BrianB

I have a B2B scheduled in March...March 4th for 4 nights and March 8th for 5 nights out of Fort Lauderdale.
Two days ago I received an email reminder letting me know I was near the final payment date. I made the final payment online and it was accepted. This reminder email was probably automatically generated based upon payment due date so I don’t believe this is the final word. I’ll just wait and see.
As far as making payments are concerned...even if it’s probable that the cruise will be cancelled, I will still make the payment. For me it’s a no-brainer...if and when the cruise is cancelled, my payment comes back as a future cruise credit worth 125%. Because of the number of cruises I’m lucky enough to be able to take, that’s a nice investment!

I understand everyone has an opinion on wearing masks...most based on science and metrics...and there is more than enough personal preference and reasoning on either side of the argument...
...but...
To answer your question, Chris...yes. If wearing a mask will allow me to cruise again, I will wear a mask. Whether I agree or disagree with the effectiveness of wearing one doesn’t matter. If that’s the condition to get back to sea...so be it.

I understand everyone has an opinion on wearing masks...most based on science and metrics...and there is more than enough personal preference and reasoning on either side of the argument...
...but...
To answer your question, Chris...yes. If wearing a mask will allow me to cruise again, I will wear a mask. Whether I agree or disagree with the effectiveness of wearing one doesn’t matter. If that’s the condition to get back to sea...so be it.

To suite or not to suite...that is the question.?
As already posted above, there are many perks and advantages that come with suites that make them a very attractive option and well worth the cost. Especially if, like me, your time on board is more important than the cruise itinerary. Keep in mind that different ships, as well as different cruise home ports, may not have the very same perks available. Plus, your loyalty status comes with certain perks as you rise through the levels. There is also the option of purchasing the Key which comes with perks such as priority boarding, disembarkation at ports and final destination, internet, embarkation day Chops Grille lunch, private times at some of the venues, priority seating at shows..etc. Again, some of these Key perks vary depending on the ship and cruise home port.
Take time to check out the pricing and perks of each to see which is best for you. Enjoy your cruise!

One of the arguments that I continually read, regarding expensive vs inexpensive rooms is, "I don't spend much time in my room so I don't need to spend a lot of money FOR my room".  We have found, as we moved "up" the ladder of stateroom categories, that the nicer your room, the more time you WANT to spend there.  I can already anticipate the retort to that statement...."why would I spend all that money just to hang out in my stateroom ?  I go on a cruise to DO stuff".  Well...people go on cruises for many different reasons.  For instance, I pretty much could care less where the ship is going.  Itinerary is absolutely secondary to me while others cruise exclusively for the itinerary.  So a nice room, where I can spend some comfortable time relaxing when I'm NOT doing stuff, is important to me.  The perks are nice and they're easy to get used to...but the comfort of the room and its location, are the primary reasons that I sail in suites most of the time.  IF you can afford it, go for it.  ...but it IS hard to go back.  Just sayin'.

I understand everyone has an opinion on wearing masks...most based on science and metrics...and there is more than enough personal preference and reasoning on either side of the argument...
...but...
To answer your question, Chris...yes. If wearing a mask will allow me to cruise again, I will wear a mask. Whether I agree or disagree with the effectiveness of wearing one doesn’t matter. If that’s the condition to get back to sea...so be it.

I have a B2B scheduled in March...March 4th for 4 nights and March 8th for 5 nights out of Fort Lauderdale.
Two days ago I received an email reminder letting me know I was near the final payment date. I made the final payment online and it was accepted. This reminder email was probably automatically generated based upon payment due date so I don’t believe this is the final word. I’ll just wait and see.
As far as making payments are concerned...even if it’s probable that the cruise will be cancelled, I will still make the payment. For me it’s a no-brainer...if and when the cruise is cancelled, my payment comes back as a future cruise credit worth 125%. Because of the number of cruises I’m lucky enough to be able to take, that’s a nice investment!

They will greatly interfere with my drink package - but if I have to wear one to get to go on vacation, I will wear one. There are bigger, worthy hills to die on these days. Now get me on a damn boat!
I agree with Twangster that the bigger issue is not being able to leave this ship without a booked excursion. All I can say is, they better start contracting with all the places I want to go! 

