Port of Tampa fog this morning....

[FLACRUISER99]

How is RCI going to handle the C & A points? The folks that were on the ship a few extra days should get points for that, but RCI will probably say they were free nights so no points.:mad:

[rafinmd]

How is RCI going to handle the C & A points? The folks that were on the ship a few extra days should get points for that, but RCI will probably say they were free nights so no points.:mad:

 

Do you get C&A points for a charter?

 

I think the people who showed up for the cancelled cruise should get come C&A bonus points.

 

Roy

[bigeck]

Do you get C&A points for a charter?

 

I think the people who showed up for the cancelled cruise should get come C&A bonus points.

 

Roy

 

Maybe for the nights they spent in a hotel that Rci are covering the charge for.

[TravelerThom]

Wow, I was surprised to hear they cancelled the cruise. I figured they would just do a shortened cruise to Key West or, alternately, a cruise to nowhere...

A cruise to nowhere would be legal, but even a closed loop cruise to Key West without a foreign port is not allowed for a foreign flagged vessel. I feel for those that missed their cruise, but there is still fog here this morning. Bay News 9 is saying "Fog will blanket the bay through Wednesday [today] afternoon" but they have also said for the last two days that it would burn off by the afternoon, and that didn't happen. If you think that the authorities are being overly cautious you probably didn't live here when the Sunshine Skyway bridge was knocked into the water by a freighter killing 35 people.

 

Thom

[sml3]

Forecast looks rainy and foggy through the weekend.

[Earthworm Jim]

So sorry to those who had their cruise cancelled. How disappointing, although of course, I do understand. I feel RCI's compensation was fair and in fact, generous.

 

I don't know that I'd go so far as to call it generous. Certainly it was no fault of RCI's, but they can't very well tell those cruisers "Sorry, you're cruise isn't happening. Here's your money back. Bye." That would have left a very bad taste in those cruisers' mouths. They had to do something more, even though it wasn't their fault.

 

The 25% future cruise discount seems an acceptable compensation to me for good will's sake, but hardly a move to make one think RCI went above and beyond.

 

While a nice gesture that they didn't have to do, a Future Cruise Credit that has to be used within a year is worthless to most people. :(

 

Why would you say that? Even if those people only get one measly week of vacation a year, they would presumably get another week next year and be able to take a cruise this time next year before it expires.

 

I wouldn't call it worthless.

[loubetti]

Infra Red vision systems would solve the fog problem. We have them in aviation, not sure why the ships do not have them.

 

Here's an example:

 

http://www.sensorsinc.com/applications/general/aircraft-landing-systems/

[Boytjie]

Do you get C&A points for a charter?

 

 

 

I think the people who showed up for the cancelled cruise should get come C&A bonus points.

 

 

Don't know about C&A but on HAL we get the same Mariner points on charter cruises as one would on regular cruises. (You get a Mariner point per day sailed - double for suites - and a point per $300 spent onboard up to a maximum which I think equals days sailed).

[cooncat]

Tampa is not your normal port. Not only does it have complicate sea channels, it also has the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Over 35 years ago, a freighter crashed into the old bridge in fog. It knocked that bridge down causing many deaths. So as unfortunate it is to close it down, they must for the safety of thousands.

[At Sea 4Ever]

Does anyone know the name of the restaurant that sits directly at the pier? It's right behind the fence that separates the pier from the outside.

[nolesrule]

Do you get C&A points for a charter?

 

I think the people who showed up for the cancelled cruise should get come C&A bonus points.

 

Roy

 

Yes, you get C&A points for a charter... as long as you provide your C&A number on your reservation. My understanding is the only perk you don't get is the balcony discount.

[Boytjie]

My understanding is the only perk you don't get is the balcony discount.

 

That would make sense since the charter is the one selling the cabins and setting the prices, not the cruise line.

[bluegirlum]

T2B2, thanks again! Hope you've made it safely to Houston. You're my new favorite Buckeye fan! :) But still, Go Blue!

 

It will be interesting to see what happens when we board on Saturday. I'm hoping weather won't be a factor on either end, but I've packed a few extra days worth of medications and other necessities just in case. And I have the number for the Marriott stored in my phone. I'm so sorry for GTO-Girl and everyone else whose cruise was canceled. I know there's nothing I can do about it so I'm double checking my trip insurance and just planning on a fun trip. At least I won't be in the cold midwest!

[nolesrule]

That would make sense since the charter is the one selling the cabins and setting the prices, not the cruise line.

 

Exactly that.

 

We looked at going on a full charter a couple years ago, and I emailed the charter organizers with a few questions, one of them being a question about getting C&A points for the cruise. Sadly we were unable to go, because we had no one to take the kids that week.

