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I started our check in today for our cruise next month and got this notification when I went in and ticked that each of us were unvaxxed.

Little do you know that the additional health protocols include taking daily shifts as the "washy washy" person.

ITINERARY: July 1st - Fly to Barcelona July 2nd - Barcelona, Spain July 3rd - Embark Wonder OTS in Barcelona July 4th - Palma de Mallorca, Spain July 5th - Marseilles, France July 6th - La Spezia, Italy July 7th - Civitavecchia, Italy July 8th - Naples, Italy July 9th - Cruising July 10th - Debark Wonder in Barcelona/Take train to Aix-en-Provence July 11th - Aix-en-Provence/Marseilles, France July 12th - Lyon, France July 13th - Lyon morning/train to Strasbourg afternoon July 14th - Strasbourg, France July 15th - Morning train to Paris/afternoon Paris, France July 16th - Morning Paris/afternoon train to London July 17th - London, England July 18th - Arrive home in Glasgow, Scotland July 19th - 27th: A quick cruise onboard "Glaswegian Apartment of the Seas" (chance to recharge my batteries) July 28th - Fly to Rome July 29th - Rome, Italy July 30th - Rome, Italy July 31st - Embark Odyssey OTS in Civitavecchia August 1st - Cruising August 2nd - Santorini, Greece August 3rd - Kusadasi, Turkey August 4th - Mykonos, Greece August 5th - Cruising August 6th - Naples, Italy August 7th - Debark Odyssey OTS/Fly home

