BrianB

Included with tonight’s Cruise Compass….

I do it frequently...the last time was about two weeks ago. Never had a problem. Yet...

I’m on the Anthem now. The Key gives me internet so I usually get it if the price is close to just getting internet alone. But you are paying for two(?) and unless you both want your own internet, it’s cheaper to just get one and share. Chops lunch is good. Also, I like dropping off my carry on and not wheeling it around. Boarding is pretty quick and I usually arrive at 1130-1200. Other than that…the Key does not give early seating at the shows. Although it says come to the theater 45 mins pre-show…no. When the doors open they welcome anyone who’s there…with a reservation. The private times for the FlowRider and Rock Climbing Wall are few and meaningless to me. I don’t Flow or Climb. St. Maartin was on our itinerary. I didn’t venture away from the port, but I didn’t hear anything from anyone who went on excursions if there were any issues regarding protests on the French side. So far, the only restrictions in the six ports we visited were masking and unvaccinated having to book ship excursions in order to disembark. But, especially now, I would not be surprised if things changed. Just got to stay informed. I didn’t do any excursions in San Juan…just walked around near the port area. As posted above…changing cabins on the same reservation should result in the double points benefit carrying over.

The only way I could see Royal being forced to cancel cruises on their own would be if too many crew members become infected, or are quarantined due to contact tracing, and there are not enough to properly staff a cruise. That’s why I think the new masking rules are being announced. Precaution. However, as a famous general once said…’Take not counsel of your fears’. In other words…it is what it is. Plan on cruising and having a great time. Hopefully this new thing…and whatever newer things come along…don’t become an impediment to safe and healthy cruising.

I get mine when my cruise docs become available…they’re on the next to last page. The docs won’t be available until about 30 days before. How about just creating your own and printing them out? Easy. And you can swap them for the official tags when they are available.

It’s like that now on the Anthem. Everyone just seems to be doing what they’re supposed to. I don’t see anyone flaunting the mask rule either. Plus, I saw many instances where people would rather wait for another elevator because of the six people rule. Not all the time, but a lot. It seems most people are just satisfied being on a cruise and are enjoying themselves. I did have one embarrassing moment…I left a venue and was walking the Royal Esplanade when I saw someone with their mask hanging under their chin. I thought to myself ‘how selfish!’…and when I reached to make sure my mask was on properly, I suddenly realized I forgot to put it on! Oops!

In my opinion the food onboard is fantastic!

On the Anthem...day 8 of a 12 day cruise... Although the Cruise Compass for today still has the original mask policy...'Vaccinated may remove masks in vaccinated-only venues'...today the pre-show announcements have changed. Now all guests are to remain masked during the shows. Also, as we pulled out of St. Lucia, the captain told us that we must remember to wear our masks whenever we are indoors. I'll check the casino...after the show! Also, I haven't noticed passengers going around unmasked. If there are, then they're few and far between. I appreciate when people follow the rules that they agreed to follow. But then again, on this cruise, I noticed quite a few people who remained masked even when they didn't have to. Most seem to just take it in stride and are enjoying their cruise. Me too! Update; Still optional mask wearing in the Casino…and other venues. So far it seems only Two70 changed. I guess they’re doing it slowly…or just waiting until after this cruise.

I'm on my 8th cruise since my personal restart in September. All from Bayonne. My advice to anyone considering whether to cruise or not to cruise is this: Do your research. Do not make your decision based on a single source, regardless of their claims of 'inside information'. Know that some sources have an agenda which is to exaggerate and to alarm in an effort to generate attention upon themselves. Other sources have been proven reliable in the past and should receive added weight. Information presented as fact may be manipulated to advance a hypothesis or an intended result. So much about Covid is still unknown, and recognize that there are those who either purposely or unwittingly present opinion as fact. It's not easy sifting through all of the opinions, arguments and conclusions...but make the effort. This forum is a great source to get all sides and to strike a balance. Your decision should be an informed, honest and comfortable decision. Avoid the hype and do your due diligence. Oh, and should you choose to do so...enjoy your cruise!

