EdmPair

Near as I judge, they have 100s of kg* of photos printed at the end of each cruise. One photo staffer told me they are recycled to recover the silver which is very likely. Once the cruise is over, the digital files would still exist but then they would have to sit on some server but with no good way to know if they are selling the photo to the real owner. (Granted, you could buy a photo of some other passenger on the ship. "Hey, nice shot of the couple we are travelling with. They will love this as a gift.")

* 220s of pounds -- but that does not read as well. Science geek humour.

I find an irony here in some people are saying to not read reviews. If you honestly believe that, why join CC at all. Everybody is constantly reviewing every aspect of every cruise on every ship. I read them and so do you.

However, I like the advice to take review or comment with some gentle caution. It is easier and more motivational to write out a complain than a compliment and that is shown here often. So read reviews and know it is one persons point of view at one point in time.

I am here as I am considering a trip on this ship next year. Now I know I should read more but a cruise to me is the ports more than the ship and I know that of myself. The comment so far have not scared me off but does guide my choices.

Firstly, have fun.

Secondly, cruise arrival and departure is like air flights. Everybody does it at once and the cattle have to form a herd to get this to happen. Granted it does not consume all of the first and last day but a big percentage. So my advice is that if you enjoy yourselves, try for a longer stay next time to dilute the time needed in the transistions.

Thirdly, have fun.

And as a back-up, I suggest you print travel plans with cabin and such on papers and place them in some unlocked outside pocket. If the tag should get torn off, then cruise ship staff have a chance to still route the bag to your cabin. We did the folded paper printed at home, folded and covered in packing tape. They travel on the plane inside the luggage and just get put on the luggage just before the ship.

BTW ... this is small stuff. Have a good trip.

I have to wear a lanyard at work and don't want to wear one on vacation. So I just use my pockets or a very small purse.

I too wear a lanyard at work and it must have a breakaway as I work with power equipment. OHS requirement. I will wear the lanyard on the ship as sometimes I have no pockets. Swimsuit.

However, the lanyard from Princess does not have a breakaway and for the ship this is fine. Yet, on shore excursions having a solid lanyard is a liability from a personal safety point of view in public places. You are passing thru public streets with a solid rope about your neck. What could go wrong?

Move your card to wallet or pocket to get this small level of personal safety. My 3 cents.

On the Regal, the CD staff waited for enough people and then phoned the bridge to kill the lights in the area. They had iPads with SkyView loaded. It is free and does not need a net connection. It functions as a 'window' you look thru to see the sky. When you hold it up near Orion, you see the major stars of Orion and it fills in the constellation and name. Very cool and not too much memory space needed on the device.

However, I have taken cosmology at a big university and ship staff knowledge of stars is basic. It is fun but not if you star watch on land. Still, young peeps may start here and move onto more.

I returned yesterday to this thread and realized I had perhaps by not saying certain things left a wrong impression. Also, RSVP has replied appropriately to my email outlining how MY cruise went. It was also fair to tell them and Princess first of the issue. (Princess has not replied but we shall see how that goes.)

Now the back story ...

I was travelling alone with my husband and feeling alone because of it. We are not the party types and so I thought I could mostly ignore the constant dance party feel of the trip. However, I was feeling alone and then went to see one of the singers. She did a good job of an old Streisand number and somehow I was instantly back at the death of my first partner 20 years ago. The song was not 'our' song in any way but was just the right words to bring it all back. I left the theatre and suddenly found the party around me a problem. I spent the rest of the cruise in emotional pain and while I could point to a few small irritants by RSVP and Princess, there was little to do. I tried to keep in touch with husband best I could to ease the pain and waited it out.

In all this, it is not RSVP nor Princess who did anything wrong and I feel I may have left this impression. However, for my mental health I know it best to not take another RSVP cruise which was never a great fit for my life as a gay man anyway. I can see myself taking another Princess cruise but will avoid the Regal.

It was nice meeting you folks and I suspect I shall run into a few of you again.

I have looked at the various loyalty programs but the only one I know well is that for Princess. It shows a pattern similar to the others in that the perks are small peanuts compared to the full cost of the vacation. Move the value you realisticaly get into a percent and ask yourself if you should choose based on this small amount.

Do not get me wrong, I will take the perk but it is a mistake book for most of them I have seen.

No, I care not to expand on it. When I get composed enough, I shall share details with RSVP and Princess but this post was meant to just make it clear I am unlikely to return in the near future.

I ran into some difficulties after the meet and greet. It has been 5 years since my last RSVP and I guess it will be at least that until the next.

Regal is nice but big. I spent the whole week always looking at maps to figure which direction to walk to anything. Usually, I am very good at this on ships and big buildings. I am looking forward to the longer review.

Packed for this adventure. Sealed the beast and weighed in 35 lbs. Good to go.

