ChrisK2793

‘I didn’t think about what happens if vaccinated adults have children with them that aren’t (and won’t ever be) vaccinated. We have a 9 year old.

Right now we have 4 booked between October 2021 and February 2022. Thanks to the double points, we’ll all 3 hit Diamond Plus after the 3rd one. We actually hadn’t planned on cruising until at least next year until we heard about the double points…. 4 points per night (for suites) was too good to turn down!!! That’s been my goal since we started cruising…… to get our now 9yo son to Diamond Plus so that his future wife and kids will get it as well.

Her first cruise will be my sailing ….. November 20, 2021 ???

Some people might not see it on the blog just like I didn’t, now they have links to the information here too.

Here’s another: https://www.cruisehive.com/royal-caribbean-clarifies-vaccine-policy-including-florida-cruises/52031

Royal Caribbean Outlines Vaccination Requirements for Cruises from U.S. Homeports: https://www.cruisecritic.com/ab/agents/variation-a/articles.cfm?ID=6195&source=99360&fbclid=IwAR3R_edDQ9QrWeOLEnQoeo8M9l-97AH0bX6Nf5wWh-ZwTeCtL78jcZiuwfc

It’s the way it was handled, booking people on an itinerary ….. for God knows how long …… on an itinerary they KNEW didn’t exist. You’re booking it and paying a deposit thinking you’re going to the Southern Caribbean ……. Then IMMEDIATELY after booking receiving an email saying, oops you’re going to Eastern Caribbean instead now that we have your deposit …… it’s a major bait and switch. A cruise is a cruise is a cruise doesn’t really apply in this situation ….. RCL didn’t book them on the southern Caribbean itinerary in good faith and had to change it later due to unforeseen logistics …….. RCL booked them on the southern itinerary KNOWING that’s NOT where the cruise was going. As evidenced by how he immediately received an email, saying the itinerary changed, before he even received his booking confirmation email.

This is the part that I’m sure is what frustrated and annoyed him and many others the most. He booked ON THE PHONE, the RCL website still listed the original itinerary, the agent on the phone apparently was never told by RCL the itinerary changed, and then he received a Notice of Itinerary Change BEFORE he even received the receipt for the cruise he’d just booked on the phone which comes within minutes of booking. So RCL obviously knew they changed the itinerary BEFORE he booked, but yet they never told him on the phone when he was making his reservation, obviously they never even told their own phone reservation agents, RCL also kept advertising the original itinerary on their website for days after he booked and after he immediately upon booking received an email saying the itinerary had changed. For anybody to tell him he is wrong to be upset about the way this was handled, you are the ones being ridiculous. How long even before he booked had RCL been taking reservations on an itinerary they already knew wasn’t happening and then IMMEDIATELY sending an email saying the itinerary had changed once the people were booked? That’s just ridiculous!

Just curious, what’s the process to put a hold on a cruise? Does it guarantee the price without a deposit? How long can you have the hold for?

My friend in the Philippines who’s worked as a waiter for RCL for over 20 years, cleared his medical exams the other day and was given a 6 month contract on Harmony……. He will meet her in Cyprus on July 16.

I’m curious what will happen if somebody’s fully vaccinated, had Covid previously, and tests positive on the the cruise. It would obviously have to be a false positive ….. I wonder what would happen to them in that case?

They all came back today. Now the November 20 Odyssey cruise I’m booked on has vanished from the booking page ….. but I think the ship may be full and that’s maybe why it’s gone.

Yes, your refund would be in an OBC if cancelled onboard ……. Just make sure you are farther out than 48 hours to port arrival when you cancel or you won’t get any refund:

RCL hasn’t released any guidance for cruises leaving from the US yet. They closest we have is the following for cruises leaving from the BAHAMAS …….. I’m thinking leaving from the US shouldn’t be much different …… hopefully …..

As of now, vaccination is optional on all US RCL cruises except for the Alaskan ones. https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/royal-caribbean-makes-vaccines-voluntary-passengers https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2021/06/04/royal-caribbean-vaccine-summer-cruise/ https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/557004-royal-caribbean-changes-policy-to-make-vaccines-optional-for-cruise

Yes true, however, considering the CDC has already said vaccinated people don’t have to wear masks at all inside or out anymore, I can’t see why RCL would make the mask rules for cruises leaving from the US any stricter than for cruises leaving from the Bahamas. I could be totally wrong, but I think it would be crazy for RCL to make the mask protocol any different/stricter for vaccinated passengers leaving from the US as compared to the Bahamas. Especially when they know it will make a lot of vaccinated American passengers furious to have to wear a mask inside all the time like on the UK cruises.

Looks like masks will NOT be required for vaccinated passengers leaving from North America ……. They aren’t required for anybody vaccinated on the cruises leaving from the Bahamas: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center/getting-ready-to-cruise?dPort=bahamas

Masks for the fully vaccinated at all times indoors except when “actively eating or drinking” seems pretty ridiculous if that’s also required for cruises here in the US, when the CDC has already said it’s not necessary.

This is all that comes up now when you choose “any destination”, “any port”, and “any ship” for July 2021 in North America:

The original post about this change is from January 12, 2020 ….. so this was a Pre-Covid decision to originally start limiting access to Diamond Plus and/or Pinnacle.

RCL I’m sure is look looking at it this way ….. at what point does having Diamond Plus and Pinnacle allowed in the concierge or suite lounges cause them to be so packed that it’s no longer a good experience for the suite guests who are CURRENTLY spending a huge amount of money to be on the cruise. YES, we all spent a lot of money to get to our levels, BUT if you’re barely spending anything for a regular room (compared to a suite guest) on your CURRENT cruise ….. at what point is it no longer fair to the CURRENT suite guests to have their lounge packed to the gills with people who are paying much less than them to be on the CURRENT cruise?

No offense, but I can’t believe anybody would be dissatisfied with the 4 to 6 free $13 drinks per day, depending on your level. I always have to get the drink package because my spouse does and I really have to push myself to drink at least 5 or 6 drinks a day to feel like my package is worth it, especially by the second half of a 7 day cruise. On top of that, for anybody in a suite, there’s always free drinks in the suite lounge.

150 Central Park is so much better than chops. I’ve had multiple dinners at Chops where steak or lamb came out tasting like it had no seasoning on it at all and was absolutely horrible.

No disrespect meant, but ….. If you’re worried about your 8 year old catching Covid outside at Cococay off an unvaccinated passenger from the other ship …….. aren’t you much more worried about your 8 year old catching Covid off other unvaccinated children inside on your own cruise ship? Maybe you should either cancel your cruise or leave your child at home.

https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/557004-royal-caribbean-changes-policy-to-make-vaccines-optional-for-cruise https://nypost.com/2021/06/06/royal-caribbean-wont-require-covid-19-vaccination-to-ride-cruises/ https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article251909713.html https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Royal-Caribbean-reverses-vaccination-policy https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2021/06/04/royal-caribbean-vaccine-summer-cruise/