moopetguy

As mentioned above, one device at a time, and you can change devices as frequently as you like. Open your device's web browser and go to "logout.com", which terminates your one device's session, allowing another device to log in immediately with the same access code. If you purchase pre-cruise, you should be given your access code on a business card when you check in at the terminal, before you board.

The use of "logout.com" is interesting from a technical perspective (DNS nerd alert!) because RCI is redirecting you to their own server when on the ship's Wi-Fi. I assume they use it because it's easy to remember and does what you think it should. When at home, that domain goes to someone's blog.

I was told by the Head Waiter that they are trying to speed up service by requesting everyone only pick one item per column. I will ask tonight about an extra entree.

:o Ordering and eating multiple appetizers, entreés, and desserts is something I'm infamous for... :eek:

If this goes fleet-wide, I guess I'm having "second dinner" in the WJ every night... :(:loudcry:

Sounds to me more like a drastic move to cut costs. Why would they need to speed up service? If they're trying to introduce a third seating, I'm not sure how that would fit with the evening show times. I've definitely had slow service in the MDR on multiple occasions, but I've always been able to finish in time for them to reset for the second seating. Any other reasons that might make sense?

Not my thread but I am curious, can you really not bring on a few cans of soda? I hated their fountain drinks and I don’t think the ship has the cool soda machines yet...

Technically not allowed, but people often get away with it. You are correct that Liberty does not have any Freestyle machines.

Oh wow. I hope not. [emoji22]

Yeah, I hope not for you as well. When I was on Grandeur, I practically begged the photo gallery manager. They used digital cameras and facial recognition software already to help sort the photos. I was willing to give them a few hundred dollars and my own USB flash drive to put the photos on...but no dice. They claimed not to have any way to fulfill a digital photo order, and that was that. :rolleyes:

Different experience, more recently -- did a 5+9 night B2B on Navigator, which offers digital by default. Only bought the digital photo package on USB for the 9-night through the Cruise Planner because the 5-night was priced the same in the Planner for a lot fewer photo opportunities, being a much shorter cruise. Once on board on the first leg (the 5-night), I casually mentioned it to a photographer at the photo gallery. The manager overheard the conversation and offered the 5-night digital for half-price. That was very reasonable and customer-focused. (y)

So they offer this on every ship? We have a 5 day on Brilliance in March and the only packages showing are print packages. I would love the all digital package.

 

 

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I don’t know about Brilliance specifically but some ships may still be prints-only with no digital...I know it was 2 years ago, but when I was on Grandeur, that’s the way it was. Absolutely no digital option, CD or USB, period.

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If Guest Services can't punch a hole in the SeaPass card for you, then Adventure Ocean can probably do it. They provide complimentary lanyards for kids (while supplies last), that's why they have a hole punch as well. Be forewarned, if the punch isn't sharp or used properly, they may mangle the card a bit while punching the hole...that happened to DD's card when we were on Navigator a couple of months ago.

Personally, I put it in a pocket...I'm always wearing some article of clothing that has a pocket, even swim trunks.

My two cents...OP, it seems you feel as I would, that it's the principle of the matter and not necessarily the dollar amount. Haters gonna hate, so you do you. (y)

If I may share an anecdote from a personal experience...I had a dispute over the taxes/port fees with RCI via my TA when I switched my Nov 25, 2018 cruise from Oasis to Allure. I expected the price to go up as the Allure sailing was a bit more expensive than Oasis for the same sail date, but the price that the TA came back to me with was still about $20 higher in total than what I expected.

When I asked why, I was told it was due to the taxes and port fees being held over from the Oasis sailing and RCI's "policy" was not to adjust them (at least downwards -- maybe even upwards, I'm not sure**), even when switching to a completely different sailing. That made no sense to me because if I cancelled and rebooked, I'd get the web site price for that Allure sailing, instead of having to pay about $20 more than the web site price.

So, I apologized to the TA, but "threatened" just that...we both agreed it was a stupid policy, but I was prepared to cancel to get the lower/correct price as shown on the RCI web site. The TA put me back on hold for a few minutes to sort it out with RCI over the phone, and when the TA came back, RCI had "magically" adjusted the pricing so I would get the lower taxes and port fees. :confused: No need to cancel and rebook after all.

(**If it were true that RCI didn't adjust taxes and port fees upwards, either, it seems that anyone could book an itinerary known to have the lowest taxes and port fees, and then switch to their intended sailing. If it worked that way, it would be easily exploited and makes no sense.)

It has always been my practice to price out a sailing on the web site for my stateroom category and to keep that screen up while calling either RCI or my TA, to make sure the numbers being quoted back to me are exactly as I expect before I commit to anything. This experience simply reinforced that notion.

Do you know if this ever goes on sale? In my planner it is $249 but wondering if I should wait (as I do have time). Also, do you just pick up the USB drive on the last day and everything is already on it? Or is there more to it?

If you hit them up at every photo opportunity as my family does, I feel it's a good deal.

