Curly-Q

I guess I won't be sailing out of Tampa any more.  There's no way I'd cruise on the lines left there and I've cruised them all at one time or another.   It's such a shame, because the Tampa area is so nice, as well as the Tampa airport.  I believe it's a mistake for HAL to leave Tampa, no matter which side initiated it!

Thanks for the clarification VMax1700!  

Two completely different answers, I wonder which one is correct?  I have a 16 day Hawaii cruise coming up and the allowance of two bottles of wine for that length of cruise doesn't sound like much.

Thanks everyone, looks like Holland's pic are due for some updating.  We loved having the TV, and Holland's movie selection surpass the other lines we've sailed.   Nothing like grabbing some sandwiches and cookies from the lido deck and watching movies from bed on a inclement weather day at sea!  

We've sailed in a Signature Suite on the Westerdam and there was a large, wall mounted TV opposite the bed.  Can anyone tell me if the Nieuw Amsterdam Signature and Neptune suites have this feature as well?  I looked, but I can't find any info.  Thanks!

We LOVE the cafeteria style, less likely to acquire food borne illnesses with staff using gloved hands to serve rather than a buffet where everyone is using their nasty hands on the serving utensils!  Just notice how many people enter the dining area WITHOUT using the hand sanitizer that's available at the door!   Hope HAL NEVER changes this, it's just one of the many reasons we like HAL over the other lines!   You don't get short changed at all, staff has always accommodate my request for a little more, or extra "whatever."  Don't change a thing HAL!!!

Have to agree with Hawaiidan hands down!  We are diamond cruisers on Royal, but after taking one HAL cruise,  we were hooked and committed to HAL for our future cruises much for the same reasons -- better food, especially the fact that buffet food items are served to you instead of everyone's nasty hands handling all the serving utensils; better service (IMHO); way better selection in cruise length, itineraries, and ports of call; a better non-smoking policy (a couple of ships have non-smoking casinos); and their ships actually have promenade decks where you can actually walk around the ship--seems every time we've been on Royal, their promenade is blocked off and you can't really walk the "loop."

Royal is a good line, but I think we've just outgrown it as they try to be everything to everyone.

We use a couple of Coleman camp stools that fold up and are fairly light weight.  We take them on cruises for foot rests, but it also serves as a seat and will hold up to 225 pounds -- or so they claim.  Don't have a pic, but here's the Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00339911O/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I strongly disagree with this marketing ploy and believe, in time, it will come back and bite the cruise lines in the you-know-where!  I'm thinking the next generation of cruising Millennials don't like pre-planning or losing money....

I really hope HAL comes back to Tampa as it's one of my favorite ports to sail from -- and I don't like the remaining cruise lines in Tampa.  Maybe after Tampa refurbishes their port, HAL will come back -- I sure hope so!

My solution is to cruise Suite class and use the 3 drinks on my card if the Concierge Lounge is too crowded.  On our last 14-day TA on Brilliance, if the CL and DL were too crowded (and that happened many times) we would sit in the main bar (forget which deck, maybe 6) and watch the herd of cattle Diamond members stand in a long, long line to get into their overflow DL near the main bar (both CL and DL were on deck 14, if I remember correctly.)   There were no crowd issues on our first 14-day TA on Brilliance, not sure what changed.  But the aggravation is just not worth it to me.  We have a cruise on Vision coming up soon, and we'll use the same technique to ensure we have a good time with little stress.....because ain't that what a cruise is for???? 

I choose HAL over RCCL without a doubt, and I'm a diamond with RCCL. I like HAL's food, staff and ships much better than RCCL, ie: on HAL, the buffet is plated for you (much more hygienic); absolutely love HAL's pre-made sandwiches; the servers are just better; HAL ships actually have a promenade deck that you can walk around; and it's quieter, so you can enjoy the sea; and last, but not least, HAL has much more varied sailing itineraries, whereas RCCL does pretty much the same thing over and over and over! Just my 2 cents worth....

USB ports are by the bed in the Signature Suites only. They were added in last drydock. Power depends on what class cabin.

We had a SS on Westerdam and were amazed at the number of outlets and USB ports, especially the ones by the bed! We've got a Neptune booked on the Zuiderdam, any idea if it has bedside USB ports?

And just a reminder that suite reservations are always non-refundable. Im guessing all rooms will have non-refundable deposits down the line.

And a $100 per person change fee....due up front when the change request is made.

Personally, I'm glad for the change, if only it's truly enforced. Shorts at breakfast and lunch is fine, but it can't be THAT difficult to put on pants for dinner for the MDR. They're not requiring dress pants, so zip off & khaki pants would work and look a lot better than shorts. If you truly don't want to pack and/or wear pants to dinner, the alternative is to dine at the buffet--the choice is yours.

I think Southwest still includes 2 bags.

It does and remains the exception to current industry standards for economy, unless you fly business class which continues to allow two pieces.

I think it's a solid question, and not necessarily directed towards RCCL only. I can see cruise lines beginning to charge for luggage....they'll start with one free and then a charge for additional pieces....then eventually move to a charge for all checked luggage.

Laugh it off, but there was a time you could fly to your domestic destination with 2 pieces of free checked luggage and, of course, that's history. Then those same fees were applied to international flights as well. So don't be too surprised to see this charge sometime in the future....

Apparently you left RCI back in June, so why are you still posting here? We get it, you think this is horrible. It is great to have choices. You are free to book other lines, nobody is forcing your hand. If you book what you want and don't "hoard" then it really should not matter whether it is refundable or not.

