Engineroom Snipe

3 hours ago, ticketsunlimited said:

I could never get a straight answer from our cabin steward when we asked him what the worse thing is to put in the toilet.  He just kept answering, Depends.

It only took me two hours to get the joke. Oh my goodness, the pun, the delivery! 🤣 I guess it depends on how you read the responses. Truly, this could be an epic Mom or Dad joke.

1 hour ago, Incognito1 said:

RCCL's newest sale: 30% off + Kids Sail Free

 

When I put in for two people for a short Ensenada getaway: $239 + taxes

 

Cruise fare

$368.00

Discounts (2)

Flash Sale Instant Savings

$-25.00

30% off every cruise

$-104.00

Subtotal

$239.00

Taxes & fees

$211.20

 

When I put two +1child or +2 for the same cruise, same room cat & size: $479 + taxes

 

Cruise fare

$1,030.00

Discounts

$-557.00

Subtotal

$473.00

Taxes & fees

$422.40

 

How is that Kids Sail Free?  It's suspiciously exactly double.  What am I missing?

 

When you move from a two person cabin to a three or four person cabin, the base cabin fee goes up accordingly. You are correct, kids DO NOT travel free. You must pay a higher cabin fee, port fees, taxes, and wait for it (that gratuity) or service fees on the additional passengers. The price will be the same whether or not they are adults or children. In so many cases, it is cheaper to get two cabins with one adult in each cabin. You then have two bathrooms and much more room per person.

1 minute ago, mil76 said:

Just go use the toilet in the casino.  No one expects you to get a straight flush there.

Dare I say it? The Royal Suite guests will get the "Royal Flush" in the casino.

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

You can get rid of the gratuity at guest services if you think the service was crappy

Qualifies as a "Dad Joke" to the highest degree.

2 hours ago, footzz said:

On cruises in the Netherlands, shoes are also included on the list. Apparently, they were experiencing too many clogs.

They lost the shoe as they were trying to shove the clog down the drain. 😬 

When the first shoe got stuck, they used their other shoe to try and shove the first shoe down.

If you fail the first time, try, and try again until you succeed or run-out of shoes.

If I can get my plumber's snake past TSA (maybe in checked baggage), I can offer a competing discount. $50 dollars for service within 12 hours and two decks from my cabin. $75 and two drink vouchers per day will qualify for priority service anywhere on the ship. Just try and make the call before I have the two drink vouchers which could affect my response time.

Mayber we can add this to "The KEY" package.

Do they save the evidence for forensic examination before the additional charge? Can I go to a Master Plumber board of appeals if I disagree with the analysis?

23 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I love those but I only do 1/2 of the bagel .. a full bagel is normally too much for me. 

 

 About the only time I eat a full normal size bagel is when I have a bagel at home.  Then I'll toast it, and spread crunchy peanut butter on each half.  A nice glass of skim milk and all is right with the world. 

 

We will eat a luscious meal to disagree on very particular side dish. I can respect your happy place.

Toasted bagel halves,  layer of dill cream cheese, smoked salmon, one thin layer of onions, and one thin layer tomatoes. Second dish: melon, pineapple, cantaloupe, and any other fresh fruit of the day. The dishes would be complimented with OJ and coffee.

A great way to start the day.

This morning, my Android RCI app updated. I do not allow auto updates so I can see which apps are updating in case there is a problem after the update. The only change I noticed was an advertisement for the Beverage Packages when I swiped left to look at the vertical ship icon with the different subsets like dining, activities, excursions, shops, etc., etc. This is the first time I have seen the Beverage Package being available for reservation on the app.

I did not make any dining reservations but I have the option to do so.

On 11/6/2022 at 6:35 PM, VernRDH said:

Excursions are available now. We booked the Disney transfer. 

I was worried for a while when PC wasn't even listed!

We are on the same Anthem sailing as you are in February

The last cruise we took in September was a fiasco for the Disney transfer. They were caught in a traffic accident (not the tour bus but an accident in general). The bus had about a one hour turn-around time. The passengers left at about 1:30pm, delayed in traffic, arrived at 5:00pm and were requested to be onboard the bus by 6:45pm to accommodate the latest boarding time of 8:30pm. They seemed very stressed and unhappy about the situation which they had no control of. I am not blaming anyone. This is a distinct possibility anytime you are trying to sandwich a trip to Disney or Universal in a window of three hours onsite. To me, way too much stress. I will stay onboard and enjoy.

17 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 That is where you  all were short. I posted on this thread to correct the misinformation that was posted. 

As I stated, I might be 99 cents short of a dollar. I tend to only read RCI forum topics since they are most pertinent to my current cruises. I stand corrected.

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

 

You guys are days late and a dollar short. 🙄 The arrival card is not required for cruise passengers. 

I might be 99 cents short of a dollar. The last discussion was on Monday by Biker19 in the "Bermuda Travel Authorization" thread started on September 28. Since the thread is now on page 5 of topics, many people might miss it. I tried my best to just put everything in the main topic line so people can choose to read it or ignore it. Obviously, you are well aware of the news. Thank you for your kind comments. Always fun to interact with my fellow cruisers.

13 minutes ago, soremekun said:

ww.bermudaarrivalcard.com is of Nov 14, 2022.

Thank you for the link.

Bermuda Online Visitor Form (bermudaarrivalcard.com)

The card is online fillable for no charge, can be downloaded or sent to an email address.

Bermuda does not require a travel authorization as of Nov 14, 2022, per their official website notice.

