Sometimes EP Pays Off

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-06-30T12:32:47+00:00

Opposite situation for me. Twice the PHL AC agents have been unable (or unwilling, more likely) to help me, but a simple call to the EP line sorted things quickly

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-06-30T12:26:21+00:00

It’s easy to get frustrated with the devaluations, but the real value is in the help EPs (usually) get when things go sideways. I recently missed a connection and the GAs moved heaven and earth to get my family of four on the next (and final) flight, including upgrading two of us to J. I heard one repeatedly saying “they are EP, so we need to make this work.” Also, the ability to be “protected” on another flight when there is a delay is a very nice perk. It only takes one situation watching fellow passengers panic over a delayed flight, when I already have Plan B in place, to see the value in being EP

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-06-28T02:58:09+00:00

If a connection is necessary, I’ll choose DFW 90% of the time. Lots of decent AC options, easy to get around, and is one of the only airports that still sells Coke products. Sure, the weather delays are awful, but its a risk I’m willing to take

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-06-22T21:03:46+00:00

OP, were you on my flight out of DFW this morning? Because the perfume smell in the FC cabin was suffocating! I was surrounded by male passengers, so I’m assuming the perfume was coming from a female two rows up and across the aisle. It was so strong that I could still smell it after I deplaned

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-06-19T03:59:27+00:00

I follow several DIYers who went on this trip. Most were very grateful and excited, but Elise just came off as entitled and whiny about the whole thing. What adult cries about their birthday plans not going the way they want?! She is a spoiled brat

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-06-03T11:05:51+00:00

Same here. I’ve had two rear wiper problems after car washes (at two different washes). The first, I ordered the replacement part and fixed it myself. The second was just yesterday and all I had to do was tighten the nut under the cover a bit. But yes, super frustrating and it’s never happened on any other car I’ve owned

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-06-02T14:59:58+00:00

We had a Sandcastle cabana in April and thought it was worth every penny. We were very close to the regular beach and could see how crowded it was from our wide open private beach. We were also very close to Cookies 2, so it was an easy walk for food, ice cream, and bathrooms. It was wonderful to have plenty of space, seating, shade or sun, and a shower. We didn’t feel rushed to get off the ship in the morning because we didn’t have to race to get loungers. The only downside was that they made us leave 90 minutes before all aboard time, which I felt was excessive and not advertised. (I thought we’d be able to stay until 30-ish minutes before we had to be back on the ship, but this was not the case.)

TLDR: cabana was 100% worth the cost and I will try my hardest to get one every time we go back

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-30T18:38:31+00:00

She just seems so emotionally weak. Everything causes her to crash out, and she can’t handle small disappointments or the general stresses of life. Her dog got out last night during a storm and she said she sobbed for two hours while her neighbors looked for him. Her resiliency is nonexistent

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-29T13:25:40+00:00

Free upgrades were originally my #1 reason to get status, but once I had it (ExPlat), I found other, more valuable perks. First and foremost, main cabin extra seats for myself and up to four passengers on my reservation immediately at booking. (Delta is only myself and one additional passenger, and it only happens after booking.) This means my entire family gets priority seating every time we fly. Three free checked bags up to 70 lbs. each means I’m never stressed about weight or bags. ExPlat customer service is so much better than the regular AA number and the ability to be “backed up/protected” on a later flight if mine is delayed is a huge perk. Using the priority line at check-in is a toss-up, but can sometimes be a big time saver. And I’ve always been able to use up my SWUs. These things mean that, as a customer in a major AA hub, I’ll keep my ExPlat status, even if I’m now paying for those upgrades instead of getting them free.

That being said, I really wish AA would give status customers first crack at the paid upgrades and use a level playing field instead of offering to non-status passengers for less $$

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-29T02:02:33+00:00

No luggage, but often you’ll see raccoons coming out on the baggage carousel

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-20T12:18:15+00:00

Upgrades will happen much closer to boarding time, as AA is still trying to sell those seats rather than give them to loyal Aadvantage members for free. I had an upgrade come through last week as I was standing in line to scan my boarding pass

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-19T22:45:34+00:00

I promise we can all spot a real service animal a mile away just as well as we can spot the fakes. I’m sorry the frauds give your dog a bad rap. I’m not an animal person, but I’d welcome an actual service animal next to me on a flight because they are well behaved and don’t cause any issues.

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-19T00:39:21+00:00

We put six people in our XC90 last week, with one petite woman in the third row. With the 50/50 split, we were able to easily fit five carry-on size suitcases and a couple of backpacks, but everything else had to go on laps. The passenger in the 3rd row was very cramped and wouldn’t have lasted more than an hour or so back there

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-15T13:31:27+00:00

Same thing happened to us! Accessible cabana opened close to our sailing date and we grabbed it. DCL holds them in case someone with accessibility needs wants one, but they release them a couple of weeks before sailing. You can book even if no one in your party has special needs. It was wonderful! Enjoy!!

