Royal air to sea -good prices, disappointing rather No emergency service

 I recently used Royal Caribbean’s air to sea for my flights to Galveston and from Barcelona. While the price was better than would I could find on my own the support when there were issues with both flights was inexcusable. On the flight from Toronto to Houston due to high winds in Houston we were 2.5 hours delayed. There were 4 of us sitting close, that were going to the same ship. One of us called the royal air to sea emergency line to advise them of our issue.  Their phone message was there will be a 30 minute wait please call back later. We were going to land sooner than that. We all ran to the baggage area and I informed the rep that there were 5 of us and she said she would hold the Last shuttle for us all. She also allowed 2 without shuttle tickets who had missed their private shuttle to come with us. 

On the way home, late the day before my flight I got an email from KLM stating they were cancelling my first of two flights. Of course I went to customer relations and they called the emergency hotline and this time Royal air to sea stated the lines were all busy, please hang up. We called again but no one answered. 

Luckily as that was happening I received an email from KLM and Delta and I was now on a direct flight to Toronto. 

I received an email after I arrived home from Royal air to see stating they were aware that I had made “independent” arrangements?..

Would you trust RCL air to sea after this experience…not me.

I used them my Air Canada flight to and from Newark airport as I was going to use their shuttle as it’s cheaper. Air Canada runs several flights a day to Newark, so I am less worried about using them.

Still in the future I will not trust them.

Tips for mitigation include:

- fly a day early for the cruise 

- download the airline app with whom your flying and make sure the airline has all your correct information 

- take direct flights

- use reputable airlines… not the lowest cost one with very few alternative flights

Hope this helps 

Marcia

Murcia Spain shore excursion not worth it if the cathedral is closed

 I took the Murcia on your own shore excursion via RCL. It was 60cdn for a 4.5 hour tour. As always with RCL on your own tours is just a bus ride to/from the destination. The guide only speaks to tell you when you arrive in Murcia where the Cathedral is and when to get back on the bus at the pickup point.

The cathedral is a five minute walk from where they drop you off. It’s one of two must sees in this town. I had about 10 minutes inside before they said they were closing..no explanation. 

The other place to see is the Casino Real about 5 minutes from the Cathedral. Ask for directions as it’s a side street. It is amazing outside and inside with the arabica tiles, sculptures and art. If you just go to the first floor it’s free. I paid the 5 euros to be able to go upstairs. It’s not worth it, as only one room is open.

The other thing to do is wander the streets for shopping and bakeries. Note I found only one souvenir shop across from casino real. This is not a tourist destination. 

The river that runs through the middle of town has a whale sculpture but the pathway is overgrown.

This excursion is only worth it if the cathedral is open. 

The drive to and from is just the highway with some fields. 

Hope this helps

Marcia

Alicante cruise port..how to have an easy day

 The ship will try to get you to take the port shuttle for 7 euros saying it’s 35 to 40 minutes to the port. It was exactly 4 minutes by bus or a slow 20 minutes walking. Don’t let them rip you off.  To have a pleasant easy day in Alicante below are tips

- go to the town hall first. It’s straight ahead from the ocean museum thru the old gate. It’s free and an interesting building. 

-next before the 10 am opening time go to the castle elevator. It’s across from the beach promenade about a 10 minute walk from the town hall. You will pass by their church which is not open to tourists. If you get there before opening you will have a quick wait for the elevator and it’s free for seniors. It 2.7 euros otherwise. Up at the top the views are great. Note it is the same view regardless of how high you climb. It’s really just remnants of the castle walls that are left. There are free toilets and a shop, and a small kiosk with ice cream.  You can walk back down through a colourful neighborhood but I took the elevator.

- I then walked along the beach promenade and sat on a bench people watching. It’s a very clean beach. If it was warmer water I would have brought a bathing suit.

- the main promenade across from the marina has restaurants and shops. The back streets are full of hotels, shops and restaurants. This is definitely a beach town more so than a cultural Mecca.

- the walk along the marina is scenic with many people with take out lunches having their food on a bench 

- they have set up a large market place with shoes, souvenirs, clothing and lots of junk for sale in the stalls

Then either take the shuttle or walk 20 minutes to the ship.

This is definitely a beach destination.

Hope this helps 

Marcia