S.A.M.J.R.

They are the highest price quote I got, but their cost does include gratuity.

I think there were a limited number of key combinations, so it was possible, although highly unlikely, that the key will work in a different car.

I don't think you'll be able to do this online, if it is even possible. You'll need to call or go through a TA. @Ourusualbeach? Now I've got to ask... what's the situation that prompts that one? You'd be paying for four people (whichever room has one person would have to pay the supplement), right? Why not just get a cabin that holds three?

Offering them a different room makes no sense. Simply recode the lock. I assume it's like hotel keys and they can disable any cards currently issued and then make new ones.

Well, yea. I personally don't care about the internal money movings a company goes through. "Complimentary" in my mind means the end user doesn't pay. My daughter's accident was the first night of the cruise. We ended up having two check ups later through the cruise. Never got a charge to the room. There's no way on the first night they know how their cost/revenue is going to be. That seems a very strange thing to base a decision on whether to charge someone. My injury was on the sports court doing a "sponsored RCI activity". DD's was in the pool just on our own. I'm guessing, as PP said, for accidents on board the ship, the cost is covered. Just like if you're at the grocery store, simply step wrong and sprain your ankle (no wet spot or anything), the store will generally cover the costs.

We are doing this in July. Fly into Hobby, hotel shuttle to Hilton Garden Inn via hotel shuttle, then private transport from hotel to port the next day. Our flight doesn't get in until 10:30p, and we're a group of 8. I don't see any sense in going to Galveston the night before.

Here are the companies I have found (we have a group of 8): I really am having a hard time deciding which one.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of tickets to the space center. I do agree having your own transportation is easy to DIY.

As I said, I don't think it's difficult, but there may be extenuating circumstances preventing someone from doing it on their own.

Maybe so. But lucked out twice? On two different cruises? As I said, that's really the only thing that surprised me from the OP. And I agree insurance should have been purchased (we had it both times, just didn't need it).

You would need to rent a car, wouldn't you? You need some kind of transportation AND somewhere to store luggage. Not saying it's difficult, but if someone is from overseas and doesn't have DL, that might be a factor.

I am surprised you were charged for the medical visit. That's the only surprising thing to me in the entire post. We've gone to medical twice... DD cut her head open doing back flips into the pool (yes, she shouldn't have been), she ended up getting stitches. No charge. Another cruise I was playing in the volleyball "tournament" and fell my knee give in one game. Sat out the rest of that game, took a break, then played in the championship. This time my knee totally gave out, and I went down. They ended up getting a wheelchair for me and took me to medical. I had just sprained my knee. Crutches until the next morning, then a cane to get off the ship. No charge. Don't know if it was because I was doing an RCI "sponsored" activity or not. Not complaining.

Not true for a US citizen on a closed loop cruise.

Maybe if you're on a ship with only 100 pax? 😄

Maybe. But it's kind of hard to go anywhere else for meals when your hundreds of miles from land. I guess they could say "Buffet is included, MDR is an upcharge of $x/meal, and specialty restaurants are $y/meal". We're not dedicated cruisers, so I think if we had to pay extra for meals, we'd go elsewhere for our vacation dollars.

That seems very strange. Who put the card in the slot? Couldn't have been the owner, they'd still be in room. I would say a worker, but a) only a handful should have easy access to your room (I'm thinking they saw it on the floor out side the door and thought you'd dropped it) and b) surely, if that is what happened, that can't be SOP for returning the card.

Which won't really help for situations where they take it somewhere else to scan (think waiter). I try to use a detachable lanyard, and hand over the clip part. Or I hand over the entire lanyard. MUCH easier to know if I've gotten mine back. 😉

Maybe a TA has that available? Or if you call in?

I totally agree. Super Bowl tickets are "price gouging" too. I heard on the news this morning there are 3K tickets left, starting at $5,500. People like to throw out terms like "price gouging", and while it does fit the actual definition, in this case, it's not illegal, or unethical. A company SHOULD get as much money for their product as they can. If it's more than you (general) want to pay, don't pay it.

It helps if you read/quote the entire sentence... "If you went to a restaurant and they told you the 'Recommended amount' was now 45% ... would you just pay it and go about your business?."

By definition... It's just illegal when it's during an emergency. Private jet service is price gouging too. 😉

I've gotten responses from two (not surprising since I messaged on a weekend). Both have offered private pickup at the hotel, but fairly expensive ($650 & 700 RT) IMO. We paid around $400, including tip, for RT from Walt Disney World to Port Canaveral for a group of six in 2016 and 2022. If we do shared shuttle, Galveston Express is $60 RT, and an extra $50 if we have them pick up at the hotel vs going back to the airport.

You can try these...https://www.amazon.com/Gripper-Holder-Plastic-Standard-Thickness/dp/B0CH84X4PW/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?crid=25AC7Q3FN51RL&keywords=id+card+gripper&qid=1707133817&sprefix=id+card+gripper%2Caps%2C233&sr=8-4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1 I used one on my last cruise (Mariner) with some success. Had to offset the gripper so the card could slide through readers (not the door readers, those were fine, but the point of sale ones). I also had a couple times where the card fell out. Once I found it, once I had to get it replaced at GS.

No you don't. If you pay with CC, you have no idea who the money actually goes to, you just THINK you do. If you pay with cash, you have no idea who even picks up the money, much less whether they share it. Either pay the recommended tip amount or don't. I agree with PP, why does it matter where/how it's being broken out? When you buy a drink on board, you automatically get charged 18%. If you have the drink package, you pay 18% on top of that cost. Unless you're only paying $100pppn, automatic tips are a LOT less than 18%.

I'm sure this tip thread will have ALL the answers to EVERYONES satisfaction.