So, I'm back from a 2-week Mediterranean cruise on Princess that was going to be a trip of a lifetime with my whole family. Unfortunately, 5 days into our sailing my wife and I both tested positive for Covid-19 and ended up in isolation for a week. I still wanted to give my perspective on Royal vs. Princess, but it's going to be equal parts about my experience as a Covid-positive individual in isolation, along with a general comparison of the two cruise lines and my experience with their ships and regular services. I'll start with the general impressions I have of each: The Ship: We sailed on Regal Princess, which I would say is roughly equivalent in size and capacity to Anthem of the Seas. Regal Princess was very nice, with a gorgeous central Piazza going from deck 5 to deck 7 that reminded me of pictures of the Centrum or Atrium on ships like Brilliance of the Seas. Instead of an indoor Solarium for adults-only swimming and lounging, it has an outdoor Retreat Pool area that is similarly adults-only. While it has the usual collection of shops, it seemed to me that there were fewer of them than on Anthem, which I appreciated. The layout of the ship has one incredibly annoying flaw, however: If you are in an aft cabin, there is no way get to any part of the Deck 5 or Deck 6 mid-ship areas from the aft elevators unless you either go to Deck 7 and walk mid-ship, then go down the stairs; or go directly to the mid-ship elevators and take them to Deck 5 or 6. This tripped us up for a couple days every time we had to go to dinner or wanted to visit the Piazza area. Mainly because of this, I'm rating Anthem and Regal Princess the same in my book. Itinerary: Princess wins this one hands-down. They have far more options for Mediterranean sailings than anything I could find with Royal or sister line Celebrity. They were the only line I found with a rotating set of 7-day itineraries covering different segments of Eastern and Western Med, allowing for a custom mix-and-match for desired trip length and port set, and this is the main reason I chose to sail with them for this trip. I have no idea why Royal (or at least Celebrity) doesn't do the same thing; any attempt at a 2-week Med trip requires a side-to-side sailing with a few days between each leg, originating from widely separated ports. The Cabin: Sailed in an aft-facing balcony when not in isolation, and was in a mid-ship balcony during our isolation period. The mid-ship balconies are just big enough for two chairs and a small table in between, and the chairs need to be up against the sliding door or facing sideways if you want to stretch your legs at all; definitely smaller than Royal's mid-ship balconies that I've sailed in. The aft-facing balcony was about 3 times as large, yet it still had just the standard chairs and table instead of two loungers or two chairs with footrests. This made no sense to me, and we never got a chance to try and get footrests for our run of sea days mid-cruise due to our Covid infection timing. The cabins themselves were basically identical, although I'd say the aft-facing one was slightly more spacious with a less-navigable layout than the mid-ship one. Decor was fine, as long as you like lots of beige. The bed in the mid-ship was hard as a rock, and I had to ask for a mattress topper; the aft-facing cabin's bed was much more comfortable. All that said, I personally liked our cabins on Royal better; decor was nicer, balconies mid-ship are deeper. On-Board Entertainment: My experience here was limited to what was presented in the Piazza and aft-most bar area on the Lido deck. A nice selection of classical, jazz, acoustic guitar, and piano music. None of it super-loud, all the performers talented and capable. I have to give Princess the edge here; Royal always blasts whatever music is playing in one of the bars or other venues, to the point where you can't have a conversation if you're sitting with anyone. On Princess, I could talk with people had I wanted to, or focused on the music if that was my preference. None of us saw any of the main theater shows during the entire two weeks; Cathy and I were sick during most of the time the main shows were on, and the girls were far more interested in doing karaoke and hanging with the group of 18-22 year-olds they found. Crew: This was the area most clearly impacted by Covid, and I can't give a fair comparison right now. Many of the crew were clearly still green; bartenders didn't know what the drinks of the day were (despite placards for them right on the bar) or how to make them, MDR wait staff varied tremendously in quality of service/professionalism, room service had a chronic problem getting our orders right during our isolation period, etc. Overall Experience: For being a premium mass-market line, Princess didn't feel particularly premium to me at all. The wine selections on board weren't as good as on Royal (although I did find a few new wines I am determined to get here at home) Cocktails were consistently super-weak; none of us expected to get loaded off a single cocktail, but all of us agreed that we couldn't even taste the spirit used in anything we ordered. Most of the time, we might as well have ordered a virgin drink. The MDR and specialty dining food quality and menu variety were the same, in my opinion Will note here that several passengers we spoke with on board said that Princess' MDR food was significantly worse than on earlier cruises they'd taken with the line On top of that, my daughters both got food poisoning after eating at the on-board sushi place, which they said was worse than any local sushi place they've eaten or worked at, and was more on par with local supermarket sushi (i.e., the same as what you used to get on Freedom of the Seas) The quality of the crew wasn't any noticeably better or was even slightly worse at times (though I'm trying to give a pass on that because of how new so much of the crew likely still is) Worst of all, Princess pulled a complete bait-and-switch on my whole family. When we booked the cruise in December 2020, we used the Princess Plus option that added their Premiere Beverage Package along with 1-device internet and pre-paid gratuities. In March of this year, Princess replaced the beverage package with a "Plus Package" and never told anyone; if you wanted the Premiere package, you had to now pay several hundred dollars more for their Princess Premiere (which included other extras I had no interest in) or pay the overage for any beverages on the Premiere list. I was beyond pissed off that they didn't grandfather passengers who booked under the original terms. I don't care that it only translated to about $50 in additional charges for me, that is crappy customer service and a pure money grab. OK, now onto the Covid handling experience... Obviously I can't directly compare to Royal, since this is my first cruise since Covid and my first time dealing with isolation protocols. But I have the written experiences of @Matt, @monorailmedic and others to draw on. And Princess just didn't measure up in a few key areas. Communications: Matt and others mentioned how they had regular communications from both medical and guest services, with each often checking to confirm the other had asked about something or informed them of something. The only calls we received daily were from medical, to check on our symptoms (and later to relay results of our daily re-tests). I never heard from Guest Services in any capacity, besides once about mid-way through to see if we needed anything in terms of cabin items like fresh towels and if we were doing OK with the in-room dining. I had to call Guest Services myself to get answers to every one of my questions How was the per-diem refund of our cruise during isolation being handled? (FCC issued to our accounts; I would have preferred a cash refund tbh) Would we be able to join excursions scheduled the same morning if we tested negative? (yes, thank goodness) Would using the laundry service be charged to our account during isolation? (no, it was free; the included forms gave no such indication) Could we continue to order wine, cocktails, specialty coffees, etc? (yes, thank goodness; by day 5 when symptoms were mostly gone and cabin fever had set in, we were seriously ready to get our drink on) Re-testing: Every morning's re-test was an exercise in stress and worry. Not because we were concerned about testing negative; that would be what it would be each morning. But we had excursions every single morning after our initial 5-day isolation window, with meet-up times around 7:45 to 8:15 AM. And no one came to test us earlier than 7 AM, with no call back to us with the result for a minimum of 30 minutes. The first day, we didn't even get that call until almost 8:30. This was after informing the med team about excursions each morning and that we needed to be tested and get our results ASAP to avoid missing it, due to the early meet times. Cathy and I tested negative on different days, and on both of them we got our results about 10 minutes before we had to be at the excursion meet-up location. This resulted in having to hurriedly get our separate stuff back to our original cabin (which was held for when we cleared isolation), and then run down to the meet-up. Each time, Cathy and I only barely made it. Dining: As noted earlier, there were frequent errors with the deliveries, requiring us to call them back and request the items that had been ordered but weren't delivered. There were other times where we had ordered just one of something and ended up with two, which was certainly a better situation but let to a bit of food waste. And to be fair, we did get a visit from a head steward about 2/3 of the way through our isolation to apologize for the errors, and after this the deliveries did get better. He even gave us a plate of chocolate truffles as consolation, although that was the day we both lost our sense of smell and taste. Not their fault, but we were sad they couldn't be properly enjoyed. All this said, there were some positives: Like with Royal, Princess makes the MDR dinner menu available for guests in isolation. On sea days, the lunch menu was also available. This greatly relieved the monotony of the room service menu for these meals, but there was no such option (even on sea days) for breakfast. We had one lucky morning where Cathy begged and pleaded for pancakes, and they scrounged some up for her I also have to give a point to the room service phone staff; they were always pleasant, always patient, and even took time for a minute of chit-chat to help break up the monotony of isolation time I don't really know what my final view of Princess is vs Royal. Getting slammed with Covid and losing half of our vacation really put a damper on the whole experience. But, right now I feel like Royal is still the better line for most times that we'll be cruising. Since we have a decent bucket of FCC available now that will let us get a basically-free cruise (minus deposit), we're looking at options in early 2023; depending on how that goes, I'll likely have come to a more solid conclusion.

