KenCP

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/

My account just got changed to a 3 day for same date. I guess it’s true. Of course as I got the killer drink package at $44 I’m going to loose also. I’m a little pissed off right now.

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

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

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.

Just letting you know that Wild Mushroom Soup is (back) in the house
(I missed it so much I had two)

This is the best news I’ve heard so far !  Yippee !!!!

@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?

Thanks, Marc.  I think the above is something that many [new] casino players often overlook.  Even if you are booking a cruise with which there was NO casino offer at all, chances are they can still save you money.  It took me a really long time to figure this one out and they do NOT advertise it at ALL.  IOW, investigate booking through the casino for ALL of your cruises and see if there is a savings.  Betcha there will be, even if it is a small savings.  I think I saved a minimum of 5% on each and every cruise I booked last year (30+ of them !).

So if you buy 10,000 kits you'll earn enough points for a one way flight from Toronto to Montreal?  

I respectfully disagree. I have seen people slide a finger on the serving utensil to taste the food, lick that finger, then do the same thing at a different dish down the line.  YUK!

Truth!
Honestly, regardless of which side you are on regarding Covid, masking, etc...one thing remains certain...handwashing, basic hygiene, covering your mouth when coughing and/or sneezing...these things should have been practiced, and continuously practiced, regardless of a pandemic.  Please serve me my buffet portions so that I don't have to rely on others' hygiene, or lack thereof. 

I just wrapped on a cruise where we were able to adopt the new protocols including no masks.  As I entered the Windjammer i was amazed at the number of people that refused to use hand sanitizer.  A good 30% walked right past the washy washy girl asking everyone to use the hand sanitizer.  This was never the case when we all masked up.   It seems some people are done with ALL protocols. 
So if these people are handling the tongs and dropping the tongs into the food (a common occurence pre-shutdown) then I'm all for the served WJ buffet.  
 

The entire COVID experience, it's attendant health protocols as it relates to infection control, has very likely been a completely positive one for the cruise lines. I don't have access to any details but am pretty sure that all kinds of GI and respiratory illnesses that were common and acquired aboard ship have been considerably reduced. I think most of us feel a whole lot better about cruising with what is very likely a steep reduction in Norovirus infection and "cruise cough" both having come along with layered protective measures v. SARS2.
People I associate with have a reasonable appreciation for the value of personal hygiene and good personal sanitation measures when in group settings. OTH, we've all seen segments of the cruising public who don't appreciate that at all. Because of that,  I'm all for a continuation of the layered levels of health protocols - one of which is no self service at the buffets - among a whole host of others including masking when objectively based conditions warrant - and I can almost guarantee you we're not done with SARS 2, COVID or any new virus that presents the same kinds of risk to personal health in the congregate setting that cruise ships are manifestly and correctly characterized.

One of the reasons I chose Royal for our upcoming trip was because I was watching YouTube videos of current cruise vlogs and I noticed Carnival was letting people self serve at the buffet 😳. 
Then a vlog came on for a Royal cruise and staff was serving so I pulled the trigger. 
It was gross before covid, and now I don't think we should go back to that....ever. 

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.

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.

This was asked in a Q&A session today that included the Food and Beverage Manager and Hotel Director.  The answer was that self serve is NOT returning.  Richard Fain stated the same when he was in charge.  
Things could change in time but for the foreseeable future it won't be self serve.  

Even if RC wanted to go there, I'm sure their insurance company quickly said 

Royal will in no way be endangering one of their ships any where close to Russia for many years to come.
Honestly, I’m sure Royal will never port in Russia ever again.
 

@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?

Has this port of call been officially cancelled? Last email i received stated that they were monitoring the situation and a back up plan was in place if St Petersburg was removed from the schedule ( which it will be ) 
As well as the safefy of crew and pasengers there is also the fact If any government imposes sanctions on Russia to make it harder for them, is it morally correct that tourists on a cruiseship can go onshore spending money which may help in war? 

@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?

I hope the test before the cruise goes away before June.

I’m on Anthem B2B
this past week we dropped face mask requirements effective Feb 25
now they have dropped the bracelet requirement!