What have they done to your Cuba cruise?

[kruzerci]

26 minutes ago, cruisinfromtampa said:

Empress 11/23, Best of Cuba has gone from Grand Cayman, Santiago de Cuba, and Cinfuegos to Grand Cayman, Key West, and Labadee.  Not sure what we're going to do...not the most exciting itinerary, but can't beat $600 for 2 people for 7 nights.

 

I’m sure the quality of the food, headliners, and everything else will reflect that low price too. 

[xpcdoojk]

On 6/4/2019 at 5:37 PM, cruisingator2 said:

This is the latest from RCI..

 

Latest Update - June 4, 2019 at 6:00 pm EST

We are aware of the new U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba and we are analyzing the details to understand the impact to future sailings.  We expect to know more within the next 24 hours and will communicate any changes as soon as we are able.  In the meantime, we are adjusting the itineraries of our June 5 and June 6 sailings, which will no longer stop in Cuba. We are communicating with our guests about those changes. 

 

Wow, Hi Gordon, haven’t seen a trace of you for years.  Hope you are doing well in Palm Springs, I was just out there in January, wished I had known you were there, would have looked you up.

 

thanks brother

jc

[Cruiser24]

2 hours ago, Heather1972 said:

I'm on Majesty for June 24. Club Royale sent me the new itinerary. It's Nassau, Coco Cay, Sea Day then Key West. 

Thank you.  That’s good news!  We would have been disappointed to miss out on both Havana and Key West.

[ReneeFLL]

8 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

Your being political and not understanding the grave injustices done to Miami's Cuban American Community.  To say more would be against CC Politics policy.

 

8 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

My Florida Cuban American US Senator Marco Rubio is quite opinionated on this, as are all my doctors and my dentist.  The managers & employees in my condo building, etc.  Its a big thing here in Miami Beach.

 

Their land and other property was stolen from them etc.

 

We get it. You and the Cuban Americans feel that a terrible injustice has been done to them, but there are plenty of Americans who would like to go and see it.

 

7 hours ago, toad455 said:

So how soon before Empress of the Seas is retired again?

 

I will get out my crystal ball and let you know.

Edited June 6, 2019 by ReneeFLL

[Cruising89143]

15 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

Wow, Hi Gordon, haven’t seen a trace of you for years.  Hope you are doing well in Palm Springs, I was just out there in January, wished I had known you were there, would have looked you up.

 

thanks brother

jc

 

Hi JC. Took a long break from this place....

 

We purchased a place out here about five years ago for vacationing and decided to make it permanent. Love So Cal. Hope all is well.

[xpcdoojk]

My email address is in my signature.  Please send me a note, would love to catch up with you the next time I am in California, usually get out there every other year or so.  My other old emails are still active too.  So don’t be a stranger.  

 

JC

[LMaxwell]

This does present the opportunity for many discount bookings on Majesty; possible to have a 4 night cruise to key west and nassau with only 2 days off of work, last minute, firesale deals.  Who lives 45 minutes from FLL with "unlimited" PTO?  Lmaxwell does.  Silver lining 

[ReneeFLL]

8 hours ago, shellunderwater said:

Hot diggity!  50% off our cruise!  Cha-ching.

 

Now, I will admit, I'm certain this upsets many people, and I understand that and feel bad their plans are impacted.  But for us, we were doing this cruise for the vacation and the ports really didn't matter.  We weren't opposed to Havana, but it wasn't a deciding factor.

 

I will probably cancel. We are doing the exact same cruise in November as the Cuba cruise with updated ports. With the 50% off we are paying 120.00 pp pn on the Majesty in a jr suite. The Nov cruise with same itinerary is costing us 157.00 pp pn on the Explorer in an aft (sunset) view jr suite. If I transfer it to VTG then it will be about 300.00 less. If I were to keep the cruise then it would just be to check out the Majesty ship and see what it's like. I have never been on that small or old of a ship.

