MaryCS62

please post pictures of menus, as the OP requested, if you can after your cruise! We are going on Anthem in Jan, & DD (who has celiac) is coming, and it would be great to see if and how the menus have changed. TIA, and enjoy your cruise!

We prepay, but only about a week or so in advance of the cruise -- I forget the # of days, but it's basically the latest we can do it prior to the cruise. I prefer to prepay, since I don't like seeing the daily charges creeping up, but don't want to give them my money too early either

I work in a hospital in a major city, and they eliminated temperature checks in all of our system facilities a couple of months ago. Masks still required, but temp checks are no more. That being said, we are still required to self monitor, and if you have a fever, you DO NOT report to work.

Song of America -- way back in 1988 -- honeymoon cruise. They still had midnight buffets...

I have a CBD balm stick (looks like a roll on deodorant) that I use on my knees and is what allows me to walk every day. I would be in serious trouble if I can't use it daily. Will have to think on this...

Not to hijack this post, but DH and I were discussing whether or not Oasis docks or tenders @ Labadee, & I even looked at your map to see if I could figure it out, but sadly, I cannot. I see a long dock to walk down, but since the last time I was there was 8 years ago, and on Explorer, I don't remember. Can you tell me, please?

Good!! We've done our own booking, have transferred bookings to AAA (& had them do 1 for us), but haven't been overly impressed. Then, sometime last year, "our" TA left, & we've been contacted by at least 3 others, so we don't really know who's in charge of our current Anthem (Jan 2022) booking. So, since we still have FCC & have to use it before the end of 2022 (we think, but that's a whole separate issue), we booked Oasis for Aug 2022, and were thinking of giving MEI that one, since everyone here sings their praises.

Anyone ever work with Jacki? Just got an email from her after contacting the site\

Our's isn't till January -- Anthem out of Bayonne, timed to fall between mine & my husband's 60th birthdays. Hope by then they'll have worked out all the kinks, in terms of masks, distancing, etc, and we can just have a good time! We're all vaxxed, & I may even need to get a booster by then, but we will do what it takes to go! Our usual is lunch, drinks, drop off carry-ons in the room, and probably watch sail-away from our balcony, or 270-- it will be a might chilly to be outside ?

You can only bring food off if it is in sealed packaging, so anything made fresh on the ship does not qualify. If you have snack bars, chips, etc that you brought with you on the ship, you can take those off, or sealed water bottles. Otherwise, no other food or drink

Although, as a toddler, is she 48 inches tall, as indicated in the requirements? Maybe they just assume she isn't big enough, and therefore aren't charging for something she can't do I've edited this, since I just read the other comments and realized "He" is actually she, and that others think like me...

Here's hoping 3rd times the charm!! We lost our Adventure out of Bayonne late July 2020, then Grandeur out of Baltimore March 2021. This one is supposed to a joint 60th bday for DH and me, since he turns 60 this June, and me in June 2022. We really, really miss cruising, and are desperately hoping this one happens. We and both DD's are vaccinated, willing to mask, and wash our hands as often as they like, as long as they let us on the ship!! Who's joining us?

We use porters before and after -- if our family of 4 is traveling, older DD is in a wheelchair, and I'm usually pushing her, which means there are only 2 people to carry even the "carry-on" bags. I can hang a couple of lightweight bags off the wheelchair handles, but that's about it. The porters after the cruise are worth the tip, in my opinion, as we are never going to be the early rise, carry our own bags off the ship. I've gotten better at packing, but the disabled DD comes with more equipment, supplies, etc, so we really can't manage otherwise.

I did the class -- was on Anthem, Jan 2019 with DH (NOT a sushi fan) & DD (who, due to disability would not be able to do the class). I went, & they showed up near the end, & it was plenty for me & DD to enjoy for lunch. You do sit right next to and across (maybe 2.5 feet) from people -- at least, that's how it was on Anthem -- so if they were to do it, they'd probably have to have either smaller groups, so it could be more separated, or in a different venue -- ie, one of the dining rooms -- to have that separation of space. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed doing it, and would probably do it again.

