Artemis908

A category 5 hurricane is projected to directly impact Ft. Lauderdale Monday.

 

That is all that needs to be said.

 

And I am tired of saying it.

 

Past the point where people refuse to listen there is nothing more I can do.

Then people should stay home, you don't LOSE money by staying home. You just reschedule your vacation. That's the risk we take for not taking the insurance. Worst case scenario you move your cruise to another time, best case scenario they refund everyone's money in a couple of days.

I think that RCI is in a bad position - damned if they do, damned if they don't. I have heard lots of complaints too about them canceling the cruise all together because people are saying they can't get back their vacation time. I think people need to be smart and decide for themselves what is right. For someone in Florida it might be easier for them to take a short cruise, assuming their home and family is safe. We don't know yet what is going to happen with this storm beyond the next couple of days. And you essentially get a free cruise if you take the 50% refundable OBC + 50% future cruise credit.

But things change literally every few hours. The RCI Facebook last said that they may change the destination of the Allure Sept 10 cruise to Labadee if the Bahamas gets hit. So the cruise may be refundable. At this point, almost all major airlines are offering refunds or free flight changes. There is cruise insurance and some credit cards also offer travel protection. Essentially there are many options on the table and the options may change in a couple of days. RCI is a business and they are losing tons of money on a weekly basis because of the weather and considering they can't control the weather, I think they are being fairly generous.

I think at this point I have learned that when I plan a trip with a cruise line and don't take the travel insurance (particularly during hurricane season), I am committing to going on a cruise, whether or not it occurs the days I planned.

Two hours and two supervisors later, RC is not refunding any bookings with a changed itinerary. I'm weary to even ask but could someone please educate me? Is that legal? I live in Florida and could very well need that money after being hit by a Cat 5 storm. The first woman I spoke to said I would be penalized for cancelling. Then was told my only option was a future credit. I've cruised exclusively with RC several times in the past, family and friends are exclusive to RC too. They have no regard for long time customers? Tears won't work either, I tried! This would have been my husband's very first cruise. Oasis would have been sailing 9/10

Do you have trip insurance? If not look to see if the credit card you used has any trip protection. Mine has coverage if my home is affected by stuff like a hurricane. But are you saying that they offered you a 100% cruise credit? At least you can plan something in the future if you can't get a refund.

St Martin got hit very badly

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2017/sep/06/hurricane-irma-caribbean-islands-category-5-storm

I know that they might change itineraries for sailings after the storm but how much can the western Caribbean honestly handle if everyone diverts there?

Since we now have three other extended cruises, could we think about the other points too, having enough meds with you, and cash for additional spending.

I heard after Harvey, people that had been stuck on the cruise ship were in massive lines trying to get medications because they didn't have enough. Definitely need to make sure you bring extra.

And if you have medication that needs to be refrigerated, bring a cold pack just in case you have to be somewhere without electricity. When I was on insulin I bought a pack that only required cold water to pack my insulin pen in.

And what if we want a full 100% refund? I mean this was a high priced cruise so they are charging $1,000 just for a 4 day to Cozumel? Seems super high, then what happens to $70 cost from classic soda package, that would be a lot less if on 4 day?

Then there's the issue of getting a new flight booked if there are any now at this rate!

The safest bet is just to accept the 100% cruise credit and reschedule, IMO. Most airlines at this point are allowing people to rebook with no fees, so if it were me I'd call the airline, see what restrictions they have on rebooking and go from there. Who knows what is going to happen in the upcoming week? If you're not local, don't risk it. :-/

You get it back in cash/credit if you don't spend it on the ship.

 

These offers seem kinda weak. I'd probs cancel and try to reschedule with the 100% and/or open full refund becomes an option. But at least people are essentially getting all their money back.

Yeah and with a tropical storm on the way following Irma... and who knows how badly Ft. Lauderdale will be affected... maybe people who are more local will be willing to give it a try. It's a little easier to "play it by ear" if you are driveable distance. I know a lot of airlines are waiving change fees, wondering if you are restricted in what day you are allowed to change it to.