Make reservations | Bookings powered by resQwest.com (www.gov.bm)

I tend to go to Next Cruise and book a trip I am interested in for a $200 deposit fee. I do not have to pay for anything else until 90 days before the cruise. I get a $100 onboard credit and the room of my choice. I then transfer it to my travel agent where I get another OBC. If the cruise price goes down, I call and have it immediately adjusted. There is travel insurance available that covers pre-existing conditions with the only caveat being that it must be purchased before final cruise payment.

The end result, I can cancel my cruise at any time up to about 95 days before my cruise and only be out $200. That would be the price of rebooking another cruise (change fee). I say 95-days because I will purchase the insurance, then make final payment about two days prior to the deadline.

My gratuities (please do not discuss that in this thread, it has been thoroughly discussed in other threads) are charged only after I am onboard. I do not pay for parking unless I physically arrive at the port and successfully take my cruise.

I only have $200 in play until three months before the cruise.

At ninety-days out, most cruisers are fairly confident that their cruise will take place. If something comes up after that, use the insurance for coverage.

37 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

I'm guessing that limit is placed by the resort, not RCI. 

I agree but it is a good example of how the packages have to be profitable. I do not think they are limiting them due to bad behavior of the drinkers.

13 minutes ago, The Scurvy Pirate said:

Nor did Carnival show a link between the sale of the full size liquor bottles to those who were unruly passengers.  Carnival probably did find out that those that bought the full size bottles were not buying as much ala carte and not buying the packages, so they were losing money...

Interesting, I noticed RCI has a shore excursion at Bimini, Bahamas, which touts "Open Bar" for a set price to include access to resort facilities. Part of the terms when you read them is that you cannot request more than one drink every fifteen minutes. The excursion is about 4 hours long. A way to ensure that the profits are very carefully calculated. Most people will not max out the package for four drinks per hour for four hours (you have to go up to the bar to get the drinks if you are at the pool or at the beach): otherwise, you are at the mercy of how busy the drink attendants are which is another way to limit consumption (costs).

27 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Unless you aren’t due for a license renewal for a couple years. 

Just checked my NJ DMV website and they are not mandating real id for operating a motor vehicle or renewing their licenses, now, or in the future.

2 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

My current drivers license is real id compliant.  I think all states are supposed to be that way by sometime next year.  So, for most people a passport card is worthless.  IMHO.

There seems to be some confusion with the mandates for the current drivers licensing being compliant. The Division of Motor Vehicles in many states are still leaving it up to applicant to apply for either one. This is leading to confusion because for years, New Jersey required "6 points" for driver license approval which seems far more secure than previous versions. The "6 point" application does not qualify for real id without the addition of further paperwork which they scan and keep on file. I was offered to get the real id with my last renewal which I did. I was not mandated to get the real Id.

They might be trying to "stage" over the renewal periods to keep from getting overwhelmed with everybody doing it at once.

20 minutes ago, soremekun said:

I stand corrected sir. I should have stated that a passenger could be in their original assigned room for at least two hours (or about) since many cabins are available at 1:00pm on day of sailing and the ships' departure times are usually around 4pm to 5pm.  A customer could be unpacked in their original room to be moved at time of departure to the upgraded room. 🙂

14 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

 $189 for a deep tissue 50 minute massage that was not including tip or diamond discount.  I ended up getting one in Costa Maya at Hayhu for $40.  

I get massages and reflexology at home 1x/month so I am familiar with pricing and a good masseuse.  There is no way I'd pay that much for 50 minutes.  Maybe for a 50 minute facial plus a massage.  

I cannot mention the name for risking being found out of this site's policy.

Junkanoo Beach, Nassau Bahamas, very professional 90-minute massages for my wife and I for much less than the cruise spa prices. Not as cheap as $40 but easily 1/2 of the price of on-board including tips. You will need reservations on cruise days. I would reserve at least two months ahead during the busiest seasons when multiple ships are docking simultaneously.

1 minute ago, soremekun said:

Might I recommend the Soremekun Fund?  100% of the proceeds support my cruising endeavors.

"No funds for you!" (Meme from Seinfeld, "No soup for you!")

5 minutes ago, mom1965 said:

I received the email on Tuesday about bidding for our trip this coming Sunday.  We placed a bid.  Does anybody know when the latest that they will let you know if you get accepted.  I used my bank card for the bid and don't want to leave so much extra money in my checking account before we go on a vacation?

 

The cruise line states that they can notify you as late as two hours after the ship departs. You can possibly be in your room and then be moved at that time to the upgrade room unless you cancel before they accept your bid. Once they charge your credit card and accept your bid, you have no choice.

3 minutes ago, CoffeeBoy said:

Got the email this morning.

 

Bermuda is still requiring a $40 travel authorization (health visa) but has dropped the testing requirement. Bermuda is still requiring submission of vaccination proof or medical travel insurance proof.

Many posters have suggested that it will stop requiring the visa before the next spring sailing season.

My best speculation is that it MIGHT (I stress might) be discontinued after March 30, 2023, as their fiscal year is from April to March. This would also align itself with having a fiscal year contract with the company that created the travel authorization.

I have a cruise next November 2023 which is stopping at Bermuda and thus my interest. I hope they drop it by then.

On 10/30/2022 at 1:59 PM, neverbeenhere said:

I hope the Allure doesn’t run out of liquor, because if it does, there will be a mutiny. 

This could lead to another problem of the "favorite brands" being massively consumed and then go-out-of-stock. Adding yet another exasperation to the already tense situation. I read about a few cruises were specific whiskey and bourbon would not be available by the third day.