ptod

Phew......all I could think was "Oops I did it again!"

Did I do that?

@Jill - soooo sorry I forgot to mention this.... AMEN!!!!!

I saw that check in was open online while chilling in the solarium on Symphony this afternoon. I bolted to the cabin for our passport info. I did skip taking a security photo at the time since I am sure it would show my true self - a little cruise crazy at the moment.

I leverage both the soda machines for diet sodas and the deluxe package for the booze. So far my favorite combo is diet vanilla root beer and a shot (or 2) of Kraken rum. The bar tenders get to know me quite quickly and are curious what I am up to next. Follow me for more recipes! j/k

We boarded the Symphony yesterday. Here is our experience. We had a 11:30 check-in. I was watching traffic to Miami from our hotel near the airport and travel times were running close to 30 minutes due to traffic On top of that Uber was saying it could take 10-15 minutes for an Uber-X to be available. So we went to the lobby at 10:30, checked out and order an Uber. The car showed up in less than 2 minutes. The drive to the port took 15 minutes. A porter took our bags and directed us to the terminal doors. Ever a rule follower, I even told the gentleman at the door that we were way early and he just waved us in. We were on the ship at 11:15, 15 minutes before we were supposed to arrive. We were always ready and willing to wait it out till our check-in time. As always YMMV.

Just giving friendly unsolicited advice.... Please don't overthink the dress code on any Royal ship....even on a "formal" night. As a previous poster said you do not have to participate in the theme of the night. Wear some decent clothes and go enjoy dinner in the dining room every night! Order 2 appetizers or 2 desserts or both. "Formal" nights can have some amazing dishes to try. If a fellow passenger cares what the people at the next table are wearing they have a problem, you don't. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your cruise because it is YOUR cruise! Don't worry - be happy!

They did not have fireworks at CocoCay this year. I was hoping for a small show.

The only announcement from the captain was on the morning we were waved off St Thomas. At that time 27 crew and 3 passengers were positive - all asymptomatic. Passenger total for this NYE cruise are somewhere between 3200 - 3400. I don't remember hearing any other update on other people not feeling well.

Steve - you have received some good advice already. I would also add that if you do use the proctored test, you do not have to be alone to take the test. Feel free to have a family member or friend who is comfortable with technology be there with you. I couldn't use my cell phone for the test so I had to log in on my husband's. I couldn't even tell the proctor what kind of phone I have. And please know that lots of people are nervous about doing these tests for the first time. The proctors we had slowly walk you through everything, weren't bothered as we repeated the instructions back as we did each step. Raise your hand if you also counted out loud as you put 6 drops into the top hole on the test card. Finally know that they are helping you test for the ick that is going around and nothing else. They didn't take any points off our results even when I was in the middle of my test session and my husband tried to make a tiny adjustment to the phone being held up with a tripod.....and the phone went flying across the desk. Keep asking questions. You will get lots of support on this board. Happy New Cruising Year!

I believe it was......... Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

Does your wife get the Refreshment package or no package with your letter? My husband doesn't drink, but gets the Refreshment package. I call Royal directly to book (can't buy mixed packages on the website). I also call for any price drops that occur. I find the Crown & Anchor phone number is the best one to call for this kind of assistance. I think this is still good information: Crown & Anchor Society Desk at 1800 754 500 Option 5. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm.

Your flight might arrive at 9am but the transfer will likely not be immediately after you pick up any checked luggage. Last time I used a Royal transfer, we were waiting for other flights to arrive and get on the same shuttle to the ship. I would be prepared to just wait at the terminal for the doors to open. There really isn't anything nearby the port and once the traffic starts building it can be a slog to get to the terminal building. In the Before Times, porters were taking luggage early at the terminal - now...my guess is that you will still be able to hand over your luggage a bit early. You can always visit the Tear Drop Memorial at the port if you are so inclined.

I find it helpful to swing thru a bar or 2 on the way to the Escape room.....ymmv

I hate when this happens...... ?

