JoMoe

We did a 7 day cruise from Boston to Montreal and it was wonderful. The smaller ship (Veendam) lacked some of the Wow stuff on other ships, but also had a more intimate and cozy feel. We have been on a couple of RC and Princess cruises for comparison. The food was the best on Holland with Princess in second. They had two very nicely done omelet bars for breakfast with all the fixings you could imagine. The cook was very skilled. They even had fresh poached eggs to order. Had varieties of quality ice cream at the buffet. These are just some examples. We had a window cabin that was nice. There was an interior deck that had stores, bars, casino, game room, and library. The game room and library were leagues ahead of anything I have seen on any other line. Even though this ship was much smaller than other lines, these areas were much larger, better stocked, with nicer furnishing. They had three music areas every night. Classical, jazz, and easy listening type. You could just sit around and listen. It was casual, cozy, refined, and relaxing. The whole deck was a real nice place to relax, read, play, listen, or just hang out. Overall I was very impressed and Holland did a lot of things better than other lines.

The only negative was that the smokey casino was right in the middle of all the top of the line areas I just mentioned. This caused all of those areas to smell like stale smoke, or even worse, to be have to breath smoke while you are relaxing in the library or listening to a violin and piano duet. I don't know why they have to allow smoking in a area that is right in the middle of many other areas that are supposed to be smoke free. The whole area is so nice, but is ruined for me by having to breath smoke. I think that Celebrity is a main competitor of Holland, and they do not allow smoking in the casino. I would love to take another Holland cruise, but will wait until I do not have to breath smoke.

Thanks,

Joe

Does anyone have pictures of the inside or outside of the new terminal? Cruising on RCI Feb 2018 out of Galveston.

Thanks,

Joe

It look like Princess has their 2018 spring schedule in place. The only US ports of departure are southern FL or CA, nothing in the middle of the US. I was hoping they would go out of NOLA, Galveston, Mobile, but it looks like they are not.

Disappointed

It look like Princess has their 2018 spring schedule in place. The only US ports of departure are southern FL or CA, nothing in the middle of the US. I was hoping they would go out of NOLA, Galveston, Mobile, but it looks like they are not.

Disappointing

Your CRUISE FARE goes to pay everything associated with the cruise: the amortized cost of the ships, the dishes, the sheets, the laundry detergent, the fuel, the uniforms, the swizzle sticks, the lemon wedges, the escargot AND THE SALARIES OF EVERYONE WHO WORKS ON OR OFF THE SHIP.

 

Why draw such a distinction between the gratuities "paying the contracted workers" and your cruise fare "paying the contracted workers"?

 

Just pay up or don't cruise!

 

:mad:

Merion,

It is the cruise lines who draw a distinction between the employees. I was just pointing out that they all have a contract, but only some are paid a decent wage and some are made to grovel (my opinion)for tips.

I bet those who work for the lines that do not "add gratuities" get paid more than the lines that try to pass the costs off as tips.

Yes, I do over focus on this. I just wish the lines would pay everyone fairly and charge us accordingly, not the guilt or groveling for tips.

When something is automatically charged to your bill, it is a fee, not a tip. In many cases (my time dining) the tips cannot be removed, or they make it difficult for you to remove them. They make you go to customer service and explain why you want them removed. It is a way to charge you more without adding it to the price. The responsibility for paying the contracted workers is passed from the cruise line to the customer.

Why are these hard working and deserving cruise workers not paid a fair and guaranteed wage? Because tipping enables the cruise lines to get out of paying them a fair and guaranteed wage.

Do you tip everyone who serves you? NO Do you tip the cook? The cook is the most important person that is involved in your food.

Do you tip the security people that keep you safe? How about the medical staff that keeps you healthy? The bridge crew that gets you safely and timely to your destination? No, because they are all paid a fair and guaranteed wage. So should those who serve you.

Do you feel like an aristocrat doling out your generosity to the servile class? Is it fair to demean the servers, making them hope for a tip, beg or smooze for a tip? Is it fair to the passengers to be guilted, pressured, or obligated to tip? Is it a tip, or a bribe?

Tipping is undemocratic and unfair to those who serve us on our cruises. Everyone should be paid a fair and guaranteed wage and not have to go begging for what they deserve. Tipping also allows free riders - those who do not tip and force the rest of us to pay a higher amount to make up the difference.

Joe

It will never last. I've seen MANY on the Carnival board, and they all eventually get locked (permanently) or deleted.

 

Tom

Tom,

I can not find the Carnival discussion you reference. Can you give me the location of that thread?

Thanks,

Joe

Just a follow up. I compared the price I got on the WOW sale to the current BOGO sale and I paid about $140 less. So I think I got the best price I could get, or at least the best price I have seen.

Seems like Feb/Mar is the best time to book a cruise for the next Jan/Feb. That has been my experience.

Joe

I called RC today and they said 60 to 90 days before the cruise is when you can make the reservation for MTD.

