twangster

Nothing like slowly taking off the bandages...

As near as i can tell it started with the introduction of My Royal cruises but don't quote me on that. I have yet to have a cruise that uses My Royal Cruises stop at Labadee so I can't comment on taxes at Labadee..

That's the anchorage where she is now. OXL. I think it's a typo. OPL is what the dozens of ships at anchor in the area say. I only know this because the other day I did the exact same thing. ?

In these crazy times all bets are off. Who knows how they'll play it? There is little to gain by trying to make it an event. Might as well just open it and let the bookings rip.

Technically Serenade is closest by about 5 days but with a costly canal transit. Ovation and Radiance are roughly 20 days away. Serenade around 15 days away.

Ovation and Radiance are the closest. They are both listed in the bill so they are eligible. They are on the other side of the Pacific near Singapore. Quantum cancelled her Alaska season and intends to continue Singapore sailings so she is unlikely to participate. Serenade is eligible and she recently started making her way towards CocoCay from Barbados. She would need to transit the Panama Canal to get to Alaska.

Thinking about this as I read HAL's announcement. This squarely puts the CDC in the line of fire. Up until this point the CDC could claim "some other agency was keeping cruising from happening" - the CDC director declared this in a senate hearing. That's excuse has now been removed by Congress. The only thing standing in the way is the CDC. Congress has spoken. Congress temporarily modified laws to make this happen. It wasn't political either, there was overwhelming support for it in both the House and the Senate. Carnival's swift announcement coming hours after Congress approved the bill sends a clear signal that cruise lines are ready and gladly accept the will of Congress. Now the CDC is the only thing keeping it from happening. That has to have the CDC looking to make a big change very soon.

Wow. Seems I heard NCL already re-opened bookings. Poor Royal. Always last.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/05/20/carnival-corporation-announces-it-will-sail-alaska-2021 Let's hope Royal isn't the last to make an announcement like they sometimes are.

What? Thankfully Amazon takes returns.

Some users said they should move ships to various islands in the Caribbean and the masses will stil cruise. What we are seeing with Vision proves that isn't the case. "If you build it, they will come". Not in this case. The Grandeur and Rhapsody itineraries look stellar. Massive appeal that work well because you start deep in the Southern Caribbean to begin with. They couldn't engineer the same itinerary from Florida. Truly unique and very appealing that can stand on their own even after the pandemic is over.

According to the cruise history in my account I've already sailed the Inaugural Odyssey cruise. I didn't get any points, but as far as I am concerned... Been there! Done that! Odyssey Inaugural -

Only if we get extra protocols imposed on us that we, the vaccinated, don't need. Protocols like masks designed to keep unvaccinated safe make for a cruise experience I am not interested in. Here on land masks are only for unvaccinated. I am good with that. I can grocery shop, go to a bar, eat dinner out, all unmasked. If all those establishments said I had to wear a mask just to keep the unvaccinated safe, I would not be good with that. How about if an outbreak occurs and 30 unvaccinated get infected? Does my cruise come to an end? If so, I am not good with that. I would rather see the unvaccinated kept off the ship so my cruise experience isn't potentially ruined by them. If the unvaccinated are putting my vacation investment at risk that is not okay. On the other hand if the infected get put off the ship somewhere and the party continues, I'm okay with that. See ya!

Yeah. Watching the screen slowly fill very simple graphics takes me back to the internet experience I had when I used to sail Carnival.

Not sure I follow. The question was asked how to bypass the vaccine passport when they can't require proof of vaccination. One solution is impose two sets of rules, one likable for vaccinated, one that few would sign up for if unvaccinated. No politics involved in that statement. Simply a way around the law as implemented by the state.

You don't have to take any vaccine even if that means you don't end up sailing. I don't have to accept protocols I don't like even if that means I don't end up sailing. Their ship, their rules. We are both free to make choices.

For everyone who participated, it can seem like a waste of time but it does make a difference. The House and Senate both passed a bill to bypass the PVSA! That would have been unthinkable months ago. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/05/20/us-house-of-representatives-passes-bill-allow-cruise-ships-sail-alaska-without-stopping Our voices make a difference. It might not be why this ball passed but I have to believe it helped.

When Explorer was in port a few months ago I dropped by the port. My phone connected to the ship wifi automatically. It brought a grin to my face...

Many people take that approach with kids. Deal with them on board, just book for adults.

All of mine are accounted for. Probably a glitch. Like Caribbean weather. When it rains wait 15 minutes and it'll probably be sunny.

They can stay in port longer at the last port of call. Love all that extra daylight in Alaska for the summer.

I got it from RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com

I wonder what they'll do with the extra time they gain for skipping Victoria from Seattle?

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/05/20/us-house-of-representatives-passes-bill-allow-cruise-ships-sail-alaska-without-stopping It's only official once @Matt posts it...