ILCTCRUISER

Enclosed balconies are representative of the time when Spain was under Moorish control.  Veiled women could go out onto the balcony and lower their veils w/o being seen.

2 hours ago, pstone1 said:

We took a tour around Lima this morning, visiting at least 7 of the 15 “neighborhoods”.  One of our stops was Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Armas, where the President of Peru lives.  There was a very heavy Police presence everywhere, and the Plaza was closed due to a very loud protest taking place a block or two away.  We walked a few blocks around and were able to take decent pictures of the Plaza buildings, including the Municipal Palace and the Archbishop’s Palace. Buildings with beautifully carved wooden balconies were also around the Plaza.

2 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Need more complaints on social media. 

Twangster has hit the nail on the head.  We’re on an 25Oct TA on Adventure.  It was originally a 13N but was changed to a 12N.  Initially, RCL didn’t offer ANYTHING.  Complaints came on strong and RCL then prorated the cruise for all, whether you complained or not.

47 minutes ago, pstone1 said:

We just booked that tour for our (now) second full day in Lima!  It’s with Haku Tours but through Viator, as round trip transportation from the Port was included.  It looks great and in addition to the City Tour, it includes the Monastery with a visit to the catacombs, dinner, and the Magic Water Fountains for $105 each!

We had a good experience with Haku in Lima.

2 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Thanks! I didn’t know that.

Have to laugh as I reread my post.  Should someone tell Victor??  Last I looked you could book cruises at the TripAdvisor website or the Viator website.  However, you’re pretty much looking at same tours.  I’ve also used Shore Excursions which is a company not the RCL Shore Excursions desk.  However, I believe the company was started by former RCL employees.

1 minute ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

As does Viator.

Trip Advisor owns Victor.

21 minutes ago, orville99 said:

All Suites; All Included: butler service; specialty dining; 24 hour room service; shore excursions in every port; all beverages; fully stocked mini bar - - just for starters😇

Gratuities!   And on some luxury lines flights are “included” in fare.  They usually do offer a fare w/o flights.  Important to do apples-to-apples comparison.  Of course, the luxury lines are pricey but when you back out a fair value for all of the included amenities the difference in fares between main line and luxury line shrinks quite a bit.  Of course, if one is upper tier on RCL (daily drink allotment, Wi-Fi, other discounts), the price comparison tends to blur.   We’re D+ on RCL, Elite on Princess and some loyalty rank on others.  Becoming Pinnacle on RCL?  We tend to think of it this way:  What do you get?  Two Hershey bars and a Coke?

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Thanks!  Beautiful ship indeed...could not get a picture of her.  Bucky and I already discussing booking with Silver Seas now.  🙂 

We still have some RCL bookings into 2025.  However, today’s RCL is not the RCL we knew back then.  Permit me to say it once more:  We want to be on a cruise, not a carnival ride.  Maybe it’s our age.  RCL has a lot to offer, but we’re no longer in the target demographic and haven’t been for some time.  Have been sailing Regent and have started to research Atlas and Explora.  Explora is MSC’s luxury brand.  Have friends who sail Silverseas and they like it a lot.  Have sailed Celebrity but it’s been a while so not sure if we fit the demographic there.

1 hour ago, CSHS1979 said:

Cell phone pics

 

 

 

 

Just missed catching the ship inside it

The shot with the rainbow is a major Wow!

4 hours ago, island lady said:

For some reason we sat still in the middle of half up the the channel to Ushuaia for several hours in the wee hours of the morning.  Several smaller boats near us, plus a small town.  Not docked up, just held in place with the thrusters.  Maybe taking on fuel I thought?.....but no, could not see a thing even when I decided to walk deck 12 to check it out.  Strange.  

 

Coming into Ushuaia now, just ahead.  

 

 

 

Before we arrived at Ushuaia we had to stop at Port Williams to clear customs.  That's what we were told was the reason for the stop. Very early in the morning.  However, Ushuaia was our first port in Argentina and that’s not your situation.  More confusion:  Port Williams is in Chile.  EDIT:  We didn’t dock in Port Williams so the fact that Port Williams is in Chile may not be an issue.  We sat in Channel so, I guess, Argentine customs could have come to us.

2 hours ago, pstone1 said:

We’re sad but certainly understand.  Our Penguin excursion to Seal Bay was not cancelled so we were all packed up and looking forward to it this morning!  
 

I guess I’ll just have to book another cruise with the Falkland Islands on the itinerary!  😉

Visited Stanley earlier this month while on Regent Splendor.  If you make it back someday, yes, book an excursion to see penguins.  Others booked an off-road adventure which they enjoyed for the scenery.  That being said, there’s not much more to see/do in Stanley.

2 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Almost every year Radiance Class Ship's after coming back from Europe would do Canada Cruises from Boston then Repo to Florida. I'd do B4B Oct/Nov/Dec and in Nov after it got to Florida Royal would then do all Annual Maintenance inc making Ship white Painting over all the Rust. An "Earl Scheib" Job

Well, the Earl Scheib reference certainly suggests your age!  Haven’t heard that name in a LONG time.

3 hours ago, Badatz2 said:

I agree with the above theories but when I was my second trip on the Serenade there were no performances and I asked why.  I was told that there were too many cancellations because of ship movement and it caused too much trouble regarding scheduling.  I am glad that I got to see it.

Aha!  Yes, another reason why RCL may have scrapped the acrobatic events.  The same happens with the aqua and ice shows.  However, with  those it’s probably easier to reschedule since they take place in a dedicated venue.

20 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

We had heard that they were having trouble getting riggers to outfit the aerialists.  

Probably both matters.  @island lady, there is the liability,  And part of the liability has to do with what @RFerringtonmentions:  need for certified riggers.  No rigger, no show as I’ll hazard a guess that insurance coverage would stipulate the need for a professional rigger.