I understand everyone has an opinion on wearing masks...most based on science and metrics...and there is more than enough personal preference and reasoning on either side of the argument...
...but...
To answer your question, Chris...yes. If wearing a mask will allow me to cruise again, I will wear a mask. Whether I agree or disagree with the effectiveness of wearing one doesn’t matter. If that’s the condition to get back to sea...so be it.

Yes.
Like many topics, people who disagree tend to be more vocal online than those that agree, which is why I think you see some strong opinions on the matter.

Qantas (due to the Australian Government, per comment from @mattymay) is already going to be requiring proof of Covid-19 vaccination before allowing passengers to board. If the Australian government is going to be requiring proof of vaccination for international travel, you can bet the CDC will try to put a similar policy in place.
In this case, I wouldn't actually classify that kind of action as an overreach -- they are the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (wish they'd change their acronym to CDCP so people don't forget that last part), so requiring proof of vaccination for Covid-19 would be no different than if they required proof of vaccination for Polio or Measles (not sure if that's a thing today).
Just for context, even before Covid-19 was a thing, governments had vaccination requirements for tourists and others looking to enter their countries; when my daughter traveled to Ghana in 2019 for a summer study program, she had to show proof of Yellow Fever vaccination as part of her visa application under Ghanaian law.

I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a thing similar to a "golden ticket" to ease one's way as we move about.
I plan on getting a vaccination when it becomes available just to reduce the risk of getting COVID (I'm 59 in a few weeks). I also get a regular flu shot every year (going on three decades) and I rarely deal with getting sick for more than a day or two a year from anything other than a normal cold and/or allergy symptoms.

Our last cruise was Feb 7 when we took my MIL on her first cruise for her birthday.  She had a couple hard years (FIL passed away, couldn't get her house sold, moving), and we really wanted this trip to be special for her. The crew really went above and beyond to make her birthday special, but my favorite memory is of her and the kids playing in the pool at Paradise Beach in Cozumel

 
On second thought, it may be when the kids and I went to the bird aviary in Costa Maya, and came back to DH and my MIL waiting for us at Cantina Latina.  

My last cruise was on the Bliss...7 nights to Florida and Bahamas from NYC...and it was very stressful. It started with PPE wearing medical personnel taking our temperature in the terminal. It ended on March 15th...the day the cruise lines decided to self-stop. It was a rough week with all the bad news coming in. The ship had their infection protocols in place. These were the Norovirus precautions...no self serve at the buffet...constant deep cleaning...more hand sanitizers...multiple announcements about hand cleaning, etc.  Because international travel was about to be shut down, we were delayed leaving Nassau as buses had to take many of our passengers to the airport so they could fly back to their countries. Some U.S. passengers decided not to risk being stuck aboard ship in the event of an outbreak and decided to leave and fly back to New York. More ships were being affected and languishing at sea because no country wanted to let them in. We were so worried about being quarantined at sea. Finally, we arrived back in NY. Upon disembarking, we had to go through a gauntlet of medical personnel taking our temperatures and visually examining us for any signs of sickness. To be honest...I had never been so glad to get off a cruise ship!
I was also on the Anthem for an 11 night cruise which ended in Bayonne on Feb 7th. That was the cruise where we had a party from China who showed signs of infection. We had to wait to disembark until they were taken off by health officials and examined in the terminal. Finally, we got off and ignored all the news people trying to get their negative news sound bites. The ship was delayed leaving on it’s next cruise so it could be deep cleaned.
In between these two cruises, I was on the Anthem for a back to back to Florida/Bahamas which departed Bayonne Feb 15 through March 1. After the scare on the previous cruise, I still thought it was being exaggerated in the press and had no reason to be concerned. It was a typical cruise...excellent! Everything was as usual...perfect. 
 
I hope everyone stays healthy and makes it through this pandemic. I wish all the crew members who take such good care of us aboard ship are doing well and I can’t wait to see them all again. Bottom line....I can’t wait to get back to cruising!
 

