ScooterScott22

Agree with this statement that since since the C&A status is lifelong there is not many concessions that they will extend, BUT there is a window that might be left for some cruises. As evidenced by some of the post above, how many people think that Royal will honor the C&A points for a specific time period? It would be easy for them to take an all or none attitude of “if you didn’t cruise, you don’t get the points” and revoke the points that were credited for those mid March cruises. It is also pretty unlikely that they would take the opposite view and let anyone with a cancelled cruise keep their points. Likely they will land somewhere in the middle and let the points for the cruises up to a certain date stay in people’s accounts. I’m thinking a cut off date for that might be cruises that were scheduled before March 31.

In case anyone wanted to know what the asterisk next to a cruise was about without looking up the article. *CDC was notified about COVID-19-positive travelers who had symptoms while on board these ships. For all other ships, CDC was notified about travelers who had symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 within 14 days after disembarking. Since these travelers’ symptoms began after the voyage, the traveler might have contracted COVID-19 during the voyage; however, other sources of transmission after the voyage cannot be ruled out.

This seems moot since most ships do not have passengers so the concern becomes if these recommendations end up remaining in place. There are many interesting items like face masks for all debarking passengers and transport of the sick. Some of it is not bad like masks but chartering flights for everyone seems like a huge issue. “As of April 4, 2020, CDC has updated its recommendations to help US cruise ship travelers get home as quickly and safely as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. CDC is working with partners as part of the Unified Command, including Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, port authorities, local and state health departments, and Department of State, to respond to COVID-19 aboard cruise ships. CDC recommends that cruise ship travelers with no symptoms or mild symptoms disembark as quickly and safely as possible at US ports of entry: Cruise line companies must get travelers directly to their homes via chartered or private transportation. Commercial flights and public transportation may not be used.” https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/cruise-ship/what-cdc-is-doing.html it does have an interesting list of all ships/cruises and reported cases. Cruise Ships Affected by COVID-19 Ship name Voyage Start Date Voyage End Date Carnival Imagination 5-Mar 8-Mar Carnival Valor 29-Feb 5-Mar Carnival Valor 5-Mar 9-Mar Carnival Valor 9-Mar 14-Mar Carnival Vista 15-Feb 22-Feb Carnival Vista 29-Feb 7-Mar Celebrity Infinity 5-Mar 9-Mar Celebrity Eclipse* 2-Mar 30-Mar Celebrity Reflection 13-Mar 17-Mar Celebrity Summit 29-Feb 7-Mar Crown Princess 6-Mar 16-Mar Disney Wonder 28-Feb 2-Mar Disney Wonder* 6-Mar 20-Mar Grand Celebration 22-Feb 24-Feb Grand Princess 11-Feb 21-Feb Grand Princess* 21-Feb 7-Mar MSC Meraviglia 1-Mar 8-Mar Norwegian Bliss* 1-Mar 8-Mar Norwegian Bliss 8-Mar 15-Mar Norwegian Breakaway 29-Feb 7-Mar Norwegian Breakaway* 7-Mar 14-Mar Norwegian Pride of America* 29-Feb 7-Mar Oceania Riviera* 26-Feb 11-Mar RCCL Explorer of Seas 8-Mar 15-Mar RCCL Liberty of the Seas* 15-Mar 29-Mar RCCL Majesty of the Seas* 29-Feb 7-Mar RCCL Oasis of the Seas* 8-Mar 15-Mar RCCL Symphony of the Seas* 7-Mar 14-Mar

Are you also on their list too, I normally get the Email link to the journal regularly and with the Coronavirus NEJM has almost a daily update. I don’t read all the articles but not sure that is completely accurate. While science and scholarly articles usually leave at least some possibility of change, there is proof that this passes from person to person, usually droplet. The info from NEJM below does show it does remain in the air. Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1 N. van Doremalen and Others DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2004973 | March 17, 2020 “Our results indicate that aerosol and fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is plausible, since the virus can remain viable and infectious in aerosols for hours and on surfaces up to days (depending on the inoculum shed). These findings echo those with SARS-CoV-1, in which these forms of transmission were associated with nosocomial spread and super-spreading events,5“

Adding that in this day of lean business processes (thanks Toyota) there is quite a bit of “just in time” supply. While some of the items may have been ordered or even made, they might not be onsite. In lean processes having the necessary material lying around waiting for use is wasted money, space, etc. That can help the port by reducing unnecessary supplies from laying around and wasting space. Looking at lean processes for Royal this means the project manager could have a timeline that does not require the new materials to be available until after the removal and cleaning of the space that will be remodeled. As a byproduct in this situation, it is possible that the supplies were on order but not actually purchased. That could mean the capital is still with RC and the higher ups are choosing to keep that capital. That is just speculation but does seem to fit with the situation.

