cheezwiz

mixplix,

You've got great ideas! However, the OP said he thinks she'd prefer the moment to be more private than public. I think he's very dear to be so sensitive to her preferences... but I really love the idea of proposing during the portrait shoot!

Please keep in mind that April is usually part of Cherry Blossom bloom time in Washington, so book your accommodations in DC as early as you can - rates can go way up the closer you get. I second the idea of taking the train between DC & Baltimore - traffic can be a problem and parking in DC can break your wallet. Here is the website for DC's local public transit system (for getting around the city during your visit) http://www.wmata.com/

The website for Amtrak (our regular rail system) is here https://www.amtrak.com/train-schedules-timetables

and here is the one for the MARC train (Maryland/DC commuter rail, which may or may not have convenient train times for you) http://mta.maryland.gov/marc-train

I live south of DC, so I hope Baltimoreans can provide you better info than I can.

Be sure you print out a copy of this thread and keep it. Many years from now she will be touched all over again to read about your planning the moment!

All best wishes for a wonderful life together!

As the person who maintains the CD list, I appreciate your efforts and contributions. I depend upon people like you to report CD info back from your cruises.

 

 

 

I made that comment based on many negative reviews of Mercedes. The CD is very important to me on a cruise because I participate in many of the activities and enjoy the entertainment, and I've found that the CD can make a huge difference in these areas.

 

If you don't agree, fine. I don't care what you think of my opinion

As my grandfather often said, "If it weren't for a difference of opinion, there would be no horseraces."

While not a gambler, I do enjoy horseraces. Peace.

Ok. I'm done trying to be helpful when thousands of people on CC wanted to know about CD and AD. When you attack me personally it is over.

 

As to my authenticity, just ask the thousands of patients I have helped in my 36 years as a licensed, board certified physician and surgeon. If have not lived a truthful, honest life both in person and professionally, I would have failed in life and medicine long, long ago.

 

I do find it interesting that there are character assassinations on members of CC every day; but on roll call boards where you will actually will meet other members face to face there are none. Nor is there snark.

You are probably referring to my post. It was NOT my intention to attack your personal integrity - you apparently are a fine person. As I said, you could be the very soul of truthfulness, and your fine career speaks to that.

My point was that to write off a person ("lost all my respect") based on an internet report from someone the person doesn't know personally is a bit extreme. If my brother or next door neighbor told me something like this, I'd have a breadth of experience with that person to go on that I don't have with most people on CC.

My apologies for being unclear & upsetting.

(ETA, the above doesn't not change what I said earlier about not liking or reading those threads, but again, that is just my opinion.)

That is exactly my point the CD and AD who were both very active didn't have to come and say how important CC is to them, the 10 to 15 minutes taken was well spent and they can continue rolling their eyes and snickering in private

 

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Sure, they could have delegated to low-level staff, but it's also possible that they decided to "take one for the team" and do it themselves. The point is that you'll never really know which it was.

Well, Mercedes just lost all my respect, and I hope I never have the misfortune of sailing with her.

Based on a conversation reported by an anonymous poster on the internet? Seriously?

While the OP may be the very embodiment of veracity, you have no way of knowing that (unless you are indeed personally acquainted with the OP) and it seems a bit extreme to write off a person on that basis.

On the Jewel last week, both Denmis and Enzo the AD attended the meetnmingle and also stroked cruise critic a little bit by noting how valuable our input is....

When I'm going on a cruise I check the CD thread to see who is there and maybe what some opinions are of them, but at the end of the day they all work hard and some have better capacity in dealing with the public.

Sounds like it was a pleasant gathering. However, if the truth of the matter were that they consider CC a ridiculous PITA and engage in endless snickering & eye-rolling whenever they can get away with it, do you think they would say that at a meet & mingle?

I believe there is a promotion through today with reduced deposits.

The reduced deposit promotion, I was told by both the regular phone people and the C&A phone people, does not apply to the bookings made last night with the very low suite rates. I too wound up having to pay an additional $250 for a total deposit of $500. I learned about this earlier this evening when I looked at the booking under "My Cruises" and the notice at the top said "You have a payment due." I was concerned since I had paid the requested $250 when I reserved last night for a JS on Adventure for Jan 2018 at a total price of 1762.48. So, I called and got the answer I just mentioned. A family member likewise got a great deal on a GS for the same cruise and had the same "payment due" flag on his booking. He called and they told him that the $250 he'd alreadly paid was just fine and that he needn't pay anything more until final payment in October 2017.

I could also care less about who the CD/AD are going to be and usually can't even remember their names....However...It was how the question was handled that's the problem here...and it should have been done with diplomacy as the face of RCI speaking negatively about a rather large interest group....not good.

I agree she could have handled it better, but having met Mercedes on my last cruise, I can almost hear her saying it and then quickly moving on to the next topic. As for a large interest group, I suspect the real die-hards on this forum represent a pretty small percentage of RCCL's slice of the cruising public.

I booked a Jan 2018 Jr Suite this morning after reading a thread about Jr Suite being cheaper than a balcony. By lunch, no Jr Suites where available online or calling in. A few hours later, Jr Suites were back online more expensive. They must have caught their error. My booking is $700/pp cheaper than if I had booked in the afternoon.

 

What is the difference between a Jr Suite and a balcony?

About 100 square feet & a bathtub

I don't really blame them for being nasty.

