BrianB

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!”

I'm thinking this would be for whatever upgrades are available on embarkation day. Rather than first come/first serve at Guest Services, they would maximize profits by allowing bidding on what's available at that time. This wouldn't change the usual RoyalUp bidding process, just streamline the chaotic rush at Guest Services on day 1. Any more info on this?

After I get into my room, I usually take an occasional stroll down the hallway and check where they take the bags from the elevator and line them up. If not there, I look into the crew area where more bags are waiting to be lined up. My bag has very distinctive markings on all sides so I can spot it from a distance…also helps keeps someone from ‘accidentally’ taking my bag from an airport carousel. If in the hallway, I just roll it away. If in the crew area, I wait until a crew member is there and point it out. They are happy to bring it out for me. Also, I’ve learned that sometimes it’s on the other end of the ship…so I check both fore and aft…how very nautical of me!

Anthem from Port Liberty... Feb 11...2152

Good info! Here’s another tip. Nearly every time I go through security at Port Liberty, there is a delay. The hold up is always people who haven’t listened to the port worker advising them to place all of their electronics and metal into their carry on before they get to screening. I know people are excited, but please stop talking and listen to the instructions when they’re given by the workers! Stop taking off your belts with the tiny buckles and your shoes…it’s not an airport! Leave your jackets on, just make sure all the metal…cell phones, keys, coins…are in your carry on. You don’t need to waste time when you get to the head of the line emptying out your pockets and using the little rubber buckets, then beeping because you forgot something…again, and again. Keep the line moving and more people will be admitted into the terminal from outside. Be considerate. Just one of my peeves!

Still don’t understand the need for wrists bands for everyone. Every adult is vaccinated. Why not require wristbands for ages 16 and under…or 18 and under…to show they’re vaccinated. I mean, I understand there are times where an age cutoff could be hard to determine just by how someone looks, but let’s be reasonable. If someone mistakes me for a 12 year old, well, then they shouldn’t be allowed to operate a lawn mower. How about a wrist band for the unvaccinated child instead…just my opinion.

It looks like the CDC is saying if you don’t voluntarily do this…then we will punish you by treating you as a conveyance and masking will be required of all individuals onboard…all the time! So there!! Okay. I believe CDC authority over foreign flagged vessels ends at the limits of US territorial waters. So….at US ports, embarkation and disembarkation days, everyone has to mask up. Otherwise, as soon as the ship clears US waters…open the casino and masks off!

I would really like to see some hybrid approach where a cruise line decides to have some of their ships opt out of the guidelines. Let the ships go ‘gray’ on the CDC website. Then they can advertise what specific protocols they have decided to adopt and which ones they will relax…such as allowing the consumer to decide if they mask or not. Or maybe even allowing a limited amount of unvaccinated or previous-infected passengers. I wonder how those particular ships would fare? How many people would book based on the relaxed protocols? Maybe they can call it the ‘You’ve Heard All the Arguments, So Make Your Own Decision’ cruising. I’m thinking they would be pretty popular cruises…but, they would be a direct threat to the CDC which would probably find some other way to target them. But I wish they would try anyway.

Wow! You beat me!

The issue I have is how the rollback of the protocol was announced. Needs more clarity as to when it starts. On one hand it shows the date of the rollback to the previous mask rules as February 15…but it also shows ‘cruises departing through February 14, 2022 masks must be worn in vaccinated-only venues’. I’m hoping my cruise leaving tomorrow doesn’t require masking for the full nine days, but rather on the the 15th, we can go back to pre-omicron masking. That would be reasonable. Fingers crossed.