twangster

On the Oct. 8, 2021 sailing we have 3,300 guests on board so the WJ is open for dinner!

Brightline Miami to Tampa by 2028. Orlando - Miami $100 one way. No Brevard station in the near term plans https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/10/09/brightline-planning-320-mile-florida-passenger-rail-route-from-miami-to-tampa-by-2028/

I just sailed Princess in Seattle. They didn't have three checkpoints asking for the same documents again and again. I showed my card once. If someone in Seattle was making it sound like there were three agencies there, that must be unique to Royal.

In Miami it was all the same terminal contractor uniforms. The last two checkpoints were in the suite lounge in terminal A. I was the only person there since it was after 3pm. The one person sat me down and did the check in thing. The other lady guarding the rope barrier to the ship watched. Next I went to the lady guarding the rope barrier. After checking my documents again she literally said "...and now I will open the barrier for you". It was like a skit out of a Monty Python video. They should really have something like checkpoint charlie and a big swing up barrier to make it more dramatic. "Show me your papers!".... "You may pass... THIS TIME".

The reality is Royal processes are not perfect right now. Upload your vaccination card but you need to show it three different times before boarding, sometimes at checkpoints that are literally 25 feet from each other. Does Royal think it's possible to become unvaccinated while walking 25 feet? Do they not trust their own processes? Maybe the first checkpoint forgot to ask for the card so have checkpoints two and three ask for the same documents again after asking the guest to upload it. If an unvaccinated slips on board they deserve to be there after making it through the gauntlet.

I *think* it's Captain Per. He was on in September so makes sense his time is up for this cycle.

I'm okay with that. I've seen way too many guests drop the handle of a serving utensil into the food contaminating the whole tray or reach in with bare hands, touch something then put it back. In some cases the cough shields are so low you have to be double jointed to access the food. Safer all around to have dedicated servers dispense food at a buffet. Even without a pandemic.

Captains normally do a 10 week rotation, is this an unplanned new Captain or the routine new Captain?

And here I thought YASBCLB rules were in play.

If the CDC wasn't so slow to react and lethargic the protocols could be more dynamic. While we are in a period of low transmission take down the plastic shields or face masks for vaccinated. If a new variant comes along and actually begins to show impact, reintroduce protocols as required. But I digress.

MSC recently changed their Seashore transatlantic to zero nights. They cancelled all revenue guests and will sail over empty.

The only cruise line offer I was able to use was back in 2013 for Carnival. The verbiage read that it was for new cruise bookings only, no other purchases. Yet when I bought some shore excursions it qualified because the charge was from carnival.com. If I had purchased the same excursions on the ship it would not have qualified. YMMV.

Once you reach 340 points and get the 150% reduced single supplement it rarely makes sense to have a ghost booked as a cabin mate unless it just works out that a real cabin mate can't sail at the last minute. Consequently it's not something I have current experience with.

I will soon be boarding a different ship but the day I debark I am flying to Canada to deal with a pressing family issue that can't wait any longer. Being on the cruise will make it very difficult to coordinate a PCR test for my entry into Canada. I reached out to a management contact on the ship I know as a frequent cruiser. They recently responded: Good morning, We will be able to assist you with PCR test on Day 7 - between 6:30am and 7:00am in the conference center deck 3. The service is complementary. Upon boarding the ship head to guest services and talk with them about it. They may use a different location on Anthem but they are keenly aware of the varying testing requirements around the world. Keep in mind the crew on board come from all over the world so collectively they have themselves faced a myriad of testing just to get to the US to be on the ship. This isn't something they have no experience with themselves.

MSC is trying to build a US customer base. It wasn't that long ago they didn't sail here. The incumbents have no interest in trying to lure loyal MSC guests, there aren't that many based in the US who haven't already sailed the big 3 in the US. Most MSC Black/Diamond US based cruisers got there from a status match already, granted some may have sailed their way to it but even then those frequent cruisers probably have history with the big 3. MSC has a keen interest as it builds its brand in the US in luring loyal cruisers from other lines. It's a low risk move for MSC because you are not upsetting a large MSC organically grown US loyal customer base by easily allowing a status match. If the big 3 allowed status matches their long time organic loyal customers would scream murder.

There's no way the CDC is ready to let go like the virus isn't still with us.

My Delta card doesn't either. Lots of other offers though... for stuff I never buy.

I cruised Carnival a bunch before finding Royal. On my first Royal cruise I was constantly comparing it... "That's not what Carnival does" sort of thing. I learned to let go of my preconceived notions formed in my head by Carnival and opened my mind. The best advice is board the ship like you've never cruised before. Go with the way Royal does things rather than comparing everything in the moment. Once it's over you can compare the overall experience to see which you like better. Go to all the shows. Try the main dining room. Enjoy the pool deck and top deck activities. Hoping things are more back to normal 55 days from now but bear in mind reduced guest numbers and protocols were not the normal Royal experience before the pandemic.

Oh like airplane seats. I've cruised this year or have booked cruises for MSC, Carnival, Celebrity and Princess. None of them allow me to change my own cabin or category of cabin for a confirmed booking. Cruise cabins are not like airplane seats. It would be impossible for cruise lines to manage muster station capacity if guests were moving all over the ship at will. Sorry... it doesn't work that way.

Unlike some other cruise lines (like MSC) you can log off one device and log in with another as many times as you want. I do this all the time between laptop, tablet and phone.

To each their own. Free room service would be welcome for this solo cruiser. If it doesn't work for you cancel it. They have to make changes due to pandemic protocols. If it no longer works for you, you don't need to justify your thoughts, it doesn't work for you. Refund it. I never knew people rushed on board to book fitness classes. Dining, sure. I learn something new here all the time.

I've received double points for a no show when my cabin mate didn't cruise. I haven't tried in a long time though. If you do get double points for being solo then you should also qualify for 4 x points. Time will tell.

I called C&A and asked. This is what they said: The criteria to qualify for the double points promo is based on the original booking date. As long as the booking was a confirmed booking created before Sept. 30, 2021 then whatever cabin you end up booked in will determine how many points the double points promo will use to calculate the total points. If you booked an interior, oceanview or balcony before Sept. 30 and upgrade to a suite (not using RoyalUp) then you will get 4 times for two guests in a suite and 6 times for a solo in suite. You can request the suite upgrade and pay for the upgrade anytime before sailing but you can't get into a suite using RoyalUp. The suite upgrade does not have to occur before Sept. 30,2021. RoyalUp from a non-suite to a suite never provides more points beyond the original booked type of cabin.

Studio balcony are in very high demand. Don't take it personal, someone beat you to it. There are very few of them in the fleet. Ask to be waitlisted in case another pops open.

They had multiple showing on the Sept. 5 cruise. Odd they didn't for your sailing.