Engineroom Snipe

And the planner that you are, you have cancellation insurance as well as the fact you can punt it forward for a small reschedule fee. There are many options, you just have to know how to play the hand you are dealt. I think the worst case scenario is maybe a month or two adjustment to your schedule.

This leads into the discussion of the ministries involved in cruise ship travel "trying to extend the season". Not unlike many summer shore communities sponsoring "Oktoberfest" in an effort to fill hotel rooms and gain some end of the season tourism. Maybe they are trying to test the waters {pun intended). As stated by others, Bermuda is a quiet, colder place for the winter months. This is all relative. What may be cold to me would be a summer delight to people from Maine and Michigan 🤣. Should the cruise rates get low enough, they could occupy empty rooms with pax more than willing to meet the challenge. Always remember, one person's hell cruise is another person's swell cruise (I know, I am going to stop now before I hurt myself). 😨

YES!! I have not read a single thread, that after using the barcode reader with an assigned muster station, that the passenger did not get the assigned barcode room. You could possibly be charged for an "upgrade" that you are already assigned 😲. Cancel your upgrades and toast 🥂 your good fortune. Go out and play the Power Ball. Enjoy your cruise.

Specifically, after some further reading and research, this was a result of a September 15th, 2022, announcement that five transatlantic cruise ships slated for Bermuda changed their itineraries as they felt the testing protocol would be too burdensome on their pax and not feasible to do onboard the ship while it is underway. Bermuda is trying to expand its "shoulder season" of cruise tourists into the fall months. The loss of these coveted transatlantic pax would be someone else's gain. There was a little bit of weight being thrown around but no-one wants to admit it. There is still discussion about the continuing need for the visa except that the company contracted by Bermuda to run the visa program will not expire until March 2023. I would not be surprised if the company contracted the service for a percentage of the visa proceeds and shutting it down sooner would expose Bermuda to a penalty payment.

There is no standard. Every cruise line is free from any CDC standard. They decide what is best for their bottom line. I read into this article and it is interesting that RCL has stated they went from about 37% capacity this spring to about 63% capacity now. I am sure this is an average number of total cruises since summer is the high season and many cruise lines were hitting 100+%. NCL is trying to broaden its base as much as possible. The only restrictions upon them are the ports that they visit. Another thread refers to changes in Bermuda's policy which is ongoing. It is still a day-by-day thing, cruise line by cruise line.

Just like a train going downhill that suddenly loses its brakes. Hold😉 on for the ride!

My wife and I had MTD on the past three cruises. In September on the Oasis, reservations could not be made before 6:45pm on the app even when we tried to reserve ASAP pre-cruise. Once onboard, within the first hour, the app would not allow any reservations before 7:15pm throughout the cruise. I had reserved late times between 8:30pm and 9pm for the entire week. The first night was 9:00pm. This time in the past was usually lighter in volume than earlier times. We arrived about 8:40pm and it was chaotic. There were lines of more than thirty people in the 8:00pm queue, 8:30pm queue, no 9pm queue was organized yet, and a thirty+ standby queue for those walking in without a reservation. We were seated by about 9:35pm. I cancelled the next few nights and we were satisfied with the Windjammer, we do not go on a cruise for the food. I keep reservations for two of the remaining nights and things were improved slightly. We spent about 30 minutes from the time we were in line to the table but this was with reservations. With MTD, we understand we do not normally pick the table or the servers. I just do not want to lose 30 or more minutes just trying to get to the table with reservations. I am using regular second seating dining on my next cruise. On another thread, a cruiser suggested this with the caveat to inform the servers the night before or as soon as possible if we will not be attending the table so they do not waste their time waiting for us which I believe is a considerate thing to do. I have been cruising for many decades. When MTD first came into existence, gratuities were mandated to be paid pre-cruise when choosing MTD. The reason given was we did not know who was going to serve us and servers would still be tipped for no-shows. Some cruisers were going to the Windjammer for all three meals instead of the Main Dining Room leaving no tips for anyone serving meals to empty reserved seating in the Main Dining Room. The servers at the time were given a set number of guests to serve and their tips would be affected when people would not show up. I remember how upset one of our Main Dining Room waiters was when a woman was there every night except for the last night when tips were normally given to the waiter and busboy. He believed that this was done intentionally to avoid tipping which was expected at the time. The debate over gratuities is ongoing in another thread and I do not want to get into the pros and cons here. I am just stating the reason I was given by TAs years ago when I first asked about MTD. So I will used second main dining seating, inform staff if I am going to miss a meal, and pay the standard daily gratuities so my servers are still compensated for my empty seat.

You are not getting out of this thread that easy 😁. You keep your dog tags and all twenty-nine birthdays with more to come. Your penance will be perpetually monitoring this thread for more postings. 🤣

"Bring out your dead. I am not dead, I feel rather good," Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The poor horse.

You were very accurate that most of us follow rules and laws. I cannot be arrested for violating policy unless the policy has basis in law. Royal Caribbean can move personal items from the chair according to their policy while on board. They cannot arrest anyone for it. Should they choose not to enforce, it tends to embolden those who wish not to follow it. The type of person who ignores this policy does not think beyond themselves with or without a policy. They think they are more important than their fellow passengers. I am not going to exhaust myself in an attempt to teach them something they should have learned in kindergarten. Share the classroom toys with others, not keep them all to yourself. I would like the policy enforced in a uniform manner but I do not want to get involved in a verbal or physical confrontation. I will not attempt to enforce a policy that the cruise lines themselves do not enforce. I think I have beaten this dead-horse enough. I do thank everyone for their posts. I have something to ponder during my next cruise as I walk the decks. 😉

Policy. Royal Caribbean Lines International has a publicized policy. I am always amazed how many policies are created but never enforced. If one does not enforce the policy, it because toothless and useless. The policy should be removed. Kind of like the "Pirates Code", more of a guideline than a code. Regards, 😁

I know you have posted this many times in other threads. Thanks for the Apple clarification since I do not have an Apple.

