topnole

Well. Airlines like SW used to do points based on segments. A $39 short flight was the same a cross county flight that was much more expensive. Then they changed it to a $ based method. The more you spend, the more points you get for each flight segment. No need for double points on suites. You get points based on how much you spend. That makes the most sense. But they decide how they do it. We just live by their rules which can change whenever they choose to change them. Such is life.

It always amazes me how Americans are considered to be so ethnocentric. But yet those visiting America from other countries seemingly never try to acclimate to our norms. Tipping is obviously optional and they are entitled to tip as they like. But the cutting in line? This is the norm for some cultures, but it is an extremely rude behavior in America. Can’t tell you the amount of times someone from another country has tried to cut in front of me over the years here in the US. On a cruise last year a healthy (40ish women with a 12-15 year old daughter) tried to cut in front of my wife for the tram back to the ship on coco cay. She literally sat under my wife as she was in the motion is sitting. We were waiting in the line with many others. That lady came up at the last second from the other side of the tram. My wife was going to the back row facing towards the rear. So it was easy for this lady to try to sneak in. The kicker is my wife was holding our 1 year old and all of us in line were making room for each other (we would’ve walked if not for the baby). So I was separated by a row from my wife and sat with my other two kids. I got up and gave her a mouthful until she got her butt up and moved. Felt bad doing it due to her daughter. But too bad, wasn’t letting her steal my wife’s seat. She pretended not to understand English. Later we heard her speaking English. Of course. And it’s Americans who are ethnocentric and rude. Give me a break.

There is very little logic in most things nowadays. People are spending crazy money for basic cruising. Look at prices for an inside cabin on even an older Royal ship this summer. Many are 200 per day per person. The wife said take our two older kids on a short cruise if you want. I looked up prices and it was a no go from the start. Just insane prices for even inside cabins. No thanks, I’ll do something else with the kids until the pricing normalizes, and if it doesn’t, I’ll just enjoy other types of trips permanently.

That wouldn’t really save them anything since kids keep their status into adulthood. If they wanted to save money, the thing to do is end the status matching once a child becomes an adult (ie. they reset to status provided by their own points). Not arguing what they should do either way. Just that kids not earning points doesn’t save them much of anything if they keep the status matching aspect of the program. Plus, why would Minors be denied points when they cruise? Because they didn’t pay for it? So what and who’s to say who paid for it? Lots of adults cruise with someone else paying for it. Who pays the bill isn’t a criteria in any loyalty program I’m aware of in other industries either. I’m 99.9999% sure that whatever you think you heard is wrong.

Makes zero sense. Why would they give them status of parents, but not points when they actually cruise. I’m quite sure there was miscommunication in whatever you think you overheard.

Status doesn’t get reset. Once they are D+ by cruising with you as a child, they keep that status for life.

If you drink 6 or more alcoholic drinks per day, every day of the trip, it will be worth it. I don’t care about the convenience or worry g about a tab if I pay by the drink. It just an approximate math question to me. If I think I’ll drink enough, I’d get it.

This I agree with.

The answer is no. It isn’t anywhere close to reasonable. I wouldn’t consider 100 reasonable. I don’t get the fascination to pay tons of money for it (I have a family of 5) when there is so much cool free stuff to do. My kids had a blast at the beach and exploring the Island. No need for us to waste 500-1000 on some slides for a few hours. They do slides all week on the ship and at home.

Thy ended back when life seemed somewhat normal. I blame it all on the certificates disappearing. It’s possible that could just be a spurious correlation.

Read your earlier comment that I replied to. I think you said it backwards in that comment. Otherwise I’m very confused. I think oasis class has way more bells and whistles. You said the opposite.

That is hilarious. Never imagined passengers doing that.

What do you mean freedom class having more bells and whistles over oasis class? Been on both many times and I’m struggling to see why you think that?

Harmony and Symphony are nearly identified. Not sure it is accurate to say Wonder is nearly identical to Symphony. Were recently on Symphony with 2,5, and 7 year old. Your kids should love Symphony. Kids splash area is great for a 5 year old and probably for the 3 year old as well depending on how they like the water. Perfect water slides for a 5 year old. Not sure if 3 will be tall enough, but there is other splash zone stuff too. They will likely love the boardwalk and the carousel. No idea about Wonder since I haven’t been on it. But I know it isn’t quite identical and it will definitely be more expensive all other things equal. Also check out prices for suites if you are willing to spend more for the ultra spacious. Sometimes the price isn’t that different between a grand suite and an ultra spacious balcony room. You get a lot of nice benefits when in a site. Also check out 2 cabins side by side. This could be the same price as one ultra spacious, but you’ll then have 2 bathrooms. Ours seemingly always need to go “really bad” at the same time. Two bathrooms is more than a convenient thing with little ones in such a scenario.

Do you mean cabins like the Crown Lofts or the sun deck?

And many probably refuse them as the norm now is to never accept a drink from a stranger and particularly if you didn’t see it being made. Woman (men too for that matter) are always targets for their drinks being drugged. Sad indeed. Also, most folks who sit at the bars probably have a drink package (or are Diamond themselves). It’s a nice gesture though.

Swallowing air tags? Surely you are joking? Please tell me this isn’t a thing now.

Kids have the same Crown snd Anchor internet benefit as their parents. So if parents get 1 or 2 free days (depending on diamond status), the kid does too. That is a new benefit for kids. Doesn’t do much of anything if you want internet 24/7 for the cruise. It’s cheaper to prepay before the cruise and the diamond discount doesn’t apply to pre pay internet.

I didn’t think so, I drink my fair share on a cruise, but that ends at a reasonable hour the last night. Never in my life have I even tried to buy any type of drink the last morning.

Probably pretty similar across the fleet. Honestly been in suites mostly the last several years so we mainly use the suite lounge versus the diamond lounge (and always SL on the last morning). But my recollection was I would always grab a couple DL espressos the last morning for my wife and I before we started doing suites regularly.

I don’t think they do breakfast (maybe just donuts and muffins, etc) there on the last morning on Liberty, but it’s been some years since I was on that ship. I believe you can still grab coffee regardless.

My comments are for discussions sake as well. One thing is sure, they are ambiguous in their communication, but what’s new for Royal in that regard.

It’s available the last day in my experience.

I’m not dying on any hill. I have zero skin in the game either way and don’t care with way. I’m simple point out what I believe to be the case. You have quite the dramatic flair with your comments. Preposterous. Dying on a hill. Hyperbole much?

It’s not a preposterous argument. Do they call a seven night cruise an 8 day cruise? No they don’t. I’m sure it would be a truth in marketing legal issue. Heck, they don’t even call it a 7 day cruise because you don’t even get 7 consecutive 24 hour periods. So you can say of course it is preposterous, it that doesn’t make it so. It isn’t an 8 day cruise if it is a 7 night cruise. Their is no cruise compass laying out the days activities for day 8 on a 7 night cruise. You mention day 1 being different and that is true too. Celebrity doesn’t give out their happy hour drinks on day one as I understand it. I assume that is due to the difficultly of turn around day and it being expensive. Royal always had diamond hour on day 1 which was great. Then the three vouchers during happy hour plus open happy hour in the lounge came about. Now the vouchers for any time during the day. It just doesn’t make sense that Royal intended to give out an extra day of drinks (via a full days worth of free drinks just for the morning you get off). Not arguing it doesn’t happen. But I’m sure this isn’t what they expected and I’m guessing some ships allow it so as not to deal with customers ripping them on the surveys due to a negative experience right at the end. But is certainly Royals fault they aren’t clear about it. I’m sure at some point they will rein this in via official policy or decide to officially allow it.