notscb

I don't think this "take" is specific to RCL, for what it's worth. There's always been a vibe that the shorter the cruise, the more wild people will be getting to make the most of it. Not only that, but on a shorter cruise you're paying less (overall) for the drinks package. My understanding of this came from a friend who lived near Galveston. She and her friends would go jump on the weekend cruises to get as trashed as possible.

I've heard from friends that the 3 day cruises on RCL are more like booze cruises than any of their other offerings, especially since many of the 3 day cruises are over the weekend (Fri-Mon) and local people will often book those for a weekend away (YMMV). I was on Freedom for a 4 day cruise and found that it was nothing like a booze cruise and was really just a good time.

Ok...but this is the discussion we're having, so what else would you have us do? (Also, this incident was well documented by another thread on this same forum, so I really don't know what you're saying). Most Credit card disputes don't work like that. The cruise line will point to their contract of carriage and say "we fulfilled our end of our cruise contract" and the case will be open and shut. OP is really looking for a goodwill gesture in this case.

Think the balcony staterooms below Deck 11 on FoTS. While the staff clean the deck all night long, they move chairs across the deck right above you and make a ton of noise while you're sleeping

From the original post on page 1: " The Guest Services Manager said the problem was caused by other guest who disposed of items in the toilet that clogged the system. "

You kind of hit the nail on the head here. The EU has much stronger consumer protection laws than the U.S. ever will, and it doesn't really help that the "U.S." cruise lines aren't really "U.S." cruise lines at all- with many of them being flagged under the Bahamas That, plus the cruise contract we sign when we purchase is written 200% in favor of the cruise line.

That's really good to hear- we're sailing on the Dream in December and I've been looking for more recent information on the overall condition of the Dream and staffing levels. Is there something in particular you enjoyed about the Dream, or was it just the overall experience?

I don't know about that- on my previous RCL cruise there was a very clear warning sign in two places in the bathroom saying that if you cause a clog you'll be held responsible for damage up to X amount (i can't remember the exact wording). It was very, very clear. Does anyone know if NCL has similiar warnings/signs in their bathrooms?

I have a feeling it's going to be a while before OP hears anything from NCL Corporate about this one...

I think OP pointed out that there was a clear lack of empathy from the crew onboard in their original post, before asking what sort of compensation would be appropriate to ask for. They also provided an update on page 2: "All I received was excuses as to why nothing could be done on board and I had to deal with NCL Corporate and that they would be in touch." I guess I'm wondering what more there is to be discussed about the cause. We know that there was a backup that affected many customers on this cruise. There's a whole other thread about it from another passenger as well. What's the point in speculating the cause when the question is around NCL's responsibility to provide a basic level of service to its passengers? As you argued: a toilet is a toilet, regardless of cruise cost. NCL didn't provide in room toilets for three days. It's up to NCL to figure out the details of what happened and resolve it, not for us to speculate about it. Your original point was person A in this situation getting off "scott free," which I addressed in my original response to you. Cruise lines do hold Person A accountable if they can back trace which cabin caused the original issue. Would you argue, then, that person B,C,D,E,F,G, and so on who didn't have a toilet for three days in their cabin don't deserve anything?

...And I would agree with that? It's not like there weren't toilets available onboard in this case, just not available in the OP's (and many other's) staterooms. My comment was to factor in the increased cost the cruisers pay in the Haven for a luxury experience, and to have any element of that room not be in order doesn't reflect well on NCL. On RCL, they have a sign in the bathroom that indicates the guest who caused the blockage can be fined and held responsible if they are deemed responsible. It's not like holding whoever caused the initial backup responsible isn't a thing in the industry. It seems like you're conflating the needs of the cruise line vs the needs of the passengers who are paid guests expecting a service to be rendered. Think of this situation from a consumer advocacy perspective- NCL promised these (and many other guests) a certain level of service that wasn't met. What obligation does NCL have to these guests? Nobody is "expecting" a handout, even the original OP said "I would appreciate feedback on what everyone believes is fair and reasonable." See the original post.

Thanks for the clarification, that's not how I read your post so I appreciate it. You're right in that NCL wouldn't purposefully let something go on for that long unless they were struggling to fix it (or a guest somewhere kept flushing the wrong thing). I think a lot of these comments assume bad intentions, which is maybe why I misread your post. I still think that customers deserve something back for not having a usable toilet in their room, especially folks who paid a high premium for what NCL markets as a "luxury-" esque experience.

There's another post on this forum of someone else who was on the same sailing who encountered the same 3 day problem. You might want to revisit your post and take out some of the accusatory language.

I'm curious what you mean by this when technically the cruise line filled their end of their contract of carriage. OP really wouldn't have a case for a charge-back. OP, you stayed in the Haven which is promoted to be a superior level and standard of service. You didn't get that (not NCL's fault directly, but it impacted your experience). You have to decide what you think is fair. To me, given the added cost of the Haven and having to use a public restroom in the middle of the night, I'd think a FCC in a percentage amount of this cruise would be reasonable.

You can get a nonstop to FLL from Buffalo as well via Jetblue and Frontier

Please, please do yourself a favor and go in and set a google flights tracker if you still have this much time. Fares right now are super high but have been dropping over the last two or so weeks. When I was looking at airfare to BCN from the states- it was about 1300 round trip (more than we paid for our cruise), but dropped a few times after we first saw that rate. Alternatively, you could purchase a refundable fare if you find a good one this early out and just have it refunded if you see something better (reminder that the refund process can take weeks)

Does Carnival staff not really monitor this? Just curious, as I haven't been on a Carnival ship since the early 2000's and don't remember it being that bad.

I've been looking around at different itineraries and my MIL made a comment about one of the cities I was hoping to visit being "the worst place for gay people to be" (turns out she was wrong). I wondered, though, given that the rights of LGBTQ+ people around the world aren't always guaranteed, how does that impact everyone in choosing itineraries, cruise lines, departure ports, etc? Are there any destinations you would downright avoid as a cruiser? Any destinations you found particularly friendly and/or overtly welcoming to us?

This seems to be the common thread here. A lot of folks have also recommended it. I'm wondering if you could comment on your experience on Celebrity as a gay couple? I've read good things about Celebrity and the atmosphere on board.

No. I just googles "royalup" and found the link through the RCL search result. Some cruise fares aren't eligible (from what I've read about it- YMMV). On my last cruise it wasn't open until about 30 days before. Again, YMMV.

I had no idea there were actually other options out there! I spent some time looking through Pied Piper's website and was surprised at the affordability of their cruise packages- even on newer ships (like the Apex). I would agree. I've read posts about how Atlantis Cruises are what you make of them, but honestly they are marketing as if they only want a certain type of (masc) queer person to join them and lack a sense of inclusivity in their branding.

Really, Really, Really Nice (you know, I was going to add in that extra one but thought it was too much)

And from what I've seen so far, the adults only areas on Wish are really, really nice.

I guess my question would be will your three year old do well with another transition after already being out of the "routine" for a week? If they were older, I'd think you would have an easier time, but a 3 year old might make an extended vacation challenging.

From the article you posted: "In the 1900s, there was also a strong belief in the ability of science and vaccines to solve medical problems." "Eliminating a disease requires unity of will and effort. We had enormous international consensus behind the smallpox eradication effort – in fact, the effort was first proposed by the Soviet Union. Somehow, I don’t think we could achieve such cooperation today" If we want to see a world where we don't have to even have these discussions about vaccines and covid when it comes to cruising, we would all need to abandon our propensity for individualism and work toward the collective good. The poster wasn't spreading misinformation, according to your own source.