Thanks for that. I did have to laugh, though. I was... umm... kinda prolific in my posts when I first joined. I actually have 5.5 thousand posts to my name, including a few semi-live blogs of my past cruises. But since Covid has come and my cruising life got shut down, I just haven't had as much to post about. I took a break from the boards and have only recently started posting again, still pretty limited. I also just don't have as much time for following the boards any more. They are far more active now with a much larger community than when I first joined, and my work life has only gotten more hectic over those years. But I hope to become more active again as things slowly get back to normal and, with luck, Covid finally settles down into something more like a nasty cold that everyone is just going to be dealing with once every couple of years and no longer the life-threatening disease it started out as. It is, thankfully, one of the nicer parts of evolution; lethal parasites don't succeed in spreading their genes as well, so they tend to evolve over time to be far less lethal to their hosts. Here's hoping that Covid-19 continues to follow the same trend, where it's more infectious but far less lethal.

Yes, it's in "the basement" on deck 4. You might want free cappuccino, espresso, lattes, etc. from the complementary coffee machine. You might want to check out the snacks during the nightly 3 hour happy hour. You might want to grab pastries and whatever else they put out during breakfast hours although you can find them elsewhere. You might want to be in a room with no windows. You might want to see the Diamond concierge about something. There's nothing wrong with it; it's just in a crappy location compared to say Freedom class that still has the DL in the Viking Crown.

A fair point, it defines me (many times to exhaustion) and is a term my brother and I use often “me centered” and “others oriented”. I’m not afraid of covid but I have a healthy respect for the damage it can inflict. My opinions on the subject are mine and not intended to be foisted on others here. As I said, just want to know what I’m walking into.

It's going to be surreal, I will probably cry once we've boarded, lol. Three years is a long time!

