AlohaLivin

While my husband did not like sailing from Canada (there is a lot of extra “stuff” dealing with passports), when we sailed from Vancouver we were able to stay another six days there and make our Alaska/BC trip the most amazing vacations we’ve ever had! For excursions, we loved the Whale / sea lion watching and day trips to the Yukon Territory (we did a private tour, it seemed like it was way better than the train as we got to stop often along the way). And we prefer early June for Alaska - chilly to mild, but not truly cold usually.

While Royal has made direct purchasing of emed tests easier, they are not the only telehealth tests acceptable (for vaccinated guests only however). Below are the criteria per the website:

On the free vs fee-based testing at CVS - I would think that for 99.9% of us the first one is a “yes” (as long as you’ve had any contact with other human beings ).

I hope that someone has an answer for that, because I have wondered about that (and if I’ve seen the answer it was long enough ago I don’t recall ). For example, we often sail in an OS or CL (just the two of us), but there is little reason for us to ever bid on a 2 BR Aqua suite or even larger suite unless we could add others on (and for a reasonable cost).

My TA who books strictly RCCL said recently that reservation policies are now more like they were before Covid (e.g., the cruise with confidence policy is now limited to bookings made on or before March 31, 2022 that depart before September 30, 2022 ) - if you book something outside those limits you lose 100pp of the deposit if you cancel (rather than a FCC or refund). It is possible to get refundable fares (which are typically higher priced), but I am referring to the non-refundable ones. I went over this with him carefully recently since we were wanting to book one in August 2023 about which we were tentative. But miracles do happen, it’s always possible to ask.

Never thought about those being “outlawed”! Clearly microwave headed ones would also not work since that would be a lot of effort to get them to warm it for you. Have you considered the Medicated X-Large patches for back pain? I know when my husband strained his back during out recent move these helped him. They stay on pretty well through a full day. https://smile.amazon.com/Icy-Hot-Extra-Strength-Medicated/dp/B00J2L65YS/ref=sr_1_26?crid=36SQ3SRK6BE04&keywords=Back+pain+pads&qid=1648424837&sprefix=back+pain+pads%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-26

The benefits can definitely save a bit of money at times But to my knowledge the fee waiver for the Amex and Chase cards is for active duty only (but not retirees nor non-retired veterans), is that correct? I would be thrilled if they did since we have both cards, but to my knowledge this is solely for active duty.

Ummm… that post was written by me on CC - my TA Ken was onboard at the time and let me know the back story since I asked the status. It could change by the time I board on the 16th, I guess time will tell.

Just answering the question about what goes on the third line. Can’t help the filling it in part

Yes. The booster or 3rd dose (In the case of patients with lowered immunity issue who had a 3rd dose vs. booster) is on the third line.

I don’t know if there’s different rules in different states about this. I know the vaccination registry different state the state. When I got the second booster and my card was in the car I was a little surprised when the NP had no problem whipping out a new one and filling it out. It may be the Luck of The Draw, but I’m sure sorry that anyone has had problems as it is such a big deal when you need it for travel

So maybe just use Dr. singular, the office of the doctor. I was just letting you know that many would when you wished for that or wondered about that. How what I said could in any way be construed as argumentative / controversial I can’t imagine, but I won’t spend any more steam on it. Have a nice day.

As I said, they can do it and will which your my opinion was directly responsive to your question (no one was “pissing” best I can tell).

Ok @twangster, you win the prize

Why should she not have been?

They can and do! I actually decided to get a fourth dose since I’m a healthcare provider and my first ones were so early; thus I was 6 months out from even my booster. I made it my own rule and had a fourth However when I did this last week my vaccination card was in the car. So instead of me going and getting it the nurse practitioner who did the injection just pulled out the state vaccination database and put all the information on the new card with that 4th dose (lots #’s, etc). Be nice to doctors, most of us are doing the best we can do (and many of us through a couple of rotten years - my sister is a physician who ended up with Covid twice because she was at the office without cease)

DH is retired military, so is my sister, and it is very rare we find a military discount on RCCL (10% of the time, maybe). There’s some amazing companies that always give a discount… Lowes (Home Depot too, but not if the items on sales so it’s a little iffy), Old Navy, Disney (ahmaaazing discounts, if you need more information just ask because this is something you shouldn’t miss), Kohl’s, Sam’s Club, and others… but not usually our beloved RCCL.

Many Sunscreens will create a rash on my upper chest / lower neck (a common location if someone is going to react) - when someone has skin that reacts that way, it can be difficult to find one that works! Supergoop products also tend to work for me regarding sensitivity (as do the EltaMD ones).

Yep! Exactly A lot of Atlanta was built on Coca-Cola money, we’re loyal!

It is extremely hard to comprehend. A high percentage of suicide are actually people with bipolar disorder, not when they are low but when they are moving to the “high” (the impulsive behavior can be extreme). It is not uncommon for those with this disorder to have issues with substance abuse which would only enhance the impulsivity. Clearly I’m not diagnosing this person, but this statistic can help explain why somebody would go on a cruise and the situation could suddenly turn. A couple of years ago we were returning home from a cruise in Orlando and as we were just entering the airport one of the TSA agents committed suicide by jumping from one of the balconies in the connecting hotel to the area between the two main terminals. This is not only a sad situation for this individual, but also for the hundreds of grandparents that were there with their little grandchildren in Disney costumes (I can’t imagine what the little children that watch that felt) and the scores of people who missed weddings and funerals because the airport was shut down for hours (everyone was pulled off planes and the terminal empties leaving a overwhelming mess). It turned out that he worked a full day as an agent and only then jumped in a very public way so many others were impacted. It was impossible to make sense of it. A difficult topic, no doubt.

We had a server at the coastal kitchen on Allure in Nov. strongly suggest that we give them all 5’s (saying it was very important). I gave him the benefit of the doubt and privately, quietly told him that the surveys do specifically ask if someone has asked us to review in a certain way and that I would not want him to have someone report that he was asking - he just stared at me. The very next morning, debarkation breakfast, I heard him reminding other guests about that they needed 5’s on the survey The Allure CK has consistently under-performed in our opinion, but this isn't the fix. In all our sailings other than this, we have never once had the survey mentioned.

It is truly shocking to me when people are willing to speak about people in such insensitive and cruel ways (and those who choose to pile on). No one is your families have a disability, illness, or difference so that you could manage the smallest bit of humanity or at least the sense to realize just how horrible you look to others when you prove you have none? People who say such things are far more disgusting to me than the people they complain about.

People who gladly share their opinion that only certain size women should wear certain types of clothes and the boneheads that laugh with him (notably usually a man who has zero room to talk about someone else or ones that last succeeded at secondary school sports).

I am a Clinical Psychologist in practice for close to 30 years and it is even difficult for me to explain. Some of these individuals no doubt have some serious mental issues already, such as bipolar disorder; alcohol doesn’t improve that problem and creates its own. I’ve always thought it was one of the most final ways however. If they think it’s going to be a dramatic situation that they will survive, they are most certainly wrong. So sad for the families left onboard.

We never have, although were booked in a star suite for repositioning Cruise to the panama canal that was sadly canceled in 2020 we will get around to scheduling another, but it won’t be until at least the middle of 2023 as we have too many cruises booked and have a daughter‘s wedding