jewopaho

On 1/26/2019 at 1:28 PM, Host Clarea said:

Likely around early 2021.

That would make sense, since the plans for Galveston include construction of a third terminal, capable of accommodating an Oasis-class ship. The port has always been highly successful, given the number of people who can drive there, coupled with Southwest Airlines flying into Hobby Intl. Airport (HOU), much closer to Galveston than Bush Intercontinental (IAH). There also isn't the hassle of Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, so if the Western Caribbean is your destination of choice, it's all good. Rumor has it that the Oasis will be sailing year-round out of Galveston beginning in 2021, so the Liberty drydock date seems in line with the plans. Having sailed from Galveston on Vision-, Voyager- and Freedom-class ships (somewhere around a total of fourteen cruises, with three more scheduled), 2021 can't get here fast enough. 

A fantastic story and what life should be about.

Happy cruising.

Many thanks for the good wishes. For us, we're simply making up for lost time, having met (online, of all places) and married in our sixties. After ten glorious years, we're still going strong, taking advantage of pretty much every travel opportunity we can. As long as our health remains good, our checks keep clearing, and Royal Caribbean doesn't do anything that really ticks us off (they've come close a couple of times), there's no end in sight for us. At our ages, being selfish is not a bad thing. Cheers!

Now that we've retired, in excellent health, and living less than an hour from the Port of Galveston, we're ready to go any time Royal makes us an offer we can't refuse. We cruised in December and last week, have one scheduled for two weeks from now, as well as in April and October. It's just too easy, especially since family members drop us off and pick us up. We haven't lost our desire to travel overseas, and have booked a round-trip Hong Kong cruise in August, and a Canada-New England cruise in 2019. On our upcoming voyage, we'll be reserving a back-to-back Australia journey. Between all this, we'll be in New Zealand for a month in March with our travel group. So I guess our answer is ... whenever we can. Isn't that why we plan our retirements in the first place?

Meant to ask as well, has anyone sampled virtual balcony inside cabins available on this ship.

We did have an accessible inside virtual balcony stateroom on Navigator a few years back, and are booked on one this cruise. It's pretty cool ... nice added touch.

Since you mentioned this is a one-time sailing, we booked this cruise yesterday. Will be doing my research on the ports of call over the next few months. I don't believe we need Visas for this cruise as we're just visiting Hong Kong and Japan.

We're looking forward to cruising with you. Hopefully we can get together aboard ship. To my knowledge, visas are not required.

Update: I received an e-mail last week from Nelson Frau of the Executive Offices letting me know that my e-mail had been forwarded to him from Mr. Bayley's office.

 

Over the weekend we booked with the Serenade for March and I sent my requests in to Special Needs with a copy to Mr. Frau.

 

Today I received an e-mail from Kaylee Contreras where she had contacted the ship and forwarded me their reply that they would supply what I requested. I also got a call today from Mr. Frau apologizing for all that went wrong in December and letting me know that the request DID reach the ship. He noted our upcoming March cruise and assured me that they are taking steps to make sure my needs are met for that cruise as well.

 

So, emailing Mr. Bayley was good advice, thank you everyone!

Glad it worked out for you. Keep Mr. Bayley's e-mail handy.

Oh..so this is a one time sailing only? Maybe that explains why I didn't see this itinerary in the RCL brochure. Your airfare cost is incredible. Unfortunately for us, Canadians, the airfare from Vancouver to Hong Kong is pricey. I'm still debating on whether to book this cruise or not.. the RCL sales ends on Jan 10th so we need to make up our minds soon. Have you looked into any of the cruise ports yet to determine the distance between the cruise terminals and into the city?

Doing that right now ...

Royal has become a victim of its own success. With so many D and D+ members (the latter of whom can no longer use the "concierge lounge," now only accessible to suite guests), the Diamond Club facilities and adjoining bars are now packed to overflowing (there were over 700 of us on our last cruise aboard Liberty, according to our Diamond Concierge). In an effort (albeit feeble) to somewhat mitigate the madness, the three-drink vouchers are now valid at any bar, save for the theater (or so they say) and dining room. We've often found no place to sit and enjoy our drinks and hors d'oeuvres unless we're there well before they're served. The heretofore respite has become a noisy, crowded facility, and checking for eligibility to enter is futile. There doesn't seem to be a viable solution, so it's grin-and-bear-it, I guess.

