WrittenOnYourHeart

Got off the Radiance two weeks ago . Public spaces looked amazing! Only flaws I did see were in my cabin. Our curtains were tattered and every time we went to move them, our hands got tangled in the fraying material. We also had a rust stain or some other substance that had leaked from above and all the way down the wall. All small things and nothing that would ruin a cruise.

Good to know. She will be my first introduction to RCCL (typically a DCL girl here) on the 7/31 sailing, so I was also being made rather nervous by all the reports. Fingers crossed!!

I always like to pay off my cruises early - that way I don't accidentally spend the money (like you, I've got weak willpower when it comes to some things) AND so that I don't forget (I haven't, but I've seen more than one report of people who did and then their cruise got cancelled). It's not like it would raise THAT much interest in my account - might as well just get it checked off the to-do list!

Obviously, you should print how ever you can, b&w or color.

 

But think about it: the tags wouldn't be color-coded without a reason. It's just as those paper files in your doctor's office have color-coded edges. It's so they can be more quickly put where they belong, and misfiles will instantly stand out by breaking the color pattern.

 

(I used to work with color-coded systems. :))

 

The porters are handling thousands of bags, and the work goes faster grouping by color because it takes no thought. Otherwise, they have to stop and read a tag and think for a nanosecond.

 

All those nanoseconds add up, and any misplaced bags don't stand out. I always print my tags in color because I can. If you have the capability, why be a bottleneck in the process?

If they were essential, wouldn't the tags the porters have be color coded? Since it's been reported that the tags the porters have are NOT color coded, it seems that the color is not as necessary as you'd like to believe.

Print in color at the library for 30 cents per page.

You're funny. We're lucky if the black and white library copiers work! Assuming you can snag one from the homeless who hang out and haunt the computer section.

Whether you use an agency for an onboard booking is up to you. If you don't say anything, many times the onboard booking will be assigned to the travel agent used on the current cruise. However, sometimes they do ask your preference. Best thing to do is to tell them up front that you do not want the booking assigned to any travel agent.

Thanks!

I've done this several times. Just tell the Loyalty Ambassador at the beginning of the booking process.

Thanks! I wasn't sure if I could politely explain that with the group I had to use an agency but for my own cruises I prefer to go solo. I'll definitely give it a try! Thanks!!

I had this happen just this past October when I booked on board. The current sailing I was on had been booked through a last minute deal w/ a TA I don't normally use. I didn't realize it at the time but they automatically booked the next cruise through that same TA.

 

While it wasn't a crazy ordeal, it was still a bit frustrating to get resolved. I had to call the original TA and have them send a fax in to release the reservation. From a service perspective, it seemed like that was something RC should have done themselves. But the TA was kind enough and they were dropped within a day or two. My TA of choice was then able to pick up the booking.

Ok, that worries me a bit... I was considering booking on board for the OBC and reduced deposit when I cruise at the end of July, but I'm cruising with a group where we were required to use the travel agent working with the group. For a group, ok, I'll deal with an agent. But for my own personal travel I don't want the hassle of having to go through someone for every little thing.

But it sounds like I'll be assigned to this agency even for an individual cruise unrelated to a group. :( Right? Or is there a chance that since I only used the agency because of this group I would be able to make an unattached future cruise reservation?

Given that not everyone has access to a color printer (I may or may not depending on when mine are ready and IF the printer at school is working - which it is usually not these days), it seems to me that it's only fair if you are going to require that they be in color you provide them for the passengers. If you're not going to provide them, you need to accept that people will likely be printing them in black and white.

The pictures (so far...my computer is being crazy with loading) are great! I see you had an interior cabin - do you mind me asking which one? Have you always cruised interior? And if not, how was it going from something else to interior? I'm in 3067 on the 7/31 cruise - did it to a) save money and b) force myself to socialize with the others in the running group I'll be with rather than "getting my money's worth" from a veranda.

Thanks for sharing!!