 

7 hours ago, Coastalrap said:

Wow, that says a lot. It’s too bad that the injustices of that community interfere with the vacation plans of people with your mindset. I hope that you are never in “that community “. 

 

Unfortunately there are many injustices in the world, even in our own back yard. Doesn't stop most people from visiting them and I don't think there is anything wrong with his mindset.

 

5 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Was posted on Previous pages hrs ago,  but doesnt hurt to "Bump" that info to newer page for those that missed it

 

The ones that usually miss it are the ones that usually don't bother to read the thread.

Edited June 6, 2019 by ReneeFLL

[gkbiiii]

8 hours ago, belugos said:

On that note - anyone else booked through the MyVegas?

Yes I did for the 5 night on Majesty, Overnight in Havana cruise on July 8th.  This is my fourth myvegas comped cruise on Royal and I hope this is true.  Over time I have spent a lot of $$ on both myvegas & Club Royale.  Being a Diamond C&A member, I have spent a good sum with Royal cruising as well.  That being said, my inside (paid to upgrade to oceanview) is the most expensive inside I have booked, my Past suites have been cheaper.  My invoice says the full cabin charge for my inside cabin is $1,830 so, it will be great to get a $915 onboard credit!  That being said, this is by far the worst itinerary I have ever gone on!  I would not pay my own money for this: Key West, Nassau, & Coco Cay!

[ReneeFLL]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

This does present the opportunity for many discount bookings on Majesty; possible to have a 4 night cruise to key west and nassau with only 2 days off of work, last minute, firesale deals.  Who lives 45 minutes from FLL with "unlimited" PTO?  Lmaxwell does.  Silver lining 

 

We are about 5 miles from the port. Mike doesn't have unlimited PTO, but he can bid for trips with more time off, trip trade or drop trips. This makes it easier to get up to about 8 days off at a time without using up vacation time.  I will be looking for some cheap trips, but so far I have only found a couple. It's probably to early, but I looked yesterday and again today.

[jstcruizin]

8 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

This does present the opportunity for many discount bookings on Majesty; possible to have a 4 night cruise to key west and nassau with only 2 days off of work, last minute, firesale deals.  Who lives 45 minutes from FLL with "unlimited" PTO?  Lmaxwell does.  Silver lining 

We do !!!!!and im hoping to see if theres a discount on the  August 19th cruise.  Friends from upstate  NY booked it for Cuba but we did Cuba last year and paid a premium so didn't want to do it again. 

[waterbug123]

22 hours ago, boscobeans said:

 

If that holds true for a cruise ship it would also hold true for an airplane, which would also not be permitted to land on Cuban soil.

 

No.  What I've read indicates that you can no longer arrive in Cuba via boat including cruise ships, or by private or corporate aircraft.  Apparently you CAN still go via commercial flights.

 

22 hours ago, boscobeans said:

I have a call in to the .O.F.A.C. and am waiting for a call back and intend on getting a more sppecific answer on this subject with CRUISES that have been booked prior to the recent cut off date.

 

It would seem that the grandfathering is for those booked on land-based trips and arriving via commercial flights.  All ships/boats, private and corporate aircraft are immediately affected.

 

13 hours ago, Cruiser24 said:

Am I reading this correctly that the June 24 Majesty sailing will not even go to Key West?

 

We are booked on that and when I log in to Royal it says Key West, Nassau and Coco Cay.  I think the chart that was posted above was either cut off or only showing ports that were added.  My cruise planner shows Key West on a different day than originally scheduled though, so if you have a private excursion booked there you may need to change it.

[tugtraveller]

So glad that we were able to do the Cuba cruise in April on the Empress.  She is a small ship, but a sweet one.  Although the room sizes are tight, tight, tight!  The dining staff are wonderful and will work hard for you -- just tell them what you want.  I loved the key lime pie on the first night, and asked our waiter if he could get it for me again on the 2nd night even though it was not on the menu, and he brought me off-the-menu key lime pie every single night of our 7-day cruise.  By day 6, I had to ask him to stop. Oh, and another great off-the-menu item:  a side order of grilled vegetables.  It's great staff that also makes a cruise special. Thanks, Victor!

