mnshortie21

I know, so many germs!! I once saw a toddler sucking on its fingers and then it touched a door knob. So incredibly gross. Then the time the guy left the bathroom without washing his hands, heading back to the buffet - are you kidding me?!  I've even caught several colds from being out there - it was terrible. I now wear rubber gloves and a respirator everywhere I go then bath in Neosporin every evening when I get back to my house. Its the only way to be safe out there. Those germs will get ya if you aren't careful. Seriously, we are by design (immune-compromised excluded), able to wade through this filth. Wash your hands frequently, exercise, eat right, and live. You can't change the world or anyone else's behavior, so if close quarters with 1,000's isn't your thing, find another place to spend your time. But I will say, the less you expose yourself to germs the less capable your immune system becomes. Think of it this way, your friend in the elevator was doing you a favor by triggering an immune response, making you stronger and more capable of fighting off the next onslaught.  Cheers!!

An oldie but a goodie...time tested and true.

This year's Black Friday sale runs Nov 24-30, which is good so we can spend the holiday with family. 

Did NCL choose wisely? I think not…
NCL chose to risk losing loyal and new customers alike by intending to create what they believed to be the safest cruise environment available…they did that with their 100% vaccination requirement, thus alienating cruisers with children who were unable to be vaccinated. They also received free publicity by suing Florida over their mandate. So far, so good…..
But…looking at the CDC cruise ship color code chart today, NCL has four ships approved for restricted (passenger) sailings. As of today, three of the four have reported cases of Covid onboard. Two of them are in yellow status, which means the number of cases have met the threshold for CDC investigation. The other is in orange status, the number reported is below the investigation threshold and the CDC is monitoring.
Royal has fifteen ships approved for restricted sailings. Seven have reported cases onboard. Only two are in yellow status.
Lots of litigation and bluster…”Our ships have propellers and rudders and we can move them anywhere”…apparently was not the best strategy in servicing your loyal clientele…. Oh, well…just my opinion.
 
 

Sincerely- thank you for asking.
To avoid unwelcome vaccine controversy, I’ll just say that we are philosophically and medically opposed to the COVID injections.  Under no circumstances would we consider getting any of them.

I'm right there with ya'.  Forgive my suspicion, but you have to ask the question, "Why is Royal Caribbean doing this" ?  Let's face it, they are not doing it for our benefit....there is some reason why they are pushing this information out now.  The reason that they have been putting protocols out month-by-month is to minimize cancellations.  By making this pronouncement so far in advance, they are inviting an avalanche of cancellations - which is what they will be getting for us. Why ?
My concern is this:  if we fail to cancel all of our cruises now (at least, those through 3-31-22), they may withdraw the ability to get a cash refund (based on vaccine protocols) down the road.  Their logical justification will be "Well, we told you back in November what the protocols would be...you had the chance to cancel and you didn't.  Now we are only going to offer you FCC's for your cancellations".  Since an FCC is completely useless to us, I will avoid that at all costs.
So it looks like we will be cancelling 8 more cruises (4 of them are Star Class).  It's heartbreaking, but I don't really see any alternative at this point.  I cannot afford to lose the opportunity to get my money back now.  So, like @gatorskin76, we will be taking our chips off the table and leaving the game.  We have some 2022-2023 cruises booked but those are still out of reach.  
BTW, we have still not received a single email regarding the protocols through March.  As I said above, we have 8 booked so I am a bit perplexed why we haven't been notified for ANY of them.  Thank goodness I heard of this through the blogs or I would have no idea at all.

0 sense but at least the CDC director gave her blessing for parents to take their kids trick or treating this year.. how gracious of her. What a benevolent technocratic overlord we have! 
Florida has one of the lowest case records in the US now, I wish Florida sailings would just ignore the CDC and CSO. Just wonder how this will affect cancellations as I’m sure many thought the CSO would truly expire on Oct 31 and will now not sail 

I think the industry is in the "cooperate & graduate" mode.   Volunteer to be a "good citizen" and maybe the conditional restrictions are eased.   😠

Do you think the Airline unions would admit to an illegal work action? Is it just a coincidence that the Airlines that have a Dec 8 vaccine deadline because they are consider government contractors all of a sudden have a huge cancellation issue? It wasnt weather for Southwest because other airlines didnt experience it. 
Time will tell what is the true cause but to dismiss this off hand is not wise nor is it a given. I would be VERY concerned if I had an upcoming flight to make a Cruise and would be looking for other travel alternatives.
LETS GO BRANDON!!!!!

