S.A.M.J.R.

2 hours ago, Candleonwater said:

Gotcha. So, not expedited it's taken a month so far. Hope she wasn't in a hurry!

Trip in July, so no need to panic yet.  Her husband applied for his first passport two weeks after she sent hers in.

8 hours ago, Candleonwater said:

Without a starting point for reference, not sure if that's a good thing? If she mailed it in February, not great turn around. If she mailed it 4/1, I'd be super impressed. 😬

 

Since I'm sure your point is that the Dept of State isn't good at finalizing the status, I agree, but at least my daughters shows "Approved".

Sorry, didn't explain myself well.  The government logged it as "received" on 4/10.  She mailed it 4/6.  This was a renewal/name change (due to marriage), and no expedite.

11 hours ago, Smitty815 said:

Where else would you need to see that they are booked if you are seeing them when you go to book dinner, excursions, shows, etc? 

If they are showing up when you book something, then you are linked. 

With all the issues with Royal IT, I wouldn't be surprised if the system linking reservations for checkins is different than the system for dining.  So I thought I'd ask.

The only place I can see on the app where our reservations are linked is if I go to book something (dinner, etc).  Is there somewhere else I should see the other cabins?

3 hours ago, Candleonwater said:

Final result? Might not have needed to expedite, but it provided a peace of mind we wouldn't have had otherwise. New passport is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. Two weeks and one day after dropping it off at the post office. Now she has a new passport AND a fresh BC.

FWIW, DD mailed her passport and was received 4/10.  Still "In Process".  NOT expedited. 

As I said, relative. 😉

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Until you hit diamond with the free 4 drinks a day and day of free wifi not much really until then to get excited about. Diamond is only 80 pts. Not that many. 

 

 

That's relative.  Our first cruise was in 2013.  After July of this year, we'll have 43 points.  At this rate, we might get to Diamond about when we retire.. MAYBE.

On 4/23/2024 at 11:24 AM, PhillyFan33579 said:

I would highly recommend booking any excursions thru RCI. You can find lots of videos online of people being left at the port as the ship is sailing. Trying to save money by booking third party excursions is not worth the risk in my book. 

How are you able to get to the airport (for your flight to the cruise), or to the port (to catch the cruise) without a "cruise excursion" to get you there on time?

1 hour ago, 3yorkies said:

I have started doing the Unlimited dining in the specialty restaurants.   Those tips are NOT part of the auto-gratuity, but you are charged 18% on the plan when booked.    I never eat in the MDR or WJ on a cruise, only specialty restaurants.  For that reason I remove the auto-tips and just add the money to my specialty dining tips where the service is almost 100% great and the tip that is in the 18% is not adequate in my opinion, so I prefer it go to the people who actually serve me.   I just use cash at each meal.   And I tip the room steward at the start of the cruise and add more at the end.   Works for me and I feel it allows the tips to actually go to those who have earned it.   Since my drinks are free with D+, I tip in cash on those too. 

 

 

Just curious... (I really don't know), does Unlimited dining also cover your breakfasts and lunch?  If not, do you leave tips there?  

1 hour ago, 3yorkies said:

 

  I bring a large stack of 1's and 5's on my cruises.   By tipping in cash I also know that the funds are actually going in the pocket of the intended person.

No, you don't.  OK, they might go "in the pocket" of the person you hand it to temporarily, but you have no idea if they share them with anyone else.  Claiming "I know who gets my tips", IMO, is just a "feel good" saying people use.  

17 minutes ago, LooneyCruzer said:

Inside and flowing quite smoothly 

Are you sure you posted in the right thread? 

5 minutes ago, Neosophy said:

The problem with tipping in cash is those tips dont get shared evenly, just the person who interacts with you directly.

You really don't know that.  People like to say "I'm just going to tip who wait on me, I'm not helping those I don't see!" but, just like in a restaurant on land, you have no idea what happens to that tip money.  Does the person you're giving it to share it with other individuals?  Do they put part of it in a "pot" for employee parties?  

A seven day cruise w/Royal's tips ($18.50pp/pd currently, right?) would be $129.50pp.  Assume two people and you're at $260.  That's the "automatic gratuity".

But you like to give cash, so you remove the auto grats, and give $50 to your cabin attendant, $50 to your waiter, and $40 to your assistant waiter ($140).  

Then $5 for each breakfast and lunch (another $70), then $1/drink (say $5 per day, so another $35).  $245.  You're still out about the same amount of money, but you're "sticking it to Royal", because your money isn't "subsidizing" other's pay.  Which you really have no idea about. 

12 hours ago, DennysDad said:

No, Royal Caribbean keeps a small percentage of automatic gratuities as a processing fee. That's why they keep it this way. 

That doesn't make sense (as a reason to not roll in the gratuities to the cost of the cruise).  If they increase the cost of the cruise, they can still keep a "small percentage".   And do we know for sure that Royal is keeping some of the money?

10 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

If people are that gullible, they deserve what they get. When you price a cruise on line, you are asked if you want to include gratuities now. Right there yo know the difference, it stops looking better and you move on one way or the other.

As far as the drink price deal mentioned, I don’t have a comment except anything over free is too much.

You can fool some of the people all of the time.