Thank you so much for your recommendations on what to see and do in Okinawa. Haven't booked the cruise yet.. still thinking about this cruise as we don't know how close the cruise terminals are to these ports of call. More research to be done on my part.

We booked this one about ten days ago ... it's a one-time-only sailing, and we, like you, have always wanted to visit both Hong Kong and Japan. What cinched it for us was the airfare ... EVA (the Taiwanese airline) has the most incredible prices (as in just over $600 round-trip from Houston, with very reasonable layovers in Taipei ... 1 1/2 hours outbound, 3 hours returning). We're also quite familiar with the ship, since we've sailed Voyager many times out of Galveston. It all added up to a must-do for us.

Which ship and which itinerary?

Liberty, Western Caribbean out of Galveston. Streaming also buffered continually.

... I'd like to know what the slowest one is. Our loyalty status provides us each with 24 continuous hours of service at no cost, or a commensurate reduction in the price of a package. We opted for the former, and can honestly state that we got our money's worth (we paid nothing). My e-mails showed up six hours into the freebie period, took forever to send, connection to the Internet connection was often over two minutes, and pages loaded with the speed of that sloth in the Geico commercials. One of the hamsters on the wheel must have died. Each time I passed the passenger services desk, there was at least one person, phone or tablet in hand, complaining. A bit of honesty would have saved an awful lot of it. We've cruised dozens of times, are well-aware of the network issues at sea, and know pretty much all the places at the ports where such service is complimentary (and considerably faster). We wouldn't have a problem if the "perk" weren't available at all.

To some yes to us no it's not

 

Sent from my BG2-W09 using Forums mobile app

You can actually have both. Just book onboard and have it transferred to a travel agent. This way you get both RCI's OBC and whatever perks the TA is offering. Wait until you arrive home, check out the deals that agencies are offering, and go with the best one. We do this all the time. Sometimes, the Next Cruise agent will ask if you wish to immediately transfer the booking to the last TA you used. I generally decline, in order to see what incentives are out there ... usually works pretty well. Last time, we wound up with a $200 fare reduction, rather than Royal's $100 OBC.

The advantages are a lower deposit (but be aware that longer cruises still require $450 per passenger) and either some OBC or a price reduction equal to that amount (we always choose the latter). Fare differences prior to final payment are easily adjusted (my TA is really on the ball when it comes to price drops). We're fine with non-refundable, since our annual travel insurance includes "cancel for any reason." What I've noticed is that we're always quoted those lower fares, and insurance is added in. Since we have an annual policy, and are covered for cancellations, we don't need either. So we lose nothing by booking onboard. Look the deal over carefully before handing over your credit card.

That's nice. I sent mine to Richard Fain on Thursday, but have gotten no response yet.

Michael Bayley is Royal's CEO ... Fain is still with the company but not in the same capacity. Try Bayley's e-mail.

They do pay attention to e-mails at the CEO's office (mbayley@rccl.com). Our Australian friends were denied credit for missing their cruise when their flight to Houston was canceled due to Hurricane Harvey (several reasons given, none of which made any sense). They sent a courteously worded e-mail to Mr. Bayley ... and less than 24 hours later received a reply. Not only was there a sincere apology, the writer explained what should have been done to accommodate them. Our friends were given full credit for the cruise, a two-year window to use it, and $200 OBC in addition to the $110 included in the original fare. The manner in which the issue was handled impressed us all.

... but still the same prices. This must keep the marketing department up nights ... 30% off for all passengers, preceded by 60% off the second traveler, following a 50% discount for the #2 occupant plus an "instant savings" (good thing I paid attention in math class).

This is not even to mention slicing and dicing up the staterooms into a myriad of categories. Both my very experienced travel agent and our Next Cruise consultant aboard ship were left scratching their heads ... and I thought that after dozens of cruises, I could look at the brochure and finalize things in a couple of minutes. :rolleyes:

This is precisely the reason why there's more than one cruise line. If Disney's your thing (obviously, Royal isn't), go for it. If the inflated fares and overpriced merchandise are your preference, have at it. Those of us who are "loyal to Royal" certainly have our issues with the company, but overall find the product much to our liking. So, you cruise your way, we'll cruise ours ... and never the twain shall meet aboard ship. Smooth sailing.

Can you tell me what night was the Saturday Night Fever performance? I have to make dinner reservations and my husband does not want to miss that show.

 

Thanks

It's on the final night of the cruise ... coincidentally, Saturday night. There are 6:00 and 8:00 performances, if I remember correctly.

