KenCP

That is a great price for the DBP.  My 14 night is $69 + gratuity on Wonder of the Seas.  

17 hours ago, Eaglelover said:

Folks,

I don't see this addressed (and maybe it's not important to most people) but I wonder if there is / are energy or high electrolyte drinks available on most ships?  I happen to be going on Radiance, but i suppose they would be available (if at all) on most ships.  Anyone with an answer?  I do have the Deluxe Beverage Package (but know that makes no difference for the question).

If they do not have it at a particular bar, and it is one you frequently go to, a few bucks and you will always have it.  When I was on Vision of the seas they did not stock it in the Solarium, a few bucks to the bartender and for 12 days there was Powerade and Vitamin water there for me. 

Also, when you are getting off the ship for excursions they usually have a station set up as you are leaving the ship where you can pick up bottles of Powerade and water as you are getting off.  Not sure if every port offered it but I mostly remember it being there.

@Traveling Mike They raise the price and as long as people are buying it and there is still a demand they will slowly keep increasing it.  Once they see peoples limit, they will stop raising the price.  So as long as people are buying the price will just get higher.  People are just so happy to be cruising again they are paying whatever to be able to enjoy themselves for the time being. 

I am paying double for my drink package as compared to when I purchased it on sale in 2019.  The internet has increased but it has not doubled but it is getting there.

Had no issues getting a Diet Coke anywhere on the ship. I thought not having a FreeStyle machine would be a problem, but it was not.

On 3/25/2022 at 6:42 PM, Buffalo to Lakewood Ranch said:

If you purchase the drink package, all adults have to purchase as well. If I'm buying the Deluxe Beverage/Voom one device package, does that mean my wife and I both have access to the voom one device?

@Buffalo to Lakewood Ranch If you just wanted you can purchase one DBP with Voom, and you can purchase one DBP if you just want to share the one account as well.  You just have to purchase it over the phone instead. 

6 hours ago, KDK said:

This might be a silly add-on question to ask, but would one bottle of sunscreen be enough for 2 people over a 6 night cruise? 

Depends on the amount of tie you are outdoors, and how much off your body is exposed.  Generally for the average size person and you are covering the majority of your body you would need 2 ounces.  Then if you are in the water or after a few hours of being in the sun you really should reapply.  For me i am 6'2" average build and 2 oz covers me fine for arms and legs.  Would need more if i was laying out in the sun.  Also, I am from the north so I am not used to being out in the full on hot sun either, so I have to reapply often if i am out all day touring.

I take a least 2 bottles with me for a week and usually 1 bottle for face and head.  It really does depend on each individual. 

10 hours ago, Hharris1997 said:

I'm not sure on this testing time period. If we are on Wonder of the Seas that leaves out of Rome 6/2/22 (Thurs). Can we test on 5/31/22 (Tues. night), we fly out of Las Vegas 6/1/22 at 8am, to arrive in Rome at 9am and leave on ship 6/2/22. Does this meet the RC requirements? We do have a port stop in Barcelona on like day 4 or 5. So, we won't be able to get off ship with the test we did on 5/31? We will have to test on the cruise 1 day before getting off ship in Barcelona? So confused... Any information is helpful!!

 

You will get an update from Royal about 4 weeks before your cruise.  Between now and then a lot can change.

26 Days to Wonder of the Seas can't wait!  So glad to be cruising again after 2+ years! Just want 2 weeks of sailing, relaxation, great food, drinks and wake up after 14 nights in Europe.

What is your favourite no-greasy sunscreen cream/lotion, not a spray? 

Have nothing against sprays when used inside, just on pool deck it is not polite to use as it goes every where! Other people, drinks etc...

1 hour ago, chris watson said:

We are booked on the Oasis of the seas on 28th August 2022. Currently the Deluxe drinks package is $65.99 per person 'on sale'. I know the prices go up and down a lot. Anybody know if thats a good price or should I hold out and hope it goes down a bit more. I am in Canada so the refunding and buying the package again if the price drops isn't so easy for us as the credit card companies like to take their cut every time there's a transaction either paying or refunding . Thanks for any info.

That is a great price.  You will not see it much lower than that.  Maybe in the far future when the cruise lines have recovered some losses it may go down.  The demand right now is high as people are just glad to be back cruising again.

On another note.  Every time I have canceled and rebooked in CDN dollars I have never been charged a fee from the credit card company.

13 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

Makes me wonder what the testing protocols are for ships that begin in Spain.
 

If you are starting in Spain you will have to send your vaccination status prior to arrival in the SpTH App (Spain Travel App) and if you flying from outside the EU you will have to have a negative rapid test the day before your flight.  https://www.spth.gob.es/

According to the Spanish Government website F.A.Q.  https://spthm.puertos.es/faq?tab=1  we need to have a rapid test the day before we enter our first port. So, do we not need another one because we are having one taken the day before boarding?