Again, you're not paying attention.  It comes down to what Royal ADVERTISES.  I just went to their site.  At random, picked a 4 night on Freedom leaving from Miami on August 18.  ADVERTISED as $481 per person and said I have two people travelling.  Start filling things out.  "Taxes and fees" make the total $1260 (now we're at $630pp).  Fill some more out.  Look, there's the choice to add gratuities (another $72pp), and insurance (+$59pp).  So the ADVERTISED rate of $481pp is really $702 with grats, and even more if you want to select your own room or purchase insurance through Royal.  

Sure, go ahead and claim people are gullible and deserve what they get.  But Royal is going to do what they can to make their ADVERTISED price attractive, especially when compared to competitors.  

Thanks @Biker19!

33 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

Looks better? The only one you’re fooling is yourself. A person could book the $1,000 p.p. and remove the grats at the front desk at the end of the cruise like they are currently doing. Your example gains nothing.

You're missing the point.  The $1000 price is BEFORE gratuities.  At issue is why Royal doesn't just up the cruise fare to include gratuities.  Because they want to advertise the price without the grats.  It looks better when people are shopping.

Look at how many people ask "Is 30% off the best deal on the ultimate drink package"?  

1 hour ago, grandgeezer said:

I’m betting it has something to do with $$$$ in the cruise lines bottom line, what it is I couldn’t even guess.

I'm betting it has something to do with showing a lower fare for passengers.  Tell me which would you book?

$1000pp for a seven day cruise

or

$1126pp for a seven day cruise

Of course, if you purchase the $1000 cruise, later on you find out they want to tack on an extra $126.  So you're paying the same, but $1000 looks better.  

Check in day is at the end of the month.  My first plan is to try using the app, do the bare minimum to get the check in time, then do the rest online later.

However, if there's an issue with the app, I'd do the check in online.  I understand if I do that, I need to have everything available (Credit Card #'s, Passport #'s (or copies to upload).  Unfortunately, two people in our group won't have their passport by then (don't get me started).  So, can I check them in as using BC & DL, then change later to passport?  If BC & DL, do I need copies of the BC/DL to upload?  What about marriage license (to show name change)?

By the same token, if I just put my CC# down for everyone, can we change charging to individual CC before getting to the pier? 

TIA. 

IMO, it comes down to which do you think is more likely to happen:

Something that would require showing the passport.  Aside from missing the ship, I assume this would be: getting arrested for something, maybe getting medical care, not sure what else.

OR

Having your passport lost/stolen.  

I haven't seen anything yet that has convinced me the former is more likely than the latter, so the passport stays in the safe.

11 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

You're allowed to take towels ashore -- you just have to bring them back.  Otherwise, you'll be charged $25 for each missing towel. 

Please read the post I quoted.  It was talking about Celebrity's policy.  The picture of their "compass", said the yellow towels left in your room are to go off the ship, the grey ones are for the pool.

Since cruisers don't have to check out the grey towels, how would they know to charge if you left it on the beach?

26 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

However, they don't make you sign out towels at the pools.

Wonder what happens if you take a pool towel ashore with you.

2 minutes ago, DennysDad said:

Someone quoted it as a state department thing. Not Royal. On another thread about this persons issue. They also posted under cruise questions. 

That link isn't rules or laws.  If you go to the page in the link, it also includes:

* Always carry your passport book with you

* Always get trip insurance (covering medical and evacuation emergencies).

Care to try again?

Just confirming... you can check in everyone in your party if the reservations are linked?

4 hours ago, alfaeric said:

Suggestion next time, quote the thread you are actually replying to.  Or at least clarify what you are replying.  It wasn't clear what you were answering.

I did.  Maybe read the entire post?

4 hours ago, alfaeric said:

 

Still, the PP is required for the open loop cruise, the 6 month requirement is a country by country thing.  Royal just applies that to all cruises.  Whether its enforced on embarkation is the risk, as it seems that enforcement isn't 100%.  Many others have sailed on a sub 6 month PP and we just sailed with one.  I didn't trust that, so I got an enhanced driver's license that I can cruise on.

OK.  Please quote or screenshot the Royal web page that says you MUST have 6 months left on your passport on all open loop cruises.  Thats all I'm asking for.  No one has been able to provide it.

14 hours ago, alfaeric said:

What do you mean?

As in, what words does Royal use to REQUIRE passports w/6 month before expiration?  A "recommendation" is NOT a "requirement".  If it was, the "dress code in MDR" threads would be a lot shorter.

That's the issue in the OP.  Not that he doesn't have PP, but there's not 6 months left on them.

3 hours ago, DennysDad said:

The issue isn't San Juan and flying home. It's the fact that this is an open loop cruise and they require a valid passport. Valid with 6 months remaining. This will come down to the agents at the port. 

Who is "they", and what's the language?

The issue is flying from San Juan back to the US.  So, I went here: https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-980?language=en_US

The Department of State issues U.S. passports to traveling U.S. citizens. The passport allows you access to U.S. consular services and assistance while abroad. U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR's) who travel directly from U.S. territories to the United States, which include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands without touching at a foreign port or place, are not required to present a valid U.S. Passport or U.S. Green Card. 

I read that as a passport isn't even required.  If the passport isn't required, then the six month "recommendation" doesn't matter.  This is assuming they're US citizens of course.