happyiam

Thank you all. Having heard of others getting their cruises cancelled and never having to dispute anything with the bank, I am going to pass on your comments and just pay again. If not cleared we will cancel as duplicate transaction.

3 hours ago, swoopy2110 said:

If its stuck at pending this it will drop off in a few days. The bank will say its authorised as they've issued an auth code for it, but if RCI aren't going to claim it then it's never going to move on.

Thank you for this info. That's more than the bank told her.

3 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Is "she" your friend?  Did she get that paper from the bank (actually call and have something emailed or printed in a branch) or online?  I think she needs to talk to a human at the bank (if she hasn't already) and say "the vendor says it was declined". 

Thank you. Yes she went in and spoke with manager of her branch and is no further ahead,

5 hours ago, SG65CB said:

Maybe it would be better to pay RC again and then work on fixing this problem.

 

You could spend a lot of time trying to get this resolved between the bank and RC, and end up with your cruise canceled for non-payment. 

 

 

 

I am thinking this is probably the best route. Thx

1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

I have no financial backing and didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but I would start with the bank.  "The vendor (Royal) says this payment was declined.  Do you have anything showing it went through?"

 

She has a paper showing it as pending. It has been pending now for 5 days which the bank says is strange...She has sent a complaint to the banks customer service.

58 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Debit card?

Credit card exceeding credit limit?

Card declined due to foreign transaction?

Nope. Good thoughts though.

 This is a friend I've had for over 60 years. More like a sister. Yes I can definitely you do this, but prefer this as a last resort.  She doesn't want to be on the hook though for paying double. 

Looking for advice from all the knowledgeable cruisers here. My friend and I booked a cruise in August for end of April this year. The problem has happened when we tried to make final payment. We went through our travel agent, both paying our half with credit cards. Mine went through without any problems. When my friends was entered, nothing showed up at the agents end. He said to look again later to see if it was just a glitch causing the delay. We didn't check back with our agent until the following day. My friend's bank account says payment is pending, but when contacting Royal's agent now, he told the travel agent the card was declined. The bank says Royal has to issue a refund, but Royal says they don't as it was declined. Help please. Who should we escalate this issue to?  Her money is being held in limbo! Final payment is due in 4 days, although the agent did give her a week longer to correct this. Out agent doesn't know what to do. Thank you in advance for

We were on Deck 12 of Oasis on our first cruise. I think our room was mid. We did feel motion a couple of night, but it was a gentle rocking to sleep motion. Absolutely loved it, and have missed it on our following cruises. Had no noise issues at all, except from neighbors on their balcony one night. I always travel with ear plugs just in case.

I am so happy you are back. I have been thoroughly enjoying your review. I love your style and humor. I usually don't post much but wanted to add my thanks and encouragement.

Sorry to hear this. We were on Adventure in April, Eastern Caribbean, and enjoyed all our meals in both the main dining room and the windjammer. In fact we even wondered how they managed to serve the veggies hot and not over cooked. Guess it's just luck of the draw, or a change in chef's?

FGB, I have to say I love your enthusiasm! It always comes through on your reviews. You are very right when you mention the shows being better on the larger ships. I did miss that when we were on the Adventure a couple of months ago. We found the food to be very good in the Main Dining room, and the WJ. I am still trying to figure out how they manage to cook their veggies, for so many, and serve them cooked right. 

Not sure what will be next. The last cruise was booked 6 weeks ahead. A last minute decision for us. We are expecting our 2nd grandchild very very soon, so we may stick closer to home for now. Or not! Being retired it is now when the urge hits us, as long as our health is good. In the meantime, I will pop in and out of CC for my cruise fix. It's the next best thing. Happy sailings to you!

Hi Familygoboston! It's been a long time since I saw one of your reviews, and your husbands great pictures. I almost missed this one but caught it just after you arrived home. I enjoyed reading both parties input. We have been downsizing, in ship sizes only, for our last couple of cruises. As we have gotten older we have less need for lots of activities. This seems like it is better for the younger crowd. Correct me if I am wrong. Love the excursion with Captain Bob. We will keep it in mind for the next cruise. Thanks again to both of you for doing this enjoyable review! 

Don't know if this applies to all ships, but we couldn't book our preferred time for MTD pre-cruise as only really early slots were all that showed as available. When we went for our first dinner , on Adventure OTS, they saw we had times all over the place. They asked if we preferred a set time and we were able to book our preference right there. I suggest that, if you are not able to book your preference, go and speak to the staff on your first night as they might be able to accommodate you. They told me they often have changes. 

I was wowed! I have read many comments/reviews from past cruisers on AOTS, and they were very helpful, (CKRobyn, Clarea). My husband and I were just on the past 8 Night Eastern cruise and had a wonderful time. The ship is older but looked in great shape. Yes there were a few minor wear and tear issues, but nothing serious. The staff is outstanding! We had a lovely room steward and 2 terrific waiters in the main dining room. We were on My Time Dining but made reservations, thus we had the same wait staff. Must mention that for some reason we were picked, or won, a free meal from the extra order meals that cost at the bottom of the dining room menu. Surf and turf was great! Enjoyed the shows but they aren't as big a production as the bigger ships have, which is understandable. We really liked the cruise director Drew Devine. I admit we may be a bit partial as he is from Toronto and used to be on a radio station we listened to in the 90's. The whole entertainment staff though were very good and interacted well with everyone. So another RC cruise completed with many good memories made. If you are thinking of going on this ship, and like something a little more relaxing than the bigger ships with so much to do, then I would suggest trying this one. Hope the pictures show up. Sunrise, sunset and full moonlight!