 

For those who are going to keep their cruise dates, I want to offer a suggestion for Nassau instead of staying on the ship.  RCCL excurions offered a snorkel excursion that left right off the dock, and took us out for a 2 or 3 hour snorkel trip that was truly wonderful, and a GREAT price considering the typical ship price for excursions.  The catamaran we were on was huge, it was a smooth & gorgeous ride past all the million-dollar mansions on the bay side of Paradise Island.  It made for a great day, gorgeous photos, and a lot of fun memories for someone who had low, low expectations for Nassau.

 

I hope this information helps someone.  I know I would be disapointed if my cruise itinerary was completely dismantled.  My heart goes out to you all. 

---- Rene

[josh.vincent.180]

14 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

This does present the opportunity for many discount bookings on Majesty; possible to have a 4 night cruise to key west and nassau with only 2 days off of work, last minute, firesale deals.  Who lives 45 minutes from FLL with "unlimited" PTO?  Lmaxwell does.  Silver lining 

 

We are not close to FLL but with Southwest low fares we can get there relatively cheaply for 4 nights.  I have started looking at options.

 

 

The lowest I found was on Sept 7th for $191 per person with a $65 On Board credit for an interior room.  But we leave for Alaska Ovations on Sept 12th.

I am also thinking about asking if I book a cruise for wife and I and dont show up what is real cost.  Reason I ask is we are Emerald with 69 points and going on Ovation Sept 13 for anther 7 nights, getting up to 76.   We then have a JR suite on Freedom on Nov 24th.  If we can get the points to get us to diamond it might be worth it since I already have a $100 Royal Carribean Gift card that can only be used during booking.  

[bobbyandali]

4 hours ago, tugtraveller said:

For those who are going to keep their cruise dates, I want to offer a suggestion for Nassau instead of staying on the ship.  RCCL excurions offered a snorkel excursion that left right off the dock, and took us out for a 2 or 3 hour snorkel trip that was truly wonderful, and a GREAT price considering the typical ship price for excursions.  The catamaran we were on was huge, it was a smooth & gorgeous ride past all the million-dollar mansions on the bay side of Paradise Island.  It made for a great day, gorgeous photos, and a lot of fun memories for someone who had low, low expectations for Nassau.

 

 

 

Let me add to this. The last time we went to Nassau, wife and I got a day pass to Breezes. Leave the port and walk a few blocks, and get on a little jitney bus. $1.25 per person. It was interesting to ride with the locals who were headed to and from work. Bus drops off right in front of resort. We had a great day there, beautiful pools and beach, drinks and food were great. Took the bus back to the port area, got off, went and drank some beers at Pirate Brewing, and made our way back to the ship.

It really was a great day. 

[MrMarc]

you forgot the Ma in the title.  (old song reference)

[belugos]

Breezes day pass costs $100.00 per person, btw.

[belugos]

15 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

Yes I did for the 5 night on Majesty, Overnight in Havana cruise on July 8th.  This is my fourth myvegas comped cruise on Royal and I hope this is true.  Over time I have spent a lot of $$ on both myvegas & Club Royale.  Being a Diamond C&A member, I have spent a good sum with Royal cruising as well.  That being said, my inside (paid to upgrade to oceanview) is the most expensive inside I have booked, my Past suites have been cheaper.  My invoice says the full cabin charge for my inside cabin is $1,830 so, it will be great to get a $915 onboard credit!  That being said, this is by far the worst itinerary I have ever gone on!  I would not pay my own money for this: Key West, Nassau, & Coco Cay!

I sent an email to ClubRoyale and they just confirmed.. we get a credit for whatever is the cruise fare on the invoice. Im my case, 826.00 US$ for the cabin.
 

