8 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Are you 100% certain it's not the taxes.  You cannot look at the bottom line price.  If taxes drop you do not get a price drop.

Taxes are remnant from the Feb 7th price check. $199. Has not budged. The agents also tried telling me it's taxes and port fees. It can't be. Not if that $199 is the same.

7 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

How are you seeing the breakdown of taxes and port charges? 

Technically, I can't see that breakdown, but I look at the breakdown of fees, discounts, etc on the left side, and noticed that the taxes, which do include port charges, remained the same - $199 on my Feb 7th price check.

I've tried explaining to the agent tonight that I notice a $126 PD on our BASE PRICE of the cruise. First agent kept saying it was because of port fees and taxes dropping, gratuities included, airfare included, excursions....she went on and on, even placed me on hold, came back, resolutions department denies it. At that point, I said ok, I'll try later on.
NEXT CALL:

I re-explain the price drop noticed, base price mock booking check on cruise shows same PD.  2nd agent persists, throws odd figures at me, claims I currently hold the base price, kept insisting I have the lower base price. 

I remained adamant and polite. $4613.40 is what your price was on Feb 7th. Tonight the price is down to $4487.40. That's a PRICE DROP of $126.

To no avail.

I've emailed the information to them, up to now, they are refusing the price drop. 

Any advice on this? Strategies? What else to say?

 

On 2/20/2023 at 6:02 PM, lakelorain said:

What don't you understand?  The steak touched the shrimp, before they removed the shrimp from the plate,  and I had to go to medical with my epi-pen because I had a reaction.

You shouldnt be sailing because of food close proximities....are you aware that, even if your steak sat alone, they stack the loaded plates, regardless? Your steak might have touched another plate with shrimp.

Ironic, but on our upcoming cruise, we turn diamond status, but we have thoughts of this being our last cruise. Pricing has skyrocketed, I feel that it's not just RCL that's nickel and diming customers, it's all of the cruise lines. 

Summer 2024, a 10 night trip to Japan via a tour group, all inclusive. A very sweet deal! 

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We always order multiple apps. We want to taste everything, one bite, the rest in the trash. 

Just think. Somewhere in the world, right now, another commenter on here is going "ARRRRGH" over your comment. Me, I am LMAO, this is GOLD!

19 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

And all you got was a tiny lobster. 

These big casino winners - I wonder how much money they gamble away for this kind of notoriety? "Look at me, I'm a high roller"😁

We've brought one of the TIDE plastic squeeze bags you get in the dollar store and have washed some items in the sink before, soaked before dinner, came back, then we rinsed well, then hung out to dry.

It's always hampered with issues, and here's one going on right now:
 

We've sailed out of Bayonne several times on Anthem. I've known cruisers to do BTB's on Anthem from there, so I can imagine (for them at least) nothing would probably change. 

Anthem leaves May 1st for Southampton. We're on that ship in June, I believe if itineraries and onboard activities do change, it's when they change seasonal home ports. Check out the 12 day Canaries cruise, a really good itinerary! And, longer in port periods! this'll be a new change of pace for us from the Carib & Med cruises we've done in the past.

18 hours ago, nelblu said:

At the 7th night you basically know the tablemate next to you as to how to behave and what to say.

Not awkward at all.

If you were to ask me to get you an extra lobster tail, even as a tablemate after 12 nights, I'd capture you on video and you'd be on youtube the same evening😁

On 2/14/2023 at 3:15 PM, pcur said:

On to the Anthem:  HUGE difference!  A spectacular Windjammer with specialty cook stations, creative salads, really good desserts, and great tasting entrees.  One of my favorites on the former dining room menus was the vegetable tempura.  The Anthem Windjammer had it as an entrée one night, and I loved it!  I ate all but one of my dinners in the Windjammer to accommodate my travel companions, and was very happy the whole cruise.  I especially liked sitting out on the aft open air eating area on warm evening.  Very nice!  

 

Rocket Launch video.mov 15.5 MB · 22 downloads

I hope this remains the same when Anthem shifts to Southampton!

I'm wondering if there'll be a cruise planner sale on President's Day.

On 2/13/2023 at 10:01 PM, Mum2Mercury said:

People generally look forward to lobster night, and -- if I were not a seafood eater -- I would offer mine to a tablemate without being asked.  

No, I don't.  You've been sitting with these people for several nights.  You're friendly with one another.  Your tablemate says, "I just don't eat shellfish".  I see no harm in saying, "You're sure?  You really don't like it?  I happen to love it ... "  

 

 

 

Still awkward. Your statement reads like a Larry David moment from his series, Curb your Enthusiasm.

