tidygirl

I was told by RC I it would last till Nov 2015 then I have to remember to call and have them extend the date again. But the problem is I can't ever use it if I book during a promotion.

My experience with the open booking - My TA booked us on LOS out of Barcelona I gave her our open booking # and since they honored the 3/4 person free say I can't get my $100 OBC as it's a previously booked cruise even though there are no dates. I also used an OBC on an April cruise out of SJU and since I didn't call the correct phone # to book was quite a hassle to get credit on that one! So now I have 2 remaining open booking reservations I'm not sure when I'll be able to use if I can't use them with promotions that may be going on! So I'm now wondering if it's even worth purchasing!

In Sept. we stayed at the Best Western and they gave us a voucher for discounted parking. So parked right at the port easy in and easy out as we had an 17 hour drive to make between Sunday morning and Monday at 3:00 Am so didn't want to take the chance of waiting around for a shuttle.

I doubt your kids will notice the difference between the ice cream or yogurt! My 24 year old boy eats so many cones a day it's ridiculous! If the machine is working and we are anywhere near it he's headed to get one and my DH eats more than he should too!

Is 5 weeks before your cruise too early to start packing?

No pack whenever you are in the mood! Our cruise is 4o days away but I have the suitcases out and am starting to gather stuff I will need and am not going to be using..I am so ready!!!!

I suppose if your hungry you could eat, but usually you go to the show right after you have dinner. We are usually plenty full and the thought of more food is not appealing! Depending on the ship they have a cafe that after the show we may grab a cookie and a tea.

We always have cookies, pringles and candy packed in our back packs we take them off when we go to the ports and snack on them while off the ship to hold us off till we are back to eat. On the ship we usually aren't hungry to eat it unless an occasional tootsie roll to satisfy a sweet craving, Sorry I wouldn't pay the price for pringles or candy on the ship!

I have been on many different types of vacations. I have encountered rude staff everywhere. But I can not remember one time that a cruise ship employee has ever been rude to me. I may have happened but and I just can't remember.

With that said, can you imagine cruise ship employees having to be happy and nice all the time? Day in and day out. Then they have to start all over the next week with a whole new set of passengers. And they have to be nice to all the rude and demanding passengers. They work long hours for minimal pay for you. Remember, everyone has a bad day every now and then. Not an excuse but a fact.

Something I have always tried to teach my son. You need to try to be nice to everyone. You don't know what they may be going through in their life. You speaking to them in a kind way just might make their day.:)

Well put!! I work one time a week in a restaurant (the rest of the time self employed} but people can be so rude and nasty and treat you as low class citizens instead of a human being throwing bags of food at employees because of mistakes and just treating people badly! Over 21 years luckily I've only experienced a few but if everyone would treat someone how you like to be treated we'd have a better world!

Hello again - we are booked on our first RCI cruise on the Independence of the Seas this October. I made our reservations directly with RCI. The cruise consultants have all been great - answered my questions - I even caught a drop in the price and the rebooking went very smoothly.

 

I've called back a few times and encountered very long waits on the phone...I just now hung up after waiting 30 minutes.

 

Is this normal or might some of you be able to suggest a better time to call?

 

Thanks in advance for your responses. :)

I was on hold 30 min. last night which was short compared to Sat. the lady told me that was good as some people are waiting 2 hrs with the promotions. She said set your alarm for 3 in the morning would be the best time to call!

Alaska is awesome, we did a week on our own renting a motorhome (well worth it) and a cruise for a week if you can go early June prices are cheaper. I definitely didn't enjoy the colder weather but it was beautiful and I got to see a huge humpback whale jump out of the water (had to watch for a long time) right beside the front of the ship. That was my goal!

4 people in an inside room is definitely no bargain. its awful tight.

It's a bargain for some of us! We had 4 of us (hubby & I and our 2 adult kids) in an inside room on Freedom in Sept and are booked for next Sept on Liberty We have a travel trailer and can handle being a little crowded when we only use the room to change, shower and sleep!!! Worth the $1200 savings to us!!

I've noticed there are still many good deals to be found on Liberty, Independence and Freedom even over Thanksgiving. My dilemma now is that I could book the 4 of us on one of these at about $1,600 vs the $3,600 we are paying for two rooms on the Allure for thanksgiving. I'm just not sure I would be happy making the switch since I've really wanted to get on the allure.

 

If there is anyone out there that would like to talk me into changing ships, I'm all for hearing it though. :)

 

 

Good luck to all

 

Debbie

$2000 is a lot of money! Take the good deal and save the $2000 for your next cruise. Our family just did Freedom in Sept and my husband (47), son (24)and son-in-law (23)fell in love with the flowrider. We also had our son and oldest daughter share our inside room a little crowded, but hey I'm all about saving money for my next trip!! Just booked all 6 of us on Liberty out of Barcelona in Sept. Sharing a room again with the big kids they are going for FREE except the $96 on taxes and $29 on the cruise care. I am a HAPPY cruiser!!!!!

