Pima1988

THIS! 
I am always more concerned about pouncing on the "limited" items more than the UDP, DBP and VOOM since those items are not limited in numbers.
I was fortunate that when they dropped the Coco Cay Beach pass, they did it at $79.  I picked that up on day one under my husband's name.  If it drops more I will buy it under my name, and than go back and cancel the one under his account.  Believe it or not posters will tell you that between the time they cancelled and tried to repurchase at the lower price it was now sold out.  Hence, why you buy the new one at the lower price 1st and than cancel the higher price.
I am sure almost everyone here knows someone or a story about an angry passenger that lost their cabana.  Heck on my last yrs cruise, I met 2 different groups complaining and discussing this at the same time in the Solarium hot tub the day prior to arriving in Coco Cay.  We had a cabana so I sat there in awkward silence.
The other purchase that I buy right off the bat is a couples massage.  Yes, I know it is more expensive than on land, but between work and life we never find time to do one, this is our splurge.  Caveat: OBC usually covers it.  We always want day 2 (sea day) and usually late a.m. prior to lunch (no sunburn yet) This is their highest price time.  If it drops than I will rebook under my name and cancel the original.  I have never seen it drop from the earliest opportunity, only increase, yet I still hope. RCL does not set these prices, the SPA is leased to a 3rd party company, so they set their prices and sales.
 
 
 

ROFLMAO
That is the straw mans' argument.
1. If that is the true demographic please explain why they have kiddie water play areas and have daycare on board?  Why do they have Pullman beds in certain cabins? Can you really see a 60+ yr old climbing up into a bunk.  Can you see them using the slide in the top level cabin?  The Lego board or the gaming stations?  
2. Disney cruises are aimed to young families, I bet their demographic is more in the 30-40 range than 60+.  Disney theme parks are a go, but not the ships.  
3. My Mom lives in a 55 and over community with a golf course.  She is 83.  She orders pizza to be delivered to her home.  She does not have to wear a mask upon delivery. She is interacting with youngsters.  She has had landscapers at her home and they are in contact with her.   Her friends and neighbors pop by and they don't wear face masks.  They too are out and about in the world.  Yet, not 1 person in her 1500 home community has died of CoVid.  OBTW those pizza delivery people and landscapers are young and are hitting the NJ shore.
4. I am 55.  When did 60 become at "deaths door"?  Have I had my hip replaced? Yep, but that was due to traumatic injury.  My husband at 56 does P90X every day.  I have already booked some of my excursions for May 2021.  We will be ziplining and doing the BOSS.  Granted I am not over 60, but I believe I am close enough to say BS!  
Have I seen people on scooters?  Yes!  Have I seen them at Wal-Mart or my local grocery store too? Yes!  Have I seen them at Disney World? Yes!  
My point is those places have the exact same health issues that a cruise ship does.  Do you think that Universal or Disney hotels will not be the same when Grandma and Grandpa pay for the family vacay?   Sure, they can get to a hospital, but be real!  They will suffer through it.  Cruise ship or hotel, if they are feeling under the weather they will stay behind and enjoy the amenities of the property instead of leaving.  
5. I would rather cruise than rent an Air B&B or beach rental.  Cruise lines have to follow CDC.  I don't see that occurring for rentals.  My family, including cousins rent beach houses every yr for family reunions, ages range from 1 to 85.  Want to talk about spreading CoVid there you go!  The houses are cleaned, but impo not to the level of a ship.

@Baked Alaska
We are in the same boat.  We booked a clamshell at Labadee.  Beach bed came up at a great price and we decided to cancel the clamshell.  We are still waiting and it is coming up on 45 days.
However, if you booked it with OBC it seems like it is back immediately.  The only problem is you now need a spread sheet.  This was OBC, cancelled re-booked, at lower price and purchased this with OBC and cc. This is your cc saying refund, and new purchase!
We are now at the point OBC is for DBP only!