Royal is going to mess around and face another wave of cancellations. They are not compelled to follow the CSO now. I know they are trying to appease the CDC Gods but at what cost to their business and customer satisfaction. Covid cases are in decline in the US especially in the South. I know there is  concern about the Fall/Winter in NE states but Royal cant keep this up. Ignore the CDC just like we do on their other numerous recommendations for our daily lives. The CDC has been defeated in court over the CSO. 
Covid will be endemic and we need to act as such and move forward and drop all the needless restrictions that have been proven over the last 1 1/2 years to not stop the spread of Covid. 

Why does that make me uptight?  I choose not to sit on the grass waiting outside.  I learned my lesson - don't show up early.  I arrive at the time they assign to me.
I have no issue with their boarding process nor do I with the other cruise lines that enforce arrival times.  I simply find something to do and coordinate my arrival to comply.    I don't have an expectation that the cruise lines must accommodate me whenever I feel like showing up.
Many cruise lines are enforcing arrival times.  Cruising during the restart isn't for everyone.  If not being allowed into the terminal anytime you want is a show stopper for you then avoiding cruising right now may be a good idea.

Twangster is being direct. 
 
While directness can make some people uncomfortable, it doesn’t rise to the level of the secret state police of a genocidal and outlawed regime. 
 
At the end of all the arguments, he’s right.   Pre-pandemic we used to just hang out in the port waiting area until we could board.   Now that we are aware it’s not a current option, we are thinking of alternatives.   Does that excite us?  No.  Will we find another place to kill time? Yes. 

The system isn't broken, it's just the way it is right now.  Not everything in a pandemic can't be made to function perfectly.  It's not ignorance on Royal's part. 
In the past it was nothing for people to sit in a packed terminal waiting area until boarding commenced.  That may have been a 30 minute, 60 minute or longer wait.  Packing people into a crowded waiting area doesn't work in a pandemic.
Carnival whale tail ships used to out number Royal yet they have long enforced arrival times - for many years.  If you are early you wait outside.  That's on you for arriving early regardless if you flew, drove, walked or crawled to the ship.  Arriving early meant creating an ugly experience for yourself.  If you did, that was on you.
Many of the frequent cruisers I know who live at or very near the port were not the types to try to board early.  More often that not they would show up well after the noon to 1pm peak was long over so would have no lines and cabins were ready.  They've cruised a lot.  Being on the ship first simply isn't important.  Arriving at 2:30pm was the ideal time for them.  The peak was over by then.  They aren't the problem.  There is no fix for stupid.  People arriving before their time is the problem.
Royal cruisers need to adapt to the times and protocols.  If Carnival cruisers can manage to do it Royal cruisers can too.  Perhaps Royal's only mistake was not enforcing arrival times before the pandemic started.  Royal cruisers need to change and change is difficult for people, but that's on the people, not on Royal.
Perhaps expecting people to arrive on time may have been ignorant on Royal's part.  Who knew people couldn't help themselves but would chose to ignore the process?

If people are currently ignoring RC instructions regarding not turning up until near their check in time do you honestly believe they will take any notice of another email basically saying the same? 
Twangsters right its people that are the problem! Its people thinking they can do as the want and screw the rest as long as they are ok 

No one really knows all the details or the decision criteria.  The same company handles several different cruise lines as well as some airlines. 
It's all about maximizing new revenue.  NEW revenue.  If they upgrade a JS to GS that opens a JS that they can charge a balcony to upgrade into which open up a balcony that an ocean view can upgrade into which opens up an ocean view that an interior can upgrade into.  But only if the right number of people will fit into those cabins and the associated muster stations and lifeboats for those cabins.  Upgrading two guests into a cabin that can sleep four might not make sense.  Upgrading four guests into a muster station with only two empty spots can't be done - everyone needs a spot in the right lifeboat by law.  
The line of succession upgrades can generate more new revenue for one scenario more than a different scenario.  How much you paid initially or your loyalty status has no bearing.  It's all about new revenue.  

They don't consider bids individually, they consider chains of bids that tie together, and in some cases the fact that you bid maximum can be overridden by the fact that they can construct a longer chain of bids by giving them to someone else who bid less.
An example: Suppose you're in an Aqua Theater Suite 1 bedroom and you bid the maximum to upgrade to ATS 2 bedroom which happens to be $1000 per person.  Someone else in a Crown Loft Suite only bids $700 per person for an ATS 2 bedroom. BUT they also have someone looking to move up from a Junior Suite to a Crown Loft Suite who have bid $500 per person.
If they give the bid to you, they get $1000 for 2 people for a total of $2000. If they give it to the Crown Loft person they get $700x2 plus $500x2 for a total of $2400. They're going to give the ATS 2 bedroom to the lower bid because they end up making more money in total.

