SpeedNoodles

Hi @Steve Wikel, welcome to the forums!!
March is a lifetime away, in pandemic time, and so much can change between now and then.  
First, regarding the test kits - I'm confident that by March they will have exhausted all of the old tests (which are the ones that people are having issues with), so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
Also it seems that Omicron passes through fairly quickly.  Whether it passes through the US as fast as it did through South Africa is anyone's guess, but I think even most epidemiologists feel that it won't be with us very long.  Will another variant raise its ugly head before March? It's anyone's guess.   But I think what we can count on is things will be different on March 6 than January 1.  How it will be different is unknown.
We're glad you joined us!

I guess we may consider canceling our flight and driving, but that does take 2 days down and 2 days back, and driving from Minnesota in the winter is tricky.

I use the non-proctored ones all of the time (mostly because I'm too lazy to drive the 14 miles to go get the free one).  

Hi @Steve Wikel, welcome to the forums!!
March is a lifetime away, in pandemic time, and so much can change between now and then.  
First, regarding the test kits - I'm confident that by March they will have exhausted all of the old tests (which are the ones that people are having issues with), so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
Also it seems that Omicron passes through fairly quickly.  Whether it passes through the US as fast as it did through South Africa is anyone's guess, but I think even most epidemiologists feel that it won't be with us very long.  Will another variant raise its ugly head before March? It's anyone's guess.   But I think what we can count on is things will be different on March 6 than January 1.  How it will be different is unknown.
We're glad you joined us!

With Delta I was ok with these mitigation.  With Omicron? I'm not sure. Because Mr. SpeedNoodles got boostered less than a week before he tested positive it's assumed his booster ended up being ineffective.  I'm waiting to see how fast this Omicron dies down, though.  Not ready to throw in the towel.

Ugh, the thought of being moved out of my Owner's Suite due to a positive result on board just sickens me.  I have some thinking to do....
I'll never be able to get a deal like this ever again.  

Ugh, the thought of being moved out of my Owner's Suite due to a positive result on board just sickens me.  I have some thinking to do....
I'll never be able to get a deal like this ever again.  

As previously mentioned, on day 7 (1/1) my two kids went for their last Covid test and the results came back positive. All 4 of us had/have no symptoms. RC performed a PCR on the kids & it confirmed the positive result. 
 
1/1 @ 4:00pm: phone call from guest relations asking for our return flight info, home address, phone number exc. I kindly I formed them we had a vehicle at the port and we lived in Fort Lauderdale. The guest relations follow up question was once again “what is your flight number”. This question was asked a total of 3 times in a 5 minute phone call and each time I informed them we had a vehicle at the port. 
 
1/1 @ 4:30pm: phone call guest relations informing us that security was coming to get us & our luggage and move us to “another floor”. We were told they would be there in 30 minutes. 
 
1/1 @ 5:30pm: knock on the cabin door. It’s 2 security guards and 3 crew members in full PPE (haz mat suits) with fog guns. The security guard passes me a folder with documents including final invoice, some kind of FCC for the day and a full 10 page document indicating we would be taken via special transport to a hotel to be quarantined for 10 days. There was a section for adults to sign & consent to the terms. The crew members grabbed our luggage and walked us through the interior crew passageways to an area where they fogged the luggage. We watched them spray the luggage and then we’re directed to a freight elevator to the 6th floor. Room 6304 balcony. There was 1 king bed and a small couch (which at first I assumed pulled out into a bed). Door closed behind us and no further instructions which we figured was odd. 
 
1/1 @ 6:30pm: kids were hungry so I called up room service which was a limited menu (burger, hotdog, salads, fries, some desserts, sodas). There are small tables set up outside the cabins where the food is left and you just get a knock on the door when the food is delivered. I ate outside on the balcony and you could hear nothing but coughing kids outside and all around us. My kids are bored at this point & asking when we can go to sugar beach. We still have no clear game plan for the following days disembarkation. My wife is a pit bull attorney and you could see she was starting to get into full lawyer mode and about to go ham on guest relations for some answers. I called down and was told a “supervisor” would get back to me. This never happened. 
 
1/1 @ 10:00pm: kids watched a movie and finally fell asleep. Still no word from anyone with a plan. I totally forgot about the sleeping situation and when I went to open the small mini couch it became clear that this was not a pull out bed. Since the kids & wife were asleep it was just me and the tiny couch. No blanket just a pillow. I’m 6’ tall so my legs had no where to go. I found some large bath towels and laid them out on the floor and just went to sleep on the floor. What an interesting way to really feel every single shift in engine RPM and bow thruster operation! 
 
1/2 @ 6:30am: phone call from guest relations to get our luggage together and prepare to disembark Oasis. No other information given, although based on the previous days process I figured the goon squad would be back with their entourage to escort us off the ship. 
 
