BrianB

On the Anthem…primarily canned water. Those annoying ‘flip top’ non-resealable cans. But, I go to the specialty coffee bar and buy a plastic bottle of water ( Nestle Pure Life) and just refill it. I usually pack an empty plastic bottle and just pour the canned water into it…but, I forgot!

Yep…at all restaurants. It’s understood that you’re there to dine. In other venues, such as bars and clubs, you can only unmask if you’re actively eating or drinking.

As Chris said…as of now, a booster is not required. I’m fully vaccinated since April (2nd Pfizer)…got my booster in Dec, three days prior to a cruise. My only worry was having a late reaction to it that may have presented with flu-like symptoms. But…nothing! Enjoy your cruise!

@ErinNH I’m also on Feb 27th. Right now, all the regular activities are occurring…except crowded things like the Quest, or the pool deck activities that would normally draw crowds. There had been some entertainment disruptions in November when crew and production members had to be quarantined either with a positive test, or as a close contact. But then, other entertainment was scheduled to fill in. I haven’t been in the MDR in awhile but in other restaurants, tables are physically distanced. Masks need to be worn at all times indoors, including the Solarium, unless seated and actively eating or drinking…or in the water. That was a fairly recent change since Omicron hit, and I would expect it to go back to the way it was pre-Omicron as soon as the numbers decrease. That was in any vaccinated-only venue we were allowed to unmask…ie; Solarium, lower level of the theater, bars and clubs, and casino. Also, right now, there is no smoking in the casino and masks must be worn. Again, that will probably change when the surge decreases. The Royal Theater and Two70 seating is restricted with ‘physical distancing reserved’ covers over the front two rows. That had recently dropped down to only the first row, then Omicron came and they blocked the second row again. The somewhat nice thing is the reduced capacity. Although the ship is so much less crowded than in the past, the services are virtually the same…so, no lines. A month away is a long time during the ‘Cruising During Covid’ saga. Hopefully, it will continue to get better and more protocols fall away. Enjoy the cruise!

@ShayI guess the best way to describe it is…normal. But it is my tenth cruise since Sept so I’m used to the protocols and the last minute changes such as itinerary switches. Especially since Omicron reared it’s ugly head. But, as the surge ends and hopefully the numbers of infected drop as quickly as they rose…it should get even better.

I use my NJ driver’s license whenever I do an eMed tele-test. It has my middle initial but I don’t have it on my app. So far I have done two eMeds and neither one had a problem…so far.

I’m on the Anthem now…we are at 1826 passengers but the bookings were in the mid-2000’s. There seems to be a combination of cancellations due to testing positive pre-cruise; to people being nervous about cruising right now; and due to the CDC recommendation to not cruise (which may have been somewhat tempered in many minds when they let the CSO expire). Also due in some part to passengers taking advantage of Royal’s exceptional Cruise with Confidence Program where there really is no pressure to cruise or lose. Those testing positive pre-cruise mirrors what is going on everywhere…vaccinated or not are getting Omicron in huge numbers. Just more likely for vaccinated to have no, or very minor, symptoms. Although I have an unvaccinated family member who tested positive due to contact tracing and he had no symptoms. Go figure. Hopefully the surge ends soon and the numbers drop as quickly as they went up. That will boost confidence again and maybe relaxing some of these new restrictions will help even more. Capacity will go up again. Just got to get through this, hopefully, last surge.

Jan 20…Anthem from Bayonne NJ…11 night cruise. Final count…1826. According to the concierge, the number booked was in the mid 2000s, but the Omicron trend has apparently caused lots of cancellations due to positive cases and people just being cautious. They are weathering the surge, just as we are on land, and waiting for the other side. Hopefully, as the numbers of infected plummet…passenger counts go back to rising. Hoping even more that we can eventually get back to no-test, no-mask, no mandate cruising! Soon!

On the Anthem the Solarium is completely enclosed. With Omicron, it changed to a masked area...unless you're in the water. Still, some people ignore the rule...or to be fair, are unaware. The captain has even added the Solarium being a mask-required venue to his daily position/weather reports. Recently, I have seen instances of crew members advising people to mask up and most comply. Still, some ignore the rule they agreed to follow when booking the cruise. I saw one case where a small group in the corner kept unmasking. So the crew member opened the sliding windows in front of them. It was cold out. When they complained, she told them, again, to mask up. They finally complied. Good move!

Legal maneuvering on the part of the government to ensure there would be no future cause for a claim that the shutdown was unconstitutional, resulting in a finding allowing the cruise companies to sue for damages. That would entail huge amounts of money. No telling what workarounds were arranged by both sides to avoid that.

I don’t believe Pinnacle benefits transfer to the child.

I have four family members who got hit with Omicron. One was unvaccinated and had mild, cold-like symptoms. Two were vaccinated with no symptoms (discovered during contact tracing at work). They both had no reactions to either of their vaccines. One was vaccinated and had pretty severe flu-like symptoms…which was exactly like the reaction he had after getting the second dose of the vaccine. He’s young and in excellent health/condition. Looks like the reaction to the vaccine can predict a reaction to the virus.

