BrianB

I filled out my application weeks ago...as soon as it opened for my cruise...and paid the non-refundable non-Amex $40 fee. I will get my usual pre-cruise Antigen test two days before the cruise. I'll upload a copy of the negative (hopefully) result to Bermuda Health. As I understand it, they will then email me my approval form which I will print out and bring with me to the pier...along with the usual copy of the negative test. So, just another form to produce; Boarding Pass...Passport...Vaccine Card...Negative Test Result...Approved Bermuda Health Form.

I’m a bit of an outlier….If I’m going to stay a few days before my cruise from Fort Lauderdale, I like to stay at the Deerfield Beach Wyndham. About thirty minutes away. Beautiful hotel pretty much on the beach, they have three restaurants, an outdoor heated pool with hot tub, patio bar, live performers each night (low key singers…not annoyingly loud…and they end by 10pm). Not a young, party going place. Beautiful neighborhood with many restaurants and bars within a block radius…all easygoing, calm and comfortable places. The hotel rooms are beautiful, standard sized with a mix of kings and two beds, many are connecting so good for a family. Floor to ceiling windows with sliders that open onto a French balcony. The Deerfield Beach fishing pier is right next door. Loungers and clamshells are available to rent on the beach. However, if you’re looking for something close to the airport and the cruise terminal….this is not it. There is no shuttle. Taxis and Ubers are easy to get, but pricey. And the hotel itself is somewhat expensive. I go here when I want to spend a few days vegging out prior to going on a cruise to veg out. Wherever you decide to go, I hope you have a great time!

I have bought the Key many times and have learned some lessons. Here’s my take; I would watch the price fluctuate and if it came close to the price for purchasing Voom internet, I would snag it as I would get Voom anyway. Even though the Voom price also dropped at that time…I still convinced myself that it was a good bargain. I’m usually going on ships from Port Liberty in NJ and mileage may vary at other ports, but…in NJ, Key members are allowed to check in and board early. The Guardian of the Portal announces through his handy dandy electric megaphone that Key members may enter through the hallowed doors pretty much as soon as they open. Regardless of the time on your boarding pass. This is, of course, to ensure we get the benefit of the Key luncheon (which ends around 1:30pm) and we get to drop off our carry ons. As far as early entry to the shows…this usually never happened. A lot of people show up early and begin to line up. When the doors open, they just admit anyone with a reservation. Only once on the Anthem, did they open the doors and announce, “Suites, Pinnacles, Diamond Plus and Key members first!”. So far on the Anthem, Wonder and Oasis…the ‘reserved seating’ for Key, Suites and Pinnacles at the shows was in less-than-ideal areas of the venues. Usually way up in the balcony of the theater and Two70….or off to the side in the upper rows of Studio B. I felt more like we were being hidden away rather than given good seats. I never took advantage of the ‘private times’ for the Flow Rider or the Rock Wall…but the times offered were pretty slim. Usually very early on one or two days of a seven day cruise. Since the restart, Key priority disembarkation at the various ports was nonexistent. Just had to join the line. On the Anthem, on the final morning…disembarkation for Key members was usually prioritized. I always did the early walk-off with all of my luggage. Sometimes they would take Key, Suites and Pinnacles from the line and place us up front. Other times they had us wait near the Excursions desk directly across from the exit and we were the first to move off the ship. It seemed to change depending on who was the supervisor in charge at the time. It was never consistent. Bottom line…I would get it mostly for the Voom. Plus, I usually sail solo so I only had to pay for one. Early boarding and the Chops lunch were pretty good, along with dropping off my carry on and jacket. The only other perk for me was the priority disembarkation on the final day. But, then again, I was usually one of the first in line anyway. Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

Bookings are available all the way up to a few days before the cruise…when they need to provide a passenger manifest to the authorities. That’s why CWC will allow cancellations up to 48hrs prior to sailing. There really is no way to know how many will be on a cruise until the ship sails. Some cancel due to positive tests…and some just don’t show up. I ask for the ‘final passenger count’ the day after we sail...when they’re not too busy…either from Guest Services or the Concierge. They have the number on their computers.