I would suggest comfortable walking shoes, whatever they may be. It's a good amount of walking, but there are alot of tree roots and rocks. Also you are able to climb some of the structures. I really enjoyed the tour! Have a great time!

That's a slippery slope.  How many slots do Full Suites vs. Junior Suites get?  Pinnacles?  The Key?  D+ then D and so on down the chain? 
It's one thing to say if you are checked in and waiting in the terminal, then here is the boarding order.   It's another to reserve slots for arrival because at what point do you they give up on a "class" that hasn't checked in online to get their arrival time?
I suspect they will adopt something like the Sydney, Australia format.  
In Sydney only Star Class really gets priority arrival/check-in at the terminal.   I didn't get a special early arrival time for my C&A status, I think I received what was available when I checked in.  I dropped my bags then went off to walk the Sydney Harbour Bridge and get pictures (to kill time).   Once back I was still too early for my arrival time.  It didn't matter what my C&A status was, I had to wait.  Walking from the ship luggage drop to the bridge, across the bridge and back isn't exactly a "quick" walk. I went to the museum up there too and I was still too early to check in when I got back.  I asked about C&A status ... nope, what time I had was the only thing that mattered.  This was before any pandemic.  
I think initially some Suites/Pinnacle/Key/D+ will be upset when they assume privilege.  Blah, blah, blah.  We'll hear about it without doubt.  But oh well, I'm okay losing this privilege if it means getting back on a ship.  Others will be more vocal but we all have to give in these difficult times.  Trying to appease special status may not work like it did before.  Eventually it will be back. Until then everyone needs a super large dose of "Calm down and cruise on".
 

Here is my deal breaker.  If the onboard experience is changed then there is no point in going.  We go on vacation to have fun and get away.  If all of the ridiculous restrictions on land are on the ship as well.....I can stay home and save money.  If people would use some common sense then we wouldn't be going through all this crap right now.  Washing your hands should have always been in practice.  Locking down and suppressing everyone's immune systems was a mistake and we haven't even begun to see the economic effects of the response to this virus.  Just wait and see, when this election is over in the US...COVID-19 will be a thing of the past.  Stop listening to Mainstream media and start thinking for yourselves.    

Required masks is my deal breaker. Currently, I choose to not frequent any establishment that requires masks while going to similar places where it is optional.
As badly as I need a haircut (needed one around April 1 but all places to get it done properly were closed until this weekend), I will put it off until the current "masks must be worn by all" requirement for salons and barber shops is lifted.

Wearing a mask is a deal breaker. I give kudos to those who have to wear them every day for work. I cannot, it makes me feels like I am suffocating. I might be okay  if it's limited to things like the muster drill or only for a short period of time. 

I've had the Bank of America RC Visa for many years (I know, it's not the best, but it's what I have). Many of the points were going to expire this year so I thought what better time to plan a cruise ? I had enough for $500 OBC. Redeeming them on the MyCruise Points page was simple but getting them applied to my booked cruise was not. I called RC customer service and was told by two different reps the points absolutely could not be applied to the cruise until "about 2 weeks" before the cruise. At that time, they would appear in my cruise planner and I could use them. Ok, but I'm a crazy planner and wanted it applied today, not in three months so I could continue planning. I ended up calling the Visa redemption number at 1-888-305-4626 and told the rep I would like my points applied to my booked cruise as soon as possible. After being on hold off and on for 15 minutes, he told me they would be applied this afternoon. I logged on about an hour later and the OBC was there!  The rep told me if I needed to redeem more, to call them instead of doing it online and requesting it to be added to the reservation.  I hope this info helps someone.
 

1. Magnetic hooks! Its a room saver. Great to hang swim suits, cruise compass, hats, lanyards, etc...
2. If you do not have a drink package, bring a reusable water bottle. Less trips to get beverages. 
3. Go to trivia. It's fun and if you think you are smart, someone there will prove you wrong! LOL.?

1. Magnetic hooks! Its a room saver. Great to hang swim suits, cruise compass, hats, lanyards, etc...
2. If you do not have a drink package, bring a reusable water bottle. Less trips to get beverages. 
3. Go to trivia. It's fun and if you think you are smart, someone there will prove you wrong! LOL.?

I just received mine at 32 days for sailing on Harmony Nov 24th. I was able to see my muster station and deck around 45 days to sail. I read some where to use a bar code scanner app and scan your set sail pass and the last few numbers are your room number. I tried that before I got my assignment and it was accurate, at least for me.