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| Our Ship - Navigator of the Seas |
Last October I set a goal to "earn" this comped transpacific cruise from Los Angeles to Tokyo while cruising with Royal Caribbean. Here's what I had to say in last year's blog "I had my sights set on a 15 night transpacific cruise from Los Angeles to Tokyo. At 3,000 point award level that made my projected budget $3,000 . . . which is a little less than what an ocean view cabin for 2 people would cost to book directly with Royal Caribbean (and after factoring in the free play and on board credit that comes when you book through their Next Cruise program)."
During that 13 night transatlantic cruise, I lost just over $2,000 in the casino and achieved the 4,000 point reward level, so I was very happy with how things went. Adding the port fees, taxes and gratuities ($418) plus the $2,000 casino loss, equals $2,418 to sail solo (not sharing) an ocean view cabin. While by no means "FREE" it is at a significant discount to what this booking would have cost me. If you take into account the added $500 in free play (FP) plus the $100 in onboard credit (OBC) provided by Royal Caribbean, this fabulous cruise really only cost me $1,818.
NOTE: For casino comp values, many say to expect to "spend" (i.e., LOSE) $1 per point, hence my original budget of a $3,000 loss limit to achieve the 3,000 points necessary for this cruise booking. The fact that I was able to get to 4,000 points (and increased FP & OBC) for just a $2,000 loss indicates I was luckier than what might be expected given my cost per point was 50¢ (rather than a dollar). Of course, some day (maybe this cruise?) I would like to leave a winner. But so long as I'm getting decent value for my casino play/entertainment in the form of comped cruises, I'm going to be pretty happy.
Sorry for all of that wonky math. Now more about the cruise itself.
I have made several friends through various social media groups on both Facebook and CruiseCritic and look forward to my 16 nights at sea plus and an additional four days & three nights in Yokohama, the port city where our cruise ends.
This is what our sailing from LA to Japan should look like, with port stops after the first 13 nights at sea. You read that right . . . once we leave California it is nearly 2 full weeks at sea until we will see land again. AND we will be crossing the International Date Line, which adds the 16th night to our 15 night cruise.
The ports we'll be visiting offer a mere glimpse into the culture and sights of the island nation. For that reason, I have organized a more personalized tour experience with a private guide during my four days in Yokohama. There will be three of us for this part of the trip together. It will be nice to do some sightseeing at our own pace and not with a big group.
I realize that such a short journey only provides a sampling of all that can be experienced while traveling. With that, I hope to get as much in as humanly possible!
I am not traveling with a laptop, so blogging while I'm away is highly unlikely. Look for posts starting in late October. Until then, I might be sharing a bit on Facebook, so follow-along there if you'd like.
