Jetdriver787

We just recently got off a 33 day cruise coupled with a 9 day land stay in the Caribbean. I have to say if I ever see another “Diamonds International” or “Colombian Emeralds” again, I think I will go full postal! It’s not as if we didn’t learn from that time we attended (what seemed like) a 72 hour timeshare presentation in order to get 2 free Disney tickets in Orlando back in the day! Every hotel we stayed in had a “Colombian Emeralds” in the foyer, and every port sported either the same or a “Diamonds International” within spitting distance of the entrance. Despite the fact Christmas (other holidays are available) was just around the corner, it did occur to me how light the footfall was in these stores. I commented to my wife often (although she rarely pays any attention) that I wondered how these places made money and whether they might have held some sort of ambassadorial status for various “cartels?” and…….on the same theme! I cannot understand why a cruise makes her (and others) effervescent for products alleging to be made out of Bamboo? Bedsheets, underwear? I was lucky enough to visit Chengdu China in my professional career and to see the Pandas in droves munching there way through tons of the stuff. I learned that it is full of cellulose, something of a fast growing nuisance, and despite the Pandas fondness for the stuff, it isn’t particularly nourishing and it turns their faeces a peculiar shade of phosphorous green! Given their notorious libido difficulties, I’m not really sure why I would want my bedsheets made out of the stuff? Likewise, I have never felt the need to enclose my nether regions in underwear made out of it either! I don’t know what it is about cruising that seems to bring out these strange retail cravings. It’s not even as if friends or family ask us to bring back a diamond, an emerald, or cellulose knickerbockers, just because they discover we are visiting some sort of dodgy tax haven for 8 hours! Don’t even get me started on the Art auctions. Although, I did notice a lot if it seemed to resemble that “Britto” stuff that presumably has been sitting in a cupboard in the basement of the ship ever since the retail space was turned over to some other overpriced nonsense! Not a day went by (honestly!) when there wasn’t an envelope left on our bed inviting us to some champagne reception or masquerade ball being hosted by these purveyors! I bought 2 artwork prints in the Seventies, “Chimpanzee sitting on toilet” and “Tennis player scratching left buttock” that have yet to show any positive investment return! Anyway, I have gone on too long and still haven’t got to those “pop up” shops in the Royal bazaar or esplanade or whatever it is on your particular ship!

Or possibly?…… a small commemorative paperweight made from the component parts of a Neutron star*! An atomic mass so dense that your 23kg (50lb) baggage allowance and that of your fellow 300 airline passengers combined, will struggle to convey it home! (Florida residents excluded!) * Osmium (atomic number 76) may be substituted for the component parts of a Neutron star due to global supply issues. The Royal caribbean logo beach towel will not be provided as a substitute under any circumstances!

I am guessing?…….But maybe an extra cookie if you telephone the C&A loyalty department in Guatemala City at least 210 working days in advance of your cruise. Please note the cookie cannot be shared or re-gifted to an ineligible category of membership. Only valid on sailings of 7 nights or more that do not include a Saturday! Cookies may be substituted by other baked or unbaked items of similar or lesser value and may be packed in some sort of miniature wooden packing crate stuffed with straw that resembles a young child’s first attempt at an unpopulated Nativity scene. Void where prohibited by law!

I assumed it meant that “the man from Del Monte” said no! 🤷‍♂️

Last night We flew from Barbados to London. The check-in line took us 50 minutes! “So what?” Well, the line was for First class for a single flight. The queue was 25 deep when we arrived. The flight only had 14 first class seats! Again, the problem is that “loyalty” perks allow various category of coloured card holders to use facilities that they aren’t actually travelling in or paying for. The net effect is that it eventually totally devalues the product. In all honesty, I think Royal Caribbean has handled this same problem with a fairly clever and (I believe) generous solution. The only real attraction of the lounges seemed to be the prospect of a few limited option free drinks during the relevant “happy hours.” The canapés and snacks never really set the world alight, and the coffee machine (when it was actually working) could easily have been accommodated in one small venue open to all qualifying loyalty levels. The “vouchers” though, are a significant bonus! Now you can obtain loyalty value of up to $70 per person per day (potentially) if you are D+ to be used pretty much anywhere and anytime you wish. Suite passengers are (in most cases) getting nowhere near this benefit! If you are going to sell a premium product for a premium price then you need to be able to consistently deliver it or it will fail! If you devalue it by giving it away as a “perk” offered as a concession then eventually you will kill your own product. At the moment it is a mess. I appreciate that is because it is an always evolving reality and also the 2 year “covid” hiatus has complicated that evolution. I cannot see why renting a “Grand suite” on some ships gets you free internet, but not on others even though the product is available on all of them in some form or other? Similarly, why does a ship need a “concierge lounge” as opposed to a “suite lounge?”

I can’t really see that the Concierge lounge has any real purpose any more. The change to a “suite lounge” should delineate its use to those that have paid for the necessary real estate. As a “suite lounge” it needs updating to reflect the rewards it gives to those people who actually rent that accommodation. The vouchers are undoubted disproportionately weighted for the loyalty levels, but are nonetheless a generous concession given their versatility of use. We have spent the last month in a suite as D+. In that time we have visited the concierge lounge twice and had one drink there. Truth be told, it offers us no particular value. The vouchers have given us (as a couple) up to $4,200 in “free” drinks at any venue or time we choose. In reality of course we simply haven’t used them to anywhere near maximum value, the point being that a “ free bar” for a couple of hours in an often inconvenient (and crowded) venue comes nowhere near the amenity value of the vouchers. It’s about time (and very likely on their radar) that the company used its suite facilities to properly reward those paying them for the privilege. The loyalty aspect is far better rewarded as things currently stand with the provision of a Diamond lounge and the generous voucher allocation?