 

In the end, it all comes down to a business decision. RCI felt they were loosing too much money from people holding onto suites and then releasing them right before final, making them highly discount some of the most lucrative rooms they have. There are many people that want to plan out a vacation (especially an expensive one) long in advance, and those people probably went to other lines because they were not able to book what they wanted.

 

RCI made their choice, now you can make yours (which you did back in June according to your post).

Well, it seems I'm stuck with three more RCCL cruises, because those outrageous deposits are all non-refundable! But there's a silver lining, I'll have Diamond Plus in the end, then I can cruise the cheap rooms and have the benefits, too, when and if I feel like returning to RCCL!

I recently returned from a Holland cruise that was absolutely wonderful. HAL gets it right in all the places that RCCL doesn't. No outrageous, overpriced deposits when booking onboard for future cruises, all 100% refundable and FOUR years to use them! HAL surpasses RCCL in other ways, too: a much more stringent smoking policy, better food, superior controlled food handling measures (less chance of a nasty stomach bug outbreak) to name a few.

So, thanks for your concern, but I'll keep posting on this site as needed, somebody has to represent the non-RCCL brainwashed cruisers. Have a good day.

It's still a crappy policy. I book suites AND I sail in them, I don't hoard. For those of you who think this is a good idea--fine, everyone has their opinion. Go ahead, accept this lousy policy now, I'm sure you will find your limit, eventually, when RCCL targets something that is important to YOU. FYI, just because someone books a full suite doesn't mean they have lots of money, there is something called saving for a trip.

We always buy trip insurance, even for cruises that we drive our vehicle. Accidents are so prevalent these days, it would be salt in the wound if you had to pay for a cruise that you couldn't take because of an accident on your way to embarkation. Not to mention, a medical emergency during the cruise...happens more than you think. Just something to think about.

URPLE, I seriously feel your pain. Many posters say it must be a mistake, blah, blah, blah. Heaven forbid if one castigates RCCL here, but I think it may be a sign of things to come with RCCL. Hopefully, only with RCCL and not the other lines. Let RCCL shoot themselves in the foot....

So many jumped on me for a previous thread I started about leaving RCCL....well folks, it they keep going this way, RCCL may be in for a surprise; because, apparently, others are feeling the same way. Don't get me wrong, I really like RCCL, but I'm not liking their new financial profit strategies and there are other cruise lines out there. Just sayin'....

Why do you say non refundable deposits--I was under the impressions that this applied to booking effective July 1. If you booked under the current rules the current rules should apply.

 

I have an old FCC and the original rules apply when I use towards a future cruise.

This was done on a cruise in April, it was a new rule and most of the personnel were not all that informed about it and only affected suites, but I'm hearing that's changing soon, too. All 3 deposits are 100% non-refundable, however, I have the option to change to a different cruise for a $100 fee. If I cancel any cruise, I lose the deposit.

I suspect that if this continues, all those newly decorated future cruises offices will be repurposed into public spaces as on-board bookings plunge. Now if they do all bookings this way, then the other cruise lines will benefit--if they don't jump on the same wagon.

This used to be the case, and only when you opted for instant OBC.

 

However, after July 1, I believe they will introduce fares that have non-refundable deposits, no matter how you book.

Curious, are any other lines doing this? Does RCCL plan to restructure the pricing so that non-refundable deposits equal reduced fares in hopes that the masses will stampede to their ships? Or are they planning to make all deposits non-refundable all the time?

So, if I understand this correctly, it is ONLY when you book while onboard via the Next Cruise Certificate wherein you get the OBC, that your deposit is non-refundable should you cancel? Correct? I just looked up the rules for cancellation if you book via the website or a TA and it shows 75 days or more out (depending on the length of the cruise), your deposit is refunded. That's easy enough to remedy, don't book another cruise while onboard :) Personally, I would rather forego the $100 or $200 in OBC than to risk losing a $250 or $500 deposit should I need to cancel. :D

Thing is, OBC was not applied to the cruise I was on, only toward the future cruise; and there was no reduced deposit. So I walked off that cruise with three bookings, no OBC applied to that cruise, $2700 in non-refundable deposits for 3 cruises booked in 2018. So it's not so much a matter of foregoing the OBC, because I didn't receive it, the OBC was applied to the future cruises....and is no big deal.

Yes, you are correct, NEVER book a cruise while on-board, it is just not feasible. I've heard RCCL will apply this non-refundable deposit to all bookings made while on board. Well, let's see, there's really not much of a price break, there won't be any OBC applied to the current cruise, and my deposit is history--as in NON-refundable. BUT, if I book with my travel agent, who provides OBC, then all's good and my standard deposit (unless there's a sale on required deposit) is 100% refundable with a sliding time scale towards the cruise date. Hmmm, I think it's a no brainer....

Unless other cruise lines adopt this policy, I'm guessing RCCL will probably lose many on-board bookings. But maybe they don't really WANT on-board bookings, maybe that's their plan.....good plan if that's the goal.

OMG, people, I've stated the lessons learned here....you know there are people who use these boards to research their upcoming cruises. Granted I was more abrupt in my first posting, buy geez, the principle remains the same--major differences between booking on board and through a TA. I may or may not leave RCCL, those cruises I have booked have the non-refundable deposits and I will not throw $1800 away like that. Yes, I'm waiting on a fourth cruise because it's going where I want to go and when I want to go. No, YOU don't have to leave RCCL, because they are a good line; but, like others I'm sure, they have their problems. I have and will continue to try other cruise lines, but that's me--not you. If you do all your cruising on RCCL, all's well--it makes you happy. Live and let live people.

Oops, it's $2700 in deposits, not $1800