Yesimapirate

And yet the airlines, which have been a downward spiral in service since deregulation, are more full than ever. It seems like many here let there personal feelings overshadow basic economics. The cruise lines are sailing at record capacity and ADR. They aren't losing share. For every person who complains they'll never sail that line again, there are more people to replace them. There is absolutely no economic reason to increase services. Services will increase and costs will drop when there are empty rooms. A recession is when the customer has power, not during a boom.

That's certainly correct about the new guests. Hence my amusement at the "Do you know how much revenue Oceania is missing because I'll never sail them again? Those posters probably wouldn't be happy when they realize the answer is zero dollars. I too have moved from NCL Haven voyages to Oceania. Enjoy the trip

I'm a big fan of seafaring traditions. Can you tell us more? Do they sing shantys on deck? Does someone in the crow's nest scream "land ho" before you pull in to port? If you misbehave, do you get lashes with a cat o' nine tails?

I think people often assume that when a company does something they're unhappy with that its dine intentionally and is a personal attack. In my experience, incompetence, laziness and a not being aware of things outside of their little box (aka "not my job") is far more often the reason.

While I won't argue the prices aren't expensive or the increase dramatic, it's not an apples to apples comparison. Sadly, the world has changed since you booked the first cruise, presumably in 2021 or so. The cost of everything has gone up dramatically since the pricing was done for your first cruise. Oil, food, labor, other supplies up dramatically. All of that is passed on. They don't simply keep the prices the same or raise them slightly. On top of that, NCL corporation has reported record bookings and there's a travel boom. Have you compared hotel or airfare to 2021/22? I don't see anyone threatening to not book a cruise because it's more expensive than 1990, 2000, etc. This is no different. It simply a reflection of the economic conditions in the world.

The mistake people make is to assume that a loyalty program goes both ways. It's simply a marketing program to generate increased revenue. It has absolutely zero to do with being loyal to a particular customer. Having said that, loyalty programs rarely get better with the possible exception of a severe, long term drop in business.

Good move. I haven't yet found a decent Edition (and have stopped trying). $20/night to switch to a RC is a steal, even if most Ritz-Carlton try to skimp on the Bonvoy benefits. Hope you enjoy. -Signed a Bonvoy ambassador 😁

I think you're confusing federal regulations with caring. Most people will tell you airlines are among the least caring businesses in the world.

None of them have ice cream. They have mixes and add ice but they don't use a scoop of ice cream.

Thank you for the correction. Maybe I should have cut and pasted instead of retyping 😁 Ozi is fantastic. You'll have an incredible time.

Ozi at privatetoursistanbul .com

Yes but they're still Haven suites. They just no longer include spa access.

I know you plan meticulously so thus might be a little too late but we had the most amazing guide last year in Istanbul. She was incredibly knowledgeable, personable, could speak equally on a manner to make my wife comfortable and still answer my in depth and esoteric questions about history. The best part was she had other guides she's friends with waiting in line for the mosques and we simply joined them at the front. Less than a 5 minute wait when the line was 2 hours plus! She even bought us lunch at a local culinary institute that teaches students to make traditional Turkish dishes. Oh, did I mention that this private tour for 2 of us was just $100 for 8 hours? She's absolutely amazing! We really got lucky and it shows in depth research pays off. If you'd like, I can get her info from my wife as they stay in touch. She's also mentioned in the shore excursion section here. Her name was Ozi.

It's pretty standard in the hospitality industry. They track things like how much you spend, what you complain about, any compensation you may have been given, etc. Sad to say that in most cases, not everyone with the same status level will be treated the same. A Platinum who buys suites may very well be treated better than one who travels more often but stays in inside or ocean view. Most loyalty programs are now starting to have revenue revenue reflected aspects.

Just go to guest services and ask nicely. Front line customer service people generally want to help you when you approach them correctly. It's much less work than to argue with you or have you get a supervisor that will overrule you. I'm not quite certain why the advice on these boards so often is to make up a lie. Do people no longer have any integrity?

Water is pretty hydrating.

The best ship for teens is any I'm not on!😉

There's no war or violence in any of the countries you mentioned other than a protest or two. Unless Iran starts threatening Persian Gulf shipping then you really have very few safety concerns. It's litterally like being nervous about Mexican cartel violence on a Panama Canal cruise. To answer your specific question of "what can we do". Buy good travel insurance and enjoy your trip.

I don't know you so I won't say you're unreasonable. You're obviously emotionally invested, this is a big trip you've been looking forward to for a long time and nothing is more frustrating than the unknown. However, you also need to keep in mind the overwhelming logistics in a change like this. You say you're about to get on a plane yet the time from now until your cruise is the same time from when war broke out until now. I know it's difficult for anyone but you need to give them more time. No one has been abandoned yet.

The reason your flights changed is that while tickets are sold at 330 days, the schedules are not finalized until about 100 days out. I also book my personal travel 330 days out, especially award based travel. Just be prepared to have changes in the itinerary.

If your kids behave and you parent them, they'll be treated amazingly well by the other guests. If they run wild and you don't parent them, people will look at you with disdain. Despite what's written here sometimes, no one really has a problem with children. They have a problem with children who misbehave constantly and the parents who turn a blind eye to it or expect the staff to be babysitters. Sure, kids will be kids. But parents also need to be parents. If the children are being inappropriate, correct them and everything will be fine.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict the will be no cruises to Iran in 2024.😁 In all seriousness, I don't quite understand why travel to Qatar is normal when they host the leadership of organizations that the State Department lists as terrorists.

In the EU, they're actually required to compensate you for all delays (including weather) over 2 hours. The US proposes similar guidelines last spring but then they were quickly forgotten and never really spoken about again. Without being political, it was a publicity stunt after the travel issues in late 2022.

Not really a good idea because of capital gains laws. If you're flipping a stock quickly then your entire portfolio can be liable for the full income tax rate instead of the lower capital gains rate. If you're serious about doing it, I'd suggest speaking to an accountant or tax advisor first.

I mean this sincerely. Why would you think the cruise line would be responsible for you when you leave the ship on anything but a cruiseline excursion. It seems that many people have unrealistic amd possibly unreasonable expectations for a cruise. I'm curious to know where this comes from. No one would ever think an airline would take care of them in the middle of their trip. If you stay at a hotel, the second you walk off their property, you're not their responsibility. Sure, occasionally some will give some basic help out of customer service but that's it. No one is going to make sure a hospital takes good care of you. I just don't get why so many people think a cruiseline is different. Who knows, maybe I'm way off base and should expect more?