bluegirlum

I just received an email saying my Empress cruise to Cuba in May is now on Majesty. I love Majesty, so that's fine, but unfortunately with the uncertainty about tours in Cuba, we're going to be canceling this cruise.

Just got this last night from Royal

 

related to Cuba travel. We are pleased to inform you that we do not anticipate any changes to our Cuba itineraries, and we look forward to taking you there. One change that does impact travelers is that self-guided “people-to-people” travel will no longer be allowed. This means that in order to enjoy Cuba, you must be participating in a group tour or qualify for the other categories of authorized travel, which are listed in our Cuba Travel Requirements FAQs: www.royalcaribbean.com/cuba/faq/.

All of our Royal Caribbean shore excursions are designed to meet the necessary qualifications for authorized group “people-to-people” travel. We offer a wide variety of tours to select from. If you have not yet booked your shore excursions, please visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com/CruisePlanner for a list of exciting excursions to participate in. While onboard, you may also visit our Shore Excursions Desk, located on Deck 5.

You can expect to enjoy the same immersive, unforgettable experience you’ve been looking forward to as we visit the historical and beautiful port of Havana, Cuba on your upcoming cruise onboard Empress of the Seas.

As a reminder, please visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com/Cuba for useful tips to help you prepare for your trip and to gather all the necessary travel documentation. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to call us at 800-562-7625 or visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com/UpdatesOnCuba for the most up to date information.

Thank you for choosing Royal Caribbean for your upcoming vacation. We are excited to welcome you on your upcoming adventure.

Sincerely,

Royal Caribbean International

 

©2017 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships' registry: The Bahamas.

 

Royal Caribbean International

1050 Caribbean Way

Miami, FL 33132 USA

 

 

 

 

 

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Got the same letter on Friday night. We're going to cancel our cruise. It's very interesting that RCCI added a lot of Havana excursions to our cruise in the last week or so---there weren't that many options when I booked the cruise about a month ago. We would probably be fine with the private tour we've booked, but I'm not willing to risk it, especially since it's our honeymoon and I don't want to have to worry about it.

I am glad I went last month, I had a fascinating cruise. But the article does not say that cruises are cancelled. I would wait a bit before I cancelled a cruise and check with the cruise line to see if they feel that this will impact the cruise or their planned shore excursions.

 

 

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It's not the cruise itself I'm worried about; it's being able to use the guide I've arranged once I"m there. That's where the ambiguity comes in. Did you go through a ship excursion in Havana? If so, did they employ local guides or US guides?

Was just thinking the same thing. We have a cruise scheduled for the end of March. What do you all think; will Royal cancel cruises or should we if we get limited to what we can do or see. Look forward to everyone's ideas.

I just emailed them to see what their plan is. Obviously the policy just came out, but it would be nice to know that they're at least thinking about it. We booked this cruise just to go to Havana--I wouldn't go on Empress otherwise. If we have to book another cruise, obviously I'll be bummed, but I'd rather just know now instead of finding out 2 weeks beforehand that we're going to Key West instead (I love Key West--I'd just rather be on a different ship).

And since there's a travel restriction to Cuba, there are not going to be any US based tour guides in Havana- so you have to bring your own. Which means one either travels down in a big group OR the ship carries the US- based guides for the excursions.

 

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Ugh. We are scheduled on Empress in May for our honeymoon cruise and have already coordinated with a local guide in Cuba to take us around for two days. Am I reading this correctly that we can't do this? Could the ship still offer an excursion?

Should we just cancel our cruise now and book something else?

We will be on RC Empress of the Seas in May, 2018 and will be there from 1-9pm on a Saturday. We have been to beach clubs the last two times we were in Cozumel and loved them, but most close at 5 and don't seem like realistic options. We know there is a Senor Frogs at the pier, but it's probably best for us to do something else than sit there and drink all day! Are there any beaches closeby that have chairs/umbrellas/drink/food options? If there is snorkeling, great, but we just want to be able to relax at the beach for a little bit. Also, what time do the shops at the pier close?

Dumb question: Does Chankanaab have loungers with shade umbrellas or palapas)? It looks like Money Bar only has tables with umbrellas. We love the beach but we need some shade.

The "worth it" question it really up to you.

 

We really loved it, so much so that we are planning to go back on our own, soon, and have some cruises planned for next year.

 

The people, the history, the cars, the food, etc- it's all so new to Americans that it's really cool to us.

 

There are some good self guided walking tours, AND there are a lot of choices for guided walking tours, too. We used Tour Republic, another used Tours By Locals, Airbnb has tours, and I know there are some that you can organize directly. As a matter of fact, we are planning to go on a free guided tour that I plan on posting about. Certainly plan on leaving a tip.

 

You can also get a personal guided car tour- cheaper than with the cruise line through many of those choices, too.

 

Great place to visit.

