Goodtime Cruizin

You do realize there are many cruisers in a similar situation as OP. If you forgive one, you will have to forgive them all. The lost revenue and vacant cabin flood gate will burst wide open.

I would think that RCCL is insured for loss of income due to storms / hurricanes. Also, not everyone on the cruise would have a southern Florida address. Many, including us fly to and from FtL. & Miami for our cruises. Exceptions can and should be made.

Not an American company??? Their headquarters is in Miami!

 

 

 

 

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Headquarters is an address. They do not fly under the US flag for a reason.

OP... for the record, your insurance company should have been by and made settlement by now. IMO, you need two new agents and carriers. One for your property and one for your vacation. Of course you most likely know this by now.

Try your best to enjoy the cruise.

So RCCL and its shareholders should lose out because of your own misfortune that has absolutely nothing do with them? Please explain why?

I believe so. I mean, at least a credit for a future cruise would be in order. I think that where the issue is, is the disconnect between an American company and a foreign company. I believe if it were an American company there would be a bit more of a sympathetic response.

For further explanation: While it is not RCCL fault, the OP did not get what he/she bought & paid for. Once the change was made on the itinerary was made, RCCL should also understand the changes that are needed and required by Floridians as well. I mean they do have their addresses and zip codes. I suspect the issue is more about pleasing a bottomline of a profit statement for the month vs looking out for the best interests of their customers.

I hope all the people who say it doesn't hurt to get a drink here and there for their spouse recognize what they have done but I guess that's doubtful. Doesn't matter to me as we both get the package but I can see how upset some will be.

I laugh. Smuggling came before sharing.

You keep posting that because they are a for-profit that this can't possibly have anything to do with preventing stealing, but those two things go together. There are plenty of people boasting about stealing, but the fact that people here have not seen it, means nothing, they are trying to hide it, and we have no idea who paid for a drink, or who has a package.

 

This does affect me, because my wife wants the package, but I probably was not going to buy, and it still doesn't bother me. We have the choice to buy it not, if it makes sense, we will, if not then no.

 

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Both will make changes in the bottomline, but increasing pricing is to increases income, while decreasing product shortages is done to reduce the expenses. Whether you understand this is on you. But companies can & do make operating adjustments to both for specific reasons.

Again, is your known and/or visual experience a 1 to 1 ratio or a 1000 to 1 ratio on cruisers that you know for a fact are sharing?

What really annoys me is that the people who have been sharing a single package are responsible for this !

 

I don't care as both me and the wife get value for money from the package

If you always get the packages for both then it really shouldn't annoy you. Besides, it isn't the sharing.

OK everybody, ask yourselves of ALL the times you have witnessed someone with a drink in their hands, how many times did you witness someone sharing. If you're honest about it, I bet it's less than 1000 to 1. They we're less than 1 week into a test on one ship before they went company wide... that's some test. They're hungry for income. I think the hurricanes have cost them dearly. They need cash flow and need it now. Drink up everybody!

The more drinks you get on your package - i.e., the more you work to "get your money's worth", the less per drink your servers receive.

 

Pretend that you only drink alcoholic beverages on your package. Pretend that you only drink mango daquiris. Pretend that they cost $13 each, the upper limit of the package. 18% of $13 is $2.34.

 

Pretend that you drink 7 of these each day, to be sure that you are "getting your money's worth".

 

You paid $9.90 for that day's drinks with your package purchase.

 

But 7 x $2.34 is $16.38.

 

You have gotten a bargain. Or, to look at it another way, your servers have been cheated out of $6.48

I think I'll pretend to buy a Deluxe Pkg.

Actually, I see 'special promos' coming and/or products combined. A feel a BOGO50 coming. Perhaps a Deluxe Pkg w/ Wifi mixed or even Drink & Dine special. If they keep this type of pricing up, they'll lose money vs making money.

Not sure how you're understanding my math. But for our 14 day cruise is as follows... $55/day x 2 = $110/day x 14 days = $1540 plus $277.20 service charge <----- new terminology, which factors as 18%.

I'll wait for discounts before I buy. If no discounts, Hello Rum Runners!

Everything every for-profit company does is to make money, either directly, or not. Saying that is like saying that water us wet.

 

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Not everything, but you're right, water is wet, but the change in policy is not because of sharing.

Agree with profit margins , sharing won't be very rampant as it's cumbersome to pull it off during a vacation on a consistent basis .. but lost me at gratuity for 14 days .. so the longer one works the lesser they should get paid ?

 

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18% for each & every drink is extremely generous for two weeks. I guess my thoughts are that it takes away our option. If I receive great service I tend to even leave an extra cash tip. But when given slow service or service w/o a smile etc. they still get a generous tip. I can see this happening more & more now that most will have a alcohol pkg. $1800 for two people to drink is very close to the price of a balcony. It's pretty steep.

I'm going to shop our cruise w/ other lines adding the $1800 to see what we find.

They are 4 days into the first sailing of the 8 sailings that they were testing.

 

It looks to me like they had their mind made up ahead of the test.

Yep.

Money, money, money.

There's only one sure way of having them change their policy, don't buy the package. They obviously feel that the increase in packages sold per cabin will be greater than those who will stop buying it. Personally, I can't imagine the amount of sharing is so great so as to require this change.

