KathyC

This time lapse video starts in Skagway and ends near Haines which is on the other side of the channel.  Haines would be on the right in the video but it is tucked away in a small bay so you don't see it in this video going in this direction.
 

Mine has been able to do an extended hold like this too..it's how I snagged a Villa Suite before they were gone!

My TA places the hold, and gives me 6-7 days to put down a deposit.

My TA places the hold, and gives me 6-7 days to put down a deposit.

I'm unpacking and thought I'd share this really nice keepsake Celebrity gave us to commemorate the first cruise back.

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.

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.

Good morning everyone!  Sorry I didn't get to an entry yesterday.
Yesterday, we were in Aruba and took the half day off road adventure. It was a lot more fun than a typical bus tour, but didn't photograph very well.  However it was fun and I didn't realize just how much of Aruba is desert.
First, the 4 wheel vehicles were similar to army trucks.  They had bench seats and were not crowded,  They did have a lively ride and you did come back needing a shower.
Stops included a rock formation, two natural bridges, a lighthouse and a beach.  If you go on this excursion, keep in mind that bathrooms cost a $1 each.
I'm getting ready for a bus tour of Curacao, so I'm going to cut this a bit short.

I think Royal just needs to say forget it to Florida and come up here to NJ for test cruises.  Our Governor isn't banning anything at the moment.  ? 

110% Agree!!!

Check out these blog posts for info: 
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/12/20/best-cozumel-beach-resorts 
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2017/11/29/excursion-focus-nachi-cocom-beach-break-review-cozumel-mexico 
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/09/16/empress-of-the-seas-live-blog-day-4-cozumel-mexico 

I think Royal just needs to say forget it to Florida and come up here to NJ for test cruises.  Our Governor isn't banning anything at the moment.  ? 

I think Royal just needs to say forget it to Florida and come up here to NJ for test cruises.  Our Governor isn't banning anything at the moment.  ? 

I think Royal just needs to say forget it to Florida and come up here to NJ for test cruises.  Our Governor isn't banning anything at the moment.  ? 

I think Royal just needs to say forget it to Florida and come up here to NJ for test cruises.  Our Governor isn't banning anything at the moment.  ? 

I think Royal just needs to say forget it to Florida and come up here to NJ for test cruises.  Our Governor isn't banning anything at the moment.  ? 

So the latest update is not a great one. Things were just not showing any sign of improvement last week, and on Friday I sent the latest pics to the nurse assistant along with a question -- Should I be calling the wound care center at this point?
The answer was a firm yes. Especially so since I'm supposed to be going up to Massachusetts the last week of July for a college visit with my wife and younger daughter (high-school junior). No chance to schedule that later, it's the last week they offer it for this year.
I had my first appointment with them today, and they took a sample for bacterial culture (hopefully the infection is cleared out again, but gotta cover the bases) along with coming up with an initial treatment plan. Real treatment won't start until next week when they have the culture results, and at that time I'll be going 3 times a week for cleanings and bandage changes for at least 3 weeks. After that we'll see, could be going down to twice a week if I heal well.
Given the mounting medical bills (although my new insurance plan with Anthem BC/BS has been phenomenal with how much they've covered), and the fact we learned our 20-year old refrigerator is on its last legs, we're giving up on any cruise plans for this year. A bitter pill to swallow, but there's only so much money available and it's being rapidly eaten up.
I'm not going to make any more updates to this blog until I'm healed. Not really much point at this stage, as there's a long slog ahead of me.

Well, a lot has happened since I last posted.  My wife and I checked out Le Petit Chef to celebrate our anniversary. Very interesting place.  For those that don't know what it is, search youtube.  It's definitely a place that is easier to see in video than explain.
Also, I found some pieces on display from the RMS Olympic.  Very cool!  Given the history of Olympic's two sisters, a superstiscious  person might be uncomfortable.
We arrived in Barbados this morning.  This was supposed to be our last stop, but was moved forward without explanation.  Rumor has it that Barbados required a test within 5 days and they moved it forward to reduce the number of tests everyone had to get.  
Anyway, the only way off the ship is with a ship based excursion.  We took a snorkeling trip and saw a bunch of endangered turtles and a couple ship wrecks.  I recommend this excursion if anyone is coming on a later cruise.
Well, time to get back to the fun! I hope everyone is looking forward to their next cruise!

With so many changes being announced last week, I'm not surprised at the lengthy hold.  I've always done best reaching Royal right at opening time on the east coast.  A lot of the country is still asleep/just waking up, and not making phone calls.  The reps are fresh & ready for the day, so at their most pleasant too.  ? 

With so many changes being announced last week, I'm not surprised at the lengthy hold.  I've always done best reaching Royal right at opening time on the east coast.  A lot of the country is still asleep/just waking up, and not making phone calls.  The reps are fresh & ready for the day, so at their most pleasant too.  ? 

Billy was at Le Petit Chef too tonight.

Captain just announced that  good morning America will be broadcasting live tomorrow morning from millennium 

Thanks @smokeybandit! She's doing a much better job at this than I!  I'll keep it up anyway, because it never hurts to get additional perspective.
The cruise is going well. The skies are cloudy and we have a following wind.  It's just kinda weird to have a wind so strong that it is outrunning the ship.
Anyway, we had a great dinner in the MDR last night and they brought us a special cake for our anniversary.  Tonight we do a proper celebration at Le Petit Chef.  It should be fun.
Today's "cruise compass" (Celebrity doesn't really seem to have a name for it) had instructions to sign up for our end of cruise COVID test.  You could sign up for Thursday or Friday.  We chose Friday because it is a sea day and we didn't want it interfering with out shore time.
Meanwhile. I'm going to sit to sit outside and enjoy my balcony.

It appears that Millie will begin June cruises in St. Maarten but in July Summit will take over her itineraries.  With that Millie heads to Alaska to take over Summit's planned special 2021 Alaska season bypassing Canada from Seattle.
It seems the bill that Congress passed that allows ships to bypass the PVSA listed specific ships that could participate.   Summit isn't on the list, Millie is.  As a result Millie must head to Alaska.   

I am so jealous!  We will definitely be following along.  While you're in St. Maarten, stop by The Blue Bitch and have some wings for me.