Zacharius

This one is tough, because just be shear numbers, it's safe to assume just about any moderately sized cruise is going to have at least some American citizens on it. And, interestingly enough, after the huge spike in US cases right at the start of 2021, the number of new cases between the US and EU really aren't all that different now - https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=eur&areas=usa&areas=gbr&areas=prt&areas=irl&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usnj&areasRegional=usaz&areasRegional=usca&areasRegional=usnd&areasRegional=ussd&cumulative=0&

Life became immeasurably more enjoyable when I stopped paying attention to CNN/Fox/MSNBC. It's all political gossip posing as "news". So many better ways to get true, accurate, expert news - it takes a little more work, but it's worth it. Now I occasionally see a headline or screenshot from the mass news channels and just laugh at how ridiculously asinine they are, and shake my head that so many people still get sucked in.

I have met my local, state, and federal representatives and senators several times. They're all usually very nice to my face. Some even, I believe, care...especially on the local or state level. I have a very good relationship with my local US Rep and feel like she is truly fighting for me as a person. But, sadly, my senators are udder trash and, despite being nice to my face every time I meet them, I know they only care about themselves and nothing I say as an individual matters, no matter how good of a case I make. Should you voice your concerns? Absofreakinglutely, I will always advoca

Hey, to each their own with provolone. I get why people are in to it, I just want no part of it. The first time I went on a cruise about 10 years ago, I was active in my Cruise Critic roll call before hand, and had a plan to get together for a party on the first day. Time came and I realized I had no desire to actually meet people and I just went to the pool for a pina colada and my book instead I travel for a living and am always around people when I travel for work, so when it comes to vacation, it's time for my wife and I to be alone...even if there are thousands of other people aro

The idea creeps the hell out of me. But I don't even really like meeting new people on cruises, let alone having them in my room.

I actually wore a space suite once (an older decommissioned one, of course) and I think I would prefer it over a damn face shield...looks cooler, at least! Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. As someone who still has to travel fairly frequently for my job, I would hate to be stuck next to that dumb ass.

I'll rent you my Namibian passport if that helps

Unless someone has the most obscure, bottom-of-the-barrel provider/plan, there's no difference in calling from Puerto Rico or St. Thomas as opposed to Kentucky, Utah, or Florida. Even then, with the absolutely lowest of the low Bob's Mobile plan, I would be shocked. I have a friend who goes back and forth between Chicago and San Juan for work (usually 2-3 months in one, 2-3 months in the other, back and forth) and has a standard AT&T plan with a 630 (Chicagoland) area code...no problemo, no need to notify AT&T or have any special plan.

Have stayed at Decanter Hotel in Old San Juan, very reasonably priced and great location I think you have a good intro to the city. Just walking around is a good option too, you'll see other cool stuff Uber/Lyft As far as being a tourist goes, everything is like being in a state, including cell phones - for P.R. and USVI

Yeah some airlines do this, usually for UNICEF, and are very vocal about the "any currency, any amount" line. I think it was British Airways where the guy next to me donated Moldovan Leu... I would love to see all of the cool currencies they get in any given year.

I spend a good chunk of my year outside the US, and I almost never bring any local currency with me unless I have it from a previous trip. Just no point. I stop at an ATM once I arrive and pull out local cash if I need it. I also usually carry a little bit of USD to exchange in a pinch (such as once, on my fourth trip to Brazil in a year, for unknown reasons, my cards were all getting declined at the same ATMs (but not shops/restaurants) I had used on previous trips, so I was able to swap some USD out for local currency in a pinch). To me, it's a huge waste of money in most cases to swap

No problem, you can have our room - sounds miserable to me!

You couldn't pay me enough to cruise during a major holiday or even a summer school break. My wife and I purposely travel during the times there are likely to be as few kids/families as possible.

I definitely don't mind wearing a mask. I still fly regularly and am used to having them on for many hours at a time. But I wouldn't want to wear one on vacation, so I would choose not to take a cruise with a mask mandate/recommendation and would instead stick to what I have been doing this year - more outdoorsy, socially distanced vacations.

Wow, I can't really think of too many. Sometimes I forget to pack until the last minute, if that's a tradition. I listen to reggae all year round, so there's no music that gets me psyched (and I can't stand Jimmy Buffet). No movies. I guess I am just boring. Perhaps dropping my dog off at my mother-in-laws house the night before? Oh, and if we're cruising out of Ft. Lauderdale, we always hit up The Field Irish pub right off the plane for onion rings and Guinness, followed by a walk out the jetty next to Halmos College to watch any ships leaving if there are. That's about it.