What is "refundable" onboard credit?

They will add 50% of what you paid for to your onboard credit when you go on the ship. You can use some, all, or none of it. Whatever isn't used will go to your credit card.

From RC's Facebook:

"NEW: The following sailings are being modified:

Allure of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise

The new departure date will be on Wednesday, 9/13 and we will sail a 4-night itinerary to Nassau, Bahamas. We know this change is disappointing, and we are truly sorry for the storm’s impact on your vacation. Should you choose to sail with us we will provide you with a refund of 50% of your cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit, and an additional 50% future cruise credit"

50% off of a cruise that's 1/2 of the cruise that it was suppose to be... not sure I would take it if I was on that sailing.

You also have to be careful with credit card coverage on rental cars. Most coverage does not include everything you think it will. My sister recently got into a wreck in a brand new rental that was a total loss and they tried to put almost $20k on her credit card. Luckily she had taken all the coverage they had offered at the desk, because the coverage her card gave her was minimal at best.

Totally off topic, but did she have car insurance on her personal car? I never take rental insurance because my car insurance on my car covers rentals. They always try to push the insurance on you at the rental place and when I tell them I have my own insurance they try to convince me by mentioning my deductible.

No medical coverage or evacuation coverage?

They are! That's actually an entirely different section in coverage (Travel Assistance). Here's a PDF of the guide

http://i.info4.citi.com/wpm/100164/PDF/Guide8.pdf

Would you be specific as to what coverages you get with that? Some CCs provide some coverage but aren't comprehensive.

Sure, I haven't had to test this out yet, so I don't have personal experience, but it's suppose to be as long as your entire trip is on the card, you get up to $5k per a person. There are several covered reasons but the weather related are:

■ Severe weather or natural disaster causes all travel to or from theCovered Traveler’s Trip destination to stop for at least 24 hours.

■ A mandatory evacuation is ordered by a government or publicsafety agency at the Covered Traveler’s Trip destination.

They will cover:

■ Unused tickets

■ Change fees

■ Unused travel expenses like a hotel stay

■ Expenses like accommodations or meals that were occurred during an interruption in the trip

They also have stuff like lost or delayed luggage coverage and delayed trip coverage.

I have noticed that no matter what the promo is (BOGO or not) the price remains the same. It's more about timing since pricing can fluctuate. If tomorrow they decide to stop BOGO, the price won't change. All in all it's just a marketing ploy.

Would you mind letting us know which credit card this is? Looking for a new credit card and this is definitely sounds like a good perk!

Sure, I have a CitiBank AAdvantage card. American Airlines has a hub in Philadelphia so I get the most use out of it. There is an annual fee, but last year I called to cancel it and they offered a credit to my account if I stayed.

Fortunately, I haven't had to use it yet, but my cruise to the Caribbean is in less than two weeks so I wanted to make sure I had all the information I needed before I board in case something does happen.

I've done self assist disembarkation almost everytime I've cruised. I've had to take later flights before and as well all know, FLL doesn't allow you to check in for your flight until 2 hours before it's scheduled. So sometimes I will try to drag out our time on board, the latest has been 11, I think that was for the cruise in Europe. Typically you can get away with around 10. On my cruise on Oasis we sat near the exit and just watched the lines, waiting for them to just about disappear before we jump in line to leave.

I would also recommend that if it's too late for you to get travel insurance with RC, check with your credit card you paid off your cruise with. Mine offers travel insurance automatically on flights and travel as long as you paid for the trip entirely with the credit card.

Latest from Royal Caribbean

 

September 5, 2017 @ NOON EDT (next update today @ 6 PM EDT)

 

We are closely monitoring Hurricane Irma’s path and its potential impact to our current and upcoming sailings. Royal Caribbean’s Chief Meteorologist, James Van Fleet, is closely tracking the storm’s progress, and the current forecast is as follows:

 

Hurricane Irma is a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds around the center at 180 mph and is currently located about 225 miles east of Antigua. The storm continues its westerly track at 14 mph. While it is difficult to predict the path of the storm outside of 72 hours, it is likely that Irma will impact the East Coast of Florida at some point this weekend.

