BrianB

This is old advice but I'll repeat it here anyway...... When dealing with an issue where I made my reservations through the website myself, rather than with a TA...I expect to spend quite a bit of time on hold while the agent checks with their 'colleague' or supervisor. So I schedule my call accordingly...and use speakerphone. But the best advice I have (which, by the way, I learned on these forums...thanks, guys!) is to always call back and speak to another agent when I don't get the answer I want. It is time-consuming and can be frustrating but usually I end up satisfied with the result. Good luck...and I hope you can get the result you want!

I'm really hoping the Canadian government can get to a point where they feel comfortable relaxing some of the restrictions. I miss visiting Halifax, St. John's, PEI and other east coast destinations in the fall. Beautiful places with really welcoming people. Love the sights, shopping, food and pubs. Can't wait to get back!!

Anthem - Feb 27...2425

@ctnjcruiser Feb 27...2425

Other than the phenomenally successful new muster drill on the app (no more herding like cattle in designated venues and waiting for latecomers before watching a quick video), one of the benefits of cruising during these changing times is the reduced capacity onboard. I’m on cruise number twelve since September, all out of Port Liberty. However, having less passengers can not be sustained and still turn enough of a profit for the company. It was unique in the beginning with no crowds or lines…but, it didn’t seem like a real cruise. Watching performers in the bars singing to two, three, or sometimes no guests was weird. Having smaller audiences in the theater made every show and headliner performance feel like a matinee. Pretty much everything was open and available, except dinner in the Windjammer as there weren’t enough guests to justify it. Then there was always the uncertainty of what changes will happen during the cruise; will those ‘numbers’ go up? Will we be denied entry to ports? Will I, or someone close to me, get the virus? Will I have to be quarantined? In some faraway port? Masks, no masks…Onboard and in the ports? To be honest, I’m really looking forward to the return to normal cruising…more capacity, more excitement, more energy and many more happy cruisers! Cheers!

@ctnjcruiser My Anthem cruises final counts… Nov 8…1740. Nov 14…2616. Nov 28…2444. Dec 12…2700. Dec 31…2033 (Omicron) Jan 20…1826. (Omicron) Feb 11…2152. I’m boarding today for a b2b and I’ll post those final counts when I get them.

I really miss some of my favorite cruise ports on Canada’s east coast in the fall. Beautiful places with really wonderful people. Great pubs, sights, food and shopping. Just a really welcoming atmosphere! I hope they finally work it out so that we can go back this fall…fingers crossed!

I use CVS all the time. If you go in and download the form from another access it will appear with the big Negative word in the middle top like @TXCruiserposted. You should first get a text from CVS with a link that brings you to the form you are showing now. But, go into your CVS app, or MyChart app, and you’ll see the other form. I have cruised a eleven times from Port Liberty since September using that form and have never had anyone ask about a CLIA number.

You can book specialty dining reservations through the Cruise Planner. However, they must be made individually. If you purchase a dining package, you have to wait until you board to make reservations. The package is cheaper than booking individually, but if you really want a certain specialty restaurant on a certain date and time, I would book that particular reservation early…just to be sure.

Check in for the Wonder sailing April 8 is open. I have an 11am boarding time.

I always make a point of purchasing whatever I really want…knowing I then have it locked in. If the price drops later on, I’ll re-book it for the lower price…meaning I’ll purchase another one at the lower price before I cancel the existing one. Saves the headache of losing it because someone else snatched it up before I could complete my purchase, and then my cancelled one is booked by someone else in meantime. If I later decide I don’t want the item at the original price, and the price never drops, I’ll just cancel it for a refund. Even if there is something in the planner that I’m not really sure about…I’ll still book it, knowing I can cancel later. For me, it’s all just keeping an eye on the price changes.

@EddySell your home and live on the ship! Easy peasy...you're welcome!🛳

They sometimes post it in the Cruise Compass that they sanitize-fog the hallways during the overnight around 4am and ask us to stay in our cabins during that time. Also, they sometimes close off parts of the hallways during the evening to sanitize-fog. They called my cabin and gave me the option of staying inside for a half hour, or leaving before they began. Also, once when I tried to get to my cabin, the doors to my hallway were closed and a crewmember advised it would be another twenty minutes due to fogging.

