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I get that a lot of people find their "deal breaker" to be having to wear masks, but I just hope if people decide to sail, they'll do as they're told and won't try to push back against RCCL's requirements. That's the thing that worries me -- people deciding mid-cruise is suddenly a time to take a stand or something. THAT would ruin my cruise more than anything. Make up your mind before you get on board, please.

For me the Windjammer is like going to Walmart. Sometimes its a necessity but you really don't enjoy the experience lol

The biggest ramification for me would be having to explain to the server in the WJ that yes, I really am asking you to put sausage gravy on my corned beef hash. It's my "cruise thing" and I'm not giving it up. ?

1. Wearing a mask 2. 14 day quarantine upon return

Personally i dont think they will ever get a proper vaccine for it! I think in years to come this is going to be classed and treated by people in the same way as the flu, every year people will get their jabs and every year 100s of 1000s all over the world, some of whom have had the jabs will die of it unnoticed just as flu deaths are today because its just covid19. You cannot wipe out a virus completely so we may as well live for today because we dont know what tomorrow will bring ?

Exactly this! haha I am desperately in need of a vacation... and I'm eyeballing an 11 day cruise out of Galveston in December... I could just sit on my balcony and get room-service and still be content! (as long as my room had quick access to a bar ?)

For us, the deal breaker is going to be the 14 day Quarantine Act in Canada, and the border restrictions. If those are lifted, we are going. Looking at the types of bookings I have between now and spring 2021 and our personal style when cruising, dining isn't going to be an issue, the mask is not a deal breaker (as long as it's in public areas only), and I have not been #teamWJ for a very long time.

It might be comparing apples to oranges here in many ways, but it's interesting to see how some companies will be dealing with passengers and spaces once they get sailing again. https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22987-american-queen-announces-health-protocols.html?fbclid=IwAR3E_1qR-lIv4eCC4qbi2T7laDferhFIoLjoC1SaX7sP6ghcCnRN7pa7Z8Q

Two men were sitting next to one another at Murphys Pub in London, and after awhile, one of the blokes turned to the other and said, “I can’t help but think, from listening to you, that you’re from Ireland.” “Yes, that I am!” the bloke responded, to which the first one replied, “So am I! And where about from Ireland might you be?” “Im from Dublin, I am,” the other bloke said, and the first one replied, “So am I!” “Mother Mary and begora,” the other bloke said. “And what street did you live on in Dublin?” “A lovely little area it was. I lived on McCleary Street in the old central part of town,” he replied, to which the first one said, “Faith and it’s a small world. So did I! So did I! And to what school would you have been going?” “Well now, I went to St. Marys, of course,” the other bloke said, with the first one replying, “And so did I. Tell me, what year did you graduate?” “Well, now, lets see. I graduated in 1964,” the other bloke said. “The Good Lord must be smiling down upon us!” the first bloke exclaimed. “I can hardly believe our good luck at winding up in the same place tonight. Can you believe it, I graduated from St. Marys in 1964 my own self!” At this point, a woman named Vicky came in and sat down at the bar. The bartender Brian walked over to her and said, “It’s going to be a long night tonight.” “Why do you say that, Brian?” Vicky asked. “The Murphy twins are drunk again.”

Good news , got my tax/gratuities back to the CC and bank account , The cruise was canceled at mid March and it was for 8-April , so I guess I Got it 6 weeks after the original cruise date.

Current deal breaker is a cruise that requires international travel before or after the cruise prior to 2022. I can deal with onboard restrictions and limitations as needed but I want to embark and debark in my own country through 2022 at least.

I really don't see it this way at all. He's said all along that they have a team of people (including medical and epidemiologists) working on how they will handle the on-board and pre-board experience. American Queen can start sailing much sooner because they don't have to wait for foreign ports to open up. They may not even be subject to much CDC scrutiny. Royal knows they really can't start sailing yet (CDC hasn't indicated that they will lift the "no sail" order early), so they may as well use the time and figure out their strategy. They have the time to try to get it right the first time back.

Sure you can. It's called "small pox".

The mask is going to be the biggest problem, they actually put you at an increased risk of respiratory illness and viral infections.

Yeah. It would be great to say “I’m going to wear my brisket shirt today” but instead it just smells like the steel grates.

Our only dealbreakers is if they cancel our next cruise, too! LOL

Here is my deal breaker. If the onboard experience is changed then there is no point in going. We go on vacation to have fun and get away. If all of the ridiculous restrictions on land are on the ship as well.....I can stay home and save money. If people would use some common sense then we wouldn't be going through all this crap right now. Washing your hands should have always been in practice. Locking down and suppressing everyone's immune systems was a mistake and we haven't even begun to see the economic effects of the response to this virus. Just wait and see, when this election is over in the US...COVID-19 will be a thing of the past. Stop listening to Mainstream media and start thinking for yourselves.

I don't love it in the casino, but I'm fine with it. The pool deck though, I HATE it on the pool deck.

