ibyte2eat

I've been tired of the RCL crap for some time.  Im a pinnicle level now and so Im invested and pretty much forced to cruise on RCL.  Since I started cruising in 1999, things have changed so much.  The staff is so incompetent.  I've learned to obtain 4 or 5 answers to the same question to get the right answer.  The reason is because they like to tell you things that make them look like they know what they're doing when they are clueless.  Since tips are automatically deducted now, crew is not as friendly as they once were.  Newbees are friendly though.  So, I always ask guest services to not charge tips to my seapass.  I tip with cash to good service.  Kids?  RCL is all in on Family cruising now and so you better like lots of noisy kids because parents rarely control their kids.  Parents with kids take over the dance floors in the evening and the adult games in the bars.  Yes, kids are allowed in the bars.  Eating with unsupervised kids is an experience.  I would love it if I were a kid - no rules.  Look at all the Amusement park stuff on top decks.  Don't go during spring and holiday breaks or during the summer.  Also, cruises lasting more than 7 days have less kids.  RCL is hush hushing C&A benifits, you have to ask for them on board if you want them.  They've discontinued top tier amenities and the ship tours and haven't told anyone.  You have to ask for upgraded toiletries, robes, cruise compass, free wash & fold bag, ice and arrival drink.  Actually, they will tell you that your drink is in the lounge along with your amenity.  Have you noticed the absence of C&A priority lines at checkin?  Have you ever gotten a free upgrade for C & A members if cabins aren't filled? (lately)  Notice how RCL brags about that perk, then 2 weeks before sailing, you get an email asking if you want to bid on an upgrade.  Cruising isn't as elegant on RCL as it once was.   You have to go to a more expensive cruise line for that.  I stick with RCL because Princess and Carninvals loyalty program sucks.  Celebrity only matches loyalty tiers to the diamond level.  Basically, we've cut our cruising down to 1 special one a year in Europe and one winter cruise.  With no expectations.  My bill at the end of the cruise is usually $10 or $20 because I never buy anything that RCL sells because since they're ripoffs.  I book with 3rd party excursions - they guarantee return on time excursions for less than RCL.  Signage is all wrong around the ship.  Posted operating hours are incorrect.   RCL's complete migration to the horrible app is their goal so that they don't have to deal with customer service.  Every use that thing?  Im an IT guy and Ill tell you, its bad and unreliable.  If a show is full and you try to reserve it doesn't tll you its full.  It just doesn't give an option to reserve.  The app tells you about half of what the cruise compass used to tell. The other half has been dissected and integrated into the endless pull down vague menus that it utilizes.  Anymore, I just use RCL for free food, C&A drinks, board, evening entertainment and transportation from port to port.  People look to me for cruising advice because they know I've cruised a lot.  I tell them, check around.  They are all about the same but RCL is most kid friendly of them all.  Remember, Kids Sail Free folks!  Ha ha.

Silversea is buying in on the long.  If you do the math, SS worth 2B.  divided by 3, RCL would pay $666,666,666 for their last 1/3 ownership. RCL got it for a shopping $245 million of stock at $47.12 per share.  That equates to 5,199,490 Shares. Now, multiply that amount by the  the highest stock price RCL ever reached back in January ($135.05) and look what you get... $702,191,124.  Pretty dang close to the $666,666,666.  RCL negotiated this $245 purchase based on future value price pretty close to RCL's highest ever price price value, and then gave it in shares with the promise of valuation return, plus some.  SS must know something and has faith in a recovery in the cruise industry i.e. stock value and took the deal.  But they know that they will have to wait a bit.  Consider those extra millions as interest and faith money.

Silversea is buying in on the long.  If you do the math, SS worth 2B.  divided by 3, RCL would pay $666,666,666 for their last 1/3 ownership. RCL got it for a shopping $245 million of stock at $47.12 per share.  That equates to 5,199,490 Shares. Now, multiply that amount by the  the highest stock price RCL ever reached back in January ($135.05) and look what you get... $702,191,124.  Pretty dang close to the $666,666,666.  RCL negotiated this $245 purchase based on future value price pretty close to RCL's highest ever price price value, and then gave it in shares with the promise of valuation return, plus some.  SS must know something and has faith in a recovery in the cruise industry i.e. stock value and took the deal.  But they know that they will have to wait a bit.  Consider those extra millions as interest and faith money.

Wow, just finished my first Cuba Cruise and loved it.  Im attaching some photos and video. 

I was on a B2B a few years ago on the Legend with a level 3 outbreak, the highest level, but we came back on time.  RCL made us all leave the ship as they did their disinfecting thing and then had the Dept of Health come on board and inspect all their efforts.  Once we were all back on board, for the next 2 days, we still had to have everything on lockdown.  They served our food in the windjammer with rubber gloves on, had masks, etc.  After that, everything was back to normal.  Attached is a photo of my cabin steward cleaning up the room next door the day I was kicked off for the day and a photo of servers serving with the gloves.

Panama Canal Cruise, 2018.  I finally finished putting together our cruise video for our last cruise we just got off.  Enjoy and please feel free to share. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyWYXQZ_nX4

Im DP 350. Ive found that if you go to the d dp loungs after 6:00, that there is lots of room as the early diners leave for dinner. Hovever, if you are an early diner, you` re screwed. God help you in these lounges during member cruises.

No adult only RCL Cruises. Check this out though....Virgin Cruise Lines has a great idea, they are launching an Adult Only Ship: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2017/10/31/new-cruise-line-virgin-voyages-adults-only/817927001/

i have no idea what perks she was referring to. All i know is she keep repeating that she was diamond plus. I have no idea what that even entails as we are lowly gold and just cruise to cruise, not gain status.

 

Bill

Oasis did not have a D/DP special breakfast every morning. Another thing about Oasis, albeit this applies to all passangers, you have to pay $99.00 a week if you want to use the steam room or Sauna. These are free on all other ships I've been on. I cant think of anything else that was taken away. Oh yeah, Im a DP.

RCL has been doing a lot of upgrading and coming into the new century using a lot of technology. Unfortunately, they are becoming the same thing that todays youth have - socially inept. And so the debate continues. Technology offers a great opportunity to expedite communication and access to a wealth of information. Unfortunely, too many people stop at the communication part and spend all their time ....... well ...... communicating. And so they've lost their social skills blah blah blah. RCCL is headed in this direction by going paperless and doing most their communication on their newest interactive TV's. Yeah, they are great for reserving activities, dinners, excursions, etc. I'm sure it saves RCCL staff time. And they send you messages about events that you should know about. But here again, RCL is losing that personal touch that made us feel special. It's just more of the same declining level of service that RCCL has been doing for the last 10 years. But hey, they are making $ and their stock is at their highest value ever today.

We've noticed this and for the first time, we're also looking at other cruise lines for future cruises. Its a tough decision as we are DP level now.

When the RCCL Staff see these colors, they make sure that they give excellent treatment to the holders. Kind of like wearing the diamond, diamond plus & pinnicle pins.:cool: