bhageerah

I have to agree, for me wearing a cloth mask and being able to walk around in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops and relax is absolutely NOTHING like wearing this all shift and being uncomfortable .  I would not wear it the entire time but mainly when I was in public places, which is why having a balcony would be important since I would be able to order breakfast or another meal through room service and sit out there and enjoy it and watch the waves roll by.   

I have to agree, for me wearing a cloth mask and being able to walk around in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops and relax is absolutely NOTHING like wearing this all shift and being uncomfortable .  I would not wear it the entire time but mainly when I was in public places, which is why having a balcony would be important since I would be able to order breakfast or another meal through room service and sit out there and enjoy it and watch the waves roll by.   

I have to agree, for me wearing a cloth mask and being able to walk around in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops and relax is absolutely NOTHING like wearing this all shift and being uncomfortable .  I would not wear it the entire time but mainly when I was in public places, which is why having a balcony would be important since I would be able to order breakfast or another meal through room service and sit out there and enjoy it and watch the waves roll by.   

I have to agree, for me wearing a cloth mask and being able to walk around in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops and relax is absolutely NOTHING like wearing this all shift and being uncomfortable .  I would not wear it the entire time but mainly when I was in public places, which is why having a balcony would be important since I would be able to order breakfast or another meal through room service and sit out there and enjoy it and watch the waves roll by.   

I just don't see how wearing a mask is a dealbreaker. You're choosing staying home over having a vacation merely because a piece of fabric may have to be lightly attached to your face? If you have a well fitting mask, it shouldn't fog your glasses (I wear glasses every time, sometimes 2 pair if it's sunny, NERD ALERT) and with a light enough fabric, breathing easily shouldn't be an issue. If it helps us all stay safer and greatly lessens spread via moisture, why not wear one? I do it to keep others around me safe, not because I like the way it looks or feels. 
Wearing a mask in a public venue on a vacation on a Royal ship  >  not wearing a mask sitting at home for sure! 
 

Exactly this. I'm going on the cruise that follows that one. Hopefully by that point, I'll have 2 other cruises under my belt and will be an old hand at whatever they're asking of us...but I'm definitely not cancelling.

I know that I may be a bit "touched"  but as crazy as things are out here I would love to be on a ship with people that you know do not have the disease, have a lighter work schedule and have the run of the ship.  I know that the routine would get old but it is also getting old here in Virginia only being able to go to places that have been deemed necessary.  At least on the ship I would not have to head out and look high and low searching for hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and disinfectant!!
I will say that I understand that they can be a bit angry at the moment but they also need to look at the big picture and realize how hard it is for RCCL to get them home during this worldwide crisis.  I can understand their anger if they have loved ones at home that are dying but if everyone is ok and life at home is fine then relax a bit and stay safe.  

There is a cruise leaving Baltimore Dec 10th unfortunately none of the family would be able to go and I would have to go solo, given the price point that they are offering it is making it hard for me to resist.  I honestly would isolate myself and wash my hands more regularly and be very conscious of what I touch but I would gladly sail before there is a vaccine.  I am not downplaying the seriousness of the illness but I have seen patients that have some serious comorbidities such as being diabetic, having hypertension and weighing over 500 pounds and the only symptom that they had of being COVID positive was that they lost their sense of smell for two weeks.  To the opposite end of the spectrum where people are being intubated, and placed on the vent.  I understand the choice I am making and feel that if I am able to use the same common sense that I use when I go out anyway that I should be fine, wear a mask in certain places, washy-washy, sanitize like its going out of style and just relax and enjoy the cruise! 

I know that I may be a bit "touched"  but as crazy as things are out here I would love to be on a ship with people that you know do not have the disease, have a lighter work schedule and have the run of the ship.  I know that the routine would get old but it is also getting old here in Virginia only being able to go to places that have been deemed necessary.  At least on the ship I would not have to head out and look high and low searching for hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and disinfectant!!
I will say that I understand that they can be a bit angry at the moment but they also need to look at the big picture and realize how hard it is for RCCL to get them home during this worldwide crisis.  I can understand their anger if they have loved ones at home that are dying but if everyone is ok and life at home is fine then relax a bit and stay safe.  

There is a cruise leaving Baltimore Dec 10th unfortunately none of the family would be able to go and I would have to go solo, given the price point that they are offering it is making it hard for me to resist.  I honestly would isolate myself and wash my hands more regularly and be very conscious of what I touch but I would gladly sail before there is a vaccine.  I am not downplaying the seriousness of the illness but I have seen patients that have some serious comorbidities such as being diabetic, having hypertension and weighing over 500 pounds and the only symptom that they had of being COVID positive was that they lost their sense of smell for two weeks.  To the opposite end of the spectrum where people are being intubated, and placed on the vent.  I understand the choice I am making and feel that if I am able to use the same common sense that I use when I go out anyway that I should be fine, wear a mask in certain places, washy-washy, sanitize like its going out of style and just relax and enjoy the cruise! 

