ladysail2

4 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Chances are fair that your luggage would be sent to the "naughty room" and you'd have to go there to retrieve it (if they had liquid in them, if they are empty you'd be ok). Again, this isn't something because of plastic but because all beverages (except wine) need to be in cans (AFAIK wine in a plastic bottle would be accepted). 

I had wanted to keep the stubby, empty, water bottle because it fit into my purse nicely for going on shore.  Lesson learned…put it in the checked bag, empty. 😊

15 minutes ago, Pyxie said:

 

The security person absolutely misunderstood the rule. Plastic itself isn't the problem. It's that it is much easier to smuggle liquor in plastic bottles vs cans.

The one bottle was completely empty…and the other bottle wasn’t even open yet. And she didn’t throw that one out, she put it in a cooler.  She could see that there was no alcohol anywhere. If I wanted..I could empty a water bottle in my room, take it ashore and fill it up with alcohol if I wanted.  Her actions were not warranted IMO. There are no signs forbidding plastic bottles in the security area either.  Next time I’ll put my water bottles in my checked bag.  Just for a laugh..what would they do if wine came in plastic bottles?? 

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Currently FCC's cannot be used for the deposit.  During Covid there were FCC's that could be used for the deposit.  One of the dangers of opening an old pos\t.  There is outdated information.

I did say that FCCs couldn’t be used for the deposit…maybe you misread my statement.  Native Floridian 26 said that he/she thought FCCs could be used as a deposit.  It’s good to get it straightened out though.  Thanks for the confirmation.  😊

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

RCI's CFAR insurance should but that's a lot of money to cover a fairly small amount. A group rate or even a refundable rate might be a better way to go.

 

I agree..it seems that Royal is wanting us to pay even higher rates, it makes it risky to book far ahead.  Thank you for your answer! 😊

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

If you cancel you lose all the deposit. It doesn't matter why.

I understand that part….I was wondering if there is any insurance that covers deposits.  

On 1/14/2023 at 7:12 PM, Native Floridian 26 said:

I think I read that you can now use FCCs for deposits.  My question is then, if you use the FCC for deposit and the booking is a Non-refundable deposit, then you lose the FCC if you cancel before Final Payment?  I haven't been on the Royal boards much lately, so pardon if this has been clarified before.  My search didn't find the exact answer.

 

Also, have there been any promotions lately where FCC's are given a boost?

Actually I did ask a few days ago if an FCC can be used for a deposit and was told ‘no’ by a travel agent.  I haven’t seen a statement in the Royal policy statements regarding their rule though…🤷‍♀️

Thank you both for your answers. What I didn’t understand is that there’s a difference between just cancelling a cruise and cancelling a cruise to book another one. 
 

Now, the policy is if one cancels a cruise that was booked after 5/31/2022…one loses the whole NRD.  Am I correct?  Some deposits are quite high..upwards of $500….what protection does one have to recoup a deposit if the cancellation is due to a severe reason such as serious illness or death in the family?  Does travel insurance cover that in any way?  Of course one can opt to pay the RD amount but I’ve seen those rates increase by a few thousand $$ (unless Royal has decreased those amounts).

Sorry for all the question…thanks for any explanations..😊

Testing…

How does one recoup their deposit if a cancellation has to be made?  Does RC still have the optional refundable deposit amount when booking a cruise?  TIA 😊

I’ve already made a note in my documents re: OBC -> gift card , on my next Carnival cruise..😊.  Thanks for all the info and tips!

I found my answer. I can use the gift card for the deposit. Thanks!

2 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

There's a possibility that Carnival could have given the agency a 5% or whatever discount on the cruise cash, so the agency makes out and so does Carnival.  If you ever need to spend it onboard, just buy a gift card at Cherry on Top.  They are 100 minimum and it can be any dollar amount.

That’s an excellent idea, I truly believe it. I won’t even call it a theory..it’s too plausible. 
With the Carnival OBC given when booking, can one add funds to it and buy a gift card for the $100?   Can a gift card be used for a deposit?  Thanks in advance for any information!  😊

51 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Yes, if OBC comes from the cruise line such as stock holder OBC, it's always non-refundable and you need to use it or lose it.  OBC from your TA is usually refundable but if the TA purchased cruise cash or bar cash for you, it needs to be used up and once again, use it or lose it.  But if your TA bestowed just regular OBC, it is indeed refundable and if not spent can be refunded to you.  Depending upon the cruise line, it could be given as cash on board or cut as a check to eventually be mailed to you.

That’s what happened, the agency purchased cruise cash. A benefit to Carnival.  My agent didn’t purchase it for some reason. Before my next Carnival cruise in 2025, I will start dropping a few hints that I hope the OBC is refundable. Fingers crossed.  😊. Yet, same agency and two days after the Carnival cruise I took a Royal Caribbean cruise and that OBC was totally refundable. That’s why I thought that perhaps Carnival had changed its policy and converted OBC purchases into Cruise Cash.