23 hours ago, vegascruiser1 said:

We were on the Odyssey January 28th through February 5th. The first week we all ordered lobster. The second week my husband ordered steak and lobster no problem. My friend’s lobster was so small the carrots were bigger than the lobster. She did complain and they did give her another lobster. 

BIG SHRIMP! I was earlier accused of my comment being a "hyperbole" LOL

On 2/14/2023 at 3:28 PM, OSUZorba said:

Have you never actually had table mates? After 6 nights, ~9-12 hours together, I'd hardly consider that not knowing each other.

It's still considered awkward to ask someone IMO; however, perhaps the circumstances might be beneficial, like, maybe you know them well enough, had them over to your cabin because they had the upside down pineapple, etc.

The biggest perk (for us, at least) it gave DH lots of time to do his price checks. The cruise came down a considerable amount.

WIth Next Cruise, I (don't think, not 100%) if you spot a price drop, some agents will try and jeapordize any OBC they initially gave you - but (again, I think) with NextCruise, that OBC is left alone.

Our last booking on the previous cruise, we were fortunate enough to have a very experienced agent, who not only got us good prices on a regular balcony - she pointed out that because of our location, we got a larger balcony. 

NextCruise agent onboard is definitely a good thing to do. Plus, you have more time to pay it off. But hold back on that last payment you may have, because it gives you more negotiating power to do the price checks - where they'll lock you in on current rates if they're lower, and take it off from your existing balance.

On 2/9/2023 at 12:11 AM, phd1003 said:

Just don't be that guy...

Perfect! Tony handled it right!

On 2/11/2023 at 12:57 PM, Starry Eyes said:

Interesting.  Do you know if they removed after a single offense or for  repeat offense(s) after a warning?

No idea! All we know is, they were taken off the ship. They shouldn't have to be warned/repeat offenses. First time caught? Leave the ship.

15 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Why is it uncomfortable to ask someone to share something they aren't going to use /can't use later?    

  

Let's imagine: You don't know the table mate sitting next to you, so...
"Excuse me, I know we don't know each other, but can you get me that extra tail as another entree, so I can eat it?"

Yes.

Uncomfortable. Awkward.

Get it?

On 2/9/2023 at 1:38 PM, Starry Eyes said:

People who want the ban enforced should be prepared to call guest services to report violations.

A couple who was reported by their neighbors were caught in the act, the smokers were removed from the cruise when we reached Greece.

2 hours ago, nelblu said:

Got mine for free on Anthem.   At my table there was a discussion regarding whether the lobster was Maine or Carib.  The person sitting next to me decided against the tail and opted for the cod dish. 
 

I nicely asked her to order the tail as a 2nd entree and I enjoyed it. 
 

The tail itself seemed a bit  bigger, but the taste was similar to the previous ones. 
 

Advice, if you want a 2nd make a friend of your fellow diners🤣

 

At minimum it made up for the terrible Carne Assada on Mexican night and terrible appetizers selections on Italian night.   Next time I’m going to get a plate of antipasto from the WJ and bring it to the MDR. 😀
 

PS.  The tail is not remotely worth the $16.99 + grats. 

 

Well yeah, TBH, the last time we got lobster tails was on our cruise last summer. Pretty much it was all you wanted. DH had 3, but they were seriously nothing more than big shrimp size!

I skipped over lunch today, reading this thread....now I'm hungry!

$17 isn't bad for a second tail.

11 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

You are assuming I didnt ask at the desk onboard. Of course I asked and was told it was weather related, we had 6 ft waves and couldn't  dock. They said they were not refunding port fees. I wouldnt have written without first asking onboard.

 

Originally we had grand Cayman and Jamaica and cozumel. Grand Cayman and Jamaica were changed to costa maya and Belize  .. twice. That's why mine dropped a lot. . And then we missed costa maya. 

 

We got back $0.00. I asked onboard and was told nothing would be refunded. 

I didn't assume anything.

Weather-related....that's what happened to us on that med. Too choppy to go pierside.

17 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I've had ports change and port fees drop. You dont get those back. Twice iv had fairly large fees drop. I even wrote to mbayley and they replied since we dont charge more if they go up, we dont have a policy fleetwide to price match. I also missed a port of the 3 lower priced ports. No refund. It's up to the ship. 

 

@Ourusualbeachwill tell you. If its fees too bad, so sadm bye bye. No refund.

 

Yes a ship can refund some port fees if you miss a port, but not obligated. 

During our Med cruise summer 2017, we had one French port visit get cancelled, we were oblivious realizing that ships can refund some port fees. Now wondering if, let's say, Lisbon gets cancelled, and say I go to the service desk and they refund us. Perhaps they might not tell everyone else about it, or simply be quiet about it?