I am aware that it was a short cruise, however, I appreciate that the passenger reported to medical quickly. I wish them a speedy recovery.

When the news broke and I read the headlines, all I could picture was HM The Queen with a smiley faced plaster on her arm. ? I hope things go smoothly as the UK ramps up distribution.

It is a fascinating time to live down the street from the Pfizer campus. As you read/hear about the vaccine, please keep in mind that the efficacy rate of 90% will likely change as the next set of trial data is released. The figure can go up or down - so don't be be surprised if you start hearing different information about Pfizer's vaccine. The 90% is based on about 90 people in the trial still catching the virus. The next threshold is when about 160 people in the trial catch it. This data point may have already been reached yet no results released to the public - idk. Rollout will be very interesting to watch. DH & I have already wondered if the first shipments that roll out from Kalamazoo will be under cover of darkness or even with an escort of some sort. What we know for sure is that the scientists at Pfizer and the other biotech firms work for the good of all. As the vaccines are given the go ahead, they will be shared from the beginning with other nations - as they should be - imho. Personally, we do not expect any vaccine to be available to us until June 2021 at the earliest. I would rather be surprised that progress is "ahead of schedule" than face another full year of death by a thousand cuts for anything we plan for next year be it business or cruising. We fully expect our 2021 cruise to be cancelled. If we can jump on a boat later in 2021 that's great, otherwise we will just look forward to our 2022 cruise.

Explorer is the ship I wanted to be on. ???

I would rather be dealing with your Freedom for Explorer trade. ? I got the Explorer to Radiance trade. Had already L&S-ed the Explorer to 2022 since my friends were too nervous about sailing in 2021. We have been on Radiance for Alaska and Panama Canal - we like the ship but not for the group we are traveling with. Not sure what we are going to end up doing - getting the group to agree on initial trip was like herding cats. I totally agree with a previous poster that RCG is likely trying to get the "best" ships to Florida for runs to Coco Cay. I understand business - but I am still going to whine a little bit......then I will feel better. ?

S'mores ?

I said the 50% was my guess - no real data is required for a guess. I am equidistant from both airport and have flown to/from both. TF Greene Airport in RI is easier to get to, is a much nicer experience, can be cheaper, is closer to "tourist areas" among other reasons many avoid Bradley. I would even consider driving to Boston for an international flight in order to avoid Bradley. Driving south from Enfield to Bradley is a very different experience than driving to Bradley from many other areas in CT. Our governor is considering a negative test result as a way out of the quarantine. Curious, do Maine's rules state the test has to be taken within a certain number of days before someone visits?

Unless you are coming into the tri-state area from the current high infection areas identified by these governors you are free to visit. As all states continue to work toward containing the infection, states will be added and deleted from the list as we move forward. As others have said, there is no way of knowing what the list will look like in February or even what rules will be in effect then. Right now in CT, visitors from states on the list are asked to self-quarantine - it is voluntary - the State of CT will not enforce the quarantine on anyone to start (the governor can change his mind at any time). My guess is that 50% of people that choose to fly when heading to CT use the airport in Rhode Island (which is what I do when flying in/out) and it will become harder and harder to monitor/track most visitors to CT. I can't speak to NY or NJ - since my business is shot for the year I haven't had to travel to either state this year, therefore, I have not really kept up with the rules about travelling to NY & NJ. @alamode123 - even I get whiplash with the ever changing rules each state makes and then modifies on what seems like an hourly basis. I have decided to just keep my eyes open for news of the reopening of Bayonne to cruise ships. Until that decision is announced, there will be no cruising from NJ no matter what happens with borders opening up or even the issues between the cruise lines and the CDC. Personally I wish the Canadian/US would open asap. I would love to be able to drive north and visit Canada again while I have lots of time on my hands. My yard wants me to leave it alone for a while.

As did I. I saw the email from David in my inbox, mentioning that Beth is taking over our reservations and it was signed by Beci. I like the team effort from MEI.

Thank you for the information.