twangster

Happy anniversary!

I took an MSC cruise when they were including antigen testing in the terminal. It worked out pretty well. I was just under one hour from walking in the door to walking on the ship. The problem with this approach is with unknown positive cases showing up at the terminal and waiting in the same waiting areas as everyone else for their test result. The person two seats away in the waiting area gets called out with a positive test result. I was six feet away for 45 minutes. Am I a close contact now? Do they flag everyone in my waiting area? The benefit to advance testing is keeping unknown positive cases away from the port entirely. It's also interesting to see the different expectations placed on cruise lines. Should airlines test everyone boarding a flight? Should a resort in a beach destination test everyone arriving? Should Vegas test everyone going to gamble? Should Amtrak test everyone boarding a train? Why should cruise lines be required to do what no other vacation is required to do?

Come to think of it... That's a t-shirt idea. "%$#^ the CDC" and "I bought the drink package so I can take off my mask".

And that is exactly the conclusion the CDC wants you to reach. I'm NOT going to cancel because %$#^ the CDC. I am not going to let them win.

I know for C&A purposes guests in the UK can call the main Royal UK number and reach C&A but I don't know if the casino team can be reached in the same fashion.

Historically Oasis and Quantum class covered up to $13 while the rest of the fleet was $12. https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/royal/media/royal/shared_assets/pdf/Deluxe_Beverage_Package Flyer.pdf † Deluxe Beverage Package includes any single beverage item with a value of up to $12 for select ships and sail dates.

Paying only the difference above the threshold is another nice feature of Royal Caribbean. Some other cruises lines charge the whole amount even if it's a penny over their threshold as I recently observed on a different cruise line.

If they did that it would wipe out Carnival sales in Texas. But then Carnival would install bigger horns. Gives new meaning to cruise ship horn battles.

Royal sent out emails for Indy two weeks before she sailed. The requirement to test was known even before Indy performed her CDC simulation cruise. Somehow this couple didn't get the email AND their travel agent had never heard of these test requirements. The account as written smells awfully fishy to me. On the flip side Royal phone agents are well known to give out bad information. I had a cruise impacted when the 3 day test requirement was added for Florida sailings. In my case I will be coming off another cruise line and won't be on land to get tested. My first phone call was with an agent who recognized the issue and immediately offered to move my cruise without any fees. I wasn't prepared on the spot to reschedule it, the call was to ask what my options were. Shortly after I called back to move the cruise and the second phone agent told me I didn't need to test so I am good. I knew that wasn't case so I informed him he was incorrect. He was adamant so I told him to ask a supervisor. Fifteen minutes later he agreed to move my cruise. If I wasn't fully informed I could have accepted his incorrect answer and I would have been standing at the pier watching the ship sail away like this couple did. Somewhere beyond the story as reported is the truth. The truth rarely works in the news media so we'll likely never know what really happened to this couple.

Royal has indicated they will include testing for B2B and S2S (side to side) i.e. - changing ships. I have some cruises on other lines and I haven't asked if they'll provide testing so I can board another line. They did move a cruise for me without any fees since I wasn't going to be in a position to test coming off another line and boarding Royal. I've thought about trying to do a Binax over Voom but there is a lot of risk involved if it doesn't work or if heavy rain blocks the internet when I need it. Murphy's law - Voom won't work when you need it most for a critical activity.

Not sure how the process works exactly. Chartering a ship is complex. I can only imagine the level of details that must be negotiated. See royalcaribbeanincentives.com for some interesting information. http://www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com/full-ship-charter-faqs/

The CDC doesn't listen to cruise lines. I think that's been well established. The federal government does pay for testing. The problem is availability. The CDC is doing the change to 2 day to make it less convenient to cruise. They are not doing this based on science or data. The last thing the CDC is going to do is pay for it or make it convenient.

MSC Cruises has also implemented 2 day test requirement as of Nov. 1, 2021. https://www.msccruisesusa.com/health-and-safety-measures/caribbean-cruises Nov. 1 Miami and Port Canaveral sailings: NEGATIVE TEST REQUIRED*: All guests 2 years and older — regardless of vaccination status — must provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test at the pier. The test must be taken no more than 2 days before arriving at the terminal for embarkation and the guest is responsible for the test and cost. Fully vaccinated guests must provide either a negative RT-PCR test, negative NAAT or negative antigen test. See below for more details about tests.

