twangster

Dec. 5, 2021 but if the CDC testing requirement remains in place for all international arrivals approaching final payment I'm going to cancel. The thought of debarking the ship and then having to run around Bridgetown with luggage trying to find an instant test doesn't attract me. Quick tests are not known for accuracy so a false positive would be a disaster. I also don't want to add an open ended hotel stay on the end of the cruise waiting for a test result that could take who knows how long in Barbados so I can fly home. I booked Grandeur on a whim during a brief moment of forgetting we are in the midst of a pandemic and 2021 cruising will not be normal. It is exactly these types of decisions that a government could put in place with a day or two notice that led me to cancel all my international travel in the first place. The more I think about it the more I desire to be on a ship departing closer to home in December. What was I thinking booking Grandeur? ?

This is why I booked Grandeur out of Barbados as refundable ? My plan was to avoid international travel and cruise domestically (when ever that might start). I was hoping the summer of 2022 would be normal enough for flights to Europe but now I'm wondering if I need to push Europe cruising to 2023 or 2024. Time will tell.

While the overall journey is West to East the instantaneous heading during the transit is not 90°.

Timelapse to this point:

The Miraflores locks will lift us two of the three steps required to reach the level of Gatun Lake. The locomotives on each side will help guide the ship into the lock channel and keep the ship centered. These have been upgraded over the years but their function remains the same as it was in 1914 when the Panama Canal first opened. The locomotives are nicknamed "mules" and operating under guidance from the control room, the onboard seamen and the pilot they keep the ship moving centered in the lock chamber. The ship uses its own propulsion to move forward. As the ship moves forward we approach the lock door that hold back massive volumes of water. Behind us a set of lock doors will close creating a chamber for us to ride in. Once the doors behind the ship close the lock is flooded with water. The spray seen here is normal leakage, the chamber is actually filled from below. As the chamber fills we can sense we are gently rising. It's a subtle rise that can be hard to notice. The water line against the lock doors can be used to see how far the water has risen. With our first lift complete the lock doors in front of us open and we advance into the next lock chamber. The ship before us is already moving into Miraflores Lake. The orange ship in the new locks has already reach the level of Gatun Lake and is starting to move forward to continue the transit. The Borinquen Dams separate the new Pacific access channel where this ship is from Miraflores Lake. These Miraflores locks were originally completed in 1913. One more lift to go to reach the level of Miraflores Lake.

Heading from the Pacific Ocean East towards the Atlantic our first close up experience with the Panama Canal will be the Miraflores Locks. There are two steps in these locks with a small lake in between them. These tugs are an important part of the canal operation. Ships our size are assigned two tugs. Two people in a row boat... can you believe these row boats are still used over a hundred years after the canal first opened? They bring "messenger" lines over to the ship that will be used to haul the steel cables from the locomotives over to the ship. Ship lines are not used in the transit.

Up to this point the CDC's only involvement with cruising was the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). This just goes to show how they don't know the industry very well. More importantly (if you want to dwell on details) is the requirement to have a valid Certificate of Inspection (COI) issued by the USCG to apply for a certificate to sail. Technically only US flagged ships can get a COI, foreign flagged ships cannot. I'm sure the intent of the CDC wasn't to prevent foreign flagged ships from qualifying, it's just another example how the CDC doesn't understand cruise ship operational details.

I would check back around 120 days out. It's not unusual for things like MDR slots not to get loaded until then even if some cruises do populate earlier. Check monthly if you want to but historically it seems like something or something else was often missing from the cruise planner until the 100 day mark (or so).

The chat feature in the app was rumored or suggested to be free but very recently it was discovered that this feature carries a charge on Quantum in Singapore. Asia is a different market and we don't know yet if ships in other regions will also charge for the chat feature. Keep in mind this chat only works on the ship with other guests on the ship. One of things I was suggesting above is that chatting off ship with friends at home could make life easier for a teen.

Welcome to the message boards! The reality is we don't know. The pandemic has thrown a wrench in many plans and Explorer's amplification is just another example. The good news is that Explorer was in pretty good shape when I sailed her in 2018. They had been updating areas prior to the concept of amplifications so it's not like she is run down and sad. My cabin for example was a plain interior cabin but it had been refreshed already and was in better shape compared to some ships that were since amplified but didn't get their cabins touched. The biggest "thing" missing is water slides. Those were supposed to come (we think) during the amplification. We just don't know what the plans are for her to eventually get her slides. So while Explorer hasn't been officially "amped" she remains a great ship.

There is a Concierge Club on 13 of 25 ships however since the OP is D+ the lack of a Concierge Club on Symphony is important since they mentioned having access to the Club as a D+ member. D+ do not get access to Suite Lounges (unless they are staying in a full suite like everyone else). This has been a point of contention for D+ members as Concierge Clubs have been removed in amplifications and new suite lounges installed. It's widely believed that the Concierge Club on Anthem was going to be converted to a Suite Lounge during her dry dock. Odyssey should launch with only a Suite Lounge. Explorer was to lose her Concierge Club during her amplification. The Concierge Clubs are slowly going away and since D+ aren't allowed in the Suite Lounge it's an important distinction particularly for Oasis class since none of them have a Concierge Club.

Dawn was slow to break through the cloudy mist on this morning. The sizable city of Panama appeared through the mist. Then a bridge appeared. Not just any bridge. The Bridge of The Americas connects North and South America. A nod towards yesteryear on display. A ship ahead of use is jostled into position for it's journey. While we may our way towards our path. This will begin our day going through the Panama Canal, a marvel of engineering.

