Curt From Canada

Bermuda land fall will now be first (DAY 3 instead of third on DAY 7). This way the Bermuda Transit Authorization is much easier. All Bermuda sailings that do not have Bermuda as their first POC get ready ... Nothing important in life is ever easy ... Curt from Canada

Shari ... you are the "Canary in the Coal Mine". Your cruise only ends up in Bermuda on DAY 07. Everything I have heard indicates that you will get a test on board (within the Bermuda Travel Authorization [BTA] guidelines for days in advance of landing in Bermuda). However, no one has put this is in writing. Therefore, you may be one of the first ones. We filled out our BTA for a JUN cruise already, but my sense is they are handling them on "days to landing" basis and you will be at the top of the pile. If you have a travel agent, you may want to call them. I am certain the cruise lines will figure this out, but it is new to Celebrity and Royal. I am not concerned ... just confused. None of this has stopped my soulmate and I from dusting off my tux and her best dresses. More importantly, our dance shoes are all warmed up and ready to Foxtrot, Swing and Rumba. Can't wait! Curt from Canada

This thread is critical for anyone going to Bermuda. The question above is a good one, and there are even more questions that RCL can not answer. My favourite one is: If Bermuda needs a Negative COVID test 2 days before entry AND the traveller is at sea on those days AND Bermuda is the second port of call, will RCL provide testing on board? TA has checked and gets a lot of conflicting information and nothing in writing. The best information will be from travellers on these sailings: X SUMMIT (MAY13) X SUMMIT (MAY 23) Any information on "real life" experience would be greatly appreciated. Curt from Canada

In my case, I have "isolated" for: 815 days, 17 hours, 27 minutes and 10 seconds! I can not wait for June to come. Curt from Canada

Thanks ... that is what we are hoping. There is a MAY 13 Celebrity Cruise that looks very much like ours. Hopefully, we will get some feedback based on that cruise. Curt from Canada

My soulmate and I would be very interested in hearing from anyone on a cruise to Bermuda on exactly how this plays out (RCL or other lines). A few of the first cruises we can find seem to be: APR 30: RCL ... Enchantment from Baltimore (1st stop Bermuda) MAY 04: X ....... Summit from Cape Liberty (1st stop Bermuda) MAY 13: X ........ Summit from Cape Liberty (2nd stop Bermuda) We are cruising to Bermuda in JUN and the day we will arrive is DAY 07! Getting any test without cruise line "help" seems difficult. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Curt from Canada

The Cruise Compass section of this blog is excellent. I haven't seen anything else that is close to it. Still, I found a way to look at "close in" daily calendars using the RC APP. This is what I found for a current sailing: Similar to a Cruise Compass, this is only what happened on that sailing, and may or may not be the case for your cruise. Curt from Canada

Spreadsheet updated thank you. Actually, it was a big thrill to put in new data point in. I checked and the last one I entered was on March 06, 2020 ... ugh. Still, it was a thrill ... anyone and everyone send data. And 100%, that bar code trick is brilliant. Can't remember who suggested it first, but it is making the data gathering somewhat redundant. Curt from Canada

I think I know the answer to this question (and it is not the answer I wanted). Royal backed up its final payment date to 60 prior to departure for June 2022 sailings ...did Celebrity? I fear they have not ... just looking for the RCBlog Gurus to confirm. Curt from Canada

This is really old and has not been updated with 2021 - 2022 data (for some reason things have been a little "off" for the last two years). It is based on data that people have sent me 2018 to early 2020: I hope this helps ... Curt from Canada

We took a different "spin" on The Stowaway's "Elevator Music" on Harmony once. As we were passing by the elevators on a lower deck we saw him a few decks above. We joined him in the elevator (only 3 people with him). He started playing Crocodile Rock and we started the tightest Swing Dance we could fit. I think we cleared the elevator (oooooops). Had a great time singing and dancing with a piano player in an elevator ... not a normal land vacation occurrence. If a "Stowaway" is on a ship, we are always on the lookout. Curt from Canada