Sorry, but not true. On our last Oasis cruise I had been sitting at a deck bar every afternoon talking to a fellow. One day I noticed he was checking his watch often and mentioned that if he needed to be some place I would just see him later. That is when he said "...just let me tell you what is going on." He told me a similar story to this other couple. Granted that in this case the person was drinking too much and made a scene at dinner. At some point she said something about maybe being better off if she were gone. Same thing happened to her though - escorted by security to an inside cabin with no number on the door. Guard placed outside the door. Food brought with no silverware and anything with which someone might easily harm themselves had been removed from the cabin. She called her husband the next morning in their original cabin and told him to take clothing for her to guest services. They would not let her husband see her but pulled him into a private room and told him that his wife was being taken to see a RCL approved psychiatrist in port. He could not join her. They told him he had no choice in this matter and that his wife would be back on the ship by noon that day. My conversation with him took place about 2pm and she still was not back. She finally did come back near dinner time.

 

The next day I spoke with the guy again and he handed me a note with a list of their future cruises, one of which they had just booked onboard that day.

 

So don't assume RCL (or any other cruise lines) would not welcome someone back who had been sent to the "naughty room."

There is a BIG difference between ONE later determined to not be legit threat and what happened in the case of this couple (as evidenced by them not disembarking her and though you don't specify I am figuring releasing her back to her husband and initial cabin).

Regardless of what she said - whether it was in the naughty room and allegedly using "overboard" in reference to the security procedures or in allegedly a "joke" about going overboard and finding a dolphin to ride back to shore on. This also included them having in their possession something that is illegal period in NJ (hence why he really should have been taken to jail) IN ADDITION to what clearly (from the twitter feed and from reports of how they came off on the podcast) appears to be an extreme display of attitude. A threat to self is bad enough. But to have in your possession things that can damage OTHERS? And then to have issues with being questioned about it? That is something completely different from the situation you described.

I guess they have realized that if they posted their "story" on CC it would look like swiss cheese in a nano second.:D

All you have to do is read the two versions and it looks like swiss cheese, no CC needed!

The couple contacted truthvoice while on board, making that the first version, imo.

So that would mean the dolphin comment has started later in the press tour over this - I'm guessing to make it seem more like "It was clearly a stupid joke" as opposed to exasperation at a (IMHO with those bullets) security check, which I'm sure most people would agree is a time to keep your mouth shut just like at the airport.

Well, the story on whio.com is totally different:

 

Former Dayton resident Michele Baker told this reporter that she said, “Maybe I could go overboard and a dolphin could take me back to shore,” in a private conversation with her husband after he was nearly detained and arrested by Port Authority for a gun magazine that he had forgotten to take out of his bag.

A security guard overheard Michele’s comment, reported it and she was placed on suicide watch.

 

So which is it? Did she say "This is going overboard" or was it the dolphin comment? :confused:

Exactly. The story has changed one way or the other. Either she's trying to make it seem like something said in exasperation at the situation ("This is going overboard") or she's trying to make it seem like something that was (to her apparently obviously) said in jest. But that drastic a change of story would definitely make any court case problematic I'd think. Not to mention he'd have to admit to having those hollow point bullets in NJ, which is illegal.

It sounds like the wife was calling the additional luggage review situation as the cruise line "going overboard", not that she was going to "go overboard". That said, I guess it could have been lost in translation or more likely, their behavior was aggressive which caused the detainment. That's my theory/pure guess. I would expect they have only provided the details that fit their version of events and make them look wronged.

It would definitely be interesting to see the stories released in the correct order. In the linked post in the initial thread, the wife told a reporter she said maybe she could go overboard and a dolphin could take her back to shore. And then other reports say that she said the luggage review overboard. If the linked post was the first one, it definitely sounds like she's changing her story to make her look more sympathetic. Or I guess if the linked post is the more recent one, she could have changed the story to make it seem like "See? I was just being silly." Either way, there are definitely two reports of what she claims she said out there...