Yesterday I cancelled my long-awaited, twice-postponed transatlantic cruise in late April. It’s a shame because I had the ship, suite and itinerary that I really wanted…and at a great price. But, with all these bureaucrats constantly changing the rules based on their definition of ‘science’…I can’t take the risk of being quarantined, or worse, on another continent. I’ll stay closer to home until things get much better.

I’ve done nine since September, number ten is this Thursday. Oasis in Sept and Oct…the rest on Anthem. All out of Bayonne, NJ. Here are some of my pros and cons. These are just my highlights and I’m sure each passenger has their own personal list. The Pros: Reduced capacity and everything that goes with it…easy boarding, less lines onboard, chairs available on the pool deck and solarium; Easy peasy safety drill on the app…love it! No more herding like cattle waiting for those selfish late arrivals before the video starts; Knowing every adult is vaccinated and tested…and every child is PCR tested prior to arrival and tested before boarding; Knowing the crew is vaccinated and boosted when eligible; The food, entertainment, venues, service and crew are fantastic as always. Biggest pro, I’m on a cruise! The Cons: Getting the Antigen test…always a bit nerve wracking knowing a positive test is a personal cruise killer. Wearing a mask, although for me it’s no big deal and makes me feel safer. A major con is the uncertainty…anything can change at a moment’s notice. Entertainment or itineraries changed or cancelled…port delays or denials…venues changing access times or limiting capacity. Changing protocols. And of course the biggest con…I may get quarantined. So far…after nine cruises, I’m used to it and feel like it’s just normal. I’m an optimist and I love cruising. I usually sail solo and do my due diligence. I know what the requirements and protocols are. I’m also flexible and know that anything can change. I guess I’m lucky that I am able to cruise often and feel bad for those who plan a family vacation just to be hit with unexpected changes. It is a challenging time to cruise. Hopefully we can all get through this in good health and get back to pre-pandemic cruising. I’m looking forward to it. But not the chair hogs…I’m not looking forward to them. You know who you are! Good luck!

I hate when I have a sticky S.

I had to call C&A three times because the promotion wasn’t applied to three of my cruises and each time they fixed it. Eventually the system caught up, because for my other cruises it was applied properly. The points for my New Years Eve cruise on the Anthem just posted yesterday and they were not double. So, I called again! Turns out it was my mistake as I had booked that cruise while I was on the Oasis on October 2nd. Two days after the promotion! Oh, well…I can be wrong…once.

The slot machines only count how much you play. Doesn’t matter how much you put in or cash out. Just how much you actually play. For instance…you put $10 into a slot machine and play 5$ each push of the button (twice) without winning anything, you receive two tier points ($5 per point). If you put in $10 and are lucky enough to win and cash out for $1000 after pushing the button only twice, you still receive just two tier points. If you put $10 in and get a couple of wins, allowing you to push that button a hundred times while your total goes up and down, and decide to cash out with your original $10, you will have one hundred tier points. They award points on play knowing full well that the house always wins…eventually.

I’ve seen sometimes where a price appears to be less than what was originally posted…but when you go to check-out, it bumps back up when tax is added…or gratuities. Buyer beware. Also, there have been times where something like the Coco Beach Club price drops and, after cancelling the higher priced purchase, the planner shows there are no more spaces available. So now I always purchase it at the lower price first…then go back and cancel the original one. Lesson learned. Mysterious, indeed are the ways of the bean counters…..

The slot machines only count how much you actually play. Not how much you put in or cash out. Usually each $5 bet equals one point.

Sneezing, coughing…same as always. But, everyone is masked so not a big deal.

On the Anthem…one of the earliest opening bars is the Sunshine Bar in the Solarium. I get my morning ‘Dirty Mimosa’ there every day. I think it opens at 7am.

…but what they don’t tell you is, although it went to “Level 3” they actually have 50 levels of customer support. Levels 1 through 10 are the “Make it look like we give a crap” level. Levels 40 through 50 are the “Gee, this one just won’t go away” level. Good luck!

I have submitted requests a week before my sail date and had them approved. Several times I never received word from them whether they were approved or not, but the OBC appeared on my account…sometimes three days into the cruise. Or I do get an email saying it was approved and applied…but don’t see it until up to three days into the cruise. Once I received a telephone call from them letting me know my request was approved. But that was pre-pandemic. Recently, when my request was denied…I received an email telling me it was denied because I had other discounts already applied. When I emailed back requesting an explanation, I never received a response. I assumed it was because I was taking advantage of the solo cruiser discount that comes with my C&A level as that was the first time I did it. On another note…when I called to reprice one cruise due to reaching that level…I was told it is not combinable with other discounts. Whichever discount gave the best benefit would be applied. For that cruise it was the discount for NJ resident. Knowing how different agents have different information, I’ll just keep trying.

Hopefully the predictions are correct and this Omicron surge peaks near the end of January, and the numbers of infections drop as quickly as they went up. The one constant in cruising so far is…changes can happen at any time. And during these changing times, March is far away.