You got me ... I hate making predictions, but this time I am compelled to (in a bid to save my sanity ... I have been cooped up too long). COVID-19 hopefully will become something like the flu. Some will choose to get vaccinated (especially the most vulnerable), others will choose a possible infection and hopefully not become too ill. For many years, I did not get a flu shot. I was young and able to sweat through the 2 or 3 days. When our parents started getting older, we got flu shots to protect others (not really ourselves). With a 92 year old spectacular Father-in-law living with us and a newborn grandchild close by, we keep our sleeves rolled up and anyone can inject us with any vaccine they want to ... not for ourselves, so much, but for some very precious people. From a cruising perspective, there will not be a requirement (eventually). If there is none for flu, measles, diphtheria, polio, etc, I can not see there being one for COVID-19 ... it is just a matter of time. A very hopeful Curt from Canada

"And if Royal ceased to exist , what would be your second choice of cruise line?" This is "Crazy Talk". This is what 2 years of stress does to people. The next question will be: "Is anyone taking up knitting???" For my soul mate and I (2 very, very deprived cruisers) there is only Royal. Value, choice (over "all" included), variety ... we have tons of fun with Royal. Curt from Canada

I have been defeated. If I didn't have a real job, and had time to return to University for the 4th-Year Course ... "Travelling in a Pandemic 401", I think I could prepare for my Grandeur Cruise in FEB 2022. However, the "Gods conspire against me", and this latest one has put me on the sidelines until MAY 2022 (our next cruise ... hopefully): Given the number of emails we get sent, the number of politicians screwing this up, news outlets "flipping a coin" to determine what to say next, and science being shuffled into the background, we will be sitting on the sidelines for the next few months. We will continue to live vicariously through the many contributors on this forum (thanks to all) ... every time we cancel a cruise, we schedule 1 or 2 more. I feel very sad for our great TA at MEI (Jacki). Good luck to all ... we will be watching for now. Stay Safe, Stay Apart, Stay Connected, Curt from Canada and his lovely and talented Soulmate.

The protocols would be OK, if I would take the time to understand them. I think their is a 4th year university course being planned (Cruise Protocols 401). Curt from Canada

We have an advantage and a "restriction": Advantage: Frequent Flyer Miles ... I really do not care where the cruise originates. The destinations are the main draw. Restriction: Canada ... once the frequent flyer miles run out (and they will), we are limited to Bayonne, Boston and Baltimore (I wish there were more B's) as home ports. Flying to Florida is not that much less money than flying to Barbados (and even west coast or some European hubs too). Deane

If anyone is on Grandeur now, or if anyone is on in December or January, I would love to hear about your experiences. A few things are top of mind (but any experiences would be helpful): I can not imagine Grandeur sailing out of anywhere but Baltimore. For sentimental reasons, please let me know if she fits in with her new home. The itineraries out of Barbados are very, very tempting. Given whatever restrictions were in place for your cruise, did any of the destinations stand out (good or bad)? Dancing ... there was always lots of opportunity during happy hour in the Centrum (and every so often in the South Pacific Lounge). Are there opportunities on board? We have sailed on every RCL class of ship, and Grandeur was very accommodating to people who love to dance. Curt from Canada

It has been a long time since we have cruised Alaska, but we chose to do a "land tour" after our cruise from Vancouver to Seward (actually the RCL booking agent convinced us out of doing the return trip to Vancouver). Best advise from any Travel Professional. She said you can not go all the way to Alaska and not see Denali. We took a bus from Seward to Anchorage (more below) and then 5 days from Anchorage to Denali and back (flying home from Anchorage). The bus ride from Seward to Anchorage was very nice, and just before we ended up in Anchorage we saw a once in a life time sight ... People surfing on the Bore Tide in Turnagain Arm. It is very difficult to be there at the exact correct time to see it. They do publish a Bore Tide Schedule, so adventurous explorers could plan an easy half day trip if they wanted. We saw from the bus. Surfing a Bore Tide in Alaska ... it was magical site. I always recommend to Alaska cruisers: Cruise one way and combine with a land tour of as much of Alaska as you can see. Take the train from Anchorage to Denali and spend 2 or 3 days there. Denali and Denali National are "other-worldly". Hopefully you can see Talkeetna along the way. Hopefully the little café in town still plays full Beatles' albums on Sunday mornings. The memory was so vivid that I still taste that breakfast, see that view of the café and street, while hearing the White Album. A very special memory which started out just as a walk. Figure out how to experience the Bore Tide on Turnagain Arm. Hope you have a blast, Curt from Canada

