Mrs. Thomas

Many of us who cruise go to the Caribbean. However, if the islands are closed it doesn't matter what RCCL decides to do. I decided to do some digging and it looks like many of them are trying to open things up starting on the 15th of this month. A few are waiting until July 1st. This is a good sign. Many of us are trying to stay optimistic about things, though I'm becoming more of a realist. Our ports of call being open is great! Now we need to see if they can start announcing the new policies and procedures for cruising again (whether we agree with them or not). We all have our views about them and I really hope that they can find a good medium. I'm also hoping that no more cruises are cancelled. We all need a vacation from the stress this has added to already stressful lives.

Many of us who cruise go to the Caribbean. However, if the islands are closed it doesn't matter what RCCL decides to do. I decided to do some digging and it looks like many of them are trying to open things up starting on the 15th of this month. A few are waiting until July 1st. This is a good sign. Many of us are trying to stay optimistic about things, though I'm becoming more of a realist. Our ports of call being open is great! Now we need to see if they can start announcing the new policies and procedures for cruising again (whether we agree with them or not). We all have our views about them and I really hope that they can find a good medium. I'm also hoping that no more cruises are cancelled. We all need a vacation from the stress this has added to already stressful lives.

If this is legit, and its what I think it is, someone aboard an RC ship may be giving confidential information out...not sure why prop type is listed or why ships from other lines are shown...
 

I do know this, I wouldn't want to be the Officer identified. Yipes!

I’ve always wanted to walk through downtown with a maniacal clown mask on. 

Can you imagine the guests walking around in full formal wear like tuxedos and also being in a mask? 

Hard to smoke anywhere not just casino when you are wearing a mask ???

Resupply would be an issue.  All the food and in some cases drinking water, plus the other supplies we don't think of.  
Few Caribbean nations can supply everything needed to restock a ship so it would all have to be ordered and shipped from the US then warehoused in cold storage.  That would add significant cost and some question of integrity of food.  
I trust U.S. suppliers.  Once its in the hands of another country even if briefly I can see lots of potential for spoilage and other issues.  For older ships that take on drinking water, that's another issue.  They might get around the CDC but at what cost?

We know Nassau can handle 6  or more ships a day but their airport could never handle 24000+ people per day.  Same with somewhere like Cozumel, they have been known to have 8 ships in port in Cozumel which could equate to 30,000 people coming in to board ships.  Cozumel in 2019 handled 546,423 passengers at its airport.  I couldnt see them doing that many people every 20 days.  
I love how you can go stand in line at TSA (no sanitation requirements no checks) wait for your plane, board a plane that could have close to 2000 people a day fly on it and no CDC guidelines need to be in place for this.  

I agree. They are the nerd in class that just got more power and they are now going to flex their muscles awhile. I wonder if the cruise lines could sail out of other places not controlled by the CDC and just never touch US soil that is regulated by the CDC. All of the ships are based in places like the Bahamas. Could it be a loophole? I would gladly take a flight in order to cruise.

Thank you for the sound advice - I will do just that

Welcome to the forum, I absolutely feel your anger. But you reached out, that's good. Craft an non emotional email to the CEO Michael Bailey. He has staff that answer for him, mbailey@ rccl.com I do not believe they would condone or support these actions, but if they are unaware they should know this is happening. 
Explain your situation not the awful experience as your intended result is to be made whole, you can complain about the (ahem) questionable customer service separately (we here all have experienced the same hold times and odd if not always different answers) 
And finally once this is corrected connect with your preferred travel agent, we all here like MEI travel and I promise you they will take the BEST care of You! 
I wish you well, many of us here have a situation too, but I do have MEI in my corner so I am not where you are, YET. 
Good luck, please I hope to see you on a future sailing. Stay safe and healthy.

I agree. They are the nerd in class that just got more power and they are now going to flex their muscles awhile. I wonder if the cruise lines could sail out of other places not controlled by the CDC and just never touch US soil that is regulated by the CDC. All of the ships are based in places like the Bahamas. Could it be a loophole? I would gladly take a flight in order to cruise.

I’ve got an idea. Let’s get a Delorean and we can go back to the 1970s and convince the CDC that the cruise ship industry will never be big enough for them to care about. While we’re there we’ll definitely have to get some apple stock. 

