Ret MP

Imagine that, my Set Sale Pass is now available on the website. Whooop Whooop!

Believe me, I'm no apologists for Royal, however, I will defend my decisions as to why I like this, that, or the other thing and I respect those that don't like the same things I do, that's their business. But, I do want to point out that judging one class of ship because of food and/or service, Royal or not, isn't logical. For example: If someone says that the food on the Harmony was terrible on their cruise and they will never cruise on her again is kidding themselves and/or others. The kitchen staff you had on the Harmony, within a short period of time, will be gone and moved on to other ships in the fleet or in-between contracts and at home. The chef that prepared that Lobster Bisque that you hated last night will be preparing it on the Quantum next week or next month and the chef that will be preparing the Lobster Bisque, next week on Harmony may be the best Lobster Bisque chef in the world, or not. I hope that makes sense. And like you said, your examples/issues can happen on any cruise line. I had a cabin on a Carnival ship (Sunshine), on the Spa deck (one of the brand new decks that was added to the ship which was the Destiny before it was the Sunshine), the toilet in the cabin had a very loud running water sound coming from behind it, I mean it was loud. We called within a few minutes of getting into the cabin for the first time. That sound ran for the entire cruise and no one responded, at least not while we were in the cabin. Oh, the bathroom smelled like piss the entire time we were there.

I've documented this issue in here a few times for the past couple weeks. Can't get set sail pass on mobile or PC/Laptop. I've emailed, no response. I've called and I was told that they passed it on to IT. Didn't do any good. Called again on Saturday and the lady said that she saw where I called about a week ago but she was going to get an IT Ticket # for me. I was put on hold for a while two or three times. She eventually said that she was waiting on the "Resolutions"😁🤣 Desk to generate a ticket #. I said wait a minute, I called last week and you are just now getting a ticket # for the issue I reported last week? Her response was that the first time you call, the take note of the issue and just hope that the issue resolves itself. Well, it didn't and I asked did anybody check on it to see if it had resolved itself. She said no, they wait for the customer/guest/passenger to call back. I let her know that that is a bunch of B.S. So, I now have a Ticket # but no Set Sail Pass/Boarding Pass, yet. My cruise is Oct 31st. So, I have a little time left. This is my mantra, "ROYAL "IT" IS INCOMPETENT. ROYAL "IT" SUCKS"

I usually make my wife and I custom T-Shirts with iron-ons for embarkation day. Just a little fun for us to do and a laugh or two. We purchased orange colored plain Ts and I made mine first because I usually put a ton of stuff on mine. Man, I was so proud of the T that I made, had some great stuff on it. Tried it on and it fit perfectly and the iron-ons were perfectly placed. I couldn't have been any more happy with myself and the T. My wife, THE PARTY POOPER, told me to take the T off and look real hard at the back of it. Okay, I'm thinking that there is a space or two where I could add some more iron-ons. So, I go back into my office, take the T off and look and look and look. Nope it all looks perfectly proportional 🥸, too me. So I yell out, "MARIAN WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT"? She replies, "Look at the name of the ship on the iron-on". Well, it's got "Ovation of the Seas" not "Independence of the Seas". About 7 or 8 Iron-ons wasted and a $6.95 T-shirt (from Michael's) wasted. IT'S ALL HER FAULT, I tell ya! I would never make that kind of mistake. Not me! 🙄🤪😜 What the hell was I thinking!!!!!!!

I'm sailing on the USS Enterprise with Cpt Kirk. I hear their service and food is out of this world. Can't say much about their Ports of Call yet.

One thing that makes me solidify the fact that I'm finally on a cruise ship is hearing the reggae and/or latin music, live or not on the pool deck. When I hear that, I say to myself, "LET THE PARTY BEGIN". Then I go take a nap 🙄 😆.

Rant? Did I miss something. A single short sentence with the word "Shakedown" in it is now a "RANT". Man, I guess I'm missing something. BTW, yes it is only $40.00. Oh, but wait, doesn't Royal, et al, add port taxes and fees at the time of booking to go to Bermuda? I think so. And this application fee is none refundable, for ANY reason. So ya, I'd consider it a "Shakedown". YOU can call it whatever you want to call it. A rose is a rose.......... If I'm not mistaken, and I think I read this on the Bermuda official website, when they first imposed the application and fee, it was for the purpose of mitigating and paying for the mitigation of COVID and pay for the administration or words something to that effect. And yes, I know we can all decide as to weather we want to pay that "Shakedown"/"fee" or not. I gladly elected not to. I really like Bermuda, but I'll not pay port taxes and fees and then add a sham of an additional feet, not to mention the revenue cruisers pump into the economy. Oh, I haven't mentioned the filling out of an application, on line, where a foreign entity is gathering your information about you and you have no idea how secure it is or what they are going to do with it. When they drop it, I'll consider going back. As I said, we really enjoyed Bermuda when we were there a few years ago.