 

BTW, we found the Empress to be small- like old school. But the crew is so very clearly excited about cruising to Cuba, they are totally awesome. Again, no hesitation to take another cruise on her to Cuba.

Did you post a review of your cruise anywhere? If you did--sorry, I can't seem to find it. Please help a Wolverine out. :) We just booked Empress for May so I'm trying to read as much as I can. Thanks!

We are looking at booking a cabin on Deck 7 of Empress. I can't tell for sure but it looks like many of the ocean view rooms look out on a running track/deck, so people could see in our room if the drapes are open. Does anyone have any experience with this?

I went to Jamaica for Spring Break a long time ago and hated everything about it--except our trip to DRF. If you go to Jamaica and have a chance to go to DRF, you should. I'm looking at upcoming cruises and BF wants to go on one that stops at Falmouth. The only reason I'm considering it is because I would like to go back to DRF. It's kind of like going to Paris and seeing the Louvre, or Chicago and seeing the Sears Tower. You just need to do it. Have fun!

I am glad that you received a satisfactory outcome.

 

:)

Thanks. Me too. Not trying to be a cheerleader or anything, but I think good and bad experiences deserve equal time. I've been lucky to have a majority of good experiences.

So she called back again, and when I didn't get a change to call back (work has been crazy), she emailed me with a response--and apologized for taking so long to get back to me. She responded that my extra excursion had been refunded to my seapass account, rather than the original means of payment, so that's why it was confusing. After looking at the final bill again, that makes sense. As for my OBC issue, she refunded me the $25 Bring A Friend OBC that my boyfriend got instead of me. She did not refund the $50 OBC that was credited to BF instead of me (even though his parents got it for me, it had my name on it, and I entered it online) because she said that the OBC was PER CABIN, not per person. In the end, it works out and I'm fine with BF getting it since it probably all canceled out anyway, but it doesn't make sense to have someone buy me OBC if it's just going to be credited to the person whose name is on the reservation, rather than the person who you purchased it for, if they are different. This is a major first world problem and it's only $50, but it's good to know from now on. Overall, I appreciate them getting back to me and resolving it and I'm happy with the outcome. Thanks, RC, if you're reading. :)

I wanted to follow up on my post from last week. Someone from RC customer service called and left me a voice mail on Thursday. I think it was the same woman who called me a few years ago when I had a problem. I haven't had the chance to call her back yet, but I do appreciate that someone called. We'll see what happens.

I sailed on Majesty 2/29-3/4 and contacted RC customer service after the cruise with a concern about being double-charged for an excursion (this was after trying, to no avail, to get it fixed at both the Excursions desk and the Guest Services desk on board). I got the standard "We received your email and we'll be in touch" email on 3/5. I haven't heard back from them. Is it really taking more than 2 weeks for them to respond to emails? Is it worth calling? I feel like every time I call I get the runaround and they tell me to email. I emailed "Adam Goldstein" (the email address that was floating around here for him) a few years ago and got an email and phone response in 2 days.

Any suggestions? Should I try going through C&A?

Yikes. My parents just got back from a land-based trip at a resort on Orient Beach (NOT the nudist resort! :eek:). They go every year and haven't had a problem, but we have been caught in similar strikes in France. Hope things are resolved quickly for everyone.

We just had an oceanview on deck 9 and we had a pretty unobstructed view out the window. You couldn't really look down, but you could see out.

A little thing, but if you can, maybe treat her to a mani/pedi before the trip so her nails will look extra nice for all the pictures she'll be taking of her left hand. :) Also, if you do it in a "public" area and people realize what's happening, there is a good chance that someone else will capture it on camera/video and can give you a copy as a keepsake.

Just go with what feels natural. Good luck and congratulations. She's a lucky girl! :)

When I read a lot of things on here, I am reminded of this famous quote and remember to take everything with a grain of salt. It's just cruising.

"My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious."

:D

I could have written your post because that was exactly my first thought when reading the OP. These CDs are humans too and are susceptible to bad days and bad moods. Given some of the things said about them, I don't blame them one bit for having negative feelings toward CC. Then again, I'm also the type who couldn't care any less who is staffing a ship. Nothing against those who do. I just don't. :)

Agreed. I just got off Majesty and have no idea who the Captain or the CD were. NO. IDEA. The captain got us everywhere we needed to go safely and on time, and we had fun, so all was good. I have had one bad experience with a CD who was talking very loudly about hooking up with a guest while in uniform and eating in Johnny Rockets, but otherwise I never even notice. I have found a lot of very useful tips on these boards, but sometimes I just come on here because I need a laugh and I know I'll find one.

