misty57

This might be a stretch, but we are sailing in a few weeks and again in Feb. I did not use the open booking for the cruise in Feb, but if I purchase one on our upcoming cruise, do you think I can use it to book onboard in Feb for a cruise for the following year and get the additional OBC?:D

Are taxis readily available at the pier?

Does anyone have information about shuttles sponsored by the cruise lines that will take cruisers from the pier to Quincey market and back? I have seen reference to this in several posts, but no specifics.:confused:

The beer in hand may have been a dead give away. :D

 

...or maybe a cry for help.

Ha! A little humor goes a long way in defusing awkward situations.

She could have asked if you were there for the meeting :eek:

I like to know who the CD is. Some I like better than others.:p

So Ken Rush is on Harmony now, but after January it will be someone else? Hope so.

Disembarkation was delayed almost 2 hours once for us and fog had nothing to do with it.. Just heavy winds that prevented them from securing the gangway. We were in a suite and instead of being off by 8 which was normal it was nearly 915 and customs was backed up. Furthermore the drive off the island was at a crawl. Very heavy rain and wind made doing more than 45 on the bridge suicidal. We drove since we lived in San Antonio at the time. You'd have to pray that literally nothing went wrong and that you were in the front half of the line.

Embarkation for us was delayed with people getting on way after the dinner hour due to fog which delayed the arrival of the previous voyage. So those poor people WERE delayed by fog. Whatever the cause, it's risky to have an early flight when sailing out of Galveston. The time of year probably has something to do with it.

Fog can be a problem with getting into port on time. I would try to get an early afternoon flight if possible.

I think some people took this post WAY wrong...

No, this is just how some conversations evolve. :rolleyes:

Ours says 64 :eek:

Gain weight? Yes...yes you will:D

These have been interesting to read! It seems that many people have the same peeves:p. The crowded elevator issue is also annoying to me, to the point that my feet have been stepped on, and I have been subjected to skin contact with sweaty people! On a recent cruise we were in an elevator that was crammed full, us being at the back :(, when a rather large person entered and the alarm sounded. It was funny because she turned around and looked at everyone else ha ha!.

Another thing that has come to annoy me greatly is other cruisers who feel compelled to comment on American politics and policy. When they tell us who they are "supporting" for office, I want to tell them that it is then a good thing that they can't vote! That is one reason we do My Time Dining now.

Why would you pay extra for an expedited renewal for something you don't even need to renew before your cruise? Unless you a doing something other than a closed loop cruise in the Caribbean, you don't even have to have a passport. Your current passport is fine.:D

 

Sherri:)

However... You have to send in your current passport when you renew. They will send it back, but you are essentially without a passport once you mail it all in. They suggest you use a traceable method of delivery in case things go missing.

I don't know about the prices right now, but on our previous stay in Boston we stayed one night at the Seaport which was nice but out of the way and lots of $$$. On our return after our cruise we were unable to fly home due to hurricane Sandy, but had a reservation at the Bostonian which is right across the street from Quincy market. The hotel was lovely and they we're very accommodating when we had to e tend our stay by 2 nights. I would stay there again without hesitation.

It's obvious that the regulations are not bring enforced on the ship, and it doesn't surprise me. In my work place when trying to enforce safety regulations, the "customer" often becomes indignant and either argues, makes snide comments , or states that "everyone else lets us do it". They may be right that others have ignored the infractions, because after getting push back, it becomes a waste of your time and frustrating to deal with it repeatedly.

I recently had a fraudulent charge on my BOA RCCL card, and was told they would issue a new card. It has been almost 2 weeks and have not received it. Today I called to find out about the card and they tell me that the charge was made on a previous card that had been replaced, not my current card! They said it sometimes happens that the card isn't automatically canceled .So, they are not issuing a new card and I am glad that I did not destroy my current card, thinking that a new card would arrive soon. Crazy!

We found the service and food on Celebrity to be a little better than RCCL, the ships are so nice and everything is more low key. That being said, DH thought the ship was boring. We don't climb rock walls, surf or skydive, but we like to watch all the activity. The perks on Celebrity are nice, but no balcony discount. We will probably go back to RCCL but if it were just my choice, I would sail on Celebrity. Their itineraries are more interesting as well.JMHO:)

Generally we do not use the contents in the mini bar, but DH does often get a water package and we "swap" one of the Evian bottles for a cold one so we can always have a cold bottle. I have had a diet Coke from the fridge and then replaced it later with another I obtained from the bar with OBC, so it's a wash either way. I would prefer the fridge be empty though, so we could store our drinks. We might use less ice:)

Yeah, we received a new card last month as well, right after our Celebrity cruise. Ours doesn't expire until 2018!

