Stuck on Serenade!

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, RFerrington said:

Sorry if I missed a post somewhere.  Is the Port of Tampa open now ?  We are supposed to board Grandeur tomorrow.  I'm sure we would have heard something if there was a delay...just wondering.

Hope you have a great cruise.  Good luck in the casino🤩

[RFerrington]

16 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Hope you have a great cruise.  Good luck in the casino🤩

Thanks !  On board.  Looking forward to a fun week.  The only downside to a Grandeur cruise is the casino.  😢. Since I only play table games, it’s usually difficult to get on a table on Grandeur….and as Grandeur gets older, the more it is a “throwaway” casino comp magnet.  More and more of the pax are casino comps, complicating the already bad situation.  Still….looking forward to this cruise.  Thanks for the well-wishes.

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, RFerrington said:

Thanks !  On board.  Looking forward to a fun week.  The only downside to a Grandeur cruise is the casino.  😢. Since I only play table games, it’s usually difficult to get on a table on Grandeur….and as Grandeur gets older, the more it is a “throwaway” casino comp magnet.  More and more of the pax are casino comps, complicating the already bad situation.  Still….looking forward to this cruise.  Thanks for the well-wishes.

Well to me there is another downside. Their photos are not computerised. You have to wait while they are printed and then hung up to go find what you want then take it physically to the desk to purchase. On the plus side I guess it would be easier to buy whatever photos you wanted, even if you arent in them?

[Host Jacquelyn]

18 hours ago, coaster said:

Those booked on Carnival Paradise from Tampa which also got reduced to 3 nights really got a deal. Refund for one day like Serenade, but 50 percent FCC and $200 OBC per cabin.

 

That is a great deal! I may have missed it, but where is the Serenade going for this 3 day trip?

 

For those curious, this is what we got onboard for the extra day:

 

• 1 free day of wifi per stateroom. You needed a voucher from Guest Services, though
• No additional charge for the extra day of Drink Package, UDP or Voom, if you already purchased.
• Diamond drinks as usual for the extra day
• 50% off all bar drinks
• $200 / $400 flight change fees for domestic / international if Air2Sea not purchased. I assume they arranged for free for those who purchased
• Free night of parking at Port of Tampa if parked there
• Additional Loyalty points for the extra night
• We were charged an additional day of gratuities per person

 

Staff did a great job of planning activities for the extra day. It felt like a normal day at sea 😎

[Another_Critic]

10 minutes ago, Host Jacquelyn said:

I may have missed it, but where is the Serenade going for this 3 day trip?

Serenade of the Seas: Thursday, August 31, 2023 sailing from Tampa

Due to Hurricane Idalia, our previous sailing’s return to Tampa has been delayed. As a result, we’ve had to shift our boarding day to Friday, September 1, 2023, departing by 4:00 PM.

Unfortunately, this means that our itinerary has been revised and we will no longer be able to visit Cozumel. Below is our updated itinerary and some information about our new sailing.

Check-in & Boarding

We kindly ask that you please arrive on Friday during the arrival window you originally selected. All guests should arrive no later than 2:30 PM to ensure everyone is onboard by 3:00 PM.

 

For guests that decide to sail:

• Since we cut our cruise short, we’ll be providing you with a 1-day refund in the form of an Onboard Credit, and you’ll also receive a prorated Onboard Credit for any pre-cruise purchases made, including internet and beverage packages.
• Any Royal Caribbean excursions purchased for Cozumel will be refunded as an Onboard Credit to your SeaPass account.
• Additionally, we’re adding an Onboard Credit for the value of $50 USD, per person, as a goodwill gesture.
• These credits can be used anywhere onboard, and any unused amount will go back to the card associated with your onboard account.

For those who wish to cancel:

• If you still wish to cancel, there is nothing for you to do. You’ll receive a refund of your cruise fare, including any non-refundable deposits, to your method of payment on file within 14 business days after our sailing ends. Please note, some banking institutions may take longer. If you used a Future Cruise Credit on this sailing, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount, and we’ll reinstate your original certificate.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Sounds like Royal Caribbean was more than generous with the cruisers who had an extended cruise due to the hurricane.

[cruiseboy89130]

3 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Serenade of the Seas: Thursday, August 31, 2023 sailing from Tampa

Due to Hurricane Idalia, our previous sailing’s return to Tampa has been delayed. As a result, we’ve had to shift our boarding day to Friday, September 1, 2023, departing by 4:00 PM.

Unfortunately, this means that our itinerary has been revised and we will no longer be able to visit Cozumel. Below is our updated itinerary and some information about our new sailing.