Our waiter asked us every night to fill out the survey that we'd receive at the end of the cruise. The assistant told us that if he got negative reviews on the survey, he'd be washing dishes. He was obviously joking, but it seemed to us that they felt that the surveys were very important. I have been told in the past that they are in fact read and that crew members can receive bonuses (money, time off, etc) if they receive positive feedback. I filled my survey out for my cruise last week and praised the crew members I got good service from, and gave my feedback on a few things that could have been improved. I hope the surveys are read and the crew does get rewarded for their good work--and, conversely, that suggestions for improvement are listened to.

I have only had one time in 12 cruises when I had a major problem that I thought required a response. Instead of writing about it in the survey, I emailed "Adam Goldstein" (the email address that was passed around on here) and I received not only an immediate email response, but a phone call from customer service. I'm only Emerald, but they really went out of their way to make sure that my issue was resolved. I have an outstanding OBC issue from my cruise last week and I hope I don't have to escalate it, but I'm pretty confident that it will get resolved if I have to contact RC.

Unfortunately, Eastern or Western itineraries aboard one of these ultra-mega ships visit ports that are frequented, not only by thousands of day cruisers, but also by land tourists staying at nearby hotels. It's not uncommon at ports like Cozumel and Nassau to be one of over 15,000 cruise passengers arriving simultaneously on various ships. The best way to avoid the crowds in general is to sail on a smaller ship on an itinerary that takes you to more "off the beaten path" destinations, like on a Southern Caribbean itinerary.

 

However, if you have your eyes set on one of the Oasis ships, there are still ways to get away from the crowds and enjoy a more secluded experience. First of all, get away from the immediate vicinity of port and even farther away from any cruise ship organized beach excursion. Visit the destination boards here on Cruise Critic and even better, research other travel non-cruise websites for recommendations. Not only will you stay clear of the crowds, but you may also find a secret gem.

I've actually had my favorite excursions in Cozumel and Nassau. We just did a snorkeling excursion in Nassau where we only had 8 people on our boat, instead of the crowded boats with over 100 people where you're snorkeling on top of each other. It was amazing. We found it on trip advisor. And in Cozumel we found a private beach excursion. Even though there were 6 ships in that day, there were maybe only 30 people at the beach. We snorkeled, got massages and had unlimited food and drinks. You can find something good anywhere.

Not sports bars per se, but the Schooner Bar and the Casino have a bunch of TVs and usually have a few set to ESPN international. I haven't been on a cruise during football season so I don't know if they show college football, but those would be the places to go and ask. You should also get ESPN international in your room. (Go Blue! :) )

How are the beaches at ports? Crowded? Can you rent cabanas or umbrellas ahead of time? How good and expensive are drinks?

 

 

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Totally depends on where you're going. Some places have great all-inclusive day passes that will get you a chair and umbrella and all you can eat and drink. At some ports, it's best to do a different kind of excursion (tubing, snorkeling, etc).

Can you remind me which cruises you're thinking of and which ports they stop at? That way we can tell you what are the most popular things at each port.

Congrats on the upcoming wedding!

Sorry to add to all this, but I think something important to think about is how much you want to DO on your honeymoon. My impression of all-inclusives in Mexico is that they involve you sitting on the beach /at the pool most of the day, maybe going off site once during the week. Do you want something like this or do you want something where you are doing something every day? If you are in a new port every day, you may feel pressure to do something every day---even just getting off the ship. It's not a bad thing to want to stay in your cabin the whole time you're on your honeymoon, but if that's the case, you probably don't want a port-intensive cruise because then you might feel bad not getting off the ship at each place and checking it out. If you just want to sit on the beach, Coco Cay or Labadee is probably a perfect stop for you. What are you interested in? What is your fiancée interested in? Do you have money to do fun excursions or do you want to just get off in each port and go to the local Senor Frogs (there's no wrong answer--just things to think about)?

I would also probably go through a TA, as they can help you get On Board Credit and arrange special "honeymoony" stuff. Also, think about if you want to eat dinner alone or with other people.

Good luck and have fun!

I just got off the 4 night Majesty cruise. I've been on her several times, and while she's not perfect, I always have a good time. I was surprisingly impressed by the food in the MDR. We went with friends who had never cruised before, and they wanted to eat in the MDR every night (I normally forgo the MDR because I think it's a waste of time) but I'm glad we went. Our waiter was great, and the food was excellent. I was really impressed. As for running out of drinks, our ship had a lot of spring breakers who drank a lot, and I think they said they ran out of Miller Lite while we were still in Miami, but I think people were able to switch to other beers. :) I did run into the freestyle machine saying that the Diet Coke was unavailable a few times, which was frustrating, but usually if one machine was on the fritz, the other one was working. Our friends were also frustrated by the lack of breakfast options from room service; I thought that continental breakfast is the only thing offered cruisewide, unless you're in a suite, but I could be wrong. We were on 9, so I just ran to the WJ every morning.

I love Majesty and can't wait to sail her again, but I can see why some people don't like it. It doesn't have bells and whistles. The Schooner Bar is great, and the service I experienced was, for the most part, really good. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your experience as much as I did.