Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/13/2021 in Posts

  1. I'm unpacking and thought I'd share this really nice keepsake Celebrity gave us to commemorate the first cruise back.
    7 points
  2. Our very first (and second) rooms on the Oasis class were in a Boardwalk balcony. We loved those rooms. Some are concerned about privacy since you can see straight across to your Boardwalk neighbors but that never concerned us. We were always looking either down or out the aft (something just doesn't sound right about that last part...LOL). The balconies on those rooms are very small but they're adequate for people watching and getting some fresh air. We always tried to stay as far aft as we could so that we had the best chance of having some ocean views. Unfortunately, since you are on Oasis, you will have the great purple monstrosity to deal with which obstructs your view to the ocean....but being further aft will help with that. It's a long walk all the way to the back but that's the trade-off for having the better view (IMO). Of course, there's nothing like an oceanview balcony....but there's nothing particularly unique about it like there is with the BW or CP balcony. If you do decide to go with the OV balcony, I recommend staying closer to midship as you don't have to deal with the walk. You really can't go wrong either way ! That's the good part.
    4 points
  3. Throwing 2 pennies in the bucket; Since there are plenty of ships with ocean view balconies, I'd opt for the boardwalk balcony this time. The two main complaints can be noise ( I do think the sliders seal pretty well though) and distance from other venues. Has never been a problem for me and I have enjoyed the 3 or 4 times I have cruised in a boardwalk balcony.
    4 points
  4. I'm taking a moment to share my (ongoing) experience with Flights by Celebrity, which is really the same service. On my flight home from Celebrity millennium, the flight from Miami was cancelled. American airlines hasn't been real helpful. They insisted the best we can hope for is a flight on Monday. They offered hotels, but said there are none available. I booked the flight through Flights by Celebrity. So, I called there emergency service at 1am last night. Lisa picked up the phone and tried her best. She got us a hotel at Celebrity's expense. She also got us on the standby list for 8:30 today. Fingers crossed that we will make it
    4 points
  5. rjac