My last cruise was on the Bliss...7 nights to Florida and Bahamas from NYC...and it was very stressful. It started with PPE wearing medical personnel taking our temperature in the terminal. It ended on March 15th...the day the cruise lines decided to self-stop. It was a rough week with all the bad news coming in. The ship had their infection protocols in place. These were the Norovirus precautions...no self serve at the buffet...constant deep cleaning...more hand sanitizers...multiple announcements about hand cleaning, etc.  Because international travel was about to be shut down, we were delayed leaving Nassau as buses had to take many of our passengers to the airport so they could fly back to their countries. Some U.S. passengers decided not to risk being stuck aboard ship in the event of an outbreak and decided to leave and fly back to New York. More ships were being affected and languishing at sea because no country wanted to let them in. We were so worried about being quarantined at sea. Finally, we arrived back in NY. Upon disembarking, we had to go through a gauntlet of medical personnel taking our temperatures and visually examining us for any signs of sickness. To be honest...I had never been so glad to get off a cruise ship!
I was also on the Anthem for an 11 night cruise which ended in Bayonne on Feb 7th. That was the cruise where we had a party from China who showed signs of infection. We had to wait to disembark until they were taken off by health officials and examined in the terminal. Finally, we got off and ignored all the news people trying to get their negative news sound bites. The ship was delayed leaving on it’s next cruise so it could be deep cleaned.
In between these two cruises, I was on the Anthem for a back to back to Florida/Bahamas which departed Bayonne Feb 15 through March 1. After the scare on the previous cruise, I still thought it was being exaggerated in the press and had no reason to be concerned. It was a typical cruise...excellent! Everything was as usual...perfect. 
 
I hope everyone stays healthy and makes it through this pandemic. I wish all the crew members who take such good care of us aboard ship are doing well and I can’t wait to see them all again. Bottom line....I can’t wait to get back to cruising!
 

My last cruise was on the Bliss...7 nights to Florida and Bahamas from NYC...and it was very stressful. It started with PPE wearing medical personnel taking our temperature in the terminal. It ended on March 15th...the day the cruise lines decided to self-stop. It was a rough week with all the bad news coming in. The ship had their infection protocols in place. These were the Norovirus precautions...no self serve at the buffet...constant deep cleaning...more hand sanitizers...multiple announcements about hand cleaning, etc.  Because international travel was about to be shut down, we were delayed leaving Nassau as buses had to take many of our passengers to the airport so they could fly back to their countries. Some U.S. passengers decided not to risk being stuck aboard ship in the event of an outbreak and decided to leave and fly back to New York. More ships were being affected and languishing at sea because no country wanted to let them in. We were so worried about being quarantined at sea. Finally, we arrived back in NY. Upon disembarking, we had to go through a gauntlet of medical personnel taking our temperatures and visually examining us for any signs of sickness. To be honest...I had never been so glad to get off a cruise ship!
I was also on the Anthem for an 11 night cruise which ended in Bayonne on Feb 7th. That was the cruise where we had a party from China who showed signs of infection. We had to wait to disembark until they were taken off by health officials and examined in the terminal. Finally, we got off and ignored all the news people trying to get their negative news sound bites. The ship was delayed leaving on it’s next cruise so it could be deep cleaned.
In between these two cruises, I was on the Anthem for a back to back to Florida/Bahamas which departed Bayonne Feb 15 through March 1. After the scare on the previous cruise, I still thought it was being exaggerated in the press and had no reason to be concerned. It was a typical cruise...excellent! Everything was as usual...perfect. 
 
I hope everyone stays healthy and makes it through this pandemic. I wish all the crew members who take such good care of us aboard ship are doing well and I can’t wait to see them all again. Bottom line....I can’t wait to get back to cruising!
 

I think the reality here is that there is virtually no way to completely keep the virus from getting on a ship. The important thing is the timely recognition of it’s presence through testing. Then the mitigation taken to isolate those who are infected and to stop the risk of spread. The Healthy Sail protocols plan for this eventuality by having on-going testing, designated isolation cabins, positive-pressure medical facilities, virus killing air scrubbers, and a robust sanitization protocol to prevent spread by surface contact. Also, by limiting passenger load to help with social distancing. And, of course, masks.
Sailing with the risk of Covid onboard is reasonable to me if I know an infection will likely not become an outbreak...and the risk of being held captive in my cabin is lessened by these common sense protocols and practiced reactions which quickly identify, isolate and treat patients while protecting the rest of the passengers and crew. Time will tell. Delaying it will do nothing except further hurt those who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.
 