I know that I may be a bit "touched"  but as crazy as things are out here I would love to be on a ship with people that you know do not have the disease, have a lighter work schedule and have the run of the ship.  I know that the routine would get old but it is also getting old here in Virginia only being able to go to places that have been deemed necessary.  At least on the ship I would not have to head out and look high and low searching for hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and disinfectant!!
I will say that I understand that they can be a bit angry at the moment but they also need to look at the big picture and realize how hard it is for RCCL to get them home during this worldwide crisis.  I can understand their anger if they have loved ones at home that are dying but if everyone is ok and life at home is fine then relax a bit and stay safe.  

There is a cruise leaving Baltimore Dec 10th unfortunately none of the family would be able to go and I would have to go solo, given the price point that they are offering it is making it hard for me to resist.  I honestly would isolate myself and wash my hands more regularly and be very conscious of what I touch but I would gladly sail before there is a vaccine.  I am not downplaying the seriousness of the illness but I have seen patients that have some serious comorbidities such as being diabetic, having hypertension and weighing over 500 pounds and the only symptom that they had of being COVID positive was that they lost their sense of smell for two weeks.  To the opposite end of the spectrum where people are being intubated, and placed on the vent.  I understand the choice I am making and feel that if I am able to use the same common sense that I use when I go out anyway that I should be fine, wear a mask in certain places, washy-washy, sanitize like its going out of style and just relax and enjoy the cruise! 

Exactly!  They aren't allowed to take commercial flights home from the US, so Royal has to logistically figure out what the best way is to get them home.  They have to coordinate to figure out what foreign ports will allow the ship to dock that also will have airports where they can fly these chartered flights home.  When you've got crew from all over the world, it isn't like they can just charter a single flight to get everyone home.  I'm sure the communication may not be the best for some of the crew that have been waiting to go home.  They will hear plans change time and time again as the cruise lines (and it's not just Royal!) have to change their plans.  They may not realize the issues that these ships face and the fact that international travel is restricted in a lot of places right now and that includes most of the major hubs that the crew members would go through before splitting off to their smaller home cities.

The name of it sounds like a tagline for underwear: "Lift & Shift for that Royal Wedgie."

I think Carnival's statement that they aren't starting until after the "no sail" order expires around the end of July tells us all we need to know.  Royal is just canceling in waves to keep their cash flow a bit better.  They are making trips to Asia to drop off crew.  They wouldn't do that if they just have to pick them back up two weeks later.
 

The cruise line suspended cruise operations on March 13 but threw St. Patrick’s Day parties on March 17 that were attended by more than 1,000 crew members, according to Winkleman.
My last day at work for a national retailer was March 17th.  Should I sue my employer?  Please note by the time my company decided to close their doors other retailers had closed or at least shortened their hours.  
This is absolutely ridiculous.  That attorney should be ashamed of himself and his law firm because they are nothing more than ambulance chasers.  They did not force these people to attend the party.  At that time if memory serves me correctly nowhere in the US on the 17th of March were there the regs of standing 6 feet apart and wearing masks.  
Additionally, of course they have to do mandated drills.  That is not an option for any ship at sea.  It is mandated by the Coast Guard. 
With attorneys like this, cruise lines are screwed because they lose either way.
 If they don't do the mandatory drills, some crew members will sue saying that RCL was negligent and flagrantly ignoring sea regulations, thus putting their lives in jeopardy.  There are stories in the news of crew members being stuck in their cabin 21 out of 24 hrs a day.  I am sure that there will be a lawsuit to follow, for the exact opposite of this law suit where they were not allowed to go to the dining areas to eat.  The girl from Illinois comes quickly to mind.  I am sure she or her family are in contact with an attorney.  She is an American citizen, but can't disembark due to CDC regs and cruise line issue. Finally, I feel for those people that are part of the class action lawsuit.  I hope they get a lot of money.  Why?  Because in the end this will become the end of their career with any cruise line.  Do they actually think that RCL is going to offer them another contract?  I wouldn't be shocked if the list of names on the class action against RCL does not somehow find its way over to the Carnival and NCL attorneys and than that list somehow finds it way to the HR dept for a DO NOT HIRE list.   Thus, these people signing up for this lawsuit believing in this attorney and not realizing what may occur in the long run.
 

Theres no doubt in my mind that when these crew members, who having worked long hours for weeks or even months on end with almost no social life found out about a party onboard with music, free food , drink and the chance to get lucky, that they refused to go and were forced to attend against their will.
Lets not forget that the whole world was on lockdown on the dates mentioned ( not ) that social Distancing measures had been implemented across the globe ( not ) and that the whole world knew what was coming because this virus had been classed as a pandemic ( not )
Honestly this is why i could never stay in the US, i would be scared to go outside in case i farted in the wrong direction and got sued for spoliling someones day 
 
 
 
 

No direct personal experience but my brother and his family ran into bedbugs on Freedom OTS a few years back when we did a family thanksgiving cruise.
Royal packed up all their clothing, ran it through the laundry and returned it folded later in the day.
Pulled all the furniture from the room (couch, mattress, linens, etc.)
Did a major clean of the room, treated carpets, etc. (they werent allowed in the room at all for the day but were given an alternate space to use bathroom, take a nap, change, etc.)
Replaced the furniture after cleaning the room.
Threw in a big enough FCC that they took a "free" cruise a year or so later.
Bad experience getting the critters but Royal did a good job taking care of the problem.
They were in a family cabin since they had the kids along, otherwise i think they would have just been "swapped" to the open cabin instead of moved out and back in but regardless, they were still happy coming off the cruise and took another ... so im guessing they were ok with the solution.,

