Videophile

Carnival Breeze 8 nights Departing Sept 13 2014 from Miami:

Cove Balcony $699 w no supplement.

FL residents get one for $629!

I was already to book it when I discovered that I have a commitment on the 13th that I just can't get out of. :(

Does anyone have info on lines or agencies that have the policy of not charging solo cruisers?

Is there a way to know which cruises have no solo supplement?

I follow the "Post CRUISE LINE Single Supplement/Solo Bargains HERE" thread. That's where you'll find the deals that other solo travelers uncover.

Carnival waives the single supplement on certain cabins on some cruises. You can find the current list here. It's a couple of weeks old so the prices that they list are just about all out of date and have gone up (though there are a few exceptions).

Good luck!

I don't think insurance is an issue in this case, since you can cancel before the final payment is due.

If you wanted to go by yourself, just so up and say that your hubby was throwing up and had diarrhea. They wouldn't want him on board.

Before you go that route however, he should definitely ask if he can take unpaid leave. Have him call up tomorrow, before he starts. If they say "no" you're no worse off than you are now, and if they get upset for just asking he seriously doesn't want to work there.

ANd they may say "sure, go off and have a great time!"

Though I'm not the OP, I appreciate all of the responses to my question of what a PVP does. I too received a cold call after holding a booking but didn't get a chance to talk with the woman. She called as I was boarding a plane. I think I'll give her a call back (to at least let her know that she shouldn't call every time I log onto the CCL site).

Does anyone know what the qualifications threshold is for the interline rate that was mentioned above? What are they looking for? Income? Frequency of cruises? Betting a lot at the casino? Frequently booking suites? My curiosity is piqued.

Not sure what they serve on the ships, but I do know a little about ice cream and soft serve.

They are both basically the same thing... but not quite. To be called "ice cream" (in the US at least) a product has to have at least 10% milk fat. When they make 'hard' ice cream the first step is to create soft serve. Then they whip in extra air and freeze it solid. So soft serve has less air, and is therefore more dense (when at the same temperature).

Why does soft serve taste so different from traditional ice cream if it's the same thing? The temperature. Ice cream is served at a lower temp and it numbs your taste buds.

Slow Churn ice cream (not that anyone.) has fewer calories since it has less fat (though still more than 10% milk fat to be labeled "ice cream"), but it tastes the same since the slow churning process makes the fat globules smaller. When they hit your tongue you still taste the fat (which is yummy) but they hit the same number of taste buds so it feels like there is more fat that there actually is. It's pretty cool. No pun intended.

Last time I checked you could not use it with the shareholder benefit however.

So what's the point of a PVP? I assume they're just a salesperson, correct? Sort of like a TA except employed by Carnival to book cabins. Am I missing something here, or do I have the wrong impression?

When we sailed for the 1st time on Holland America last year, initially I couldn't see the differences either. I found myself wondering what was so special about them. Staterooms seemed alike, lido and main dining room cuisine seemed similar. Theater entertainment was about the same, etc.

 

That is, until my mother pointed out the actual differences. She mentioned the white gloved service upon boarding, the daily fresh flowers in the cabin and throughout the ship, the room service delivered in fine china, laundry delivered in tissue paper with a gold seal in a wicker basket, full main dining room menu available for in-cabin dining, upgraded linens on stateroom bedding, throw blankets for balcony use, a well stocked library open all day long, the museum quality decor, etc.

 

Now, for average me, these differences were not important or even noticeable, but for the more discerning cruiser, these differences were probably much more important and may have been the difference between an OK cruise and a wonderful one.

 

Just MHO, but for those who are perfectly happy getting a nice, clean room, being fed, and entertained (like the average Carnival cruiser), all cruise lines may seem the same as long as they deliver these basic needs. But for those looking for just a bit (or a lot) more, the differences may be much more apparent.

 

This exchange with my mother taught me that not seeing the differences between cruise lines doesn't mean that the differences don't exist, sometimes right under our noses. That we don't CARE about those differences is a completely different story.

Well said.

That is totally your right since it your money.

 

I am not a money wiz. How much interest could you make on $1000 in a years time?