While I am not discounting the economic impact there are some other things to consider. Imagine being the local health care center Dahl in Skagway. Since the local population is near 1000, the numbers work out easily. If the percentages hold, it would mean that 600 town members become ill with the virus, and 200 would need to be hospitalized, not to mention how many would need intensive care. Dahl would not be able to handle the patient volume. And most would have to be transported out.

We live in the Orlando area so not much experience with port Canaveral area hotels. I will second the vote on the Hilton in Cocoa. We put family up there the day before a big family cruise and spent some time on property. That and the Doubletree just up the road are a few of the options that are directly on the ocean/beach. The others may have beach access but are not on the beach itself. It is a little further but still a short drive up to the port. There is a group of hotels closer to port but they are on the lagoon side and most not on the water. Not sure on the costs as that can change depending on dates..

That is all part of why I am wondering about the changes and credit. Since it is over a year away I am surprised by the credit, they can just change things up. The info stated changes to the port day in Yokohama but are there other changes beyond the end date too, of the Singapore to Tokyo? We didn’t get any info on that since we are not doing that one. All those cruises are gone from the website, so it can’t be booked.

Our trans-pacific cruise is a long way off but thought it was kind of odd that Royal was giving options for guests to change this cruise. The Tokyo to Seattle in May 2021 had the departing date moved from 5/8 to 5/7. It will also change the ports in Japan, now with 2 stop instead of 1, and lose one port day in Alaska. The rest of the cruise is the same except the when we get to Seattle we will do an overnight there because of the additional day on the front end. (Guessing they want to keep the rest of the Alaska season on track as scheduled.) None of this is particularly concerning since the cruise is a long way off and the cruise lines can change itinerary at anytime. What I found strange was they are giving you three options - stay on the cruise as booked but you will actually get a credit to the stateroom. - rebook to another sailing and get the same credit. - full refund. Wondering about the credit, so any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated. While we are only planning on this cruise, many folks are doing the back2back from Singapore to Tokyo beforehand. So it doesn’t look like this change really is too problematic for many on this cruise and even those not doing b2b have plenty of time to arrange/rearrange travel. It looks as if we are getting cruise credit to have extra day on the ship. The credit could just be changes in the port fees. But it seems that just changing from one port in Alaska to one in Japan would not be drastically different for fees and there is extra time at port in Seattle too compound that theory. Also since people can change to another cruise and still get the same credit making it look less like it is all port fees. So is Royal just giving the credit to be nice and loyal to guests?

I’ll add that if you are choosing specialty dining they all have their own feel, so what you might be comfortable with at one may not work for others. Not sure if Jamie’s is still there but that seemed like jean and collar shirt. Chops would be also jeans at minimum but more likely Khaki’s or nicer. Izumi also jeans at minimum, that one seemed more casual on the Quantuum class ships. There is no Wonderland on Symphony, right? That is another that I would do something nicer than jeans. And Chef’s Table is someplace where I would also dress up more.

It is not unusual but it can be problematic if it continues. There is a condition is called Mal De Debarquement and if symptoms last more than a few days you should consider seeking treatment. There is not a specific treatment but there are options. I do like the idea of getting back on the ship!!!

As a frequent traveler for work I can share there is a key difference in the cruise loyalty programs that will make purchasing the points problematic. Hotel, car rental and airlines require an annual requirement to retain status and cruise lines your status is for life. (There are a few exceptions such as million miler balances, lifetime diamond, etc.). The annual programs allow you to purchase up since there are always people that are leveling up AND down. Since the cruise lines will never lower your status purchasing status would create an even bigger log-jam at the top tiers. It is already getting strained as you can see by the threads on Diamond/plus status and the lounge and drinks.

That may not be true at every port. I can share that because of communication and organizational issues in Vancouver we ended up taking our bags all the way to the room. We each had a carry on (back pack) and a regular suit case (not a small airline overhead but a full sized). Our bags were with us the whole time and I thought it would be an issue once we reached security. The screeners didn’t bat an eye, they just put the bags on the belt like any other bag. They went through without any problem. Anyone who knows the boarding/customs process in Vancouver can understand that it was a little bit of a chore to make it from the entrance all the way to the stateroom, with the multiple levels at that port, but it was do-able.

I’ll add, that there was an issue that the credit was not there initially. Once they fixed the issue they gave an extra $10 credit for the trouble. Just guessing that the extra credit, when applied, might have done something to the limit we had set. Just a theory, but still watch the limits.

Just reinforcing to keep an eye on the folio. Our son had a credit on last cruise and for some reason the cut off limit did not work. He ended going over by a few dollars by the time we realized.