I have never eaten diner at the buffet, only lunch. Will I miss out on anything by eating at the buffet compared to the main dining room? If they have lobster in the MDR, will they also have it at the buffet?

Thanks,

Joe

If you are cruising in February of 2016 you are too late. If you are cruising in 2017 you are too early:)

Yes, you are right, I meant 2017. My cruise is in Feb 2017.

If I am too early, when is the right time? How long before the cruise can I make the MTD reservation?

I looked on the RC website, but could not find any information on when you can make a MTD reservation.

Thanks,

Joe

We are cruising on the Liberty in Feb 2016.

My last RC cruise I tried to get a 2 person table for Traditional Dining, but could not get one. I had requested this when I purchased the cruise, but the request never made it to the dining room. I was told that if you want a 2 person table you have to do the MTD. There are only a few 2 person tables in the traditional room. I had cruised on Princess twice before and both times we requested and receive a 2 person table during traditional dining. So I thought we could on RC. Is the only realistic way we can get a 2 person table is by dining MTD? We like people, just do not like being forced to sit with people we do not know or when we want a private meal.

I tried to make a MTD reservation on the website by going to cruise planner, but it said "they could not make the reservation right now, please try again when on board the ship." Am I to early? How far in advance can you make the MTD reservations.

I like the 5:30 traditional, so we can catch the early show, but I guess we will have to eat fast on the MTD, or do the buffet, when we want to catch a show.

Is the food at the buffet the same as the MTD or traditional at night? If they have steak or lobster in the main dining room, do they also have it at the buffet?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

Joe

There is also the Churchill Lounge on deck 6 just before the theater.

I am a non-smoker, but I noticed the Churchill was smoking. I think half of the casino is. No smoking in the casino on formal nights.

I liked the fact that you could avoid all the smoky areas if you wanted to on the Caribbean Princess. If you were near the entrance to the casino it was very noticeable, but smoke free every other place.

Thanks,

Joe

I was going to book last week before the WOW sale, but I waited until sale. I got the same price as before WOW with $100 OBC. I have been watching the prices for a couple of months now and I think this is the best, or as good as it has been. A few weeks ago I could have gotten an additional $200 OBC, but I think the price was $200 or $300 more.

Another reason why I think I got a good deal was that I had the same cabin on Navigator in 2015, and the cruise I just booked for 2017 was $90 more, but I got $100 more in OBC. This time it is on the Liberty which is a little bigger ship. Going out of Galveston in a Jr Suite.

Thanks,

Joe

Does anyone have any new information on smoking on formal nights in the casino on RC? We took a cruise in 2015 and they did allow it. I hoped they did not allow it because it is frustrating to have an expensive suit on and have to worry about getting it all smokey.

Some say just stay away from the casino, but that they have large openings into common areas.

On all the RC Freedom and Voyager class ships there is a staircase in the middle of the casino that leads into the middle of the promenade. Lots of smoke exits the casino and into the promenade. All public areas of RC ships are supposed to be smoke free. However, with a staircase in the middle of the smoking section that leads to the big public area, the promenade is not smoke free.

At least if they do not allow it on formal nights, we could hang out on the promenade.

Thanks

How did everyone gear about this WOW sale that will start on 2/20/16? I am a Crown and Anchor member (almost at platinum). Am I not high enough on the rewards ladder?

Thanks,

Joe

I was just on the Caribbean Princess out of Houston the last week in Jan. Really like the port of Houston. I have taken a cruise from Galveston but much prefer Houston. I asked the Future Cruise Sales person if Princess was going to stay in the Midwest. He said not in 2016, or 2017. I hope that we do not have to go all the way to either coast to take a Princess Cruise. I hope they decide to stay in Houston, but if not they should choose Galveston, NOLA, or Mobile. I want to take another Princess, but do not want to go all the way to southern FL or the west coast. Princess is my favorite line and I will take another cruise with them as soon as they return to the central US. I hope Jan Swartz is listening :).

Is Three Amigos more of a bar and Panchos more of a restaurant? I am looking for a relaxing family place, not a rowdy bar. Want to have a good authentic meal in a quiet relaxing place where I am close to the water.

Thanks,

Joe

Does anyone know the address of Three Amigos in Cozumel? Do they have free WiFi if you buy something?

We are getting off the pier for Princess. I am pretty sure I go left and it is a few blocks on the left. I can not find this location on Google. Found it on trip adviser.

Is the best restaurant that is an easy walk from the pier?

Thanks,

Joe

Hi Joe, of course they would not say. Would you? We have lots of clients that I have regular contact with. They are entitled to lots of information from me because they pay handsomely for it. But they are not entitled to know how my compensation is structured. That's between my employer and me....... and my tax accountant.:);)

DirtyDawg,

You missed my point. They were open and glad to share how everyone's compensation was structured except for those who get tips. My point was to show that they are not transparent and there is no way to know what happens to the tips. Why are the cruise lines so up front with how some of the crew is paid and not others? If you are being asked to pay extra for something you have a right to know why and who the money is going to. All the crew members have a contract with the cruise line. They are not just there to work and only get tips. If you don't tip do they still get paid? If you do tip do they get to keep it all? Is their salary reduced by how much they get in tips?

