Spang1974

Chicken and waffles....who am I kidding...ALL THE FOOD 

21 hours ago, PeteD said:

Hello

just though i would start a conversation for a whom are embarking on Anthem of the Seas sailing from Portsmouth 05.10.22

firstly the advice on the Royal Caribbean website reference Covid vaccinations and PCR and antigen test is somewhat confusing

I have contacted Royal Caribbean twice today to confirm the requirements for covid testing and vaccinations for adults embarking on this 12 night cruise

we understood from the website that we had to have a clear PCR test no greater than 72 hours before embarking or antigen test no more than 24 hours.

the misleading part we have found was that the Antigen test can be conducted at home without supervision. to clarify what this meant i contacted the helpline and was told that this can mean a home test kit Ie a lateral flow test, can be taken on the morning of the cruise for example and brought with you to the port. 

 

The ship is Departing from Southampton, not Portsmouth, make sure you have the correct arrangements made.

25 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

Not yet. We only just got Diamond status officially last week

I do know Disney tends to be more expensive but as a Disney, Marvel and Star Wars fan there is quite a bit that attracts my attention.

Disney is more expensive, but if you are a Disney fan (Marvel, Star Wars, ETC) I would say it does offer value for money in that case. I was lucky to do Disney twice , both Wonder and Magic. I would definitely not hesitate to sail them again if I can afford it.

Overpacking. Stressing over the schedule "in my head" instead of relaxing on vacation.

14 hours ago, Southern Waters said:

 So if I want a noon boarding time slot, is there really any need to stay up tonight?  

I agree with others, no reason to stay up, just do it as soon as you can.

On 9/7/2022 at 9:47 AM, AandCCruising said:

Thanks for the information- very interesting that you were notified in June as we weren’t notified until near the end of August.

Thanks too for telling us that other cruises on the same ship have been impacted too.  We saw on the blog that the sister ship, Quantum of the Seas suffered similar issues in July and August, but here Passengers have been offered compensation by the way of on board credit (that would be refunded if not used) for what seems to us to be a lesser change to itinerary but this has not been offered to us.  We are asking why not, especially given the late notification 

Why not is because we are not missing any ports, and Madeira being the shortest, and our stay is still 7 hours in port. I'm on the 23rd sailing as well, disappointed but not enough that I would change sailing or expect compensation.

21 hours ago, Nina Kiddle said:

Hi, we are travelling on Anthem of the Seas on 23rd September, it says we have to scan our passport but we have just written ours in, as under passport it didnt request a scan.  Anyone else just had to write theirs in.

I'm on that cruise, I did both, I scanned in ours and typed in our friends.

On 8/14/2022 at 12:28 PM, Steve UK said:

We sail on 11 Sep on Anthem from Southampton and have MTD. Does anyone know if you can have MTD at any dining room?

Thanks

Hi Steve, my last two cruises on Anthem (one from NJ, and one from Southampton), they used Deck 4 - American Icon Grill and Silk both for My time Dining. I was sat at the same table and had the same waiters for the duration of each cruise.

On 8/29/2022 at 1:34 AM, RCIfan1912 said:

I wonder how all this factors in for MTD because you don't have regular staff serving you. 

We have always been sat sat with the same waiter and table, when using MTD on Anthem. Luck maybe?

On 8/26/2022 at 7:05 PM, FionaMG said:

I agree, it's pretty pointless. Possibly just a means of easing their way into scrapping testing altogether? Unless the requirement on longer cruises is due to ports/countries setting this as a rule?

I've already bought a couple of tests from the supermarket for us to use prior to our Anthem sailing next month but I wouldn't be upset in the slightest if I didn't have to use them.

Most likely some red tape created by their insurance companies. They probably cant get the shipped insured when sailing from Southampton without this silliness  Who knows though? I paid £8.82 for 5 tests and happy to play along, LoL

15 minutes ago, FloatyBoaty said:

Used a shoe organizer with metal hooks over the closet door on Wonder last week. Nobody said a word.

Excellent! Thanks for the feedback.

Anybody, know if this has been an issue recently? I just bought the shoe organiser with metal hooks for our upcoming cruise.

