cublet

Hello,

Yes.

You will have to pay the going rate for  Royal's NCC/Deposit and not any concessionary X rate that it may be offering for its own NCC/Deposit.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

Anyone coming along to the longest Royal Caribbean cruise from Southampton in 2025?

It's only 12 nights, but with the right company could be well worth it!😁

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

Flair for what, I ask myself. Perhaps someone will come along to explain it to me? Please?😧

Hope to see you on board,

Regards,

Cublet

Hello Folks,

Anybody coming too?

One of my other Roll Calls has got 661 views but zero posts😭 - lets do better on this one.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

Can I ask a tangential question?

As I prepay gratuities at the time of booking and then 'actually pay' 70 days out, when do the bar/waiting staff, cabin steward et al get the money?

Regards,

Cublet

15 hours ago, nelblu said:

Are you telling me that even the agents at Royal are not able to access the solo supplement code.  That's crazy, it's been almost a month since the new sailing came out and IT has not updated their promo codes.

Hello,

Yes, I am saying exactly that - for the UK at least.

Though there is an alternative - the agents don't know about, or how to use, the DP340 code. [Refer to an earlier post somewhere on a lack of documented processes.]

As a lapsed accountant, I was expecting there to ge a giant formula that worked-out the prices based on the standard, but I was told that each and every possible permutation/combination of sub prices are worked-out individually and input manually.

One of the many things this tells me is that Royal is only really interested in the 'hardware' ie ships and anything that supports or underpins the ships, 'software', comes a distant second in terms of both money and effort

Regards,

Cublet.

Hello,

My latest booking required someone at Royal to work out a single special price - it was quite simple - they just halved the couple's price.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

This side of the pond, the DP340 code produced 'Not applicable' until a week or so ago for all weeks inside or outside the 'blackout dates'. Now the code is recognised and produces  a message that the discounts will be applied at checkout but when you get there the discount is a nice round Zero.

Regards,

Cublet

3 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

You’ve got to be kitten me! How is this paw-sible? The catatonic show has leaped from Oasis to Ovation? This calls for a meowtini - shaken not purred please. 

Hello,

I went into a pretentious cocktail bar in Bristol and ordered a vodka martini - shaken not stirred. The barman refused saying he could not do it as shaking would 'bruise the alcohol'. My friend, a university scientist and 'President of the Academic Board', near collapsed in a fit of laughter. Being less demonstrative, I just shook my head in disbelief.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

There used to be a cargo line that had both a sea-going captain and a port captain. The port captain was a retired sea-going captain and lived ashore.

When the ship arrived in port, the sea-going captain left for whatever jollies sea-going captains enjoy and the port captain boarded, along with wife and a short-haired terrier dog that I remember was called 'Mandy.' I cannot remember any formal procedure, if any, that had to be gone through to accommodate the dog. On the day the ship was to sail, the above reversed.

Regards

Cublet

Hello,

When Eclipse first arrived in Southampton, Cafe al Bacio served 'finger' sandwiches and filled savoury croissants in the mornings and cakes/sweet items not until the afternoons. Biscuits were always available.

Regards,

Cublet

8 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

$14, unless you're on a UK sailing then $15

Hello,

I agree with you - but sadly Royal does not.

I posted somewhere this week that training, if any, of new recruits post-covid has been pitiful and this is a prime example.

The knowledge of the difference and the reason for the difference seems to have been lost and no amount of arguing will shift them.What it needs, if anyone has it, is a print of the C&A Benefits that shows the difference for UK sailings.

Regards,

Cublet

20 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Lucked out and picked up the seniors discount for Anthem this July.  $450.  First one

Hello,

The only time I've ever seen Senior's Discount is when we had covid restricted home waters cruising a couple of years ago.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

I'm afraid this confirms what I have said for months: The training, if any, post covid has been pitiful. If full T&Cs are not documented fully then 'word-of-mouth'/opinions will fill the vacuum and things will get lost.

Regards,

Cublet

7 hours ago, cruisin from florida said:

Feel the same way.

Hello,

Me too. What annoys me additionally is there is only one ex Southampton cruise in 2025 longer than 10 nights so the opportunity to max-out my OBC from my 2 x NCC is sadly diminished.