    Corny Jokes

    ?
    3 points
  6. We made it to Houston! I want to give a special shout out to Lisa at flights by celebrity. We were at the top of the standby list this morning. I think she pulled some strings
    3 points
  7. Unfortunately that all means we just keep on sitting in limbo because our government has reached the point where it so monumentally huge and bureaucratic that absolutely nothing really happens except wasting a massive amount of time and energy ? I'm not even sure I know whether my cruise in about 30 days is actually supposed to be happening or not because no one really understands who's in charge and what they have agreed to. Oh well, fingers crossed.
    3 points
  8. Sort-of ....... as of yesterday, there were 85 motions from various parties logged on the court docket. If you've been following this thread you know they involve third parties entering Amicus briefs in support of the FL suit, objections to adding them from the defendants. requests to join the law suit (TX and Alaska) as co-complainants and objections from the defendants to such motions. There's also several technical filings involving court procedure that have no bearing on the arguments/facts of the case. The case has become complicated and you saw in Matt's posts above that Merryday has said, "there are a lot of moving parts ..... and I can only make one ruling." This signals to me that FL has crossed all the thresholds for Merryday to rule (e.g. standing). That is something HHS/CDC has argued against .If you go back to the original claim that was filed by FL it was under Administrative Procedures and Agency Actions. That probably makes it possible for Merryday to consider a rather narrowly defined case that might not take not account the harm FL, TX and Alaska claim as substantial economic harm. At the initial filing, I felt FL had a very strong case from the arguments we saw in filed motions. To wit, FL was never given proper notice or consulted. In response HHS/CDC lawyers filed their motions pointing out they did do both of those things. I thought this was weak sauce because, well, the didn't. They just charged right in, considered doing something or nothing and without consultation with the state PH or transportation officials closed all FL ports to cruise ship traffic. If that was it, FL wins. But it isn't and that became known to us as the motions and counter motions unfolded. HHS/CDDC claim that they acted within their authority given the PHE and granted in U.S.C. 42, section 245. The VSP is within those documents. I read all of it and at that point, felt the FL case had been weakened but still had life. Life came in the form of FL's response that cited the laws that regulate commerce within ports. It's here that I think a case can be made that the HHS/CDC didn't have the authority to do that without consulting both FL and it's involved agencies and the US Department of Commerce - a federal agency that should have been in on the CDC's decision to shut down legitimate commerce in the form of cruise ships. If this were a complete and accurate recap of both sides arguments, the CSO gets enjoined. But it's been pointed out to me that both the law and the spirit of the law help to inform a federal judges ruling. This is where I think it gets very complicated. I also think that as the case unfolded, even though the CDC was scrambling, they made a decent argument that the CSO is a reasonable path forward. We can argue the details but the spirit of the CSO has served a purpose and the cruise lines have complied. Timely? I don't think so and that equates to points in FL's scoreboard. Too arduous so as to make it as difficult as possible to get cruising started faster than the CDC wanted it to? Clearly it was They based this hesitancy to grant an unconditional restart of cruising, correctly defined as a potentially high risk of disease acceleration based on it's definition as a congregate setting. You can disagree with that, you can argue but, but, the Healthy Sail Panel!!!! Wasn't that just as good and much more workable? The ultimate agency to green light the industry once the NSO was lifted is properly the CDC ...... back to the original question - did the CDC exceed it's authority in implementing the NSO? I can see Merryday's ruling going either way. Certainly, his ruling is going to contain questions regarding the clarity of the applicable laws. He'll write in the form of a question, to what extent does existing law grant the CDC authority in a PHE and opine it's not clear. He'll add clarifying vague laws to make them clear is the role of congress not his. I think based on the economic damage the NSO and subsequently the burdensome CSO wrought on the travel and leisure sector of the global economy, because it was so extensive, economic interests WILL come into play although HHS/CDC has worked hard to argue they shouldn't. What else might come up is an opinion that there should have been better oversight through cross agency consultation at the federal level and that isn't covered in the current law - at least not that I can find. It's a tough case and I'm going to fence sit. Regardless the outcome, I think the cruise industry is well positioned to adapt to however Merryday rules.
    3 points
  9. I realize the corkscrew was just an example but, to answer your question, at least in my experience, they have some overnight people with guest services who handle stuff like that. On a cruise a few years ago, one of my daughters was "overserved" at the Windjammer dessert bar. In the middle of the night, she got sick in bed and we called down to guest services for some clean sheets. There was someone other than our regular steward who came up and helped us remake the bed with new linens.
    2 points
  10. In September of 2019 i had my phone in airplane mode with wifi turned on.. as soon as i walked through the gate to Coco Kay my phone started pinging, buzzing and i started to receive texts.. I looked at my wifi settings and there was an ATT hotspot on the island.. So since it was free and i didnt have voom i did a few live vids on FB lol
    2 points
  11. If you like people watching, get the boardwalk balcony. If you like the relaxing ocean views, pick the ocean view.
    2 points
  12. Thanks for posting your cruise experience during your cruise. I'm really happy to see despite a few cases on board the protocols worked and the cruise didn't come to an abrupt end.
    2 points
  13. The blog members dreams coming true to life as the Gang get ready to hit port!!!?
    2 points
  14. I have been in this show (Little Sally -“too much exposition”) and it turned out to be the one I wouldn’t mind doing over and over, even as weird as the premise is. @steverk Thanks for the live blog, it was great!
    2 points
  15. Several contributors on this site have already commented (facetiously) they expect norovirus and the common cold to be used as an excuse to lock down or force restrictions again. As crazy as that sounds - in today's environment, you never know.
    2 points
  16. WAAAYTOOO