Here's my rant.
How are theme parks and casinos different than a cruise ship?  Visitors are coming in from across the country via cars or airlines.  Same as cruise ships.  They have hotel accommodations, just like cruise ships.  Wynn Resorts have announced that their buffets will re open in the next week or so at their casinos.  IMPO, I would not go to a Theme park, regardless of a mask or not.  We always stay on site at Disney, and in their higher end hotels (Yacht and Beach, Plantation, lowest end was the military Shades of Green) No way, shape or form would I say that their hotel accommodations are kept to the level of an RCL ship.  Night time they are vacuuming and wiping down like a ship, but on a ship it is 24/7 that you always see them even prior to Covid, on the staircases wiping the hand rails through out the day.  They are in your room cleaning it at least 2x a day.  Hotel maids come in, clean your room in the a.m. and call it a day. I have stayed at hotels like the Williard in DC, and there is no turn down service for just the "avg" customer.  
RCL could go back out and do just a private island cruise to Coco Cay or Labadee.  They could have full control.  Compare that to Vegas.  I book a room at the Venetian, but they are not going to lock me into the hotel.  That means, if I decide to go to the M & M store they won't stop me.  How is it that there is less likelihood of me getting the virus than getting off the ship in OSJ ? 
Where is the CDC stopping these hospitality industries?  
Don't even get me started on beaches being opened in NJ.  Last I checked social distancing is not occurring.  Anyone from NJ knows on any given day you will see a ton of NY and PA license plates.
I truly feel that they have it in for the cruising industry.  They industry shows they are in compliance, and their response is: OH Wait, we forgot to tell you that you must also do this too.  It is as if they keep moving the goal post, or at least throw a technical flag on the field.
Part of me wonders is if this is  the one travel/hospitality industry they can control since they are not US companies like the others.  They are not about to fight the governors for places like Vegas, NYC New Orleans or Miami that are demanding and needing those tax dollars from the hospitality industry.  I think cruise lines need to stomp real hard on the governors of their ports and force them to fight their cause of re-starting sailing from a tax revenue aspect.  
OBTW I have no bone in this fight bc the only cruise now on my books is May 21.  Just ranting bc I feel the pain on both sides.  Passengers with sailings are ticked.  RCL is trying to get back to sea, but the CDC is stopping them, yet, passengers don't see how the CDC are messing with their ability to do so.  RCL than doesn't cancel because they need to see if they cleared the newest jump set by the CDC.  Cruisers are ticked since the 90 day marker is there and they feel that RCL should have known. 

Why in the hell would they be enjoying this? Cmon. Was the CDC running better when you were in charge of it?

I don't know about you guys but the only time I feel packed in on a cruise ship is during the muster drill!!

Well, they do pay some taxes, just not the way people think they should pay.
https://cruiseradio.net/fact-check-do-cruise-lines-pay-us-taxes/

Here's my rant.
How are theme parks and casinos different than a cruise ship?  Visitors are coming in from across the country via cars or airlines.  Same as cruise ships.  They have hotel accommodations, just like cruise ships.  Wynn Resorts have announced that their buffets will re open in the next week or so at their casinos.  IMPO, I would not go to a Theme park, regardless of a mask or not.  We always stay on site at Disney, and in their higher end hotels (Yacht and Beach, Plantation, lowest end was the military Shades of Green) No way, shape or form would I say that their hotel accommodations are kept to the level of an RCL ship.  Night time they are vacuuming and wiping down like a ship, but on a ship it is 24/7 that you always see them even prior to Covid, on the staircases wiping the hand rails through out the day.  They are in your room cleaning it at least 2x a day.  Hotel maids come in, clean your room in the a.m. and call it a day. I have stayed at hotels like the Williard in DC, and there is no turn down service for just the "avg" customer.  
RCL could go back out and do just a private island cruise to Coco Cay or Labadee.  They could have full control.  Compare that to Vegas.  I book a room at the Venetian, but they are not going to lock me into the hotel.  That means, if I decide to go to the M & M store they won't stop me.  How is it that there is less likelihood of me getting the virus than getting off the ship in OSJ ? 
Where is the CDC stopping these hospitality industries?  
Don't even get me started on beaches being opened in NJ.  Last I checked social distancing is not occurring.  Anyone from NJ knows on any given day you will see a ton of NY and PA license plates.
I truly feel that they have it in for the cruising industry.  They industry shows they are in compliance, and their response is: OH Wait, we forgot to tell you that you must also do this too.  It is as if they keep moving the goal post, or at least throw a technical flag on the field.
Part of me wonders is if this is  the one travel/hospitality industry they can control since they are not US companies like the others.  They are not about to fight the governors for places like Vegas, NYC New Orleans or Miami that are demanding and needing those tax dollars from the hospitality industry.  I think cruise lines need to stomp real hard on the governors of their ports and force them to fight their cause of re-starting sailing from a tax revenue aspect.  
OBTW I have no bone in this fight bc the only cruise now on my books is May 21.  Just ranting bc I feel the pain on both sides.  Passengers with sailings are ticked.  RCL is trying to get back to sea, but the CDC is stopping them, yet, passengers don't see how the CDC are messing with their ability to do so.  RCL than doesn't cancel because they need to see if they cleared the newest jump set by the CDC.  Cruisers are ticked since the 90 day marker is there and they feel that RCL should have known. 

