Tree_skier

None of my 2025 bookings have anything of consequence in the cruise planner yet. My first one is 2/2/25 though so you are inside the one year mark. I'm sure stuff will pop up soon.

How late does it let you stay onboard and what time is your flight home?

No I don't think you get the double points. That's the downside. Edit: If @ONECRUISER says he got them then I am wrong. He travels solo all the time and would be more knowledgeable. I just thought I read somewhere here on CC that said no double points unless booked as a single.

You won't be disappointed... We loved ours and were disappointed that they haven't gone on sale again for our trip next week. Even BF the price was still higher than I wanted to pay. This score on the Hilltop Cabana I got for next week will be good to contrast our experience with the Bungalow. I'll check back in on this thread in a couple of weeks with my thoughts.

I never even put my C&A number in... I check prices every once in a while but not like I used too. Group space, which as you know is most of what I book, is always the cheapest. I just saw the thread and was curious. The few that aren't sold out in my category are all substantially higher now and any little OBC wouldn't come close to making a difference.

Sorry that is not what I meant. I just meant that I have been there, spent a week there and if and when I get out that way again I'd want to spend time in a different city. We loved Rome and seeing the sites was amazing. The Colosseum, Vatican City and all the great food was amazing and I'd go again. But I'd love to go to Athens as well and if I was choosing one or the other I'd choose Athens this time just because it was different. I don't remember that. Whatever your choice is I'm sure it will be an amazing time. You can't really go wrong.

I've been to Rome. Spent a week there in 2017 in conjunction with my Western Med Cruise. Next time it'll be Eastern Med so I'd probably choose to explore Athens.

I see it now... It appears that it isn't available on Balcony cabins. The first one I checked was a balcony cabin I have booked and nothing but if I backed out and tried again in an interior it showed the OBC.

I'm looking at my cruises right now but not seeing anything. Where does it show up?

My wife says we're going to be spoiled now! First we got our RoyalUp to the JR suite yesterday and now scoring this Cabana! I'm feeling pretty uppity right now. To the OP. Sorry for all the highjacking of your thread. You can't go wrong with either decision. Pick whichever one you feel is the best deal.

seven days until my next mudslide... 🙂

Does anyone here no him IRL?

NYE is probably what I was thinking about... I just remembered you saying something about Contrasting and comparing an AI with your usual suite experience on Royal... I was off CC quite a bit at the tail end of Dec so must have missed your comments on it... We had just gotten back from our B2B on Harmony and my oldest granddaughter got married on the 30th. I was a pretty chaotic time. This thread is, at times, a little tough to keep on. Sometimes I fade in and out and will miss big sections of it.

I thought you were doing an AI instead of cruising?

I couldn’t find out if I wanted since this cruise has been sold out for a couple of weeks. Balconies and suites have been sold out for months. That’s why getting this was such a shock.

Awesome. Maybe we will be neighbors 😀

Wow! Thanks for the heads up... I just scored a great deal!

We had a bungalow in Columbus Cove... We loved it. there we also 4 lounger right up near the water that were reserved for our exclusive use. Sorry I didn't get pics of those.

I've seen YouTube videos... I think we will be fine 🙂

I agree, I don't want to see anymore benefits scaled back. I appreciate the benefits and even if I don't lose access since I turn D+ soon I don't want anyone else to lose what they have been looking forward to. It a balancing act that Royal is walking trying to provide a decent service. With the success of the C&A program more people have become loyal and correspondingly increased the numbers. The increased numbers created a challenge. They can open the doors and let anyone in but what does that do to service levels. They have to manage their success somehow. In this instance, diamond restrictions during high number cruises, is a reasonable accommodation. I can't see how they can manage it any other way.

A friend of mine is currently on a Princess cruise through the Panama Canal. He's been texting me his complaints about the downgraded food and service. It seems I can't escape CC complainers even when I'm not on CC. I think the cuts and changes are a universal thing.

As @firefly333 mentioned I'm just 2 cruises away from D+ so this isn't going to be an issue for me for much longer but I still don't want to see any changes. If there are so many D, D+, and P's that capacity is challenged I can understand it but I hope that it stays the way it is and limits are only placed on it when necessary. With regards to the comments that they are likely to make some change with drink vouchers that is something I highly doubt. The vouchers were implemented as a covid era accommodation but then made permanent. Had they wanted to reduce or eliminate them they would have done so as Covid restrictions were removed. Royal is smart enough to know that the vouchers give them a substantial competitive advantage with their past cruisers. Many people are going to be hesitant to change brands for the sake of that benefits. It cost Royal just a few dollars per drink but passengers view its value at $14 per drink. That a substantial benefit.

LOL actually it is worse... It's deck 6. But I love aft cabins no matter where they are. I know the view is the most impaired there but for us it is the space on the balcony that we love.

I'll probably just do what @Ocean Boy and @Arzeena are doing and just post a little here. My "lives" aren't all that interesting...

Getting a table for two is almost guaranteed with MTD. If you want the same table and same servers each night just ask and they will arrange it. It has been no problem for us. There is no need to tip for this request but you can if you want to.