tinkerme1

Sometimes, OBC isn't posted until the second or third day.

Are we talking revenue or profit ?

We should be talking profit!

As per their annual and quarterly reports, 60% revenue comes from the cabins, 40% from on-board spending.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. We were told many years ago that Revenue from purchases/casino was much more important than cabin sales. I stand corrected!

Do you mind me asking when you got your invite, Celia? Was it an email or phone call?

 

The invite that I currently have was through my Business Development Manager. I haven't gotten an invite from C&A at this point and I've been watching for invites to go out to some of us newer Pinnacle Members.

Hello Ellen. The invite came from C&A via email for a balcony cabin. It arrived a week ago. Have fun!:D

I'm not going to argue "Lack of revenue" for D+ and Pinnacles. Sure, they may be sating in the Batcave on this trip and others; but they've committed plenty of funds to RCL to obtain their status.

 

I'm with Dan on this one too, we may be a decade or two out of our low 20s but have always made it at least a GS. We get the time off for one trip a year and doggone it, we're gonna make it count.

 

This is why in other threads when it's spoken of the CL or DL being phased out in favor of a "revenue producing" location like a Specialty Dining venue, all I can say is RCL's getting extra revenue from us choosing that GS over a JS or balcony partly for the privilege of the CL.

I understand how you feel, but the reality is that RCI doesn't make money per se on the price of the cabin, but rather on what you purchase while onboard. Drinks, Casino, and then onboard purchases in their stores account for most of their top revenue makers.

Got our invite as well but had to decline since we'll be cruising on the Allure. Everyone have a great time and take photos, please!:D

How do we get the pins? We are D+ and have yet to see a pin or a luggage tag.

Call RCCL Crown & Anchor department and inquire with them. :D

 

We have also never, ever worn our pins. Heck, I accidentally threw out our D ones and never asked for new ones. The others (the ones we actually received) are in a drawer somewhere. BTW, from what I've heard Pinnacles are asked to wear theirs.

Good morning! I feel it is time to come to the defense of people wearing their pins, again! Wearing the pin is something that is a personal preference, and I, for one, really don't care if you wear them or not. However, I certainly don't take offense if someone chooses to wear their pin.

Everyone is different and it almost seems like a bullying thing to chastise people for wearing them. For me, I wear mine sometimes and other times I don't. It is all about when the mood strikes me. Heck, we are proud of our relationship with RCCL. (My relationship with the cruise line is that I get a really great product and some nice benefits.)

I could care less about the status, since I never say anything unless I wear my pin and someone asks me. Obviously, there are some folks that find it interesting.

As for Concierge attendants making their Suite guests happy, I'm all for it. The truth is, they make me happy too. In all our years of cruising, I have only had one Concierge that really missed the mark. I consider that a win.:D

Please don't be freaked out. Go to the Concierge Lounge, give it a try.

 

Don't let what is being said on this thread about rude guests deter you. We have encountered very few rude guests. Rude guests are a very small percentage of people in the lounge. Much like a rowdy child in a classroom, the rude/rowdy guest tends to be noticed and noted more than the well-behaved children and guests.

 

Almost all guests are delightful. Many guests enjoy chatting with other guests, many keep to themselves. The CL usually has a "happy" atmosphere that is not at all rowdy.

 

Sometimes (and we have been guilty of this) frequent cruisers are in the lounge with guests whom they have become friends over the years. Sometimes when they sit together they laugh a little too much or too loudly, but not because it is a rowdy bar but because they enjoy each others company. (If there is a large group of us we tend to go to the Diamond "overflow" area and sit together rather than take up a lot of seats in the CL.)

 

As far as taking a well-behaved child into the lounge, we have seen many and have often complimented the child and/or parents about their behavior.

 

Please, go and enjoy and do come back and report your experience.

Wish there was a "LIKE" button for your post! Just stopping in to say, "Hello!":D

Comcast may be our hometown corporation, but it is NOT MY internet provider.

 

It's Royal Caribbean's fault.

