Traveler

This is the official answer I got from RCL asking for PCR testing on board : "Please be advised that, currently, only antigen testing will be available onboard. The situation is still changing, and you may want to inquire about your options while onboard. However, we may only advise you that we are unable to do the specific testing you require onboard and we recommend that you make other arrangements for this testing in order to meet the entry requirements for your country. Thank you for your understanding." That was for Adventure , Maybe they will change it for other ceuises (from Europe ?) Anyway , just returned from the US and did my test in NYC , 48 hours results test can cost from 145 $ or even 0 in some labs . 15 minutes PCR test cost around 250$ at the airport That's why we did not took the cruise and replaced it with land tour in NYC ( highly recommend if you want to experience all the attention with zero queues ...)

One thing we can be sure about , it's not the final protocols. No need to worry, it will change so many times more.

JS has also a bath/shower combo on some of the ships Waiting for the upgrade is a gamble. For my5 nights on Odyssey Of the seas which was booked on a JS (and canceled) I got an offer of minimal 1900 $ PP to upgrade to 2 bedroom GS ... So it seems comparing to the TA offer it's not such a good gamble ...

So many questions: What kind of vacation they got , as we know JJ is less effective. Will any port change now the protocols for visitors ? Will anyway track the people on the ship after returning home (like testing them a week after cruise) so we know the protocols really working ? The people who were tested positive attended a catamaran ride with food and snorkeling. I hope the crew is being tested also. The blogger who is on the ship (https://cruise.blog/taxonomy/term/4) was at this excursion and had to be at her room until her test results came back negative.

The best indicator how this incident will impact the cruise industry is the stock price. Currently it looks fine , (even better then the indexes) . For me its a good sign.

I would hope for false positive but since they are from the same cabin reduce the chance for that. Now it's all about the protocol and more important hopefully it was not spreading to other people.

I think there might be simple solution. RCL are not a Florida business therefore as I read it like that : "We can not ask you for vaccine proff at port but we can ask you during the online check in to send if you want a prof of being vaccinated. Whoever not providing us with this prof during the online check in must bring to the port a PCR testing on his on cost no matter if he is vaccinated or not as you can not show your vaccinated card in port... "

I do not think they will wait for August , anyway they should not.

I think RCL will cancel only when they have the new sailing dates so people can switch quickly.

The basic rule is that everyone above 21 at the same stateroom should get the same drinking package. RCL will allow one to get the deluxe package and other to get the non alcoholic package (refreshments package) if proving it's due to health restrictions. At breakfast you get some canned not fresh OJ https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/royal-caribbean-drink-package

That's what I thought , but after summing all the lines and all the money I got back I found out three lines which if I deduct the 125% are the exact amount (to the dollar) of money of the FCC I used ... (lets say I put a 1000 FCC on this cruise I got 800 back) . When I summed all up it was the cruise planner + the money I paid for the cruise + the FCC (-the 0.25 extra) I used for the cruise. Not sure if its a new policy , an old policy which I was not aware of or some glitch , not that I complaining.

Agree, but what usually I do is to compare it to the CP purchases and the money we paid for the cruise itself , what I did not knew is that they will pay us back the FCC also which complicate the calculation , I thought if you are using FCC from a pervious cancelled cruise they are creating a new FCC for the same amount .