As I'm winding down my franchise I love chiming in on these discussions. I am a cruiser who became an agent 13 years ago but referrals were pivotal to my success ( so much so I asked them to stop referring folks to me a while ago). Unfortunately many agents are just order takers stuck in a cubicle, or at home, that can only provide the service or answers that the computer prompts them to provide. So this isn't to brag but to point out the obvious, that you have all the referrals you need on this site (and I am in no way linked to MEI or this site ;>) Will seem weird finding an agent for myself in 2022 but to all of you, HAPPY HUNTING!

That's the plan...once i finish all the cruises i have booked with this Travel Agency...they will be in the rearview mirror!

Required masks is my deal breaker. Currently, I choose to not frequent any establishment that requires masks while going to similar places where it is optional. As badly as I need a haircut (needed one around April 1 but all places to get it done properly were closed until this weekend), I will put it off until the current "masks must be worn by all" requirement for salons and barber shops is lifted.

Agree, most of the people saying they will wait for a vaccine need to understand there may well never be a vaccine. "Social Distancing" and full time or even part time masking is not a reasonable expectation on a ship or a lot of other land based venues.

Thanks for sharing this! I actually have an AQSC cruise book sitting on my shelf right now, because I was curious about their itineraries and I'd love to do one of their cruises someday, and so it's good to see how they're doing things, even though their product is vastly different than RCCL.

I get it. Totally, I do. None of us want to wear a mask. And honestly, I find myself wondering how RCCL is going to make all of this work; I live in a state that's still only allowing restaurants to do carry-out/curbside delivery, so honestly, I don't even understand how masks and dining areas (and oh, my God -- bars...which I'll admit are gonna be super-important to me!) would even work together...but the thought isn't something I relish. Still, it's something I'd do in order to cruise. I just take comfort in knowing I could just lounge on my balcony without the mask -- or at least so I'd hope. As long as I know what I'm getting into, I'll make it work. Will it be ideal? Nope...this whole pandemic isn't ideal -- but then again, viruses don't really care if they're not.

The only deal breaker for us would be if most ports are still closed or activities limited. We cruise for the destinations and wouldn't want a cruise of mostly sea days with only 1 or 2 ports. We have even been setting aside extra funds in case we have to quarantine upon returning. The mask issue is also not a concern to us. I wear one 8 hours a day at work...I'd rather be wearing one for 8 hours a day on a cruise lol.

Why do I have this funny feeling that the slot machine I had really wanted to play, but was blocked off for social distancing will be the one that's ready to give the big payout. But I'll never know, I'll be playing the one next to it ?

Theres no difference between a restaurant on land or on a cruiseship No difference between a casino on land or on cruiseship If measures be it masks, social Distancing etc are put in place to protect people on land these measures will be implemented on cruiseships. We just have to get used to the fact the world has changed and it will take a long time to recover Right now i want to cruise but i cannot, simple fact is government restrictions have made it impossible. No flights, hotels on lockdown, cruise cancelled and now new quarantine regulations so god only knows when i will be able to rebook On the plus side when we do sail again wearing masks doesnt bother me, in fact its a bonus as it makes her indoors look better ???

face mask is probably my deal breaker unless it's required in very limited quantities. Getting a q-tip jammed up my nostril at the pier in order to get onboard is a close second. Also, the whole "guilty until proven innocent" phase alot of governments are going through (ie, 14 day quarantine when you return from XYZ whether you have symptoms or not). We don't do this for any other illness. It needs to stop.

Only way we’ll cancel is if a quarantine is required when we come back home.

I think it is based on algorithm based on cabin hold/booking traffic. I've seen this too, where the "you pick" is cheaper than the "we pick". I think it also explains why you will see interior staterooms priced higher than balconies and balconies priced higher than junior suites.

I’ve always thought that when they price a guarantee higher than a pick your own, they are trying to steer people towards specific blocks of cabins.

No Windjammer and having to wear a facemask AT ALL. Both deal breakers.

P&O Cruise Line (part of Carnival Group) stopped charging gratuities from the middle of 2019. There is absolutely no obligation to hand out any tips but you can give something to those crew members who you think deserve it. That’s the way I like it ???

Well, if you find them, slap the crap out of them for me! ?

Admittedly this was done in 1980 or there abouts, however 2 lots of the virus are held in storage ( 1 in US 1 in Russia ) scientists have even into the 90s worked on new vaccines because even though there are no cases it is not impossible for it to return. In Russia a frozen body was unearthed after a very long period of time, on defrosting the corpse released a virus that had been dormant in the frozen body, this is one situation that medical experts are scared may happen again possibly even with small pox.

WhY dOn'T tHeY jUsT bUiLd tHe EnTiRe PlAnE oUt oF tHe BlAcK bOx?

@RCIfan1912 Exactly why I'm a smidge afraid. I can go all day without touching my face, things and people...some animals are too cute to resist. But someone coughing in my face right as I round a corner or reach the stairs

Wow, knock me over with a feather!!!! Guidance, leadership, taking initiative, creating an acceptable path forward, being a role model......I think American Queen and their fleet of riverboats are going to be very successful and be the first to return back to a profitable enterprise. Meanwhile, judging from Richards Fain's MSNBC interview; Royal Caribbean's plan is to just sit idle "until they tell us what we have to do". No commitment to resume cruising. Then there is the laughing at getting employees back home <shakes head, very disappointed> Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1Q of 2021.

