amcooper

I don't gamble in casino because of the smoking. I wish the ban would be permanent.

I'm booked for NYE cruise on Symphony of the Seas. I don't believe they will cancel any cruises unless there's a massive outbreak on a ship, basically a case by case approach. The CDC will not unilaterelly shut the cruise industry down as long as cruise lines are doing all they can to keep people safe.

Seats are limited outside in Terminal A as well. There are some but not a lot.

I agree with jeffmw's posts a 100%. Well stated.

If Royal wanted to relax restrictions they could fight it. I know they'd have a sympathetic ear from Florida and Texas governors. The reason they don't fight the restrictions is because they WANT them. A major outbreak on their ships is bad (catastrophic) for business. It will shut them down...again. I don't blame them one bit for being overly cautious. If it were my business I'd do exactly the same thing. I wish COVID was over but it's not over folks. Hospitals still keep filling up and the virus keeps mutating. If you think Royal is going to relax restrictions in a few months, I would bet (strongly) against it. I've been on 2 cruises since they started sailing again. My family had a fantastic time on both but its not the same as it was. I personally think kids will have a great time on the ships. Restrictions are there but manageable. However if your expectation is pre-pandemic or bust, you should look at other family vacation options.

I know this is not directly related to RCCL (yet) but I but believe it's just a matter of time for the other cruise lines to follow suit.

Disney Cruise Lines announced today that they will require customers ages 5 and older to be fully vaccinated starting Jan. 13. I would be surprised if the other cruise lines don't follow suit.

I hope and believe that once the vaccine(s) is approved for ages 5-12, it will eventually be required to cruise. Eventually schools will require it just like the other vaccine requirements for the past 150+ years. Also in response to earlier comments about not basing their kids vaccine decision on cruising, I completely agree. You should get your kids vaccinated for their health, your health, your family's health, and your fellow human beings health. Cruising is just another excellent reason for people to vaccinate.

It was cruise related. The OP specifically asked about vaccine requirements and I answered with my opinion on when they will end. Please reread the OP's post.

Until there are enough vaccinated people to get us to herd immunity, vaccine mandates will never go away. One of the problems with people refusing vaccines is it allows mutations to keep recurring. It's the "delta" variant now, but it will be another mutation in the near future. In order for things to return to normal, people have to be willing to be vaccinated. Sadly in the U.S. it's become a political issue not a health one. My daughter is an entertainer on SOTS and I am very pleased that everyone on the ship 12 & over has to be vaccinated. I hope after the FDA approves the vaccine for 2-12 year olds, RCCL will extend the vaccine requirement. I want to cruise often. Vaccination mandates are the only way to keep people alive and keep cruise worker's livelihoods.

RCCL should have every right as a business to enforce whatever restrictions / requirements they see fit. Until there is herd immunity, RCCL should not have to risk shutting down again. If there are customers who are pissed because they can't travel unless they are vaccinated, do something else instead of cruise. The virus will continue to mutate forever. I wish there was no virus and everything were normal but that is not our reality. Until we realize this isn't a freedom issue but a health issue, cruising will continue to be a high risk vacation.

Glad to hear its being strictly enforced. I just wish they required everyone onboard 12 & up to be vaccinated. Mask rules could potentially be relaxed somewhat as a result.

RCCL wanted to allow only vaccinated people on board and I understand why. All crew members will be vaccinated. Having unvaccinated people on board presents a huge risk to them. If cruising is shut down again because of an outbreak on any ship, it could be months or more before they can start up again. I hope mask restrictions are strictly enforced for the unvaccinated on every cruise. If you enjoy cruising, it's crucial that outbreaks are prevented.

I searched but couldn't find this specific questions answered. I purchased the unlimited dining package but when I tried to make reservations through the cruise planner it put my reservations in my cart with a the normal restaurant charge. How do dining package reservations work? Do I have to wait until I board to make reservations using unlimited dining package?

I've been to all 3 cities. Unless you've been to Rome many times I would stay in Rome the entire time. I have personally found that when traveling it's better to spend more time in one place than to try and hit as many places as I can. However if you must to do a day trip, I would definitely choose Florence over Venice. Saying that I actually prefer Venice to Florence but the deal breaker to me is the travel time and only a day.