 

Bill

You might get $5 in a year in a saving account, $10 if you're lucky.

Even with stocks 10% is phenomenal, (which would earn you $100) but then you'd have to pay income tax on that (at the full rate since you have to hold a security for 2 1/2 years (I believe that's the length) to qualify for the capital gains rate. And, on top of that, you're putting your vacation at risk since the stock market is volatile.

That's not a good reason to skip a trip.

We use the Concierge as our "first line of defense" when something does not go as planned.

 

That's exactly what I do. One of the great things about a concierge is that they know how the rules apply to guest with high loyalty levels and in suites. Not all of the other crew members do.

Our last cruise was on Princess (our first time with them) and they don't have a concierge for suite guests. There were several times that we were given conflicting information from different crew members (including guest services who had a pretty horrible record for giving correct information) and it would have been great if there was one person that we could call who would give us a correct answer and help deal with any minor problems.

One example: suites guests on Princess get a free dinner at a specialty restaurant on the embarkation night. I asked at guest services how we go about booking for the evening and he said that we could dine any night for free once. I asked him if he was sure twice, and he was absolutely positive. Later we were walking by Sabatino's and decided to book for later in the week and the gentleman there informed us that I we could only get a free meal that evening. Naturally we jumped on it, but had we not stopped while passing by we would have lost out. The concierges I have dealt with on RCI would have

known the rules and how things worked.

We had C750 (aft suite) last month and LOVED it. Beautiful view. I'd book it again in a second.

The only reason I wouldn't cancel it, is because they are so good at making things right.

 

 

Why would you cancel it? They'll send you a new card and you just start using that.

As others have said, the fraud is NOT because it has RCCL on the front. It is not because it is a BOA card. The fraud is happening because you use the card. Switching to another card won't make any difference.

I am so sick of the constant and repetitive walmart of the sea comparison. Pure unmitigated bull! It's the 99 cents of the seas

I don't agree, but I have to admit that your comment made me laugh!

Ironically, I found this article while I was researching why CCL stock tumbled to year-to-date low today.:(

Yeah, I was wondering why it fell nearly 1.9% today too. The market as a whole was down, but not nearly as much as CCL.

Our first cruise was on Carnival. We liked 90% of it and hated 10%. I called a TA and explained what we didn't like (the guy vomiting on the deck, the people staggering drunk, the garish decor) and what we did like (the food, entertainment, great service). He said and I quote "then you should try Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian or Celebrity. I think one of those will be a better fit."

We've been on three cruises since then (RCI X 2, Princess, and have NCL booked). When I chat with others I often explain that we're just starting out and ask which lines they like and dislike. So far about half of the people have said that they don't like Carnival. That's the only line that people have mentioned that they won't cruise on. (If you're interested, the line most people have said was their favorite was Celebrity.)

I'm not saying that I won't sail on Carnival again, I would. I don't think one trip is representative of an entire line. It is a data point however, and you can't just throw it out because there's only one.

The last time I was on Freedom (last Dec) Portofinos was opened for suite guests for breakfast. No reservation needed. We just presented out gold card on the first day and they knew us after that. The food was made-to-order in the Portofinos kitchen, and it was great. I thought it was much better than the MDR.

I can't remember what they did for lunch for the suite guests... I think we were either out-and-about or had room service.

You can book any stateroom category, OV or better. The credit will be based on the OV price at the time of redemption.

Ahh, gotcha. That makes sense. Thanks for the quick reply.

I have a question about redeeming points: I'm saving up points and wanted to cash in at 75,000 for a companion fare. The site says "Companion Fare on a 5 to 7 night Royal Caribbean Caribbean sailing (minimum available oceanview stateroom). Value of companion fare may not exceed fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500 USD value)."

If I find a GS or OS for $1400, will they allow me to book it and use the points for my wife, or does it HAVE to be an oceanview cabin? (I want to pay $1400 and 75,000 points for the two of us.)

We were on her last Dec. and she's a great ship. I wouldn't worry. Which comments in particular concerned you? Did the post you read say there was bad service? Food? Public areas? Maybe if we know what your specific concerns are we can confirm or deny that there's a problem in that area.

