bob brown

If they’re going to charge me in the main dining room for a glass of tap water, then I must remember to bring a refillable water bottle, given to me by another cruise line.  I will fill it myself, where able, and bring it into the dining room with me.

Tacky?    
Yes.

But so is charging for a glass of plain water, at dinner.  JMHO…🤷‍♂️

Charging different people different prices for such basics as plain water, is taking "airline yield management", to the extreme....🙄

7 hours ago, lisiamc said:

We cruised with a group of eight, all booked from a UK travel agent. We had bottled water brought to us at meals, and were asked to show our cards to verify any drink we requested. Half of the group had the top package, and half had the much more basic (just bottled water with meals?) package. No one ever came to our table with a jug of tap water, and I never saw anyone visiting any nearby tables with tap water either.

Maybe they offer tap water on request, but if you want bottled water, that is when they charge you?

I was on the Meraviglia in 2021.  I don't recall them charging for water (tap) at our dining room.

I'm not clear about this...if you're sitting at your table in the main dining room for dinner, will they bring you a complimentary glass of tap water?   And refill as needed?

On 9/21/2023 at 9:33 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

We booked our complimentary meal with the hostess at the specialty restaurant area on embarkation day. She went over all the included restaurants…the easiest way to determine if a restaurant is likely included is to see if there is a fixed menu option as well as an a la carte. The diamond meal comes from the fixed side of the menu. If the menu only offers a la carte, then it’s likely not included. This holds true for the Japanese restaurant for sure. Sorry, I am not familiar with Le Grill. 

Is it possible to book your complimentary specialty dinner in advance of your cruise?   Some cruise lines offer this...

On 10/27/2023 at 2:32 PM, Globalfish said:

Road Scholar doesn’t use ACL; it uses AQV for its Mississippi and Ohio River cruises and previously (past tense) for the Great Lakes.  For Alaska it uses American Dream Cruises.

So, I wonder who, if anyone, they will book Great Lakes cruises on going forward?

I booked on ACL's sub Pearl Seas...

The "guess the song" game at Martini's, usually has at least one "showtunes" night.  The afternoon trivia, as well as the evening "brain teaser's", occasionally has a question or two that are concerning music of different types...

That wasn't a very long tenure...

1 hour ago, Gretchendz said:

 

Could you please share the URL you used? I'm embarrassed to admit I can't even get that far. 🙂

Sure…

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/msc-voyagers-club
 

After you log in, there is a tab for the Voyagers Club..

3 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

The problem with that is MSC does not give out extra cabin keys…so that you have access to your kids cabins, etc.  they expect you to sleep where you booked.  EM

Yes, that makes it more difficult, but not impossible to workaround…

2 hours ago, Selion said:

I don't think cruise lines gives any attention on which passenger is occupying which cabin.  Otherwise chartered swingers cruises wouldn't be thing.

Agreed.  Parents sailing with older children do this all the time, when they want a second cabin for children.  The cruise line requires an adult booked in each cabin, so they book it that way, then occupy the cabins the way they want to…

This question comes up in many different cruise line loyalty programs.  The gist of it is, does each member of a loyalty program sailing on a cruise receive individual perks based on their personal loyalty level, or if two members are in a cabin, must they then share the benefit (usually to the member with the higher status).   The cruise line will invariably interpret in their own favor.

As a "workaround", you could maybe split your booking, so that each of you sailed with someone that had no status.   Of course, no one is actually checking to see who really is occupying each cabin, but this would be not be "legal", and could result in penalty, if caught.  

Not worth the risk, IMHO....

My question is how do I know what my Voyagers Club actual expiration date is?

When I logged in to MSC's website, and clicked on Voyager's Club, it showed my name, the date 

01-11-2024 below that, my Club number, and my status.   

I received my status match sometime early in 2021, not sure of the exact date, but it might have been January...again, not sure.   I took my first MSC cruise from October 21 -October 28, 2021 

According to the 'fine print' on the Voyager's Club status, it said I had to sail at least once every three years to maintain the status and points earned.  

So by that, I interpret I must begin another cruise by October 28, 2024.

I wasn't certain what that "01-11-2024" number below my name indicated...was it my expiration date?

And if it was, was it January 11, 2024, or November 1, 2024?   

I tried calling MSC, and the agent said it was January 11.  This puzzles me, as other places on the site, use the dd/mm/year format, not mm/dd/year.   And, why wasn't it three years from my last cruise, which would have been in October of 2024?

I suppose it could be three years from when they gave me the status match, but again, that is contrary to what the fine print says about maintaining status.   The call center reps were not clear.🤷‍♂️

I forgot to mention, that we did arrive in the next port, Natchez ahead of schedule as a result, and we got to spend the evening and overnight in Natchez, which was nice...

Just to follow up, our cruise concluded okay, but we did get assistance from the towboat to maintain our schedule...

It should be interesting to see what shakes out on the river's, with new entrants like Viking....

