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NancyIL

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  1. I felt our time in Antigua was long enough, but I wish our shore excursion had been longer.
  2. Thank you for your excellent, detailed review and lovely photos! I was also on your cruise, and I had a great time. I hadn't sailed with Princess since 2016, so I was quite impressed with this beautiful newer ship and its Medallion technology. I enjoyed the food very much. I ate most of my breakfasts in the buffet, lunches & snacks in the International Cafe or the pool deck (pizza, or burgers from the Salty Dog Cafe), and all but one dinner in the dining room. Our travel agent gave us complimentary vouchers for Sabatini's (Italian) for one dinner, which was excellent. However, with 6 full-size courses - there was way too much food to eat. I went to most of the shows, and especially enjoyed the 3 production shows by the Singers & Dancers. The shows were different from the usual ones I had seen on other cruise lines, especially "5 Skies" - but they were so well done. I also thought the first Alfred & Seymour show in the theater was much funnier than the later show in the Vista Lounge, but we were seated way in the back of the lounge and had trouble seeing and hearing everything. The tributes to Elton John and ABBA were excellent, as was the Farewell show. All of the ports were new to me, except St. Thomas, so I booked a tour in each port. I used to book tours with independent operators or join other people's non-ship tours. However, I've gotten lazier in my "older" age, so I used onboard credit to book ship tours. The highlight for me was the Balata Gardens in Martinique, which was gorgeous. I wish our tour of Nelson's Dockyards in Antigua had been longer, as we would've enjoyed more free time there. Our tour to Dominica visited Trafalgar Falls. I had no problem with the stairs, but I also wore my hiking shoes. A woman in our group fell on the stairs going down, and had to be carried back to the bus. When the shore excursion description and tour ticket warn about "steep and slippery" conditions and advise you to "wear sturdy shoes" - it's best to heed that advice! I'm now looking forward to 2 upcoming Princess cruises - although both are on older ships: Sapphire in Alaska, and Emerald in the British Isles.
  3. Oops…I hit the “Quote” button before I saw lovesthebeach2’s post!
  4. I was booked on the cancelled May 27 Athens to Istanbul mini-segment, and I notified my travel agency on 2/17 that I wanted a refund. RCI’s cancellation email said the refunds would be issued within 14 business days, so I was pleasantly surprised when they issued a $600 partial refund to my daughter’s credit card today. However, she charged $1500 of the final payment to her credit card, so I hope RCI doesn’t think the other $900 is the penalty for cancelling a cruise with a nonrefundable deposit!
  5. I was on the cancelled Athens to Istanbul cruise just before yours. I fully expected RCI to cancel my cruise, but figured they could get to Istanbul on time for the cruise to Ravenna. I feel sorry for those on the Istanbul to Ravenna cruise who have been left hanging until the new itinerary is announced on Feb. 27. Meanwhile, you can commiserate with others on this thread:
  6. I neglected to previously copy and post the last paragraph of RCI's cancellation letter, but here it is: "It’s important to us that you find the best vacation option. Please call us using the contact information below or your Travel Advisor by March 1st, 2024, to let us know your decision. Hours of operations are M-F 9 am to 9 pm EST, Sat/Sun 9 am to 6 pm EST, and please know, hold times may be longer than usual. If you decide to go with Option 2, there’s no need to call us. If we haven’t heard from you by March 1st, 2024 your reservation will default to Option 2 and will be cancelled." It isn't clear from this paragraph whether you have to book a new cruise by March 1st, or just notify RCI that you intend to book a new cruise.
  7. I'm only on the May 27 cruise, and I have already received an email from RCI notifying me that my cruise was cancelled. This is what was offered: Option 1: Re-book any other Royal Caribbean International sailing. If you prefer to re-book another sailing, we’ll waive any non-refundable deposit change fees. Please know, you’ll be responsible for any difference in pricing for your cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items. If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for the difference. To sweeten the offer, you’ll receive a $100 USD Onboard Credit to spend onboard per stateroom: Plus, an additional $50 USD for each third or more guest. And, you’ll also be reimbursed for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees incurred (such as a flight, train ticket, or rental car). We’ll cover up to $200 USD per guest for Domestic changes, or up to $400 USD per guest for International changes. Please email your receipts and booking information to RoyalGuestRelations@rccl.com for review and reimbursement. Option 2: If you prefer to cancel, we’ll be sad to see you go, but hope you’ll come back soon. You’ll receive: A full refund of any paid portion of your cruise fare (including non-refundable deposits) and any pre-paid amenities to the original form of payment. If you used a Future Cruise Credit on this sailing and you request a refund instead, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount and we’ll reinstate your original certificate. Please know, if you choose this option, we will not provide additional compensation. Any refunds due will be credited to your original form of payment within 14 business days after your decision – kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution. Other than the $100 onboard credit for booking a new cruise - it's not like the days of "Lift & Shift"!
  8. I agree! Lots of cruises visit Greece and Italy, but few spend so much time circling Africa as the Immersive Africa Itinerary. To answer my own previous question - it appears the cruise resumes its original itinerary in Ravenna on June 20.
  9. Will Serenade resume it's European itinerary in Istanbul on June 7?
  10. Thank you! Anything other than a refund for those on the Athens to Istanbul cruise?
  11. I have multiple windows open on my laptop to read about Serenade's altered itineraries. Is this thread the best place to park myself?
  12. Serenade will have already visited Australia in March, before heading north to Southeast Asia. As this is intended to be a full world cruise, I think RCI will preserve as much of the original itinerary as possible - including most of the Asia itinerary. The segment that must be rerouted is Dubai to Athens, as we know Serenade will have to sail around Africa to avoid the Red Sea. I think the first segment that could be affected is the April 24-May 9 Singapore to Dubai cruise. Most ships have been avoiding Dubai, but since that's the ending port for the 2nd quarter/beginning of the third - I don't know what RCI will do. (Perhaps end in Mumbai, India on May 5?) I think they will also sacrifice the May 27-June 7 Athens to Istanbul cruise - one of the shorter and less expensive segments. That should allow the ship enough time to sail from Dubai (Mumbai?) around Africa in time to end in Istanbul on June 7 for the Istanbul to Ravenna segment.
  13. I’m anxious to hear about the April 24 (Singapore to Dubai), May 9 (Dubai to Athens), and May 27 (Athens to Istanbul) segments…presumably tomorrow (Feb. 16). I am on the Athens to Istanbul segment, and I think it will be cancelled or drastically changed.
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