9 minutes ago, orville99 said:

You can still look down from the catwalk😱

Also recall that this was the area that housed all of the rigging equipment to fly acrobats when they did Centrum shows.

43 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Oh sure that a great idea. Flaunt you are diamond and demand special treatment. ... sorry rolling eyes. Go demand to sit and take up a 2nd seat in the dining room. Makes sense to me .. NOT. 

 

Sorry I disagree. If every diamond and up demands stuff like this no wonder there are issues in the Mdr. People who think they are special. .. I have enough trouble getting what I'm supposed to. Like even a permanent seat. Obviously in person I need to act out more. Make demands. 

Never said to flaunt being a D.  All I said was that if the OP had access to the concierge, the concierge might be able to help.  If not, he should speak to F&B.  Never said to use being a D as a weapon  in discussion with F&B.  But getting back to the issue at hand:  RCL created a minor glitch here.  RCL should correct the situation.

12 minutes ago, BlackForest said:

the excursion is through RC and they are bringing us back at 6:15 pm but still too late for our 5:30 pm dinner time.

 Given what you’ve said here, I suggest the following:  Get familiar with the word “unacceptable,” as in”completely unacceptable”.   If you’re D, see the concierge and explain the situation.  He/she should be able to get you what you want.  If you’re not D or concierge won’t help you, request to speak to F&B Director.  That’s when the word “unacceptable” will come in handy.

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

Comparing RCL’s WC to Regents IMHO is apples to aardvarks.

Yes, it is.

We are D+ on RCL with 400 points.  Elite on Princess and have also sailed NCL.

We enjoyed RCL when we first began to cruise, but things have changed quite a bit over the years and, in our opinion, not for the best.  It seems RCG is positioning RCL to compete with Carnival and X to compete with Princess and other similar lines.  

Here’s a take on @orville99’s comment about apples to aardvarks.  On our last Regent cruise our butler asked how we would like our minibar stocked.  Off the cuff, I said, “Well, I do like an occasional Bombay and tonic.  Went out to explore ship, etc and came back to find this:

On 11/9/2023 at 11:13 AM, orville99 said:

Yep! The ones I feel for are the ones who booked the WC at a cost that was twice what a WC on Regent Seven Seas (all suites, All Inclusive) would have cost and are getting a ship that is getting a mostly superficial face lift (at least from what we have seen so far, but they still have ~4 weeks to get everything up to WC standards). 😱

Mum’s the word about Regent!  It is pretty much all-inclusive.  Have never really done a thorough price comparison and probably should.  Airfare and transfers, all drinks (probably not the very top shelf), all specialty dining, excursions in each port, laundry, wi-fi, gratuities.   Small ships that really don’t seem that small dues to small pax loads.  Great service.  Wonderful food.  No carnival rides.  No kids (well, to be honest, we have seen one or two but perfect behavior.  We have a 21 day SA coming up in December.  Also did a NextCruise booking on Celebrity for next Feb (B2B) which we’ll probably let die on the vine.

Does anyone have a National Parks Pass?  If you don’t have pass, there’s a fee that driver has to collect.  We were there this summer.  Took shuttle from port into town and then picked up a taxi. I’m sure you can prearrange taxi from port.  

I understand you’re planning for 11.  We paired up with another couple for the ride up to MG.  Hiked East Glacier Trail which starts right outside visitor’s center.  Then teamed up with two other couples for ride back into town.

Agreed about Kenai Fjords Tour.  There are at least two larger vendors.  We used the one for which LeeW provided a link.   Weather is a factor just as it is for Hubbard, Dawes, etc.

@Fairsky84, Boy, was I disappointed when I read this list.  For years I’ve been pulling for Chicken.

7 hours ago, Cooper30 said:

What reviews?

 

It’s an older, Voyager class ship.  If you compare it with Wonder or similar ships, then of course it’s going to come out on bottom, especially when reviewed by someone who like the bigger classes. 
 

Voyager class ships are our favorite ships. Freedom class is a close second.  They don’t have all the bells and whistles of Oasis or Quantum classes, and that’s one of the reasons we like them.

 

We will be boarding Explorer in 20 days and have no reservations about sailing on her. 

Agree.  We prefer to not sail (or do anything cruise-related or not) on anything that prides itself as “AMPED.”  Amped.  Think about it.  LOUD.   Carnival atmosphere.  Unruly kids who got that way because they have unruly parents.  And so on.  D+ but we’ve started cruising others lines.  Regent, for one.   We just ended B2B on NCL Alaska cruises.  Really starting to enjoy NCL especially MDR and specialty (Le Bistro).  RCL has changed over the years and NOT for the better.  RCL has now positioned itself to rival Carnival,  We may migrate to Celebrity.  RCL?  Only when the dates and itineraries appeal to us.  Sad.  We really loved RCL “back then.”

29 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

 

We are on Jewel today.  Our B2B letter specifically requests you check in for your second leg.  This assures your CC info is on file so you don't get called to guest services.  Why is there so much resistance to a simple task?

Resistance?  All I mentioned was that we’ve never done it.  Just off Alaska B2B on NCL.  Same thing.  We never checked in for 2nd leg and we were never called about CC.  

4 hours ago, laurieal said:

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. I have saved the information if not for this visit then for a future one. 

Map shows main business area of Sitka.  It shows Cruise Shuttle stop. What is shown is a small boat wharf.   Cruise ship dock is out a bit and you shuttle in.  Can’t recall how long shuttle takes:  maybe 20 minutes.

We never check in for the second leg of a B2B.  They know if you’re on the ship and that you are doing the B2B.  They have to know to prep the new SeaPass/etc and be ready in case you’re changing staterooms.  Check-in time?   You’re already on the ship!