I run an international claims team for a major insurer so can't condone what you are suggesting and, without reading the policy documentation of course, I doubt you would get the pay out that you are looking for... the intention of an insurance policy of this nature is typically to provide cover on an indemnity basis; namely to make you whole for your direct financial outlay in relation to the cruise in question. FCC is not a direct financial outlay but a credit from NCL (you did not have the money in the bank prior to booking so cannot claim for it post cancellation of that booking). It is still available to you but you are choosing (for your own good reasons, I know) not to use it, which is a matter between you and NCL, not the insurance company. I know we all bemoan the cost of our insurance premiums (me included! ?) but two major factors are generally taken into account when pricing risk - 1, the physical risk being covered and 2, the moral hazard, or the chance that the level of risk will be greater/lower due to the behaviour of the insured. This is why auto insurance is typically more expensive for younger and/or less experienced drivers. Further, the insurance industry is, rightly, very highly regulated. This brings a lot of operating costs and, believe it or not, insurance companies typically work to narrow (often single digit) percentage margins (and given the number and scale of natural catastrophes in recent years many have even been operating at a loss) so there is not a great deal of wriggle room in which they can work. The insured has an obligation in law to notify the insurer of any material factor of which they are aware before taking out the policy. Without sugar coating it, failure to do so is fraud and if the insurer has reason to believe on the balance of probability that an insured has intentionally withheld or misrepresented such information they have the legal right to withdraw the policy cover and recover any money paid to the insured. It can also lead to criminal action. Insurance fraud is a billion dollar issue for the global insurance industry and, by extension, for all of us as policyholders too as someone has to pay for it... going back to my earlier point this is a moral hazard and is factored into the premiums paid by each and every one of us, so even if you did succeed in receiving a pay out, the money in your bank would essentially be money taken from ours. ? Needless say therefore, my advice is don't do it! ?

Get a different TA.

I lived right outside of Anchorage (Eagle River) for 4 yrs., husband flew F15E out of Elmendorf. Trust me I know that. For us, from May 15th through Sept 15th we were camping every weekend. Anyone that has watched the local weather report will get this. Everyday they start it off with we lost X amount of minutes of day light today (June-Dec) or today we gained X amt of minutes of day light. For me Sept. is really pushing it for cruising season. May is also a month I would shy away from. We called it the SPIT month. It doesn't rain per se it spits. The mosquitos are HUGE. Never saw them that size before and still haven't since we moved from there. End of May to me would be perfection. Salmon is running. Mosquitos are smaller. Spit is not happening, and you have a lot of day light. Every solstice we would do a midnight white water rafting trip. It ended at 3 a.m. It was basically the same light as 7 pm where I live. Back to the regular programming of arriving early.

Guest Assembly or Muster drills are also performed to support crew behavior and training. Have repeated the drill countless times the crew know exactly what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to do it from the crew checking cabins are empty to the crew guiding guests in hallways to the crew taking roll at the assembly point. All of this is considered by the maritime regulators. There are times when the USCG (or similar authority in other regions) may choose randomly to be present during a guest assembly drill to observe the execution of the drill to validate the ship is following the documented procedure properly. I not saying the regulations can't change but it's not within any cruise line's power to change them without working through the maritime regulations and possibly seeking recertification for their revised process. They can't just decide to start playing a video on a cabin TV on their own and call that good enough. Ships know the existing process is well loathed by everyone. They follow the requirements very strictly because if they were caught not doing so they could be stopped from leaving port. If it were as simple as just choosing to play a video in guest cabins they would have dispensed with assembly drills long ago. They can't without approval from the authorities.

I believe, the terminal does not open until 10:00 am and even if you could get into the terminal there is nothing to do nor see. Not sure what you could do that early in Miami to kill the time. We always get the the port the day before, stay in a nice hotel and get to the terminal no later than 10:00.

I disagree that the argument doesn't stand. The muster station you are assigned is where you are to go in the event of an emergency. If that happens to be right by your lifeboat - great. On the larger ships, there isn't room for everyone to gather on the deck so some assigned stations are at large indoor locations on the correct deck. THAT is where you will go in an emergency, so you need to know where to be.

One thought is that by offering new deals on future cruises they can manage the number of discounts or freebies going forward. The past discounts offered were targeted, offered or allowed to manage the effect spread across the fleet in a controlled fashion. Ships operate as autonomous business units each responsible for revenue goals. By negating past offers it avoids having several hundred past discounts all land on a few specific choice or desirable future sailings thereby making those particular sailings operate outside of norms while other ships have little or no effect from them. By managing and offering new discounts they can manage and spread the load in a more controlled fashion to suit current needs. The good news is that they are offering new casino discounts so not all is lost.

Warning, foul language