It's up to the company doing the charter. They can choose to pay for it or choose not to pay for it. There is a cost for it and somebody has to pay. Contact the charter company or organization.

If you are doing rapid testing then 9/17 is safer. We have no idea if Royal will follow suit but now that Carnival has opened the door it stands to reason the rest of the industry will follow. Also consider the proctored at home test that Royal will accept. I just bought a 6 pack as a backup plan.

In a FB live video brand ambassador John Heald announced a few items of interest as it relates to protocols. Existing protocols will remain through the end of 2021. As of September 13 all guest will require a negative test result taken no more than 2 days or 48 hours from embarkation. Carnival is working to establish rapid testing capabilities at all ports. Carnival is abiding by all CDC recommendations despite an injunction by a federal judge lifting the CDC's CSO for Florida based cruises. Recently the CDC updated it's recommendations to include a 48 hour test window prior to embarkation and Carnival is implementing this change as of September 13. To ease the burden the 2 day testing window will place on cruisers Carnival is working with a testing vendor to add rapid testing capabilities at all ports it is sailing from. It's not known when the new testing will become available. John Heald indicated this isn't designed to be the primary testing mechanism and urged guest to continue seeking tests in advance of boarding day. The onsite testing is intended to be a backup in case guests can not find a test within the 2 day testing window. He did not address the cost for onsite testing but emphasized guests should seek tests before arriving on site. Since Carnival did not perform CDC simulation cruises it must maintain at least 95% vaccinated on board per CDC recommendations. For anyone unvaccinated including children of all ages they must apply for an exemption to be considered for the 5% unvaccinated that can be accommodated on board any given sailing. John Heald indicated these protocols will remain in effect for the rest for 2021.

This isn't about the law or doing what's right. This is about politics and pandering to a base to gain support on a national level for a run at the presidency. He is out to get his name in the national headlines. Fining Carnival millions accomplishes that goal. Anything with "cruise' in a headline gets massive media attention. It's a perfect storm for him. He needs attention at any cost. Royal has never "required" proof of vaccination to sail. Not up until the Bahamas required proof of vaccination. Carnival did require proof of vaccination to sail. They denied service to unvaccinated. They have more potential exposure in this matter. That doesn't mean he won't go after Royal too but he knows he'll lose in court so he might not. Carnival on the other hand will make for a nice juicy headline in the media.

You did mention they sailed Royal right? The same Royal that has the wonderful IT systems we all know and love. The same Royal that is never consistent.

If this is true and they pursue these undue fines against any cruise line, this makes Florida a key ally in the CDC's pursuit to shut down and kill and industry.

In a J4 the bathtub/shower side is not considered a full bathroom because there is no toilet on that side. There is a tub, sink and shower on one side. The toilet on the other side is a half bathroom or powder room with just a toilet and sink. The J3 were once called family junior suites in Odyssey's older sisters. They have a full bath on one side plus a half bath on the other so two toilets. Having said that there may be some odd ball J3 or J4 since this code scheme is more about sleeping capacity rather than the number of toilets. J4 = 2 guests max. J3 = something other than 2 guests.

Technically it's inside the WJ at the entrance.

No one can predict the future and we can't assume what was allowed in August or September will be allowed in January or February. The only known or worst case for winter 2022 is CWC where you get FCC if you cancel a cruises that isn't being cancelled by Royal. For cancellations due to dislike of protocols we really don't know and can't predict but using August and September as examples there was a 30 day window once protocols were announced for a sail date to be eligible for a refund. I wouldn't assume that refund option will always be available in the future.

A common complaint from the late dinner seating crowd was that the C&A happy hour precluded them from enjoying a glass of wine in the MDR since happy hour was over by the time they were seated for dinner. The reality is the crowded DL complaint that many C&A members expressed frustration over was directly tied to open bar. With open bar gone so will be the crowded DL. I think it also sweetens the D+ tier with an extra drink per day. On a 7 night cruise that's 14 drinks for a couple and $168 savings. That's nothing to sneeze at for D+. The writing was on the wall. The pandemic provided C&A an opportunity to do something they had to do.

Allure has a Solarium Bistro for breakfast and lunch but for dinner it becomes Samba Grill, a paid venue. Think Brazilian style steakhouse.

Open bar was never a stated benefit. The change to vouchers was coming even without the pandemic. Personally I love any drink, any bar, any time compared to the cheap stuff they offered in the DL. Any drink, any bar, any time was a significant upgrade. Adding more vouchers was icing on the cake.