leaveitallbehind

As others have said what you choose to do or not to do on a cruise will dictate your enjoyment. Crowds are not everywhere and there are no activities you are required to do on board that would force you into crowded situations. Do you have a veranda stateroom? If so, your deck is your own private space as well. (If you don't, I would consider changing to one). Celebrity ships unusually have a library on board that is quiet and uncrowded as well as a number of smaller venues that you can enjoy. The Sky Observation Lounge is a large space that usually has small, individual seating space available. Try the promenade deck outside for less crowded outdoor spaces. Certain bars will be crowded and there will typically be lines waiting to enter the dining venues. But other than that, ships are not sardine cans and there will always be somewhere on board that will be quiet and away from crowds. You are not delusional for booking this cruise and I am sure you will enjoy it.

Can't answer to your question of more than five years as since the post pandemic restart we have cruised four times with three more planned between now and June '24.

As indicated before, the mass market cruise line websites do not require any information from you to see ships, itineraries, or associated fares. The only time they ask for any personal information is if you proceed to do an actual booking through them. As example, here is the link to the Royal Caribbean corporate webiste: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships. You can see all of the cruise option information without entering any personal data - unless you proceed to do an actual booking. Again, If you are being asked to submit information in order to see fares, etc., then you are likely on an independent on line travel agent website that may look like a cruise line website by showing the different cruise line logos as advertising for their sites. Clicking on those logos only takes you to those fares offered for those cruise lines by the TA where they may ask for information to proceed to fares - and not to the actual corporate websites.

Most mass market cruise lines company websites (RCCL / Celebrity / NCL, etc.) do not require you to fill out any personal information to look at ships, itineraries, and stateroom category pricing. This is only required if you proceed to do an actual on line booking based on a cruise you have selected. What you are likely looking at is on line travel agency websites who show the various cruise lines in their website advertising to entice you to look at them and search for different offered itineraries - not the actual cruise line corporate websites. In doing so, when you click on a given cruise line ad they request your personal information in order to have you in their data base to then call to follow up on your search to try and sell a booking. But you are still on the travel agent website when you do this - not the cruise line website. The best way to avoid this is to go to the actual cruise line corporate websites to search itineraries and pricing.

Simple misunderstanding. Have a good weekend.

Yes - you can cancel and rebook at the current lower price. This can be done through the planner. They will credit the original purchase and recharge the new price to your credit card. Note that this thread will likely be moved to the Celebrity board.

I respectfully disagree. If I have contributed handsomely over the many years to the growth and success of a cruise line (which I have) I feel completely justified in stating that I deserve the benefits I have earned over those years without expiration. That carrot has been dangled in front of those of us who bought into the program over the number of years that we did that the benefit for doing so should not have an expiration date. Again, just my opinion. And BTW, It ticked me off to no end when the primary airline that I had placed my travel with for my business over the years suddenly decided that the many miles I earned doing so would now have an expiration date. Basically, thanks for nothing!

I can assure you this is not an RCCL sponsored thing. I would not pursue it at all - especially if it requires a credit card to do so.

The front of the ship will feel the most up and down motion, in particular on the higher decks. Side to side will be the same anywhere on the ship, again the most intensive on the higher decks. Can't help you with your other questions.

Actually I predicted this several years ago after the last Diamonds in December promotion with so many members reaching Diamond status. The DC was very crowded afterwards (more so than usual) often with overflow rooms added. And about that time is when they started offering drink coupons that could be used anywhere on the ship in an effort to reduce the overcrowding in the DC during the cocktail hour. I also suspected that longer term it would be a way to "thin the herd" by restricting the DC participation to D+ and Pinnacle. Over time the coupons were well received which IMO paved the way for the current change from the DC to now the Crown Lounge for the two higher tiers only during the cocktail hour. That all being said, I am glad that the points never expire. And for those with whom loyalty programs matter, anyone who by being a loyal cruiser has earned the upper tier status over time by investing their discretionary income with a given cruise line deserves the full benefit of that program permanently. It would be a kick in the backside to have an expiration date on points earned over a long period of time when one is now able to enjoy those benefits. But I doubt we will see any more such promotions in the future to grow the upper tiers. Just my opinion.

I would suggest signing up with Celebrity if you think you will cruise with them as you would be Elite with them and would receive those benefits on board Celebrity. Note that Elite is the highest reciprocal tier and is available to Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle members. (Similarly, Diamond is the highest reciprocal tier with Celebrity). It is true that currently the points earned remain separate with the cruise line on which you are sailing at the time and the only way you would earn the next level with Celebrity is to earn those tier points through them. But thanks to your RCCL Diamond status, you still share the Elite tier. So why not? My understanding is if they merge the RCCL C & A program with the Celebrity Captain's Club, the tier levels would equalize in terms of benefits (good for Celebrity) and the points would combine so that cruising on either would result in a cumulative total for both tier progressions. Celebrity has already announced the addition of a dedicated Elite and higher lounge on some ships to mirror the former Diamond Club (now Crown Lounge), which IMO signals the first step towards this plan. Unfortunately on RCCL, the new Crown lounge will be limited now to Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members during the designated evening cocktail hours. Diamond tier members will still have the 4 coupon drink benefit available in the other venues around the ship and can still access the Crown Lounge during non-cocktail hours.