    Suite Talk

    1. I agree with @12thman. I would NOT depend on RoyalUp if you really want a full suite. Those chances are extremely remote. 2. GS - I am a huge fan of Grand Suites on all of the Royal Caribbean ship classes EXCEPT for the Quantum class (of which, Anthem is one). Since you mentioned your mom uses a scooter, I would scratch this one off your list immediately. The half wall where the TV is mounted in the Q class GS makes that suite VERY cramped and I would think that she would have a big problem with a scooter. Frankly, I think you would have more room in your JS than you would in a GS on Anthem. I will never EVER pay for a GS again on a Q class ship. 3. I have never stayed (or even seen) a 2 BR GS on the Q class ship so I really have no opinion about this one. As long as the living area is not designed the same as it is in the 1 BR (with that half wall for the TV) you would probably be fine. This might actually provide you with the most comfortable situation as you would each have a regular bed. 4. While I have never stayed in an OS on a Q class ship, I feel confident that you would have plenty of room for your mom's scooter in an OS. Not only would you have plenty of room, but you would have a dining table and regular chairs in your suite so that you could enjoy a comfortable room service meal if you decided to try that. With a full suite, room service is complimentary so you could have breakfast, lunch or dinner (or all 3 !!!) delivered if you chose to do that. It's a very nice treat. Honestly, if you are going to spend additional money, I would NOT waste it on a GS on Anthem. I am fairly sure that you would have to completely remove the coffee table in the living room to be able to get to the bedroom with a scooter.
    2 points
  17. We've docked in st. Maarten. It's hard to believe we are at the end of the cruise. ? We fly out this afternoon. Unless something happens, this will be my final post on this topic. It's been a great cruise and celebrity has worked especially hard to make it a success. I want to thank them for all of the hard work and bold step to be the first ones back.
    2 points
  18. Henceforth a group of ships shall be called a Gang.
    2 points
  19. On getting aggravated by the uncertainty of it all ........ put it in perspective. Since probably sometime in late fall of 2020 it became apparent the pandemic wasn't going to go away and would be around for a while messing with our work, our play and every social aspect of our lives. We started feeling despondent about a return to cruising - that was the case for me. Those feelings were confirmed by rising rates of infection after the Christmas Holiday with eased restrictions. Vaccines started rolling out in December and those early vaccines were available only to at risk groups. Then came a series of hopeful events: targeted vaccines were reducing overall transmission as well as deaths and hospitalizations among all groups and this wasn't by just a little bit. Rates declined almost miraculously. The State of FL sues HHS/CDC and that prompts similar, tagential congressional activity. Reports from Europe and Asia indicated conditional sailings were going off without a hitch in terms of SARS2 outbreaks. Moreover, if there was a positive case on board, it was handled - the health and safety protocols on board these early sailings worked, most of them coming from the Healthy Sail Panel recommendations. These without any government oversight in design or implementation. Free Enterprise ONE, Government regulation and oversight ZERO. Europe, the Caribbean and Asia were looking good for cruises to restart and be available for bookings by US citizens. Many of us booked cruises from those regions when they started showing up on RCL's and Celebrity's web sites. @Mattis on one now and reporting back to us. Celebrity Edge will sail from PEV on June 26th barring any unforeseen changes. The line-up of cruises after that is substantial. So, what's the point? Well, cruising has restarted and although it's slow going to start for US Citizens and shipboard passenger protocols are still missing for cruises now scheduled to sail inside 90d, momentum is building. The FL Lawsuit and State's Governors implementing laws that essentially are preventing cruise lines from sailing from US ports and requiring all passengers to be vaccinated, while a bump in the road it seems, these laws HAVE NOT stopped RCG and others from pressing ahead with work-arounds to those laws. I feel confident that missing, vague or unclear passenger protocols will emerge after Merryday rules this coming week ..... one way or the other. To the cruise Iines, how Merryday rules probably doesn't matter. They are prepared for any outcome at this point. That preperations allows wide-spread restarts without compromising the lines obligations to provide a safe ship-board environment wrt infectious disease. Dozens of ships are scheduled to sail from US ports in July and August and passengers and crew will be safer than ever from becoming ill on board. .......a silver lining so to speak. Personally, and I'll repeat, I don't think a Merryday ruling not in favor of FL will be disruptive to sailings cautiously scheduled and open for booking now from any of the FL ports. You have to congratulate all the cruise lines for where we are today, June 14th 2021 ..... ready to go. You have to take into consideration that the two pathways that will probably emerge next week following a Merryday ruling - (1) a restart under the provisions of the CSO or parts of it or (2) a restart under the provisions of The Healthy Sail Panel Recommendations, unanimously adopted by CLIA member. The most significant difference between these two restart options is that there is no governmental oversight to assure compliance with the provisions of the Healthy Sail Panel's recommendations. When the cat's away, will the mice play? Not IMO. Free Enterprise TWO, Government regulation and oversight, ZERO. The risk of an outbreak that accelerates aboard ship and spreads from disembarked crew or passengers to local communities would be financially devastating to the lines. There's adequate protocols and processes in place to prevent that occurrence -some of them already adapted from both the CSO and the Healthy Sail Panel recommendations. Pressure on the lines to play it safe and the financial costs of screwing this up are just too great to restart cavalierly and without self imposed methods of assuring compliance with any non-government implemented health and safety protocols and procedures. Happy sailing ?
    1 point
  20. Hi all! Jumping on the wagon now that my Sept 11 from Indy was shifted to Odyssey (wooo!). Anyone see any further word on her test cruises or what's happening with that? I can't find anything concrete anywhere and I've been burned enough by rumors and assumptions that I only trust concrete stuff lol.
    1 point
  21. Boardwalk is going to be loud at night. While you may not be able to see the aquatheater show from your balcony (depends on if the slide is in your way or not) you definitely can hear it. Hope you like 80s music!
    1 point
  22. DJsMrs

    Suite Talk

    I’ve stayed in the 2BR grand suite in Anthem and it’s massive inside. You’d easily have room for the scooter. And you can never go wrong with your own bedrooms ? not sure about room for a stool in that shower though.
    1 point
  23. loki007

    Allure of The Seas!

