twangster

I'm just within the current processing times but will pay the expedite fee to better my odds in case of some other delay coming that no one anticipates.

Maybe they can use the timeslot left vacant when Quantum canceled it's Alaska season for Radiance, unless another line already scooped it up.

We all hope for the best for Singapore. A timely reminder the virus hasn't been defeated. Any news or suggestion on any of that new spread occuring because of cruising?

We are about to see how bipartisan Washington is or is not. For the sake of Alaska cruising I hope for the latter. Should it pass the next issue for Royal will be getting ships into place. Quantum was already ruled out. Do they sail Ovation across the Pacific empty? Tick tock. With every week lost the payback to cover sailing empty and crewing up looks less and less appealing. Ironically I am supposed to be on Quantum right now on day 5 of my Alaska cruise.

Canada is still struggling with the virus. Some stores remain shut in areas. Rolling lockdowns. Second dose 4 months after first dose due to vaccine shortages and rationing. This week they stopped offering the AstraZeneca vaccine contributing to the slow vaccine rollout. IIRC it will be September before the general population will have a decent opportunity to be fully vaxxed. For now they are aiming for a "one dose summer". I think Canada will sit this one out and wait until 2022.

The act specifically states voyages between Washington State and Alaska so the act itself doesn't change anything for one-way North/South cruises. Royal can at its discretion cancel any Canadian voyages and look to redeploy the ship from Seattle but it may run into scheduling challenges due to the limited number of berths in Seattle. That may also require changing the ports of call to make it work. Other cruise lines are also scrambling to consider this so it's a bit of a game of musical chairs. A new Seattle deployment might have to involve changing to a mid-week departure for example.

Bonus for looking past the PVSA and addressing immigration issues related to foreign crew visas. To restrict the imposition by the Secretary of Homeland Security of fines, penalties, duties, or tariffs applicable only to coastwise voyages, or prohibit otherwise qualified non-United States citizens from serving as crew, on specified vessels transporting passengers between the State of Washington and the State of Alaska, to address a Canadian cruise ship ban and the extraordinary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Alaskan communities, and for other purposes.

That will be the key. Once the app provides more functionality than the paper version those that carry devices will quickly convert. The pandemic response enters the discussion since carrying a device is highly recommended or nearly required. Will they use that environment to hasten the move away paper? We'll know soon enough.

The concern in the US are CDC requirements that prohibit that. Removing your mask for an extended meal service is expressly prohibited. We are all hoping with the easing of mask protocols there can be some sanity brought to the mask policies on board if vaccinated.

Thanks for posting. Please continue to update.

Even the CDC admits chasing a zero count on a ship won't likely happen.

Not a big deal. My understanding is that vaccinated shouldn't have a rough go of it and probably won't need hospitalization. It will be interesting to see if that proves true.

Hoping it rolls out as fast at retailers. If my normal grocery store holds onto a mask policy while a less favored grocery store doesn't, I'm changing stores.

Don't follow the Yankees. Are they only allowing vaccinated fans in right now?

Alaska may be on up here. Can we keep your ships a while? ?

Kind of dilutes his court case arguing losses from the CSO since ships can't sail from Florida. He just said it's no problem to fill that void if ships choose not to sail from FL.

It's interesting that on the website if you like to save money with GTY rates you have no choice but to go without perks. Working through a travel agent they can price an Always Included GTY fare. I can see some guests not realizing they booked a GTY rate absent of Always In perks. On one hand it's presented but this is new so few know to look out for the change. That could make for an awkward moment once onboard. Why am I being charged for this drink?

He's not backing down... https://www.clickorlando.com/business/2021/05/13/gov-ron-desantis-says-florida-will-fill-void-if-cruise-lines-leave/ Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will fill void if cruise lines leave

My understanding was the a significant amount of app development was done by contractors. I don't know that it was outsourced entirely, but there was a significant contractor contingent in IT. The content errors were not due to poor app development but a lack of time on the ship to enter changes as they occurred. Captains Corner is moved from 10am to 2pm sort of thing.

The CD staff just do activities. Menus are available in the app but who manages changes when the galley makes last minute changes? The CD staff didn't have time for that so it wasn't getting done. The galleys never did it either before and they don't have computer people on their team. I ran into this on Ovation in February last year just before the shutdown. I went to CK expecting a certain entree I like and saw in the app for that night. It wasn't on the menu. What? I looked at the app - it was right there. I showed the waiter, he send the CK manager over. She shook her head and apologized. She had asked twice that week for the app to be updated she explained but it didn't happen. It was a gap in the project plan no one had accounted for. Someone assumed the CD staff could take in on but they were buried doing the paper and digital versions of their own activity stuff and had no time to take on food menus in the app. Hence the new position keeping the app in sync with life on the ship.

Yeah. They underestimated that in the original plan. Feedback was swift. A rocky app roll out didn't help.

That CK thing is an exact scenario one of these crew explained to me when I bumped into him in an elevator. I first heard of the position during a top tier event when one was introduced. When I saw him in an elevator I asked questions. "What exactly do you do?" and the conservation went from there.

They manage content, not app development. Coastal Kitchen updates the entrees for Tuesday night. Who updates the digital content in the app? Not an app developer. Prior to the app being around CK could change the menus at any time and no guest ever knew.

The original plan to completely get rid of paper... "looked good on paper" (pun intended) but they eventually realized some guests would still demand paper copies. Maybe one day if as hoped, few guests request paper, they'll go all digital.

If it had gone as planned it would already be complete.