Little Buddy's Mom

My TA gives me 10% back, either as shipboard credit or she'll send a check when we return. I usually book direct with cruiseline and then transfer within 60 days. I don't mind giving up control of my booking, for that kind of money. Any unused credit is refundable and goes on our credit card.

$5,000 cruise fare (minus taxes, fees) will get us almost $500.

We buy cruiseline insurance to cover the basics. Then we buy GeoBlu annual policy to add additional medical and evacuation coverage. My husband had to visit the medical center on our last cruise and both paid promptly. Works for us. :)

I always used my Credit Card for our charges, yet our next cruise which is only a 7 day cruise, I will put cash toward the bill, on the day before we arrive in port to minimize what ends up on the Credit Card.

Why not wait until you get your credit card bill, in the mail and pay it in full then? :confused: I don't like standing in line at Guest Services. I guess if you carry a balance on your card, it makes sense, otherwise it doesn't. At least, not to me.

I wouldn't recommend the Quantum of the Seas. These cruise are 4 and 5 day China RT cruises. Do you speak Chinese?

 

I would recommend a re-position cruise out of Singapore for China. For this cruise there would be more English spoken. The cruise would be longer.

Maybe you didn't notice, he doesn't seem to like unsolicited advice. :rolleyes:

We were on the Allure TA last year on Halloween. They did have a parade but there was such a crowd we gave up on seeing it. It was not well organized at all and the people dressed in custumes and trying to march became part of the crowd.

We've been on other ships, at Halloween and the parade was handled much better.

We've booked anywhere from 3 weeks out to two years out. One of the best cruise prices we've ever gotten was on the Quantum TA, inside for $599. and got upgraded to a balcony. We booked that about 6 weeks out. We've never had a problem with air, since we book one way air thru Choice Air and usually get good prices, even last minute.

We buy the cruiseline insurance but also buy Geo Blue annual policy, to add additional medical and evacuation coverage. Geo Blu covers you, even if you have pre-existing medical problem. The cost for both was less than other single policies and Geo Blue covers you for a year, international travel. Recently, my husband had to see the doctor onboard the Allure. We paid the bill and was quickly reimbursed by insurance company.

Check out GeoBlue, annual policy. We usually buy cruiseline insurance (since it's so cheap) and buy GeoBlue for the evacuation coverage. It also has a small amount of medical coverage. I just call it, Peace of Mind insurance.

We were on one cruise and a family came in wearing shorts on a formal Night, they were stopped immediately. Shorts are alright in the dining room during the day for lunch but not in the evening

This must have been sometime ago because I've seen people in shorts, (even on formal night) on cruises. The only time, I've actually seen the dress code enforced was on Quantum, in Grande. They'll lend a man jacket to wear to the table. Now that they're doing away with DD, Grande probably won't be formal anymore. I actually don't care what people are wearing, as long as they're clean and covered up. There are some things that shouldn't be worn but I'm more interested in how my food tastes. :)

What kind of MTD process is this when it seems that someone on RCL is determining the pax dining time.

It does seem Royal has a lot to learn about running a smooth dining process. They've been doing MTD for years now and just cannot get it right. On the Allure, last year, even people with reservations, were forced to wait 15-30 minutes to get seated. Everyone, with or without reservations, had to stand in one line until you got up to the desk. I finally had enough of this and voiced my frustration with this process. After that, we went directly to the desk and they seated us immediately.

It is true, the squeaky wheel gets the grease but it shouldn't have to be that way.;)

We experienced DD on the Quantum Maiden TA. Our first night we ate at American Icon and we were the first people to eat at AI. It was actually funny how our waiter hovered over us, he was so glad to finally be able to wait on someone, after the weeks of training.

Making reservations is the part I didn't like, so we actually preferred eating in the Windjammer. Booking show times and meal times is rather cumbersome.

I take it you know that was nothing to do with 9-11-

 

 

 

Armistice Day is commemorated every year on November 11 to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month 1918 ...

My husband and I were on the cruise Desert Cruizers mentioned. As I recall, we met together because it was 11.11.11. (Veteran's Day) and had nothing to do with 9.11. It seems Armistice Day is a holiday people don't observe much anymore and gets mixed up with Memorial Day. Europe does a better job of observing it with Poppies.