Just to clarify, the OP already indicated that upon checking further, the double occupancy fare was an error on the website and the current pricing reflects the correct double occupancy fare.

It is unfortunate that in general a solo cruiser often pays essentially the double occupancy fare less one set of port fees and taxes. As you are likely aware, cruise lines will issue reduced solo fares from time to time to mitigate that somewhat. But, if you have not already, you also should check cruise lines like NCL and Celebrity (among others) who offer dedicated solo staterooms on some of their ships that are somewhat smaller than standard but are priced intentionally at a solo rate that is somewhat higher than the one persons' double occupancy rate would be, but significantly lower than the typical double occupancy rate for a solo. Celebrity offers these stateroom on their Edge class ships as balcony staterooms. Maybe worth looking at?

I realize your question was regarding how to book at the double occupancy fare. But what you indicate regarding the solo fare just doesn't make sense. I am not questioning what you are seeing, but whether or not it is truly an accurate fare. Are you getting this fare from the cruise line website or other on line booking tool, or is a live rep issuing it? If just on line, I would call the cruise line and have their rep confirm the fare, or contact a TA and have that agent do the same before I accepted it as accurate. Seeing a cruise line charging more than double for a published double occupancy fare for a solo booking would not be something I would take at face value without confirmation from the cruise line or a TA. Website fare mistakes have been made in the past and this seems to me to likely be a mistake. If you have done so and this is the actual rate from a live rep, IMO I would steer clear of that booking altogether as something is just not right about that. You shouldn't have to resort to a fictitious double booking to get the correct solo fare. Again, I am not challenging you on this - just curious if this is a verified fare.

Thanks - appreciate the correction. But in comparison with other programs I still think their tier level benefits are weak.

I could be wrong and would appreciate if someone knows for sure if otherwise but I think they have discontinued that status match program. And as others have mentioned at least at one time they required a repeat cruise every three years to maintain status. Their benefits are not that strong either and IMO they have one of the weakest loyalty programs as a result.

IMO RCCL has the strongest program with free cruises awarded at certain point levels, free (or discounted, based on tier level) laundry, discounts on cruise bookings (again based on tier level), complimentary drinks that range from 4 - 6 pp per day., etc. If interested, here is a link describing their Crown & Anchor loyalty program: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/crown-and-anchor-society-benefit-grid.pdf

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Their programs are also reciprocal in terms of shared benefits based on tier level while cruising on either one. Points earned during a cruise remain with the line you are on at the time, however. There is also talk currently about having the two programs merge as a single program applicable to both with cumulative points. This would benefit the Celebrity loyalists as their program is not as strong in terms of benefits as Royal's. IMO Royal's program is the best in the industry in terms of tier benefits.

I am not answering for the OP but just adding my opinion on your first question by saying with the intensive level and diversity of entertainment on most mass market cruise lines, that would clearly not be acceptable today. Cruise ship entertainment has become a very competitive draw between the lines and to have something far less out of the 70's (as referenced by the OP) would clearly not have a place today on these lines. But there are different boutique, sailing vessel, and smaller scale cruise lines where the entertainment is still somewhat of a sideline with the focus on the cruise itself where that type of entertainment likely has a home.

Back then if that was all they had on board for entertainment, they may have been handled by an entertainment manager as part of the hotel staff who maybe was less visible and did not have the passenger social responsibilities of the more contemporary CD.

Understood. It just sounded like a one time issue that would be resolved. But it looks like that resolution may not come until after the completion of the cruise. Sorry for your issues.

As @mom says says, Cruise Directors are responsible for all entertainment and activities on board. They have a staff which includes an assistant CD and other entertainment and activity directors. Every entertainer, activity coordinator, and ship performer reports through this staff to them, and they in turn report directly to the Hotel Director. Their roles are far broader than just being visible on the ship or mixing with the passengers. Without them, none of the entertainment or activities would exist, so yes, I think they are an essential component on any cruise ship.

It sounds like the issue only recently developed while on your cruise and, although lengthy in its resolution, it is being addressed. If this is a singular situation I'm not sure that would be a bad stateroom to recommend as the noise issue would seem unlikely to repeat.

You should be fine as well because you are on the outside edge of the ship. But as you suggest you can contact your TA and they can check availability for the same category as assigned in alternate locations if you want to move.

Along that line of thought, there are cruise lines that offer dedicated solo staterooms on some of their ships that are somewhat smaller than standard but are intended specifically for solo cruisers and are priced accordingly at a fare that is somewhat higher than a typical per person double occupancy rate, but far less than the standard stateroom rate priced for a solo. NCL and Celebrity are two, for example. This might be an option for a lower total cost on two separate staterooms