Any Tuggers on the Royal Caribbean cruise Ship

[jehb2]

I was just wondering if there were any Tuggers on that Royal Caribbean cruise ship that ran into the storm yesterday?

 

[Talent312]

Apparently not... or their wi-fi is out.

 

[presley]

Everyone on that cruise is getting a full refund and 50% off their next cruise. It sounds like a horrible situation, but the cruise line seems to be doing their best to compensate people.

 

[pedro47]

Everyone on that cruise is getting a full refund and 50% off their next cruise. It sounds like a horrible situation, but the cruise line seems to be doing their best to compensate people.

This time they did right thing by their customers. But what about the ship crew members (lost tips)?

 

[moonstone]

I'm sure glad I wasn't on that cruise!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/02/08/anthem-cruise-ship-storm/79997114/

~Diane

 

[Jason245]

Royal is among the best when it comes to Cruise issues.. this is why they are the only one I cruise with.. I can't imagine how carnival would respond to something like this but given their track record. I doubt guests would have even gotten a refund..

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[Glynda]

RC

I'm taking my daughter and granddaughter on a RC cruise over Spring Break. So glad it wasn't this one!

 

[Jason245]

I'm taking my daughter and granddaughter on a RC cruise over Spring Break. So glad it wasn't this one!

Just be careful of zika... all the islands are now confirmed to have it..

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[Glynda]

Thanks!

Just be careful of zika... all the islands are now confirmed to have it..

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Right. Taking bug spray! We'll be in the Western Caribbean.

 

[lvhmbh]

Royal HAD to compensate. They ignored the NOAH warnings about the storm on Wednesday and sailed right into it on Thursday. I would be hugely p*ssed if I was on that cruise. Yeah you get compensated but you've still blown your vacation time.

 

[Passepartout]

Royal HAD to compensate. They ignored the NOAH warnings about the storm on Wednesday and sailed right into it on Thursday. I would be hugely p*ssed if I was on that cruise. Yeah you get compensated but you've still blown your vacation time.

So, uh, what should the cruise line have done? They had scheduled this cruise from a certain port, to end at a certain port, on certain days. Would you have them go an unplanned direction? This happens to be one of the world's largest cruisers, and is capable of safely negotiating high seas and winds. Very few ports can accommodate a ship of it's size. The passengers had planned, many for years, this itinerary. Would you have the cruise line deny boarding, saying "There is a storm. We aren't going anywhere."?

RCCL was obligated to attempt to complete the cruise as advertised. In the interest of safety, the Captain restricted passengers to cabins. They were scared, but not hurt. Structurally, the ship handled hurricane force winds and extremely high seas. Pleasant? Not at all, so to compensate. The cruise Iine refunded the price that passengers had paid (I suspect many travel insurance carriers are breathing a sigh of relief), and as incentive to keep loyal customers loyal, half price on their next booking.

It's really all RCCL could do. Compared to the reaction Carnival had to other cruise ship SNAFUs, this showed a proper response.

Jim

PS, still glad I wasn't aboard.

 

[SandyPGravel]

Which cruise line to avoid?

Royal is among the best when it comes to Cruise issues.. this is why they are the only one I cruise with.. I can't imagine how carnival would respond to something like this but given their track record. I doubt guests would have even gotten a refund..

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Hi-

I've never been on a cruise before. Thinking about an Interval exchange of my Vistana villages week toward an Alaskan cruise. Any recommendations on which cruise line to book or which to avoid?

Thanx, Gina

 

[gmarine]

This ship shouldnt have sailed. RCCL is not obligated to sail and can cancel the cruise or change ports for any reason. Sailing into this storm was dangerous as shown by the pictures of interior damage to the ship and that the ship had to return to port.

Its very fortunate that no passengers were seriously injured especially since part of a ceiling collapsed in a public area.

 

[Passepartout]

Hi-

I've never been on a cruise before. Thinking about an Interval exchange of my Vistana villages week toward an Alaskan cruise. Any recommendations on which cruise line to book or which to avoid?

Thanx, Gina

As has been posted here more times than I can count, exchanging TS for a cruise discount is generally a poor use of MF. But it's your money. On the Alaska route, the only cruise lines that have access to Glacier Bay are Holland America and Princess. They are both good lines.

Jim

 

[kelm]

I'm taking an Anthem of the Seas cruise in June to Bermuda. Hope we have better weather!

 

[SandyPGravel]

As has been posted here more times than I can count, exchanging TS for a cruise discount is generally a poor use of MF. But it's your money. On the Alaska route, the only cruise lines that have access to Glacier Bay are Holland America and Princess. They are both good lines.

Jim

I haven't read every post that has ever been written. I didn't even know I could exchange my TS for a cruise until I saw a post about it last week. This is a place to ask questions and learn. If a question that has been asked before, can't be asked again, I think this blog would have disappeared about 20 years ago. I wouldn't exchange if I didn't get at least the value of my MF. I was born blonde, but it wasn't last night. :hysterical:

 

[Passepartout]

I haven't read every post that has ever been written. I didn't even know I could exchange my TS for a cruise until I saw a post about it last week. This is a place to ask questions and learn. If a question that has been asked before, can't be asked again, I think this blog would have disappeared about 20 years ago. I wouldn't exchange if I didn't get at least the value of my MF. I was born blonde, but it wasn't last night. :hysterical:

No one expects you or anyone else to have read every post, but when many posts have been written, there is deep knowledge in the archives, and the TUG Search function accesses that. And you are surely right. TUG is the place to learn how to get the best use from your timeshare ownership.