Since the parents are going with the children and if all of your are boarding the ship at the same time, then no documentation needed, however I would bring Birth Certificates along. It appears the children are not rooming with their parents, yet the parents should request a key for their rooms to check in on them. Set up meeting times & locations during the cruise.

 

In regards to the Tours or just leaving the ship to walk around, no child is allowed to leave the ship without an adult. As previously mentioned if an excursions requires a waver for a child, then the supervising adult should sign and carry that. When returning back to Port a check point is set up to check Sea Pass Cards upon entering the area. We bring on tours or when going into port, our DL & sometimes our Pass Ports.

Did you read the original post? :rolleyes: One child is staying with grandparents so why would the parents need a key to that cabin?

Also, there was no discussion about any child leaving the ship alone.

I just shake my head and keep walking. If, they keep talking, I scowl at them. Works every time. Maybe, I'm being rude but it's my vacation, not theirs.

We actually let them take a few pictures, so we can get our free ones but I decide when.

Cute story MrsPete. That dad did good pulling it off. :)

You're*

Are you the Spelling Police? :rolleyes: Evidently, you are not aware, that correcting someone's spelling or grammar is not allowed on the boards. Please read the Guidelines, if you need more information.

I was , I was mentioning the high cost of Tours when we did NZ in comparison to our Copenhagen TA and Iceland next August of 2017.

Don't know why you would compare the price of tours in NZ with Iceland or Denmark. They're not even the same continent. When we were in Iceland, we (6 of us) hired a van and driver for the day and thought it was a very good value. He even accepted US$. I would definitely go that way instead of a very large tour bus.

Galveston seems to be a drive to port that appeals more to Texans and those in neighboring states. We thought about cruising out of there but changed our minds and booked out of Ft Lauderdale. Go to the ports of call section for more info. I'm willing to spend more money to get to the port in Europe but not out of Galveston. :(

Rollcalls are tough sometimes. Some are just slow, with very little interest. Others have thousands of posts but are dominated by one particular poster. I have seen rollcalls with 2,000 posts and one poster will have 1,000 of them, no thank you, not interested in ever meeting someone like that!

I agree. That's why I don't join roll calls anymore. I get tired reading posts from someone who feels it's their responsibility to answer every post, even if it's directed to someone else.:rolleyes:

Because it is how I can afford to cruise. Each paycheck that comes in I am making a payment so that payment is in essence paid in full so I am not floating on my credit card being charged interest, the cruise line does that for me with no interest.

Sounds like a good way to do it. I guess I don't understand how someone could pay for a cruise with a credit card and not pay the bill in full monthly. The interest would certainly add a lot to the cruise price. I wouldn't cruise if I couldn't afford to pay my credit card bill in full each month but I guess everyone doesn't feel that way. Hopefully, they have a rainy day fund.

Never made payments other than deposit and final. How/why do you arrange payments?

We also only make a deposit and final payment. It seems like a lot of extra work to make payments, have separate cruise accounts, spreadsheets, etc. I'd rather hold on to my money until final payment is due. I'd probably payoff early if they gave me sb credit or something. :)

 

Whenever we do trivia, or sign up for a Meet and Mingle, I always remember that family.

 

Sorry for the hijack...carry on!

Bragging a bit, aren't you?:rolleyes:

Why didn't you just form a team of six and you could all have that coveted "ship on a stick.":D

I have found most M&M's are usually cliques, made up of people who already know each other, from other cruises or a group traveling together.

The people we formed lasting relationships with, were usually our tablemates and not someone we met at a M&M or on a roll call.

Other people may have a different experience.

I spent 28 days on the Carnival Liberty and didn't see anyone coming to breakfast in their robes, with curlers in their hair. I don't doubt you but that type of person would do the same thing on Royal Caribbean.

I've seen things on Royal Caribbean that I didn't like but I certainly don't blame the cruise line because some people don't know how to dress. That's just silly.

You probably won't get kicked off the first time they catch you and maybe not the second time but the odds are, the third time you're gone.

Cigar smell tends to linger longer than cigarette smell, so someone is going to report you. If, I was in the cabin next to you and your stinky cigar, believe me, I'd report you. Perhaps, you would have been better off sailing on a line that still allows smoking on the balcony. I believe Holland America does allow balcony cigarette smoking but even they may not allow cigars.

Even you, in your Owners Suite, may have to follow the rules or suffer the consequences.