SargassoPirate

You came back with covid, but how serious was it? Despite the early misinformation, the vaccine doesn't prevent you from getting covid, it just prevents you from getting seriously ill from it. That's why some folks have had covid and never knew it, or test positive when they are symptom free. I plan to get the Fall booster, along with a flu shot, just as soon as they are available.

It will now since you brought it up! 😁

I guess you've noticed that the term "E Ticket Ride" is still used to describe a premium ride at just about any amusement park or a premium experience of some sort. I always chuckle a bit when I hear or read that.

I'm old enough and experienced enough that most of this nickel and diming will not affect me, and in fact I get a little kick out of pushing back with my workarounds. I cruise to be at sea, not to see how much I can eat and drink. I can always seem to find something to eat in a venue that doesn't cost extra. The Horizon Court has enough variety to keep me from wasting away I enjoy a wee dream or two in the P&E lounge in the evening. If I want a chi chi coffee, I carry my own International Delight Swiss Mocha and mix my own. A bad day at sea is still better than a good day at the office.

Tips became gratuities, which became crew appreciation. Why not just call it what it is now - crew salary subsidy? If something sounds a little harsh or too direct, just give it a euphemism.

I'll be on the Regal later this year. I'll ask for an electric kettle and a barrel chair.

I thought those electric kettles were a dangerous fire hazard and the reason they don't allow them, except they are OK in the UK and OZ markets. Just goes to show you can rationalize anything. My bet is that they will slowly disappear from the OZ and UK markets as a cost saving move. I'm surprised PCL didn't make them disappear and cite Covid as the reason.

Thanks. 👍👍

I have a long cruise coming up. I booked the standard and received a nice OBC that I have already use to book a couple of must-have excursions. If I were to upgrade to Plus - which lists the same OBC - would I get another OBC with the upgrade, or is that just an illusion of their marketing?

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” ― Benjamin Franklin

What's the allure of the Melanoma Deck? Premature skin aging? Extra wrinkles? Watch that mole change shape before your eyes? Losing what's left of your hearing from MUTS or the Caribbean band blasting?

Just like anything else - speeding, shoplifting, turnstile jumping - if there's no enforcement, the mob takes over.

Love it, Musky Ike.

SWMBO and I tend to be old school. We eschew technology that tries to be a replacement for a face-to-face interaction as much as possible. CC is our sole social media. No bookface or tweeter for us. Betty White summed it up pretty well on Saturday Night Live when she quipped it's "a huge waste of time". We quit on the wonky Medallion app and just show up at the port with our paperwork and pick up the Medallion there. If we need something in our cabin, we either see the steward, or we leave him/her a post it note. Room service is never an issue since we don't care to sit on the bed, sofa, or desk chair to eat, and then bus our own "table". Hot morning coffee? SWMBO's cabin boy delivers her insulated travel mug full of hot coffee. We use the Medallion to open our cabin door and that's about it. Need a beverage? Flag down a server. There's a whole generation or two behind us that are losing the ability and the art of face-to-face conversation and eye contact. Look around in restaurants and other venues and notice how many couples and groups are all on their devices instead of conversing and enjoying each other's company.

Thanks As I said, I have been woefully ignorant of how this all works. I'm Elite, so my mini bar setup and a discounted drink in the P&E lounge is all I need. I still give the server in the P&E lounge a little cash discretely and find that it helps ensure my butt and my drink hit the table at about the same time. No wonder, now that I know they don't get the standard gratuity and that it goes into the pool.

Are you saying that if the standard cruiser buys a drink, there's the cost of the drink, plus a gratuity, plus a fee?

One thing you can take to the bank, literally and figuratively, is than when a company offers you a multi-faceted package of goods or services, it's not for your benefit but for theirs. If everyone who purchased the Plus or Premiere package drank up their entire allotment of alcohol every day, you can bet the terms would be changing quickly. Case in point. Years ago there was a General Motors affiliated credit card that accumulated points that could be used toward buying a car. They forgot to cap the number of points one could accumulate and use for a car purchase. A neighbor with a small business racked up enough points that he walked out of the dealership with a new car for free. The dealer was steamed but there was nothing he could do. The terms changed not long after, so I suspect it wasn't the only free car to roll out the door.

Me neither. Likely because of the vestibule and the two doors. I've never stayed adjacent to the laundry either, but have heard from people who did and it was more noisy than a passenger cabin from the machines and people talking over the machine noise. Why risk it?

Just put the pencil to it and see which is better for you, a package or a la carte.

I would avoid being adjacent to, across the corridor, or underneath a laundromat. Ever hear an unattended and unbalanced washer? That being said, I like to book a cabin a few doors away so that it's easy to pop in and see if the equipment is in use before I drag my laundry bag along.

Those examples are overhead. Why should we be tipping shop keepers?

My bank will order a bundle for me. They are nice a crisp in a wrapper. If I just walk in and ask, they'll usually have a few on hand, but not a quantity.

With the discussions here about the costs of Plus and Premier packages, disappearing amenities, new charges for amenities, and calling tips/gratuities "crew appreciation" I noticed: All of the Crew Appreciation and Service Charge payments made by all guests on all ships in our fleet are pooled, net of credit card transaction fees. The pooled funds are distributed throughout the year in the form of compensation, including bonuses, to crewmembers fleetwide who interact directly with guests and/or behind the scenes throughout every cruise, including those in the Bar, Dining, Entertainment, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Galley and Onboard Revenue areas. All of which got me to wondering who actually gets the 18 percent when I order a wee dram in the evening? From all appearances, it doesn't look like the server, so what is their incentive to hustle - other than my folded two dollar bill handed to them as I place my order?

By being cost conscious standard cruisers, we can afford multiple cruises each year instead of one big blowout, have it all, shop and drink 'til you drop, cruise. We are probably considered "deadbeats" by the cruise lines. I watched a show about money on Netflix and it revealed the games credit card companies go to to get you to charge more, but only pay the minimum amount due. Those of us who pay the credit card bill in it's entirety each month are called "deadbeats" within the industry because they we are not paying them usurious interest rates and are building bonus points with each purchase. Signed, Standard a la carte Cruiser

Here is a cut and paste from the policy cover page. This coverage costs us $518 per year for two people. And, as I mentioned, it covers ALL trips within the one year period. Coverages & Benefit Limits Standard Packages ACCIDENTAL DEATH/DISMEMBERMENT $50000.00 Per Insured BAGGAGE COVERAGE $2500.00 Per Insured BAGGAGE DELAY $1000.00 Per Insured $200.00 Payout Limit Per Day CONCIERGE SERVICES Included Per Insured EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND REPATRIATION OF REMAINS $500000.00 Per Insured EMERGENCY TRAVEL ASSISTANCE Included Per Insured IDENTITY THEFT ASSISTANCE SERVICES Included Per Insured MISSED CONNECTION $500.00 Per Insured PERSONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE Included Per Insured SECURITY EVACUATION $100000.00 Per Insured TRAVEL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE Included Per Insured TRAVEL MEDICAL EXPENSE $50000.00 Per Insured TRIP DELAY $1500.00 Per Insured $150.00 Payout Limit Per Day TRIP INTERRUPTION 100% Trip Cost Per Insured WORLDWIDE TRAVEL ASSISTANCE Included Per Insured