If they wanted tips for the Captain would you just pay it and say it is none of your business. Isn't he paid a fair salary. I know he provided a great service by getting us to all the locations timely, safely and comfortably, so maybe he should be tipped also. I am trying to show the ridiculousness and unfairness to the passengers and crew members of the surcharge that is called tipping

Sorry, some more info I forgot to include on my last post.

On my last cruise I took a behind the scenes tour. It was great. We asked various crewmembers how they were paid and what was their benefits package. They did not give salary amounts but were very glad to explain benefits packages and how they were paid. When I asked the waiters about their pay, they acted like they were not sure. When I pressed them they said it was some combination of salary and tips. Seemed like they were not supposed to say.

Part of the tips go to the supervisor and trainer of the waiters.

The crew are guaranteed a certain salary. When you tip a crewmember, the cruise line deducts it from what they would have paid the crewmember. This is why the crewmembers are much more concerned with your review of their service than of any money you give them.

It is just a surcharge that short changes the cruisers and the crew. Including it in the price is much more transparent and fair to everyone.

I recently too another cruise and have some more thoughts on the tipping discussion.

Many people tip because they feel the receiver is underpaid and deserves the extra money. This is noble but I think it misses a key point. The main reason the person is underpaid is because of the expectation of tips. If the person received no tips the cruise line would have to pay more. The cruise line pays them a very low salary and tells them that the tips will make up the difference. So by tipping we are enabling the cruise lines to continue to underpay those employees. If everyone would stop tipping, the cruise lines would have to pay them a decent salary.

Many cruise lines allow you to prepay your tips. Many require mandatory tips be added to your room if you are using anytime dining. If tips are a reward for good service, why would you prepay them. You have no idea what kind of service you will receive before you even board the ship. Why require tips if you do anytime dining? These both indicate that tipping is not a viewed by the cruise line as a reward for good service, but part of the cost of the cruise that you pay separately.

Free riders who do not pay tips make the tip requirement higher for those of us that do tip. They also short change the person who deserves the tip. If the cruise lines paid the person a decent wage and put it into the cost of the cruise, everyone would pay their fair share and the workers would earn a fair wage.

Have you ever tipped the chef on a cruise? When your steak comes out exactly as you asked, why do you tip the waiter when it was the chef who provided great service. When the Captain does a great job of piloting the ship, do you tip him? Why do we tip some people who directly provide us with great service and not others? Because tipping is used as way for the employer to pay the person less and put the responsibility on the customer to pay the person.

My point is that although many tip out of good intentions, they are enabling the unfairness to the crew and customers.

Took and Royal Caribbean cruise in Feb. I didn't like all the smoking on RC before they changed their policy, so I thought I would give it another try.

Here is some quotes from RC policies "For the comfort and enjoyment of our guests, our ships are designated as non-smoking" and "Onboard all interior public spaces are smoke free".

In reality some interior public spaces are very smoky. The promenade is the main interior public space. There is a staircase in the middle of the promenade that leads to the middle of the casino. I have never seen anyone take the stairs, but it functions as a chimney for the smoke in the casino to enter the promenade. Smoke also exits the casino on either end entering the areas on either end and above the casino doors. So if the casino is open, the promenade is smoky. Numerous times we went to the promenade to get a bite to eat, shop, hang out, listen to music, but we didn't stay long because our clothes would smell like smoke and we would have to breathe it while we were there.

Simply designating something as non-smoking does not make it so. You must make it so by proactively putting up doors, or somehow preventing the smoke from flowing out to other areas. I plan to take another RC cruise as soon as all interior public spaces are truly smoke free in practice, not just in policy.

I would like to take a HAL cruise next summer, but am reluctant to because I don't want to put up with smoke. I will not get a balcony if I do go. They allow smoking on the some desks, so I will not go there either. They allow it in the casino which is always widely open to other areas, so the smoke leaves the casino and makes other areas smoky. I am all for letting people smoke, but not for making non-smokers have to breathe it in. I was on an RC cruise before they stopped allowing smoking on the balconies. When people would smoke on the balconies with the balcony door open, the wind would blow the smoke into the room and then onto the hallways.

HAL has to realize that they can't have it both ways, if they allow smoking on areas open to other areas, the ship is a smoking ship. HAL's piers have much better smoking policies and Celebrity doesn't allow smoking in the casino or in any areas that connect to others. HAL's competitors will be my first choice until I don't have to put up with it on HAL.

Anytime you have a voluntary system like the tipping on cruise ships, you will have free riders. Those who use the services but don't pay their fair share. Those of us who are fair minded and generous end up paying for the free riders. That is one of the many problems that are part of the cruise line tipping scheme. They should pay the employees a decent wage and make everyone who cruises pay for it.

I wish I could pay a fair price for the cruise that includes everything (tipping) and not have to worry about it or feel like if I don't tip someone doesn't get paid.

Thanks,

Joe