Spurschick

Got it today as well. Also wanted to know about food, handbags, watches and flights. CR VIP as well.

Looks like they are trying to get an idea of how smoking/ not smoking in the casino will affect their VIP's returning.

Thank you for the replies so far. I should have started this post with a history lesson. There are three categories you are charged for when you purchase a cruise: cruise fare, port charges, and government taxes. There was a time when cruise lines would not add port charges to advertised rates. There were lawsuits and now cruise lines must add port charges to the advertised cruise fare. This applies to fares in the US, I can't speak for international pricing.

 

So the advertised fare of $560 on my cruise includes the port charges. The $107 extra encompasses the taxes. I am only paying the $107 once, but as this is a 200% sailing, I need to pay the $560 twice. But I would argue that some portion of the second $560 is port charges for a non-existent passenger. So unless the cruise line is charged by the ports for each berth on the ship, regardless of its occupancy (I'd argue that this isn't the case, but I'm not sure).

 

Also, someone mentioned that they have never paid 200% on a solo cabin - kudos to you. I've been following early December sailings (a very slow time for cruise lines) for a couple of months, and the only exceptions to the 200% standard are a couple of NCL options and a couple of Carnival options. I'm happy with the deal that I got, I just want to know why I'm paying port charges for the mythical second person. Let me be clear that I'm not paying double taxes.

On all my invoices my cruise fare is listed as one line item, my taxes, fees and port charges are listed together as a seperate line item. The port fees are not included in the cruise fare.

Actually it is called TSA Pre, and they were 10oz. bottles and they may or may not have gotten through. I threw them. I would've gladly handed them over. I know I forgot I had 1 entering Ohare and he took it dumped the 1 oz out gave it back.

 

I am looking/weighing at getting a global entry card.

 

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From tsa

Liquids Rule. You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint. These are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item.

Pre check or not the rules are the rules and large containers with fluids will not make it through.

If you need water plan on buying it once through security

Agreed, never had an issue with RC enforcing boarding times in UK. (P&O is the only cruise line I know of that does enforce boarding times in Southampton)

Layout of ships is better than some other cruise lines. Loyalty program is good. Casino has good variety of slots. Cabins.

When I read the flyer i recall it saying select excursions per cruise in the terms and conditions. Not every excursion was discounted, just a selection.

There is NO WAY to enforce arrival times...you get there when you get there! Folks planes arrive when they do...travel times are "iffy"...show up when you want!

Whilst I have not seen RC enforce arrival times, there are cruise lines that DO so there is a way. At the moment RC do not so to answer the OP you will be fine turning up early.

There is no way to enforce a "boarding by deck" policy...folks are arriving from 10am up to 1 hour before departure. Boarding a ship isn't like boarding a plane at all...it's more like checking into a hotel. Once they clear the ship of departing passengers, it's all 1st come- next boarded!

 

No worries...arrive when you arrive and get in the boarding line!

I take it you've not cruised P&O because they will and do enforce it. It works very efficiently from what I understand from family that recently sailed with them. So yes it is possible.

I think the OP's point is there is no longer a statement that it does not apply to upper tier members.

 

Thank you for posting.

Firstly I notice it states suggested, not mandatory. I have never seen it enforced and never had an issue turning up early. I would not expect the op to have an issue.

Secondly, I now notice on the benefits page that there is no mention of any tier getting priority embarkation. All tier levels state priority check in, but none mention embarkation.

Have you reviewed the roll call for this cruise?

You may find people there.

Do you know about the boarding by decks policy announced for the October 13th sailing of Grandeur out of Baltimore. It ignores the value of Crown & Anchor membership. Deck 2 does not board until 2:30pm.

 

I sent the following comment to the official Crown & Anchor comments site:

"As frequent repeat cruisers, with cruises reserved for the remainder of this year(Oct. 13, Dec. 22) and for 2017 (Mar. 6, May 18, Oct.5); we are very unhappy to learn that boarding for the Oct. 13 cruise will be by the deck of one's stateroom rather than by the tier within the CAS.