 

 

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I agree. It isn't 'sharing' that's the issue, it's the profit margins that they like & want. But it's their decision to charge it, it's our decision to buy it. We have always purchased it on our 7 day cruises, but w/ a 14 day cruise coming up, I'm not going to drop $1800 on the Deluxe Pkg. of which, close to $300 is for gratuity. They are kidding themselves if they think that pouring some drinks for 14 days is worth $300. Now would be a good time to buy some stock in the company that makes the Rum Runners. :D

Excuse me for not be as knowlegeable as you. If you would know me, you would know that I am far from spoiled. Maybe you should consider that not averybody as the same experience level as you. I had 2 kids in the last 4 years so I have not worked for some time. I made a choice to become a stay at home mom to be with my kids and cut my client base by half and still manage to have enough sale to getmy IATA card befor this year (I had baby a couple months ago) Ill be starting again my normal sales soon.Before that I was full time in a travel agency. I also went to travel school so no im not a fake travel agent just to have discount. Insinuating that is very rude. Cruising is far from popular from where I am. All inclusive is 99% of my sales. Its normal for me to not be an expert in that

 

I still am a client wathever my job is. I paid for this cruise. I dont know why you are attacking me for having an opinion. I havent slept in 6 months and I was looking forward to this.

So you don't specialize in cruises. This in of itself is not an issues. But the fact you don't do your homework on the Cruise industry and more specifically the cruise line w/ regards to a particular promo is what is telling. Bashing your supplier on a forum that supports the industry is pretty cray cray. Either toughen up and learn your industry or stick to all inclusive sales. Good luck. I'm out.

Or a 3 night in a junior suite!

This is tempting. ;) But unless I've been told wrong, a Grand Suite will offer us drinks in the CL each night. Do they place 3 freed drinks on our Sea Pass for each night as well?

At this point we can purchase the packages individually. We will make the Diamond level on day 6 of the cruise, but as I understand it will not make a difference until our next cruise. The good news is we did reserve our first Grand Suite. So I guess we can get a drink or two in the CL. But we will miss the ease and comfort of having the package.

In the past, I have always advocated the Deluxe Pkg. For us, it was a no brainer and worked well. But with a 14 day cruise coming up in May 2018, I just can't pull the trigger and purchase the Deluxe Pkg for the two of us. Not only is the cost a factor (over $1800) but to be honest, I just don't think we can drink 5 to 6 drinks per day for 14 days. When I factor in that we're going to want to enjoy the great European beers that will be available to us at the port some stops, to us it just doesn't make sense. If a discount is offered it might move the needle toward BUY, but as of right now, I don't think so.

How about some of you B2B cruisers, do you guys buy the deluxe pkg? or any cruisers of 14 days or longer?

I'll take Chops over Texas road house any day , had dinner there a couple of times on each of our last 6 cruises

The two are completely different in style & atmosphere but TRH has a far better cut of meat that tastes like charbroiled cooked steak.

Thank you all, that settles it, Chops it is :)

Wait. He was explaining the Right shoe. Chops serves up the Left shoe. Neither is a good of a steak as one can get at a Texas Road House. Just saying.

I agree it's getting a little steep. But I would like to add that in addition to better food, you are also paying for a better overall dining experience. Better spacing between tables, better waiter service, more relaxing. I cannot compare an experience in the MDR on any cruise ship I've been on, including Anthem, to dining in a specialty venue. I find the MDR so un-relaxing because the waiters have too many tables and cannot pay much attention any one in particular. Getting a second drink is always a challenge and it always feels more crowded, your neighbors are so close sometimes people feel the need to start chatting because it's weird. So I'm still willing to pay extra for an upgraded dining experience. I will never forget dinner in the Grande on Anthem, we were all dressed up in formal gear and excited for a lovely dinner. The took forever leading us around a pretty much empty dining room only to finally put us a to table directly next to the only other couple around, and it was about 8 inches away. Made for an awkward dinner! Especially when the food and service was dismal for all four of us and we all had a lousy night. We did not return during our 12 night cruise and doubled up on some specialty venues like Chops and Jamie's where they treated us very well and the food was outstanding.

Chops is not worth $100 for two people when the MDR is around the corner. The MDR is not that bad and definitely worth keeping a hundred bucks!

We put up magnet scrabble letters. Pretty fun to write out messages and many neighbors do the same.

The price will be higher onboard. The Majesty for instance is $68.00 onboard before the 18% gratuity is added.

That's pushing it for me.

Life is certainly about choices.

So true. $49 for a Chop's streak is not for us. Service is generally ok, but the cut of meat for that kind of money is not worthy, not to mention the taste of the steak itself.

No FOX news on Radiance's Alaskan cruise last month.

 

Karen

Celebrity's Millennium ran the same itinerary and offered FOX. Interesting.

Eating anywhere, especially a buffet the likes of the WJ is really subjective and a state of mind thing. Bottomline, if you enter the WJ and can't find enough delicious food & fill your appetite, you most likely can't be satisfied and/or wasn't hungry to start with. There is just too much selection in the WJ to complain.