Welcome to the message boards. When i booked Grandeur i noticed the refundable checkbox was missing, but then noticed it quoted me refundable by default.

Not a great market right now in which to sell a cruise line.

Azamara was the only RCG with no talk of new builds and only old ships that did duty for other cruise lines. All other RCG brands have recently built new ships and have new builds in process. The writing was on the wall. The pandemic only delayed this transaction. I'm pretty confident it would have been announced months ago were it not for the virus.

There's a lot of pent up demand and people are grabbing anything that might sail right now. Grandeur has limited suites and balconies so some categories sell out quickly.

We are all waiting to see what will happen with pandemic protocols. Many of us suspect check in times will be enforced but it's not clear if suites or C&A status will be allowed before the official check in time. We just don't know right now.

Like @WAAAYTOOO I have used Hertz and their drop off location near the port. Hertz also has a shuttle to the port but the port has asked they do not run the shuttle before a specific time, 10am I think. The shuttle is free but I like to be at the terminal early which was allowed pre-pandemic. The cruise terminal doors may not open until 10am but the lines start early. I chose an Uber from the Hertz location near the port for under $8 to the terminal so that I could get to the port earlier than when the free shuttle started operating. In my case I stayed in the Orlando area for the abundance of cheaper hotels. I like having a car for mobility for things like last minute forgotten items, bottles of wine to board with, sunscreen or anything I didn't want to fly with. It's also nice to choose a restaurant for dinner close by but not having to accept only restaurants within walking distance from the hotel. The quickest route from Orlando to the port includes a toll road. I set my phone's GPS to avoid toll roads and took a few minutes more to reach the port without any tolls. It was still an easy drive without the more direct toll cost.

As I was in the self debark line getting a ship once I looked at Uber and Lyft and then checked my regular car rental company. They had a rate for ~ $25 one way plus gas and tolls. All in I was under $35 to rent a car. That was cheaper than Uber or Lyft and allowed me to drive at my own pace. I had plenty of time so I skipped the toll road. On another occasion I had planned to use Cortrans one way to the port from an Orlando hotel that was on their shuttle route. Then a crane fell on Oasis and the cruise was cancelled. Cortrans was easy to cancel for a refund. Cruising solo changes the math so how many are in your group can alter the cost models since Uber/Lyft is a total price versus shuttle services that are per person. The least attractive is the Royal transfer service but it's a solid plan D if everything else falls through. Just book later flights.

Now that I'm in the region known for Oranges and Pinnacles I'm getting ready for the next update to this virtual cruise. I'm thinking somewhere the CDC stole from me for the fall of 2021. They might be able to ban the cruise lines from talking about such a cruise but they can't stop me from virtually sailing there...

I'm not sure pegging Celebrity as targeting an older crowd is completely accurate at least in contrast to Holland America. Royal targets family and multigenerational cruisers. Celebrity targets a more upscale audience who isn't looking for zip lines and ice skating rinks. There will be some children but not nearly as many as Royal. Cruisers without children, cruisers who want a slightly more refined experience without spending true luxury rates. There are plenty of 30's type working professional cruisers who just want something a little more upscale over the family oriented experience. Small things like not having to check out towels in your name because there is less chance guests will take them home. Less likely a guy in a muscle shirt will crash the MDR at dinner sort of thing. There may be a slightly older crowd but more so because that is the demographic more likely looking to spend a little bit more for an elevated upscale experience. However it isn't a silver hair cruise experience.

I do think the cruise lines are trying to send San Juan a message in the wake of the decision to contract with a private 3rd party to take over cruise port operations there. It seems multiple lines have altered their plans to sail from there, sometimes reducing ships homeported or ships visiting there. You have to know the 3rd party and the port used past trends to build the business case and their financial models so by reducing calls or departures it has a serious impact on the business prospects. The cruise lines proposed using a shared company fronted by several lines to manage the port but the San Juan government wouldn't even return their phone calls. Instead the port went with a 3rd party without a full RFP or process normally used for government contracts. There were calls of corruption and kickbacks to the principals involved. Royal's recent announcement to place a ship in Barbados instead of San Juan I believe was also influenced by this (in my estimation). Faced with reduced ship traffic that 3rd party has got to be reconsidering the value of the contract.

Welcome to the message boards. For $1k more I would recommend a Grand Suite but also keep an eye on Loft Suite which are sometime close in price to a GS. A JS will get you a few dinners in Coastal Kitchen and early boarding on day one of the first cruise, by about 90 seconds earlier over D+. A GS is Sky Class on Symphony so you'll have full access to Coastal Kitchen for all meals, dedicated seating areas for entertainment, complimentary Voom internet plus access to the Suite Lounge and Suite Sun Deck. The priority access to entertainment is well worth it on Oasis Class if it is your first time on this class or a particular Oasis class ship. You'll also get access to Barefoot Beach on Labadee as you mentioned. There may even be a suite sail away party on the helipad which is the only way to access the helipad on this class. The suite lounge on this class has complimentary beer, wine and water from 11am to 11pm. Lastly with a GS or better you have the suite concierge at your disposal. Keep in mind there is no Concierge Club on Oasis class but there is a Diamond Lounge. Without staying in a GS there is only the DL for all Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members. For a first time Oasis class cruise I'd highly recommend a GS for at least the first leg if not both. If a loft suite is close in price for either leg I'd highly recommend spending a few bucks more for it. Changing cabins is easy on a B2B so I wouldn't let that be a factor if the same cabin isn't available for both legs.

Yes