56 minutes ago, jrmende63 said:

OR....do this...I hand wash out little things, such as underwear and hang them up in the cabin to dry. Usually they are dry overnight, so I don't have them hanging up when the steward comes in.

 

 Good to know that they are usually dry by morning. Do all ships have the clothesline in the shower? We will be on Adventure OTS if anyone knows about it in particular.

Wow! 100,000 people at the music festival. That will be crazy and definitely explains the price hike for that weekend at places closer to the beach and port. We have no problem being further out. Thank you for the information Jean-Lynd and SteerageJoe.

Hi. I have noticed the hotels near Port Everglades are extremely expensive this weekend. Is this because of the music fest? Or am I looking in the wrong place? Any recommendations for another hotel in driving distance that would be reasonable? Thanks. We are driving and I want to prebook so we aren't running around outside the city.

Hi. My husband and I just signed up for the April 13th cruise on Adventure of the Seas. I wonder if anyone has had trouble accessing the online check in? I got in once to input some info and printed our luggage tags, had to sign out and finish later, but I can't get back in to print our set sail pass. It keeps saying to check later. Thought I'd check here first before calling as it may just be a glitch and I need to be patient. I also read that others had some issues in the past, but I don't know if they are the same issue. Thanks.

Thank you FionaMG! I have to look at that. I haven't used it before.

Thank you for this information. Lol-always good to know what night is lobster night!

Hi. My husband and I will be on the 8 N Eastern cruise on the AOS in April. I was wondering if anyone familiar with this ship could suggest a day they would skip the Main dining and go for specialty dining? I know people have different tastes, but I am looking for your opinion. We have liked going to MDR on our other 2 cruises, but do like to have 1 special meal. We have also had meals in the Windjammer and enjoyed them. I have seen reference to the windjammer meals as 'Italian', 'American', 'Greek", etc...Does this also apply to MDR meals? I know I am asking specifically about dining, but if anyone would like to add any tips, they would be welcomed . Thanks.

Sounds great to me! We have had connecting cabins with strangers and have no complaints. Not saying there can't be problems though. As with any cruise, things can change every time.

Happy! Yeah, I am so happy to "see" you again! :DThank you! I miss the wonderful Royal boards, everyone is so enthused about their cruises, which is why we keep sailing RC! But we have taken a few trips on AZ which is why we are here less.

 

We sailed ROS last spring, and I tried to review Rhapsody last year and ended up with a very half hearted attempt because CC wasn't playing nicely with my browsers and pictures etc. I have a new set up now and it seems to be working better! For the Zumba cruise, Im going to go "live" (not fake news, really!) and should have an easier time uploading photos from my phone to Tapatalk. Normally, I travel with Hubby who uses a SLR for pics, so it's not like I can upload those massive images onto and off of my phone! But when I travel alone, I use the phone and while the photos won't be nearly as nice, I can get them up quickly and LIVE. We've got 3 more Royal cruises planned, the Zumba cruise next month, A cruise on Harmony next summer, and the Freedom cruise we booked for 2020, so I will be a round a bit more!

 

Where have you been lately?? What have I missed in your travel history?!

We did the Western Caribbean in 2016 for our 30th Anniversary, and are planning an Alaska cruise for next year. Do you have an Alaska review? I can't recall but I will look just in case. In between we have land trips to visit family in the USA and will add some travel to see other places during those trips. I'm a grandma now and can't be away from my sweet grandson for too long. Only 18 months and he has me wrapped around his finger.

I love the sunset picture at the end of this review. Please thank your husband for all the beautiful photos. Thanks again for your review. I like the "don't wanna' idea. I will look for your Zumba review. Have a great time!

Well what did I just happen to find? A review from one of my favourite reviewers. I've missed reading about your adventures although I know I could have read your blog. Interesting that you had issues taking the tender into GC. Ours was the opposite.

When we were on Freedom of the Seas (sister to Liberty) we got off nice and early. I don't remember needing tickets, but it was a couple of years ago. Getting back on was our problem. It had started raining, steadily around 1 pm. Everyone decided to head back early. Unfortunately the storm disturbed the water enough that the tenders couldn't run until the weather subsided, and the water calmed.

There were massive lineups for Freedom, plus 2 Carnival ships. The tents that they put up did not cover everyone. We were back far enough that we had to stand in the rain for approx. 45 minutes. When the weather improved, and the tenders restarted, we slowly inched our way up to the front. We were all dripping wet (note to self to always take umbrella or ponchos when in port). I must say though that everyone seemed to take it amazingly well. No loud complaining, just some low grumbling. For us, it was all an unexpected part of the adventure. Just needed a warm shower when we got back to our cabin.

Having said all that, I agree that tendering in from a ship with as many guests as FOS and LOS, does have it's issues. It also made me wonder what they would do if the weather didn't clear up?!

As I said I am glad I found another review from you. Your detail in your reviews make them informative. Your writing style makes them fun and enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to do these. Safe travels in April.