fscool

I wonder if you get a full refund if you are denied boarding or if they just hold onto your money and give you a cruise credit?  

I've been following my cruise planner since September and have only seen BOGO sales on the Deluxe Beverage Packages.  That doesn't do me any good personally and I'll just wait for a single package deal.  But what I am curious about is whether RCL is only doing these BOGO sales on Beverage Packages across all of their cruises?  Is this a new strategy for RCL?  In my prior cruises over the years there have always been single sale prices.

Btw, I don't consider the standard "20% below onboard prices" offer to really be a sale because that is the standard Cruise Planner price.

It's the waterpark where the biggest impacts will be felt.  The waits on the slides will likely be ridiculous when 1 mid-sized ship and an Oasis class ship are there.

The main site that I use:

http://crew-center.com/cruise-ships-ports-schedules-2020

Specifically for CocoCay:

http://crew-center.com/perfect-day-coco-cay-bahamas-cruise-ships-schedule-2020

Just change 2020 to 2019 in the URL to see this year.

It's been pretty accurate (and depressing) for my last few cruises.

On my last 2 cruises the roll call threads did not have big numbers but what was very useful was that members were posting the "better" sales in the cruise planner.  Got the best price I think that I possibly could on the beverage package and also got a few activities booked that I may not normally have all thanks to roll call members posting the info.  

7 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

 

Not true - and a very narrow view.  RCI is also a "perfect fit" as they have a terrific kids program on board and they are a family focused demographic cruise line that designs much of their cruise experience around families with children.  Also does so at a budget (as you indicated) far more attractive than DCL.  You don't need a bunch of Disney characters running around in costume to make the cruise line kid friendly. And their revitalized private island of CocoCay is now likely the most family and kid friendly destination in the Bahamas.

 

I would suggest the OP look at 7-night cruises v the shorter 3 day "booze cruises" and since they reference wanting to do so on RCI, I would suggest itineraries that include CocoCay in their consideration. Look at their website with the activities and venues on their ships in comparison to DCL as a starting point to see the differences. I would also suggest talking with at travel agent to discuss your plans and expectations to get their input as well.

RCI does have a good kids program.  Mine certainly love it and I would recommend it.  I just find that DCL has a better family with younger kids experience than RCI.  I only mention the costumes thing because some younger kids get freaked out by them.  Obviously that is by no means what makes a DCL cruise lines more kid friendly.  For DCL, it is how the onboard staff interacts with the children, the activities that are available onboard for the kids and generally the vibe of the ship.  Nobody can match them in this demographic.

Do a Disney Cruise if it fits your budget.  Disney is a perfect fit for kids (provided they are ok with costumed characters running around).  None of the other cruise lines can even come close to the kid friendly atmosphere of Disney.  

3 minutes ago, matj2000 said:

The problem with OBC is finding things too spend it on.

 

We are way past the point of buying typical souvenirs.  

 

And most specialty shops are very over priced with no real value.

 

Liquor is may favorite is the go-too, however when flying I can really only take a few bottles.

 

Maybe a Xmas ornament...

 

To be honest, I have only ever used it for the drink package to offset the cost a little.  

18 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

A mock booking should show the current OBC offers, if any.

I'll take another look then once the OBC offers come back.  I don't recall seeing it on my last mock bookings I have tried but I may not have been looking in the correct spot.

Is there a way to determine what your OnBoard Credit would be before you submit your booking?  I have a booking already with my $100 OBC on a water facing balcony.  Since RCL offers deals all the time, can I take a booking so far to determine the OBC?  

$100 for the stateroom.  3 adults in the same room.  

2 hours ago, Pratique said:

 

I believe that they still need to limit the total number of passengers on the ship. In other words, they can't fill every cabin to capacity, but they can now sell more cabins at double occupancy which presumably means more revenue overall. My guess is that the typical passenger count won't change very much after the new cabins are added.

 

Our last best guess was that they were adding 50 new cabins give or take a few, so at double occupancy that's about another 100 people. They could offset that if necessary by reducing the number of triple and quadruple occupancy bookings.

Couldn't they reduce the number of employees on the ship to offset the increase in the passengers?  

Just booking an Oasis cruise for July 2020 (7 nights).  Balcony (water facing) room.  I am a little surprised that during this current WOW sale where the 2nd person is 50% off and up to $300 OBC, I received $100 OBC.  The reason being that in prior years for the same WOW sale, the OBC was closer to $175 or $200 OBC.  Has anyone noticed RCL scaling back the OBC?  

I know that the OBC changes pricing logic at any time and suite holders get much more (or if you book on a cruise for your next cruise) but this OBC number kind of surprised me.  

I'm not complaining, but just wondering if a trend is happening...

Windjammer buffets are as good as the Main Dining room in terms of quality of food.  Better choices than the MDR.

thank you.  did not realize that el loco fresh was included

Am I correct in understanding that Wipeout Cafe is being removed from Oasis and been replaced by El Loco Fresh?  So on the pool deck you only have extra charge food places?

VOIP-based calling and maintaining VPN connections for programming were very unreliable at times for me.  I had to keep reconnecting more frequently than I thought I would have to.  This was on Anthem in my cabin.  My feeling is that for anything that needs a stable connection like programming you have to be very careful because unlike regular browsing you are sort of maintaining a direct connection back to the servers.  If he can pull down the code and work locally and then upload it back, that would be ideal.  

Keeping sending you to CocoCay and then dock 2 ships there.  Oh wait....they are doing that.

Crown Loft Suites are Sky Class in terms of Suites services right?  Deluxe Beverage Package is not included, right?

Never mind.  My mistake.  Was looking at a different picture

Great!  Thank you for the quick replies.  

Is it a bad idea if you are concerned about noise to have an aft facing crown loft suite?  I know there are shows back there but they end my 10 or so, right?  After that it will be quieter?

Is Deck 17 on Oasis where the Crown Loft Suites are located restricted access to only sea pass holders of those suites? 

26 minutes ago, Goodtime Cruizin said:

 

I would be on board with this until you and others that truly support valid needs for service dogs band together to get a true government oversight to stop the abuse. Oversight is needed. Until then,  serivce dogs for the blind should be the only service dogs allowed anywhere, much less a cruise ship. 

You probably don't mean only service dogs for the blind, but in case you do, you would be blown away at what an officially trained service dog for people with Autism can do.  Sometimes I think that they are more responsible and attentive than humans.

Yes it is.  They have the one boat (I don't think they have another).  It is not like the massive 60 person catamarans that the larger operators use.  Our preference has always been to go with the smaller operators.  

Hat Trick Charters was great for us.  https://www.thehattrickcharters.com/

They take a max of 12 people out to Blue Hole about 6 miles off-shore.