CruisingMachine

Hi all - we want to go on the Aug 9th RCL out of Galveston but it is sold out (except one suite that is too expensive). It's me and my two sons.

 

Any tips on how to get a cabin last minute on a sold out cruise? Do cabins sometimes become available as it gets closer??

 

TIA!

This close to sailing (after final payment date - 75 days prior to sailing) NO TA will have a room that RC doesn't have. I repeat - NO TA is holding a room or rooms that RC doesn't have available. Easiest thing to do is check the RC website frequently or call them directly - they are open 24/7. You could put down a deposit to get prioritized on a waitlist; however, once you get within 7 days of the sailing, it's of no use. Within 7 days of sailing, RC won't hold a room on a waitlist. First come, first serve at that point, so that is when it's really important to continue checking if you really want to get onboard. Good luck! :-)

I have a cruise booked for next March. I used my travel agent as I always have. My cruise after booking originally showed up when I log on to Royal's website like it normally would, reflecting everything including the travel agent I booked through.. I went in last night, and it shows I have no reservations, and the same this morning. I tried the "Don't see your reservation" but it says my name isn't on the reservation so I can't have it under my cruises. Is this just another Royal Caribbean's awful website issue, or should I be concerned?

Probably should call RC to double check. Then perhaps contact your TA if you still have any questions.

Carnival's latest builds, promise to dwarf Oasis Class ships, even the most recent Harmony of the Seas, which is slightly bigger than her sisters.

Royal Caribbean has one more Oasis Class ship on order currently.

So the question is, is Royal willing to cede the idea that they are no longer the holder of the title of having the Worlds Largest Cruise Ship, and if not, how long until they take that title back?

It takes a few years to build a ship that size, not to mention the planning and design processes.

 

Oasis Class, by definition was innovative and included A split design, opening up the center of the ship to the elements as well as a neighborhood concept and other features.

 

Quantum class, while elegant and beautiful is more gimmicky than innovative.

 

Is there a new class already in the works, or is size not as important as innovation (something, which despite best marketing efforts, does not exist on Quantum Class)?

And so it begins...Carnival looks to trick people into thinking they have the largest cruise ships that "dwarf" RC's Oasis class ships. In reality, all they have done is cram more than 1000 more people on a much smaller ship that will in fact be dwarfed by the Oasis class ships.

Hey, I've got a Honda Civic hatchback that I could cram 12 people into, so that must make it bigger than a Humvee! Any buyers? LOL

I got an email from Royal about the wow sale but can't work out if it's combinable with a future cruise certificate - does anyone know?

If you mean an actual "future cruise certificate" which is a credit for a future sailing usually due to some type of service failure on a previous sailing, then, yes, you can use it with the WOW promotion. If you mean an onboard booking that you did for a potential future cruise, you can not combine the OBCs as someone else pointed out.

Actually Bob is correct (as he usually is). I did this exact thing a couple weeks ago. I had Oasis booked for Oct. 2016 at a 50% deposit. Switched the booking to Harmony for Feb. 2017. They applied the 50% I had already paid, but since it was full deposit required, I had to pay the additional 50%.

Whenever you change a booking, the rules that apply when you change it go into effect. In reality, you are "canceling" one cruise and "booking" another. Same goes for price drops prior to final payment. If you take advantage of a price drop you change to the new "deal" and lose anything from the original deal (like OBC or BOGHO Drink Packages).

Actually, I wasn't disagreeing with Bob, only adding a point and addressing the actual questions - "we can just transfer the deposit, correct? And we would not lose any money?" The answer to both of those is "yes" but ONLY if it is done no later than the final payment date.

Yes, you may be required to add additional deposit depending on the cruise you are wanting to switch to and what promotions are available at that time, but you CAN transfer the deposit and you will NOT lose any money, again, as long as it is by the final payment date.

As you said, when you change the sailing you are in effect "cancelling" one cruise and "booking another", and if you "cancel" a cruise past the final payment date, you are subject to a penalty of at least the amount of the deposit.

The current WOW sale offers a half deposit, which is really appealing to us. If we put a deposit down for an Allure sailing, but decided we wanted to switch to a different cruise, we can just transfer the deposit, correct? And we would not lose any money?

Not as long as you did the switch by the final payment date.

They make money on every aspect of sailings.. BOOZE GAMBLING SPECIAL REST, their stores..Look how they charge you for everything..

Please tell me where you can go and get FREE booze, gamble for NOTHING, eat anything and everything you want, and loot the stores...all at "no charge".