Was on the Wonder two weeks ago...and now on the Oasis. I love both! For me, it's impossible to choose one or the other! Sorry.

Yes. Depending on the ship. Some suites have larger safes that can accommodate laptops.

I'm on the Oasis on cruise number seventeen since my personal cruise re-start in September. I haven't changed a thing pre-cruise during that time. But, then again...I've been 'social distancing' before it became a thing.

@Pooch That stinks! But I hope this catastrophe doesn’t turn you or your family away from cruising. I also hope you are able get some reimbursement for the lost money. This is like hitting the Crap Lottery. You won the perfect storm of disappointing circumstances hitting at exactly the worst time. And it really stinks thinking you did everything right by protecting your expenditure with insurance…only to find out about the limits of the policy after you try to file a claim. But who would think there would be such a prolonged shutdown of air travel due to storms at both destinations?…at the exact time that would make them miss the cruise. I really hope you can get some satisfaction and try for a do over family cruise vacation…and I hope it’s the best cruise ever! Best of luck!

Me too! I like to be sure that I’m aboard and settled so I can watch sailaway. Also, sometimes it can get very busy later and there may be long lines waiting to board.

Usually the ship will dock at the port and then await clearance from the local authorities. They will announce that the gangway is open and on which deck. Or, if it’s a tender port, when the tenders are ready to start ferrying passengers to the dock. You’ll scan your SeaPass card when you disembark the ship and then again when you return. Virtually all ports have local security set up to make sure only cruise passengers get back aboard so you’ll need your SeaPass card, and usually a government photo ID such as a driver’s license. Welcome to the message boards!

The tests I have taken from CVS which included the Minute Clinic visit have all been covered by my insurance. But I have very good coverage…I don’t know if other insurance companies charge a co-pay or something else. Or even if the additional cost would be covered elsewhere, like a government program of some sort, if there were any charge at all. I also have to test for a Bermuda trip soon and worry about getting the test results early enough to make sure there is no hiccup getting them emailed to Bermuda Health. I’m sure they get thousands of test results on the same day and don’t want to take any chances. So, I also have the eMed tests available if needed. Always more than one just in case there’s an issue with any of them…better safe than sorry. Also, I did schedule a CVS PCR test as soon as they opened up the available dates. I like to cover all the bases. When I saw the Minute Clinic Antigen test open up three days out, I decided to take it. In order for me to schedule that, I had to first cancel the PCR test. That was easy…just went to the confirmation email and clicked on the ‘cancel visit’ button. Then clicked on the ‘found a better time’ button. Lots of hoops to jump through…but the reward is wonderful!

Today was the first time I had to park in the open lot as the garage was full. Still very easy…dropped off my bag and then drove around the big buildings and into the lot. I was handed a ticket with the usual admonition “take it with you, you’ll need to pay at the kiosk before returning to your car”. Later, I saw the lot was filled to capacity…even with some strategic squeezing…so they started directing cars to park outside the lot on the road leading to it’s entrance. But, it’s all part of the port, so I’m guessing they still handed out the tickets and those people will pay the fee. From the lot, they had shuttle buses standing by if anyone needed them…but for me, it was just an easy stroll with my rolly carry on. The only delay was boarding the Oasis because she had to leave the pier and sit outside the channel for awhile due to a late-arriving container ship which needed to pass. We received an email about this a few days ago and we’re advised to come an hour later than our scheduled arrival time…so my 10:30 became 11:30. Still, I was checked in and sitting in the terminal with lots of other passengers…just like pre-pandemic…no masks or distancing. I was onboard at 1235pm, checked in to my Muster Station and at Johnny Rockets by 1245!

Yes. There’s an attendant with a megaphone walking up and down announcing who can board…then there’s another attendant checking the time on the boarding passes before allowing you to enter.

Oasis…May 1…4224 passenger. 78.2% capacity. 405 Diamond…195 Diamond Plus…26 Pins.