This week we were supposed to take the first cruise after a long period of time . My spouse and I are all the time envy with people living near a cruise which allow them to take a cruise without need to fly, we always said we are waiting that it will be the same for us and what do you know, the time arrived (due to the C19 unfortunately ). As the Haifa cruise was just opened for booking I jumped on it and booked the first cruise using some FCC plus extra money for a 5 day cruise in a JS. Later we added another cruise (earlier one , a 3 nights weekend cruise). Everything was ready, shore excursions, dining packages, how to get there (its 50 minutes train ride for us or 90 minutes +/- car ride) were to park and pre cruise diet ? (at least I said I will do one). We did not took into consideration the vaccine issue although I wondered how RCL going to handle it as I did not thought anyone in the health ministry office will approve to admit the vaccine to the RCL crew , mainly afraid the political impact ("why do you give the vaccine to a commercial company and not for our friends in other countries ?"). How it end you already know , the situation in the south (which was long ended as anticipate) was used as an excuse (bad excuse , almost like saying lets cancel cruises from cape liberty during June to November as there is a chance of hurricanes in Florida ...), RCL sent the cancelation email with the options (125 % , full money back or some ODBC if we will take the Jewel OTS from Cyprus). I quickly went and canceled all the cruise planner items and later went and asked for the money back option. I thought I will get the money back plus a new FCC for the portion we paid with the old FCC we had from 2020 April cruise. Yesterday I saw in my bank account/CC statement that I got some money back from RCL (after around 8 days which I think is very nice consider it had to go via my international CC) , Strange enough there were many lines there (all saying RCL) with different amounts . It was very hard to understand what's going on as the total amount was more than I expected. I even thought that they cancel another cruise for us. After a while , tracking back my old CC payments and using some formulas I figured out that they decided to give us the FCC (without 125%) which was used as money back and not a new FCC . Not sure if it is the current policy and anyone else encounter it but that what happened. I am not complaining for losing the extra 25% as I am still waiting to see how fast the cruise industry will recover (including international travelers) and I am OK with reducing the amount of money we let RCL hold for us. Well lets hope our next cruise try will go better ?

Wow what a sale, Beach Club 160 $ for Symphony at September and Oasis at April Amazing ?

Not I just watching the news , I am in the news ? , while getting the message for the cruise canceling I was going to our sheltered room due to some rocket attack attempt (stayed there for a minute) . But from my experience most likely it will last for few days to a week . If that was the issue than RC could wait few days in Cyprus to see what happens or even delay the beginning of the cruise in a week or two . instead they decide to cancel the full session , that looks very strange to me

They could have got the revenue , the situation will not continue more than few days but RC were running to cancel it , makin guess it just an excuse.

Just got the cancelation mail from RCL , offering to get the money back , 125 FCC or 400 ODBC if rebooking on Jewel of the seas. Disappointing to see how RC use it as an excuse , shame on them.

Maybe the excuse is the conflict but I'll put my money on the vaccine issue. Since the ship was anyway scheduled to be in Cyprus this time for at least two weeks I do not see any reason for RC to run and cancel anything and give away revenue that they desperately need. They would wait for a week or so to see how things going.

Correct , that's the main issue I believe . Think about it , even if the crew was in quarantine and all the adults are being vaccinated still there are the kids that can carry the C19 and might infect the crew. I start to think the Israeli health ministry did not approve to give the vaccine to the crew and spreading this "news" is another way to put some pressure . Specially now either situation going on I don't think the Israeli government will like to see RCL canceling cruising from Haifa.

It was never planned to dock in Haifa beside two dates 2 days in April and two days in May both happened

Yes , but not sure the US will allow to get it outside of the US , also to its not easy to transfer the vaccine (which need to be kept in very very cold temperature) its not easy.

Currently we can just speculate , same I can I ask myself if the ship really going to the US to start and cruise from Florida wouldn't you want to take all the crews that already trained on the ship and know the ship and its procedures ? , lets wait few more days (or until a new vlog will share some more information)

I think it might be combination of things , Odyssey was planned to be in Haifa for two days only (you can see it in port of Haifa ship calendar ) , so it had to leave anyway without any connection to the status. I do not believe RCL would have cancel all the cruises from Haifa for this summer after few days of the situation, specially that in the past such situation lasted a week or two. Take into consideration the ship is well booked and I do not see RCL given up all the revenue switching it with the unknown when cruise will start at the US .. So , I guess if the ship is really going to the US the only reason is for getting the vaccine as I am not sure Israel health ministry approved to give it to the crew (mainly after it was in the news ...) while in the US they are already approved to. In that case , it might be back for beginning of July , not good for me as my two cruise dates are in June , but if needed I will reschedule it. Well I guess we will know soon enough and not need to guess.

The plan was to be in Haifa for only two days before starting to cruise at 2-June , I guess there is a vaccine issue

As people said , Haifa is currently not in the range of most of the rockets nor targets of the rockets + the iron dome is also covering Haifa. Anyway , 18 days is allot of time and most likely the situation will be normal. If something worries me about starting the cruise from Haifa on time is the crew vaccine status ...