 

:)

Carol, I know that you don't have Comcast as your provider, but, Comcast works with AOL as your delivery for email. It is really a conspiracy! LOL!:D

I liked 150 Park but LOVED the Chefs Table! It is a great opportunity to dine with a group of people that love fine dining and enjoying the wine pairings. I have done this every time I'm on the Allure or the Oasis.

150 Park is very lovely and can be a nice romantic restaurant but noise can sometimes spoil the ambiance. The wine pairings are extra cost so understand it is quite expensive if you add the wine pairing.

I thought the wine pairings at the Chefs Table were much better!

I second going to Maho Beach to see the planes! Lots of fun and the Sunset Beach Bar & Grill is wonderful!

One word of caution though. In December, the traffic gets much worse since there are lots of tourists visiting including cruise ships! Leave yourself plenty of time to return to the ship! Getting there will probably take around 30 minutes to 45 minutes, but returning to the ship can get quite troubling if the traffic is heavy, which it usually is going towards town!

Have a great cruise!

On Allure....

I understand that one should book shows etc. in advance.

How can one know what is on, and when?

For the special shows, you can book them online and it gives you some options for times, which you have to choose.

Does this also refer to all shows in the theatre, not just "Chicago"?

What about guest performers on board for a limited time?

Not all shows are in the Theatre. There is a fabulous show which is held in the Oceanairium (Aquatic) Theatre outside AFT. Please don't miss this show! Of course, there are shows like Chicago which are in the main Theatre and then some shows are held in the Comedy Club which is very small and you really should book that immediately! You will also need to book the ice show on-line too although there is an off-chance that you will be able to get in without a reservation by waiting online about 1/2 hour before the performance.

We usually book second seating dining. From some of the reviews on Cruise Critic, I understand that some of the shows will not be available depending on dining times. Does that apply to anytime dining or to the two main seating times as well?

Dining is tricky on the Allure and Oasis. If you have regular dining late seating, just ensure that you ask your waiter to hurry along your dinner to make the show. This is partly the reason we prefer MTD on these ships! You can book your shows online, and knowing the time that you have chosen for those shows, you can then book your MTD times online taking into consideration your show times.

Has anyone any advice/tips on anything associated with Allure? It would be appreciated.

Let's see, tips:

1) Don't try and do everything the first time you are on the ship.

2) Specialty restaurants fill up fast, so book them before you board!

3) If you like a glass of wine, don't miss Vintages for some tapas and wine!

4) On boarding day, go to the Central Park area and find the Park Cafe which has great roast beef sandwiches and lots of nice desserts and salads!

5) Don't miss the Comedy Club!! Book it online since the venue is very small!

6) We love the free doughnuts on the Boardwalk! Get them early (since the venue closes early) and put them in your "cooler/fridge" in the cabin for a late night snack. :)

7) Have fun!

Thanks.

Bill

We had a lovely brunch with Orlando based friends at the hotel that is right at the airport (it was either a Hilton or Hyatt, I can't remember). Not sure if you are flying back out of Orlando though.

We love the Hyatt Hotel at the airport in Orlando. Was the brunch in McCoys or in the Dining Room upstairs?

Comparing Disney Dream to any RCCL ship just isn't comparing apples to apples.

If you have young children in your family, I do believe that Disney has much to offer providing that you are "into Disney!" Are you traveling with young kids or teenagers? Have they outgrown Disney and all that it has to offer?

We just came off of the Disney Dream and we had a very nice cruise. Was it over the top? NO! Was it better than any RCCL ship? NO! Were there things that I liked better on Disney Dream? YES! The real question is, "was it so much better that I would book it over RCCL?" Not really.

I felt the adult activities were okay but the adult pool on Dream was a joke. We loved REMY and can't wait to experience that again some day! Real fine dining at its best.:D The bars were very nice and the lounges had great comedians and magicians. Disney ships provide the BEST shows at sea.

Now, we don't have kids at home and it is just my husband and me that cruise.

I'm sure, whatever you decide to do, it will be great! BTW, we did LOVE the AquaDuck! It was amazing!:D

After June cruise on Navigator, we had a problem with photo package. Photo dept had technical problems and lost many of our photos. After a month, the vendor advised they would be sending a refund of $249.99 thru RC. That email from photo vendor was sent to me July 24.

On 25 August, I began calling RC asking about this credit. I was assured that I would get an email shortly regarding status. Nothing. Five days later I called again, spoke with the same "customer service" agent, was asked and provided all the info again. Same promises with same result. Now Sept 3, I call again and "supervisor" tells me they are researching this.

We are Elite Plus customers but even if we weren't, this is very poor customer service. Not only did I lose pictures, I have lost my time dealing with what should have been done promptly. Not a happy customer. Anybody else had customer service problems with RC?

Call and ask to speak with the Resolutions Desk at RCCL and Call your Credit Card Company too. Put a Stop Payment on your Credit Card until the refund is received. The Credit Card company should be able to help resolve this issue!:D

Wow, what a topic! We just recently returned from a Disney cruise and the waiters were all preaching the gospel to us about receiving "Excellent" marks for their work. Although they were both very nice, they did not provide "excellent" service. They were fairly new to the game so I gave them some slack, but after dinner, my husband and I had a very interesting conversation about the rating system.

It seems to be everywhere. My husband very rarely gives anyone the highest mark because he feels there is always room for improvement. I, on the other hand, understand what the crew is facing and just give in to the "10" on the survey to ease MY conscience.

I did like what Disney Cruise Line did though. They separated out the food questions from the service questions.

I would really like to see Management require that the servers do not ask for an "Excellent" or "10" but rather ask at the beginning of first dinner service if there are any concerns to please bring them forward immediately. Maybe some issues could be solved this way?

another ? can you get them wet?

Yes

To me, these bands are a solution in search of a need that does not exist.

Until you have actually used them, you have no idea how wonderful they are to use! We couldn't have been more impressed with the way they worked and the ease of using them. I guess people are just skeptical of using something "new!"

We just returned from our Disney vacation and LOVED the magic bands! The technology is wonderful and so easy to use. You still have to insert a pin number to finalize payment and sign for purchases. We only wished the bands worked on the DCL cruise although we heard they are coming to the ships soon.

Try it and you'll be hooked!:D

This thread is exclusively for those wishing to post questions and updates on when rate windows will open only.

Information posted elsewhere will be dropped here.

Likewise - posts that are not specifically on this topic will be deleted from this thread.

 

Thanks

Mike

 

***Note - There were posts for Jet Blue and South West on this board - however in setting this up I lost them. Please feel free to re-post your information here.

 

I will stick this thread to the top once it gets started.

 

*** This thread will drop posts over 90 days old.

Mike, I know you want to keep topics here about airline openings, however, most of us don't come to "Cruise Discussion Topics" to look for this type of information. Maybe have a sticky on ALL Cruise Ship categories to let everyone know it has been placed here?

I actually prefer it in the Cruise Ship info area since that is what most of us read besides the Roll Call.:confused:

Thanks! For some reason I couldn't find it on the website. Wouldn't you know it, though, I need it for March 15! Guess I will wait a little longer.

Go to SW Airlines website, click on "Travel Tools" located to the right of the page, then click on "All Travel Tools". Here you will see at the top of the page the next reservation opening date!

Does anyone know if Southwest miles ever expire?

No, they do not, although check the language below since they do want activity from a SW flight or Partner every 24 months.

"Your points don't expire**

Plan your getaway for next week or next year. Either way, it's no problem since your points no longer have an expiration date."

**Points don’t expire as long as you have flight or Partner earning activity every 24 months. Benefits apply to points transactions. All Rapid Rewards Rules and Regulations apply."

If you have a SW Visa card, and you use it, you protect your SW points!

Yes, Air Namibia open up reservations, thank the lord!

 

P.S. Why is there a separate thread for this when there's a stickie at the top of the page to handle this exact issue? :confused::mad:

Geez, is it really that important to you? I didn't see the sticky. Maybe that is because the "sticky" isn't in the RCCL Boards discussions! I don't check "Cruise Discussions." My bad.:eek::p

For those that are interested, SW Airlines opened up their reservations this morning through March 6, 2015.:D