FionaMG

We were in London for a few days at the end of March when we went over to the UK for our daughter's graduation. You seem to be pretty much hitting the same sites we did! I got this one of Tower Bridge from the top of the Shard. Because of the time of day and the position of the sun, you can see the shadow of the Shard superimposed on the bridge.

Thanks for bringing us along @Lovetocruise2002 and @GregD. It's been great. Safe travels home.

Great, thanks very much.

@Matt @twangster I've been wondering about this too. I started reading the Anthem/Rhapsody Europe blog that was posted on the front page but work got in the way and I didn't get to finish it. Is there an "articles" menu or some other way of finding front page content that doesn't involve scrolling two weeks' worth of other posts?

Feel your pain.

This is such a good point. I've already been eyeing up excursions for next year and was pretty torn between the fjord cruise and the hike. I think you've made my mind up for me!

There will definitely be other sales before Black Friday. Don't wait till Black Friday if you see a price you like because there is no guarantee that you will get a better price on BF. I got my best prices for my cruise in May during last year's Columbus Day sale. Everything I bought then was more expensive during the BF sale. That said, if you do subsequently see a cheaper price, you can cancel and rebook with no penalty.

I don't have personal experience but I understand from reading other posters' experiences that there are a couple of UK equivalents to the proctored tests sold by Royal for the US market, so perhaps you could look into buying those before you leave home and taking them with you? This is what lots of US cruisers do in the opposite direction when they come over to Europe. I've seen one called DocHQ mentioned a few times (again, no personal experience so not a recommendation, just throwing the idea and name out there in case it might work for you).

No personal experience but I've read of this happening a lot and from everything I've read you don't have to worry about it at all. When you get to port you just show your son's vaccination card along with everyone else's. And don't be surprised if you receive several more of these e-mails before you sail.

Check in is currently at 45 days out. You can see the exact date for your cruise by clicking on your profile (head and shoulders icon) in the app and scrolling down the page a bit. Yes, still assigned times. You can 'bag' your preferred time in the app without needing any documents on hand and then go back and finish off the rest at leisure. Uploading vaccine certificates is not mandatory and can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety. Just take originals with you to port. Have a fabulous cruise!

You only need an antigen test and like @Pattycruise says they are easy to source. Many pharmacies do them, some require an appointment, others you can just walk in. You can check this map for locations near where you're staying: https://www.salutelazio.it/elenco-farmacie-che-eseguono-tamponi-antigenici-rapidi Otherwise, ask at your accommodation, as they're bound to be able to tell where the closest one is. The certificates they issue are bilingual, Italian + English. We paid €20 each back in May; I've seen a couple of more recent posters say they paid €22. The advantage of doing a proctored test, like the e-med ones, if they're available to you, is that your test results don't enter the Italian health system's database, so if you are unlucky enough to test positive, you wouldn't be subject to the same strict quarantine rules.

I agree, this is very pertinent. I just YOLO booked for Norway next year. I was planning on waiting and booking on board Anthem in September but I saw what I thought was a very decent price and I didn't want to chance it. I would have got $50 OBC if I'd waited. The room type I booked has increased in price by $100 in the space of a few days. I'm so glad I booked it when I did.

It will definitely be interesting to see how it all plays out.

I can see that it does makes sense logistically. But I'm curious if it wouldn't it put them at a disadvantage commercially if they stop offering the option while their competitors maintain it? I wonder just how important MTD it is in the eye of the guests. Do you think doing away with it could potentially spur a rebellion in similar fashion to what happened when they tried to introduce dynamic dining?

That's interesting. Why would they be doing that?

Makes complete sense and is exactly why we decided not to go to the US this year. Really hoping we're past all this by May next year. Fingers crossed.

I'm also sailing from Southampton in September and feel exactly like you, so every "cross-able" part of me is crossed. This will be my third post-covid cruise and I wasn't able to look forward to the other two at all, although I had an excellent time when I eventually got on board.

I second that.

Techie question. Why does this pic.collage thingy make it easier to post photos? Just so I can file the information away for the next time I'm using dodgy ship Internet...

Oh my, that suite looks amazing! Someday, when my numbers come up on the lottery!

Interesting. I've seen this one a couple of times before, but it was pre-covid. There was no early booking incentive on either of my two post-pandemic cruises.

Fair enough. I'd definitely go with @wordell1 and @Riley's recommendations then to be on the safe side. And as an added buffer, I would suggest booking a private transfer so that you can be whisked away straight to the airport after you disembark. We used Civitavecchia shuttle express and were happy with the service: https://www.civitavecchiashuttleexpress.com/booking-1.html but there are plenty other options too that you can find with a quick google search.

@Rebecca84, my pleasure! I'm glad it was helpful. Have a great time on your cruise.

Do you absolutely have to fly home the same day you get off the ship? Rome airport is an hour's drive from the port and the airport is reputed to be chaotic (I personally did not experience this but I was flying to a Schengen destination; if you're flying to the US, it could well be different). If you can stay even one night after your cruise you could spend some time exploring Rome, maybe see the Vatican or the Colosseum. It would be a pity to be so close and not see any of it, if you can possibly swing it. AND it would be a far more relaxing way to end your trip.

You don't need to drop off the boards just because you don't have a cruise booked. During the cruise-less days, weeksand months caused by the C-word I was on here practically every day. I would have sorely missed all my forum buddies and I think we all helped each other keep our spirits up. A quick browse during you coffee break is all it takes to keep your finger on the pulse and, for sure, soon enough, you'll have another cruise booked and be back on here every spare minute. Have a great time on your cruise and please do come back and tell us how it went!