@Larry Muster Yes. You should upgrade to a suite…I mean Junior Suite. Disregard all that talk about becoming addicted to the suite life. It’s all just exaggeration, rumor, innuendo…myth….legend. Do it! You know you want to!

I received an email directly from Royal announcing the mask protocol change for my New Years Eve cruise. It wasn't hidden and I didn't have to go looking for it. I never had any concern about transparency because I know change (good and bad) during these difficult times is inevitable and may be effective immediately. I expect it, look for it, and am ready to deal with it. If I wasn't, I would find something else to do until things settle...but everything seems to be affected right now. Why should I expect cruising to be different... I'm on the Anthem now in the middle of a 12 night cruise...6 nights to go. There has been no change to the current masking policy. I'm hoping it stays that way. If it changes...I change. Whatever I have to do to keep cruising!

I posted this to another forum but I think I’ll post it here, also. I don’t like masks…I don’t think anyone really does (with the exception of Batman and the Lone Ranger) but it is what it is. The cruise industry is still transitioning from total shut down to taking baby steps…all while under the microscope of unrelenting scrutiny, fair and unfair, of the media and political appointees. I knew this transition would be flexible and fraught with change, for good and bad, and decided I will enjoy my cruises. It’s not only the passenger’s health being protected…but it’s the crew…and with the crew, the business. Remember, the crew has to wear masks virtually all the time. Especially when near passengers. They are all completely vaccinated with the addition of boosters and they have to remain on the ship. Shore leave is cancelled. Any infection would likely be carried aboard by a passenger or contractor. As the Hotel Director just told me…if one crew member gets infected, then contact tracing results in a whole group or section of the crew being quarantined as a precaution. That’s what happened to the entire entertainment crew on the November 8th cruise…and that spilled over to the November 14th cruise. Doesn’t matter whether they have symptoms, test negative, are asymptomatic or not. If he loses a few to infection, then the amount of crew being quarantined multiplies. With that comes a lack of personnel to operate a cruise. Cancellations would follow. As masking is supposed to be good at stopping the infection (droplets) from leaving an infected person…it’s makes sense to me that they try this reasonable step to protect the health of the other passengers in general…and the crew…and the business. Inconvenient but understandable. Just my opinion.

It’s not only the passenger’s health being protected…but it’s the crew…and with the crew, the business. Remember, the crew has to wear masks virtually all the time. Especially when near passengers. They are all completely vaccinated with the addition of boosters and they have to remain on the ship. Shore leave is cancelled. Any infection would likely be carried aboard by a passenger or contractor. As the Hotel Director just told me…if one crew member gets infected, then contact tracing results in a whole group or section of the crew being quarantined as a precaution. That’s what happened to the entire entertainment crew on the November 8th cruise…and that spilled over to the November 14th cruise. Doesn’t matter whether they have symptoms, test negative, are asymptomatic or not. If he loses a few to infection, then the amount of crew being quarantined multiplies. With that comes a lack of personnel to operate a cruise. Cancellations would follow. As masking is supposed to be good at stopping the infection (droplets) from leaving an infected person…it makes sense to me that they try this reasonable step to protect the health of the other passengers in general…and the crew…and the business. Inconvenient but understandable. Just my opinion.

I got the email for my New Years Eve cruise about the new mask policy. I'm aboard the Anthem now on a 12 day which ends 12/24...another week. So far there are no changes. I wouldn't think there would be any attempt to spring new mask protocols on a cruise in progress...

I always check the categories above what I have already booked. I do it not only looking to see if my sold out category has dropped…but to see if a higher category has dropped enough to make it attractive for me to pay a little more (relatively speaking) for an upgrade. You can call Royal anytime and ask if your booked cabin has dropped in price. If, that is, you own the booking and can service it yourself. Otherwise, your TA should be doing that for you. It’s one of the main reasons for using a good TA.

