cublet

Hello,

I lived in Australia for a year and went back countless times thereafter. In all that time I only ever heard  Foster's ordered twice - and that was the same guy on one night.

If LB reminds me next year, I'll tell a funny true story about Toohey's beer!

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

Very many years ago, X did an 'Extensive Wine and Food cruise' along the French and Spanish coasts. We were allowed to bring on board, and drink, wine bought at the ports of call without paying corkage. I have not seen that repeated.

On Independence at Le Havre (France) I brought on board a chef's blow torch and canister of gas and no-one batted an eyelid. One of life's mysteries?!

Regards,

Cublet

4 hours ago, little britain said:

We took the Ashes 🏏 off him ( apparently!!) so good to see he has a second career!!  lol! 
 

 

Hello,

So has (Lord) Ian Botham with a selection of Reds in Costco!

Regards,

Cublet

PS: So too Gary Barlow but the least said about that the better.

Hello,

Since the loss of Portofino's there is no specialty restaurant I would pay extra for.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

In these times it is dangerous to say anything with any certainty. But my experience as recently as October is: Sorbet is not available from self serve machines on deck; it's not, or very rarely, to be found in the WJ but *might* be found in the backrooms if requested; it is available in the MDR but you need to be careful that the waiter serves what you ordered.

Regards,

Cublet

7 hours ago, little britain said:

Top tier event at 10:30 on the first sea day. Very very low turn out, so a lot of new and first time to Royal cruisers on board 

 

Surprisingly we were top cruisers and we are very lowly Pinnacles !!

Hello,

I would be interested to know what bottle of 'pop' was given to you as the reward for being the top cruiser. A bottle of Lindauer (from NZ) would have been more than acceptable!

Regards,

Cublet

59 minutes ago, LXA350 said:

If RCL wants to gain back marketshare in europe lost to MSC and co they have to increase their media presence there. Not to mention they will need to bring back more ships and more creative itinararies on top of that to compete.

Hello,

And I think selling their on-line TA was a mistake.

Regards,

Cublet

5 hours ago, kernow said:

It was Jane McDonald, we commented on it too. We've thought for the last few years that MSC are going for RCL's share of the market in the UK. Doing a good job too IMO.

Hello,

Given the old rust-bucket being sent over in 2025 and the poor - and repetitive - itineraries, I don't think that MSC need to try too hard.

Regards,

Cublet

18 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Its in direct competition with MSC. They are a major F1 sponsor.......and far more MSC adds on UK tv then royal. not as much as P&O......

Hello,

Last night's 'Cruising with Susan Calman' and Jane McDonald touring the Canaries merged into one in my mind (under the influence of a bottle of Crémant d'Alsace - also available in MSC's Champagne Bar). But whichever, or both, was sponsored by MSC Cruises according to a footnote on the screen.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

I think it means whoever comes last will be given a contract as ship's resident band for a season (or until everyone has forgotten about them - hopefully).

Regards,

Cublet

18 hours ago, Straughn said:

It isn't the marketing team figuring this out.  It is the bean counters, number crunchers, cost benefit analysts, aka the accountants, who are computing the numbers. The marketing team's job is to spin it in the best possible way.

Hello,

No, it's the marketing team that come up with the ideas that are then signed-off by a shadowy department called 'Revenue'. No only that but they also have to sign-off the spiel so as to leave ambiguities or inconsistencies that may be to the advantage of X in the event of a dispute. I got this on Silhouette when I pointed-out a contradiction in the NextCruise T&Cs - shoreside sales agreed with me yet said that 'Revenue agreed with me but still wanted the wording kept as is'.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

I hope I'm not reopening an old sore, but can I ask how you got on at check-in with your vaccination exemption certificate / Dr's letter?

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

I use a TA and *DO* also get the X booking confirmation.

Regards,

Cublet

17 hours ago, nelblu said:

Pricing looks suspicious.  Lower for 2 in cabin vs solo.  Is this comparison same balcony level.

Of course.

Cublet

15 hours ago, Anton said:

<very big snip>

DP340 is supposed to automatically load for us pinnacles if we show 1 person for the booking and it’s not a blackout period.  

Hello,

I am speaking only for UK pricing - it may be the same or different for others but I do not know either way.

As a very retired accountant that loves his spreadsheets (anyone here remember Lotus 123, or SuperCalc or Smartware?), I expected there to be a number of formulae working in the background on the 'headline' cruise price to produce individual prices based on multiple input criteria.

Not so in the UK. Each sub price, input criterion dependant, is worked-out manually and input individually - and very often in arrears. Whether some of the expertise/experience in doing this was let go as part of the covid crisis is quite likely.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

Here it is for me:

This is for just little me, senior and over 340 points. The only thing that looks right about it is paying one lot of PF&T on the solo booking.