1/2 @ 7:15am: Security & the haz mat crew show up to take our luggage and escort us down to deck 2 exit through a designated passageway. We get down to the area where you normally get off the ship at ports and there is an area set up with 20-30 chairs (all filled up with adults and children). We are told to sit and wait. We are asked once again what are flight number. I pulled my car key out of my pocket and mentioned we are leaving this ship and going to the parking garage to get our car. Still no further direction  and at least 20 crew members standing right outside the ship with 2 customs officers. It’s now just a waiting game. There’s now a line of SUV’s being fogged by the haz mat team right outside the ship. 
 
1/2 @ 8:30am: Crew member asks for our sea pass cards and we exit the ship. A young lady once again asks us our flight number and at this point it’s just annoying. I asked them to stop with the questions and explain to me EXACTLY how this plays out from this moment until the moment I press the unlock button on my cars key fob in the parking garage. They fumbled a bit and still continued to mention the hotel accommodations and ride directly to the hotel. We reexplained the entire scenario & finally a gentlemen in a black SUV grabbed our luggage and took us from the pier directly to the 4th floor of the terminal parking garage. 
 
1/2 @ 9:00am: Home in Fort Lauderdale.
Thoughts: We as a family understand the risks of cruising during a pandemic and we’re willing to take on the risks because we love cruising. We followed all mask protocols and still things like this happen. 
 
RC did what they had to do to mitigate the risk of a possible infection outbreak.
 
I think there could have been improvement in the communication from guest relations to the parties in isolation. 
 
While at the ship exit the crew member rattled off 2 cabin numbers to us. Confused I asked why they had us in 2 cabins on the 6th floor???? It turns out they had put us in adjoining cabins so we would all have beds and this was not communicated to us. This is another example of a communication error that could have been avoided. 
 
Oh well, I’m thankful all 4 of us are in good health and we will certainly revisit cruising in the future. The 12/26 Oasis sailing was excellent and the ships crew is great! If you have any further questions please let me know.
- Tony

And your right, the plague type treatment is a bit much especially when your already presumably at “vacation rock bottom”. 

Ugh, the thought of being moved out of my Owner's Suite due to a positive result on board just sickens me.  I have some thinking to do....
I'll never be able to get a deal like this ever again.  

Ugh, the thought of being moved out of my Owner's Suite due to a positive result on board just sickens me.  I have some thinking to do....
I'll never be able to get a deal like this ever again.  

Ugh, the thought of being moved out of my Owner's Suite due to a positive result on board just sickens me.  I have some thinking to do....
I'll never be able to get a deal like this ever again.  

My holiday-food-filled belly could probably stand a bit of "withering away" for a few extra weeks...why NOT do it on a RCL cruise ship? 🤣 🛳️ 🤣

She'll have to go faster than that to get to Port Clinton in Lake Erie!

We're not here to debate masks and their efficacy. It just ends up with a fight between people with no benefit.

Yeah, I'm rarely found on the pool deck.  It's always just too sunny and/or too crowded for my taste (at least pre-Covid).

She'll have to go faster than that to get to Port Clinton in Lake Erie!

People read what they want to read.  Some of my FB acquaintances read "some ports were canceled" as "all cruise ships are stuck on the ocean and not allowed back into port and passengers will wither away at sea so you shouldn't go on a cruise!!!!!!!!"

People read what they want to read.  Some of my FB acquaintances read "some ports were canceled" as "all cruise ships are stuck on the ocean and not allowed back into port and passengers will wither away at sea so you shouldn't go on a cruise!!!!!!!!"

People read what they want to read.  Some of my FB acquaintances read "some ports were canceled" as "all cruise ships are stuck on the ocean and not allowed back into port and passengers will wither away at sea so you shouldn't go on a cruise!!!!!!!!"

She'll have to go faster than that to get to Port Clinton in Lake Erie!

Yes, if she'd reported symptoms onboard they would have tested her. 
I am not sure if, at this point, they would still  have a way to know who her close contacts were, and, honestly, contact tracing in this country has been fairly nonexistent anywhere.
How can cruising be safe?  Well, ships sail between 95-100% vaccinated and tested. A few will slip through the cracks.  My workplace is likely 60% vaccinated at best, no testing unless someone reports symptoms (and then it's up to them to find a place),  and there have been a few who have worked for 3 days before they mentioned it to anyone because they are "tough guys and don't get sick".
So which is safer?

Hi @Steve Wikel, welcome to the forums!!
March is a lifetime away, in pandemic time, and so much can change between now and then.  
First, regarding the test kits - I'm confident that by March they will have exhausted all of the old tests (which are the ones that people are having issues with), so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
Also it seems that Omicron passes through fairly quickly.  Whether it passes through the US as fast as it did through South Africa is anyone's guess, but I think even most epidemiologists feel that it won't be with us very long.  Will another variant raise its ugly head before March? It's anyone's guess.   But I think what we can count on is things will be different on March 6 than January 1.  How it will be different is unknown.
We're glad you joined us!

She'll have to go faster than that to get to Port Clinton in Lake Erie!

I got shorter.
But that could just be an age thing.