As for whether the all-inclusive digital package ever goes on sale...sometimes (not very often as far as I know), and it depends on what ship. Before I sailed on Liberty, I was able to buy the package for $149.99.

You can always buy anything in the Cruise Planner now, and if the price drops, cancel your original purchase to get a refund, and re-purchase.

You do indeed pick up the USB drive, on the final evening (that's what they ask for, it's probably not ready earlier in the day) of your cruise before the photo gallery closes. It's ready and enclosed in a paper envelope, and they simply pull it from their filing drawers once you confirm your name and stateroom with them.

Just to clarify, I've never sailed on Anthem so I don't know if they handle things differently.

Close-up photos of the cartons showing the list of ingredients for vanilla and chocolate flavours.

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Hello!

I made an effort to search through past threads, but didn't come up with an answer to fit my specific situation. I'm a Canadian cruiser, with upcoming cruises booked in CAD.

I know I can buy OBC through Gifts & Gear, but I can only do that by paying in CAD, and the exchange rate they're offering isn't good right now (1.30x). My other reason for not wanting to go that route is that I have some prepaid USD credit cards I'd like to use.

I was wondering if anyone has tried this and knows by experience if it'd work. I was thinking to try buying RCI gift certificates, and having them emailed (instead of snail mailed). Then, the plan would be to redeem them myself to add OBC to my bookings. Or if as a Canadian cruiser, you have received a gift certificate, were you able to redeem it to your CAD booking? (That would at least answer the second part of my inquiry.)

Yes, I know the gift certificates are generally a pain. And yes, I know the Terms and Conditions for gift certificates say they're for U.S. residents only. But I wonder if it really matters when you call them on the phone? I mean, couldn't I just give them my friend's or relative's U.S. street address, if they even bother asking? (I've found that over-the-phone credit card transactions don't always require address confirmation.)

I know these RCI gift certificates aren't exactly the same thing, but I have received OBC certificates from RCI customer service in the past and have had no issues applying them to previous CAD bookings by calling and providing the certificate numbers (of the form "1-XXXXXXX" (the Xs represent numbers or letters)).

Thank you :)

thanks for the info!!!

Thanks again this is most helpful.

You're both very welcome! Enjoy your upcoming sailings!

Hi folks, to summarize the MDR menu sequence from this B2B sailing:

5-night western: Mojo, Saffron (formal), Pimiento, Shiitake, special Thanksgiving menu

Now, as for Day 5 on the western itinerary, I can't be sure what menu the MDR would normally have. What I can say is that if you look back at the Thanksgiving menu's dessert items, which included Williams Pear Chocolate Crisp and Key Lime Pie, these items normally appear on the Pomodoro dessert menu (Day 9 from the southern itinerary).

So, perhaps Day 5's MDR menu is normally Pomodoro. That might make sense because I seem to recall Pomodoro commonly being the MDR menu of the final night of my other cruises.

9-night southern: Mojo, Saffron (formal), Pimiento, Shiitake, Basil, Tarragon, Chives, Jasmine (formal), Pomodoro

In Cozumel were the times in the compass coz times? It didn’t state in compass to stay on ship time or at least I didn’t see it. :) Trying to finalize plans for day. TIA

The Cruise Compass activities are always on “ship time”, never “port time” (unless the two happen to coincide). Cozumel is now in the Eastern time zone (but doesn’t currently observe Daylight Saving Time).

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My planner today was posting 1.29 rate for my OBC. haven't purchased anything yet so I haven't locked it in yet.

 

dp

Same with my Cruise Planner -- posted rate is 1.29. There is rounding involved, because if you make a purchase, you'll likely find in the confirmation email that the exchange rate used will have more than 2 decimal points (past experience of mine).

Also, I've found that not everything in the Planner uses that rate. For example, some of the items I've found actually use exactly 1.28:

• DreamWorks character breakfast is $12.80 CAD ($10 USD)
  
• Deluxe drink package is $61.44 CAD ($48 USD)
  
• First Night Done Right is $25.60 CAD ($20 USD)
  

Not sure why different rates are used. :confused:

The last I heard the rate to purchase OBC was 1.30. That rate does not change very often.

Yep, it’s still 1.30. I just got off the phone with RCI G&G. Also asked if it’s possible to add OBC using a USD credit card, and it’s still not possible. Got a couple of USD prepaid credit cards I’m trying to figure out how to use.

I thought there might have been a chance since OBC that’s now available in the Cruise Planner gets converted to CAD for you to spend. Not the same situation of course but somewhat related, so I figured I’d ask. Oh well.

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I'm going to try asking some (hopefully) simple, controversy-free questions for your consideration, along with my comments.

It's a free market where consumers get to decide how to spend their money, right?

Can you understand that some people prefer to spend their money with businesses following practices that more closely align with their values?

Some people prefer companies that don't perform animal testing, some people prefer Christian-operated businesses, and some people prefer businesses that follow sustainable environmental practices. And if we're honest with ourselves, some people are simply indifferent, and that's not necessarily wrong. These aren't black-and-white because personal judgments still come into play as to what degree someone cares or believes that a company does any of these things.