@bakingbad3 I’m at 84 cruises now, 80 since 2015. Virtually all of them have been solo. Your description is excellent and exactly on point. Many people are nervous about solo cruising but it really is a heck of a lifestyle. Every cruise is a brand new experience with new opportunities to meet different people…or not. Sometimes I just feel like being anonymous and people-watch. The crew is always phenomenal and many become friends as they do their multi-month contracts and I see them again and again. In some ways it’s like coming home seeing their friendly faces…even with the masks…and yet I still get to see and meet new people every cruise. When people ask me isn’t it lonely cruising solo…I tell them I may be solo, but I’m never alone. I hope you get hooked and have the opportunity to do it again, and again! It only gets better!

Anthem and Oasis out of Port Liberty….usually 1-2pm. Sometimes later, but there was a reason, such as the ship was delayed and they didn’t start disembarkation until later. And they don’t usually allow access until all the rooms are ready. That’s easier than having guests trudging down the hallways with their carry-ons checking on their rooms. That interferes with the crew as they deal with piles of laundry bags in the hall and run from cabin to cabin trying to finish. Turnaround day is a big day for them!

I use CVS for my tests. Some CVS locations offer the option of getting a rapid antigen or a PCR test. Some offer only one test or the other. For cruising, I only need a rapid antigen and I get my results about an hour or two after the test. For my outpatient surgery, I was required to get a PCR test. Those results came back the next day because they have to send that nose-swipe to a lab.

I noticed after I posted...I couldn't delete on my phone so I edited it with 'On the final day...' Oh, well.....

On the final day of the cruise...I do early walkoff...I carry (roll) my own luggage. I go down to the disembarkation area early...around 6am and there is usually a line. When the ship is cleared, the line moves quickly. In Bayonne, most times the line starts moving around 6:45-7:00 and I'm in my car and driving out of the garage with 15 minutes.

I put mine on loose enough so I can slip it off at night or when showering. When I wear it, I roll the end several times so that it's comfortably snug up my wrist...and the tails are flush and out of the way.

So far I have cruised from Bayonne eleven times since September. I posted before how they need to do a better job accommodating the long lines that form outside the terminal. Especially in NJ winter weather. Sometimes, with the decreased capacity and most passengers not arriving until their allotted time, there was no line and they just admitted anyone who showed up. Other times, many ignored their times and showed up early…or the ship was delayed, and the line wrapped around the end of the building. It was chaotic and there was very little information or direction. Usually, there was one port worker with an electric bullhorn at the front shouting instructions that couldn’t be heard unless you were within a few yards of him. There is a sign for Star Class Suite guests and they also receive pre-arrival instructions from their Genie so they get immediate priority. There is also a Key sign…but it’s at the head of the general boarding line, not by itself, so it’s not obvious. I have not seen any other priorities ie; Diamond Plus, Pinnacle, Sky or Sea Class Suites. What I usually do is get the Key…then I walk past all the people (glaring at me) and go right to the bullhorn guy and show my boarding pass with the Key on it and he lets me pass. Several times before I had the Key, I would walk to the front and show my boarding pass with the current time on it and he would let me pass. Still…I’m sure there are other passengers who are there on time but are stuck in the mass of the early arrivals. Hopefully, they will get more workers and barriers out there so they can divide the lines by their allotted times and at least give a semblance of order. I think that would go a long way in making it easier for the passengers. Oh, and if this is going to be a long term issue, they should invest in better weather protection outside the terminal. There is virtually no cover from wind blown rain and the cold of NJ in winter. Just my opinion.

That’s makes sense for you. Cheap and reliable. You will be dropped off right in front of the terminal where the porter will take your luggage from the trunk. When you get off the ship, the car can pick you up right in front as soon as you step outside. There is no reason to bring your own car…except if you’re like me. I like to drive myself, be in control and not have to depend on anyone to be there when I expect them.

Book. More. Cruises.

It’s a toss up between price and convenience. For me, it’s the convenience of parking at the terminal and walking onto the ship without having to worry about space availability (it’s guaranteed) or have to hope there is a reliable, not crowded, fully functional on time shuttle. Plus, I do early walk-off with my luggage and I’m in my car and out of the garage in minutes. So I consider the price of parking as part of my cruise fare.

Yes…RoyalUp bids are double occupancy. Although I travel solo, my bid amount is doubled. If you have more than two in your cabin…it’s still only for the first two.

Maybe on embarkation day they’ll just gather everyone who’s interested in upgrading inside Boleros or similar venue and hold a bidding war like the art auctions. “How much am I bid for this two bedroom Grand Suite? Going once! Going twice!…SOLD!..to the inebriated deluxe-drink-package-holder who doesn’t realize what he’s just done and his wife is going to be a soooo pisssssed!”