I might only buy one next year and not two.

Regards,

Cublet

5 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Not being a wine drinker I've never understood this.  Wouldn't you just order by the glass for free or small up charge instead of a whole bottle at only 40% off.  The math on that never made sense to me.

Hello,

The maths of it doesn't make economic sense to be either - I've just used it!

The principle is this: You use one of your Diamond/D+/P vouchers worth $14 towards a bottle of wine to get 40% off the price. So any bottle of wine over $35 will make you a 'winner'.

I've used it, as regular readers of this forum will know, to buy genuine Prosecco unlike the swill that is served as such in the bars. I could NOT pay an up-charge as this product was not available to buy 'by the glass'.

Regards,

Cublet

11 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Or let it die and just set up a new account.....😝

Hello,

The rules are that it is a 'once only' benefit. Lose the matched status and start from zero with no further opportunity to 'match'.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

The good news is that my single special bookings' prices for 2025 were eventually correct by day three - even though I sent them the workings on day one.

The bad news is that the bookings are not showing the NextCruise Certificate's OBC.

Why am I not surprised?

Regards,

Cublet

16 hours ago, Blue Eyed Belfast Belle said:

Check out the RCI Blog - an article has just been published saying that there will only be 6 ships in Europe 2025 (a 33% reduction from 9 in 2023)  but by sending bigger ships and the total capacity will be reduced by 23%.

 

By comparison NCL is sending 8 ships including NCL Viva and Prima.

 

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. 

 

Apparently they want to focus on cruises that call at Perfect Day at Coco Cay!

Hello,

Yes, I read that article too.

What Royal needs to do is decide whether they are cruise line operators or amusement park operators.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

Does not appear to be available to UK pax.

Regards,

Cublet

30 minutes ago, Tin can said:

 

We looked at the Fjords for 2025 and others may disagree but I think Haugesund and Skjolden (as lovely as it is) are not the best ports to visit. 

Hello,

Presuming you survive the trek from the ship to Haugesund town (unless you brought a team of huskies or an electric mobility scooter), apart from shops there is not much to see.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

Just a small 'nit-pick' - Indy does not have a CK, so it's only SL that rations its space. The SL was two rooms, a Card Room and something else, and when the dividing doors were opened produced a long strange shaped room. It was sometimes used as an overflow for the Diamond (now Crown) Lounge. Q for any recent cruisers - Does it still have the grand piano? I wept when I saw it being used to mount the chaffing dishes at night.

I'll be there once RCI sharpens its pencil to produce the solo prices that currently aren't loaded.

Regards,

Cublet

44 minutes ago, little britain said:

No drinks packages on short ex-UK cruises  under 3n already in place ( and has been for about 5 years)… extending it to 7n and under would be a killer.

Even more reason to cruise MSC on their nice new ships and with their cheap drinks packages out of Southampton ! 

Hello,

I think that folks on the 2 & 3 night itineraries looked upon the drinks package as less of an opportunity and more of a challenge!

And another good thing about the drinks on MSC (no, not what I usually say) it's easy to get freshly squeezed orange juice - almost every bar on pool decks make it and serve it.

What can we wish for in 2026 given the Indy and its 2025 itineraries make a week-end in Bognor look exciting?

Regards,

Cublet

1 hour ago, little britain said:

MSC are good. Have sailed with them several times. Don’t forget to do the loyalty tier match before sailing for extra discounts and benefits on board. Preziosa is a nice ship. Not too big. 
I’ve just priced up the June itinerary… it’s quite expensive so will wait to see what RCI come up with ( especially as the 2 new added Jewel 2024 Arctic and TA cruises were a great price but sadly my budget is blown for 2024 already!) 

 

Older ships will not be allowed into Flams in 2025 

Hello,

And (and not the first time for saying this) on board MSC if you ask for Prosecco, you get Prosecco and not the swill that is served in Royal's bars.

Regards,

Cublet

15 hours ago, little britain said:

The iceberg has the one with the overnight in Lisbon 24/5/25 at £629pp. 

Hello,

The iceberg rate for balcony is only 'guarantee'.

Regards,

Cublet