 

To minimize sea sickness, we reserve inside staterooms, mid-ship, on Deck 2. So, instead of boarding at 11:30, as has been our practice, you now require us to wait until 2:30. We know many CAS members who book the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th decks. Your boarding by decks policy devalues CAS membership. You know and we know that late boarding affects when we will get our luggage that affects when we dress for dinner and the evening.

 

We want to continue sailing on the Grandeur out of Baltimore, but that will be influenced by whether RCI honors CAS membership or chooses to ignore CAS membership. We are hoping that the decision to board by deck was an oversight and will be corrected before the October 13th sailing of the Grandeur.

I await your response."

If you could share the communication you received and what your tier level is, it would be beneficial for others on the forum to be able to tell if this is different than the standard boarding time communication.

Like others have stated, there is a standard communication that has been sent out regarding boarding times. However i have never seem them enforce this and the communication also states that if you are certain tier levels it does not apply.

Please share the information you received.

How does this work? If I purchase something in port they take it and keep it for me till the cruise is complete. If I purchase from the ship it works the same I believe.

My question is, if I am flying I need to pack the bottles in my suitcase. How can that be done if I am giving them my luggage the night before and I will not see it till I get to my home airport. What do people do? If I have to keep my luggage and transfer it myself its not worth the bother.

Any suggestions?

I assume you are intending on using luggage valet from your comments. If you were not using luggage valet and you didn't get your purchase until the morning you could have claimed your case and then packed in the case before leaving for the airport.

Royal website has 2 excursions in Jamaica with similar descriptions (white river tubing + Dunn River falls + meal) but different pricing and length (7 hour vs 5 hours, $139 vs $109). Anyone done these, and what's the "real" difference between the two?

 

thanks in advance!

If you are looking at Fy78 and Fy44

The 7 hour one cruises to Dunns Falls. The shorter one is by coach. It notes the difference in the description.

Hope that helps

It looks like it's only showing sailings that have availability.

Go to the US website and you can see it shows sold out.

Just thought I'd do a little price check by doing a mock booking for our mini cruise on Indy in October. When I looked the cruise has disappeared. Also nothing available to book on her from 1st - 26th October. Am I being paranoid or do you think she might have to go into emergency dry dock or something and those cruises have been swiped (albeit not much notice!)

 

Hope I'm just being over paranoid!! Anyone heard anything. Thanks [emoji3]

 

 

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Your cruise is showing as sold out. It has not disappeared as far as I can see. Given it is during half term it is not surprising it is sold out with only one month to go. Several shorter navigator sailings out of Southampton are sold out as well for October.

I never knew this existed. I'm a Canadian citizen and travel with my us citizen husband and Canadian children. I've always gone through the only customs line I saw. Once in NY, once in Ft lauderdale and last week in Tampa. I fill out the declaration form for US citizens claiming nothing on it as it doesn't apply to non US citizens and I go through with everyone else in the herd and never was told anything about a non US line.

 

 

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Each port is different. Some ports I've seen everyone is in one line. As others have mentioned, Port Everglades one of the terminals has a GOES line and a separate suite line which bypasses the regular line as well.

The last time we were at Galveston there were lines only partitioned by lines on the floor, and each line had a number screen above the immigration officers desk with a brief sign that said US or Non US. It was very basic wording.

I know Galveston is undergoing a renovation. I don't think the arrivals area is complete yet (please correct if I am wrong). I hope it improves once it is complete.

Just for future reference, if you are traveling with US citizens and have a green card, you can go through the citizen line, this applies for airports too.

All other ports I agree. However our experience at Galveston is that as soon as they see a non US passport they move you to the non citizen line. YMMV but Galveston is not good for non US Citizens, even for those with GC's.

So far Global Entry is only available at Port Everglades, not in Galveston. And it is based on your US passports, I don't believe that others would be eligible for the program....although we received a letter that there was a similar program available for entry into Great Britain.