Ships tend to leave after 4pm, sometimes closer to 5pm. USCG will establish marine exclusion zones based on the direction a spacecraft goes as it launches. Basically they don't want ships downrange in the area where debris could fall if something goes wrong. Usually for Port Canaveral there is an area between land and the marine exclusion zones where large ships can safely enter port. If that isn't possible then USCG will close the port for arriving or departing traffic just before and through the launch window. Once the launch has occurred and the rocket is far enough away the marine exclusion zones are cleared to reflect that. I can't find the projected track of Artemis yet so it's not clear to me if the port will be closed or impacted at all. The port and the launch pads are far enough away that a failed launch resulting in the rocket not leaving the ground doesn't impact the safety of any vessels or people in the port. The worst case scenario for a cruise ship schedule is the port is closed to departing ships 45 minutes before launch on Monday. Once the launch is away or scrubbed then USCG will reopen the port IF they have to close the port at all. Most of the time so far, the port has not been closed to arriving or departing ships during launches, ships just have to sail southerly hugging the coast before turning towards the sea, but that only applies when the track of the spacecraft requires it. Worst case for a cruise ship is likely a 7pm departure roughly 2 hours late. The size of Artemis while impressive has little bearing on the potential for a port closure. The track that it will fly over the first ~30 seconds will determine any marine exclusion areas and/or port closures that might be put in place. The city of Titusville is closer to most launchpads at the Cape compared to Port Canaveral. They won't be evacuating the city for the launch so Port Canaveral won't be impacted either although it could see a lot of vehicle traffic. Hotels in the area are already sold out. The Port has plans for dealing with events like this. I was recently boarding Mariner during a SpaceX launch a few weeks ago. These pics were taken from the terminal parking garage just before I walked into the cruise terminal to check in. The launch pad was about 15 miles away so I used a telephoto lens through the rain to capture it. Granted this was just the "little" falcon 9 rocket that SpaceX uses compared to SLS.

How awesome are those pictures, I am looking forward to sitting on balcony and seeing the Mississippi River for the first time on New Years Eve, just a note on the rate I got, when I called crown and anchor to reserve since i found online (387 per person balcony) the agent put me on hold for ten minutes and then came back and said, " we have to give you the cruise at that price." It made me believe that there was an error in pricing as the next day it was 897 per person for a balcony room. I felt lucky to find the low price but wish others could have shared in that pricing structure. I am thankful for all the talk on this feed it really has made me more excited to visit new orleans and we are going to spend a day there on the way back before going home to enjoy what the city has to offer. I continue to be thankful for the knowledge that is in this blog from the leaders of it to everyone else and their years of experience. My wife and I read this all the time and continue to learn new things about everything cruising.

Here are some NOLA embarkation related pics from January 2019 on Vision. The cruise ship terminal is right beside the Riverwalk Outlet mall. Julia Street is also where the convention center is located. The mall is above the cruise terminal on the second level. The terminal is industrial looking given it's below and on the back side of the mall. This area is technically below sea level so there are flood doors that can be closed where the cars are driving through. Bag drop across the street. I was early so before I went inside the terminal I had some time to kill. I walked over to the Riverwalk mall. Outside there are seating areas for bars and restaurants and a walking area that overlooks the river. Turns out the ship is right there. With my thirst quenched it was time to walk back to the terminal. Once inside it's a cruise terminal like many cruise terminals. Ah the good old days of muster 1.0. I don't miss this. However it shows you the proximity to the bridge across the Mississippi river. This is as far as large ships can go up the Mississippi river as the bridge doesn't have a high clearance. Lots of river traffic, barges mostly and the famous Natchez belting out steamship whistle tunes. View from our ship to the old poop ship, now the Carnival Sunrise. We turned and began our river cruise down the Mississippi. In January the days are much shorter so sunset was upon us just after sailaway. Looking back at "downtown" NOLA. Already around the first bend in the river looking across at the bridge near the terminal. We were being followed. Pics don't do this justice. Unless it's raining plan on being outside for the sail down the river. In January much of the cruise down the river to the Gulf of Mexico is in the dark due to the short days. That doesn't photograph well but in places it's fun to look out and watch other ships coming up the river pass us by. Come morning and sunrise we are in the Gulf.

I may be wrong, but I am pretty sure that she was not referring to you

And I am an “others oriented” person. My concern is not for me but for asymptomatically carrying the infection home to vulnerable loved ones. And yes, I take precautions in my every day life too. And please don’t tell me it’s time to get on with my life. My job put me at the forefront of this from the beginning. I’m just looking for enough information to make a decision for myself and my family.

Why are you afraid of the unvaxxed? Follow the science, it makes no difference to you getting infected.

Dang, I got a little teary-eyed thinking I just may actually hear it on a ship soon.

PLEASE keep the topic as it relates to cruising only.

Agree 100% We are taking our granddaughter who will be 5 yrs old at the time to visit Santa in Lapland next year. It's about creating memories not just for ourselves but for those we love.