The rules state you can take a picture of the negative test or bring in the negative strip. We are going to bring all four strips in a ziplock bag, it's negative so no cause for alarm. Now sharing a positive result would be a bit different 

Accepted Tests for Europe Cruises Departing on or After September 5, 2022; with no stops in Greece 

• The test you take can be professionally administered by a health professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist, or you can use a home test kit. Home test kits for these sailings are not required to be administered under live video supervision. 

• You will present the negative test result at the time of boarding. You can show it in the form of a printout, an email, or an app screen from the test provider. Or you can show a picture of your negative home test on your phone, or present the actual negative test itself. 

• Telehealth tests and self test kits are not accepted if your cruise departs from Athens. 

On 8/21/2022 at 5:13 PM, smokeybandit said:

Always check your invoice as soon as you book to make  sure everything is correct

This! And I would add make sure if you are booking direct with Royal that you wait for the invoice to some through while still on the phone with them! 

I wouldn't risk it, especially if its going to ruin your vacation. I would say the cabins near the casino would be the worst affected, with forward and aft cabins probably safe? My wife has the nose of a sniffer dog and she would notice it. She can smell what the neighbors are having for dinner 5 houses away. 

Still 2 days testing for Southampton sailings as well.

On 8/10/2022 at 8:16 PM, Nico Rocco said:

Witnessed someone on the beach congratulate some of the cast of Aqua80 for a great show, only to see them mock his kindness when he walked away. Shame! They put on a nice show, but know your lot in life, you perform on a cruise ship, you’re not celebrities. Classless! 

Would be more credible if you posted more than once. In this case I will give the benefit of doubt to the show cast. How dare you besmirch hard working crew members with no backup or proof?

Could you please post what brand/model/type was confiscated so that others may avoid your troubles?

Pleas let us know more details? Ship? saying date? Destination/Ports? It would be helpful to let others know.

2 hours ago, RJM said:

On the second day of our 8 day cruise, my wife and I both got food poisoning. Thanks RCL. Mine was mild, but my wife got so bad, she got an infection which the ships medical could not control, and sent her to the hospital. We had to leave the ship on day 2. Not only were they uninterested in covering any of our hospital or hotel expenses. They refused to give us a refund or FCC. This is abysmal service. You should all be aware of how they treat passengers who get sick on board. And I am certain it is their food that made us sick.

Please let us know the details? What ship? Sailing Date? What Destination/Port? Where you ate? What you ate? It would be helpful to allow others the chance to avoid the same fate.

Anybody who mentions they are from California during their show, get a walk out as well from us. I don't care where you are from and certainly not impressed unless you are buying us ALL a glass of wine 

1. You can choose a time every night in advance on the Cruise Planner before you sail, or just show up and wait for a table.

2. Sealed prefaced snacks allowed, YMMV on other food. You should be fine bringing an open can or bottle of coke/water back with you, but no to other drinks.

3. You can totally stay on board, it's your vacation.

4. I cant think of any on board shows or movies that cost extra, its usually activities/experiences that cost extra, like escape rooms, fly, dining, etc.

5. Drinks run between $3.00-13.00 plus 18% from the states. Really depends on how much and what kind if you want a drinks package. 

2 hours ago, Toby said:

A previous post said they didn't need to eave the ship.  From everything I have read you do now.  We are starting a B2B next week and lucky to be in the same cabin for both sailings.  We'll find out if that is true for Seattle. 

I also have read since the pandemic restart you do not have access to your cabin until all are allowed to enter them.  Pre-pandemic you did.  I was told the extra deep clean done now is the reason.  All anecdotal info.

From what I have read, the only cruises where you can stay on board are outside of the USA, as US customs and border patrol require a ship to clear of passengers.

I have done this myself:) Shouldn't be an issue with or without a TA.

19 hours ago, Poleman88 said:

Similar question: We are a group of 8 booked for Allure in October. I've linked the reservations of all couples and we all have selected My Time Dining for 7:00 PM each night, how can I ensure that we all get seated together?

You can link booking numbers when making My Time Dining Reservations on the Cruise Planner. I have done this myself with our group.

17 hours ago, TXcruzer said:

That isn’t economic influence, that is the reality of being out of business. 
 

Economic influence is the cruise lines telling a sovereign country “do things my way or I will take my ship elsewhere”

Got it:)