Got off radiance last Friday and they didn't have them when we boarded. Not sure if they picked any up when we arrived in Ketchikan. I did hear they would have them and that they are not part of the drink packages since they're considered a specialty beer. I was in Rita's Crabshack when the bartender was talking to another guest about it the first night.

Thanks. So it looks like my best bet may just be load some credit on and stick to only that amount. :/ Thanks.

I will be on the Jewel OTS June 5. I will let you know what I find out about the Alaskan Brewery beers.

--Susan

Thanks so much!! I know on Holland America last year they had the Alaska Brewery beers, and I think I've heard that Disney does as well, so I was curious. :) Love their White and Summer ones!

I'll be going on a southbound Alaska cruise on the Radiance at the end of July. Does anyone know a) if they will have Alaska Brewery beers onboard the Alaskan cruises and b) if they do, are those included in the beer/wine package? If so, I'm thinking I may just go with that one as I could be fine with wine and beer.

TIA! :)

Crew members are a good source of current information for this sort of thing. ;)

 

LuLu

Exactly what I was going to say. Crew members will know THE places to get Wifi in ports.

Oh, one more follow-up... Is there a discount for booking on board or just the OBC and (I assume) reduced deposit?

That is correct.

 

They can sign you up on board so that you can take advantage of this offer.

Thanks! Fantastic to know!! I'm looking at a couple of options on Med cruises in 2016 for my birthday and if I really like RCCL I'd definitely want to book one of those while on board!

For booking a cruise on Royal, you get OBC on the current or future cruise:

 

•5-7 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $50

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $100

◦Grand Suite and above: $200

 

•8-10 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $100

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $150

◦Grand Suite and above: $300

 

•11-14 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $150

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $200

◦Grand Suite and above: $400

 

•15 nights or longer cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $200

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $250

◦Grand Suite and above: $500

 

 

Your deposit is equal to the OBC. If you take the OBC on the current cruise, then you don't get a deposit refund if you cancel the future cruise.

Can I just clarify - if I'm looking at a 12-night cruise in an ocean view cabin, I would pay a deposit of $150 get $150 OBC that could be applied to EITHER my current cruise making it non-refundable OR the cruise I was booking where it would be refundable?

And as an add-on question... Did I read somewhere that you have to have a Crown and Anchor number to rebook on board (seems weird to me because wouldn't you WANT first-timers to rebook??), but if it's your first cruise there is a way to get one while on board so that you can book on board?

this is bad idea sis. you cannot encourage "help" to geta thanks card. me no do this as its bad. its bad i tell you. stop this. they dont care about cards, they care about hard cash.

its all about the cash sis.

 

your bud

I don't know how it works on RCCL, but I know on DCL if crew members are mentioned in the "extra magical" area on the comment card and/or have positive notes/cards written about them that are passed to management (so ok, not a card for them, but still a card) it goes a LONG way towards things like raises and promotions.

So yes, cards CAN help - at least for some cruise lines.

As one who doesn't need all the bells and whistles of slides and surfing simulators and so forth, I'm looking forward to experiencing the Radiance in a couple of months! :)

Missing cruise points according to a recent thread

I was going there too. Apparently all of 20 points that disappeared is the proverbial straw for at least one cruiser.

And likewise there's been another thread where someone (and everyone he knows apparently) were PO'd that his DIL was *gasp* going to have to wait until she cruised ONCE to get grandfathered into her husband's Diamond status. Though to be fair, I'm not sure "never cruising them again" entered that discussion...

I haven't cruised RCCL yet (this summer to Alaska), but my rule of thumb on all my past cruises is much like others have said - if the service is extraordinary I will give extra; if it is ordinary or worse the prepaid tips remain as-is (I am very hesitant to totally remove them) with no extra.

My servers and stateroom hosts have all earned extra on Disney Cruise Line. When I was on Holland America last summer...that was the closest I've ever come to having the prepaid grats reduced or removed - just horrid service all around.

I'm excited to see how things are on Royal Caribbean at the end of July! :)