If the price of auto-tipping is an issue, perhaps you shouldn't be cruising ... it's such a miniscule portion of the overall cost. We always tip our steward and dining room personnel additionally. My Time Dining presented a logistical problem, but we resolved it by taking care of the staff at each dining room meal. There are lots larger cruising issues to challenge ... this one's no big deal.

Thanks for the report/review.

 

Did they say if they fixed whatever maintenance had delayed the ship's arrival?

The previous week's cruise was a "special itinerary"/scheduled maintenance trip to the Bahamas (3 nights in Nassau), where RCI's facilities are located ... apparently combined so that they could take care of the ship without taking it out of service. It took a bit longer than expected, and a local storm delayed Liberty's return to Galveston by about seven hours.

Hey Gang ... it's been a while since I've posted, but we're cruising again, so here goes ...

If a great cruise is a home run ... this one was a bloop single. We're longtime RC cruisers, and have come to live with the downward adjustments over the years. But we do expect that the cruise line meet (if not exceed) whatever diminished standards are established. The sailing wasn't a total disappointment, but was hardly the best that Royal can offer. To wit ...

EMBARKATION: We were informed that the ship would not be arriving in Galveston on time due to maintenance and weather issues. Such isn't unexpected, as fog occasionally delays things there. Our instructions were not to be at the port until at least 3:30 p.m. We were dropped off around 4:00 and immediately faced a situation reminiscent of Black Friday at Walmart ... looked as if everyone had gotten there simultaneously. The terminal crew was totally overwhelmed, and we still don't know how we ever managed to enter. Once inside, though, all went smoothly, thanks to our "preferred" boarding status.The other embarkation lines resembled those at Disney World. Once aboard, we were advised that our staterooms wouldn't be ready before 6:30. So there we were, all thousands of us, packing the public venues to overflowing. The Windjammer was open for lunch, but there was no place to sit. The Diamond Lounge and neighboring bars felt like the NYC subway during rush hour. Not until 7:15 were we able to access our accommodations, only to discover that the shower sprayed water all over, the fridge wasn't working, and the TV reception looked like a New England Nor'easter.

THE SHIP AND CREW: All good. Our steward, Lincoln, was marvelous ... arranged for the repairs, and seemed to know what we wanted before we did. Liberty underwent a makeover a couple of years back, and is in tremendous shape. Every staff member we came across was courteous, personable and very efficient.

FOOD/DINING: A while ago (perhaps six or seven years), we noticed a substantial drop-off in food quality and selections ... and so did many other passengers. Since that time, things have been improving incrementally, to where we are now served far more acceptable cuisine. We opted for My Time Dining, since we enjoy meeting our fellow cruisers, and are not tied down to a specific mealtime. However, except for one dinner, we were seated at a table for two, despite expressing our preference. We can understand one, perhaps two, such sittings ... but six out of seven? Perhaps the larger tables were filled by families taking advantage of the "kids sail free" promotion (by the way, most were very well behaved ... a pleasant surprise). Irrespective of seating arrangements, the dining room staff was attentive and very pleasant.There are two places along the Promenade to grab a sandwich, sweet treat, coffee, etc. Sorrento's has an Italian theme and some unusual selections. As for the pizza ... Papa John has nothing to worry about.

ENTERTAINMENT: Comedians Kivi Rogers and Scott Record were far better than those we normally see ... hardly any references to cabin size, gluttony or other rancid cruise jokes. A duo whose name escapes me performed contortions that were both remarkable and painful to view. Donovan and Rebecca, of America's Got Talent fame, combined voice and acrobatics, along with videos of stunts they didn't perform onboard ( huh??). They were a bit over-dramatic, and would have been just as entertaining if the act were half as long. The production number, Air, was a disjointed combination of aerobatics, dance and voice ... lots of talent, no continuity ... tough to follow. The Broadway presentation aboard Liberty is Saturday Night Fever. Acting was high-school level at best, while the dance number finale was exceptional. The ice show was, as always, not to be missed. There are two performances, and seating can be a bit contentious ... get there early. And go to the "art auctions," but just for enjoyment. By the time you pay the buyer's premium and shipping, you could likely purchase an identical work for less locally or on eBay. In all fairness, I had a not-so-pleasant experience with Park West Galleries (the outfit that runs the auctions), so I'm somewhat biased.