Glad to hear that you obtained the refund! I have to admit I'm surprised, but very happy for you!

Just woke up to receive notice that my account was overdrawn! They put the payment through anyway and my account is negative.

 

I filed dispute with my bank, and am not going on this cruise for no matter how long it goes on. I want nothing to do with this cruise line, and though I know some of you are offering support and suggesting that I go on this cruise anyway, this is not an option for me.

 

I don't like to be ripped off and that is what happened here. I'm done waiting for them to find a resultution. I'm canceling my cruise and not going, and i'll fight all the way to the attorney general on this one. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

I'm with you on a lot of this, especially the nursery, but you shouldn't get mad at RCCL for this. You knew they were going to take a lot of money out of your account so you removed the money. You did not opt out of the overdraft coverage that banks offer (which was a HUGE mistake) and when RCCL did what they said they would do (charged your account) you became irritated with them.

You do not have a leg to stand on. Your bank will not give you the money back. They don't have to. RCCL will not refund your money because the bank requests it. You are making this much, much, worse by your actions. Fighting this will only cost you more money, time, and grief.

Honestly, I do not think you would have been able to cancel is you were handling this in person either. RCCL is holding all of the cards.

What should you do from here? As I see it you have two options: A) Skip the cruise that you have paid for and try to get Royal to pay you back afterwards (which will not happen, but it'll take you time and money to discover that). B) Try to get some compensation from Royal and go on the cruise.

Choose option B. Seriously. When you talk with them, stay calm and ask what they can do for you since the original rep told you there was a nursery. Don't tell them what you want... let them suggest something. If they offer you something (say $100 OBC so you can use the babysitting) counter with 150% of what they suggested ("Could you see your way to $150? That would really make my wife happy.") Negotiate from there. Do not bring up the overdraft! They don't care.

Be pragmatic. Yes, your pissed and I can understand that, but keep your eye on the prize: the money. You are out the cost of the cruise. They have your money (you owe it to the bank along with a nice fee). No cruise line is going to refund your money because you don't like the cabin this close to the sailing date. That's just a fact. You can go on the cruise or not, but you have paid for it and NOT going will not help your case.

Just read through all 11 pages...

I hope the OP gets his money back... I don't think he's trying to game the system, but wants the vacation he was thinking he was buying.

As far as the nursery vs. a babysitter goes, I"m totally with the OP. In a nursery she'd have other kids to play with, presumably there'd be toys and play things, and there would be several adults to interact with. Sitting in a room would be boring in comparison.

I also never got thought that he was saying he wanted to get totally plastered while 'partying' just have a good time and blow off some steam with his woman.

I would encourage you to leave your daughter with grandparents if RCCL doesn't come through. Yes, you'll miss her but you'll have a good time and so will your little one.

Noro - I wouldn't worry about it, but understand where you're coming from. With my first child I literally washed the walls near his crib with bleach since he might touch them and then put his fingers in his mouth. With my second child I found myself saying things like "Take that away from the dog and give it back to the baby!"

Good luck!

Ah jeez....you did have to mention popcorn and they don't have any on these ships and I'm an addict. We're out of space to try and pack any, so I guess I'll go cold turkey.;)

I"m a popcorn addict too! My last cruise was on Princess since they serve popcorn at night for Movies Under The Stars. My verdict: don't go for the popcorn. Very bland and just a tad soggy. :(

I just went over to my retirement account to see if this was when they issued dividends (it's not) and OUCH! The stock has fallen even more. Not sure whether that makes me (as a smoker) :D or (as a shareholder) :(

Looks like word has gotten to Wall Street. The market is flat but CCL is up over 1% TODAY. That's a huge increase. Apparently the large investors think this was a good move for the company, especially since the stock has been trending down for the last couple of months. (

If you disagree with my analysis, please offer another explanation for the price increase.

As for the original question, they don't owe people any compensation (according to the contract) so what they're doing is very generous. I think it's appropriate.

Edit: D'oh! gtalum beat me to it.

This should work *fingers crossed*

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf