Traveler

Ops we did it again , RoyalUp strike two , can it be?

Maybe the genies reading your blog ...

Got the B2B letter today few points : 1. Need to pack only if we move room (we are) the packing need to be done by 9 am. 2. No need to get out the ship all the process will be done on the ship. 3. Testing for B2B will be done on the 7 days , the results should come in one hour , you are not allowed to the Island until you get a negative results so if anyone planning something on CocoCay take it into consideration , we have Jetski tour on 10 am so I schedule the test to 7:40 , test can be done until 11 am . 4. You have the option to go out in Miami but you will be only allow back when general boarding starts (around 1 PM). 5. In the letter you have a barcode you need to scan for scheduling the test , It failed to me twice until I started to debug it and found out they are looking for state and not just country (meaning if you are not in the US or Canada you will have a problem) , I had to give the the company I am working for US branch address to proceed (I guess hotel address will work also).

Ok ok to redeem this we went to drink coffee and took some fresh berries , hope I will be forgiven will do better next time.

Day two - Sea day. Nothing like sea day to start a cruise, everything relaxed and no need to rush or get up early ( if we can just get rid of the jet lag) Early pre breakfast tour on an empty ship showed us that some people, even if they will be on a deserted island they will need to hogge seats (6:30 am) I guess you can take out people from the hogging requirement situation but you can not take the hogging habit out of people. Breakfast at WJ, we missed WJ so it was nice to go back there. Every time you enter you need to scan your sea pass , same on the exit. As you know everything is being served to you by the crew which I think is a good change specially after seeing so many horrible behavior of some people that touch the food by their hands or returning it from the plates not even start about the food waste. It worked well but I think with bigger capacity it might create some lines. Decided to take some light breakfast and went with the fruits It was a very sunny day , perfect for sea day so more and more people came out to the deck to enjoy it. We went for the 14 floor photo ops to take some "Titanic " pictures , here you can see we really on the ship There were lots of free chairs including in prime locations , what seem to go quickly are the beds in the solarium, here is a very enthusiastic hogger , I think its should be presented in Park West art collection. I am sure some people think it is privilege for other people to seat were thier flipflops were ... We enjoyed the sun and music for a while. Quick jump back to the cabin to cool down and enjoy some people watching from the balcony (an excuse for me to answer some urgent emails, they are always become urgent when you are on vacation). We did some 4th floor tour were we played the guess the art price , I guessed no one will guess it again . We collect our art gift and went to Park Cafe for lunch. The only new thing in Park Cafe is a washing fountain which everyone require to use before entering. Since you have only one washing station it might create some delays. We enjoyed the self created salad for a light lunch , the famous sandwich was also offered. We always found the Park Cafe to be a good lunch option. We done some power walks to ease our too much food conscience following by some Kraken lava flows to balance it , love it. Some trivia followed by me going to catch a nap and my spouse going to catch some more sun. At around 4 pm we got the shirts we sent for ironing the day before as part of the suite perk of 5 item that cand be sent for ironing for free at the first official night. It was time to get ready for the first official night. We booked the ultimate photo packages (first time for us) and wanted to take some photos. It was fun to go from one spot to another and pose for the photos, strange enough all the photographers ask us for the same exact things , I guess they all know to spot our best sides or this is what they thech you in the RCL 30 minutes of how to become a ship photographer intensive training. We had lots of laughs and for sure we will try to do it again. For dinner we went again to CK were we took the lobster salad (excellent) and the fish (not bad) Our Wonderful waiters . During the dinner I had to go to the casino has they done a star loft suite ruffle , they had to call 4 names has no one were in the casino to collect it , at the end they found someone lucky and I was relieved as I could go back to dinner and I will not need to pack , win win. Post dinner we went to Buleros to enjoy some salsa music followed by late evening tour, surprisedly the most busy place on the ship so far is the Sorento Pizza. Next Cozumel Mexico

Good attitude , it's vacation after all but you can also be a little upset as the extra money you pay is for the genie experience of stress less experience that someone is taken care of everything for you, otherwise you could save allot of money , take a suite dinning package and UDP ... Anyway I am sure everything will be set by the time you will arrive the cruise . Dinning arrangements is the easiest thing to change and I do not think capacity issue will play for the star class guest. Only 5 days to go see you soon on board.