We've had and used this card for 13 years. I've usually had good service and only once lost points due to an inept service rep and inept travel agent. It seems that we have had to have new cards issued more frequently over the last few years because of so called breaches, but this week was something else. I noticed a strange transaction on my card that I did not make. I called and after being on hold for a long while was connected to 2 different people to report this unknown transaction. The transaction was still pending so I had assumed it would be wiped away after a few days. This morning it was still there, no longer pending but posted. I called the fraud department and asked about it, not only why it was posted as going through but if I would know what happened with this transaction. I mean, did someone just accidentally enter the wrong numbers on placing an order, or did someone hack my card? They are supposed to issue me a new card which they say will be in 7-10 days. The first rep the other evening was very nice and helpful. This morning not so much. She was impatient and condescending. She told me they would take care of the charge but wouldn't know how or what happened. I'm mean... Wouldn't you think they would investigate a little, like calling the vendor? I am tempted to do so myself but I don't want to confuse the issue with the card company. So annoying!

I always give a 10 regardless of how the actual service is. I always write couldn't be better! Who cares. Give the employee the benefit of the doubt!

I do the same. It costs me nothing to do this and I usually make a positive comment and mention names in our surveys. I don't do this for guest relations if they are snotty. I don't complain about things, but if I have a question, even if it seems to be a dumb one, I don't expect to be treated like an idiot when I have been polite. I get enough of that at work! Seriously, I probably have much more education than those folks at the guest relations desk . If I treated people the way some of them treat guests I would not be employed!

Regarding begging for a perfect rating, I believe that it does help people to understand the importance. People may rate lower if they didn't like some of the food or if the temperature of the room is too hot or cold. You never know what gets someone in a tizzy. I personally have a hard time asking my clients ( I work in health care) to recognize my service. I know some people do it all the time and as I joked to one person, they have so many stars and daisies on their badge they need a girl scout type sash to wear them all! I feel like people have more important things on their mind than filling out a form:rolleyes:. As someone once said, "It's more important to deserve praise than to receive it"!

I find that after 20 cruises we spend less on extras, not because we have to necessarily but because we really don't need or desire them. The food in the MDR was excellent on our most recent cruise so no need to eat elsewhere. We usually get a water package with Royal Caribbean but not Celebrity since we only use about 6-8 bottles. We haven't had a soda package in a few years, but bought ala carte. I always get DH a T shirt from the ship or in port. They are great conversation starters for introverts :) On most recent cruise we had OBC as a perk from the cruise line and another $ 75 I don't know from where. We also had a good amount from cruise line credit card points. For the "use it or lose it" OBC I had to force myself to buy a few items in the shops. The items were either over priced or I just didn't want or need them. I ended up getting a watch and pair of earrings, but still left about $20 on the table. The rest was credited to our account, which paid for our pre flight hotel and parking.:D

I like having a credit when I leave the ship. Its just fun.

Ship: Equinox

Cabin: 7104

Class: Ocean view

Area: Far forward

Bed: Near bath

Quiet: NO!

View: The Helipad and the staff "lounge" under the helipad

Problems/Comments: The room is large with plenty of space to maneuver. Storage is limited. The noise from the engines and mechanics was bothersome leaving and arriving in ports. The wave motion is significant if the seas are rough, and the sound of the waves hitting the ship sound like cannon fire! We had a few nights when sleep was poor. We could hear the staff talking in the late evenings from their lounge area but it wasn't really loud, but it woke me one night. Our cabin was immaculate, so it was basically the location that was poor. Our neighbors always placed their dirty dishes from room service on the floor across from our door, so coming around the corner I had to watch not to step on them. I would not book this room again unless it was deeply discounted, and even then I doubt it.

We just returned from that ship yesterday. I personally did not see anyone in a tux but DH did. Several suits/ sport jackets. Most with dress shirts with or without ties. Nice dress pants or kakhis. Ladies in nice dresses, cocktail dresses, some with slacks and nice tops. Generally they didn't turn anyone away unless they were in shorts. The Evening Chic is really open to individual interpretation. DH was happy to leave the suit and tie behind.