Latest RCI cost cutting?

"Charles" wrote in message
d...
I have been reading on a couple of web based forums people who booked
Royal Caribbean Panama Canal cruises with Ultimate Panama partial canal
transits have discovered when checking their itineraries that they have
been changed to Ultimate Caribbean cruises with a day at port in Panama
without the transit. Many had booked these sailings because they wanted
to go through the locks. I think that Royal Caribbean may doing this to
save the transit fees which run $200,000 to $300,000 for a cruise ship.

Charles, this has nothing to do with the Panama Canal transit, but about
nickel and diming...Just recently while on the VOTS, there was a change in
the casino... They are now charging 3% if you charge your casino money to
your account...I know other cruise lines do that, but it used to be that
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity did not. Made it nice as you did not have to
take as much cash on a cruise...wonder if Celebrity is now doing this too.

--Jean

In article , Jean O'Boyle
wrote:

Charles, this has nothing to do with the Panama Canal transit, but about
nickel and diming...Just recently while on the VOTS, there was a change in
the casino... They are now charging 3% if you charge your casino money to
your account...I know other cruise lines do that, but it used to be that
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity did not. Made it nice as you did not have to
take as much cash on a cruise...wonder if Celebrity is now doing this too.

Celebrity is also now charging 3% if you charge your casino money to
your account. I think the change was made on both brands at the same
time. It was about six months ago.

--
Charles

Charles wrote:
In article , Jean O'Boyle
wrote:


Charles, this has nothing to do with the Panama Canal transit, but about
nickel and diming...Just recently while on the VOTS, there was a change in
the casino... They are now charging 3% if you charge your casino money to
your account...I know other cruise lines do that, but it used to be that
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity did not. Made it nice as you did not have to
take as much cash on a cruise...wonder if Celebrity is now doing this too.


Celebrity is also now charging 3% if you charge your casino money to
your account. I think the change was made on both brands at the same
time. It was about six months ago.


I got money in the Casino and charged it to my shipboard account on
Explorer of the Seas in October. There was no service charge.

Ermalee

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...

"Charles" wrote in message
d...
I have been reading on a couple of web based forums people who booked
Royal Caribbean Panama Canal cruises with Ultimate Panama partial canal
transits have discovered when checking their itineraries that they have
been changed to Ultimate Caribbean cruises with a day at port in Panama
without the transit. Many had booked these sailings because they wanted
to go through the locks. I think that Royal Caribbean may doing this to
save the transit fees which run $200,000 to $300,000 for a cruise ship.

Charles, this has nothing to do with the Panama Canal transit, but about
nickel and diming...Just recently while on the VOTS, there was a change in
the casino... They are now charging 3% if you charge your casino money to
your account...I know other cruise lines do that, but it used to be that
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity did not. Made it nice as you did not have to
take as much cash on a cruise...wonder if Celebrity is now doing this too.

--Jean

Hi Jean

There was a charge for taking an advance at the casino on the Navigator OTS
in Europe in September. I can't blame them because many people were just
taking money out on their cards to get the affinity credits (especially on
the RCI affinity cards). It was costing the cruise line quite a lot of
money, both in processing costs and affinity points.

I hope you will decide to join us on the Regatta for the spring crossing in
2010. I don't think anyone will do better than the deal we got. :-)

Tobieon an Island in the Pacific.

I'm not Jean, but I am very interested in the Regatta crossing in 2010.
I just e-mailed the TA forming a group.


I hope you will decide to join us on the
Regatta for the spring crossing in
2010. I don't think anyone will do
better than the deal we got. :-)
Tobieon an Island in the Pacific.
---


~~DORIS~~
**________*/*/___/*/___/*/_________
*\::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oceania Regatta 2-25-2009

Tahitian Princess 6-25-2009

Seabourn Spirit 11-15=2009

http://community.webtv.net/DorisIs/AROUNDTHEHORN

"Tobie Gerbrandt" wrote in message
...
Hi Jean

There was a charge for taking an advance at the casino on the Navigator
OTS in Europe in September. I can't blame them because many people were
just taking money out on their cards to get the affinity credits
(especially on the RCI affinity cards). It was costing the cruise line
quite a lot of money, both in processing costs and affinity points.

I hope you will decide to join us on the Regatta for the spring crossing
in 2010. I don't think anyone will do better than the deal we got. :-)

Tobieon an Island in the Pacific.

Sorry, Tobie...not this time. Checking the calendar made me realize the
voyage is during Lent and Holy Week and there probably would not be a priest
onboard....besides who could fast with all that wonderful food onboard! But
it does sound as if you will not be alone with Connie and Victoria joining
you and maybe, judging from a recent post, you might get to meet Doris (who
answered your post) onboard!
See you on the Solstice!

--Jean

On Fri, 9 Jan 2009 23:08:43 -0600, "Jean O'Boyle"
wrote:


"Tobie Gerbrandt" wrote in message
...
Hi Jean

There was a charge for taking an advance at the casino on the Navigator
OTS in Europe in September. I can't blame them because many people were
just taking money out on their cards to get the affinity credits
(especially on the RCI affinity cards). It was costing the cruise line
quite a lot of money, both in processing costs and affinity points.

I hope you will decide to join us on the Regatta for the spring crossing
in 2010. I don't think anyone will do better than the deal we got. :-)

Tobieon an Island in the Pacific.

Sorry, Tobie...not this time. Checking the calendar made me realize the
voyage is during Lent and Holy Week and there probably would not be a priest
onboard

Don't most large cruise ships have a priest onboard? I remember
seeing notices about services on the trips I've been on.

I don't think the priests are guaranteed to be affiliated with any
particular denomination, but my impression is that they're usually
Catholic.

....besides who could fast with all that wonderful food onboard!

Well, yes, that would be a problem.

Dillon Pyron wrote in
:

Just back from visiting my daughter who works on the Jewel. She reports
taht chocolates are gone from the pillows and in a move that will make
some heads twist, the Purell dispensers are gone from the restaurants!
Appearantly someone has found it to be more effective to have folks wash
their hands . . . While that is true, there are of course hundreds at
any moment on a ship who should have, but didn't.

The savings continue!




--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

On 1/10/2009 5:37 PM Joseph Coulter did a "happy dance", then made
these writings:
Dillon Pyron wrote in
:

Just back from visiting my daughter who works on the Jewel. She reports
taht chocolates are gone from the pillows and in a move that will make
some heads twist, the Purell dispensers are gone from the restaurants!
Appearantly someone has found it to be more effective to have folks wash
their hands . . . While that is true, there are of course hundreds at
any moment on a ship who should have, but didn't.

The savings continue!

Those are the same people shudder who haven't been using the Purell
dispensers either!

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"The poor dog is the firmest friend, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

In article , Brian K
wrote:

Those are the same people shudder who haven't been using the Purell
dispensers either!

When there has been a noro outbreak they are very aggressive about
passengers using the Purell. On my last cruise you could not avoid it.
When there has not been an outbreak they don't enforce using the
Purell.

--
Charles