ilovetexas

On 2/26/2023 at 5:06 PM, notamermaid said:

Great! Thanks for saying hello. So I guess this will be a business trip. If you would like to share your impressions from the Expo and your cruise we would be happy to read them.

Have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

 

Thanks!  I’ll be happy to report back in.  I’ll have a chance to see/tour/have meals on Ama, Amadeus, Avalon, Riverside and Viking. Scenic was full for events but I’ll try to sneak aboard and look around, I think there are a couple of hours one afternoon set aside for “open house” to make sure we see everything.  Then of course, the cruise on AmaViola.  

If anyone has specific questions I’ll try to check back in here every so often and see what they are so I can get some answers.  No promises - these events are exhausting and I’ll be working, too, but I’ll sure try!

I’ve just started looking at this River Cruising forum.  I’ll be at ASTA River Expo in March.  Looking forward to it and learning all about river cruising.  Sailing AmaViola afterwards.

@Kitty Ellas Mom  Valid concerns.  I tend to forget there are people who still haven’t experienced much freedom in over two years.  I moved from GA to TX several months ago and looking around, you’d never know we’re in a pandemic.  We were locked down for a month initially and still wearing masks when I moved to TX in September ‘21 but I even stopped doing that after children were allowed to be vaccinated.  I think that’s a very different experience than so many people, especially those in the NE, are having.

All that said, I just took my proctored covid test for my fifth cruise since the restart.  I didn’t have to mask up for the one last month and technically don’t for this next one…but I will.  My only concern with catching covid at this point is impacting future travel plans.  I don’t have to fly back from a foreign country like you do but I do have another cruise scheduled 10 days after I get back from this one.  I do NOT want to test positive and miss my first trip to Bermuda.

I’m going to do a lot of what you’ll be doing - masking, social distancing, more time on the balcony, etc.  I do hope you can take some steps to get more comfortable with the idea of your cruise, I’ve been on 25 of them and Alaska was by far my favorite.   Your biggest problem is most likely going to be the boredom of the flight, bring a good book!

20 hours ago, acshelco said:

1. No covid announcements.

2. No missed ports you could explore all of them on your own.

3. All shows went as scheduled.

4. I was given a regular surgical mask at one of the restaurants but never saw them giving anyone a N95.

Which ports did the ship visit?  Were you Eastern or Western?

Thanks!

8 hours ago, glfgrljules said:

Well crap. My son tested positive. I’m trying to maybe rebook for next month. Should I do Sky Princess, or CP?

I’m sorry about your son, hope he’s feeling okay and stays that way.  We sailed Sky Princess last month and had a lovely time - highly recommended.

11 hours ago, iamaqt2 said:

They're working!  Had to use them just today. Token dispenser in there for both washer and dryer. 3.00 for wash, 3.00 for 45 minute dry cycle.  Brought own detergent, but dispenser in there for that as well.

Thank you so much for taking time to do that for me!  

Thank you all for sharing your trip, I'll be on Sky next week!

Quick question, if anyone onboard knows - are the self sevice laundry areas operating?  The website says they might not be during initial return to service due to covid.  I need to start packing and am trying to figure out how much extra I have to take. 

Enjoy the rest of your trip!!

We were supposed to be on Sky on May 5, which was canceled outright.  I didn’t feel like waiting for all the new itineraries to be posted in a few weeks, nor did I like the price tag on the one they already have up and suggested as a replacement.  Going from 11 to 14 days, r/t Southampton instead of Copenhagen, and an increase of about 3k.

We found an Alaska cruise tour that we liked and booked it instead.  It irritates me more than a little that if we had kept our booking in Europe in 2021, we’d be getting $200 obc each but since we booked Alaska instead (and spent considerably more money, too) we got $15 obc each.  I’m hoping they reconsider that.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in this thread (maybe I missed it) is the Fantasy Class ships have very few balcony rooms.  As cruise lines are looking at go-forward plans post Covid19 shut-down, that may be a factor.  They might be faced with requirements limiting the number of guests in rooms with no access to fresh air and/or there might not be as much demand for them over the next few years.  Just a thought.

Excuse the VERY non-technical answer but I just got off Regal and the staff captain said while they’re in wet dock this week they’re having a new “tower” installed that does something to improve the environmental impact of fuel burning.  They already have one and now they’ll have two.  

I’m sure they are doing other stuff as well but that’s what he mentioned at one of the talks on the ship.

7 minutes ago, CA_Cruzing said:

you didn't refute any points in your original post, which basically assails box box TAs because they give a rebate, which is identical to a non big-box store's TA giving you OBC.

 

from your posts, all i can deduce is you're a TA and promoting using independent TAs versus big box because you don't like the "rebate" but instead you'll take OBC credits.

 

clearly you're only seeing the trees in your own forest.

 

your statement above is what i am calling out. "That’s not worth a $300 in-club gift card to me." you seem to harp on a rebate and posit that only a "local TA" can be of help in your time of need. that's just untrue.

 

travel as you wish, but don't slam another TA because you prefer someone else or don't like that big-box delivers high value.

 

OBC gifts are the same as a rebate store card. you're just spending them in different places.

 

I'll stick with my 12% cruising discount structure. all because NO ONE else is giving me that discount level in addition to quality service.

You’re being argumentative for no apparent reason and you’ve completely mis-represented everything I wrote.  Have a nice day.

49 minutes ago, CA_Cruzing said:

Except most of that is opinion and hyperbole. If all you get out of bigbox is a "rebate" then you've failed to take advantage of their services. That's on you, not them. As for getting hurt, missed flight, or travel supplier going BK, one would buy a travel insurance policy.

 

TA's can guide you on those but any traveler spending real money on any trip will and should buy travel insurance that meets or exceeds their needs. One would be foolish to buy an expensive trip and leave it unprotected. Why not rip into the carrier (Carnival, for example) for offering and selling a minimalist travel insurance policy? I think you'd find more support for that argument than the one you made.

98% of what's on these boards is an opinion, yours included.

Of course one should buy travel insurance.  Always.  But when vacations start to go sideways, it's always good to have a TA to make phone calls, help move reservations, etc. as opposed to having to do it yourself.  Your insurance carrier isn't going to help get you on another flight after you missed yours, try to re-book you on another island when you decide the DR isn't safe, call your All Inclusive resort when you paid for a full ocean view and they stuck you in a city view, rearrange your flights when your ship loses propulsion power (or there is a flood at your home port) and you can't make  your flight home, etc.  TAs provide a wealth of experience, information and assistance and if you opt not to use one, that's your choice.  That's not hyperbole, that's the life of a travel agent.

If you've had luck with booking on your own then transferring to a big box stores for the discount, and no bad experiences, that's great.  If you ever choose to travel with one of the suppliers who doesn't do business with those stores, I hope you choose to use an independent travel agent and have an excellent experience there as well.

On 6/21/2019 at 10:17 PM, dave_k58 said:

 

I would bet that most TA's don't know half as much about cruising as the average visitor to Cruisecritic. Most don't know the differences between the ships, ports, cabins etc.  They can, if they feel like it, give you a cut of their commission as some sort of OBC.  A major big box club store has the best prices and the most perks, as far as I can figure out.

I can’t speak for all travel agents but can certainly speak for myself.  I’ve been on close to 30 cruises and most certainly know the difference between ships, ports, cabins, etc. 

In response to the original question about using a TA, it depends on what type of traveler you are.  TAs are very helpful putting together multiple types of travel experiences - most people don’t want to spend HOURS/DAYS researching and building their trips and then worrying if they put all the pieces together correctly, got the correct visas, have all their transfers, etc.  They’re also an excellent resource if something should go wrong, as was previously mentioned in this thread.

If, however, you’re looking for a dirt cheap trip and hoping someone will give you a bunch of OBC/discounts, a TA will most likely only do that if you’re a close friend or they’re hoping for future, more lucrative, business from you.

As for the big box stores extreme rebating, the travel suppliers should be ashamed of themselves for doing business with them.  Rebating is simply discounting and that’s against most suppliers policies.  While I understand the advantage from a monetary standpoint, I wouldn’t want to have to rely on some online agent at the big box store if I got hurt in a foreign country, missed a flight, or had a travel supplier go bankrupt mid-trip and leave me stranded.  That’s not worth a $300 in-club gift card to me.  Plus, travel agents are small businesses (even the ones that work for large agencies are typically independent contractors) and I like to support small business every chance I get.

Not necessarily.

There are many here on CC who are well traveled (cruise or otherwise), efficacious planners and use top selling TAs for their preferred line(s) for only two reasons: PERKS and PROBLEM SOLVING.

 

This is particularly true for longer and/or complicated itinerary cruises where commission sharing can mean $1000+ in refundable OBC/rebate and having their regional sales rep as a "speed dial" for issues are key things that will never happen for DIYers. Remember: that top seller TA may do a million $/yr of business with that line while a DIYer is a mere rounding error in the cruise line's bottom line. Who do you think will get results faster/better?

 

Like many others on CC, we generally have no need for assistance with air, hotels, transfers, insurance or much else in terms of planning/implementing a trip.

 

Nonetheless, once I've got everything laid out, I will ask (one or more of the three TAs we use) what I'm missing, what they'd do instead and what can they add to the value.

 

 

 

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You are correct. However, most people are not on CC, not even most cruisers are on CC. The general public sees someone else dealing with basic services (booking cruise, air, hotel, transfers, excursions, etc.) as a benefit as they are not used to, or have no interest in, doing it themselves. Plus, as you pointed out, when those occasional problems arise we are typically in a better position to deal with them. I'm glad you've found three people you trust to spot check your plans and see if they can add value.

Don't get me wrong, my clients (and I) like OBC, too! ;)

1. Answer Phone Call

2. Looks up cruise price

3.Tells client the price, plus whatever perks.

4. If accepted.

5. Ask for:

Full Names, Birth Dates, Address, Phone Number, Dinner, Early, Late or Anytime Dining...Credit Card Info

6. Calls Cruiseline and makes the reservation, sends out confirmation's

 

So just how long does that take?

 

Jimbo:)

I'm a fairly new TA and if only it was that easy. I've had people come in and sit at my desk for FOUR hours while I walked them through everything (ships, itineraries, perks, etc.) - just to end up booking a cruise on the line they stated they didn't want when they walked in the door. They came back for well over an hour to look at shore excursions and before all is said and done, I'll spend much more time with them (which is okay because they're really nice people.) That's just one example of how I provide service to my customers. Luckily, I do it for fun not to earn a primary income.

I haven't had a reservation go as smoothly as your example yet; which I find odd since as an experienced cruiser I'm used to booking my own in the manner you describe above. I find flights, pre-cruise hotels that have fly, snooze, cruise or park and cruise options, shore excursions, travel insurance, answer passport/visa questions, deal with groups, and that's just the common stuff I can think of off the top of my head.

It's really a service for people who want to leave the details to someone else and ensure they are handled properly. Lower rates and/or additional perks are nice - but not what most people who use a travel agent are going for. I don't charge for my services, my commission comes out of the prices already charged by the cruiseline. I hope everyone can find a TA they like and provides them excellent service, it makes a vacation so much easier and more pleasant.

I'm glad they finally canceled the cruise and let you off the hook - something they should have done two days ago. I'm from Texas and horrified at what is happening there right now. To think Royal Caribbean told people to travel through that is unimaginable. And before anyone gets into semantics - YES THEY DID!

Please do have a wonderful anniversary tomorrow. The situation sucks at the moment but a few years from now it will be a good story to tell.

Funny/not funny. I just logged into my Carnival account to check on FFTF status for a future cruise. Noticed I had a Casino Offer which I thought odd since they expired two days ago. Also thought the amount was odd. Pulled it up and it has ONE date and ONE sailing on it. The August 27, 2017 Breeze out of Galveston.

I got a good laugh out of that! And no, in case you were wondering, the price was not good.

Yeah, maybe it was a mistake on their part with the time zone but my Thursday email clearly said Friday update by noon eastern. That made sense since RCI is in Miami. I know it sounds like splitting hairs, but time is of the essence when we are sitting with bags packed wondering whether to go to the airport. :)

I'm sorry this is happening when you're trying to celebrate an important life event. My suggestion - the SECOND Royal allows you to cancel this cruise - one of you get on the phone cancelling air/hotel/transfers/etc. and the other of you get on the phone trying to book something in the next couple of days that you can drive to. I just found these, but have no idea what the availability is (inside, ov, balcony, etc.):

Both of these leave the 27th - Celebrity Summit to Bermuda out of New Jersey, NCL Breakaway to Bermuda out of New York. Both are 7 day sailings.

Also leaving the 27th - Celebrity Equinox to E Caribbean out of Miami. This is an 8 day sailing.

Or, if you need to shorten your trip due to pet/house care, etc. there is a 4 day Carnival Liberty sailing to the Bahamas out of Port Canaveral that also leaves the 27th.

I hope you have an excellent anniversary week, regardless of your final destination.

I've been on Glory and Sunshine and booked on Magic. The Sunshine is my favorite Carnival ship, hands down. I had a not so great experience on her the second time, but I choose to consider that an anomaly. The ship has all the new stuff (well, I guess the new BBQ spot isn't there yet) a great Serenity Deck, etc. If the price difference isn't too much for your budget - go with Sunshine!

Just off the Breeze yesterday. I saved all my fun times and the Welcome Aboard Show was at 10:15.

Thank you! Now I'll just need an energy drink to go with my steak! [emoji23]

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I wish!!! He's going to be on the week before us, the first week out of dry-dock.

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It isn't that they're slow; the service in the steakhouse far exceeds service in the MDR since they have far fewer tables. It's just a nice meal and tends to take longer. People linger over wine/cocktails/coffee, courses aren't rushed, etc. It's just like eating in a nice steakhouse on land.

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Thanks everyone! Saint Greg, I searched for that but must not have been holding my mouth right since I didn't find it. [emoji4] I guess a 7:30 dinner might work after all.

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Thanks for doing that! I guess I could have pulled all my old ones and see when it started. I was thinking 9 or 9:30.

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Can someone please help me out? I need a recent Fun Times that shows what time the Welcome Aboard Show is. I'm taking my mom and sister on the Breeze in a few weeks and it's my sister's first cruise. I haven't gone to a Welcome Aboard Show in years but I don't want her to miss out. I requested Steakhouse reservations at 6:30 but they came back at 7:30. I'm pretty sure there is only the one show that night and that would put us eating dinner during it.

I can reschedule the dinner if it interferes. Thanks in advance if anyone has one to post.