[twangster]

Extension to cancel with full refund has been offered:

 

ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS

Dear Guest, Yesterday, we shared that your upcoming 2019 Cuba sailing was modified due to the recent travel restriction. We advised that if you wanted to cancel, you should contact us by Friday, June 7th, 2019, but we realize you may need a bit more time to make the best decision for your vacation. As a result, feel free to contact us by Wednesday, June 19th, 2019 to make this decision. If you’d like to cancel your cruise and live in North America, please contact your Travel Advisor or call us at 1-888-281-9344. If you live outside of North America, please click here to find your local office’s phone number. Please remember, you’ll receive your refund between 3 – 5 business days from the date you cancel. Again, we are terribly sorry for this unexpected and sudden change, and we thank you for your understanding. It’s important to us that every aspect of your vacation is enjoyable. Sincerely,

[MrMarc]

2 hours ago, belugos said:

I sent an email to ClubRoyale and they just confirmed.. we get a credit for whatever is the cruise fare on the invoice. Im my case, 826.00 US$ for the cabin.
 

And the amazing thing is that it is refundable credit!

[Jam0610]

While I give RCL credit for their reaction and offer to credit our Cuban Cruise. TA does not suggest wife and I accept.

Empress is too small a ship to cruise open waters from Miami to Mexico. Even at half price.

The only reason we booked this cruise was for visiting Cuba.

 

No ones fault but wife and I will sail at a later date.

 

We have cancelled.

[Big Kev]

After getting email with our options, we decided to cancel our October 25th Empress O.S. cruise.. To experience Cuba was the prime  reason we were flying in from Australia.. Phoned and cancelled, and  email  "Cancellation Invoice" has arrived charging us our  deposit $200 ea ($400) "Cancellation Penalty" ..

WHAT THE ????????

 

Sue and Phil

Edited June 7, 2019 by Big Kev
typo

[Clarea]

7 minutes ago, Big Kev said:

After getting email with our options, we decided to cancel our October 25th Empress O.S. cruise.. To experience Cuba was the prime  reason we were flying in from Australia.. Phoned and cancelled, and  email  "Cancellation Invoice" has arrived charging us our  deposit $200 ea ($400) "Cancellation Penalty" ..

WHAT THE ????????

 

Sue and Phil

 

Lovely.  Now you have to spend time on the phone making it right?

[Teach118]

19 minutes ago, Big Kev said:

After getting email with our options, we decided to cancel our October 25th Empress O.S. cruise.. To experience Cuba was the prime  reason we were flying in from Australia.. Phoned and cancelled, and  email  "Cancellation Invoice" has arrived charging us our  deposit $200 ea ($400) "Cancellation Penalty" ..

WHAT THE ????????

 

Sue and Phil

What??? That doesn’t seem fair !!! It’s not your fault that the Cuba cruise was cancelled!!! We would have been on the same cruise . We cancelled too but we haven’t received our cancellation invoice. I told the TA that I signed up for a Cuba cruise, not an Eastern Caribbean cruise !!! This whole thing is a mess! We were looking forward to going to Cuba. My husband will be turning 70 and he always wanted to see the old card and Cuba. 

[Merion_Mom]

4 hours ago, twangster said:

Extension to cancel with full refund has been offered:

 

ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS

Dear Guest, Yesterday, we shared that your upcoming 2019 Cuba sailing was modified due to the recent travel restriction. We advised that if you wanted to cancel, you should contact us by Friday, June 7th, 2019, but we realize you may need a bit more time to make the best decision for your vacation. As a result, feel free to contact us by Wednesday, June 19th, 2019 to make this decision. If you’d like to cancel your cruise and live in North America, please contact your Travel Advisor or call us at 1-888-281-9344. If you live outside of North America, please click here to find your local office’s phone number. Please remember, you’ll receive your refund between 3 – 5 business days from the date you cancel. Again, we are terribly sorry for this unexpected and sudden change, and we thank you for your understanding. It’s important to us that every aspect of your vacation is enjoyable. Sincerely,

 

 

You're welcome.  This is the result of a conversation I had with a Royal Caribbean rep yesterday.  🙂