Stockjock

It must depend on the sailing. Again, can't recreate that even with a different browser. They ask if I want AI or not and there's a major price difference.

I’m trying to figure out why I’m not seeing any of this. I assume that you are fully logged into the website and are using your Captain’s Club number, correct? I also assume that you are entering your home state? So far I haven’t been able to re-create that. I’m using Apple so maybe it’s a Windows thing or maybe I’m just not looking at the right sailings.

I’m wondering if Royal Caribbean is pulling a fast one. What I mean by that is that one agent told me that those with nonrefundable deposits could only get their money back before August 18. But another agent told me not to call back until after August 18 because the revenue department was still working on the bookings and they would be available for changes after that point. The obvious issue is that after August 18, those bookings are no longer refundable for many people. So it sounds like they’re basically asking people to leave them alone until that free cancellation window expires, and at that point, there might not be any options. This doesn’t really matter for me because my reservation is refundable, but for some of those with nonrefundable reservations that are looking to cancel within that brief window, you might want to make sure that you are aware of the dates, and again I do wonder if what they’re doing might not be a little bit slimy.

What was the sailing where you got a good rate? I’ve been trying it on Europe for next year without any luck.

Maybe that's just the deal they're offering to get the ship filled up, since we're only about 3 months from the sailing date. I've been looking at 2023 Europe sailings and the code doesn't do anything special, other than perhaps the $100 OBC.

I've tried several trial bookings with the code. I don't see where those things are included. They show up with the usual expected separate prices for me.

I'm also in the same cabin that I was in Brilliance. That said, pretty sure I'm going to jump over to Celebrity. While the itinerary is the same, just about everything else seems like a downgrade with no real incentive to make the change. In fact, the price is about $100 higher than before (taxes?).

Hey, I'll take it...if I live long enough I might even one day realize that dream. Perhaps free laundry would convince me to learn to pack lighter. I was a Boy Scout, and the motto is "Be Prepared" and I am, bringing just about anything I might possibly need.. So haven't quite figured out the knack of traveling light. P.S. I find Rick Steves really irritating. The guy travels Europe for a month on one small backpack. Annoying.

I noticed the same thing on a cruise I booked a few days ago. Price dropped by $250, but now without the $250 OBC. Pretty sure the OBC goes away if repriced.

I feel compelled to share that I too got 3 Power Up points. I now stand a good chance of hitting the next loyalty tier before I die of old age. When that occurs, I will bask in the richly-deserved glory of a free washed bag of laundry! Carry on.

I never gamble on cruise ships, as I don't like the odds. But maybe I need to start. Is there a minimum to get these offer? Previously, some of the minimums that I was aware of seemed pretty high.

I have a Greek Isles cruise booked on RCCL. They swapped ships and I consider the replacement, Enchantment of the Seas, to be inferior to the ship (older) and cabin (much smaller, far worse layout) versus what I had previously booked. So I did a refundable potential replacement cruise on Infinity. It's about $1,000 more, but the cabin is a lot bigger and I suspect the food and service would be much better. But I am concerned about the age and condition of Infinity. Early this year, we sailed on Summit, which had been revolutionized and was in really nice shape. But to my knowledge, Infinity hasn't had a major upgrade in quite a few years. Is this a legitimate concern? Any further thoughts about the condition of Infinity?

I've griped before that I thought "Always Included" was misleading because, in fact, those perks were not "always included". There have been times where I thought their site was misleading, for example awhile back where there was no specific mention that a deposit was non-refundable, only a very small "nrd" in the fine print. But that said, I didn't find this sale to be confusing. The options seemed rather clear to me.

The code is ALLABOARD100. Only good for verandas and up in USD, not combinable with cruise only rates. Other fine print and restrictions apply. No promises, but...worth a shot.

I called MSC USA again and they weren't familiar. They told me to contact MSC UK, but they said they didn't have that. They said maybe MSC Ireland would, but it was probably country-specific, so I didn't bother beyond that point.

I called MSC about that $25 or €25 insurance and they said that they had not heard of it before. Is it possible that it’s a European option only for European travelers? This is in relation to a European cruise I have that is upcoming. I am in the USA but will be departing out of northern Europe. I would have no problem paying €25, but they are quoting me $280.

The only reason I'm taking FCC is due to the fact that my deposit was $2. But otherwise, I think one is almost always better off taking a cash refund rather than FCC.

I think that MSC's insurer is Generali, which I believe is, not surprisingly, an Italian company. MSC quoted me $280 to insure an upcoming trip. I think I can purchase similar coverage from the same insurer elsewhere for quite a bit less.

I paid $29.99 for a lifetime membership last month. I think a paid membership is required to see the full-sized cabin photos.

I'd hit them hard for a *full* refund. If they won't/can't do it, talk to a supervisor.

They took me from a non-connecting room to a connecting room, so I called the redeployment desk to see if they could do a swap. They said that the revenue department isn't done with the bookings, and so they couldn't make any changes until after August 18th. Sounds like not everyone is getting the same answer though. I also booked a similar cruise on Celebrity as a fallback. The ship too is older (Infinity), but probably nicer than Enchantment, plus the room is likely double the size (Prime Ocean View) and I suspect that the food and service would be superior. I almost do refundable bookings which gives me a lot of flexibility up until final payment.

I live in San Diego and had booked Nov. 13th as well. I accepted the FCC offer, and my deposit was $1 per person, so I suppose I'll have a FCC of $2, lol. At least $100 OBC goes along with that, if I book something in the future.

Not sure about the sailing just yet. Several options I'm considering.

My cruise is post July 1, but was booked well before that. I asked customer service and they said insurance is not required. But of course with MSC, you get a correct answer maybe 50% of the time.

I have a northern European sailing coming up soon. Now that MSC has dropped their insurance requirement, I'm trying to figure out if we actually need insurance or not. I went to one of the sites that may insure my trip and while most reviews on most policies are great, one can check a box to see reviews only from those who had to file a claim, and the picture changes a lot. While some had a good experience, many or most did not and claims were often denied. Sounds good in practice, but I'm starting to think it might be better to skip the insurance. Apparently, if we test positive for covid before the cruise, MSC will give us a full refund (not a FCC), so it sounds like we're covered there. I may or may not have to change flights if something came up which might cost me money and might not (booked using frequent flyer miles). We would have to get a hotel, which I presume would be out of pocket unless Amex Platinum pays for it. Your thoughts?