I always try to remember things happen and everything isn't perfect and take it in stride. On one of our cruises we weren't allowed in port because they said there were a few people sick on the ship and they wouldn't clear us to go in. Were we happy we didn't get to go to the island? No! But what can you do let it ruin your trip or be happy you are at least still on vacation? No we didn't get compensated or even think we should as it is stated they can change scheduled ports. Are you always happy and a good mood and want to deal with people? Think about these workers that work for countless hours every day they are human, get tired and probably get sick dealing with people sometimes too!

I don't know how to get my TA to try as hard as I would to save me $1200 I haven't used ones for years and now regretting that decision to as I can't do anything with RC on my own!

We had purchased three open bookings on our last cruise and kind of wish I hadn't I have 2 cabins booked through a TA and so far they have only applied 1 of my open bookings to it. Now I'm wanting to use the 3rd and 4th cruiser free and was told I can't use that and get my $100 OBC since it's considered an already booked cruise even though there is no date on it! My TA tried to get my 3rd and 4th guest free they said no to her since it's already booked but I'm seeing some people are getting it on previously booked cruises, so quite frustrated!

My paper for my cruise says

Up to 75 days prior to departure full refund

74 to 57 prior deposit amount

56 to 29 prior 50 % of total

28 to 15 prior 75% of total

less than 15 days or no shows 100% of total

Our first cruise or two I got the patch from the Dr well I suffer with mild motion sickness and dizziness. One night the captain was calling for rough seas like 10 ft waves! So figured I better be safe and put a patch on well big mistake for me we were watching an evening show I got such a bad headache and feeling so bad that I went to the room, as I was laying there I wondered if I was feeling so bad because I put the patch on took it off and was fine the next day!

We always take a little fan and never had it taken though I do unplug and stuff it in the closet as I don't want them to think I'm crazy! But can't sleep without it!

If at first you don't succeed try try again!

I spent a total of probably 2 hours on hold today having to make 2 different phone calls, but I now have 2 bookings on the same cruise As one is through the travel agent they wouldn't do anything for me so I called back and asked if I will be allowed to cancel the other one if it's 6 months out they said yes so I booked another one we are going on a Western Mediterranean in Sept and our 25 and 27 year old (kids )are staying in an inside cabin with us they came up free with just paying the taxes so I couldn't pass that up a savings of over $1200 for a LONG phone call!!!

My family of hubby and I and 3 young adult children and new son-in-law (ages 21-48) just did the FOS in Sept . My hubby and the boys got hooked on the flow-rider! Spent hours there I can't say we had any complaints, but we aren't too hard to please either. It was the SIL first cruise and I think he's hooked on cruising too! We always enjoy the evening shows also, I can't remember the broadway show we watched, but the stage backdrops was quite impressive!

Well you just have to hope someone notices. I know I've handed dirty utensils back to the workers if I noticed they were dirty! Kids do crazy things we've seen children at a wedding playing in a drink fountain with dirty cups and putting their fingers under the spout! Needless to say we didn't drink any punch and my daughter decided no fountains at her wedding last June! I think most people atleast sanitize their hands as they are entering the buffets so hopefully that kills the germs!

Cozumel -did the xrails to Jade Cavern through the ship (I think we could have booked it directly with the company? but felt safer being in Mexico going through the ship) Did this in Sept with 4 young adult kids luckily it had rained for almost 2 weeks before so didn't have to deal with the dust just the mud. Hubby had a blast getting me good and muddy as he's normally not allowed to get me muddy when we go 4 wheeling! No power steering so you better be strong but we all loved it and agreed that it was one of the most fun excursions we have done! Just remember if you do it wear old wet socks or shoes, old clothes as they will never be clean again, a bandana for the face and some kind of glasses!

I actually had a deposit down on the Norwegian epic for Sept 2014 as it was cheaper than Liberty but we have 4 adult kids with us (one's the son-in-law and he and the daughter get there own cabin) but when I saw the lay out of the room with separated shower and toilet with frosted glass walls decided not enough privacy for us! Also big kid (hubby) and the guys all loved the flowrider on Freedom and since the Liberty has one too RCI won out!

I would either get adjoining cabins or a room for 4 that the beds pull down from the ceiling! We usually do inside rooms and just in Sept. stayed with our 2 adult kids in our room to save $$ beds just pull down and we made do! Not a lot of room, but if your not in the room except to sleep, shower and get ready it is possible to do!