livingonthebeach

I've used Air 2 Sea for flights from and to Europe and for Asia on a Celebrity Cruise. Never had a problem - that was pre-pandemic though so I can't vouch for the present time. I do know that their prices were much more competitive in the past than going direct with the airlines especially for one way tickets.

I enjoy cursing - swearing and cussing too. But in the spirit of the holidays, I will put my potty mouth aside and wish everyone a very profane-less holiday and a not so naughty new year! Merry Cruising!

Personally, I am partial to Conundrum, produced by Caymus vineyards. Here at home I can typically buy it for $17-19 on sale. On an RCI ship I saw the exact same wine for $60. That's a little more than triple the cost. That's about the generally mark-up across the board. The Opus One they sell for around $300 may very well be the less expensive Overture blend.

Opus wines vary widely in price - they've been produced since 1979 and run the whole gamut - $39,995 for the whole collection. https://www.estatewinebrokers.com/opus-one-complete-vertical-1979-2018-40-x-750ml/?gclid=CjwKCAiAnZCdBhBmEiwA8nDQxRfY0b_6HfBrUy_Bf_d_BiQntAFwdjNltPgF584_I0K9ewCT5pp6eBoCvLAQAvD_BwE

Wowwy! I can see why you were wearing shades the whole time. Hope you are healing nicely. Maybe we'll run into each other on another cruise. BTW, on the site we can't name, some were reporting they left with a "C" souvenir. Did you hear anything about that?

Yep we must have narrowly missed each other at both places and 270. There was a big crowd for that time of year -- no one was wearing Mardi Gras beads nor had a cruise critic sign so it was either going up to everyone asking if they were from CC (which I wasn't going to do) or not meeting up.

My thought was that the woman brought the glass bottle from the pub - she admitted that she brought it from a different deck and not the pool deck. To replace that glass is going to be crazy expensive. They should make the person that broke it pay for it. After all, she was going around telling everyone that would listen that she was the one who broke it - like it was a badge of honor. Jeez....

Reports were that a crew member was transported off in Miami due to illness and that a passenger died.

OMG - I was a few feet away when it happened. I heard all the commotion and then a woman appeared {a passenger} telling everyone to get off, when I asked why she said that, she responded that her beer bottle dropped and shattered the glass walkway. She added since it was it was her fault, she was helping staff to get every one get away, acting so proud she had shattered the glass. Lovely, for a sail away party where everyone was enjoying the views and excellent weather and thrown off. I asked her how she could have possibly brought up a glass bottle since all the pool deck drinks are served in plastic and she admitted she brought it from another deck. As a result the whole walkway was closed for the entire cruise. It's people like this that ruin it for the rest of us.

I would much rather have a slight fare increase so RCI can pay their crew members decent wages than have charges added to my account under the guise of gratuities to an already prepaid cruise. Tipping is always optional everywhere you go and in some countries it is considered rude to tip. A tip is never mandatory as it was designed as an optional sum of money you give to someone who has provided you with excellent service. The excellent service as well as the amounts are very subjective. I bring cash and tip those that provide me with decent service. I don't like the idea of a company controlling my purse strings.

Do they have a list for those who tip more generously in CASH?

You’re saying change the sheets is code for “this cabin removed their auto grats”? What purpose would that serve posting that at 3am the day you disembark? I can see where this will lead to no-auto-grats-no-service. Clean your own cabin and get your own food and drinks. Yikes!

T&F = True or False. Yes it's true you get charged if you don't speak up and it's false that these fees go directly to those you want to tip.

Thanks for sharing! I'll be on Rhapsody in April for a b2b island hop out of Barbados then a Southern Caribbean repositioning back to Miami. What was your itinerary? Did you stay extra days in Barbados pre or after cruising? If so where?

I view the auto grats as the most opaque daily charge existing on the high seas. Does anyone know with certainty how much or what percentage the cook, dishwasher, cabin steward, waiter, etc. get? To me this added charge reeks of junk fees or in other words unfair or deceptive fees that are charged for services to the consumer so the base cruise fare looks lower than it actually is. For this reason I refuse to pay it and bring lots of cash to give directly to those I deem worthy of a tip. For those who insist that the crew gets notice of who removed their auto grats, please tell me how.

Boleros is almost always occupied with extended family and friends. It's a latin club so it follows that the extended latin family and friends camp out there.

It was the same menu for me in 2019 and 2022 - no changes.

Not yet, some seem to think they will not bring it back. ????

It was some years ago....for a Floridian, Maine feels cold even in Summer. LOL🤣

Seems like the M&M was something RCI willfully chalked up to "due to Covid", which is code for "gone forever".

Oh, ok it was my confusion....dreaming of Maine... I was there in August a few times and had a whole lobster which was delicious but I nearly froze to death. Maine lobsters tails served in the MDR - great to know!

Good to know. The warm tails were getting very tired. Would gladly pay extra $16.99 extra per whole Maine lobster!

Wow - didn't know that. Thanks for the heads up!

Thanks - at least they are not asking $$$ for the second entree like at Carnival.

Let me know what you find. I'm also booked for Dec.