I'm cautiously optimistic that we will be able to cruise on Anthem Jan 2021 -- but it's 11 days, so not sure it will happen. 3 of 4 will be vaccinated by the end of March, just waiting on my 24 year old to get her vaccine

That made me laugh way too hard....

We did pay a deposit, way back when we booked -- the FCC only paid the remainder, well in advance of when it was due. Would the deposit come back @ 125%, do you think?

Ah, thank you

So, we had our July/Aug 2020 Adventure cruise cancelled. ? Got the 125% FCC, had the TA apply it to the March 2021 Grandeur cruise, which, of course, has now been cancelled. (Also have some left over). As far as I can tell, my options for March are the same as my previous cancelled cruise - L&S - not likely, as we have a January 2022 11 day that hopefully will sail, & can't get that much time off that close together; full refund -- & I don't know if that would be in money or not. The 125% FCC was from our Adventure cruise, which we had paid in full--; or cruise credit -- would that give us 125% of the already 125%??? I know none of you work for Royal, but I also know many of you have had more cruises cancelled in the last year, so was wondering how if anyone knew how it worked. I do have a TA, but haven't spoken to her in depth - the day she called was not a good day to talk, & haven't gotten back to her yet.

Just to verify -- are you certain you are signed up for My Time, & not scheduled time?

Actually, no. If nothing else, my hospital's cases of flu admissions are WAAAAY down -- I don't recall a single pediatric admission this season yet, and that is extremely unusual for this time of year. And that, I directly attribute to masking, social distancing, and remote schooling.

Being able to catch / infect other people with a disease within a month of being vaccinated IS NOT NEW. It takes a while for your body to build up antibodies to a new disease, and why babies / children need booster shots of a lot of them. For babies, it's partly because their immune systems are immature, and therefore can't respond with as robust a response to a vaccine. The same happens with the elderly, or any immunocompromised patient. My older DD takes a medication for one of her conditions that has, as a side effect, immune lowering effects. She's one reason I was vaccinated as soon as I could be -- to protect her and the rest of my family -- and she will be getting vaccinated as soon as I can arrange it -- partial immunity is better than nothing. And, as another commenter mentioned, the more people vaccinated, the better - -it protects those people who can't get the vaccine, since spread is limited. Anti-vaxxers are one reason we've had measles outbreaks in the recent past. Not trying to tell anyone what to do, but did want to drop my opinion and some info into this discussion.

I'm eligible (hospital worker, > 55) as high priority in my workplace, so could get mine as early as next week, and should get the first injection within 3 weeks, with the 2nd coming 3 weeks after that. However, the rest of my family are not nearly as high up the list, but since I spend the most time out of the house, in an area where I'm more likely to be exposed, I figure my getting the vaccine increases my family's safety exponentially, so there is that. Don't think we'll be sailing in March though...?

We have a Grandeur March 18, 2021 (which we originally scheduled to be between our July 2020 (cancelled) Adventure cruise) and our hopefully still to happen Jan 2022 Anthem cruise. Grandeur has been paid for by the FCC gotten from our cancelled cruise, with some leftover for Anthem. I'm wondering if I should plan maybe an August 2021 cruise instead for the what is likely inevitable cancellation of this March cruise. Ironically, I am probably in the first wave of vaccine recipients -- I am a hospital worker (maybe 1B, as I work on a nursing unit, but do not have direct patient contact. I do, however, have several chronic medical conditions). DH is < 60, but has chronic medical conditions. DD's are 24 & 30 -- but both have autoimmune diseases (1 celiac, 1 crohn's) which make them more likely to have complications if they get the virus, and the 30 year old takes a medication that can compromise the immune system as well, so I'm not sure if they will qualify for the 2nd phase of distribution or have to wait til later.

Our Jan 2022 Anthem cruise shows DBP @ $43/day, & Refreshment @ $18/day -- so we're grabbing those (DBP X 3, plus other for DD who can't have alcohol, which means having to call Royal, but oh, well)