9 hours ago, kdr69 said:

OBC can be non refundable too, the name its called doesnt determine that.

An OBC from the cruise line offered at booking is always non-refundable as far as I know. I thought an OBC from the cruiser’s travel agency was always refundable since it is usually a ‘gift’.  Cruise cash is more of a ‘gift’ to the cruise line..in this case, Carnival.  Buying a gift card would at least benefit me at some point in time!  

2 hours ago, Cruising_Addict said:

 

They will give you what I think is called an "in-transit" pass and they will tell you what time you need to be back on board.

2 hours ago, Cruising_Addict said:

 

They will give you what I think is called an "in-transit" pass and they will tell you what time you need to be back on board.

I’ll keep checking of course, but it seems that I can count on being back by 2pm.

1 hour ago, Mike45LC said:

The earliest boarding slot for my Venezia cruise was also 10 - 10:30. However, that slot was filled by the priority passengers who got to make their boarding "reservations" two days before the general public.

 

The only time I've thought about the latest boarding time was when I had car trouble driving to the ship and worried that I might miss final call (which turned out to be 2:30 for a 4:00 p.m. sailing time).  I normally want to eat lunch on the ship and start to get into "vacation mode"  so an 11:30 to noon boarding slot is perfect for me.

 

Wow..you must have had a few anxious moments, I’m glad you made it in time. I also like the 11.30 to Noon boarding….I don’t really like dragging around my carry-on bag. I can drop it off in the cabin, but it contains un-loseables and I don’t want the room steward to mistake it for a left behind bag.

49 minutes ago, jsglow said:

I think, but am not certain, that the Final Boarding for our cruise was at 2:30. My guess is you'll be fine at 2pm. Obviously ask.

Definitely will, just trying to gauge number of hours. Thank you!

41 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

Find out when the all aboard time is.

I certainly will, I just wondered how much I would have to plan visits to a few places. Thanks!

On 5/19/2024 at 5:13 PM, pinklucky61 said:

Just go to casino, transfer it to a slot machine, cash out of machine, go to casino cashier to cash it all out.

I didn’t know that that worked anymore.  I thought one had to use the full amount and only cash out any winnings.  
 

On Royal, I was able to cash out the refundable OBC, but not until the very last sailing day….I guess they hope one uses it up on the ship.

On 5/19/2024 at 12:39 PM, shof515 said:

this is a question for your travel agent

 

If your travel agent purchased it as a gift to you, this is cruise cash. If it was a travel agent booking perk, it should of credited as some kind of onboard credit. some travel agent onboard credit can be non refundable

I did ask my travel agent and she knew nothing about it. She didn’t set up the ‘OBC’.  The notice in the cabin said it was a ‘gift’ from a man’s name. Had no idea who he was. The travel agent said it was the owner of the agency. So who knows what happened?  I know that they didn’t give me the amount stated on the invoice, and when they agreed, they added the missing amount to my Royal Caribbean cruise and it was ‘refundable’. 
It just seems unusual that on Carnival the OBC was non-refundable and on Royal it was refundable.

Does anyone know what the latest time that one can arrive for embarkation?  On turnaround day on a B2B, I’d like to go off the ship and go to a few places. The ship leaves again at 4pm…..would it be prudent to be back at the ship by 2pm?  Thanks so much!

On 5/7/2024 at 3:54 PM, luvflorida said:

We will be arriving late in the evening the day before our cruise. Any tips for a reasonably priced hotel will be appreciated

Try looking at a few different booking sites that offer hotel comparisons with reviews. You would probably want to be fairly close to the port. Montreal offers a wide range of prices, hotel types and areas in which to stay. 
You might want to ask your question on the Canadian board too, they may have better answers.  Good Luck!

Just booked this cruise yesterday. I know it’s early to ask…but who all is going???  Hopefully others will respond and we can get a thread going!  Good week to all!  

My travel agent/agency very nicely gave me an OBC for my last Carnival cruise.  When I went to Guest Services to confirm that I had it, they told me that it was cruise cash, and therefore not refundable.  Is this something new with Carnival, or did the agency do this on purpose? Cruise Cash is more of a benefit for the cruise line than for the cruiser, IMHO.  Just wondering if this is usual on Carnival? Thank you.

On April 20, I tried to bring an empty ‘stubby’ water bottle on Carnival Paradise. The security person threw it right in the garbage. I said it was empty and I wanted to keep it. (It was the right size to fit in my purse). She said ‘ no plastic on Carnival’.  Got to my cabin..and what’s waiting for me…my order of water in 12 plastic bottles. There were no signs saying that one cannot bring an empty plastic bottle on the ship. It was my property, not her’s.  What a jerk! I’ll put it in my checked bag next time.