1st/2nd week of Nov is when we stop sailing...I like my ocean water to be bath temp. Even when we went mid Nov. the furthest I went in was sitting on the edge and that was after lunch.   Hence, May - Nov are when we sail.  
 
 

Here's my rant.
How are theme parks and casinos different than a cruise ship?  Visitors are coming in from across the country via cars or airlines.  Same as cruise ships.  They have hotel accommodations, just like cruise ships.  Wynn Resorts have announced that their buffets will re open in the next week or so at their casinos.  IMPO, I would not go to a Theme park, regardless of a mask or not.  We always stay on site at Disney, and in their higher end hotels (Yacht and Beach, Plantation, lowest end was the military Shades of Green) No way, shape or form would I say that their hotel accommodations are kept to the level of an RCL ship.  Night time they are vacuuming and wiping down like a ship, but on a ship it is 24/7 that you always see them even prior to Covid, on the staircases wiping the hand rails through out the day.  They are in your room cleaning it at least 2x a day.  Hotel maids come in, clean your room in the a.m. and call it a day. I have stayed at hotels like the Williard in DC, and there is no turn down service for just the "avg" customer.  
RCL could go back out and do just a private island cruise to Coco Cay or Labadee.  They could have full control.  Compare that to Vegas.  I book a room at the Venetian, but they are not going to lock me into the hotel.  That means, if I decide to go to the M & M store they won't stop me.  How is it that there is less likelihood of me getting the virus than getting off the ship in OSJ ? 
Where is the CDC stopping these hospitality industries?  
Don't even get me started on beaches being opened in NJ.  Last I checked social distancing is not occurring.  Anyone from NJ knows on any given day you will see a ton of NY and PA license plates.
I truly feel that they have it in for the cruising industry.  They industry shows they are in compliance, and their response is: OH Wait, we forgot to tell you that you must also do this too.  It is as if they keep moving the goal post, or at least throw a technical flag on the field.
Part of me wonders is if this is  the one travel/hospitality industry they can control since they are not US companies like the others.  They are not about to fight the governors for places like Vegas, NYC New Orleans or Miami that are demanding and needing those tax dollars from the hospitality industry.  I think cruise lines need to stomp real hard on the governors of their ports and force them to fight their cause of re-starting sailing from a tax revenue aspect.  
OBTW I have no bone in this fight bc the only cruise now on my books is May 21.  Just ranting bc I feel the pain on both sides.  Passengers with sailings are ticked.  RCL is trying to get back to sea, but the CDC is stopping them, yet, passengers don't see how the CDC are messing with their ability to do so.  RCL than doesn't cancel because they need to see if they cleared the newest jump set by the CDC.  Cruisers are ticked since the 90 day marker is there and they feel that RCL should have known. 