Check-in & Boarding

We kindly ask that you please arrive on Friday during the arrival window you originally selected. All guests should arrive no later than 2:30 PM to ensure everyone is onboard by 3:00 PM.

 

For guests that decide to sail:

• Since we cut our cruise short, we’ll be providing you with a 1-day refund in the form of an Onboard Credit, and you’ll also receive a prorated Onboard Credit for any pre-cruise purchases made, including internet and beverage packages.
• Any Royal Caribbean excursions purchased for Cozumel will be refunded as an Onboard Credit to your SeaPass account.
• Additionally, we’re adding an Onboard Credit for the value of $50 USD, per person, as a goodwill gesture.
• These credits can be used anywhere onboard, and any unused amount will go back to the card associated with your onboard account.

For those who wish to cancel:

• If you still wish to cancel, there is nothing for you to do. You’ll receive a refund of your cruise fare, including any non-refundable deposits, to your method of payment on file within 14 business days after our sailing ends. Please note, some banking institutions may take longer. If you used a Future Cruise Credit on this sailing, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount, and we’ll reinstate your original certificate.

Does not sound like a good deal....👎

[Host Jacquelyn]

1 hour ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Does not sound like a good deal....👎

Agreed

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Does not sound like a good deal....👎

So,,, the cruise line owes customers nothing. The default, by the contract you sign, says cruise-it or lose-it (the revised itinerary). 
 

Any compensation is purely a show of good will. They own the passengers nothing. Most cruise lines give you nothing (no option to change) and maybe a small OBC. 

We book multiple cruises every year during peak hurricane season (now) with the full understanding that we may get diverted. Pre-pandemic, we were cruising out of Bayonne and had no option to cancel or change when our cruise to Bermuda went to Halifax. 

[Host Jacquelyn]

13 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Pre-pandemic, we were cruising out of Bayonne and had no option to cancel or change when our cruise to Bermuda went to Halifax. 

 

Did you also lose one full day before you were able to board?

[cruiseguy1016]

6 hours ago, Host Jacquelyn said:

 

That is a great deal! I may have missed it, but where is the Serenade going for this 3 day trip?

 

For those curious, this is what we got onboard for the extra day:

 

• 1 free day of wifi per stateroom. You needed a voucher from Guest Services, though
• No additional charge for the extra day of Drink Package, UDP or Voom, if you already purchased.
• Diamond drinks as usual for the extra day
• 50% off all bar drinks
• $200 / $400 flight change fees for domestic / international if Air2Sea not purchased. I assume they arranged for free for those who purchased
• Free night of parking at Port of Tampa if parked there
• Additional Loyalty points for the extra night
• We were charged an additional day of gratuities per person

 

Staff did a great job of planning activities for the extra day. It felt like a normal day at sea 😎

 

How many points did you receive? We were on Freedom when COVID hit and all cruising shut down. We were supposed to debark in San Juan but they had closed the port so we sailed on to Miami and debarked there. It took us 2 extra days to get to Miami, however, we received 4 extra points. We were in a balcony cabin so there weren't double points for staying in a suite. I'm just curious if you received 2X points for the extra night.

[Host Jacquelyn]

6 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

How many points did you receive? ... I'm just curious if you received 2X points for the extra night.

Interesting! I assume only 1 extra point, and I will see once it posts

[cruiseguy1016]

7 minutes ago, Host Jacquelyn said:

Interesting! I assume only 1 extra point, and I will see once it posts

 

Our extra points may have a mistake. Maybe RCI was having an issue with their IT department. 🤣

[jwlane]

3 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Does not sound like a good deal....👎

What would you propose?

[ReneeFLL]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

…Any compensation is purely a show of good will. They own the passengers nothing. Most cruise lines give you nothing (no option to change) and maybe a small OBC….

Did you read what Carnival is giving their passengers? They seem to always rise above Royal when it comes to this.

[Mikew0805]

20 hours ago, RFerrington said:

Thanks !  On board.  Looking forward to a fun week.  The only downside to a Grandeur cruise is the casino.  😢. Since I only play table games, it’s usually difficult to get on a table on Grandeur….and as Grandeur gets older, the more it is a “throwaway” casino comp magnet.  More and more of the pax are casino comps, complicating the already bad situation.  Still….looking forward to this cruise.  Thanks for the well-wishes.

The Serenade tables are quite cramped. 😞 Actually moving around in that casino is quite difficult. The last three times I have been on it, I have left because it is so crowded. (Not something I normally do, but saved me money) I still like the machines, and the host... just know that during peak times it is a bit crazy in there.  Have fun!