I have an Android Phone. I downloaded an app from the store called Barcode Scanner. They have a subscription download and a free download. I used the free download. Bring your set sail pass up on a laptop or larger screen. Use the app to scan. If it does not scan, print out the setsail pass and scan that. Sometimes the barcode scanner will not work with displays that do not provide enough resolution or flicker (slow refresh rate). I have used this successfully. If you have an apple, others have stated to scan it into your Apple wallet app and it will provide a number. The last numbers after the "-" is your room number. If there is a muster station on your setsail pass, there should normally be a readable number even if your room still says guarantee. Regards,

I was at Bayonne on Sept 11. Garage parking is for special needs but there is secure parking within a five minute walk to the cruise port check-in entrance.

I have been keeping an eye on prices in general out of Bayonne. As of now, all of 2023 prices seem to be significantly higher (+30%). The suite prices do not seem to come down at all compared to 90 day before interior prices. Suite cruisers tend to know what they want and where they want their room location to be. As such, they are booked much earlier in advance. Sounds a bit crazy but the very first time they announce a cruise (sometimes a year and half + away), they sell quickly. I have had balconies and interiors. My wife and I might do one interior and one balcony a year. We enjoy the balcony but we also tend to be more active on the ship when we have an interior. We are just happy to get some time together and let someone else cook and clean 😆.

That question is the proverbial "hot potato." I just said I was going to sleep and you hit the center of the target with your question. I will wake up tomorrow and maybe everyone else will have the answer. I certainly do not have the answer. I have agreed that MP is a fine, caring, young man because he has stated so on the internet. Now, you have opened up Pandora's Box. I cannot wait to read the next installment of this conversation tomorrow. 😪. Where is my electric blanky, I feel tired.

🙄🙄😉😉....And you have potential,......and you have potential,.. (insurance commercial with Pinocchio as a motivational speaker). I have no doubt about your factual representations because they are here on the internet! Great way to end my evening. Thank you.

Fabulous idea until you see a pesky cruiser with a nail cutter going after the zip-ties 🙄. Next idea, do we maybe put a dye-pack on the timer that marks the towels when the timer goes off like a bank robbery (no, too much money and time involved and we might ruin the tan lines of fellow innocent passengers in adjacent chairs 🤯). I am having way too much fun with this and you started my laughter. Thanks for lightening the mood. I mean, you were, er, not serious? 😲

Thank you for staying with us. Cruisers can tough but we all want the same results, a pleasant experience for everyone. I am sure if I was sitting in a hot tub talking with you, face-to-face, everything would be different. Conversing through words does not convey body language and syntax. So much lost in the translation.

Booked a guaranteed interior on Oasis in June for Sept 11 cruise. Informed of muster station with barcode 45 day previous to embarkation. Read barcode and room 11549 appeared. Bid on Royal Up for multiple rooms at lowest rates (no expectation of acceptance because the ship had high occupancy rate). Traveled in room 11549, forward interior 179 sq ft room. We loved it. Very quiet and secluded. Little movement. I would roll the dice again.

I can easily imagine why a warm Solarium seat would be coveted on a Cold Weather Cruise 🥶 (Is there an outlet where I can plug in my electric blanky? 😁). In that case, can my wife remind me why I went to a cold weather cruise to begin with? 😪😲.

Reset. This is a rough ride for the past three years. You are welcome to express your opinion. Just be ready for everyone else to express theirs 😁. As I said, maybe need to buckle the seat-belt a bit tighter 🙃🙂 as we go through the roller coaster of life. Regards.

This is an ongoing issue on cruise ships. Please just take an deep breath and not take it personally. Yes, I know that is a hard request. As someone who has witnessed this behavior, it is another simmering problem of society. Treat others as you would like yourself treated. If you are using and enjoying the chair, fantastic! Should one save a chair for the possibility of usage? It is your vacation, it is everyone's vacation, we are sharing the ship together for a wonderful experience and memory. Times are stressful in this world. We go on vacation to relieve that stress. The appearance of a vacate chair for more than one hour just seems difficult. I love to swim. I have been in the water for more than 48 hours compliments of the military. I can tell people who swim, visit their chair within the thirty minute period and swim again. That is great! Enjoy! When I see a chair not used for over three hours, it tends to violate the treat others as you would want to be treated mentality. No judgement, just an observation and my personal opinion. Good cruising to you. I have met so many great people on ships. You are probably one of them. Maybe just contemplate how people who do not use chairs for over sixty minutes affect a fully booked cruise. Regards, Engine Room Snipe.

Oh the inhumanity of it all, not the corn hole boards!!! 😟

I have been to Nassau twice this year onboard the Anthem in April and Oasis this month. We also went in March 2019 as the last cruise on the water before the Pandemic shut-down. Do you have an idea of what you would like to do such as shopping, eating, drinking, beach, historical, etc? After two visits, we only spent about three hours off of the ship going to a local clothing shop we like for family gifts (good quality t-shirts and beach clothing) and a local craft brewing company which is a bit pricey for most people unless they are into craft beers. If you are into craft beers, it is actually quite reasonable compared to the states.