Another vote here for going in with an open mind. On our very first cruise we did feel some motion and just put up with it and kept on with our vacation. To make a long story short, turns out that was some of the roughest seas we have ever had, so everything has been a easy after that. Our family actually even likes at least a little bit of motion, perfectly calm waters is almost too boring. Weather and conditions will change and you can’t do anything about it so just enjoy. All you can do is pack appropriately for cold And waterproof if you are doing something like an Alaska cruise, a jacket or umbrella for rainy days and sunscreen and swimsuits for everything else. Get out there and enjoy!

Also note, the boarding area can change at different ports. It is not uncommon for boarding to take place on a higher deck at ports of embarkation. In Alaska the tide difference can be as much as 27 feet. They actually moved the boarding due to tides at one point during the day at Skagway.

Have been there once for work and once for a cruise. For work, had to be closer to the work location and it wasn’t too far from Granville but not a place I would recommend because it was fine but nothing special. Before our cruise we did two nights at the Marriott Pinnacle. It was a good location and we were able to walk to everything we did except for one thing, we took the train. We walked over to and around Stanley park. It was a little long but not bad. The item I wanted to share was that we had a few minor hiccups at check in and at our first meal but the management was great. They called, sent a cheese plate and drinks, etc. to compensate us for the troubles. The property had a nice pool and gym so it covered those bases too.

While I doubt that I am in total agreement with Mr. Frommer about the cruise recreation options, I do see something to his point. One of the reasons we liked our first cruise so much was it was a true get-away. Since it pre-dated the onboard internet, it seemed like a real escape from the daily grind. Our favorite cruise was also one of those early ones. It was 14 day Panama Canal and it only had 4 port days, so very relaxing. It is nice to have the option to do things but there still should be some room to relax. Sometimes it is nice just to lie on a deck chair, sip a cocktail and watch the water. No worrying about “gotta get to....” or “gotta post that...”. So while he maybe focused on certain aspects that I do not agree with, I can also find a theme in his statement about the “loss of relaxation” and there is some truth to that aspect.

Ok, let me get the puns done first. If YOU are a big wildlife photographer then I guess any camera setup will be small compared to you and your body. Or if you are a BIG WILDLIFE photographer a cruise may be disappointing as it will likely only have smaller animals. Ok yea, those were dumb. Really just wanted to ask, particularly Twangster, if there is really enough wildlife to view? Our experiences have been that cruises in the Caribbean have had less wildlife than others. Alaska obviously had the most. Surprisingly, we also saw quite a bit of sea life along the Pacific side of Mexico heading down to the Panama Canal. Even our 2 European cruises - Norway, Iceland, UK had more than all the Caribbean cruises. It seems the most likely animal to encounter on a Caribbean Cruise is the Party Animal. (Sorry just had to put that last one in there.) I don’t know much about cameras and agree that any setup will be fine. But the OP may not find as many subjects to shoot. Therefore if it matter to his setup, landscape and scenery shots would be plentiful.

I tend to be up early but not due to sleep issues. It is always nice to just have a walk around while things are quite and less crowded. Sometimes you notice things that you might not have if there were people moving about. You may find new shortcuts or hidden little spot if you just explore. If the weather is nice (tropical or Caribbean cruises) it can be relaxing to just grab a deck chair and lounge. While it may not be a deep sleep, you may end up catching a few more winks or get to see a beautiful sunrise. If not, then you can be the first in line for the breakfast buffet!

Quick word of caution, while it is probably extremely rare, genie assignments can change. We had a couple of gifts from our local area and one was personalized for our genie. The day of boarding we were notified that our genie was changed. So we were stuck with that personalized item. We passed along the other gifts and a little extra $$$.

Awesome, combo of events for your pre-cruise! And LET’S GO BLUES! I haven’t been there for a game but have been in the area around there for work a number of times. The traffic around and on the expressway can be really heavy at times and likely, after work/before game time it will be busier. If you have the car and are free, being vacation and all, it might be a good idea to head over a little early and grab a bite to eat at the mall area or one of the places near Sunrise Blvd and Flamingo. Otherwise I would just do Uber or something over there. Have fun!

Since I live in the area, unfortunately I don’t have a lot of direct experience there. A friend from overseas stays there for work conferences each year. He has been at a few other hotels around town and is happy with this one. So the accommodations seem fine. As for dining, I have been over there to visit and have drinks but not to the restaurants. He does occasional meals there and is relatively happy with those. If you don’t mind a short trip out, there are a ton of dining choices about 2 miles north of the property. The property is an easy cab or Uber to Disney Springs and there are two other cluster of restaurants right along 535 at I-4. If you don’t want to go off property, a number of those probably offer some sort of delivery or Doordash/UberEats.

Since the OP is from Sweden... ...Being from Florida and having sailed the coast of Norway I would be tempted to say Miami in February is similar to Norway in July. I won’t because Miami is probably consistently warmer.