If your TA is not available and whoever you called at Royal was no help then my next suggestion would be to contact the C&A desk. I know whom I would contact in the UK but the US is foreign territory.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

I needed ear plugs on Virtuosa earlier this year because of creaking, rubbing or flexing. The noise specifically came from around the door/window unit between the cabin and the balcony or hole in the ship's side through which the cabin is inserted.

Regards,

Cublet

On 12/27/2023 at 5:40 PM, Straughn said:

I think there is another factor involved in the solo cabin pricing. That is what the number crunchers perceive as lost shipboard/ancillary revenue. If there is only one person in the cabin, that person will only book for one in a specialty restaurant, only book a tour for one, only book one person at a wine tasting, only gamble for one etc. IMO, this over the top solo pricing is to recoup some of what Celebrity thinks is lost revenue from solo passengers. And, as many of us have cruised before, we may not book anything extra. I often don’t, especially in the Caribbean, where I have been many times. If I want to get off the ship, I just walk around as I don’t need a tour. 
 

LHB has said that she wants to focus on making Celebrity a cruise line for families. Her target market is in the 30-50 age range who, whether traveling as a couple or with kiddos, are likely to spend $$ on the ship. Long time Celebrity cruisers and solos don’t spend as much money as new cruisers do.

Hello,

I think you are crediting the marking team with too much intelligence to dream-up (unfair) ways of extracting more money from solo cruisers. I think they dream-up clever ideas, apply it to couples, and don't even think about solo cruises. When challenged, they have to say something along the lines of 'Of course that's what is intended' and not 'Oh dear, we didn't think of that'.

Re LHB & family cruising: I'm sure someone somewhere has got the number of 'families per berth' for US cruisers. I think that the couples with kiddos booking a cruise will be doing so more as a 'celebratory' cruise than one of a flow of bookings and so after a while the pool of 'celebrants' will become exhausted whereas us seasoned regular cruisers will book, book and book aqain.

Possible good news for anyone (in the UK) that missed it, Jo Rzymowska has joined Hays Travel as a non-executive director.

Regards,

Cublet

17 hours ago, arlowood said:

Off topic, @Cublet, but I experienced the self same attitude in my career, when our UK company was trying to get approval for a new industrial antibacterial chemical through the EPA( Environmental Protection Agency). At one meeting with an agency reviewer, he stated outright - "Why should we approve this material from overseas, when I'm sure we have scientists expert enough to develop it over here"

Hello,

I don't think that was off-topic at all when it comes to the principle.

My favourite example of this comes from the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) says of Claude Lacombe (Francois Traffaut) 'How can he be in charge - he's not even American?'

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

Speaking for the UK, not all DP340 prices have been loaded! And some that have are still using the 1st July to 31st August blackout dates!!

The less than 365 day old ship exclusion is for the 'Pinnacle' free cruise(s) but being the poor relation, it's very rare for us in the UK to get a new ship (unless we book with MSC!).

Hot foot from the Celebrity site, their '30% off' offer was not for solo bookings.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

If it was me, I'd keep the Dr.'s letter in reserve, but my first line of argument would be to present a print of the small print found on their website.

That having been done, I forecast much confusion and discussion between members of the check-in team and the probable statement that 'that information is out of date but the website hasn't been updated'.

But you don't need me to tell you that these check-in agents work, probably, for Intercruises (not P&O) and so have checked-in passengers for numerous lines whose requirements are more rational so may not bat a eye-lid.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

I think what is happening is something more broadly that I experienced, and named, when I worked for a couple of US companies years ago. It's called, by me, The Not Invented Here Syndrome.

If this booklet had been issued by the CDC or CLIA for example, then it would have been fine. But, horror of horrors, it was published by FOREIGNERS and so cannot be trusted or taken seriously.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

On Virtuosa this year I was on a table for Solo travellers. Numbers went up and down over the two weeks but the majority were either US & UK pax and two Norwegians. Needless to say the Norwegians spoke perfect, accent-less, English.

Both UK & US bookings included Hot Drinks and water as standard, not so for Norwegian. For four or five days dinner went without issue as mineral water was served as an when required throughout dinner. Then one night the waiter discovered the identity of the two Norwegians. They were told that they could not sit and this table, they would have to sit elsewhere but (generously) they would not be charged for the water previously consumed. This was their first MSC cruise and I'm prepared to guess it would also be their last.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

Anyone joining me for a quickie?

The 'longie' follows on 4th October - there's already a roll call for that one.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

This is just an opinion and not based on experience but I've always thought Tuktuks were labouring on the flat never mind on how they would manage the hill to Reid's!

At one port of call they were advertised as having a weight limit and that tells you something.

Regards,

Cublet