Engineroom Snipe

Just read the following article on: https://www.cruisehive.com/home-port-change-impacts-carnivals-drink-package/127393 regarding first day cruise drink packages being voided in Norfolk, Virginia. The cruisers were made whole by refunding the first day of the package. I would think this would affect Royal's Vision of the Seas passengers for the two embarkations in the month of April, 2024. Does anyone have more solid information? I have not received any emails from Royal concerning this subject.

I have read that in multiple posts over the years. Are there steep cliffs or long trails in order to get to see the birds? I could understand if it was a rocky or mountainous region. The most dangerous thing about bird watching in New Jersey is when the seagulls try and take your lunch while you are distracted.

The two that had no age limits used ropes with no safety gear over crocodile infested swamps. If anything went wrong, there would be no evidence and more importantly, no refunds. 🤣

"An extended three hour tour.....of the Schooner Bar." ☺️

Another reason why Royal is transitioning to a younger family oriented cruise crowd would be to make more money on excursions. Many higher levels of Crown and Anchor are sipping their complementary drinks onboard since they cannot buy shore excursions due to age restrictions. "Trow-em overboard.!" 🤣

The best I have seen in the past twelve months on a Vision Class Ship was $60 per person plus gratuities for seniors. Other than that, you are dead on, $65 on small ships and $78 on large ships is about the best I seen plus gratuities. I think many new cruisers tend to say, "Wow, unlimited drinks for $80 per day" and not immediately see the catch of both people needing the package They remember how many drinks they had at a wedding, bbq, or other event in a day and know they will get their money's worth. The big difference is you are not going to a wedding seven days in a row. Royal never offers a "deal" or "special" unless they know they are going to make a profit. Some people may drink more than their package is worth but my bet is on the house that most people do not and that is how Royal makes their profit. I say, go on one cruise and pay as you go. Look at the bill on your TV at the end of the day. If you are drinking more than the Beverage Package per day, they will let you sign up for it during the cruise. Rarely have I ever heard any couple drink over $1200 worth of drinks on a seven day cruise. Everyone hits the bars hard on embarkation day and the first sea. As already mentioned by another poster, port days start to decrease the usage of the package as well as mild saturation of the body by two days of hard drinking. I am not saying anyone that does purchase the drink package is wrong because many like the idea of tasting different drinks and not worrying about a final bill or check their bill daily, Heck, they are on vacation. The package does include non-alcoholic drinks which is a plus.

I saw that posted earlier. Maybe a reason Royal should have chosen Bayonne! I am still trying trying to not lose my vacation home on this one! 🤣

My post actually supports your observation. Not about distance and time at this point as your accurately observe. Maybe some other reasons like: Save fuel by cruising a lower speed. Keep the shops and casinos open for a longer period of time to make more money. The spa services have been a bit slow so let's give them an opportunity to get some more business. Believe me, I do understand your post. It does not make any sense. So why did they do it......?

Fuel. Fuel. And again, Fuel. Much less fuel than choosing Bayonne over Norfolk. I think that is the difference. The amount of passengers trying to apply for the $200 reimbursement for mileage and other travel expenses will be pennies on the dollar compared to propelling the ship from Norfolk to Bayonne. Heck, just look at the amount of fuel they would have burned from Norfolk to Baltimore and then Baltimore and back. Virginians are correct. Maybe Royal starts the ship from Norfolk for the same cruise fare and saves a huge amount of fuel which equals a nice profit. Benjamin Franklin said, "A penny saved is a penny earned." I will add, it is also a penny earned for stockholder dividend or Royal profit. 🤔

The previous cruises to this level are "Club Access Fees." Almost sounds like a "Pyramid Scheme" where you have to buy into the system and then live off or those who follow. No wonder Royal wants to get rid of top heavy cruisers. Let's design family ships that drive the old "Grumpos" like me overboard. 🤣

I was going to click HaHa but it was I would not like to make fun of that situation at the time. It is only that now you can look back upon it and laugh. Not something that we choose do but it is what is is and you took care of business.

@TexanSailor comment drops the microphone. Like it or not, Royal is sailing at record occupancy and has found that enough cruisers are willing to pay the price of their drink packages. That is the crux of the matter, if you feel that your total price for everything you want in a cruise is not reasonable, you have to shop else where. This has been a constant theme since December 2022 when the covid restrictions were lifted. Prices for everything were lifted too after demand went through the roof. Your sticker shock is not unusual. It is like going to buy a car today if your current car is twelve years old. You look at the sticker price and go.... 😱😭🤢🤮

Actually, this is a unique answer that might do the trick. Some people just have a hard time with technology because they have not experienced it their whole lives as in generations born after 1980. Or, as you semi-suggested, divvy the luggage page .pdf to another attachment where you just duplicated it by say in the one document, five. When they print the one attached document,, they get five copies. That works without insulting the person who just does not get technology and document processing..