Here's my rant.
How are theme parks and casinos different than a cruise ship?  Visitors are coming in from across the country via cars or airlines.  Same as cruise ships.  They have hotel accommodations, just like cruise ships.  Wynn Resorts have announced that their buffets will re open in the next week or so at their casinos.  IMPO, I would not go to a Theme park, regardless of a mask or not.  We always stay on site at Disney, and in their higher end hotels (Yacht and Beach, Plantation, lowest end was the military Shades of Green) No way, shape or form would I say that their hotel accommodations are kept to the level of an RCL ship.  Night time they are vacuuming and wiping down like a ship, but on a ship it is 24/7 that you always see them even prior to Covid, on the staircases wiping the hand rails through out the day.  They are in your room cleaning it at least 2x a day.  Hotel maids come in, clean your room in the a.m. and call it a day. I have stayed at hotels like the Williard in DC, and there is no turn down service for just the "avg" customer.  
RCL could go back out and do just a private island cruise to Coco Cay or Labadee.  They could have full control.  Compare that to Vegas.  I book a room at the Venetian, but they are not going to lock me into the hotel.  That means, if I decide to go to the M & M store they won't stop me.  How is it that there is less likelihood of me getting the virus than getting off the ship in OSJ ? 
Where is the CDC stopping these hospitality industries?  
Don't even get me started on beaches being opened in NJ.  Last I checked social distancing is not occurring.  Anyone from NJ knows on any given day you will see a ton of NY and PA license plates.
I truly feel that they have it in for the cruising industry.  They industry shows they are in compliance, and their response is: OH Wait, we forgot to tell you that you must also do this too.  It is as if they keep moving the goal post, or at least throw a technical flag on the field.
Part of me wonders is if this is  the one travel/hospitality industry they can control since they are not US companies like the others.  They are not about to fight the governors for places like Vegas, NYC New Orleans or Miami that are demanding and needing those tax dollars from the hospitality industry.  I think cruise lines need to stomp real hard on the governors of their ports and force them to fight their cause of re-starting sailing from a tax revenue aspect.  
OBTW I have no bone in this fight bc the only cruise now on my books is May 21.  Just ranting bc I feel the pain on both sides.  Passengers with sailings are ticked.  RCL is trying to get back to sea, but the CDC is stopping them, yet, passengers don't see how the CDC are messing with their ability to do so.  RCL than doesn't cancel because they need to see if they cleared the newest jump set by the CDC.  Cruisers are ticked since the 90 day marker is there and they feel that RCL should have known. 

No way would I cruise wearing a mask.  
In No VA they just opened the hair salons, you must wear a mask.  Any woman will understand me when I say that after 3 months without a cut, color and highlight is that your appointment will be 3 hrs+.  I know this and bc I can't stand wearing the mask, I broke my appointment down to 2 sep. apptmts on different days.  1 for cut and another for color.  
If 3 hrs is too much for me, I can't fathom putting it on everytime I walked out of my balcony into public areas like the Promenade, or at a show, heck how do you sing at the piano bar in Schooners or play trivia?  Think about it...Trivia at Schooner at 3.  You walk the promenade from 2 (mask on), than go to Schooners @ 2:30-2:45 to get a good seat.  Trivia would be over at  3:30-:45.  By the time I walk out and navigate back to my room it would be 2 hrs.   No Bueno for me!
Honestly even if they told me it was just at the shows, I would not attend the shows.  I get it many people enjoy their Broadway style shows, but that really isn't why we cruise.   
 

So refreshing to read a balanced article reporting on a safe return to cruising rather than jumping on the sensationalist "cruising is doomed" bandwagon ?

It's hard for me to get worked up about being around people on our next cruise when I work in a supermarket.  

We did KW almost 4 yrs ago on Enchantment (Nov 2016)
Here are my takes.
1. Be prepared to wait a long time for that photo at the buoy.  We walked from Hemingway's house to it and there were about 100 people in line waiting to take a pic.  My husband and I looked at it, looked at the line, looked back at each other and said....nope!  I do actually have a picture of us in front of it from across the street with the 100 tourists waiting in line!
2.  Best restaurant to this day that we ate at in any port was in KW. https://blueheavenkw.com/    
It is such a cool place.  Order their Key Lime pie.  It is insane.  Basically as tall as your wrist to the top of your index finger.  The building has history.  
Through the years the property has hosted cock fighting, gambling and Friday night boxing matches refereed by Ernest Hemingway. 
The outdoor courtyard is paved with the slate pool table tops from the days the downstairs operated as a billiard hall and ice cream parlour.
A dance hall, a bordello and a playhouse have occupied the second floor. Today inside the Bordello Gallery above the restaurant, one can still peek through the sliding peep holes into the tiny rooms
3.  Beware it is an expensive place for buying any gifts.  It is an artisanal town, but expensive.
4. The roosters make that town so much fun!  They roam freely up and down the non-busy streets.  Our niece was our tour guide so she took us off the main streets for shortcuts.  
5.  KW is an open container city.  If you enjoy imbibing go to Fat Tuesday on Duval street.  You can get a drink in their re-fillable cup, walk the streets and it will make you feel more willing to spend that money on your souvenirs. 
 

one more.

I was thinking the same thing, if the @twangster bot is becoming sentient and attacking we’re going to be really screwed when Lulubot @Lovetocruise2002 goes after the programmers. It’s clearly the first step to Skynet. 

We did KW almost 4 yrs ago on Enchantment (Nov 2016)
Here are my takes.
1. Be prepared to wait a long time for that photo at the buoy.  We walked from Hemingway's house to it and there were about 100 people in line waiting to take a pic.  My husband and I looked at it, looked at the line, looked back at each other and said....nope!  I do actually have a picture of us in front of it from across the street with the 100 tourists waiting in line!
2.  Best restaurant to this day that we ate at in any port was in KW. https://blueheavenkw.com/    
It is such a cool place.  Order their Key Lime pie.  It is insane.  Basically as tall as your wrist to the top of your index finger.  The building has history.  
Through the years the property has hosted cock fighting, gambling and Friday night boxing matches refereed by Ernest Hemingway. 
The outdoor courtyard is paved with the slate pool table tops from the days the downstairs operated as a billiard hall and ice cream parlour.
A dance hall, a bordello and a playhouse have occupied the second floor. Today inside the Bordello Gallery above the restaurant, one can still peek through the sliding peep holes into the tiny rooms
3.  Beware it is an expensive place for buying any gifts.  It is an artisanal town, but expensive.
4. The roosters make that town so much fun!  They roam freely up and down the non-busy streets.  Our niece was our tour guide so she took us off the main streets for shortcuts.  
5.  KW is an open container city.  If you enjoy imbibing go to Fat Tuesday on Duval street.  You can get a drink in their re-fillable cup, walk the streets and it will make you feel more willing to spend that money on your souvenirs. 
 

@WAAAYTOOO
That is my point.  Look at it.  This forum has maybe 1% of 1% of all cruisers.  
Yet, here you go.  2 of us are not the "norm/avg" when it comes to body temps.  
You could have a 99.6 and they will say you are good to go.  However, for me that would really be a 102 degree temp since my body is 3 degrees higher than yours.  
It is just down right ridiculous.  I am not lying nor exaggerating, I really feel like I am going to take not only a notarized letter from my doc, but an ear thermometer too. 
Caveat, I believe that is all BS!  I keep thinking Covid is like the chicken pox.  You can be contagious without showing symptons for days.  I get on the ship with perfect temp...sea day day 2.  Port day day 3.  Still good.  Sea day day 4 (they don't check), port day 5, come back and my temp is high. UHHHH...I just spent 5 days where I went to the Balloon drop, ate in the MDR for lunch, used my Thermal pass, played trivia in Schooners...etc, etc, etc.  So what good is doing these checks if .we know that there is a lag time from exposure to symptomatic, and on top of that some people are a-symptomatic. 
I might actually cancel my cruise, because of the thought of port days.  I can't even fathom how long it will take standing outside waiting to board at a port like OSJ in May when they have to fore head scan every single passenger on Symphony.   Seriously, think about how long that line will be.  
 

@HeWhoWaits  I have it down to a science now.  I walk up and say to the TSA person before I enter, my right knee has a metal patella and my hip has been , be prepared I will glow.  They still pull me a side after the 360 scan, but it is only for a 30 secs wand.
My husband laughs because he always goes before me and he sees the big grey blocks on my knee and hip and smiles because he knows what will happen next....here we go, they are going to wand her...great because that gives me enough time to collect my tablet, put on my belt and shoes!  FYI, doesn't matter where we are flying to I wear slip on shoes, no belt/necklaces and my bin is just my purse and phone, heck I am probably the only person that now carries paperback books bc I know what is about to happen....Mam can you step aside please?
 