Yes ... you are correct. The closer you get to your sail date the more accurate it becomes. I start looking one month out at sailing with the same itinerary. Curt from Canada

Glad to have helped. However, be careful as you travel down the rabbit's hole. I once spent almost 3 hours preparing for 3 future cruises. I now know how Alice felt. Are there others outnthere that schedule each and every Martini they drink each and every day? Curt from Canada

"Can someone send me a Cruise Compass from XYZ of the Seas? I am going on the ship next week and I want to do some detailed planning". This request comes up multiple times each month. As a Cruise Planning Addict I know exactly what they are going through. I have the "Cruise Compass" tab on the Royal Caribbean Blog as a favourite on my browser. Last month, I stumbled on a "hack". I hope my brothers and sisters of the "Order of Overly Organized" [OoOO] enjoy this one. I use the Royal Caribbean phone APP that lists all of future cruises I have. Then I: Go to the bottom of the start up screen (it lists all of our future cruises) and press the "Get more details on ships we support" tab at the very bottom. Find your ship that you will sail on ... I know all of them are not there but 23 of them are!. Select the ship you will be sailing on. Find a sailing date similar to the one you will sail on (you might have to do some digging on the Royal Website to find a similar one). I choose the one that is sailing currently or as close to today as possible. Press Daily Planner and ALL of the On Line Cruise Compasses are available for you to view. I am looking at DAY 1 of Independance of the Seas for the NOV 01 to NOV 05 sailing right now. I know there will be these events on these days: DAY 1: 8:00PM Headliner Showtime (in this case Nate Weatherup) ... this was in the past. DAY 2: 9:15PM Ice Spectaclar: Freeze Frame! (V) ... this has not even happened yet (it is 7:49PM in Montreal right now). DAY 3: 3:30PM Name That 80's Tune Trivia (V) in the Schooner Bar I think you get my gist. It is an absolute Disney World for members of the OoOO. It is not as nicely laid out as "real" Cruise Planners', but it will definitely scratch that itch for all my brothers and sisters of the OoOO. I hope this helps, Curt from Canada

Radiance of the Seas (JAN 2006) ... 25th Wedding Anniversary. Great ship to start, many memories, but two stand out: 1). We flew in the day of the cruise (please don't judge ... we were rookies with a sub-par travel agent). Flight was delayed out of Canada (who knew that snow could delay flights). With no breakfast and no lunch we made the ship just before the muster drill. All venues were closed, so no food was available. One time events for: HUNGER: Only once and never since ... we were ridiculously hungry on a ship. Post Muster Drill we ate 3 meals in less than 15 minutes. SAME DAY FLIGHT: Only once and never since .. we have ALWAYS flown in the day before our cruises since that first cruise ... 25 and counting. 2). Our first date was at a restaurant in Montreal called Portofino (a long, long time ago). We were surprised, touched and impressed that Royal Caribbean would name a restaurant on the ship just for us. We ate there on our anniversary, and every cruise after that until they retired the name. We sail on Radiance again in SEP 2022, and can't wait. Stay Safe, Stay Apart, Stay Connected, Curt from Canada

One of the greatest philosophers of the 20th Century (Doc. Brown) got it right: ? Stay Safe, Stay Apart, Stay Connected, Curt from Canada

I am afraid the price stabilization might not occur until 2023. All the more reason to book well in advance (the conventional wisdom). We have our 3 cruises booked for 2022 and our early 2023 booked. As soon as the later 2023’s open up we will book those as well. These days are not the ones to be sitting on the sidelines. Stay Safe, Stay Apart, Stay Connected. Curt From Canada.

I'm still laughing. Thanks, I don't get a chance to do that lately. It took me over 60 years to really understand my chosen profession (Engineering). With that much training, "nerd" is now genetically encoded. Curt from Canada