Can I bring my Vitamix personal sized blender (20 ounce) on Allure? I do not know the type of ingredients available at Vitality Spa Cafe and would prefer to use my regular proteins and vitamin boosters in my smoothies in any event.

 

Best-

 

Steve

I've actually taken one myself without any issues. Great to use with the fresh fruit from the Windjammer. You can ask your stateroom attendant to keep the ice fresh in your room, so you can whip something up any time you want.

To get the best pricing for T/A sailings, you have to price it as 2 1-way flights, not as a simple "multi-destination" itinerary. Get the price for the 1st flight alone, then the return flight alone. Add the 2 together and you should have an amazing overall price for your flights. You can price it that way on the C/Air website but you would need to call C/Air directly to have them book the 1-way flights. Just tell them exactly what you want to do and they will get you set up.

That's a little vague. Check your prize's terms & conditions to see what it includes.

Hello, can somebody please explain to me why I should pay $2000.00 USD per person to sail on the Oasis/Allure of the seas over summer. When I could pay around $500.00 to sail on a newer Carnival, or Norwegian shipon the same date to go to the same port. Also in a NICER room. $2000.00 USD for an Interior room on Oasis class vs. around $500.00 USD on Norwegian Getaway or Carnival Glory to sail to the same ports in a balcony room or a mini suite.

 

I just want to know what makes it so expensive just to sail on "The Biggest Ship in the World". And I dont want to hear an answer like "It costs more to operate the ship because it's bigger". I've been on my share of cruises and know you can still have a good time on a smaller ship.

 

Thanks again!

Why would you pick the most expensive date of the summer, then ask why it's the price for the entire summer. It's not. It's several hundred dollars more per person compared to the other summer sailings, so your premise is flawed from the beginning.

Others have already answered your question in a general sense of how pricing works. Whatever the cruise line can get. Whatever Carnival or NCL is charging for a particular cruise is the MOST they believe they can get for that sailing.

Maybe you should be asking what is wrong with those ships or cruiselines, that they can only charge a fraction of what RCCL charges; otherwise, they can't fill their ships?

Maybe compare the ships to see what the difference are. For example, you can read all out the Oasis of the Seas at: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?shipClassCode=OA&shipCode=OA&br=R

Thanks for your detailed review. I've been on the ship as well. Despite the nit-pickers and negative nancies, the Quantum class ships are the new standard by which all other cruise ships will be measured.

It has been reported by some that if you pay off a cruise early Royal then considers that date "final payment", not when they originally said final payment was due, and sometimes will NOT honor price drops before their original final payment date, or may only issue an OBC instead of an actual refund of YOUR money.

The final payment date is the final payment date, NOT when you pay it. So, for example, if you pay off your cruise early and then need to cancel before the final payment date, you will get a full refund. Conversely, if you blow off the final payment date and call in AFTER that date looking for a refund of your deposit, you would lose the deposit.

This is if you book directly with RCCL. TAs may have different policies, including cancellation fees even before final payment. If you ever call RCCL directly and someone tries to tell you differently in regards to paying in full before final payment date, simply ask to speak with a supervisor.

About me - mid 60's New Yorker... 30 cruises - everything from ultra luxury to bottom of the barrel... (but only one previous on RCL)

So this time I pick Allure of the Seas. Check with the cruise line and find that there is only one GS available (on deck 6) but I can book a GS guarantee (for less). I check prices with my travel agent. He does offer a better price package, and so I book the guarantee asking him to please tell RCL that I specifically did not want the cabin on deck 6.

Three days later I am assigned the deck 6 cabin - oh well only GS available.

Two weeks go by and I check the RCL website. They are still offering a GS guarantee and the price is significantly lower than when I booked.

Go to the TA. Can I get some relief? A cabin upgrade? A reduction in cost? OBC? Or just a different GS cabin (like I originally requested)? He calls RCL.

I get nothing. They will do nothing for me.

Bottom line is my trip is a month away and I feel that RCL took advantage of me. This is about my 30th cruise. Only my 2nd on RCL. Now we know why.

Wow. Very wrong. Don't even know where to start. There's only 1 GS showing available and it's on Deck 6? EVEN IF you paid the full GS price instead of the GTY, you STILL could not request to be assigned a higher deck. If that's the last room left, that's the last room left. So basically, you wanted to pay a much lower price and be given MORE consideration for room location than someone paying full fare?! Incredible.

Just looking at some Med cruises for 2015 and for a 12 night cruise on the Vision a balcony is going for 5900.00 per person!!!!! Are they crazy??

They would be crazy to charge anything less than they can get.

Ah.. priceless...

 

The choice air is an optional promotion, and not combinable with the BOGOHO.

 

Sounds like you were misadvised. The Choice Air promo IS combinable with BOGOHO, and even C&A discounts. It's not combinable, however, with residency, military and senior discounts.

I just got a letter supposedly from Royal Caribbean offering us a free cruise. It is from Travel Trends claiming to be a representative of RC. I'm thinking that this is not legitimate. Any one know for sure?

 

Thanks!

Since nothing is coming up under the name "Travel Trends", I would recommend googling the phone number they provided. Could be a scam, timeshare, etc.

Someone on the Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor group argued with me when I said the Promenade deck (deck 4) on Freedom was a great place to go because its secluded and quiet out there. Even though that is not what Royal Caribbean calls it, that is what it would be called on ships that still name the decks. Right?

 

They insisted that the Promenade deck was deck 5. Obviously they were referring to the Royal Promenade.

 

I gave up trying to explain :o

Well, you are both kind of right. The typical "promenade deck" on a ship is the one you are thinking of, where you can walk around the outside of the ship on a deck looking over the water, like Deck 4 on the FOS. Some ships have what is called a "centerline promenade", which is an indoor walking area with rooms that have windows looking down over the area. That is what the Freedom has, so in essence both are "promenade decks", but they call the walking area on Deck 5 the Royal Promenade as you pointed out, which is no doubt why they insisted Deck 5 is the Promenade Deck.

Well, I have been thinking about the last conversation I had with the original TA agent. He was strongly advising that I took the assigned balcony upgrade at a cost of $573. He said the gty balcony would almost defiantly be an obstructed view !

Does the agent get any commission for an upgrade ?

Why did the price for a gty balcony change from $433 to nil within 24 hours ?

 

So glad I made the call and dealt with another agent.

 

:D

The more you pay, the more commission the TA makes.

Royal's insurance no longer covers independently booked air.

That is correct, but it WILL cover Choice Air booked with RCCL.

I think it would be a mistake for RCCL to take Hairspray from Oasis to another ship. People are looking for different experiences, and I KNOW some people would not go on the Freedom for the reason of having already seen Hairspray on the Oasis if the same Broadway show was offered on the Freedom. They'd be better off, IMHO, to offer a completely different Broadway show that has not been featured on any of their other ships.

Nice shots! :D

I'm not going to write a review for now but I feel very surprised that my experience with the food onboard did not match up with many of the reviews that I had read previously.

 

After the first few days I started to second-guess myself thinking maybe it's just me so I started asking other passengers what they thought of the food. Almost universally people I talked to were very disappointed in the food. Many had chose to go to the pay restaurants after finding the MDR food unpalatable and then were even more disappointed that they were paying for food they weren't happy with. When the served the lobster on the 2nd sea day evening it infuriated many people as nearly everyone in my area of the dining room were served overcooked lobster and not allowed a replacement.

 

So back to my question.. has the food quality dropped off in quality recently? Were the reviewers biased, or schills for RCCL?

 

Overall I thought the cruise was decent but I'm just very surprised at the many reviews that labelled the food as "better than Carnival" when that was certainly not the case on this past week's sailing. I find it hard to believe that on a nice ship like the Allure that the food was always this bad and not many would mention that in the reviews.

I was on the Allure 2 weeks ago, and our party of 10 ate in the MDR every night, except for 1 night in Chops. Sure, we each had our personal likes and dislikes among all the different dishes offered, but overall everyone LOVED the food in the MDR. Awesome Prime Rib for example. I didn't do the lobster but those who did enjoyed it. I will say I was very disappointed in the steak I got at Chops. I had a NY Strip Steak and it just wasn't that great. A couple of nights later I got the regular NY Strip Steak offered nightly on the MDR menu. I had to say that the MDR steak was better than the Chops steak I paid an extra $35 for. I wasn't the only one in my party to say the same thing.

Just wondering if the Allure stayed on the Eastern Itinerary this week or did they divert it to the Western itinerary due to the impending Tropical Storm or Hurricane? I don't know how to find out! Thanks!

The Allure of the Seas will extend the call at Nassau, Bahamas before sailing to a modified Western Caribbean itinerary calling upon Falmouth, Jamaica on Wednesday and Cozumel, Mexico on Friday.

That's absolutely fine to do since it is on 2 different vessels.