WesKinetic

16 minutes ago, SPS said:

No, that does not matter. In fact, you are only required to enter one name when ordering as noted by just one red asterisk  for the first person in the names box.

The tests are only registered to the user when the proctor scans the QR code through the camera at the time of testing. Each person will need their own account to take the tests, however. The accounts only need to be set up by each person before they use the test.

 

Perfect, thanks so much!!

When you set up the app/profiles, does it matter what names the test were ordered under? I was looking at ordering the eMed tests, but it asked to put in up to three names of who the tests would be for. We are hoping to get tests done elsewhere ahead of time and these home tests would only be a backup in case we weren't able to schedule something. As such, there's no way to know which of our family members (party of five) might or might not need to take a home test. 

So, for example, if I buy the tests and list people A, B and C, will that mess us up if, when we reach our testing window, it is people D and E who need to take them? Would they still be able to set up a profile and use those tests? 

Hope that makes sense. 

I'm having this exact issue right now, so thanks for all the answers and thank you RCBlog forum search feature. 

I am scheduled to be a presenter at a conference on Symphony this summer. Have done it a couple times in the past. So I can't speak to how much they're used or what other purposes they could serve, but I can confirm they do get used. 

99% chance you'll have no problems, so it just depends on your tolerance for risk and if you're willing to take that 1% chance. 

Email just received from Royal Caribbean:

"Updated North America Testing Protocols

There’s been a change to our Pre-Cruise and Embark testing requirements for unvaccinated guests age 2 - 11 for sailings departing
on or after December 17, 2021. 

We'll now only accept a negative PCR test result to satisfy the Pre-Cruise testing requirement for this age group.
 

Additionally, instead of taking a PCR test at embarkation, unvaccinated guests age 2 - 11 will receive a complimentary antigen test. This change will allow for a smoother start to our young cruisers' sailing and embarkation. These protocols are subject to change and we’ll keep you informed."

"Regular" coffee means basically just that--plain ol' coffee that you can add some cream and sugar to. You don't need a drink package of any kind to get that for free. 

"Premium" coffee is exactly what you mentioned--lattes, cappuccinos, espressos, iced coffee, etc. Usually served at a specialty coffee bar somewhere. 

The one caveat on the refreshment package is that it cannot be used at the standalone Starbucks kiosks on Oasis-class ships. 

11 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Since it's a new dosage of vaccine, it's it even feasible for vaccines to be available next week? It was easy for the 12-16 since they just pulled from the existing stock.

Pfizer has been in production for some time anticipating this move and say they're ready to ship as soon as they get the green light. That said, I don't know exactly how the distribution chain will work so it could be a situation where it's not available at every vaccine provider at the same time. 

EDIT:  Just found the info--they reportedly have about 20 million doses ready to go. They'll be shipped out to states on a pro rata basis based on how many eligible children each state has. 

I just wish I'd get an email like that.   I've had two cruises (Dec. 2021 and March 2022) have itineraries change, and yet neither my travel agent nor I have ever received any notification of this. Has anyone else had this problem? I've gotten confirmations and other such communications about these cruises, so I know they have the correct email. 

I didn't have strong feelings about these particular itineraries, so it's not a huge deal. It's just weird and a little concerning that we haven't been notified. 

Just thinking about the timeline, I really don't see a way they could require pediatric vaccines before the first of the year, at the earliest. 

FDA panel is examining data today. If they recommend approval of the vaccine, it goes to the CDC for consideration next week. For sake of argument, let's say they approve it and the CDC commissioner signs off and vaccines are available by the end of next week. The Pfizer vaccine is two doses, supposed to be 21 days apart. And then you have to be 14 days after the second shot to be considered "fully vaccinated."

So you're really looking at five weeks minimum from the date of first dose to being considered vaccinated for RC's purposes. You have to build in some time to allow kids to get vaccinated, so my guess it would be at least a month longer than that before any kind of requirement would be on the table. 

I'm on Serenade on 12/10 and just noticed that same thing. 

This is my second cruise that has changed itineraries in the last two months, but neither my travel agent nor I have gotten an email about either one being changed. 

I was curious about this myself. Just booked Symphony in July 2022 and it's not showing up. Hard to imagine it sold out this early, but who knows. Hadn't really planned on getting it for that cruise; just found it interesting. 

