Just off Anthem 11 night ta

[Jimbo]

12 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

It was first obvious on a site that I am not allowed to mention. Then, I went to the official RCL site and viola, there it was. I booked directly from RCL.

So  how many days before the sailing did you book this? and in the end what was the cost of your air flights? Did you spend a lot of $$(excursions, drinks, etc) on the ship. If so Royal got exactly what they were looking for. Reducing the cruise fare that low didn't bother them one bit.

Edited May 21, 2022 by Jimbo

[Markanddonna]

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

So  how many days before the sailing did you book this? and in the end what was the cost of your air flights? Did you spend a lot of $$ on the ship. If so Royal got exactly what they were looking for. Reducing the cruise fare that low didn't bother them one bit.

Good questions. We spent very little on the ship- only two glasses of wine per person and then our gratuities. I often wonder if the booking agents have access to our past onboard expenses. They probably cringe when they work on our new bookings. Our final bill was $367.95  with the vast majority as gratuities.

 

Our Air Portugal flight (one way) was $464.00pp (American dollars).  It was actually a real good experience and I would definitely fly with them again!

 

The tough part was booking it just two weeks prior to sailing. We hadn't given any thought or planning to any cruise or trip in Europe, so we were working fast and furious on the details. We also stayed in London at a Premier Inn at Paddington Basin. This is an English budget chain. The facility was brand new so it was just fine.  

 

We had been to England and that area of France and the Azores before, so we sort of knew what to expect.  It would have been tough going somewhere for the first time. We used National Express to get to London, which we had done before (its the cheapest way.)

 

There were no ship excursions left by the time we booked, so they didn't make money on us there. We took local transportation to enjoy the ports. 

 

Actually, we had a fabulous time, but I realize some may not have our level of experience or our degree of contentment in travel independence.  We are in our seventies...

[Jimbo]

2 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

Good questions. We spent very little on the ship- only two glasses of wine per person and then our gratuities. I often wonder if the booking agents have access to our past onboard expenses. They probably cringe when they work on our new bookings. Our final bill was $367.95  with the vast majority as gratuities.

 

Our Air Portugal flight (one way) was $464.00pp (American dollars).  It was actually a real good experience and I would definitely fly with them again!

 

The tough part was booking it just two weeks prior to sailing. We hadn't given any thought or planning to any cruise or trip in Europe, so we were working fast and furious on the details. We also stayed in London at a Premier Inn at Paddington Basin. This is an English budget chain. The facility was brand new so it was just fine.  

 

We had been to England and that area of France and the Azores before, so we sort of knew what to expect.  It would have been tough going somewhere for the first time. We used National Express to get to London, which we had done before (its the cheapest way.)

 

There were no ship excursions left by the time we booked, so they didn't make money on us there. We took local transportation to enjoy the ports. 

 

Actually, we had a fabulous time, but I realize some may not have our level of experience or our degree of contentment in travel independence.  We are in our seventies...

So booking last minute like that, how much was hotel a night? I assume the ship wasn't that full, weird all the excursions were full?

[Markanddonna]

Just now, Jimbo said:

So booking last minute like that, how much was hotel a night? I assume the ship wasn't that full, weird all the excursions were full?

According to others, the ship excursions were fully booked MONTHS before the sailing. I asked about this and they blamed the local operators.  Of course, this was for French ports, so it may be true. I didn't see any local tour operators that offered tours right at the port.

 

Our total hotel bill was 637 pounds total for five nights, quite good for a nice, clean, well located hotel in London.  We toured London three of those days and the other two were day trips to York and Hampton Court Palace. We had been to London previously, so spent time in three free museums: British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Gallery. We bought an Oyster Card and used the tube.  We also go to the local grocery store for many of our meals.

[Jimbo]

1 minute ago, Markanddonna said:

According to others, the ship excursions were fully booked MONTHS before the sailing. I asked about this and they blamed the local operators.  Of course, this was for French ports, so it may be true. I didn't see any local tour operators that offered tours right at the port.

 

Our total hotel bill was 637 pounds total for five nights, quite good for a nice, clean, well located hotel in London.  We toured London three of those days and the other two were day trips to York and Hampton Court Palace. We had been to London previously, so spent time in three free museums: British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Gallery. We bought an Oyster Card and used the tube.  We also go to the local grocery store for many of our meals.

That's very good for 5 nights

[Markanddonna]

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

That's very good for 5 nights

If you ever go to England, consider staying at the Premier Inn chain. We stayed with them in two locations in 2018.

[Another_Critic]

On 5/13/2022 at 5:44 AM, Markanddonna said:

Cabins were selling for $307 balconies.

 

On 5/16/2022 at 6:13 AM, ChC said:

Damn it, how did I miss the $307 fare!!!!!!

I originally booked in March 2021 - Inside guarantee for $513.50 (+ $165.36 taxes) pp .

 

After several price drops mid March 2022 to April 2, 2022, I ended up with an Obstructed OV balcony for $249 (+ $165.36 taxes) pp.  🙂

[sgmn]

2 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

If you ever go to England, consider staying at the Premier Inn chain. We stayed with them in two locations in 2018.

Premium Inn is a very good chain. Good prices and all over the UK including central London, though more expensive in London especially if almost full. Very clean, comfy beds and usually a good basic cafe attached to the hotel.