Soon enough you will do again your star class live blog and argue with Matt about CK

I am sure when they will start to increase capacity they will bring the suite separate lines everywhere. Last week there were 1200 people on Symphony this week more around 2000

Day 1 Miami. We both got up early again due to the jet lag but this time it was for a good purpose, cruise day ! Quick Starbucks breakfast and we started our way from Orlado to Miami. Traffic was smooth mostly and around 11:30 am we arrived the airport and dropped the rental car. From the rental car station we took a cab to the port (27 $ fixed price +tip) at 12 PM we arrived and turned our luggage to the porter. There were separate lines for suits guest and the line was very short. The other line looked quite busy. We entered to the first checkpoint were they check passports, test results and vaccination card. Our PCR test were done on Wednesday and it was fine with them. For vacation card I brought the PDF printout we got , the only confusion they had was with the dates as not like in the US the format is DD/MM/YYYY and it can be an issue for dates like 5 -October for example. First check passed and we were sent up for security and check-in , no health checks at all. 12:15 we were on board. First thing we got rid of the safety drill , it took two minutes. If there one thing that we got out of the C19 situation is the new safety procedure, much much better than the past waist of time. Next was the CK to schedule our dinner time , apparently the concierge done it for us (although never got is email acknowledge) we set for lunch and in between I scheduled the entertainment for the week. Although Red the experience and silent disco going to happen the quest and love& marriage are not. The room was ready at 2 PM and the luggage was already waiting for us. We love the suite , lots of space and heaving two bathrooms is a blessing , no need to argue who use the shower first , the Cabin is adjust to the suite lounge and has nice view, only one time downside is to carry the suitcase up stairs. We done some ship tours to see if anything changed (no), took some rest and organized for the quick dinner (and a pre drink before). We went for the CK for the first night stake (which was good as always although not really medium as requested) and some smoke tomato soup. That followed with the sell away and some more ship tour. The traditional Casino visit came next , can not report any jackpot for myself but some one across from me played a 1.5 $ a hand and won 5000 $ We rapped up the evening with some live music and necessary rest Next , sea day

Specially for @Lovetocruise2002 #teamCK(at least for the first day)

Exactly, bit for me it was 1 minute after I scheduled all the reservations for dinner and shows For sure I was surprised how smoothly things were , was already preparing all the screenshots from RCL site and from the Tweeter answers I got , so happy it was not needed. Now we just enjoying the moment.

The dish is ls in a local restaurant on the beach. I will try to I share the full cruise compass at the end.

We are here , everything went very smoothly , more details to come but no issues with the PDFs

Quick update , the flight to West Palm Beach went well and I successfully changed the rental car pick up location , the most complicated thing was to find where to print the new voucher. We drove to Orlando and arrived the hotel only 8 hors hours from the original time so we can't complain too much. We just got the alert to fill up the health survey so it really around the corner. Tomorrow we will use the jet lag factor and start early Journey to Miami.

The journey started OK , we board our flight to EWR on time and went to sleep , few hours before the schedule arrival we got the message from the cockpit that Newark experiencing weather issues and our flight will land in DC instead. I already new we lost our connection flight so I purchased internet package and went online to reserve us a car ready to do the 15 hours ride if needed. After a while I saw Unites rebooked us to Orlando but they sent me via Chicago and my spouse on different flight that will bring her around 1 am to Orlando. After passing immigration we went to a huge line for rebooking , have up on the line after 30 minutes as there was only one representative to deal with all the issues. We went to find another place less crowded finally we found a representative to talk to. Told her we are Ok to go to a nearby airport and she found us tickets to West Palm Beach, we grabbed them as they will bring us around 1Pm and we will be both on the same flight. Currently seating in United club waiting for the flight . Whenever I started to be upset over the situation I reminded myself that we maybe had so e delays while other lost had their house flooded or even worse, lost their lives due to Ida Another good example why never to book a flight on the same day of the cruise.

Second test today , this time using airport drive in , we are still OK , In few hours we will start our journey, hope no issues from Ida left overs.