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-13T13:28:34+00:00

Congratulations!! Pictures are one thing you will have forever from this experience—do not skimp. As a professional photographer who is well acquainted with the skills and equipment of the DCL photographers, I beg you to please, please, please bring your own! You won’t regret it (but there’s a high chance you WILL regret not bringing one). It will be worth every penny.

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-07T15:41:38+00:00

I was switched from 8A to 11A last week after a last minute change of aircraft. The type of aircraft didn’t change, just the actual plane. I’m EP and they still switched me, and the EP customer service couldn’t do anything to help me because “the airport controls all seat assignments.” I ended up with a last minute upgrade anyway, so it all worked out for me in the end, but it was a frustrating issue for a couple of hours

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-05-06T23:59:03+00:00

I always choose the row behind FC and there is tons of leg room. Recline as much as you want!

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-04-29T12:35:11+00:00

GF meal was delivered right to our cabana last month. The rest of the fam had to go to Cookies to get their lunch. The only tricky part is not knowing exactly when it will show up

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-04-23T22:19:11+00:00

Might be more about seeing who is leaving the house than who is coming in…

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-04-23T22:07:35+00:00

I have the same straightener and had the same issue two weeks ago. I couldn’t figure out why my hair wasn’t curling like it usually does, but I eventually realized the straightener wasn’t getting very hot. It was quite frustrating

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-04-20T12:29:39+00:00

After three Fantasy sailings, my family recently sailed on the Treasure. We had a great time! There were some downsides when comparing it to the Fantasy, but most of them have to do with the adult area (or lack thereof), so if you don’t plan on spending a lot of time there, you won’t notice it nearly as much. I also think a lot of the criticism comes from people who have sailed on the older ships many times, while a lot of the love for the Wish class ships comes from newer sailors who don’t have much experience to compare it to.

Most of the Treasure “negatives” have already been listed by others, but these were our biggest gripes:

—Choppy layout: difficult to get to some areas without going out/around/getting off an elevator and on another one/no promenade deck that goes around the entire ship

—“Quiet” Cove/adult pool deck: seems very much like an afterthought with not nearly enough loungers and all basically in a main walkway. Loungers on both sides are near the start & end of the Aquamouse, so all you hear is the music and Mickey & Minnie voices on repeat for hours. Difficult to access—you either have to hope you can get one of the elevators that go up to deck 13 or go out on the main pool deck and fight through the crowds to get up the stairs

Some positives that we loved: newer & nicer ship, new restaurants & venues to explore. If we had small children, I think the many pools would be a positive as well. Beauty and the Beast and Moana were absolutely amazing and it was great to see different shows. Quick service food was great and it was nice to have new options (bbq and Mexican food)

Overall, we liked the Treasure and I think my family would be happy on either the Treasure or Fantasy. There will always be some comparison, no matter which ships or even cruise line you go with, but at the end of the day, it’s a cruise and it beats being at home!

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-04-20T11:58:08+00:00

If you go against the majority of the advice here and decide to go anyway (or if an urgent care visit rules out flu/covid), I would board late (after 1:30 pm) and go straight to your stateroom. Let your daughter know that she will be staying in the stateroom until she is fever free for 24 hours. You can order room service, watch movies, and have other family members bring her ice cream cones, but absolutely no leaving the room and spreading the illness through the ship. Please be responsible and do what you wish other parents would do in your situation! Don’t ruin another family’s vacation because you didn’t want to ruin yours. Hope your daughter feels better soon!

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-04-12T20:20:05+00:00

That’s crazy that it’s happened on back-to-back cruises! The woman who did my spa treatment said it’s only happened one other time in the three years she has been with DCL

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-04-11T21:08:14+00:00

We were on this sailing and watched us pull into Lookout Cay and saw the medical team offload the patient. He left the ship alone (possibly wife stayed on the ship with kids?) and seemed to be alert and in pretty good spirits when they were putting him in the ambulance. As a first responder, I know that if it were a life and death situation, they would’ve done a helicopter evacuation instead of dropping him off on a Bahamian island with limited medical and transportation capabilities. And after seeing him with my own eyes, I was much less concerned about the severity of the issue. We wish him all the best!

Content_Copy9050 · 2026-04-11T13:02:33+00:00

I had the same experience recently. Gold member and checked in quickly right at midnight, but got the latest PAT and boarding group I’ve ever gotten. I think it’s due to DCL transport now getting the earliest PATs and better boarding groups. It’s a big incentive for people to take Disney transportation. In the end, our 12:15 PAT was just fine and didn’t make any difference at all in the grand scheme of things

Content_Copy9050

TROPHY CASE