koko1

TA has no incentive to go out of their way to tell you. Most TA's work on straight commission with perhaps a minimal draw. It does not make economic sense for the TA to spend valuable sales time monitoring business that will lose them money. If the price is lowered the TA's commission also drops. If there has to be a rebook it makes more (unpaid) work for the TA. Plus if the client loses perks the TA is the one who has to report bad news, listen to the grief from the client & possibly spend time fighting a losing battle with the cruise line. It is up to the client to monitor price changes as they are the ones who stand to gain.

We were on the Regal last month and the Royal in December. We never used the pool they added to the Regal. We did use the MUTS and Retreat pools. I liked being able to walk a bit on the Promenade Deck behind the lifeboats.

 

On our Royal cruise, the evening event for Platinum, Elite, and suite passengers was held in the Vista Lounge. It was in Club 6 on the Regal. I think the difference, though, is more about the number of guests that qualify for the event. (We enjoyed it more on the Regal than we did on the Royal.)

I was on the Royal in mid Dec. I am Platinum but we did not go to the event in the Vista. We were in the bar waiting for dinner in the Crown. The line to get into the Vista extended all the way to mid ship! Way too many people for size of the room. I was on Regal in mid March last year. The newly added aft pool is not just near the smoking area. It is the smoking area! Really bad news.

Have been cruising from Port Everglades since the early 80s & currently 4-5 times a yr. Many times I go solo. I have never experienced any of the rude behavior described here!

Not unless the ship still has the "old" Sabatini's menu. There is no lobster of any kind on the new menu that is now on most of the ships. (Lovely veal chop is also gone.) They have gone to less expensive ingredients. They had the old menu on Royal when I sailed her in mid Dec & I had the lobster 3 ways. Third way was a "Thermidor" type sauce. I am sailing on Regal next weekend & they have new menu. Does not look very inviting so think I will pass.

Per Princess they were only compensating people who were booked prior to 12/01/2017.

On both Regal & Royal I have always received any extra items I wrote on the hang tag. As long as I get my coffee I am right with the world but sometimes I like to have eggs or an omelet. I normally tip $3 but if there are extra items I tip $5. Typically I have had the same delivery person every day. I ask them on the first day to give me a call a few minutes before they come. I cruise 5-6 a yr on different lines, have always gotten good service & the food arrives hot & on time.

I remember the seafood buffet from yrs ago & was great. Was on Royal in mid Dec & asked buffet manager about the seafood buffet. Said he did not know what I was talking about. All they do now is Crabshack. Asked him about other "themed" nights. Said they do not do those either but do usually have pasta on menu. (??) Also no longer do the Fondue Night, Many cutbacks in food service. Just take a look at the "new" Sabatini's menu. Have gone to cheaper ingredients. No more lobster 3 ways or veal chop. Glad I was able to enjoy old menu for last time on Royal in mid Dec. New menu offered on upcoming Regal sailing but will pass. Don't want to pay extra to eat - chicken!

Thx for the info. Sounds like HA doesn’t charge the full 100% like other lines do.

 

 

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Have been on the Konigsdam twice. It is their newest ship. That is a shockingly low price ! I always book after final & lowest price I paid was $1400 for a large inside guaranty. (early Dec/2017 - 10 day Southern Carib) HAL never drops their prices till bitter end. Lowest single supplement I have seen from HAL is 150% on their older ships. Typically always charge 200%. K is their newest ship. Solo cabins not worth price. Are OV but very small & forward.

Regal Princess , 7day E. Caribbean March, 18, 2018. Third time of this ship. Booked after final pay on a 1 day "Flash" & got a total of $200 in OBC from Princess & TA. Originally booked an obstructed balcony guaranty. Have since been upgraded to a rear-facing aft premium deluxe balcony! Not sure what single supplement was but total with tax of $1461. Princess currently offering free, unlimited wifi for Platinum & Elite members & discounts to all others. This is an introductory promo for new/faster wifi system.

I don't think "Single" is a protected class under the law, but good luck with your litigation.

