crazyfrazee

Reading through these post I see comments about everything has gone up so we should expect Royal's prices to be high as well. Other cruiselines  have the same overhead as Royal. If Carnival can put you in a suite for $3000 for 7N, why can't Royal? Royal has cut back on services, entertainment, food quality, almost every aspect of cruising as I'm sure all of them have. I think I've seen the answer in these post, greed. Push out the old loyal customers, draw in the new. 

I'm also seeing so many people looking away from Royal. I'm one.

On 3/4/2024 at 11:44 AM, Candleonwater said:

 

 

Also, since I booked a guarantee, any idea of the EARLIEST I could find out my cabin? I did a guaranty once before, and found out the day before sailing, so I know it's a big window.

Once you receive your set sail pass, you save to your Apple Wallet. You open it and it will show your deck number, and also your cabin number. The cabin number is the last 4 digits on the barcode. It has worked for me each time. I've heard it's not 100% but I'd say it's close.

1 hour ago, theotherchad said:

Is that for the room, assuming double occupancy, or per person? 

That total is for 2 people. Carnival Celebration cabin 12315

10 hours ago, SG65CB said:

I don't know enough about ships on other cruise lines to know what ships are comparable. It would be interesting to know if anyone has done an apples-to-apples comparison of prices for similar ships, same stateroom category and size, same home port and similar itinerary to see if Royal is higher compared to others or if the others have gone up too. 

Royal..... older ship, balcony room, not a suite, 7 day, $6500.

Carnival.... new ship, suite, 7 day, $3100

My cruising history started with Carnival. I was a cruise away from turning platinum when they did me wrong. I left and didn't think I'd ever go back. I switched to Royal and became platinum and have really enjoyed cruising with them until they went crazy with pricing. I know "pricing" has been beat to death on here!

I booked Carnival Celebration which is less than 2 years old, 183,000 GT, 7 day cruise in an ocean view suite for only $3100. The room has a divider so it's like 2 rooms with 2 large screen tv's. 

Anyone else looking at other cruiselines until the prices come back down with Royal?

Mine knows what cruises interests me and knows what time of year I cruise. When she runs across a good deal she sends it. Normally a few weeks before the cruise she sends really nice luggage tag holders with a metal cable type ring that holds them. Last cruise she sent a $50 Visa card. Some cruises she gets our gratuities paid or specialty restaurant. It pays to have a great PVP. I've never seen her but she has become a friend over the years.

I see it's your first post. Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Entertainment on our last Oasis was cut back to 1 "broadway" show which was Cats, 1 ice skating show and 1 Aqua theater show. Whereas before there were 2 of each in each venue. Cutbacks........

You've stressed the fact ya'll are gay. I'm curious, does being gay having any bearing on which cruise and/or ship? 

1 hour ago, GTO-Girl said:

Were you sailing with only a birth certificate and drivers license instead of a passport?

 

Even though they don’t t always enforce it they have always required a “bridging” document to show the connection from the maiden name to married name.

 

Sounds like now they may be getting stricter and making them ask for it.

We once had passport cards but they expired so we sail with BC and DL. My wife doesn't have a middle name from birth so she has always used her name including maiden name plus her married last name on all legal documents. Maybe experienced CSR's have always used that as the bridge.

Just wanted to share. We recently sailed from Port Canaveral and was asked for our marriage license. In 15 cruises we've never been asked for it. The CSR said it was something new they were requiring which I don't believe. She said she wasn't going to be able to check us in. When a supervisor looked over our documents she noticed my wife of 40 years maiden name was on her license as her middle name so we were cleared. I can't imagine paying for the cruise, planning everything, getting excited, driving 10 hours to port, paying for motel the night before, only to have to miss the ship. Even if you've never been asked for your marriage license, it may be worth adding it to your document package.

Ditto on what has been posted by others.

One thing to add...... make sure the ID's are current and valid and if you're using birth certificates make sure they are not just copies. They have to be issued by the Vital Records office from where you were born. Most will have a raised seal.

Just now, George C said:

No reserved shows for that class

We normally sail on Oasis Class. I had no idea.

36 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Not possible. What ship?

Mariner

I cruise at the end of this week and still waiting for mine to open for booking.

No way !! Royal has gone crazy with their pricing but as long as people continue to pay, they'll continue going up. My cruise next week will be my last with RC until the prices come back down. I swore I'd never step foot back on a Carnival ship but I recently ate my words. I booked a suite on a newer ship (Carnival Celebration) 7 days for $3100.

On a GTY balcony booking on an Oasis Class they normally assign the balcony over Central Park. I don't know which ship you're sailing. On the cruise I'm leaving on next week I did the IPhone trick to see which cabin they assigned me. I hated the cabin so I did the Royal Up and was awarded a better room. With the IPhone trick you can see which cabin they are assigning you.

I used to pay $1800-2400 for an OV balcony on Oasis class. It's 1000 more now. I booked on Mariner as my last cruise until prices come back down. It's outrageous. 

I seen an article today where a family suite on Icon can cost as much as $80,000 a week. As long as people are paying, prices will continue.

When we've booked one of those we've ended up over Central Park each time. I don't think there's any obstructed views there. After thinking it over I think they called one of ours an obstructed view because it was next to the wall of greenery but it really wasn't obstructed.

I once was a sheep and believed anything cruiselines told me. When I pay for the cruise and pay gratuities every bit of that money goes into the same stingy greedy bank account. I don't believe for a second someone actually pulls the gratuity money out after the cruise and splits it with the staff. I'm sure the room stewards check, including "gratuities" is the same every month. 

As much as I hate Carnival, I'm jumping ship (pun intended) and going back to them. I quit even trying to find a reasonable RC cruise. Our January cruise will be the last RC until prices come back down.

22 hours ago, Badatz2 said:

 

 

As for the pizza they will NEVER eat pizza from Sorento as whole shop is very very unkosher.  They might have had pizza as part of the Fresh Kosher package, and you might have seen them walking around the Promenade with it.

I see NEVER is all caps as in they would never do it. They actually did. Must be something new to you because they actually were so many of them getting pizza. There was a special pizza for them that took more time to serve that held the line up forever. As much as we hated to skip the pizza, we did.

1 hour ago, cruisetorelax44 said:

We were on Oasis during yeshiva week this past January.  It was a nightmare.  The solarium being off limits was an inconvenience,  but the kids running everywhere, bumping into people, literally climbing the hallway walls (using the railings by the state rooms).... never again...

That's the same cruise I was on. Kids everywhere acting up more than normal kid behavior and parents doing nothing. It was a horrible cruise.

35 minutes ago, gmerick said:

I would say the Man Upstairs did the outsourcing, and He has agents on each ship.  Big advantage - hundreds of gueses are doing their own "Specialty Dining" in the Solarium bistro, this leaves much more opportunity for me in Chops.  There are still reservations available at all times in the Specialty Restaurants, and RCCL is even extending sales for dining.  

Their own "specialty dining" in SB, nope! Walking near it we never seen many people. They were in Windjammer and at times I think all of them were at the pizza! For it to be a January there were very large crowds including lots of out of control kids.

There's no warning from TA's or Royal on these sailings. I've been on cruises with all kinds of large groups and not bothered but during this particular cruise I was so ready for it to end. The cruise was still better than being at work! lol

Here's the flyer for the cruises that will be impacted by Yeshiva Week. There have been threads in the past on here how it impacts the cruises. We unknowingly booked on one last year. Part of the Solarium and the Solarium Bistro was closed to regular guest the entire week. A search on here will show other things that may impact your vacation. 

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Promotions/Yeshiva_Week_2024_TradeFlyer