar drinking scene from Raiders of the Lost Arc). 🤢😝

OUCH! 🤑😨

By the time you get to 65+, I just do not feel like sneaking any alcohol onboard. I did not even think about thinking about sneaking it when I was younger. I do agree that RCI carefully watches what each age consumes because they have all of the data through your purchases or lack there of. I could be wrong, but the amount of traveling alcohol is insignificant for RCI's calculations. It might change as RCI chases a younger demographic.

Yes, I wonder how many people are dropping their purchase of the unlimited drink package in an effort to afford the cruise and pay on a drink by drink basis.

Yes, I was not sure on that one. I was wondering if when "Kids sail free" that RCI would add a caveat that they would not get points. Thanks for clarifying.

Or they offer an "Exclusive Life Boat Experience Tour" for all Pins onboard. I think the Pins will get suspicious the minute they start lowering the boat without any crew members in the life boat. I can hear it now, "But I am a Suite Guest! Not a Pin!" 🤣

We will start getting into the Bond Rating Systems: AAA+ to DIRT one letter at at time. 😁

One could interpret the language that after 18, the children's account starts at zero as it does not specifically state that any cruise points are accumulated as children. They just enjoy the status of their parents up to the Diamond Plus level until they turn 18.

Until age 18. Item 45 under "Youth Memberships" in C&A" PDF Brochure. They only get credit for the actual days they cruised between 0 and 18 after the age of 18.

Great question! Why would RCI offer such a high discount? Possibilities: 1. Assuming that drinks costs about $14 (plus automatic gratuities), at 25% and 30%, the standard breakeven point is five drinks per day. Even at that level, one could charge those five drinks to the room and still have the same overall costs. At 35%, it appears the break even costs is four drinks a day. RCI maybe gets a few extra sales from cabins that might otherwise not buy a package. 2. Some people have medical issues or are taking prescriptions by the time they are 65+. A cabin might have one person who can drink alcohol and one that cannot. They might just pay again for the alcohol drinks for one and non-alcohol drinks for the other and still be cheaper than two drink packages at the current pricing. 3. Cabin prices in general have gone up. Some cruisers might be foregoing alcohol packages or buying less drinks on-board in order to free up money for the higher fares. RCI obviously must believe that this is a profitable offer so RCI must assume that 65+ cruisers drink less on the average than younger cruisers. I know there are exceptions but the bean counters are like the casinos: as long as the bottom line is more profitable, they will keep experimenting with these numbers. I believe this offer is a moot point for most C&A cruisers who are 65+ since they most probably have obtained Diamond or higher status which included happy hours in the past and vouchers presently. In those cases, a person would have to drink more than nine drinks (if a current Diamond) in order to break even. I know some easily can do this when soda, coffee, juices, etc, are combined with their drink numbers. Maybe they are trying to entice older C&A cruisers into full unlimited drink packages and testing the water (I should say 'alcohol' 😆) with the extra 5% discount added to the normal maximum 30% discount during special sales.

I know. But I was channeling my inner dog. Good to be home! Thank you for sharing ALL of your vacation with us. 😇

I have dismembered this room in the memory of meeting you again. It will take at least three days for you to be in my good graces. You may pet me now. 🤣

Please show us a happy reunion with your fabulous dog! 😁