    I've been on Allure pre-amplification. Not sure with COVID if amplification will be complete by next summer? It's a great ship as are all the Oasis class. We love Johny Rockets on the board walk for breakfast (never busy, people don't realize its included, Vintages wine bar in central park, Dinner at Chops (try to sit outside in Central Park). Definitely make time to see Mama Mia in the theatre. You can't go wrong, you'll have a great time.
    1 point
  24. How many in your family? We got a Central Park balcony back in 2011 when our girls were young. It gave us an extra sitting area because even when sailing, it’s not that windy. OV can be windy when underway. With that said, we prefer ocean view balcony. I cruise to see the sea.
    1 point
  25. The days of the extended check-in window are long gone, IMO, even after covid is gone.
    1 point
  26. Thanks so much for your ongoing analysis, @JeffB. I get to play armchair attorney in my day job, but the intricacies of all of this are above my pay grade. So I appreciate your study of what, whichever way the ruling comes down, is a very complicated case with a hodgepodge of overlapping jurisdictions.
    1 point
  27. Lovetocruise2002

    Suite Talk

    I personally, would still agree with @WAAAYTOOOin that the OS is probably better than the GT (2 bedroom GS). The GT is still very "chopped up" with walls and narrow in some areas. The living space/main area in the GT on Anthem is very plain as well. The OS is much more open concept and probably easier to get around in.
    1 point
  28. Does that treason thing come up if we help the gang invade ?
    1 point
  29. I will be sailing on Mariner in an oceanview panaromic (no balcony) suite on December 5th, 2022 & what I would like to know what the amenities are for an oceanview panaromic suites with no balcony? I have found two different list of perks for suites & they both have me confused as to what amenities is included for oceanview panaromic; what amenities would be included For oceanview panoramic (no balcony) suite.
    1 point
  30. The VP Ocean View Panorama (no balcony) are full suites so they will have the same suite benefits that a grand suite and above receive. A "full suite" is any suite above a Junior Suite. The Royal Suite Class concept (Sea/Sky/Star) only applies to Quantum and Oasis class ships. Mariner is part of the Voyager class so it does not have these Royal Suite Classes (Sea/Sky/Star). As such there is no Coastal Kitchen on Mariner and perks like complimentary Voom internet are not included for full suites on any class other than Quantum and Oasis class. Mariner does have a Suite Lounge with a Suite Concierge available as a resource to guests in full suites. For Mariner the last three photos above can be ignored and any reference to a suite restaurant (Coastal Kitchen) can be ignored. When the VP suites were first introduced they were not considered full suites so they were treated like Junior Suites. A few years ago the VP suites were upgraded to full suite benefits so they now provide the same suite perks compared to Grand Suite and above.
    1 point
  31. ConstantCruiser

    Suite Talk

    Suite concierge can handle a wide variety of tasks from making reservations for activities, excursions, shows and restaurants to a number of things guest services does. While they can't do everything guest services does they can look into account issues such as an errant charge that appears mistakenly. They operate on a fixed schedule and are not available 24 x 7 but when they are on shift they can be reached by phone on this class. Most suite concierge will contact suite guests a few days before the cruise giving you an opportunity to make Coastal Kitchen dinner reservations before boarding. JS guests have to wait until they are on the ship to make Coastal Kitchen dinner reservations.
    1 point
  32. Scoular