Required Pre-Cruise Testing

Before arriving on boarding day, you’ll need to take a COVID-19 test on your own, at your own expense, to meet boarding requirements.

Most transatlantic guests must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 1 day before boarding day. This is due to a requirement from the government of Spain for ships that visit the country. Guests on the May 2nd Anthem of the Seas sailing to the U.K. will have 2 days to complete this test.

International guests flying into the U.S. must complete a PCR test taken within 1 day of flying. If timed properly, this same PCR test result could satisfy Royal Caribbean’s boarding day requirement, except on sailings that touch Spain.

36 minutes ago, Ray said:

If you read on in that article the following section contradicts the above which confuses it a bit lol 

Guests who are not up to date will need to complete additional testing before disembarking in some European ports and may have additional restrictions while ashore. 

 

If you are entering and are from are from a Non EU country, Spain requires you to have a booster shot if it has been 270 days since your second dose. I think Royal needs to be clear on their wording, it is confusing for people for sure.  I have my booster so I just have to order more testing kits as I arrive 2 days before departure and my test for entry into the US will not cover the test now needed for Spain.

19 minutes ago, RWDW1204 said:

Doesn't "full covid-19 vaccination" mean both pfizer/moderna or single j&j shots, while "up-to-date" means you got your booster shot? 

Seems to be so many contradictions on what "up to date" means.  I wish they would just say 2 doses is up to date, or with booster is up to date. I have a booster but I can see how it can be confusing for some. 

New Rules for entry into Spain and other countries by ship.  You now have to be fully vaccinated no exceptions even for kids.

All Royal Caribbean guests must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose administered at least 14 days before sailing. Guests who do not meet this requirement, including unvaccinated children under age 12, will not be permitted to board a transatlantic sailing departing from the U.S. to Europe.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center/getting-ready-to-cruise?dPort=transatlantic

Sailings for which protocols are currently available. 

• April 20, 2022 Wonder of the Seas sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Barcelona, Spain

• April 23, 2022 Odyssey of the Seas sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Rome, Italy

• April 29, 2022 Vision of the Seas sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Barcelona, Spain

• April 29, 2022 Jewel of the Seas sailing from Miami, Florida to Amsterdam, Netherlands

• May 2, 2022 Anthem of the Seas sailing from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to Southampton, U.K.

7 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Hopefully this gets applied to their cruise ship testing rules, too

I hope so too!!.  So nerve racking especially when you have to travel for 12 hours on planes and going through airports hoping not to pick it up before your cruise.

Excellent news!!!

Canada is expected to announce an end to pre-arrival COVID-19 testing for vaccinated travellers, two federal government sources told Global News.

The requirement will be dropped by the end of March, the sources said. The formal announcement to the change could come as soon as Thursday.

https://globalnews.ca/news/8687177/canada-pre-arrival-covid-testing-travellers/

Testing for sure.  Vaccinations will be a must for a long time i think. 

11am here too!

If you had booked the B2B originally before the dates were changed you would have been able to stay on Wonder of the Seas for the 4 days of press trips at no charge.  Unfortunately you are not able to book this now, but you can book the next cruise which leaves on May 8, 2022.  You could always call Royal and see if it possible if you did book the next cruise if you could pay to stay on the ship for the extra 4 days.  

There are no other cruises leaving Barcelona on May 4 that would allow you to book a side by side with another line.  You would have to leave from another port in Spain to do this and it could be a bit tricky to do especially if there are any delays on arrival day.  I had looked at this option but I will spend time in Barcelona and perhaps a couple there places in Spain.

@Ernesto I would think it was a good idea considering that Russia is an a war at the moment.  Would you go on vacation in the Ukraine right now?

Hopefully it never comes back.  It is one of the reasons I have never been to the buffet.  Watching people go in from outside and not using the hand washing is enough to turn me off.

@GoodReddensRCCsorry to hear you are having so many issues/. Hopefully it will get fixed for you.

This is another reason why it is so important to use a travel agent who can work through these issues for clients.

@mackenziebroom Usually after you dock you have to wait for clearance from the port authority.  Most of the time it is usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours after you dock. 

40 minutes ago, dr martini said:

what really chaps me is that they still upcharge for more and more premium cocktails and drinks all the time (used to be a couple on the menu, now it's almost half the menu some places) on top of the dbx number.  with drinks, dining and other activities Royal keeps finding ways to squeeze more juice out of us and it clearly keeps working for them.

@dr martini As long as people are buying it they are going to try and keep doing it until Royal reaches a threshold the same as we have a limit to what we ware willing to spend.

I think people right now are just so happy to be able to cruise again they are paying what ever to have a great time.  Royal kind of knows this and are trying to see how far they can push it.