Global entry is available to US residents that are on GC's. Do not need US passport. Correct Galveston does not have Global Entry.

If the deposit was put toward a different cruise in the future, they wouldn't pay

I understand in reality they shouldn't pay. However given that the cruise contract shows final payment date and penalty the insurance company is in all reality not going back to RC to see if it was reimbursed because the contract clearly states it won't be reimbursed. All you need to do is provide your invoice with dates and penalties clearly stated. The vast majority of insurance companies will take the penalty contract as binding, because the vast majority of the time the cruise line won't transfer or refund it. You have a document clearly stating the amount and that it is non refundable. For a claim my understanding is you need the doctors note and the paperwork showing the panalties and non refundable amounts with dates which is what your invoice clearly shows

In reality how many do get refunded or their deposits transferred in the overall amount of cancellations after final payment. As a percentage very few. Which is why insurance companies don't expect it to happen.

Cruise lines need to be more consistent

Unless you start making multiple claims after final payment date you are very unlikely to raise a red flag.

I'd have to see that in writing to believe it. Basically that would be the rep saying insurance is a waste of money and don't buy it, as our company would rather swallow the cost of any loss of revenue then have an insurance company do so. I think anyone counting on this being policy is going to be in for some heartbreak if they can't make their cruise.

 

In fact I might have to ask RCL about that myself, so I can skip insurance in the future *grin*

Agreed. Can you imagine the lawsuits if TA's told their clients they don't need insurance, they will be covered anyway, then something happens and then they are not covered:confused:no one will ever put that in writing:rolleyes:

I hope your husband's surgery goes well. Insurance will cover the $900 as others have said. As far as transferring the funds instead of an outright cancel, we tried to do that when we had to cancel a cruise and were told we could and then they reneged. We ended up cancelling and got all our money back except the cost of the insurance, but we lost a next cruise and the OBC that went with it.

 

What I found disappointing was at the same time I was trying to transfer the funds and was denied, someone else was posting how they were allowed to transfer their funds and they had no insurance at all. Seems very similar to your situation as you are being denied a transfer of booking, when there is another thread from a gentleman who has been allowed to move his funds to another cruise and he has no insurance.

 

Makes you wonder why you should buy insurance in the first place.

The problem lies that if the cruise is past final payment then there will be a penalty assessed. If you have insurance there is no way the insurance company would know that the cruise line agreed to transfer that penalty amount to a future cruise, which in escence could be cancelled at a future date for a full refund.

Therefore issue one is, as others have noted, if the penalty is transferred to a future date it could be cancelled and a full refund obtained, hence making the penalty nul and void. Issue two is insurance company not knowing the penalty has been transferred to another cruise as paperwork will show penalty date and value. Then people putting in a claim for the penalty amount. They could theoretically get a refund and the penalty transferred!

I'm not saying that is what the OP would do, but it leaves a lot of loopholes if cruise lines constantly allow penalties to be waived or transferred.

We monitor our bill constantly to correct any "mistakes" immediately. We got our bill yesterday morning and owed $0.98 and that was because the casino charged us for taking our OBC out to gamble...we explained we were gambling, again, but the guy wouldn't remove it. Oh well...BUT whe we checked out bill once we got home this morning there was a charge for $14.80! We never used the minibar...can't get anyone to remove the charge. Don't mind getting stiffed once, but twice? Sitting on rot to customer service!

Call RC for the extra charge of $14.80. Make sure you call the post cruise department. Regarding the casino fee, yes unless you are a Casino VIP you pay to withdraw money in the casino gambling or not.

The programs are not reciprocal. I tried to join Blue Chip. I was told to let casino host know we wanted rating, but we wouldn't qualify until after the first sailing for benefits. I understand the same applies in reverse.

 

$5=1 point is correct for regular slots. Sailed on Anthem numerous times and as a slot player I am not aware of any specialty slots on board Anthem.

Linda,

Thanks for clarifying the VP points. I prefer the regular slots:D

what's the coin in for the 1 point? 10 to 1?

$5=1 point