markeb

They're used to paying for it. Maybe using a C&A discount. Sorry, I wasn't clear on that. If you're in your 40's, definitely in the US, you've never dealt with anything but unlimited internet. For the most part even on your cell phone. I'm in my 60's and have had unlimited internet pretty much everywhere for years (OK, finally transitioned my cell phone a couple of years back, but that was still 8 GB data and unlimited call and text). In time, maybe 5 years, maybe 10, they won't alienate anyone. Other than new customers who can't understand why anyone would want minutes of internet access...

And there's the answer to this part of standardization. If you follow the presumed RCG model of Royal Cruisers going to Celebrity going to Silversea (sometimes skipping Celebrity), eventually the Celebrity "minutes" crowd will age out and be replaced by new cruisers, some from Royal, who are used to unlimited internet, or using a C&A discount instead of two free days, and internet by the minute as a CC benefit will go away as not value added to the membership. Not sure where the tipping point will be, but there will be one. Like hotels that used to charge for Wi-Fi... I don't know how Starlink charges them for internet, but I'm pretty sure it's not based on minutes! Probably flat fee access + data (users), although it could just be flat fee access.

Yes. But it it were truly a problem beyond a rounding error, don't you think they'd have done something to stop it? Like only giving open drinks. They are pretty good at separating you from your money...

I haven't seen it recently either. They had about 6 varying versions of Balvenie at Heathrow two weeks ago. A lot of the travel editions are also now 70cl/700ml instead of an actual fifth. Only buy travel unique whisky. Very little else is a good buy...

That's not really minutes, though. It’s a day. I prefer a system where I don’t have to logout. Minutes is so AOL…

Different demographic. The CC Celebrity crowd is the only group I'm aware of that would even think about internet access in term of minutes in 2024. Unlimited or Gigabytes. Data not time. Minutes makes no sense whatsoever, but works for some folks on Celebrity. Can't imagine it working on RCI...

I would certainly hope not! 🫢

At least until Laura took over Celebrity, RCG had an EVP for shared services (Laura). There's at least one press release for that position going away. https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/people-opinions/new-reporting-lines-for-royal-caribbean-group-shared-services-operations Shared services included safety, security and environment, risk management, supply chain, port operations, workplace solutions, travel services and crew movement. When they eliminated the EVP, they split the shared services amongst executives. Interestingly, safety, security and environment began reporting to Jason Liberty, at RCG. Those would be the obvious areas for sharing, but other than maybe environment, that doesn't seem to be the case. (See veranda chairs and outlet extenders). Probably most of the truly shared functions are behind the scenes, like crew travel and supply chain management. The operational level day to day functions seem to be part of the individual line's purview. The loyalty program is obviously an RCG level program now. But there are still operational differences and may always be operational differences. The cruise lines are different, and so far they're keeping them different.

It's not a gift. They're buying tequila you can't get in the states on the first cruise. They're not going to leave it for a week in their car (if they're driving) at the cruise terminal in the South Florida heat. So their option is to bring it onboard and declare it at security. People have done that in the past. I don't know about today. If they're flying and it's already bubble wrapped to survive reentry from orbit, it would probably be fine in checked bags, but then you can be accused of sneaking it onboard, which isn't allowed either... It's easier at a port of call as the ship does it's own security screening and this happens all the time. It happens in Florida as well (this topic has come up on either this board or the Royal board more than once) but the port does the screening.

Tell me you don't understand high end tequila without telling me you don't understand high end tequila... Someone doing this is looking to buy an anejo or probably super anejo tequila that isn't available in the US. Probably $150 a bottle or more. It's not a bottle of "crummy tequila"!

I'm pretty much a prohibition/pre-prohibition cocktail drinker. Love the Zacapa Old Fashioned. I've tried Manhattans on board, which is my normal go to drink, but I don't recall them carrying better sweet vermouth, so it's kind of a waste to have a good rye with Martini and Rossi vermouth (if memory's failing, apologies to Celebrity!). Really don't do fruit drinks, other than usually one Lava Flow per cruise at the pool. Rye is a game. Probably 80% of the rye whiskey in the US comes from MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It looks like High West is now distilling at least some of its own rye, but it sourced rye in the past. As did Whistlepig, and most of the high end rye producers (Bulleit rye is an MGP product). Rye is apparently pretty rough on the still and most people don't want to touch it. Unless that's all they do (Catoctin Creek here in Virginia, for instance). For interstate sales, the distillery location is required to be on the bottle. It'll say "Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana." Side note... Once you get past the show factor, the Martini bar has a pretty good selection of gin for a good dry martini. They also normally have true lemon twists instead of slices. I could do without the shaking show (best martinis I've had used gin from the freezer with no ice added at all) but it is what it is. We can probably blame that on Ian Fleming...

We love the Equinox. I admit we've not sailed on E Class, mostly because of the insane markup for Retreat versus the S Class. We did self debark once at PC off of Freedom. We were driving back to Virginia and wanted to hit the road early. Never again. The ship was totally disorganized, and then the PC personnel wouldn't let you take your carry-on and check bag, that go on escalators in every airport, Metro, Tube station, etc., in the world onto their escalators without a free hand and you had to wait for one of the two more or less working elevators to get out of the terminal. We probably saved 15 minutes...

The 70-350 is an amazing lens for an APS-C camera. It's also listed at significantly less weight (about a half pound!). I've been pretty happy with it!

No one wants your “benefits”…

The Macallan tasting is 3-5 whiskies. They may not go to the most expensive. That’s a challenge. If you’re at all into Johnny Walker, many cruises have a free Johnny Walker tasting. Typically one time and you sign up through the shops. A bit of a discount if you do the tasting and purchase. But Johnny Walker isn’t Speyside…