 

In an effort to give you advance notice of any changes while also taking into account the most accurate forecast information, we will be providing updates on any impacted sailings no later than 2 days in advance of departure. Based on that timeline, we will provide you additional information on Friday departures as part of our 6 pm update today.

 

The following sailings are departing as scheduled:

 

Adventure of the Seas: September 9 Southern Caribbean cruise

 

Grandeur of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise

 

Liberty of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise

 

Serenade of the Seas: September 10 New England/Canada cruise

 

Vision of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise

 

 

The following sailings are currently being evaluated and we will provide our next update at 6 PM EDT:

 

Allure of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise

 

Anthem of the Seas: September 9 Bermuda cruise

 

Empress of the Seas: September 9 Cuba cruise

 

Enchantment of the Seas: September 8 Bahamas cruise

 

Harmony of the Seas: September 9 Eastern Caribbean cruise

 

Majesty of the Seas: September 8 Bahamas cruise

 

Oasis of the Seas: September 10 Eastern Caribbean cruise

 

For all guests currently sailing with us, the Captain and team onboard will be providing you specific updates at noon and 6 pm daily, and of course will update you immediately if anything changes.

 

We have been watching the news from RC closely, but we are on the Sept 17 sailing. I think they are doing a great job thus far for Irma and keeping everyone updated. I am wondering if they might change the departure port if the storm were to hit Ft. Lauderdale but not other areas of Florida?

So does RC cover the cost of air if the cruise is cancelled? Or if you get down there and then they say go back home? Or are you kind of screwed...

I love Disney, I would say they have my favorite ships because the attention to detail is just breathtaking. The ships may not be as gigantic, but I love the little touches of magic here and there, plus I am a Disney fan. I have tried Carnival and Princess, not a fan of those. I tried Celebrity for the first time last year and really liked it. I would recommend them if you can find a good deal. We found an excellent deal that included alcoholic drinks and internet.

We have an excursion planned through the cruise line and it's all aboard at 12:30, the excursion ends at 12:30. Boy does that sound like it's cutting it close. Allure is already operating slowly because of their mechanical problems, I am guessing there isn't much wiggle room with time.

I remember when I took a Mediterranean cruise once we were late and past the all aboard time. The cruise line kept on calling our tour guide and asking where she was and then we were rushed onto the ship because we were so late. But the cruise ship didn't leave without us.

Is this always the case?

I just want to switch from the red to the white.

Me too! We have a balcony guarantee so I don't know yet what room we will get. If we get Central Park, I don't think I would drink the wine because I only drink sweet wines.

I am looking for the same. The latest I have seen is in March, wondering if there is any out there a little more up to date.

Getting married on the ship will essentially be impossible this late in the game. I got married on a cruise ship and it took so much planning ahead. The biggest issue is going to be marriage license. We ended up getting married while the ship was in port in NYC and going to NY a month in advance to get a license.

I agree with a previous poster about just getting married locally and then hire one of the photographers to do photos of you guys dressed up. You might be able to maybe see if they will do something for you that's ceremonial, just won't be legal so to speak.

I was thinking of getting a resort day pass but we are there for such a short time, that I don't feel it's worth it. Our ship arrives at 7am and departs at 1pm. My boyfriend has never been to the Bahamas before, I have been three times. I remember the area around the ship isn't so great and when I've gone there before it was many many years ago to Atlantis when it wasn't so popular and then the other times to swim with dolphins. Am I missing something that could be fun? Is Atlantis even maybe worth it just to walk around?

Hi all, looking for a place to get the most bang for my buck if we wanted to go some place to just relax and drink. I looked at the Bacardi tour but after looking at some posts here I am not so sure if that is the best way to go. Does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions?