CrznTxn

Glad they got the situation under control.  
However, I, for one, can't think of a reason I'd be unhappy being stranded at a pier, in a port, in a Caribbean Island with nothing but Adult Beverage and Food to pass the time with.  Call me crazy but that doesn't sound too bad to me.
Back when a Brand X ship was drifting around in the Golf of Mexico for a week or two, my wife and I wished we were on that one.  Yes, I know that it wasn't very comfy, and sandwiches were the meal of the day and so  on.  But, we both feel that any day at sea is better than one on land.  But, we are empty nesters and retired.  What else are we going to do?  Sit around the house and look out the windows at the street and/or backyard OR sit on a balcony and watch the ocean and wildlife go by.  Hummmmm, let me think.............  Yep, the ship!

It surprises me that there are people angry they were on Anthem and tested positive either at the end of the cruise or when back home.  The current #is 15 out of a FB group of about 500. Of course that figure could be higher with those unaware they have Covid or those who don’t think/want to share the info, and those who are repeating their testing in a few days.
comments made are “masks went away too quickly” or “the passengers sailing % went up too quickly”.
I would think as adults we all have an understanding that “Covid happens”  and at any given time we expose ourselves, be it at a supermarket, restaurant, wedding, sporting event, school event, or on a cruise and we have an option to wear a mask as well as to not cruise.  Blaming the cruise industry for a choice made to cruise is ridiculous. (Not one person reported being masked the entire cruise-and even if they were they likely are in common areas when eating)
My other bone of contention is those who blame the staff with Covid for spreading this.  Yes, there are cases among the crew, but the crew is masked in our presence. I’m on my 2nd half of a B2B on Anthem and still see the same crew members at their stations.  Spread is behind the scenes in their stateroom areas, when unmasked. It’s  highly doubtful they are the ones giving it to passengers. 
 
I’m on my 9th cruise since August.  Each time I sail I’m well aware of the risks and know I have choices.  If I pick up Covid I most certainly won’t blame the industry.
 

Since the Diamond and D+ after this next cruise along with the Prime for the wife we have abandoned the drink package. Take lots of tip money but the 4 drinks per day for me is fine and not sure what I will do with 5. When I am in the Casino with the wife the waiters always ask me what I want and bring it along with hers without charge so I always seem to have extra😁. She tips well so maybe that is the reason.

We use Geo Blue Travel insurance. It requires you have medical insurance but they do not vary the price based on the type you have.

It covers all the people in your party. We now purchase a third party insurance policy for our trips that is less expensive, covers the entire family and covers a lot more of the costs.

According to Captain James on our sailing a week ago, Liberty will change to Ft Lauderdale in November for a short while. Then they will go for their update, then up to the east coast for sailing out of Port Bayonne for a while and then finally return to Galveston for their short cruises. Will take a little while but it is scheduled to be done.

Well, if I decide to order another 6 pack of E-med test kits for my upcoming cruises you can be sure those pre cruise testing requirements will go away! 😎

My wife goes out of her way to talk to the crew members who are doing the "thankless" jobs such as cleaning the hallways or sweeping the pool deck. They recognize us throughout the cruise and are happy to say hi and are thrilled that we are taking time to speak to them. We have met many this past year that we see on return cruises and they recognize us and come to greet us, even if they are in another job which they do get moved around. The other thing we do besides tip the stewards and bartenders is make small goody bags of chocolates that we pass out to these folks who are working hard to keep our cruise clean and safe. They remember and when we see them again they quickly remember us as the chocolate people and come to speak to us with beaming smiles. My wife makes a list of these folks and mentions them in her survey for the great job they do.

We always do our pre-cruise testing early (latest 4am). The wait is less and the date shows correctly. Longest wait we have had so far for a proctor is about 1 minute.

Just finished B2B the two weeks of Spring Break. Both trips were definitely fuller than earlier cruises. The nice thing to see was the start up of some cruise favorites such as the sexiest man and International belly flop competitions as well as the love and marriage shows. More pre-pandemic feel than in a long time. The shows were better attended and the vibe feel was great. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed having the ships to myself over the last 7 months but I love seeing the enjoyment of others on their cruising adventures. Plus it gave me new folks to talk to. There were lots of kids around but not an issue, just made the chair hogs reappear but was not overly crowded where we could not find a seat. With the masking policy relaxing it seemed almost back to normal.

Just finished B2B the two weeks of Spring Break. Both trips were definitely fuller than earlier cruises. The nice thing to see was the start up of some cruise favorites such as the sexiest man and International belly flop competitions as well as the love and marriage shows. More pre-pandemic feel than in a long time. The shows were better attended and the vibe feel was great. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed having the ships to myself over the last 7 months but I love seeing the enjoyment of others on their cruising adventures. Plus it gave me new folks to talk to. There were lots of kids around but not an issue, just made the chair hogs reappear but was not overly crowded where we could not find a seat. With the masking policy relaxing it seemed almost back to normal.

Much more construction than when we were there in early January. Will see it all in a week and cannot wait. Will be great when they finish to go out of a new facility whatever the ship. The current one is not bad compared to some I have gone out of but new amenities such as facial recognition on Embarkation day, newer jetways, etc. would be great. I will not fuss about which ship as any day on a ship out on the water is better than land. I'll still be parking at the indoor parking, but that is just me.

Congratulations! 🎉 The party is on!

Much more construction than when we were there in early January. Will see it all in a week and cannot wait. Will be great when they finish to go out of a new facility whatever the ship. The current one is not bad compared to some I have gone out of but new amenities such as facial recognition on Embarkation day, newer jetways, etc. would be great. I will not fuss about which ship as any day on a ship out on the water is better than land. I'll still be parking at the indoor parking, but that is just me.

This is in our Cruise Planner for our cruise next week. The "learn to play" in the casino we have purchased onboard. Hope yours shows up soon.

Much more construction than when we were there in early January. Will see it all in a week and cannot wait. Will be great when they finish to go out of a new facility whatever the ship. The current one is not bad compared to some I have gone out of but new amenities such as facial recognition on Embarkation day, newer jetways, etc. would be great. I will not fuss about which ship as any day on a ship out on the water is better than land. I'll still be parking at the indoor parking, but that is just me.

Much more construction than when we were there in early January. Will see it all in a week and cannot wait. Will be great when they finish to go out of a new facility whatever the ship. The current one is not bad compared to some I have gone out of but new amenities such as facial recognition on Embarkation day, newer jetways, etc. would be great. I will not fuss about which ship as any day on a ship out on the water is better than land. I'll still be parking at the indoor parking, but that is just me.

Never, never leave on a cruise without the travel insurance. But Royal's insurance does not give as much coverage as the third party vendors. Have only had to use it once and paid for itself many times over. Have also seen others have their trip cut short due to illness or injury and we do not travel without it. Were advised not only by folks on this blog but passengers we have met on other cruise lines that strongly advised us to get the protection early on. All it takes is once. We have an annual policy and the cost is less than 2 single cruises worth for the same coverage.

This is in our Cruise Planner for our cruise next week. The "learn to play" in the casino we have purchased onboard. Hope yours shows up soon.

She may need to bring proof of her name when she received the vaccinations especially if her passport is in her married name. The people checking are particular about names matching. Same goes for the COVID test 2 days prior to sailing, make sure the name on the test exactly matches your ID. The last two sailings we have been behind folks who have had this issue. They straightened it out and boarded but it takes extra time and a visit from the supervisor to get it approved.

Yes you can bring a small portable fan. If you want it closer to the bed or on a particular side you can request an extension cord from your room steward. Outlets by the bed are at a premium and are never where you need them to be.

She may need to bring proof of her name when she received the vaccinations especially if her passport is in her married name. The people checking are particular about names matching. Same goes for the COVID test 2 days prior to sailing, make sure the name on the test exactly matches your ID. The last two sailings we have been behind folks who have had this issue. They straightened it out and boarded but it takes extra time and a visit from the supervisor to get it approved.

Alcohol will remove the Sharpie marking off the plastic cover. Works great.

Alcohol will remove the Sharpie marking off the plastic cover. Works great.

Alcohol will remove the Sharpie marking off the plastic cover. Works great.