Ask your cabin attendant for a couple of glasses and you are good to go. Royal delivers several bottles of wine to me courtesy of the Crown and Anchor Society so I usually have glasses in my cabin when I board. When I bring wine I buy screw top bottles so no cork screw needed. If you bring the bottle with you to dinner then the MDR "could" impose the corkage fee but if you bring a full glass poured in your cabin they don't.

Happy to (hopefully) get an extra day to test for our 8 day October cruise. We are flying in 2 days early this time so being able to test prior to hopping on the plane will be nice.

On the semi-serious side, I think some folks have forgotten to have fun. When I was working, there were management consultants teaching people the value of laughing each day and keeping perspective. I don't think one can have fun on any vacation if one is constantly comparing this to that like an evaluator hired by the cruise line. Part of cruising is living in the moment...Perhaps some people need a video to psych themselves up to enjoy their cruise -- view it right after the muster drill!

Totally subjective, as others have said, and I agree with Ryan as well. When my kids are with me I want stuff that will entertain them, waterslides, flow rider, golf, bumper cars, etc. When my husband and I go alone we really enjoy the smaller ships. We've done Rhapsody and Serenade and both were great. Another thing to think about is your destination, the smaller ships can go some really cool places that the larger ships can't.

Shows are booked through the app once you have boarded and connect to the ship's wifi. Once you are on the wifi you will see a reserve now button and you'll be able to make the show reservations. Make sure you have all your reservations linked so you will see all parties on the app, or make sure one person on each reservation uses the app to reserve for everyone on that reservation. You will know you have done it right because it will ask you to select the people you are reserving for. The add to calendar items won't prompt you to select individuals.

Just made it back from Rome after a fantastic sailing on Odyssey of the Seas. I was also on Wonder of the Seas at the start of July so this means I was able to sail on both of the new ships in Europe this summer. Going to do a trip report of both cruises alongside the land segment in France in the middle. Will discuss my experiences on the two ships and how they differed however note that these are two very different types of ship so can't really be compared. Just enjoy each for what they offer, right? Let's go!!

Let me chime in on this. I had the biggest social anxiety fears when I went solo back in January. I was asking everyone on here for advice, and they were quite helpful. As a side note, I also went solo in March. But, to get to your question. I had the best cruises of my life going solo. I answered to NO ONE. If I wanted to do something, I did it when I wanted to. I've always been coupled up on a cruise and beholden to the other persons whims. Let's go do this instead of what I wanted to, etc. I climbed the rock wall, that was a new adventure for me, and I LOVED IT!! I went to the ice skating show on my own, AND LOVED IT!!! I saw Grease in the theater and, ohhh... I LOVED IT!!! I went to every specialty restaurant on the ship on my own. I LOVED IT!! I think the only one I didn't enjoy was Izumi, that's because they sat me in the back corner by the kitchen and it was noisy, and HOT as a mug! I did excursions on my own. I was a CocoCay on my own, and I enjoy water slides, and I did all those with me, myself, and I. I LOVED IT!!!! There was an excursion on speed boats in Cozumel. I got to drive the boat, with no one else in there. JUST ME!!! It was by far the best excursion I have been on. If I had known how much fun I have doing things with just me, I would have done this a long time ago. Like I said, I have a fair bought of social anxiety. Solo cruising kicked that to the curb. It makes you meet and chat with people. Anyone and everyone. I would also recommend joining the Facebook related to your ship and cruising date. This is a MUST do. I met several people that way You'll have a blast, just have the expectation that you WILL be comfortable with yourself, and that you are an amazing person and kick ass!! You'll have a blast!!!! As a side note. I forgot to put this in here... Get a balcony room. I loved hanging out on the balcony.

I like and hate this question at the same time. Right off the bat it makes me happy and sad at the same time. That is sailing solo in a single thought. Pros: You answer to no one. you get up and go to bed when you want You eat what and when you want. You can get through the entire dinner in 40 minutes because you are not waiting on others. You get to go to the shows you like. If you do not like the show you leave. You can change your plans at a moment's notice without any discussion and compromising. You do not have to worry about how the other person feels. Speiclaty dining and excursions are cheaper because it is for one person. You can be alone when you want. Cons: The formal nights are a hard night because you are alone. The ship is full of couples and families taking specialty pictures and having group dinners and you are alone. When you go on excursions you are the person on the bus or boat setting alone. It shows and feels worse there because seats are in groups of 2. You pay double occupancy on cruises and hotels. You pay the same for taxi or uber as a couple. You have to be careful with people. Women or men think you are hitting on them some of the time because you are looking for someone to talk to. Women or men will be looking to sleep with you because you are solo. It is hard if you do not like being alone.