We have been on 3 of the last/current 4 cruises on this ship (a total of 33 days!) our 13th/14th and 15th cruises with RCI. This is our first cruise in 5 years and the first time without any children and also the first time on one of the “older” ships. Our real estate has been Grand suite/ inside/ Grand suite. We booked the second two cruises while doing the first, hence the eclectic mix based on last minute availability. Obviously we were sufficiently impressed by our first experience to book the subsequent cruises. We agree that the crew have generally been great. Every bit as friendly and welcoming as we remember from past cruises. Would also agree with the shout out to Ryan, Rommel, and Kevin at the pool bar and to our MDR wait staff, room and suite attendants and indeed almost everybody we have had any interaction with. The ship is obviously “classic” and a little dated. In many ways that has been quite a positive experience as the distances between venues are much shorter and there is a greater sense of space and comfort. You don’t feel that every inch of deck space is given over to an “attraction” or retail opportunity as is so often the sensation on the newer ships.Certainly less crowds. There is a greater degree of wear and tear than you might ordinarily expect to find on a newer ship but it is generally kept in check in public areas. One aspect that we have found a little disappointing is in the cleanliness of some areas. Dining venues have been excellent on all counts, but some of the public restrooms have clearly suffered from a deficit of scheduled attention. (no soap in any dispensers) and dirty floors. Routine maintenance in the cabins has also been rather disappointing particularly in our latest room. Being an older ship it is inevitable that many of the electrical sockets become loose with age and use, but it shouldn’t be a major issue to replace them as they wear and that doesn’t seem to be happening? In our latest suite, all of the closet doors are misaligned such that they don’t close properly and swing open. A couple of towel rails are hanging loose a faucet wasn’t running properly. The cabin door won’t close properly as it sticks and needs a concerted pull to get it to click shut. If they would lend me some WD40, a power screwdriver, some new hinges and a woodworking plane, I reckon I could fix most of these in an afternoon. However they won’t (which is fine) but they don’t seem in any hurry either. I suspect staffing levels are still very much below par, particularly away from the front of house roles and this might explain the deficiencies, but it is noticeable.

Depends on the class of ship I guess? I’ve had some real savings on letting them pick recently. 40% on a a short cruise balcony guarantee on Anthem. Similar saving on a 7 night Caribbean that we are currently on. Did a suite guarantee on a 14 night Caribbean that resulted in a well placed JS that we were very happy with. That saved around 50% on a “selected” JS. Then the royal up bid was also accepted and that saved just over $5000 on booking the same GS.

Had our first Royal up bid success yesterday at cruise date -5 days. From an assigned JS gty to a GS. Nice for a 14 day cruise! 👍

On Rhapsody now…..and yes, one bottle.

I’ve done 3 gty’s in the last 2 months and they have all firmed up within a maximum of a week or so. Pleased with all of the locations so far.

In the last week it’s often taken me an hour to download a single page on far too many occasions. Not sure how they get away with charging what they do for it!

I’m reminded of the story of the little Dutch boy who plugs the Dike in the story of Hans Brinker or the SIlver skates by Mary Mapes Dodge. A salutary plumbing lesson for when things do go wrong?

Probably just me……. but……..I’m wondering if someone has held a magnet too close to todays compass? Ship is travelling from Barcelona (Europe) to Barbados (err…North America?) Unless the good people of Barbados have been annexed in the last few days (and in the current climate I suppose anything’s possible?) Their continental location is actually North America. The US isn’t even the largest country on that continent! And another thing!….. In “1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” it. Probably was a once in a lifetime thing (although Chris’ did it 3 more times in the following 12 years which in an Owners suite probably made him Diamond?) But I’m not sure in 2022 in the age of spirit and Ryanair it is such a singular and monumental achievement? Alright….I know this stuff isn’t written by Woodward and Bernstein, and hopefully by no one from the Navigation bridge, but come on RCL, a bit more effort please! In the meantime I am going to relax, take my medication and maybe check out the entertainment schedule or perhaps book myself a spa!

Currently on Rhapsody and certainly no shortage of mushrooms. The cruise is out of Barcelona so maybe they are masquerading as “champiñóns” or something? I will ask the waiter tonight as he seems like a fun guy! (Fungi?……… oh never mind! 🤷‍♂️)

Just asking for “a friend!” But, does the $100 fine include an 18% gratuity….or not?

I trust the armed gangs will not be permitted to enter barefoot beach unless they are pinnacle or suite?

I think the clue is in the picture.

I used to travel with large cash sums around the world at my employers insistence. Although I always expected customs to be excited, nobody ever cared. They just gave you an additional form to fill in once you ticked that you were actually carrying more than 10,000 USD, pounds or Euro. The only time I ever recall having a problem was at Washington Dulles where the officer couldn’t much care about the cash either but was much more excited as to whether I had a permit to actually land at IAD. I did and presented it to him, but he seemed unimpressed for some reason and started making noises about impounding the aircraft. I probably should have been less flippant about shrugging and saying it was my employers and not mine so he was welcome to it, but adding to the long list of things he obviously hated about his life wasn’t going to make his or my day any better. little did either of us know that later on another guy would arrive in Washington with his own Boeing 757 and spend 4 years setting the world alight!

Booked a balcony gty on Anthem for next May last week. Got cabin assignment 2 days later. It was fine.