The Norfolk folks have been extremely helpful. There are posters on this website that have given great links. I will be OK. Just so ironic that the experienced posters on this site citing all of their phenomenal cruise experience always say "suck it up" because they know it all but will have no compassion for a "newbie" who might not know it all. I have cruised for 35 years and I do not need to pontificate on how many cruises I have been on. That might not help the person who is on their second or third cruise from Baltimore and got stuck in this fiasco. Is it not what CC is suppose to be about? Sharing information and trying to help people instead of just saying "learn by your mistakes and go through 100 cruises so you can be as experienced and as smart as I am." @HBE4, thank you for at least being considerate and polite with your response.

I am not talking about the ORIGINAL cruise parking expectations which are posted. This was an involuntary change into an unknown or planned port. I do not have "100 cruises under my belt". I have much less than you. I do know that for each and everyone cruise I have taken, I knew exactly where I was parking for I had planned that parking with that cruise reservation in most cases one year in advance. Norfolk was not a planned one year in advance reservation. It was a last minute change due to an extraordinary situation. I got it. How would it be so difficult to send new secure parking space instructions with the coordination of the City of Norfolk?

To date, Royal has not communicated any type of parking available at the new port. Why not? I had parking in Baltimore no problem. They have it on their website. With the new change, why not include the new parking site. Why must we fend for ourselves with the City of Norfolk giving us far more information then what Royal is providing? Royal Corporate is not impressing me at all.

I would appreciate being spoon fed with information. Are you selling me a discounted vacation experience that I need to hunt for information regarding a major port change? Is it too much to adjust a major itinerary port change and throw me a bone as to where I will park my car and expect it to be there with an out-of-state license tag after eight days when I get off the ship with my luggage? My cruise line has only given me six days notice after booking it one year in advance. How am I being unreasonable in trying to pry some information from them. If Royal wants to sell themselves as a discount cruise line, fine. This type of experience would be appropriate. I do not think these expectations to be outlandish.

If we were all sitting around the Crown Lounge talking and reading the voices and body language, everything would be clear. Reading words on a website leaves some interpretations to conjecture and misinterpretations. No one met disrespect or harm. I understand how this might trigger hard memories.

That was a hard time in the Navy. The Navy teaches you to bond and connect with all of your shipmates. When something goes wrong, I believe the Navy used those bonds to wish away a bad experience. Your reflections echo a darkness around that episode and era. My condolences to you. After that incident, that class of battleships were quietly put to rest within years. The excuse was they were too labor intensive and the resources would be best used elsewhere. I will let it go at that. Their lives were not wasted in vain. Sorry for your husband's and your loss of friends. No military man serves without the support of his wife and family. Regards.

Yes, the City of Norfolk is doing a really great job compared to Royal.

You can request them at the port as many posters have properly stated. That said, printing them out ahead of time and having them attached to your bags can cross one more travel item off of your list. I attach three or four on different handles for insurance so it can be read from many angles. If one gets torn off from handling, there are backups. As you get close to your cruise, Royal will have your cruise document available in one selection and luggage tags available in another. Download and print the luggage tags which include your cabin but not your name. Optional to fill in your name. In most cases, your luggage will be in your cabin passageway within 100 feet of your cabin. I have had to "forage" for my luggage sometimes but they will hopefully be on your deck in your general area. Once or twice in thirty plus years, the baggage was on the opposite side of the ship in an area that I would not normally think of where it should be. If you do not succeed at first, cast a bigger net. Like an Easter Egg hunt, let's find the luggage. All part of the cruising experience, albeit, it could be an airplane, bus, or train experience as well.

+1 to Cruise Control Transportation. No, I get nothing from recommending them. Nice to know others have been treated well too.

I really want to make this cruise. I almost have my fabulous partner into the mood. I do not expect transportation or OBC. I need to know that Royal owns this situation and starts to communicate what is happening in a fashion that makes me feel confident about a successful cruise experience. Norfolk is saying, "We are open for business." Let us know where the parking is, when to arrive, here are the shuttles, let me know what I have to do to make this successful. I need this from Royal, not from all of you loyal CC posters.Not from Norfolk City services which have been really great. I think Norfolk is owning this much more than Royal. Royal is not communicating directly to me except for the minimum amount of information. I have paid for the cruise and I am trying to make it work. "Need Input." (Short Circuit, 1986)

OMG! If all of the plaintiffs stood in a single line it would go on for miles and miles! I can hear it now, "I was here first.....No, I was here first,.......Hey, did that person just cut in line?" I am doing my best to persuade my lovely lady of many years to go on this cruise despite the changes. I think she feels all of the occurrences affecting our cruise are Omens to let this Great White Whale sail without us. I might start to believe..... 😁

That is the way I feel leaving a Disney Theme Park.