I don’t know about large files…but, I use Voom to stream movies and shows from Prime Video and Netflix. Also, that’s on the Anthem which is billed as a technology-enhanced ship. I don’t know about the internet on older ships. Occasionally there will be a disruption in the signal…but in my experience they have been minimal. Usually in storms. Except for a couple weeks ago when internet was down across the entire fleet for a day. Everyone on the Anthem who had a WiFi package received a pro-rated refund for the loss…and a little more for the inconvenience. When I’m working on something important online…I always save my work to my computer before I send it. I’ve had a connection loss mid-typing and lost some parts of a file before I was able to upload it. I would suggest testing the WiFi on your ship by sending a large test file similar to what you would be working with. if it has problems, try breaking it up into different files and sending them. And don’t be surprised by intermittent signal loss.

I like my Amex card. I get points towards Amazon every time I use it. Amazon is where I buy most of my ‘stuff’ and the points are pretty generous. Also, Amex has quite a few travel protections built in…and a very good customer help and conflict resolution department. They also have quite a few offers which I can add to my card, including the RC offer. The offers are numerous and new ones are added quite frequently. Many of them are cash back offers…use the card towards a purchase and receive a credit back to my account. My card also has a ‘Plan it’ program, where I can defer payment (for a fee, of course) if I need to stretch out the payment. Otherwise, I just pay the total at the end of each cycle. Actually, it’s an automatic payment from my connected bank account. I don’t know of any other credit card issuer who can beat Amex for their reliability and ease of use…but there are some businesses who don’t take it. And the annual fee for my Platinum Card is fairly high. But, after reviewing all of the cash backs and Amazon purchases, it’s a win for me.

I’m on the Anthem now and this is my eighth cruise from Bayonne since my personal start-up in September. On just about every cruise since, capacity has been trending up. Of course capacity jumped over Thanksgiving as demand was very high. As time went on…protocols noticeably, incrementally relaxed. In the beginning, the first two rows in the theater were closed for ‘physical distancing’. Now it’s just the first row. The pre-show recording on the Anthem went from advising everyone to maintain at least two seats between travel parties to now only in the balcony. No physical distancing is required on the lower, vaccinated-only levels. More seating areas are also open in the balcony. At Cafe Promenade, we started with no self-serve at all…now we get our own coffee and drinks. Very few tables are closed for spacing. On Oasis, there were no condiments on the tables…now they’re back. I haven’t been in the Wind-shammmere recently so I don’t know if anything changed there. Of course having the buffet opened for dinner is indicative of higher capacity. Specialty restaurants have opened up more tables. On the pool decks the loungers have increased and the space between them has shrunk. But so far, even with the dawn ‘attack of the chair hogs’ there are still availability late morning. There is still limited capacity in the pools but I don’t know if it’s been increased. There’s also limited capacity on the NorthStar and iFly and they now have the new ‘extended experience’ on both which is for a fee. Make early reservations or miss out. With all that…there are and will still be instances where people are crowded together. Whether it’s outside the terminal, or choke points leaving entertainment venues (even with the incremental dismissal efforts) or queuing up to disembark at ports or final disembarkation, or even in the elevators. The point is to minimize those as much as reasonable and hopefully everyone stays masked…which so far seems to be the case. As capacity increases and distancing protocols ease, hopefully the number of breakthrough infections stays minimal and symptoms remain minor so that medical is not stressed. Hopefully this safe and successful restart trend continues with #theRoyalComeback.

I’m on the Anthem. According to the comedian (an excellent source of factual, non-sarcastic information)…the North Star operates as normal until such time as someone onboard tests positive. Then they use it to quarantine whoever tests positive…and after a couple days, if they still test positive, they just swing it over the side and hit the jettison button.