The Witness is a huge container ship that looked like a block of buildings passing by, accompanied by tugs. Very impressive. The Fidelio(sp?) is the RORO which was docked directly across the channel. The RORO was also bunkering with a fueling barge alongside. We entered the port and were checked in while the Oasis was still treading water outside the channel. After checking in, we were directed to the waiting areas and sat in the rows of chairs…just like pre-pandemic. No masks required…no distancing. We boarded right after the Star and ‘special needs’ and were on the ship at 12:35. On another note, this was the first time I had to park in the open, overflow lot as the parking garage was completely full with the Anthem’s passengers. Then the parking lot filled to capacity, even after some strategic squeezing, so the attendants began directing cars to park outside the lot on the street leading to the lot. But, it’s all part of the port so I’m guessing they still charged the $25 a day parking fee. The CD, Mike, made an announcement shortly before we cast off…he apologized and explained about the marine traffic causing us to be late with our boarding, and how it caused a domino effect with check in backing up. Oh, well…checked in at my assembly station and made it to Johnny Rockets before 1pm!

Could the reported arrival time be the time they arrive at the pilot station…or is it time they arrive at the dock? Just wondering if that could be the reason. Also, it’s possible that the times could change again and Royal decided it’s simplest to not send out another email notification risking more confusion. I’ll see when I get there. I have an arrival time of 10:30, but I’ll get there around 11:30. Update….at 0950 according to the Marine Traffic app…the YM Witness is just approaching the lower bay. The port cam still shows the Oasis docked at the cruise terminal.

Directly across from the cruise port is typically where the ROROs dock to offload their cars. Further down the channel is where the docks with gantry cranes are located. It can get pretty tight with a ship the size of the Oasis at the cruise terminal. * the white ‘L’ shaped building next to Tear Drop Park is the cruise terminal.

Ha! I like that!….”You’ve been a naughty ship. Now go float in the corner and think about what you did!”

These were from my balcony on the Anthem.......

The channel alongside the cruise terminal is also used by container ships to pass by and dock further up. There are docking stations with gantry cranes for several container ships and they’re usually busy. Several times I have been aboard the docked Anthem pre-cruise when a container ship passed by and it seemed pretty close. I can imagine how the width of the Oasis can really narrow that space…making it necessary to move for a large container ship. I guess scheduling hit a little snag.

I would think they are because it’s now a full visit which includes vitals (blood pressure, oxygen level, pulse etc….). But I’m fortunate that my insurance covers it all. I don’t know if others would have a co-pay…depends on the insurance.

This is for those who rely on CVS for their Antigen tests. In the past, I have been very successful at getting my Antigen tests done at my local CVS. By the way…I’m in central NJ. It was easy to schedule up to two weeks in advance when the appointments opened…and then walk into the outdoor ‘pod’, get my nose swiped, and then get the results within an hour or so. Then it changed from the pod to a full ‘Minute Clinic’ visit inside the main store. Still, scheduling was opened two weeks out. Recently, CVS seemed to drop the Antigen tests at most locations and the only store doing it was pretty far away. I really don’t want to depend on the results of a local CVS PCR test getting back within the two-day time frame, so I decided it was time to change over to the at-home eMed tests…or search for other nearby localities. But now…because I kept checking the CVS website…I see that there is a new option for a test. Where before it just had a choice between an Antigen or a PCR test, now there is an option for a ‘Minute Clinic Antigen Test Visit’. Clicking on that opened up my local stores three days in advance and I’m back to getting it done at my regular spot. Just putting it out there in case anyone else had the same disappointment with CVS dropping their available Antigen testing.

I wonder how they are determining occupancy percentages right now. I know that ships all have the double occupancy number and the full occupancy number (which means every room is full to capacity…ie; rooms that can hold five, have five). But now I believe most, or all of the ships in service have dedicated passenger room areas that are sealed off to maintain an amount of cabins available for quarantine. Still…it seems the numbers of passengers are actually getting back to pre-pandemic levels. I guess it just shows how the demand for cruising has really been pent up over the past two years. Kudos to the Healthy Sail Panel and all the hard work being done onboard each ship to maintain as healthy an environment as possible, bringing back loyal cruisers…and attracting lots of new cruisers. Keep it up! Can’t wait to get back aboard and add to the capacity count!

I guess they will still offer a choice between the full refund and 125% FCC. I also picked up a lot of the ‘extra’ 25%.