 

Who wants a bunch of strangers asking questions like investigating reporters about their job.

 

It really isn't anyone's business anyway..

 

I agree. It could definitely feel a little intrusive standing in their shoes. I think those threads are a little creepy, but that's just my opinion, so I don't read them.

The Adventure suites are back, and last night's delightful prices are gone.

It's usually a euphemism for the benefit of family and friends. It's up there with "foul play is not suspected" and "single vehicle collision" and "at home, tragically". While it's unlikely his family will be reading this, a little tact and sensitivity wouldn't go astray.

 

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam,

Very nice post, including the sentiment at the end. Condolences to his family, should they ever read this thread.

Like many of us ladies with a couple of years on us, Adventure will benefit from her upcoming "spa trip" and will no doubt look stunning when she returns. I do agree that the crew in general seems a bit low in spirits, and several had things to share with us that indicated that morale is lacking due to working environment and understaffing. However, many employees were still quite friendly even if the usual spark isn't there.

I hope that the upcoming drydock will result in a real nice boost for both the ship & the crew. I look forward to finding out when we sail again on her next January.

Also, does anyone know if there are restrictions for special needs kids going to the kids club activities? Her main issue is speech and communication. She also has learning delays, but nothing health or medical related.

 

THANKS!!!

My son had similar issues and the Adventure Ocean staff was great! My son is now 26, so our experience was quite awhile ago. I hope someone with more recent experience will contribute their knowledge, but I think you will be pleased.

The Sheraton at the Convention Center is supposed to have an AVIS location on site. This hotel is next to the Pan Am pier and about a half-mile or so from the gangway. However, there is NO sidewalk and you'd be taking your life in your hands, especially with the traffic during a turnover. So, a taxi is probably the better way to go. I took a taxi from the Hyatt House (also within a mile) to the pier and it was $12 + $1 per bag. No too bad sharing with another couple, but still.

So, maybe check with Avis. A member of our party actually went to the airport and got a car for his post-cruise stay so he could return it prior to his flight.

Good luck & enjoy your first cruise!

Count me among the ladies who keep to black slacks & a nice silk top now due to a group vote among my regular cruise-buddies, BUT seeing all the lovely gowns & tuxes (or dark suits) on my last Adventure cruise was a real pleasure. So, please, dress to the nines!

Children's size Sea Bands.

Play "dress-up" with the bands before the cruise. You don't want a battle with her about putting them on when she already feels unwell. (But you already knew that!)

Fingers crossed that she won't have any problems with something that is pretty rare in a toddler anyhow. Have a wonderful trip!

So why are you posting here. Why don't you call rci if you have a problem and work it out with them?

Why should the OP be any different than anybody else who posts their issues here?

I haven't cruised RC for 5 years so I am hardly a cheerleader here and sure they could have sucked it up but honestly do you really think that in this day and age reading about a company that followed the rules regarding who is going in and out of the country is really bad and going to be bad press? It's a little reassuring to me actually.

I do agree that a story like this is a one-day (or maybe one hour) story and will probably have close to zero effect on RCCL's reputation or anyone's buying choices, except perhaps close acquaintances of the gentleman involved.

It would have been nice if RCCL had gone the extra mile and given a complete refund, but they are not at fault and have no obligation whatsoever to do so. I do think that it's possible that a nicely worded letter to the CEO would have been a lot more likely to result in a full refund that going to the media like this ever would.

why? its his own fault and if they bent over backwards for every sob story out there they and every other cruise line would be out of business on a month.

 

newsflash: beings sick is not an excuse to be granted special treatment or to have policy ignored. no sympathy for the situation whatsoever especially since a supposed prior cruiser who SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER didn't give the 'non well traveled' individual the correct information.

Wow, the milk of human kindness by the quart in this one...smh

Bob...

 

Beginning of June was considerably cheaper ($2457). Thought it may be too cold to hang on balcony?? How was it when you went?

 

I don't work anymore so dates are not the problem...

For us, it was the trip of a lifetime (and we've been a LOT of places.) As for the balcony, hanging out there Caribbean-style? Probably not, but bundle up or watch the scenery from inside the cabin through that big beautiful glass door! It's breathtaking!

Royal is definitely NOT at fault here, and I'm afraid I find OP's post a bit hard to take give the length of time OP has been a member of Cruise Critic. Many experienced cruisers would have been all over a friend like this making sure absolutely everything was in place for him.

That said, the sad irony of a future cruise credit does sting a bit. Even though Royal bears no responsibility in this matter, a full refund might have been a more humane alternative given the extreme nature of the man's illness. Opinions will differ on this, but I bet someone up the chain might have foreseen that such an action might have been a better option to take.

I just don't agree that the first night is always a disaster. We find that's it's almost always fine, allowing for a little extra effort for the staff to get to know you.

The only time we had difficulty on the first night, the difficulty continued throughout the week. Our wait staff was struggling and just never did get themselves together. This was the result of a diner at a neighboring table who strenuously (and loudly) objected to our waiter assisting him with placing his napkin in his lap. He made enough of a stink about this that our waiter was switched out with another waiter. The new waiter & the assistant (whose English was ok but not proficient) struggled through the rest of the week. We filed this under "ship happens" and added it to our list of cruising stories. No big deal to us - we love to have a round of "Hey, remember the time that....?"