BrianB

I agree with waiting until the last possible moment. Things are changing pretty quickly and you still have plenty of time. But, if you are stressing on this and would like peace of mind…I would go with cancelling both and booking something closer to a sure thing. Also, if you have the funds to spare, you can always make the final payment and then cancel within 48hrs with Cruise with Confidence. If you are going to book something later, you can use the future cruise credit as long as it’s booked prior to the expiration date.

Seems like a lot of frustration dealing with, or even contacting, Air2Sea. Has it always been this way…or is this a result of recent developments? Is the stress and inordinate amount of time spent with them typical and is it really worth it…or is it easier to spend a little more on air travel and have more confidence in the flight you arrange yourself? Just curious.

I know that the city of Bayonne (according to the mayor and the city’s office of emergency management) and the Port Authority of NY/NJ (the operators of the port) are prepared for sailings to commence from Port Liberty. Just waiting to see if Royal gets the clearance from the CDC to sail. I’m booked on two back to backs on Oasis…Sept and Oct…and so far all four sailings are pending. So it’s a wait and see. Keep our fingers crossed!

Even at 100% vaccinated…we know there will be cases on board ships. It’s inevitable. Also, testing done prior to the cruise, whether days before or the day of the cruise, will not indicate a positive result if the infection takes days to incubate. Anyone can be exposed before boarding and carry it onto the ship before a positive test. What’s important is Royal’s protocols to monitor and deal with it each and every time. The combination of catching it early, managing and mitigating it, along with the science which indicates vaccinated and otherwise immune persons are unlikely to catch it…or if they do…produce enough of it to spread to others, looks promising. I am confident Royal is doing all it can to make cruising as safe as possible. It’s not just personal, it’s business.

Transport would seem best. Especially with little ones…and luggage.

Booking early and locking in my preferred time and place would be considered a win for me. If I end up having to pay more (which really isn’t much) then I consider it a ‘peace of mind’ convenience fee. Beats stressing pre-cruise…especially with limited capacity dining. Enjoy!

Whatever port on disembarkation day. Hate it.?

I don’t think this new drink coupon policy…or any other policy for that matter…can truly be considered ‘permanent’ in a business sense. I’m sure they will always be evaluating cost-profit-passenger satisfaction in determining whether there needs to be any ‘tweaking’ in the future. I have to wonder what would happen if this new policy results in a measurable drop in purchases of the drink package by D and above C&A members. I hope it does not and this continues because it’s a perfect fit for me. Cheers!

So long as there is a willing audience and an enabling media, these types of ‘horror’ stories will continue to appear. Unreasonable and self righteous personal drama created by agenda-driven malice. Deflect responsibility by completely ignoring the rules to which she agreed. Screaming loudly in an attempt to drown out her own culpability will not convince anyone of her being a victim. Except those looking for support of their own agenda. Sad.

I know this is a very fluid issue as things keep changing and each port is different….but… Wondering how they handled the check-in/boarding process. I know the check-in time is being enforced, but what happens next? After check-in at the terminal, are you immediately boarding or are you put in a waiting area… It looks from the videos that Nassau checked you in at a hotel and then piled you in a minibus for the ride to the pier for immediate boarding (after enjoying some welcome entertainment and free Bahamian beer, of course!) But these sailings have been at reduced capacity. Curious how it’s going to work as the capacity increases. This will probably result in a longer time to disembark and get to ‘zero count’ and then to embark the new passengers.

Wondering if anyone knows… Is the Shareholder Discount still being applied to cruises post-Covid? I don’t know why it wouldn’t but I haven’t heard anything either way. @Matt?

Just my opinion. I’m sitting at bars and in restaurants here in NJ with people who may or may not be vaccinated…nobody is masked. Surely the children at the next table are unvaccinated and unmasked. I go to stores, entertainment venues, parties, malls and public places where it seems life is almost back to normal and hardly anyone is masked. I understand the reasoning given aboard a cruise ship is because so many are there for so long. But, how long does it take to spread from one to another? If aerosol is the method of spread, then a single breath should be enough. I think the air circulation and cleaning protocols now in place on cruise ships are way superior to those in other land based places. Their future business depends on showing how cruising can be a safe and healthy vacation destination. I am in no way diminishing the terrible effect this pandemic has had on anyone. I say this because some of my friends have as their default position…”how dare you ignore those who have suffered”. But I think it’s time for a reasonable relaxation of the CDC’s stranglehold…and I think the next couple of weeks will be the time when that happens. Just my opinion.

Orlando. Closer to your destination, better hotel choices in the area and most importantly…multiple options in the event of flight cancellation/delay.

My advice for first time Royal cruisers…. Prepare to be hooked on Royal! Ships, service, activities, entertainment, food, fellow cruisers, value, itineraries…and above all…the friendly crews! Enjoy your first Royal cruise and best wishes for many, many more!