Solo is probably a more appropriate term.

It wasn't the security personnel who insisted that my daughter had to stand...and she has no problem standing for a minute or two for security. It was the Princess personnel at the terminal who stated that she had to stand in the line while it snaked its way to security. She had her rollator; a wheelchair wasn't provided until after we had checked in. Again' date=' not a problem....without prolonged standing. Often we manage lines with me standing and waiting in the line while she sits somewhere nearby, but that wasn't possible at this spot as there was nowhere to sit. The supervisor at the terminal fixed the situation for us. This was at Houston, which isn't being used any more.

 

Thank you for the information about exactly where the waiting area is at FLL. That's our next departure port, so here's hoping.[/quote']

 

That sounds like something that would happen with RCCI. They are very disorganized both in Miami & FTL. Princess is sometimes a bit disorganized insofar as the list sometimes does not make it to the port staff. However, they do get the job done eventually. Biggest problem is usually on longer cruises which tend to attract a lot of older people so demand for chairs is higher. Should not be bad if you are on a 7 day as more families.

Thank you for posting this--I did just call Princess and get on the embarkation/disembarkation assist list. We've never done this or known that we were supposed to do this before. We've always used the service' date=' but never signed up for it in advance.

 

We have done the form that they sent us...but never heard of a list.[/quote']

 

It is always best to call about a week before sailing to verify they have you on the list. However, they never refuse anyone & all will eventually get taken onboard even if they did not call in advance. If you are sailing from Ft Lauderdale the wheelchair waiting area is outside on the side of the building to the right of the terminal door. You do not have to go inside the terminal so don't get in the line. Upon arriving at the wheelchair area Iet the person in charge know you are on the list & if "wheelchair assistance" is on your boarding pass show it to them. BTW - I do not know why security would insist your daughter had to stand. I can stand & they still do the pat down without me getting out of the chair. The pushers who work for the port are pretty aggressive old guys who know how to move things along. They seem to have a good relationship with the security staff & I do not think they would let what you describe happen. Good Luck!!

I use the wheelchair service all the time. I typically travel solo & use a walker but could not manage the ramp or deal with luggage. I have never seen them pushing someone who had their own wheelchair. I would call Princess to verify that is even a possibility.

If you need wheelchair assistance you are suppose to call Princess & get on a list. I noticed last time it is actually printed on my boarding pass. There are actually 2 types of pushers. Upon embarkation the first pusher is a port employee. He is not allowed to board the ship so after taking you through security & checkin you are turned over to an employee of the ship who will take you onboard. This is the person who will roll you up the steep ramp & will take you all the way to your cabin.

At debarkation all the wheelchair people meet in a central location at their designated time. (No reservation is necessary) The last time I cruised on Royal we met in the wine bar. This can go more slowly as there is often a shortage of chairs & pushers on board. Once you are pushed off the ship & into the terminal a port employee takes over. I ask that person to get me a porter. After their porter gets my luggage all 3 of us go to customs. This only takes a few minutes. After that I am wheeled outside to the taxi area. The porter gets me a cab, loads my luggage & off I go!

I have seen some people not tip the pushers at all. (Also true at the airport). These people work very hard & that is just wrong! I normally tip the pushers $5 each & sometimes a bit more dependent upon effort involved. I don't know what other people do but I always tip the porter at least $10 even though I typically only have 1 bag.

No longer need to bring your life jacket to the Mustard Drill.

And if you go over the side in Norway, you’ll probably die of hypothermia anyway.

Enjoy your cruise.

Were there any hot dogs given out at the Mustard drill? I would really relish that!

Thanks to everyone who responded with their recent experiences. It sounds like hot chocolate is still included with the coffee card.

 

While the promotional flyers never mentioned it, when the coffee card first was introduced and even for several years after that, the more detailed paperwork that the staff selling the coffee cards and other beverage pkgs had did state that hot chocolate was included with the coffee card. But I haven't purchased a coffee card in a few years now, trading in the minibar for the coffee cards. So I was concerned when I saw the new promotional signs and I appreciate the CC members response.