As much as I enjoyed the American Queen, I too would think hard about booking another cruise with them.  I have related in another thread my disappointment with the cancellation of my Great Lakes cruise.  The recent problem with the American Queen losing a "Z-drive", doesn't help, either...

On 10/11/2023 at 4:41 AM, uktog said:

I had already moved American Queen from a line I would always look at (based on previous cruise experience) to one to think carefully about before booking due to onboard experiences (large groups cared for by their onboard travel agent making the independent travellers feel "second class").  Based on what I read here re responding to customer communications and processing refunds they have moved to off the radar.

 

A shame because the itineraries were good but everything else is not (in terms of what matters to me)

We had a group, (not sure how large), on our Red Wing to New Orleans sailing, but other than them having their own representative desk opposite the Purser's window, and their exclusive use of the Deck Three theater a few times for presentation's, they ("Road Scholar's", identified by their group lanyard's), were not at all an issue on our cruise...🤷‍♂️

We learned from our Riverlorian during a lecture, that prior to our current voyage from Red Wing to New Orleans, that somewhere along the way, one of the two Z-Drive’s that supplement the steam powered stern paddlewheel got snagged, and ripped off the boat.  They are still searching for it.   As a precaution, the Coast Guard required that AQ engage the services of a tow boat to accompany us, until such time as they can replace it.  Captain “Rob” assured us it would not affect our safety, nor hamper our schedule.  So far, tug “Jean Marie” has just shadowed us along the way, and went thru each lock with us.

Our current voyage on the American Queen, will bypass Vicksburg , as well, and have an extra “river day” instead.

I see what you mean…

We were still waiting for our deposit of $2,000. for the 2024 Great Lakes cruise that we made on July 26, 2022.  AQV decided early this year (at least), to exit the Great Lakes market, and we never were notified of the fact, until alerted here on Cruise Critics by others.  I contacted my TA in June 21, to inquire, and it took a week for them to confirm the fact back to my TA.  I then asked for a refund, rather than a discount on a future cruise credit.  This was on July 20. 

I finally got the refund credited to my card on September 29.  

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

I am confused @bob brown  do you have  40 cruise credits?

 You would need to have 39 cruise credits in order to book the  free cruise

You mention 30 cruise credits  did you book the ATW cruise for 2024 to get you to the next free cruise level ?

 

It is complicated in your case I guess trying to combine 2 persons credits  

 

 

I started with Oceania in 2019 solo on an ATW, earning 15 cruise credits. Then married Betsy, who had already taken her first free cruise before we met, and had earned enough for a second free cruise.  I went with her on her second free cruise in December, 2022.  I then booked my second ATW for 2023, and with Betsy with me.  This gave me 15 more, for a total of 30.  So when I asked for my first free cruise, after earning 30 credits, they claimed the one that I shared with Betsy (which she earned as her 40th, or second free cruise,) was my first free cruise.  After the Ambassador assured me that I was entitled to the one for December 2023, I booked it, but when it was time for final payment, Oceania denied it as free, claiming it would be my “third” free cruise, even though I never had one, except for sharing the second one that Betsy earned.
So I guess the main “issue” is whether each individual earns rewards (and gets free cruise, to share with another), or if earning with another somehow combines their rewards…

Like I said, it’s “complicated”, but apparently Oceania interprets it in their own favor…🤷‍♂️

We booked what I thought what was going to be my first "Milestone Cruise" on the Vista for this December.  Our Oceania Ambassador on board my recent ATW sold it to me on board, based on my having accumulated 30 cruise credits...15 from my solo 2019 ATW, and 15 from this years, (sharing with my wife).   We had used her "Milestone Cruise", (earned prior to our wedding),  for the segment from Miami to San Francisco.   Since I was included with her on that, they now say that I had already had my first Milestone (even though I had not yet earned it at that time).   That was contrary to what the O Club Ambassador promised.   As instructed by the Ambassador, prior to the final payment date, I notified Oceania that I wished to take this as my Milestone cruise. A couple of days ago, Oceania told me I had to pay in full, as I already had my milestone cruise.  They even claimed this new one would have been my third!   My wife had one previous to us meeting, and the one we shared in December was her second.

Anyway, we canceled the Vista, since we only booked it because we thought it was going to be a Milestone.  So I also lost the on board booking bonus special they had offered at the time. I am rather disappointed in this misunderstanding.  Their policy doesn't seem clear, to me.

Good point...

But if a single traveler earns a free cruise, can't they take someone with them on their free cruise?  

I guess it gets 'complicated' in my situation, where I earned 15 credits as a solo, and then my next 15 credits together with my wife, who has her own account...

I am not clear on how this works..

Does each person when reaching the required twentieth cruise,  get to go on a free 14 day cruise, and take anyone along?  Or do you have to pay the fare for another person sharing the cabin that does not yet have the required cruise credits?

In other words, if a couple both cruise together, and both reach the milestone, can they each get a milestone cruise for two, or do they only get one that they must share with each other?

5 hours ago, rxlowry said:

Wonder if your friends were on my team???

?

Bill and Arlene ("Books4U")...