PORTS: Our stop at Grand Cayman was cancelled due to weather conditions, but we're hardly the ones to review any of them, having been to them at least a dozen times. The ship doesn't dock at the downtown area of Cozumel (taxi required), but virtually every shop is represented at the terminal. Speaking of which, bargain hunting in the Caribbean is highly overrated ... there's a reason why most of the high-profile merchants are located exclusively in cruise ports. If you're seeking a $5000 diamond ring for $2000, I've got this oceanfront property in Kansas (just off the coast of Nebraska) for sale. Those port and shopping guides on the ship are essentially commissioned salespeople … not cruise line employees, but independent contractors ... the more you buy at those "recommended" shops, the more they make. Take a peek at www.portshopping.com… it’s where most of these folks are trained.

DISEMBARKATION: Getting aboard was bad enough. Leaving the ship, we had to walk the entire circumference of the open Deck Four, in chilly, drizzly conditions. None of the people near us were pleased, either. There's got to be a better way.

We have five additional cruises booked with Royal Caribbean. Two are past final payment date, but we may well re-think the other three. Not a terrible cruise overall, but nowhere near as good an experience as Royal can provide.

To answer my own rhetorical question ... not very.

We had our eye on an eight-night cruise on Liberty out of Galveston. At the time, the promotion was "30% Off." Of course, the question, "Off what?" always comes to mind ... but the price was about what we'd been paying, and since we hadn't committed to going, we didn't book it.

Now comes that Buy-One-Get-One-Half-Off sale (using the term loosely). This deal of a lifetime opportunity, when stripped of its "you'd better book it now before it sells out" language is actually only 25% off that ridiculous quoted fare, which they likely hadn't charged in decades ("Was $1795" ... when???). In our case, the price actually increased by over $50/pp for that cruise.

We've been sailing with Royal often enough to earn D+ loyalty perks, and enjoy the product immensely. We're also not folks who check daily, waiting for a drop ... we book whenever we want to go, and a few dollars either way is immaterial. There's still no bigger bargain in travel than cruising. I understand marketing, having been self-employed for a good portion of my working career ... but this stuff actually insults my intelligence. Even my travel agent says, "Let's see what gimmick they're offering this time."

Oh well, it apparently works for them ... and as long as the ships sail full, we ultimately benefit. I guess it's best to simply ignore all of it and just book our cruises as usual.

What I get from reading they did not use their insurance. Royal let them switch their reservation to another cruise so looks like the title would be the same if they did not have insurance.

That's correct. We never thought about any reason for insurance other than to cover a medical emergency, since we live less than an hour from the Port of Galveston ... no flight delays, lost luggage, etc. But it's good to know that several other contingencies are included ... guess I'll have to sit down and read the policy.

From a financial point of view, RCI would have been better off letting us file the claim, since they'd be collecting for both the cruise we canceled and the one we'd be booking, rather than applying the cost of one toward the other. I'm certain that our loyalty status (D+) had an influence on their decision ... but then again, they weren't obligated to do a thing, and we'd have recovered the cost of the cruise through insurance. We're just glad that someone in corporate was able to bend the rules in our favor.

Al

Thank you all. Your good wishes are much appreciated. Mercifully, it doesn't look as if we'll have to remove any drywall. We didn't get much more than an inch or so of water, and things appear to have dried out nicely. They'll be treating the affected areas with a commercial mildew retardant, so we should be fine.

The major issue will be replacement of the wood floors, which "cupped" almost immediately ... they're almost sixty years old, and there's no way they can be matched, so a bunch will be torn up. As I noted, it could have been so much worse ... we can deal with this.

Our travel agent has always been very special, going the extra mile when he can. It took him less than an hour to arrange the new cruise with Royal Caribbean. I can't help but think that our loyalty status (D+) had something to do with it, but Royal wasn't obligated to act at all, especially given that we had insurance.

It will all be good. Thanks again for caring.

Al

We were originally scheduled to be on the November 1st Navigator sailing out of Galveston, but ...

Our home took on a little water during yet another torrential Houston rainstorm on October 30th/31st. While the damage isn't all that severe, the possibility of mold growth caused us to bring in a remediation firm and file a claim with our insurance company. There was no way we could have left our home.

But the good news is that my travel agent and Royal Caribbean combined efforts to apply the total cost toward another cruise ... so we'll be on the Liberty's 2/21 sailing.

Yes, we did have insurance, and would likely have been covered under the "trip interruption" clause ... but this was so much easier, and we would have booked another cruise anyway.

Overall we're grateful ... it could have been substantially worse, both in terms of damage to our home and recouping our losses from our canceled cruise.

Al