The CDC has no real authority over states.  They can issue "guidelines" and "recommendations" which they did and which were promptly ignored by all states in the motion to reopen.  
However the CDC DOES have authority over cruise ships.  Theme parks and similar have to deal with local or state government agencies which often are small departments that are understaffed and underfunded.  Theme parks are not directly regulated or controlled by the CDC.
So it seems with states largely ignoring the CDC they went overboard creating policy for the one thing they can sink they teeth into - cruise ships.  
 

The issue I have is the exact arguments about cruise ships and concern over the spread of coronavirus can be applied exactly to the theme parks, which evidently have no oversight into their re-opening/operations.

I agree with @Ogilthorpe seriously reading my mind. To add to it I feel like the CDC is "enjoying" their "celebrity" right now.....and they want to continue to feel relevant, so go after the cruise industry. They stay relevant and they "ONLY" really hurt this industry/people. It's easy because of the "not US flagged" situation. 
I just returned from a drive over at Clearwater Beach Florida. The place was packed, license plates from everywhere that is still locked down, no CDC comments there, it was a sea of people enjoying themselves. 
Enough CDC we get it you're the schoolyard bully and only have us to pick on, everyone else told you to pound salt, time to lift the no sail order, the cruise lines will " police" themselves, get out of their way! RANT OVER....
Be safe, stay healthy....wash your hands, let's get some direction and sail. 

...wonder why the CDC didn't cancel the SpaceX manned mission, the Astronauts clearly were not conducting social distancing...  >.>
If we don't sail August 23rd, every person I can vote for currently in office, I'm voting OUT

Port Canaveral’s chief executive says the cruise industry is not getting fair treatment from the Centers for Disease Control. Industry leaders say that’s making the pain even worse for one of Central Florida’s biggest economic players.
Cruise ships remain dead in the water, offshore or in Port Canaveral. There’s some hope that some cruises will start again around Aug. 1.
Advertisement "The CDC has not acted on any plan for the cruise lines to return. In fact, just the opposite. The CDC still has their no-sail order in effect until July 24," Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral's chief executive officer said.
At a recent meeting of the Canaveral Port Authority, Murray said cruise lines are getting blame they don’t deserve.
"They’ve really taken an unfair hit with the coronavirus outbreak. It’s almost as if they’ve been earmarked as the folks that brought it to the United States. That’s far from the truth," Murray said.
As a result, the port’s revenue is down $7.5 million a month and the cruise industry’s billion-dollar economic impact on Central Florida is down to zero. Carnival Cruise Line has selected Port Canaveral as one of just three ports it will use when it begins to operate around Aug. 1.
Disney Cruise Line hopes for a limited startup at about the same time. Murray says he sees a lot of pent-up demand from people who are still willing to take a cruise but they can’t do it without federal approval.
Cruises, when they restart, will start slowly, with ships that will not be full. Industry leaders say it’ll take quite awhile to rebuild trust before a majority of the public sees cruising as a safe thing to do.
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Do not cancel now, since you don't have the money to pay another deposit. Better to let them cancel, to get actual refund to rebook... or go by some miracle. They haven't been holding rooms without a deposit anymore, so if you cancel and rebook, you would have to pay one. A new reservation has a new deposit, since L&S are only for cruises a year later.
That tube is short and the ship is long....at most you  stay on one tube for maximum 10hours. People cruise for multiple days, making it easier in public opinion to catch something and blame.

The airline industry has huge lobbying dollars behind it. 

73 more days.....Let's hope that things really will get going on August 1st!

73 more days.....Let's hope that things really will get going on August 1st!

The best way to handle this situation would be to go ahead and book the “replacement” cruise now with a fully refundable deposit.  That way you can be sure to get the cabin that you want and you will be ready if they cancel your August cruise.  Royal has a temporary policy in place at the moment that will allow you to hold a reservation without a deposit but there are some limitations which your TA should be able to help you with.  If your August cruise is cancelled then you can either get a refund or have an FCC issued....but both of these options are taking a LONG time to execute.  If your August cruise is not cancelled then you can cancel the replacement cruise and get your deposit back if you paid one.

73 more days.....Let's hope that things really will get going on August 1st!