    Suite Talk

    @WAAAYTOOO thank you for your comments, from someone who has never been in a suite and never had to consider scooter space, it’s really helpful! I agree with your comments on the 1 bed GS, that’s one of the reasons I haven’t bit the bullet yet, as well as the no shower situation. With the 2 bed GS it’s comes as 2 bed, 2 bath, so we’d both get a bathroom and full bed but the shower is one of those tube ones. Not sure if there is enough space for the shower stool in one of those. Does anyone know? The OS has a larger square shower (at least it appears that way from the videos I’ve watched). The 2 bed has a similar partition layout to the 1 bed except the second bedroom and bathroom is right when you walk in, so downside would be she’d kind of be sleeping in an inside cabin, I don’t know her thoughts on that as all of this is a surprise for her! But both having a full bed would also be a lovely plus. The OS also has a similar design to the 1 bed in terms of that partition but she can hobble about with her stick to move around and likely would once she got into the room. It’s a tough decision. I see benefits for both. I think I’m leaning more to OS, better shower, more space, dining options (as you said). I’m waiting to hear back from my TA now as the price they quoted is cheaper on their website, and my original paid price for JS is cheaper now too. Hopefully they can do something for me there to make the upgrade even more inviting!
    1 point
  33. Yes, it’s comical to think the flu just disappeared because of the use of masks. Just before the flu disappeared, we were told about the double effect of flu and Covid. Yes, the reason the flu was a non factor was indeed viral interference. But, come next flu season, there will be those who will push for masks on children again because they don’t understand correlation and causation and it will not stop the flu.
    1 point
  34. Karl

    Grand Loft Suite Questions

    Dear all, I have been a silent reader for some time now and just signed up an account today! Nice to meet you all! I am looking to book a Grand Loft Suite on Quantum. Would you all have any recommendation which room would be the best please? Corner? Level 8 vs Level 10?
    1 point
  35. At least they're social spacing
    1 point
  36. Schedule showed berth 92 Port of Los Angeles.
    1 point
  37. Covid had this peculiar effect of "viral interference" which shut down the flu and pretty much all common cold viruses except rhinovirus. My son was in school full time all year, and kids 10 and under didn't have to wear masks. There were barely any cold bugs going around, and zero flu. It was amazing (other than the shadow of covid) Now the cold virus is coming back and it's freaking people out because they forget what it's like to have the common cold.
    1 point
  38. You will have to use a voucher(s) in the lounge. However you can use them anywhere and anytime of day up to $13, which is somewhat an upgrade over standard DL drink menu. There’s another thread somewhere. Maybe in News and Rumors
    1 point
  39. No one should be subjected to that, my apologies. ?
    1 point
  40. I just stop by any bar on my way back to the room and ask for a few clean wine glasses. I have a corkscrew that NEVER leaves my travel toiletry kit
    1 point
  41. Personally, I'm a OV Balcony or better kinda guy, wife too. That said, I'd like to experience both of these cabins, mainly for people watching. A Boardwalk with obstructed ocean view seems like a good compromise for me (I'd say & us but not sure the wife would want it over OV ?). Either way, so much to do on Oasis screw the cabin! LOL
    1 point
  42. We had a Central Park balcony and enjoyed it. We had our 2 girls with us so it gave us another sitting area. Only downside is you feel kind of close to your neighbors across the way. Didn’t enjoy the guy in his tighty whities each morning drinking his coffee lol Be sure to close your curtains when you’re changing
    1 point
  43. Surprisingly close. The only things I noticed were: Dealing with the pre-boarding changes the week prior to sailing. My advice to anyone following me, read every email in detail. The repeats looked just like the important ones. The crew wore masks the whole time, but the guests didn't There were way fewer people on board. The buffet seemed very normal, but the crew served your food. In Barbados we had to go with a Celebrity excursion to exit the ship. All other ports were normal, but nearly empty.
    1 point
  44. smokeybandit

    Suite Talk

    If you want a suite and it's within your budget, get it now. Don't wait until the end.
    1 point
  45. Lovetocruise2002

    Suite Talk

    You all know where I stand with this, I never would hold out for Royal Up. Book what you actually want now and consider Royal up an extra treat if you want to play the Royal Up game. Also, I have found (pre-covid) that Royal Up works well with cabins where there is a lot of availability (ex. inside/oceanview to balcony) but for suites, when the availability is already low to begin with, the chances of actually getting something through Royal Up are much more slim.
    1 point
  46. stevendom57

    Suite Talk

    YOLO!! Right, Matt?
    1 point
  47. Hmmm. Perhaps they're getting ready to invade! ?
    1 point
  48. DanielB

    Starbucks on Symphony

    Is it September 25th yet????? I moved my Nassau (9/11) cruise to this one. At this point don't care about Starbucks, I just need some Vitamin Sea!
    1 point
  49. Matt

    Allure of The Seas!

    Welcome to the message boards! Check out this blog post Top 10 Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas hidden secrets
    1 point
  50. You clearly haven't seen Urinetown. "It's a privilege to pee!" ?
    1 point
×
×
  • Create New...