I was on Royal in mid Dec. Got Hot Choc with no punch in HC but not same as past. Tasted just like the packaged HC you can make yourself with water. Nasty! I had to ask them for whip cream.

I traveled for business for many years, often by myself, so being "solo" is no big deal to me. However, I know if this is not something everyone is use to. At the same time if you sit around waiting for other people you will probably never go anywhere. I take 4-6 cruises a year, probably 75% have been solo. I like the freedom & having my own space. Even when I travel with friends I get my own cabin. Except for trans Atlantics I usually book less than 6 wks before sailing. Typically this is after final payment so rates are often lower as is the single supplement. I live in south Florida so I don't have to fly for most cruises & not a lot of planning is required.

I like to do 10 days (fewer kids). The shorter the cruise the more you will see younger hard core party types. Both Norwegian & Carnival attract a younger crowd & have more of a party atmosphere. I have been cruising for many years so I have had a chance to go on most of the lines sailing out of South Florida but, during the past few yrs, it has been mainly RCCI, Celebrity, HAL & Princess. I am near top tier on all of these & perks are similar so that is usually not a consideration when I pick a cruise. All of these lines give double credit for solo occupancy. IMHO none of these lines knock themselves out to be solo friendly but they are starting to as the market is growing. I like to try new ships but I do not like behemoths. Many are too large and you do not even feel like you are on a ship. Too crowded & too much going on is not relaxing, at least to me.

I don't pay a lot of attention to the single supplement. However, I have a per day "sweet spot" of $150. By booking fairly late & doing a "guarantee" I am usually able to stay in that range when doing the Caribbean. About 80% of the time I end up in a balcony. Have gotten the best upgrades from Princess but RCCI & Celebrity have the best past guest rates. I have never done any of the "solo" cabins as most are very small & usually not in very good locations. Also, you can usually get a better rate (& bigger cabin) by booking the least expensive inside.

Meals are a "bugaboo" for a lot of solos & many do traditional dining at a large table. With the exception of Norwegian, I have not heard of any mainstream line that has offered a "single/solo" table in yrs. Most are too understaffed to bother with that. The only thing negative about a large table is that service is always slower. I usually do anytime dining. If I am going to a show I will usually take a book & ask to be seated alone at a table for 2. That way I get served faster & can leave when I am ready. If no plans I will tell them I will share a table. Often I meet people & eat with them. I rarely do the buffet at any meal. I always try the specialty restaurants & feel perfectly comfortable by myself. The only reaction you will get is none at all.

I don't go to any single/solo events on the ship but I do participate in Rollcalls pre cruise. On trans Atlantics (great bargain) they are a great source of information. I enjoy meeting new people & always meet people in casual settings at the pool, coffee bar, wine tastings etc. All it takes sometimes is being the first person to say "hi" & introduce yourself. You just have to make a little effort &, as my daughter says, "get over yourself."

Never bribed anyone and just called to request as soon as boarding the ship.

 

We have balcony or lower cabins & have gotten the Chef’s Table, Winemakers Dinner & Ultimate Balcony Dinner each time we requested them...a dozen times. That leads me to believe that it’s first come, first served and not based on cabin nor on Captain’s Circle level.

I think you are right with the exception of Chef's Table. I talked to the Maitre de on Royal & he said they do sometimes have "special guests" of the cruise line. It is the hardest to get selected as only 10 guests. They usually do it twice during a 10 day sailing & once on a 7. I would recommend you go in person to apply as the line is always busy embarcation day. A friend who went said they call you later to let you know if you are selected. Winemakers Dinner & Ultimate Balcony Dinner are much more open re # of people so I don't think there is much of a problem.

My TA was able to get me moved to a D4 on Aloha. Think this will be a lot better.

Are only comping those who booked before 12/04. Was told this was "clearly" posted on website & agencies made aware so "people were well informed". I could not find any info to that effect on their website. My booking is still marked as Medallion Preview cruise in Cruise Personalizer. There are no qualifiers or cut off dates mentioned. It does not even say only a few people will get Medallions. No points in arguing over a few bucks buts sounds like they are making it up as they go along. Not handled well from a PR standpoint. I can see this generating a lot of ill will.