I like the larger ships…more to see and do…lots going on. Also, I’m not much for excursions anymore. Lots of time spent getting organized and then coming and going. Been there, done that. But I really like itineraries with multiple ports because I like the feel of having the ship to myself while most passengers are gone for the day. But a big part for me is the convenience. All of my cruises are sailing from Port Liberty in Bayonne NJ, an easy drive from my home. Luckily, we have the Oasis in Sept and Oct and then the Anthem for the rest of the year into next spring.

Good point…I didn’t consider that. All of my changes have been prior to final payment. The CWC seems to cover cabin price drops after final payment (difference will be credited as OBC) but not cabin or category changes.

I have multiple cruises booked and I check every day for price drops and better cabin locations. Many times I see a good deal on a higher category and I call and they make the change, no problem. I even changed one back to back by moving a cruise from one week to another. Again, no problem. The $100 change fee is listed on the confirmation, but then it is immediately listed as a $100 ‘savings for change fee’. So the bottom line is you shouldn’t have a problem changing to another cabin category…no loss of deposit, and no change fee. Good luck and enjoy the family cruise!

I agree that it is a decision that should be based on your own drinking habit. I have friends (and family) who definitely come out on top…no matter how much the package costs! For them it’s a no-brainer. But for me…because Royal has now changed the daily complimentary drinks available to D+ members, I know that even if I end up purchasing a few drinks more per day, I’ll end up paying a lot less than if I bought a package. I think the best advice is to always look at these decisions with an eye towards the fact that you’re on vacation…on a cruise…and you may just want to keep it simple and not have to worry about how much each drink is costing. Either way…enjoy it and have a great time!

I think if they are offering the Key on certain sailings, then they must have some idea as to what will come with the price. Besides the internet. Even if it’s the embarkation day Chops lunch…or priority disembarkation at ports of call…or even a guaranteed flexible-scheduled boarding time…I think it would be worth it for me. I would hope the priority disembarkation at the end of the cruise, with the nice breakfast would be included. But, I’ll just wait and see!

It looks like they are slowly getting things back up to speed as they try to navigate reopening the cruise industry while managing new health and safety protocols. What is mandated today may be totally different tomorrow. What the protocols are on one ship may be different for another…the same with the individual ports. It’s just going to be a ‘wait and see’ thing. I always took advantage of the Key. Made sense for me as I usually sail solo (but never alone!) and only had to pay for me. I see the Key is available in my Cruise Planners for some of my cruises at a good price…considering it includes Voom Surf and Stream. I’m going to get the internet anyway so paying a few dollars more each day for the convenience the Key provides always made it an easy choice. I’ll probably take it while it’s at such an attractive price and then hope for the best. Things seem to be happening fast recently…changes are announced almost daily. I just hope we keep moving towards the full resumption of a normal cruise experience as quickly and safely as possible!

I love Royal’s Cruise with Confidence program. I frequently check my cruises to see if prices have decreased. So far, I have called and received the lower price several times. I even upgraded a couple because the suite price had dropped. There’s never a problem calling and every time the person handling my call has been nice, helpful and even happy for me that I snagged a lower price. It takes time to keep checking and I’m lucky that I’m able to do it…if not, I would definitely find a good TA to keep a watch over my bookings. As the bookings are all pre-final payment, they just make the adjustment and send me a new confirmation. If they are made post-final payment, then I receive an OBC. Just remember, I think Cruise with Confidence eligible bookings expire July 31! That includes the 48hr cancellation option.

Royal is solid. Panic selling is never a good idea in any down market…especially when external forces are affecting prices. However, you have to do what’s best for you. Good luck!

Love Bermuda! Cruising from NewYork/New Jersey Bermuda is a repeat destination for me. Whether it’s just a 7 day Bermuda cruise or a longer combination of Bermuda and other Northeast US ports, or the Bahamas…Bermuda has always been my go to cruise destination.

I’ll never disrespect a crew member…and I’ll never NOT go out of my way to show my appreciation for my cabin attendant, my servers and every other crew member who work their butt off for months at a time, away from their families, without a single day off. I believe that the crew really does make the cruise. Oh, yeah……I’ll never do karaoke (I think there’s an international injunction against me singing in public, something about crimes against humanity)…I’ll never do the belly flop contest (I’d feel guilty causing so much laughter-induced pain)….and I’ll never NOT love cruising!!

Don’t know how it will be done now during the re-start, but…. In the past, different ships at different ports had different procedures. When I did back to backs at Port Liberty on the Anthem pre-shutdown, and I was in the same cabin, I just left everything as is and my cabin attendant just freshened the room as usual. Also, we went to the Diamond lounge and the concierge took our Sea Pass cards and issued our new cards. We waited for a while until CBP came and viewed our passports. Then, after the ship got to a zero count (all passengers disembarked…except us b2b-ers, of course) we were able to leave the Diamond lounge. Security set up a card swipe kiosk at the door and swiped our old Sea Pass cards as if we disembarked, and then our new Sea Pass cards as if we were just boarding. Outside, the Concierge gave us our old cards back if we wanted to keep them. Very easy and stress-free process. I hope it stays that way!