Engineroom Snipe

Noo,.......Nooooo...., tell me it is not so.... The banana split dessert just slipped off the menu? Oh, the inhumanity of it all. 🥺😦😧😨😭

I am thinking in the future about bringing family with us (to include under 12 children). Whenever I do a mock booking on RCI, I normally use two adults as passengers. In most cases. RCI wants more money if I choose a room that could hold more than two adults (even if there are only two adults booked). I can choose those rooms but they want more money. I do a mock booking for two adults and one child and they eliminate the lower priced two person rooms and go immediately to the higher priced rooms (three passengers or more). I realize they do not charge you a specific fare for the children but you do have pay more for a larger room. I would call that a "Kids Sail at Discount" program. I could be wrong but every time I try it, it happens.

RCI had one of their "IT guys fix" the programming so anything left in the cart for more than 24 hours get transferred to "purchased". It is called the "Charge Now and Refund Later Program." It was created by the same marketing director of the "Kids Sail Free" program. Most parents found that program to be a bit of a stretch when they were told they needed a more expensive room to hold more than two adults. RCI needs the cash flow. 🤑 JUST KIDDING! 😁

I just book another cruise to relieve the stress of the previous booking. Royal might be more diabolical than I give them credit for 😏.

This has never happened to me but I can understand when RCI seems to have monthly computer glitches or updates so many people start posting and panicking about the website going down on CC. I cannot imagine signing into my RCI account and seeing all of my future cruises disappear. 😵😬😱 That has to be a royal mess!

The most important item is how many rooms are vacant that are eligible to be in the Royal Up program?

Agreed. There are many offshoots of the first posting.

Good observations. The opposite being that maybe NCL lost customers to RCI. 🤔

As a follow up, NCL, which is a competitor to RCI lines, just gave a SEC disclosure. I mention NCL as to have some type of factual comparison to RCI and what appears to be their more aggressive actions to find "efficiencies" in their operations. NCL stated that they had 87% Occupancy during the 4th Quarter of 2022 (October, November, and December) which could be argued to be the least desirable time to sail due to historical weather patterns. NCL was not profitable for the year (to be expected) but surprisingly, they were not profitable that quarter at 87%! There was revenge travel going on and like RCI they had increased on board spending. I do not see prices coming down soon (NCL) and I am expecting more decreases in service or amenities. RCI would have less incentive to lower any existing prices or fares at this time due to a competitor like NCL undercutting them and taking away potential RCI customers. As of December 31, 2022, NCL stated they have over 62% occupancy booked for the year 2033.

Anthem in April, 2022, and Oasis in September, no major differences in the Windjammer to multiple previous cruises in last five years. I like formal dining, but we liked the Windjammer variety more.

During the pandemic, there were many last-minute cancellations. At the time, the cancellations were able to get Future Cruise Credits. The Royal Up program was designed to mitigate the open cabins by getting a cascading action which generates revenue. A Grand Suite is vacant. A Junior Suite pays for an upgrade to that room. A balcony pays for an upgrade to the Junior Suite. An Oceanview pays for an upgrade to the balcony. An interior goes to an Oceanview. They are now only stuck with a vacant interior. Those are four transactions of additional revenue. But you need vacate rooms to start the effect. High-capacity cruises have very few vacant rooms.

The occupancy rates on certain cruises now are so high that there is a shortage of rooms because of overbooking. When that happens, the chance of an upgrade room being available at any price, like you mentioned, is close to non-existent.

If I do not have the funds for an ocean view balcony on an Oasis class, I just go immediately to forward interior. We have looked down at the interior balconies from the jacuzzies on the sun deck and agree that there is no privacy whatsoever. I would feel very sad if someone across from my room goes blind should I forget to pull the curtains. 🤣 Worse yet, you could be opposite of someone who feels at home in a nudist colony and never closes their curtains. Now it is on you not to look.😮 To each their own, many people DO like those balconies. One person's idea of trash is another person's idea of gold. 😁

Your money, your vacation decisions, and your time is what you control. Agreed. I do what you are doing on a regular basis. During my children's younger years, my family did Disney on a regular basis. The total price of tickets, "value resort rooms", food, parking, and so much more has increased significantly, with us delaying or cancelling those vacations anymore. Similar reasons are used by Disney, pandemic shutdowns, inflation, cost of labor, etc.etc. I do not try to convince Disney they should lower prices because they have almost unlimited demand with the next customer in line willing to pay. I crunch the numbers with my wife, and we just say, "Next option", like yourself. This is Cruise Critic and if you cannot express a "critical" opinion here, where then? You are entitled to your opinion and I know you will do what you have to do. My opinion is that you are right to stop a vacation that is going to place you in a bad mood with so many other people. When I believe that my cruise vacation is not a good value for my experience, I might join you. Until RCI occupancy goes down much further than it is currently, RCI could care less if you and I both decided to stop cruising today. 😐

Gotta have your priorities in the right place. 🤣 1. 🏈 2. 🏀 3. 💘 I used the arrow through the heart on purpose. That is going to be what happens later if you do not change some priorities. 😱 😁😉

A perfect combination with Unlimited Drink Packages! 😰 😱 They can then discuss next year's draft choices. 😁

Your bags will get quite lonely after 10:30am. The rush hour for bags seems to be about 9am and the porters will be in full work mode as they are juggling getting you out of the port as new arrivals start coming in. The ship will inform you what rooms should debark at what times to create a happy reunion of passengers to their bags. It is a guideline and has a time line of +/- 45 minutes.

It depends on what time you wake-up. Not trying to be snarky, the breakfast menus open up as soon as 5:30am on the morning of debarkation. They would like to have you out of your room by 8am into other main areas which include dining areas. You will be pushed to be off the ship by 10am since they have to have a clear manifest before the next trip in 60 minutes.

Thank you for posting. This answers almost all of the questions I could have about about MDR menu changes. 😁

I believe you are correct about it being the shank and not the chop.

And a "You old Dufflebag....." with a snort to follow. Do not touch the Lioness's tail unless you want to see the front end bearing teeth! 😆 "Sorry Honey, I'm good." Translation...😱

Not sure about internet question. Another really good read that just posted is from January 10, this year. It might answer your check-in questions. Does anyone know how this new scheduling of boarding times work? By CruisinRoxy, January 10 in Royal Caribbean International

I was thinking the same thing but there would be 3 adults even if on a "children sale free" cruise. The taxes seem right for four people (all passengers subject to taxes). I have not sailed in suites. What would the normal pricing structure be for three adults versus two in one cabin? I know they charge less per adult but the total room cost can be 35% more compared to two adults.

"But your credit card will be assimilated." 😁

@OurusualbeachFollow up. It IS weird the 30% discount number shown is actually 56% of the price. WOW, the whole thing makes no sense to me now. That is one messed up file or spreadsheet.