I will happily stay on the ship, no problem at all.

Very kind and generous of you. My wife's parents have been taking us and her sister's family on a family cruise every 5 years for the past 10 years. It started with their 40th and all 3 families have anniversaries that aren't far apart and happen to be in 5 year increments so everyone is always celebrating something. This past May was their 50th (our 20th) so they got us all suites for the milestone and we had an incredible time. Happy planning!

If you are a social person then the DL can be a fun place to meet other cruisers you have sailed with before. Here is the original Oasis class DL: The new Oasis DL on deck four was documented in this trip report: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/17015-an-amplified-agglomeration-of-oasis-pictures-post-amplification/&do=findComment&comment=176041 Very similar to other Oasis class deck 4 DL's.

My son turned 3 on a cruise ship and has now been on 10 cruises. He'll be D+ on his own merits next year.

@Bowen, when is your cruise, where do you embark, and what are the destination ports. Thanks and I hope this is an indication of a significant relaxation in protocols.

Kinda sad that one could not vacation with their kids. My parents never went anywhere without us! My kids are adults and I still try to take them whenever possible.

When I boarded in Seattle they were checking everyone for ArriveCAN. Guests who didn't have were directed to an area outside to get it done. It was the ArriveCAN checking that threw a wrench in the boarding process and slowed everyone down. The queues were long and folks didn't have proof of ArriveCAN out so they had to fumble to find their phone, then launch the app, then show the app, etc. Repeated 4,000 times it slows everyone down when most folks didn't have it ready to show and some percentage didn't have it all and then asked 1,000 questions instead of getting out of the line and getting it done. "What is ArriveCAN? No one told me. How do I do it? What's an app? I didn't think that applied to me, I'm American. Do my kids need it too? What about Grandma? She isn't getting off the ship. " Get out of the way. I have mine done and ready to show, but no, they stand there asking 25 more questions. That is what made the boarding lines move so slowly. Not getting off in Victoria is irrelevant. The ship has entered Canada by the time it has sailed into the harbor. If you were not processed by Canada immigration you would be in violation of the PVSA. Staying on the ship doesn't matter, you are in Canada while you are on the ship in Victoria.

Definitely Intercontinental Miami. No other hotel beats this view.

LOL! @JLMoranbeat me to a response to this but I am laughing so hard right now. Joe is as long winded as they come! But we love @JLMoranand he's been around for a long time.

They use both B and C in Barcelona for check in. I would think that it would be fine to bring your son with you, but I would call Royal or your TA to be sure.

My husband and one of the friends we cruise with smoke cigars on the cruises all the time. Any outdoor smoking area is also open to cigars. The casino is not. There used to be a smoking lounge on the freedom and voyager class ships but they are pretty much gone (a surprise when one hasn't been amped out). So go out on deck and meet up with the other cigar smokers and have a good time like my hubby does!

Admission: I love a good cigar. It doesn't call to me and I don't wake up in the morning and reach for a drag, but on the golf course or on the veranda with bourbon.....watch out! I am advocate of designated spaces, but if you can smoke a cigarette....can't see a good reason you can't smoke a cigar. The smell on clothes argument simply doesn't work. Cigars produce too much "smoke".....well....it's a smoking area. What cubic volume is appropriate? A couple of the Freedom class ships had a smoking lounge with TVs up near the Star Lounge on deck 5. I am jumping on the Independence tomorrow and will check. It had one, but I think it was removed. It is/was a friendly place to grab a beverage, take your cigar, and fellowship with others. I am not sure about the casino, but I am going ask when I jump on. I don't think you can. Some of the ships have Cigars Under the Stars. It happens later in the evening way up on deck....away from the festivities.

Try the Best Western Plus Oceanside Inn: https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-fort-lauderdale/best-western-plus-oceanside-inn/propertyCode.10212.html It's not fancy but it's right by the beach, walking distance to a water taxi stop, restaurants, shops, etc. and comes with a very decent included breakfast, as well having both a fridge and a microwave in the room. Sign up for their loyalty programme beforehand for a members' discount. It's a short ride to the port so not costly to get there. We have stayed there twice before and would definitely stay again if we were cruising out of Fort Lauderdale.