Out of the nine cruises under our belts we have not had one issue with ANY sort of bugs.  Haven't even seen an ant onboard! Even if there was an issue I know enough to know that it would be handled by the staff onboard.  RCCL does an amazing job of taking care of their guests as well as their brand.  Bed bugs are a hot topic, and if they did have any issues and not take care of them promptly that would create some extremely horrible press for their brand.  You really don't have much to worry about!  Take your cruise and relax! Leave all the stress at home where it belongs! 
 

Out of the nine cruises under our belts we have not had one issue with ANY sort of bugs.  Haven't even seen an ant onboard! Even if there was an issue I know enough to know that it would be handled by the staff onboard.  RCCL does an amazing job of taking care of their guests as well as their brand.  Bed bugs are a hot topic, and if they did have any issues and not take care of them promptly that would create some extremely horrible press for their brand.  You really don't have much to worry about!  Take your cruise and relax! Leave all the stress at home where it belongs! 
 

Regarding the North Slope workers, the 14-day travel quarantine STILL applies to them, even thought they are considered "Critical Infrastructure".  The oil producers have been either using in-state personnel, or just extending the work rotation schedules of those employees already working up there (in other words, NOT rotating them out).  They did have one confirmed case of COVID-19 on the North Slope, and quickly isolated them from everyone.  The producers have also cut production down quite a bit over the last few weeks, and are certainly scaling back on ALL activity.  I'm sure this has significantly reduced the required labor workforce.
As an interesting side story with all of this, several of the North Slope oil producers got together and contracted with Alaska's largest local in-state regional commuter airline (Ravn Airlines) to provide air-travel service between the North Slope and Fairbanks & Anchorage, so that the employees didn't have to travel with other "public" air transportation to help keep the employees better isolated and separate.  Then literally about 4 days later, Ravn Airlines filed chapter 11 bankruptcy and completely stopped all service in the state leaving the oil producers high and dry!  I haven't heard exactly what the producers did to replace the lost commuter airline service, but am assuming they just re-contracted with large commercial carriers such as Alaska Airlines.  This regional airline (Ravn) also serviced about 115+ cities, towns, and small villages in the state, and has now stranded many remote communities with no travel ability out of their area.  Ravn Airlines was also the ONLY airline that serviced the small city in which I live, so instead of me flying to Anchorage (35 minute commuter flight) to connect with regular commercial flights, I now have to drive 4+ hours to get to Anchorage!  At least I am on the road system, and CAN drive!

As I currently reside in Alaska, I'm seeing first hand the impact this current 14-day travel quarantine has had on this state.  Obviously, cruising has been completely shut down until at least July, and it has had devastating effects on the travel and tourism industries up here.  All restaurant dine-in service has been completely stopped, with local take-out the only option allowed.  National and state parks have closed, along with stopping all passenger train service.
The governor locked down travel in the state in the latter half of March.  This even includes travel BETWEEN communities and towns in Alaska!  This has been a very literal stay-at-home statewide mandate.   As of today (4/28/20) we have only had 351 confirmed cases in the entire state, and have had only 9 deaths.  Our "new case" rate is anywhere from zero to three or four a day, and has been trending downward.
Just this last weekend, the governor released "phase 1" of opening things back up, and that is the permission to now travel between communities with minimal human-to-human contact (stay in your car), and restaurants can now open at 25% capacity with reservations ONLY and 10' distance between tables.  This "phase 1" is suppose to last 10-14 days before the next "phase 2" is considered, depending on how the new COVID-19 cases progress and trend.
The restriction of interstate travel is supposed to be considered for lifting in "phase 4" which is about 45-60 days or so out.  This would put it at the end of June / first part of July.

::::: edited for the sake of my reputation points here :::::

Paramedic Firefighter here and I also work part time in the ER as a ED Tech, no change here other than washing my hands and using hand sanitizer as usual.  People are going nuts over this thing and do not realize that yes it is deadly but mainly to those that are old/young in age and have secondary conditions such as diabetes or congestive heart failure.  For the average person that is young or middle aged then it is almost like a case of the flu.  The coronavirus is not as lethal as some media outlets are making it seem, that being said I know that it is spreading rapidly but its just not as lethal as some are fearing that it is. 

As most have stated, if it means that I can watch the drill elsewhere I DEFINITELY agree with it.  I do not mind the muster when we get to go inside to a restaurant or other venue on the ship. But it gets rather aggravating when you are on the deck in the hot sun packed in like sardines and waiting for everyone to show up.  Longest one that I have participated in lasted over 30 minutes due to there being quite a few people that decided to show up late.  Being able to view my station in my room and not have to be shoulder to shoulder with everyone on deck in the hot sun would be a welcome change!