Ray

8 minutes ago, Bowen said:

When did you sail with them? I know they’re pretty new, so maybe working out the kinks?

I havent and i wont! 

Things i mention are what everyone in the UK is seeing on a weekly basis on the TV show

1 hour ago, Bowen said:

Maybe the show is sensationalized for TV?

Definitely not sensationalized!

Some staff just seem clueless and not intetested. When i say some i mean most! Also how they look is unbelievable. Lets be met by someone wearing a tight loud shirt with the buttons undone so everyone can see their hairy chest right down to their belly button lol

Another example is of female manager looking after suite guests, a family waited for a shuttle to take them to a booked excursion. The Shuttle was late and family missed excursion boat, it was only later they found out they could as suite guests have recieved a private shuttle. 

Guest service manager didnt care! Pretty sure no compensation was given. It was more a case of you missed excursion ok lets get you back to ship or to the beach!

This was on whatever island virgin classes as their own private island...

2 hours ago, Bowen said:

I've been watching videos of The Scarlet Lady, I must be missing something. 

We are on about a UK tv show called the cruise. 

Cameras go onto ship and record crew and guests daily activities for a few weeks or months. 

You can watch a 5 minute video on youtube but it wont show you the everyday things that this show does. If Virgin wanted to advertise their cruises its backfired big style because it just shows how bad they are. 

7 hours ago, Mike.s said:

Ray, it took you that long? After seeing the greeter as you board the ship my wife and I said, not for us!!

We were thinking the same but gave it a chance until the 2nd episode. 

The guy paying for saline drip to ease his hangover just so he could go drink again said it all. Idiots lol

And Staff are so unprofessional its unbelievable.

8 hours ago, Bowen said:

they are certainly more likely to take business in the coming months since summer is ending and most people aren't traveling with kids until next year. 

After watching the show in the UK called " The Cruise" which is about Virgins Scarlet Lady, i very much doubt us Brits will be rushing out to book!

In fact if i was already booked i would be on the phone cancelling lol

It really is that bad! 

After the 2nd episode my other half had already decided she would never cruise on any Virgin Ship.

On 7/18/2022 at 3:25 PM, KevinK said:

What is the point of Pre-Cruise test?  

Simply to try and reduce the amount of Covid incidents onboard! 

 Companies have a duty of care to look after those onboard be it crew or passengers and H&S regulations include ERICP

E: Eliminate the risk! eliminate the risk 100% which cant be done with Covid.

R: reduce the risk! Have people test prior to boarding so those that test positive dont get onboard.

I : isolatate! Remove risk from area ie quarantine those with systems onboard

C : Control measure! Such as less passengers, hand wash etc 

P : PPE! Masks 

I'm curious about these Airtags..

You’re sitting on Aircraft watching last of luggage getting loaded and your luggage is still showing in main terminal. Can you instruct crew to find your luggage even if it holds up flight? 

32 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

I don't see anything about the honor system.  Am I missing it?

The vaccination appears to be more strict, requiring the booster if your original vax is over 270 days.
 

Vaccine requirements

All guests aged 16 years and over need to be fully vaccinated* with an approved COVID-19 vaccine a minimum of 14 days prior to travel. If more than 270 days (calculated from the last day of the cruise) have passed since the full completion of a vaccination course, a booster vaccine will also be needed and must be administered a minimum of seven days prior to travel.

Guests who have had one booster vaccine, regardless of the date, are considered fully vaccinated. At this time, a second booster vaccination is not required, however, we strongly recommend all guests to have booster vaccinations at the earliest opportunity, should they be available to them, in order to comply with evolving vaccine policies from the countries we visit.

All guests aged 12 to 15 years need to be fully vaccinated* with an approved COVID-19 vaccine a minimum of 14 days prior to travel. A booster vaccine is not required.

Guests under 12 years of age are not required to be vaccinated.

*The definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ is having completed an approved (by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL)) two-dose COVID‑19 vaccination course, or the approved single-dose Janssen COVID‑19 vaccine (plus a booster if applicable).

The above has been standard procedure since cruises resumed in Europe.

From current RC regulations for European cruises

To be considered up to date by all European countries we sail to, your vaccination must meet both of the following requirements.  

1. You received your final dose in your original two-dose vaccine series (or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson) no more than 9 months (270 days) ago, or a booster dose. Guests that have received a booster dose will qualify regardless of the amount of time that has passed since receiving their booster. Children who have received one dose (unless Johnson & Johnson) do not count as fully vaccinated.

29 minutes ago, Lugnut said:

 

"Why is New Zealand's 90 Mile Beach only 55 miles long?" 