I was on the Sunshine shortly after it became the Sunshine. What a mess. I hated that ship and just about everything about it, crew excepted. That cruise was the straw that broke the Camel's back. Haven't been on a Carnival ship since and not looking back.

Thanks, good report. I wish that Sabor was still on ALL the Oasis Class ships, instead of Playmakers. But, that's just me. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes.

I'll second that, for sure!

You know, I didn't post this to turn it into a debate or discussion about who's is bigger than who's. Quantum class is bigger than the Independence, maybe not by much, like 14 thousand tons and 300 passenger capacity, and a wider beam. I've done my homework! But, it has a lot of other factors. The stabilization system. The size of venues vs ships capacity and the utilization of the venue(s). Some of which I have no idea what the answer is, yet. What's important is I'm going to give it a try and I'm going to give it an honest shot and present my honest feelings of it. That's the point, period!

Just an uninformed opinion, so far. Well, except for the fewer number of venues on a smaller ship. The number of venues, entertainment, food & beverage, carry a lot of weight with us. I'll have an informed (maybe) opinion after this next cruise. I'll not know for sure until I get into rough seas on a smaller ship like the Independence, I hope NOT to experience that on this cruise.

Well, I've got 29 days left until I cruise the Independence of the Seas. I've always said in here and another cruise social media site that I have no desire to cruise on anything smaller than the Quantum or Oasis Class ships. We booked this upcoming cruise for a few reasons, one of which is to get to Diamond status. Well, I/we've been watching a bunch of Youtube videos of the ship. I must say that I'm impressed of it's interior beauty and layout, so far. I may have to adjust my opinion a little. We'll see.

What? North Star or the drinks?

I've been on two Quantum Class (Anthem and Ovation) cruises. Both cruises I was not able to get on the North Star. It's always broke down, they didn't have enough crew to staff it, or, or, or, ......... It's just a good thing that it wasn't something that is/was in my bucket list.

First, any parking facility that brags about their security is only bragging that they have contracted a security company, provide their own inhouse security, or have the local policing agency(ies) frequently patrol the lot or a combination of all or part of the above. Some actually have some good fencing. BUT, none will guarantee security. In other words, "YOU PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK". Read your Ticket, it's your contract or ask for a copy of the contract. Having said that, I would not park at any lot that the company that runs/owns it doesn't have security fencing and some kind of security patrolling 24/7. I've only parked my car at the Park N Go lot at Port Everglades and yes they stack the cars in tightly. But, I haven't had a problem or damages with it. When you return, the shuttle takes you to where your car is parked and it has always been in front of the other cars in line behind mine. I believe they que up the cars as they will be leaving. Yes, they park your car, which means they keep your key/fob. I lock everything up in the car and I put the car in Valet mode and only give them one key/fob. If you are a 2nd Amendment kinda person, you can't introduce your item(s) into Port Everglades. Park N Go isn't physically inside the port. I have a 2nd Amendment lock box that I secure inside my vehicle, it's secured with an aircraft grade cable to the vehicles hard structure, and I hide it as much/good as I can. Every other place I've parked off port has been at the hotel that we've stayed at the night before embarkation. Or at the terminal parking facilities like Miami & Galveston. My next cruise in 29 days, Canaveral, we are still trying to make up our minds but will probably park at the terminal. The off port parking businesses sound great at first look but then when you get a quote, they charge an additional "Port Entry Fee" or what ever they call it. Their total costs are usually only a few dollars cheaper than if parked at the Port of Canaveral terminal ($17.00 a day) and we don't have to hassle with a shuttle coming and going and tip coming and going. It all adds up. Having said that, keep in mind that I only endorse (a personal endorsement, not a paid or professional endorsement) Park N Go at Port Everglades. They've done good by me and my usually large party a few times.

For those of you who are complaining about the Port Everglades parking facilities, signage, and so on, I'd like to point out a couple things. 1. First of all, I retired from there in 2005, what it is now is nothing like it was back then. 2. I actually worked for a Parking Management Company (USA Parking Systems which was eventually merged into Central Parking which was eventually merged into Standard Parking +) that was contracted to the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. I reported to a Contract Administrator of the Port Authority. We were a professional parking management company with a very impressive resume. However, as dealing with many government agencies goes, the contract administrator and the director of the Port, who had no parking experience, ignored the advice of it's professional parking management company that they were paying for. Same thing at the Airport. It was so frustrating.

For that same reason, when I get my first email from the Genie, my answer to him/her, I explain, in detail, what I want and expect, which includes which specialty restaurants I want to go to. I leave it up to the Genie to schedule the exact time and day of cruise. I just want him/her to provide me with a schedule, written or digital. After that, I can't help how or when the Genie actually makes the reservations, that's up to him/her.

Well, with the big box TA I generally use, it was a little less than $15,000.00 to get the $1,500.00, We got the $1,500.00 on our cruise in May to Alaska in a Star Loft Suite, 4 of us, and I believe it was less than $15,000.00 total fare, it was booked almost a year out. And I just now looked into their website and it has increased to $20,000.00+. It appears the goal post is being moved further away but the prize hasn't moved at all. BTW, I've talked to two very well known Travel agencies. Both have a big and loyal following on a couple of Social Media Sites and one has a virtually complete video library of cruise ships on YouTube, that the owner of the agency does. Actually well done. I explained/told them both what the big box agency(ies) were offering and one, the one with the YouTube videos, whom I actually talked to the owner, said that he could not match that and that the big box agencies are only concerned with quantity, not quality. The other, the agent I talked to (email actually) said that her and her agency doesn't offer those either but was willing to give me a $50.00 or $100.00 (I can't remember the amount for sure) OBC and it would have to come out of her commission. I did not take her up on the offer.

I think, and I'm sure some one will correct me if I'm wrong. Agencies that can afford (the big box agencies and very successful not so big box agencies) to purchase large blocks of cabins at a substantial discount and, I assume, get the usual commission on top of the discount when cabins are sold (I've read in a few places that the TA commission is 10%, I read it on the Internet so I know it's factual 😉) on top of the discounted purchased cabins. That's how the big box agencies can give their customers up to $2,000.00 in the form of a reimbursement for their onboard account, or $1,500.00 OBC. There is also an option to get a pre-paid Visa or MasterCard gift card, I just don't remember the specifics as I never considered that one. I've always wondered why ABC Travel Agency would only give an OBC of $50.00 - $100.00 while the big box agencies can offer ^^^^^ while paying their phone answering agents, advertising, and who know what else. Is this true, partially true, or completely B.S.

Blackstone = YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! It's great for fried rice (egg, peas, bamboo sprouts, soy, butter, lots of butter, and on and on), too.

Yep, I ghost shop (when I say I, I mean my wife) plug in every possible discount we qualify for, in different combinations. When I (she) finds the fare with the best advantage, we then call our TA or RCCL direct and let them know what we found and ask them to beat it, if possible. My wife does a great job in finding the best possible fare for us. But, some times the TA or RCCL comes up with something really special. Many times, the Military Fare/Discount isn't the best deal, for sure.

I'll be parking near Port Canaveral or in the Parking Garage on Port Canaveral on Oct 31, were still looking into it. It' is going to be interesting. When I cruised out of Canaveral last time, it was on Carnival 🤮 and we parked at the hotel and shuttled to/from the hotel, I don't remember any Garages there, a lot of construction going on though.

Over the last few decades Port Everglades has seen A LOT of changes. I remember the days when you could drive right up to any dock/pier and fish, just sightsee, whatever. There used to be a top tier restaurant (Burt & Jack's) at about the same location as Pier 25. You could walk right up to Naval Submarines/Ships. My office used to be located in North Port at the entrance/exit to the North Port Garage (cruise & Convention Center Garage), the office isn't there anymore (just a clump of Palm Trees). And a new huge garage is right next to where the office was. I'm 71 now, back when I was pre-teen, I'd ride my bicycle anywhere I wanted within the boundaries of Port Everglades. We used to ride through Port Everglades to get to Ft. Lauderdale beach. BTW, I witnessed and was part of a lot of changes at the FLL airport. I was the manager of the parking there during a lot of changes, including the two newest garages. There was plans to build a monorail system between the port to the airport for passengers and cargo. Guess that was big plans gone by the wayside.