Hi-

 

I think the CDC controls the distribution of tamiflu in case of a pandemic. So I would doubt it would be on board a cruise ship. I just had the flu earlier this month and was tamiflu. I still had a fever for 6 days and was not well enough to around others for 10 days. If you come down with the current strain of H3N2, I think the best course of action would be to medivac you from the ship.

 

-Paul

You are probably right except I do not know if they have the capability to do testing on the ship to identify the strain you have. Many pharmacies have a shortage of Tamiflu now so I would not bank on it being available at sea. You need to take Tamiflu within 72 hrs of symptoms, it is not a cure nor is it effective on all strains. It can reduce severity if taken in a timely manner. Most docs are very reluctant to write scripts prophylactically for Tamiflu or antibiotics. People can build up resistance to where the drugs are no longer effective. That is how Superbugs develop. Best to do a lot of hand washing & avoid the buffet!

We were on the Regal after Thanksgiving, and were in a balcony(can't remember the cabin number) above the Vista Lounge. I was much more concerned about our balcony being directly above the smoking area. As it turns out, we had no problem with the smoke as the wind blew it away most of the time. We heard some music from the Vista, but it was very faint- more a vibration. It was never past 10:30 or so. I heard comments from fellow passengers that the Vista was pretty dead- at least on our cruise. It was used for bingo in the afternoon , but I was seldom in the room then so I don't know if it got loud.

Thanks for the info & taking the time to respond. I feel a lot better about the location now!

I know there is no Club Fusion on the Regal. If there is live music at night in the aft lounge it could be problematic for light sleepers. I will be on the Emerald again on Feb. 14 in an aft cabin but I am located on deck D this time, away from the loud Club Fusion.

Trying to get an answer to same question. Sailing in March. I was recently assigned to an aft on Emerald. Concerned about noise from Vista Lounge (No Fusion on this ship). Only choice is to move to Marina which is below the Horizon aft bar on Lido deck.

Will be sailing on Regal in a few wks. I have just been assigned to an AFT facing cabin (D4) on Emerald deck. While this is a nice upgrade am concerned about noise as this cabin is right over the Vista lounge. Would be interested in hearing about the experience of anyone who has stayed in one of these cabins on either Regal or Royal.

My only other choice is to ask to be moved to one of the AFT cabins still open on Marina deck. While those balconies are larger I don't know if that location would be a better choice. The Horizon bar on Lido is directly above. Aside from noise, since the AFT cabins on Marina are not covered, people can look right into the balcony. (Balcony on Emerald is also open.) Advice??

I just ordered water 5 minutes ago & paid for it with Paypal. The option does show up under beverage packages so maybe it was just a computer glitch.

I love my packing cubes. I have eagle creek and Shacke Pak

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00R280UQM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518148766&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=shacke+packing+cubes&dpPl=1&dpID=51xG4-Jzs6L&ref=plSrch

One thing that I have and I don’t know how I ever lived without it is my eBags Pack-it-Flat toiletry kit.

https://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/pack-it-flat-toiletry-kit/54638

 

 

 

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Love my packing bags! Have 2 sets both purchased 1 from Amazon & other from ebags. Both were off brands selected for #of bags in set, variety of sizes & price. They are 4 yrs old & in good condition. I use them 5-6 times a yr for both cruising & air travel. I also have 2 of the eBags Pack-it-Flat toiletry kits. I use 1 for toiletries & the other for cosmetics. Also have a jewelry organizer & laundry bag. I never have to really unpack as I can just put the bags in drawers or on shelves on a cruise. Makes packing to go home a breeze. If I have a pre/post hotel stay I can pack the items I need in a separate bag so I do not have to disturb the rest of the packed items. BTW The compressed air bags may allow you to pack more but weight is the same & you will have more wrinkling. IMHO these are best for storage, not travel.