By the same token, some people may not want to patronize a business that doesn't compensate its employees "fairly" (again, somewhat subjective and a personal judgment). It is their right to choose though, is it not?

Consumers can influence how companies behave by how they spend their money. "Buy American" means don't patronize businesses that use foreign labour or buy cheap imported goods, right? That's how consumers are encouraged to help protect American workers' rights and compensation.

If your friend or relative works at a company that doesn't compensate or treat them fairly, would you do business with that company? Or would you prefer to spend your money at a competitor?

Are you a doctor? I'm certainly not. But I know that warfarin is a common anticoagulant, and it doesn't take much effort to find out that alcohol consumption isn't recommended. See the Precautions information from here: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3949/warfarin-oral/details

Doesn’t say what you’re saying.

 

“Limit alcoholic beverages. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about how much alcohol you may safely drink.”

 

https://www.webmd.com/dvt/dvt-alcohol

 

Is an interesting read. At the end it says if you’re a regular drinker you’ll want to have levels checked more often.

 

 

My MIL’s doctors and Coag Clinic wouldn’t have written her a note to get her out of buying such a package. Because alcohol wasn’t contraindicated for her warfarin use.

The link to WebMD I provided also says:

"This medication may cause stomach bleeding. Daily use of alcohol while using this medicine will increase your risk for stomach bleeding and may also affect how this medication works."

I don't know about you, but I don't think increasing the risk of stomach bleeding or possibly altering the effectiveness of the anticoagulant by electing to drink alcohol is a good thing.

This site says, "Avoid drinking alcohol."

https://www.drugs.com/warfarin.html

This site says, "Avoid alcohol."

https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00682

This link on the FDA's web site is to the product information for Coumadin:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/009218s108lbl.pdf

See the section on "Information for patients" on page 20, and I quote, "Avoid alcohol consumption."

Anyway, let's not pretend it's perfectly fine and risk-free, and there's no information to suggest otherwise. It seems wise to adopt the conservative approach and simply not drink alcohol while taking an anticoagulant such as warfarin.

One off the big difference is the parking garage.

Definitely made a lot of progress there! I wonder if the price of parking will go up again. It's already $22 per night (went up Dec 1st). But I think we will stay at a local hotel again and park there. It was a big savings for us to do it that way even after including the taxi trip back to the hotel.

[emoji106] This was back on November 24th:

Construction projects often overrun on time (and cost) but I assume they’ll have to complete it on time one way or another for Symphony and Allure to homeport there! I’m looking forward to embarking from the new terminal in November [emoji4]

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I have never heard of alcohol being a contraindication to blood thinning meds.

Are you a doctor? I'm certainly not. But I know that warfarin is a common anticoagulant, and it doesn't take much effort to find out that alcohol consumption isn't recommended. See the Precautions information from here: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3949/warfarin-oral/details

oops 8677 and 8675

I found a YouTube video review of Oasis of the Seas interior stateroom 9677:

It has the beds at the back wall. If I had to guess, I'd say Allure will be the same for your rooms, because it's a sister ship, same cluster of staterooms (the 4 standalone rooms on the deck plan), and one deck up following the same deck layout.

My school's platform combines using my webcam, Adobe Connect and live cell phone service.

I have heard of, but not used Adobe Connect specifically, though I'm very familiar with other web conferencing solutions (e.g. Cisco WebEx, Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate). Does your school's offering of Adobe Connect not provide a VoIP (Voice-over-IP) option for audio, so you don't need (cell) phone service? VoIP would only require the Wi-Fi Internet connection you'll already be using for the video stream.

See:

https://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/audio-choices-connect.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/best-practice-using-voip-connect.html

I have started using a CPAP device for sleep apnea. Will I need to bring an extension cord so it can sit beside the bed? Not sure where the outlets on an inside cabin on Jewel of the Seas are located.

If you contact Special Needs as suggested above, you will receive the following in your stateroom (you may need to remind your cabin steward).

1-gallon jug of distilled water.

1-outlet extension cord, length varies but approximately 10 feet as shown.

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Do you happen to remember seeing drink cards on the 5 day portion of your b2b? If so, what day/price?

Yes. The 10-drink card was in the Day 4 Compass for $88.50 + 18% gratuity. They also listed a 15 (fifteen?!) “espresso-based specialty coffees” card for $37 on Day 5.

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I have never gotten a price adjustment or obc when they have gone down. As a matter of fact I switched cruises once and they kept it at the higher rate from the original cruise. The only way they would change it was to cancel and rebook.

I did a switch from Oasis to Allure recently via a TA. I got the same story about them keeping the taxes/port fees that were higher from the original cruise. I politely told the TA that I was sorry and I know it’s not their fault (acknowledging it’s a stupid RCI policy, to which the TA agreed) but I wanted to cancel and rebook because of that.

The TA put me back on hold for a few minutes while they talked to RCI again, and RCI magically found a way to fix (lower) the taxes and port fees without needing to cancel and rebook. [emoji849]

So they can do it, it’s simply a question of which RCI agent you (or the TA) gets and their willingness.

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