Optimist - half full Pessimist - half empty Pragmatist - it's dirty and needs to be washed Opportunist - hey! free booze!

Awesome! I’ve never traveled this time of year and can’t wait! I’ve decided to do what raye suggested…I have the 3 times booked and the 3 dining pkg as well. I don’t mind tying up the extra money. As soon as we are on, I will head to a restaurant. If they won’t take my times, then I will cancel the pkg. if they do! I will take the pkg. I had to do the opposite dining pkg time (9pm) since the planner wouldn’t let me overlap day 2 times. After I settle that! I will book all the shows…frankly I’m such a planner that I’m a nervous wreck!! Jane

On the app there are no restrictions as you cannot buy anything from it. For the Sea Pass card, if you want to restrict them from purchases such as arcade credits then you need to set that up on the website prior to sailing or with guest services. We saw a kid rack up over $1000 in arcade charges and had his parents restrict it after the damage was done. Funny though, they did not restrict the other son's charge privileges and the first son used it to rack up more charges.

JLMoran, totally agree. Absolutely love the information you shared. You are a gifted writer and should contribute more to the message board. Based on today's CV metrics, severity, overall physical impact, sympton duration, testing accuracy to symptom/impact, what life is like everyday and everywhere.....I'm not testing. If I really feel bad, I will stay in the room then go out when I feel better. Same goes for my family. The math and statistics overwhelmingly suppport carrying on business as usual to the average person. Again, thanks for sharing.

That's a very very subjective question. Though Navigator would be tickled that someone called her "newer"

I set a reservation ahead of time and eat early. I like to have my dinner at 6:00 pm and most of the time get right in and they are very accommodating. Covid has messed things up and it is harder to get a table with a group. They have set me at tables right next to other solo travelers.

We were able to book shows the second we got on the ship. It's super easy to look through what's available and choose what day/time you want to attend the show. I would definitely recommend doing it once you're on. Just basically take a seat in the Promenade or whatever your ship has and do it since shows will fill up very quickly.

One more place I can recommend as a great place for a pre-/post-cruise stay is the River Palace Hotel, in Rome. It's located at Via Flaminia 33, just a block away from the Piazza Del Popolo and about 3/4 of a mile from the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. We stayed here 1 night, and it was great. Very comfortable beds, good air conditioning on both floors of our unit (bed and desk upstairs, bathroom and closet downstairs), they have solid wi-fi, and the bar is great. I got a generous pour of that evening's Chianti, along with an assortment of little snacking items (peanuts, flavored mini rice cakes, etc) 7.5 Euro. Enjoyed that while wife and girls had a short nap before dinner. And the decor is amazing! All for a (to me) reasonable price for such a centrally located hotel in Rome, with very easy access to lots of restaurants, major sites, and more.

Currently onboard Odyssey. We moved on from the scene after a couple of hours as another ship (seemingly a cargo ship) was able to assist. Captain Sindre updated us earlier that all on the boat are rescued and safe.

JL Moran, thanks for sharing. I loved the read and loved the candid Princess info. We've considered trying them a couple times, but stayed loyal to Royal. My family regularly struggles with "hay fever" symptoms and allergies...it's a Michigan thing. On any given morning, afternoon or night, we (one of our family of 6) could feel like we had a cold during the summer.....any. Don't judge, unless I am face down, feverish, stuffed up, and unable to operate.....I wouldn't test. Especially in light of the brevity of current CV variants. If everytime myself or my family had the sniffles, stuffy nose, headache and tested....we would be one of Abbott Labs largest customers or we would be able to buy Big Screen TVS with CVS rewards points. It simply isn't practical, since we've been like this way prior to CV and never paid it no mind. I in no way think it is wrong for you to test, I am just curious at what point do you feel convicted on a 2 week expensive cruise of the lifetime to test? Also, the bait and switch beverage change would be a deal breaker for any future cruise with Princess. You can't do that to customers.

The same argument could be made for "why would anyone pay for a meal on a cruise when there are so many great included options?"

Apparently we Vision class fans are 1%’ers, I am good with that We need a club and a special handshake.