It was Probably my irish gypsy ancestors who quoted for resurfacing the road that runs along it

22 minutes ago, Lugnut said:

You call this the question of the decade? 

I mean, what about things like "Why does Scotland have a Unicorn as part of its' national symbol?" 

 

The Unicorn was a myth started in the East a very long time ago ( BC ) the western world believed this creature to actually exist despite having never seen it.

In the 1500s King James II of Scotland was fascinatined by the idea of the Unicorn and decided to put it onto the National Flag. 

6 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

I am at a cross roads and I don't think I can handle the old bag anymore.  I've been think of getting a new one 

 

Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

I guess it depends how much you love the "old bag" 

6 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

but it's cheaper to keep the old bag.   

 

Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

Definitely cheaper to keep the older model....getting a newer model will cost you as it won't be just a standard bag it will come with lots of extra costs you may not have considered!

6 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

 

I like soft sided but I've never had the hard sided ones.   

Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

Difficult one this! Soft sided ones are obviously more likely to let us down as they are more fragile 

Where as the hard sided while more robust come with other issues for a more senior person.

You could keep the older soft one and your wife could look into getting a new hard one to cater for her needs. 

Theres always young men at the airports/cruise terminals who would assist in helping her with it. 

6 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

We were laughing at the reports on TV yesterday while chilling at the hotel re: the heat wave. Where we are in Ontario, I work in a non-air conditioned school, with a class full of 13 year olds, in over 40°C (100°F) some days in June. 

Yeah its funny watching this! 

Its the same in winter England gets 1" of snow and it comes to a stand still and people get heating allowance if it gets a little bit cold. 

Yet other countries manage to survive in extreme heat or 2m of snow with temperatures dipping as low as minus 50

I honestly cannot remember! And i have deleted everything in relation to tests taken. 

I just remember that when i went to book with boots they only had 2 spaces available a couple of hours apart, so i went onto the company who administered tests website and they showed a lot more spaces on same date. 

The Boss ( my wife lol ) said just to book with boots which i did and when i went back onto other company the times i had booked were now unavailable.

This was for instore testing.

There's another company called xpresstest,they have pop up locations all over UK.

Boots uses an outside company! If you google boots covid certificate images you will find name of company on certificate. 

You can go onto their website and try and book ( its cheaper and still done in boots ) i think boots only get a certain allocation 

6 hours ago, HappyHav said:

My daughter tested positive for covid this morning on oasis of the seas with their complimentary covid test. No one from royal carribean has explained anything to us. After only sending a message on twitter to royal carribean I received a phone call in the room asking what room service we wanted. The question I have is will I be receiving any type of refund for being isolated in our room for the last day ? 

Most important thing....How's your daughter feeling? 

On 7/13/2022 at 6:53 PM, Moby Dick said:

 

I'm going to start one for sexy senior citizens, 70 and above to have a fashion show of Speedos, T-bars, and/or thongs.  I'm encouraging all to get involved.  

Somethings are best left to the imagination

5 hours ago, Bowen said:

So I've got a request in on two cruises right now for a religious vaccine exemption. I'm just waiting to hear back from the cruise line. If they give me the exemption we'll cruise, if not we'll cancel and get our money back.

Got you  

On 7/12/2022 at 4:44 PM, Bowen said:

I wouldn't cancel anything. I do things all day long out in public with tons of people and never consider whether or not they are vaccinated, sick, etc. 

Im confused by this as you have another thread " cancelling for religious reasons " where you are cancelling cruises to get cash back due to the regulations in place...

6 hours ago, TheRick said:

, I wonder why Royal Caribbean hasn't monetized it yet. Maybe sell an excursion where you can drink with the monkeys. 

Probably a legal thing! 

Imagine the uproar if it was found out that some of the monkeys were underage! 

6 hours ago, FoxboroCruiser said:

Plenty of people over 21 don’t drink alcohol.  You’re basically in that club (just not completely by choice).  On the ship you can live like any adult, minus the ability to order alcohol. 

This applies for US/ Caribbean sailings not Europe where age for drinking is 18

Go to the bar relax and enjoy a few drinks

18 year old to drink on European cruises so enjoy yourself 

@Joe01 glad you were able to make the cruise. 

Safe trip home to sunny Scotland 

This was on Voyager in Baltic last a month or so ago. 

Wife's shot landed near hole which is downhill, wind is that strong it blew back up hill. Hopefully wind eases further north you get 

1 hour ago, GregD said:

The ship certainly is rocking tonight!

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

. The motion seems to have gotten worse as we move further North. 

Just a normal day for me lol 

Every day the Weather forecast for this area is Rain and wind with a slight chance of sunshine