LMAO
Like I said we camped a lot in AK.  May is horrible, come late June/early July it will be fine.  As summer goes along each new cycle of mosquitoes become smaller, thus, May they are the size of a quarter!  May is also what we call the SPIT month.  It doesn't rain, it spits, which creates a great breeding environment for the mosquitoes.
I still remember waking up in the a.m. and seeing blood splatter with dead mosquitos all around our bed (pop up camper).  First thing that went through my mind, was DANG, that's my blood, I killed them after they bit me! The other memory is we camped with a group of friends (basically 5-6 families), my close friend bought a pith helmet style hat with netting and wore it 24 hrs, including sleeping in it!  I am vain, but I preferred having bites on my face over wearing that!
Back on topic now!
 

We did KW almost 4 yrs ago on Enchantment (Nov 2016)
Here are my takes.
1. Be prepared to wait a long time for that photo at the buoy.  We walked from Hemingway's house to it and there were about 100 people in line waiting to take a pic.  My husband and I looked at it, looked at the line, looked back at each other and said....nope!  I do actually have a picture of us in front of it from across the street with the 100 tourists waiting in line!
2.  Best restaurant to this day that we ate at in any port was in KW. https://blueheavenkw.com/    
It is such a cool place.  Order their Key Lime pie.  It is insane.  Basically as tall as your wrist to the top of your index finger.  The building has history.  
Through the years the property has hosted cock fighting, gambling and Friday night boxing matches refereed by Ernest Hemingway. 
The outdoor courtyard is paved with the slate pool table tops from the days the downstairs operated as a billiard hall and ice cream parlour.
A dance hall, a bordello and a playhouse have occupied the second floor. Today inside the Bordello Gallery above the restaurant, one can still peek through the sliding peep holes into the tiny rooms
3.  Beware it is an expensive place for buying any gifts.  It is an artisanal town, but expensive.
4. The roosters make that town so much fun!  They roam freely up and down the non-busy streets.  Our niece was our tour guide so she took us off the main streets for shortcuts.  
5.  KW is an open container city.  If you enjoy imbibing go to Fat Tuesday on Duval street.  You can get a drink in their re-fillable cup, walk the streets and it will make you feel more willing to spend that money on your souvenirs. 
 

LMAO
Like I said we camped a lot in AK.  May is horrible, come late June/early July it will be fine.  As summer goes along each new cycle of mosquitoes become smaller, thus, May they are the size of a quarter!  May is also what we call the SPIT month.  It doesn't rain, it spits, which creates a great breeding environment for the mosquitoes.
I still remember waking up in the a.m. and seeing blood splatter with dead mosquitos all around our bed (pop up camper).  First thing that went through my mind, was DANG, that's my blood, I killed them after they bit me! The other memory is we camped with a group of friends (basically 5-6 families), my close friend bought a pith helmet style hat with netting and wore it 24 hrs, including sleeping in it!  I am vain, but I preferred having bites on my face over wearing that!
Back on topic now!
 

We did KW almost 4 yrs ago on Enchantment (Nov 2016)
Here are my takes.
1. Be prepared to wait a long time for that photo at the buoy.  We walked from Hemingway's house to it and there were about 100 people in line waiting to take a pic.  My husband and I looked at it, looked at the line, looked back at each other and said....nope!  I do actually have a picture of us in front of it from across the street with the 100 tourists waiting in line!
2.  Best restaurant to this day that we ate at in any port was in KW. https://blueheavenkw.com/    
It is such a cool place.  Order their Key Lime pie.  It is insane.  Basically as tall as your wrist to the top of your index finger.  The building has history.  
Through the years the property has hosted cock fighting, gambling and Friday night boxing matches refereed by Ernest Hemingway. 
The outdoor courtyard is paved with the slate pool table tops from the days the downstairs operated as a billiard hall and ice cream parlour.
A dance hall, a bordello and a playhouse have occupied the second floor. Today inside the Bordello Gallery above the restaurant, one can still peek through the sliding peep holes into the tiny rooms
3.  Beware it is an expensive place for buying any gifts.  It is an artisanal town, but expensive.
4. The roosters make that town so much fun!  They roam freely up and down the non-busy streets.  Our niece was our tour guide so she took us off the main streets for shortcuts.  
5.  KW is an open container city.  If you enjoy imbibing go to Fat Tuesday on Duval street.  You can get a drink in their re-fillable cup, walk the streets and it will make you feel more willing to spend that money on your souvenirs.