Got two in at the last minute. Dec. 2021 on Serenade and July 2022 on Symphony. 

Nope, black and white copies work just fine. Enjoy!

46 minutes ago, JeffB said:

What I don't know is on what legal basis FL claims it has the legal authority to ban businesses operating in the state from asking for proof of vaccination to enter or receive services. It's not clear that the state does not have that right. 

As a former political science geek, I'm kind of hoping this becomes a great con law precedent. Given that (a) cruising is, by definition, international commerce and (b) the Constitution specifically gives Congress the authority to regulate such, is there wiggle room in that for a state to put in regulations of their own? My hunch is there will be a more narrow ruling, but I'd love to geek out reading a ruling that, one way or the other, sets a precedent on state oversight of cruising. 

RIP my 10-day Christmas cruise on Vision. 

2 hours ago, JeffB said:

 Therefore, the applicable law get down to EEOC regulations that permit businesses to establish their own policies for regulating work place halth and safety as long as it isn't discriminatory. So far, that's been upheld in the TX case. My view that the Desantis bad won't stand up to a court challenge. Hard to say how this will pan out. It's an open question. As of now, it appears RCL isn't going to confront Desantis. That could change. 

 

I know at one point, Norwegian was pretty adamant that they wanted to require vaccines. Will be curious to see if/how they choose to move forward. 

Deleted

@SpeedNoodles That's a good point. I'd forgotten about that. 

8 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

We got $300 last time (I think it was $150 per adult).  I don't know how normal that is, but that's a solid amount.

True, it's nothing to shake a stick at. I just meant that, if you see a cruise you want to take at a reasonable price but your next scheduled cruise is a few months away, you're rolling the dice on if/how much the price would increase between now and when you could book it on your cruise. But you raise a good question--let's say you have a cruise booked for 2021 and you want to schedule one for 2022. You go ahead and get online today to book that 2022 cruise. But when you go on your 2021 cruise, you find the price hasn't increased. Is there any reason you couldn't cancel and rebook through NextCruise to get the same rate plus the OBC offer? 

NextCruise is great if you're already on board and know what you want for your next cruise. There's certainly no downside to it. The only thing I would say is that, generally speaking, the amount of OBC you'll get is nice but not huge. So, if you already know what you want for a future trip, you're likely still better off booking early on your own than waiting until a future sailing to book through NextCruise. 

I realize the corkscrew was just an example but, to answer your question, at least in my experience, they have some overnight people with guest services who handle stuff like that. On a cruise a few years ago, one of my daughters was "overserved" at the Windjammer dessert bar. In the middle of the night, she got sick in bed and we called down to guest services for some clean sheets. There was someone other than our regular steward who came up and helped us remake the bed with new linens. 

Thanks so much for your ongoing analysis, @JeffB. I get to play armchair attorney in my day job, but the intricacies of all of this are above my pay grade. So I appreciate your study of what, whichever way the ruling comes down, is a very complicated case with a hodgepodge of overlapping jurisdictions. 

Quote

Guests are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated, if they are eligible. Those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify vaccination will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols, which will be announced at a later date. Other measures in place for travelers to cruise with Royal Caribbean include:

• Vacationers sailing to Alaska who are 16 years of age or older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and those 12 or older as of Aug. 1.

And there's what I was going to be curious to see. My biggest fear all along was a protracted court fight if the cruise lines and Florida both dug their heels over a vaccine requirement. But it looks like this is going to be the workaround--vaccines aren't technically required but, if you don't provide proof of vaccination, be prepared for some additional hoops to jump through. 

So while this sucks for people who had cruises cancelled, it's nice to have at least a little bit of somewhat more concrete information going forward. 

7 minutes ago, UNCFanatik said:

Not to mention what effect the ruling will ultimately have on Alaskan cruises with the assertion from the government that Alaskan cruises were given exception to sail without porting in another country was based on the conditions of the CSO. 

If FL lawsuit results in CSO being struck down does that cause chaos with Alaskan cruises?

CDC seemed to argue that it would in its court brief but, while I do work in the legal field, that gets a little outside my area of expertise as to how strong of an argument that is. My hunch is that Congress would find a way to fast-track legislation that accomplishes the same goal as ATRA, but without referencing the CSO. But Congress' definition of "fast" and mine might be two different things.