First test results came out we are OK to go ? Already sent the results PDF to the airline and they clear us out. two more tests to go ... Meanwhile got the concierge letter and few points I can see: 1. The soft drinks (beside tea and coffee) during the day are suspended and available only during happy hours. 2. SKY class can come up to 1 hour before or after the check in time. Here is the letter: "Dear Sky Class guests,We are name Ken and Norman, and we can’t wait to welcome you onboard Symphony of the Seas on Saturday September 04th 2021. I hope you’re ready for a wonderful cruise vacation with us. We’re delighted you’ll be joining us as we get back to our home at sea. Your health & safety are our top priority, so as we begin to set sail, we have new health protocols that are part of our healthy return to service. Please visit https://www.royalcaribbean.com/gbr/en/healthy-sail-center/before-you-board-your-cruise for more information on the preventive measures that we will be taking onboard to ensure you have a safe and healthy experience with us. As we return to service, some benefits and services have been temporarily adjusted. To follow new health protocols and better manage the flow of guests in terminals, the check-in process will be different. All guests will be required to select an arrival time in advance via the Royal Caribbean app. However, Sky Suite guests can enjoy Flexible Arrival — a new program allowing the freedom to check in up to one hour before or after your scheduled check-in time while the terminal is open. We recommend that you plan your days and make reservations for your dining, onboard activities, shore excursions and Vitality Spa services. You may do so using your Cruise Planner or Royal App. Please note that show reservations will be available for booking once onboard. If you require any assistance, we will be happy to help you. Our desk is in the Suite Lounge, located on Deck 17 aft. My hours are: 8:00 am until 11:30 pm, and 4:30 pm until 8:00 pm. I am also reachable via email, or by dialing my phone from your Suite or any house phone. As a Sky Suite guest, you have access to exclusive amenities and services, available just for you: · The Concierge Lounge is for the exclusive benefit of our Suite guests, accessible with your Sky Class SeaPass card. · Make sure to pack a smart casual outfit, as that’s our dress code in the lounge at all times. · In the Lounge, coffee and tea are available throughout the day. Each evening, between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm, hors d'oeuvres, petit fours and complimentary wine, spirits, beer, and soft drinks are available for our Suite guests. · Guests under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. · As a Sky Suite guest, you may enjoy the exclusive suites-only restaurant, Coastal Kitchen, for the hours of operation, please refer to the Cruise Compass or reach out to me for assistance. Reservations are required for dinner. · Your suite is supplied with luxurious bath amenities, a Lavazza espresso coffee machine, comfortable bathrobes for your use onboard, and equipped with a luxurious pillow-top mattress, all for your comfort and enjoyment. · Sky guests have access to complimentary VOOM Surf and Stream, for one device per person for the entire sailing. Detailed instructions on how to connect your device are attached to this email and will be in your suite upon arrival. · Enjoy the exclusive Suite Sun Deck, on Deck 17 aft; lounge chairs are available to suite guests on a first come, first served basis. · Sky guests receive early seating in our theaters up to 45 minutes prior to curtain. Reservations are available once you arrive onboard, which I will be happy to assist you with. · To organize your Priority Departure, please meet with me to discuss details once onboard. Thank you again and please let me know of any questions you may have. Your Concierges. Best Regards "

What do you know , royal up is working (at least for the first leg) Bye bye GS hello crown & loft .

NoRegarding Rome it's really depends what you want to do. If you want to tour it by yourself you have three option : 1. Take a bus or train from RCL 2. Take a bus from the port (there will be plenty of them) . 3. Take a train by your own from the train station which you can travel to using a 1.5 Euro shuttle bus. That will be the cheapest but will take you to the main train station and not to the Vatican. In Rome you can buy ticket for the hop on hop off buss , but you can always walk from the Vatican to the center (not short but not that long).

Another part of the planning for the cruise. This time preparation for Hooked ?

Preparations during C19 times . Two days only until our journey starts here is the testing plans : 1. First PCR test was done today - this is for the flight/US entry requirements and we did it just incase the last minute test will not work , we done it in one of the local "CVC like" here , cost - 24$ , results in 36 hours. Here, PCR tests do not cost money but they are not valid for travel to avoid the load on the country testing facilities so you need to go use a private testing company for travel. 2. PCR test in the airport on the same day of the flight , this test we are doing to cover the 3 days rule of RCI , the cruise on Saturday and the test will be done on Wednesday. cost is 40$ for 4 hour result (12 $ for 14 hour results). 3. Antigen test in Orlando airport on Thursday , this is optional and cost 65$ , we consider to do it just incase for some reason RCI will refuse to accept an official PCR test from a foreign country. Maybe we will take it after we will land. alternate we might order the self testing kit to the hotel. During boarding I will first try to give them the Wednesday test just to check if they have any problem with it. Beside the test we already purchase three month ago a travel insurance that includes C19 protection (including paying for hotel if we need to be quarantine) it cost almost twice than what we used to pay , but its crazy days and we want to cruise ? . Now we just need all the tests will come negative.

Thanks , I did got the survey for the 4-Sep leg so after got this email I went to the link and change the information for the 11-Sep one. Hope your it will do the trick.

Not sure how the duplicate contend pop up here anyway since I can't delete a post here is another sunset ?

You can follow in this CDC link : https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/from-other-countries.html

Few minutes ago I got interesting email from RCI , in this email which they sent both of us they want us to schedule a PCR test for the 11-Sep cruise. Now both of us vaccinated (anyway its not allowed to cruise to the Bahamas if not) and last time I have checked not me nor my spouse are in the age range of 2-12 YO , not that I mind to reduce few years of my current age. I wonder if it is for the B2B (which i not making any sense) or because they have not sent us the vaccine survey for this cruise so they consider us not vaccinated , can it be that Royal know about a secret son/daughter we have which is less than 12 years old ? . I should check again if my spouse not going to surprise me during this cruise ?. For sure , the Royal IT wants to make sure my life will be interesting. Anyway , here is the email I got , at least it might help people that need it :