Extra day in Ft Laud and plan to see stuff. You know, stuff. Big geek here so the sci museum will get a visit.

Also have excursions picked.

The Cays its a glass bottom boat ... I seem to always find bottoms. :-)

Cozumel it is off to the Coba Maya Ruins.

Grand Cayman it is Stingrays baby.

And there will also be time for rum.

Cya soon,

M

I'm sorry, but what do you mean? Your lack of value for the cruise experience? I do not undersrand your post..

Different people value different things. We found we did not need to be surrounded by only LGBTQ peeps to enjoy a cruise. Once you can book any ship at any time from any port and see the price, RSVP did not look as good.

I know I could have done two weeks by connecting the Atlantis cruise. Sure it dilutes the air fare accross two weeks but I am thinking I only need one week away from the cold of Canada.

I am here but was just saying I am not a cheerleeder for all-gay cruises.

I have dones solo land trips before but first solo cruise. Granted this on is on RSVP so will be different. I will track this thread and see if ideas happen. I would contribute but at moment, nothing valuable comes to mind.

It is time, I shall be there. I am on cabin share as sig-o is staying home in the cold. (He has done other cruises without me. There is really no more story here.)

It is 25 sleeps cuz that is how I could big events and I have the plane tix a few days ahead. I am not expecting too much from Fort Lauderdale but have a day free.

We did an RSVP five years back for the 25th anniv cruise so have seen 5 years of advertising to book again. I will be honest, the first RSVP was our first cruise and first all gay cruise and left us, "Is this all you get for the coin?" We enjoyed it, but you do have to drop plane fare for a one week event and then have to go that week. We liked the cruise part but then went to general cruises and have done others since. So I am back but still look at the price and know I am paying all that air fare for just a one week of trip.

Still, I get to throw some glitter around. I will join the meet n greet. Hmmm ... you want a cabin. I will try to get that to ya later.

Actually, the new terminal is about twice as far.:)

Egad! I looked back at map and my memory had mixed them about. Sorry. Still, I would not take the F-Line that distance. Sorry for that.

We cruised from the old SF cruise pier last year before the new terminal was ready. Even from there, Pier 39 was not that long a walk for a capable adult walker in good weather. The new terminal is even closer.

Taking the F-Line streetcar is absurd from there. The time waiting would be about the same as just walking IMHO. These historic streetcars are NOT handicap accessible. (Well, some might be but most are not.)

My sister is in Jamaica over the holidays and she arranged a free to receive text message package while still in Canada. However, she has a few free text messages to send and then pays. Once there, her husband bought a local package and can send for free but pays to receive. Kind of funny to send a message to one number and get a reply from a different number.

I do not know it this helps you in your situation but it may help others. Or maybe it is just kind of fun.

It is not just that you might get sick, you can be economical too. I was on a Princess ship with a stop in Oslo Norway. My excursion returned in time for lunch and I boarded the ship for the buffet. I had read two menus posted on the sidewalks and knew it would be cheaper to eat on the ship. Much.

After lunch, I was able to walk off and explore the castle directly across the street.

I too fall on the 'why the games' on a ship. I guess I would try some but they are not important to me as I cruise to see places.

HOWEVER, the big ships now have 3000+ people and they are always a mix. If some ships sell some of the cabins to people using the water slides, bumper cars, and such, why should I care. I ignore those bits of the ship just like I ignore the art auction. Allow diversity please.

I take my iPad along so I can back photos off the camera SD card each night. The next day , should I loose my camera I would have a copy off all taken so far. And if I should find a place with free or cheap wifi, I will then mail off photos. You know you will get 1 or 2 REALLY good photos and by mailing that even to myself, I have a copy now off the ship.

I know a chef and she laughs at such menu items. Polenta is cooked cream of wheat. It is French used to obscure the food item instead of communication -- the menu could use the name and then tell what it is.

We visited SPB with Princess. It was just as the homophobic laws were coming in and we did zero public shows of affection including while on the ship. We could not wait for that ship to pull out. We bought excursions from the ship but nothing extra in terms of souvenirs or such. I would not go back not as much from fear of the laws although that is in it but not spending money is another step. As I surf for more cruises, any which go to Russia are nixed from the list as there are so many other options.

Love me some full frontal nerdity reading. Thanks.

When you want the same level of geekdom on the locks, just let me know.

I am not a watch maker nor collector but seeing how a movement is taken apart would be fun. I see all those gears and such and wonder what each does and how does it all work.

I can also see their non-reply as they may think you are trying to sell something and they are setting up their official program.

I have mostly cruised Princess, but have ready across boards here on CC. They all ofter perks but if you express the bonus as a percentage of the total cost of your cruise, they are not that grand most of the time. The small perks I now get from Princess give them a bit of edge but would jump if I saw a deal.

In my case, an airline deal could amount to as much and then I might as well just book a cruise at full fare.

My 3 cents,

M