[Aquahound]

Yes, you get C&A points for a charter... as long as you provide your C&A number on your reservation. My understanding is the only perk you don't get is the balcony discount.

 

Are you sure about that? :confused: I have friends who recently went on a charter cruise on Liberty of the Seas and they did not get C&A points. Also, I remember several posts in the past from people saying they didn't get credits.

[nolesrule]

Was their C&A number on thereservation? Did their Sea Pass cards have their C&A level on them on that cruise? Was it a charter cruise that they paid for? Or was it like the one on Brilliance where it was included with a car purchase?

[Cindy]

Was their C&A number on thereservation? Did their Sea Pass cards have their C&A level on them on that cruise? Was it a charter cruise that they paid for? Or was it like the one on Brilliance where it was included with a car purchase?

 

I can see where that would make a difference. I agree, if a charter is a "gift with purchase" then points shouldn't be given, but for paid charters I think passengers absolutely should get the points. In many cases, rates on a charter are much higher than rates on a regular sailing.

[Aquahound]

Was their C&A number on thereservation? Did their Sea Pass cards have their C&A level on them on that cruise? Was it a charter cruise that they paid for? Or was it like the one on Brilliance where it was included with a car purchase?

 

It was a full charter. It was the rock and roll cruise a couple months ago on LOS. The rest, I have no way of knowing, other than them telling me the cruise didn't count toward their C&A status. For what it's worth, they're Emerald and I've cruised with them before, so I do know they're savvy to the C&A system and would know enough to ask.

 

Oh, and they also did the same cruise last year and same thing....no credit.

[cruiser fanatic]

Does it look like Carnival Paradise will have some issues when it arrives tomorrow morning?

[nolesrule]

It was a full charter. It was the rock and roll cruise a couple months ago on LOS. The rest, I have no way of knowing, other than them telling me the cruise didn't count toward their C&A status. For what it's worth, they're Emerald and I've cruised with them before, so I do know they're savvy to the C&A system and would know enough to ask.

 

Oh, and they also did the same cruise last year and same thing....no credit.

 

Obviously, you have no way of knowing, but you absolutely have to put the C&A numbers on the reservation to get credit. My understanding is that all of that can be managed through My Cruises on the RCI website since you get a standard RCI booking number even when booking through a charter.

[yogimax]

RCCL chartered our cruise to an outside group. Guess what we got? $100 OBC. Nothing else.

[JulieM]

Does anyone know the name of the restaurant that sits directly at the pier? It's right behind the fence that separates the pier from the outside.

 

Flambe

[GTO-Girl]

Maybe for the nights they spent in a hotel that Rci are covering the charge for.[/quote

 

On Monday when they told us we would not be sailing that day they gave out lists of hotels and told us to "get a room and Royal would pay for it". This was stated more than once by the people at the terminal. We were even given slips of paper with the RCCI number to call for reimbursement.

 

Now Royal is saying that is not the case and only those who booked their air through them would have their room comped!!! I try to be positive in all situations but we feel like we were mislead at the port just to get rid of us.

 

To add insult to injury my Trip Insurance doesn't want to pay for the extra expensives we incurred by having to stay in Tampa for the extra time. They "may" pay for a very small portion but only if I provide them with a ridiculous amount of paperwork. I may not even bother because what she said they would pay os not really worth my time!!

 

But on a good note....we are home safely and we did enjoy our time in Tampa. We have another cruise scheduled on the Brilliance in April.......just praying it will go smoothly.

[At Sea 4Ever]

Flambe

 

 

Thanks but I'm thinking of a different one more casual. I think from what I can remember it had a pool or a play area or something attached...

[bluegirlum]

Maybe for the nights they spent in a hotel that Rci are covering the charge for.[/quote

 

On Monday when they told us we would not be sailing that day they gave out lists of hotels and told us to "get a room and Royal would pay for it". This was stated more than once by the people at the terminal. We were even given slips of paper with the RCCI number to call for reimbursement.

 

Now Royal is saying that is not the case and only those who booked their air through them would have their room comped!!! I try to be positive in all situations but we feel like we were mislead at the port just to get rid of us.

 

To add insult to injury my Trip Insurance doesn't want to pay for the extra expensives we incurred by having to stay in Tampa for the extra time. They "may" pay for a very small portion but only if I provide them with a ridiculous amount of paperwork. I may not even bother because what she said they would pay os not really worth my time!!

 

But on a good note....we are home safely and we did enjoy our time in Tampa. We have another cruise scheduled on the Brilliance in April.......just praying it will go smoothly.

 

Document everything anyone said to you and definitely make a claim. There probably will be a lot of people who feel it isn't worth the effort. It is! I can't even imagine how frustrating this has been for you, but you've paid for these things and should get reimbursed if they said they would reimburse you. Good luck!