As others have posted…insurance is a must for medical reasons alone. Emergency treatment, hospitalization and evacuation cost big bucks. Most health care policies will not cover out of country costs…or severely limit coverage. Just to have that peace of mind is well worth the cost. Do a little research and pick the best option for you. Riders include luggage loss or delay, rental vehicle accidents, trip cancellation or delay for covered reasons, itinerary changes, computer loss or damage…and you can increase limits on each. Most now have specific Covid-related coverages. Also…as time goes on…we’ve seen CWC policies get extended. Although that may not happen anymore as cruising ramps back towards full capacity…but we never know what the future brings.

Me too! I cruise solo virtually all the time. I do what I want, when I want. Not having to reach a consensus on what to do is the best. I prefer to dine alone so I get a table for two…either at MDR or specialty restaurants. I’m easy to spot…I’m the guy sitting alone reading my cell phone. I, too like the fact that I can change my mind about dining and just go grab something quick…or do a walk-in to a specialty restaurant. The crew is excellent and always willing to engage in conversation. I’ve learned a lot about them, their homes and their ship life. Many of them spend up to eight months, and more, aboard ship. Like @twangstersaid, getting a good seat in the theater or other venues is fairly easy…there’s always room for one! I’m finally at the level where my C&A points gives me the 150% solo supplement so my prices have dropped significantly. The double points really helped. But, even before…I was able to get pretty good prices just by checking the website and looking for price drops, or even drops in higher categories that made them more attainable. I would quickly call and lock in the better price, or cabin, or location…whatever change I wanted without having to consult with a fellow traveler. Also, some ships actually offer solo cabins. They are smaller…and some ships have solo balcony cabins (they sell fast)…but you don’t have to pay double occupancy. The most important thing about solo cruising is you are solo but not alone. You’re surrounded by cruisers who are happy to be aboard, and to be on vacation. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with others and be friends by the time you disembark. I still keep in contact with many cruisers I met onboard ships and sometimes meet them again on other ships. The ship typically has a solo cruiser get together early on where solos can meet and mingle. Ive never done it but it’s another way to break the ice. While doing the Flowrider, the audience and crew will cheer and support you just like they do for everyone. The Rock Wall is the same. Whatever you choose to do…whenever you choose to do it…have a great cruise, a great experience and enjoy yourself!

Outside the terminal at Bayonne there was a van set up where you could get a rapid test done. I saw a few people using that service during each of my cruises. I guess they didn’t get their test results in time and this was the last resort. I don’t know how expensive it is…maybe someone here has used them…but I can guess that it’s not covered by insurance, or the government. Curious if anyone has any first hand experience with them.

Stepping on to my first ship…the crew members and officers clapping and cheering, the balloons and music. The limited capacity was great, especially on the Oasis, sometimes it seemed like I was the only one taking an elevator. Recognizing crew members, even with their face masks on! And them so happy to be back! Seeing the shows again. Listening to the performers (comics, headliners) as they told of how happy they are to finally be back! The new muster drill! Absolutely the best thing since, well, cruising! Going to my favorite restaurants and venues again! CocoCay! Poolside Ice Cream machine! Royal Chocolate Cake…ala mode! The Solarium…the Solarium Bar…the Pool Bar…the (insert location here) Bar! ….how about…everything!

On the Anthem, the suite sun deck is not very large…and nothing special. There are no services there. With all of the Star, Sky and Pinnacle cruisers it’s crowded enough already. A lot of people come up, stay awhile, and then leave in search of someplace with bar service. The Oasis sun deck is larger and much nicer…and has a full bar. It gets crowded with just those who are entitled to be there…I can imagine how it would be if it were open to everyone. Chair-hogging at dawn! So far on my Oasis and Anthem cruises, they both have listed as a suite perk ‘priority access’ to the shows. Just show up 45 minutes before and show your card. They list that for the Key also. But so far…it doesn’t happen. Whoever happens to be there when they open the doors 45 minutes before is welcomed. So long as they have a reservation.

Hopefully you can cruise soon. Eventually they will allow bookings for those who choose not to be vaxxed (or can't) and have negative tests. Even a pilot program just to show how, as on land, the instances of overburdened medical facilities has diminished and the onboard protocols are effective for everyone.