So here is the bottom line. You don't exchange for a cruise. You exchange for a cruise discount, and generally speaking the discount (from the rack price of the cruise) is far less than what you've paid for your maintenance fee plus the exchange fee. Add to that that the exchange companies don't have access to every cruise on every cruise line.- they have blocks of cabins on certain cruises. You can often do better by booking your week at your resort, renting it, and using the cash to book a cruise at a discounter like www.vacationstogo.com/ or www.crucon.com/ (there are many other good cruise discounters)- those just happen to be among my favorites that I've used many times.

Even blondes do it.

Jim

 

[wackymother]

A New York Times reporter was on the ship. Here's the article. It sounds pretty horrifying!

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/08/travel/royal-caribbean-cruise-storm.html

 

[lizap]

Completely agree with this. The top priority is passenger safety. Surely, the captain knew the weather forecast before he left port..

This ship shouldnt have sailed. RCCL is not obligated to sail and can cancel the cruise or change ports for any reason. Sailing into this storm was dangerous as shown by the pictures of interior damage to the ship and that the ship had to return to port.

Its very fortunate that no passengers were seriously injured especially since part of a ceiling collapsed in a public area.

 

[cgeidl]

Not the Captain's fault or decision

Some just out of college MBA's may well have been the decision makers. Captain can probably only change ports in case of being in point of extremis. Cruise lines are scientifically operated for bottom line profit. Seems like the company took a chance and weather was worse than anticipated. I have been in 50 to 60 foot swells in typhoons several times refueling other ships when their keels were visible. Very rough and dangerous but no one was hurt that I know of. Of course these are more elderly passengers.
We booked just a few days from departure for an Ocania cruise last fall which was going to Egypt which was the main reason we and many other passengers booked. I checked both cruise line management and the state dept before booking. Guess what- Egypt was cancelled and two other minor ports were substituted saving big dollars in port fees. What we got for the cancellation was A big sorry but no refunds of any sort. Ship,personnel were the best we have encountered but they were not to blame for the change.
There was no information available that Egypt was more dangerous when they canceled than when we booked.

 

[Passepartout]

Completely agree with this. The top priority is passenger safety. Surely, the captain knew the weather forecast before he left port..

We're all blessed with 20/20 hindsight. Let's say though that you have saved or borrowed for a cruise to The Bahamas and Florida to escape from New York in a February. When you arrive at the embarkation, the weather is fine, there is a possibility of a storm, but it's a nice, cool day. You are told that you can board, but that the ship isn't going anywhere. Or you can go home. Either way, the cruise line has your money.

Now let's say that the storm changes course (which this one did) and never materializes. Other cruises leaving the same port go on to their destinations and everyone has a great time. How do you feel then? Do you send thank You notes to the cruise line? To you commend the captain and crew for exercising an abundance of caution for sending you back to your home, which might be in like Minnesota or Ontario? I doubt it.

There is an old saying that ships are safe if they never leave port, but that's not why ships are built. RCCL kept the passengers safe, and offered refunds and discounts. They did the right thing.

Jim

 

[rleigh]

I haven't read every post that has ever been written. I didn't even know I could exchange my TS for a cruise until I saw a post about it last week. This is a place to ask questions and learn. If a question that has been asked before, can't be asked again, I think this blog would have disappeared about 20 years ago. I wouldn't exchange if I didn't get at least the value of my MF. I was born blonde, but it wasn't last night. :hysterical:

I agree, the response and the follow-up response was a puzzler. I went back to see if you asked about exchanging advice and didn't see that at all.
I personally wouldn't expect you to search the archives for a question you didn't even have.

And even if you did have that question I would say you should feel free to ask.

 

[gmarine]

Besides weather experts saying the sailing was a mistake in the article below, several news outlets reported today that the NTSB will be investigating why RCCL chose to sail into the storm.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...BlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories

 

[Passepartout]

Hi-

I've never been on a cruise before. Thinking about an Interval exchange of my Vistana villages week toward an Alaskan cruise. Any recommendations on which cruise line to book or which to avoid?

Thanx, Gina

Gina, I'm sorry if my response to your question came across as a lecture or chastisement. it wasn't intentional. One bad thing about the internet is the inability to translate facial expression or voice inflection to the printed word. Please forgive me.

Now, cruise line recommendations. Each cruise line seems to cater to a certain demographic group. Carnival aims at the young, 'Spring Break' partiers. Holland America seems to aim their appeal to a decidedly older crowd (I chuckled when several scooter riding guests trying to fit just one more scooter into an elevator) NCL aims at independent travelers, Princess, The Love Boats, RCCL & Celebrity, 50-70 y.o., well heeled, well traveled folks. Obviously, there will be a broad cross section of passengers on any of them, but the above are my observations.

Jim

 

[artringwald]

Hi-

I've never been on a cruise before. Thinking about an Interval exchange of my Vistana villages week toward an Alaskan cruise. Any recommendations on which cruise line to book or which to avoid?

Thanx, Gina

We've taken several Princess cruises, and have been very happy with them. In 2010 we took their Alaskan cruise that started in Vancouver and had a land package from Anchorage to Fairbanks. We like it so much, we'd like to do it again. Late May was a good time to go because the glaciers were calving. Here's some pictures:

https://artringwald.smugmug.com/Travel/2010-Alaska/