I think the reality here is that there is virtually no way to completely keep the virus from getting on a ship. The important thing is the timely recognition of it’s presence through testing. Then the mitigation taken to isolate those who are infected and to stop the risk of spread. The Healthy Sail protocols plan for this eventuality by having on-going testing, designated isolation cabins, positive-pressure medical facilities, virus killing air scrubbers, and a robust sanitization protocol to prevent spread by surface contact. Also, by limiting passenger load to help with social distancing. And, of course, masks.
Sailing with the risk of Covid onboard is reasonable to me if I know an infection will likely not become an outbreak...and the risk of being held captive in my cabin is lessened by these common sense protocols and practiced reactions which quickly identify, isolate and treat patients while protecting the rest of the passengers and crew. Time will tell. Delaying it will do nothing except further hurt those who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.
 

I think the reality here is that there is virtually no way to completely keep the virus from getting on a ship. The important thing is the timely recognition of it’s presence through testing. Then the mitigation taken to isolate those who are infected and to stop the risk of spread. The Healthy Sail protocols plan for this eventuality by having on-going testing, designated isolation cabins, positive-pressure medical facilities, virus killing air scrubbers, and a robust sanitization protocol to prevent spread by surface contact. Also, by limiting passenger load to help with social distancing. And, of course, masks.
Sailing with the risk of Covid onboard is reasonable to me if I know an infection will likely not become an outbreak...and the risk of being held captive in my cabin is lessened by these common sense protocols and practiced reactions which quickly identify, isolate and treat patients while protecting the rest of the passengers and crew. Time will tell. Delaying it will do nothing except further hurt those who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.
 

I think the reality here is that there is virtually no way to completely keep the virus from getting on a ship. The important thing is the timely recognition of it’s presence through testing. Then the mitigation taken to isolate those who are infected and to stop the risk of spread. The Healthy Sail protocols plan for this eventuality by having on-going testing, designated isolation cabins, positive-pressure medical facilities, virus killing air scrubbers, and a robust sanitization protocol to prevent spread by surface contact. Also, by limiting passenger load to help with social distancing. And, of course, masks.
Sailing with the risk of Covid onboard is reasonable to me if I know an infection will likely not become an outbreak...and the risk of being held captive in my cabin is lessened by these common sense protocols and practiced reactions which quickly identify, isolate and treat patients while protecting the rest of the passengers and crew. Time will tell. Delaying it will do nothing except further hurt those who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.
 

I think the same.

You're already in the "bubble" from the first cruise.

Check in opened for my cruise on the Anthem departing January 4th from Port Liberty NJ. It accepted all of my information and photo...but when I try to submit, the ‘Sorry, hit a snag’ message keeps coming up. I was optimistic because every time I checked, my info was saved but it wouldn’t allow me to submit. Now I realize that the cruise will most likely be ‘Corona-cancelled’ because it is for eleven nights. Oh, well...hoping my seven night February cruise is still happening.

12 so far...and January’s eleven night cruise will most likely be cancelled because of the seven night maximum cruise limit.  I know...I’m very fortunate to be retired and able to do so many cruises. I wish we all remain healthy and safe as this pandemic subsides and we can return to some sense of normalcy.

I have done several back to backs on the Anthem out of NJ. As previously noted, the pre-pandemic process differed depending on the ship or port. In NJ, back to back passengers (along with any guest entertainers who were staying for more than one cruise) met in the Diamond lounge by 9am. Security set up a scanning desk at the entrance. After our name was checked on the list, our room keys were taken and security scanned us out...thus allowing the ship to receive a ‘zero count’. CBP officers came to the lounge and checked our passports. Then we were handed our new room keys (even if in the same cabin...the new key had the new expiration date) and when boarding commenced, we were allowed to leave the Diamond lounge, scanning our new key cards. Very easy, convenient process. Hopefully, after the pandemic, it continues.

I'm probably not thinking this all the way through, but it seems to me that B2B pax would be preferable to newbies boarding.  If, in fact, disembarking pax are going to be required to get an "exit COVID test", and the B2B pax come back negative, then wouldn't it be super simple just to let them stay on board and continue for another cruise ?  It would save Royal the expense of having to test these pax as new, onboarding pax and it would reduce the volume of utter madness that is going to be going on out in the terminal (projecting...I know).  IMO, these continuing pax will be waaay easier to process than all of the new pax coming on board.