Loops

2 hours ago, CruiseRoyalDad said:

Don't mean to hijack this one but it goes along with the suite lounge drinks topic. But if I'm a suite guest eating in coastal kitchen during the suite cocktail happy hour 4:30-8:30pm. Do I get "free" cocktails during dinner? I seem to remember this being the case when we were on the Symphony in 2020.  

Also, this may or may not work but it definitely did for us. A nice tip to the suite lounge bar tender on hour 1 of the first day and they won't bat an eye about handing over 3 or 4 coors lights unopened for you to take back to your room and place in your suite fridge. Will this be the case with every suite lounge? No. But it definitely worked for us! 

There was no problem getting 5 or 6 Truly’s or beer or wine of your choice (limited by what you can carry) from the Suite Lounge to take on the road.  And, yes, you can get a variety of cocktails from 4:30 to 8PM (just no frozen drinks) including during dinner and it does help a great deal to “duke” your waiter early in the cruise.

Having just completed a seven day cruise on The Harmony OTS as a grand suite guest I was very pleased that the complimentary beer and wine was available in the Coastal Kitchen from 11AM to 11PM.  My recommendation is that this same service be provided at the suite deck bar.  It was somewhat inconvenient to have to leave the suite deck and go to the CK to participate and get refills.

Thank you @WAAAYTOOO, I thought that was the case.

This cruise looks to be nearly completely full.  All the shows look to be fully booked.  If we are in Grand Suites shouldn’t there be reserved seating.  Do we need to be concerned about getting seating for any shows?

My wife and I are hosting three of our daughters families (3 daughters, their spouses, and 7 grandchildren).  We put everyone in Grand Suites and are anxiously looking forward to this cruise!!

Yes, same problems at the Celebrity site.

It’s an antigen test.

Personally I think it’s well worth it… suite deck, reserved seating at entertainment venues, Coastal Kitchen available for all meals, Coastal Kitchen free happy hour (3 hours) every evening, free internet, and many other special considerations.  I won’t go any other way.  I don’t feel it is as good a deal as Retreat Class on Celebrity but if you can afford it, it’s worth it.

Having cruised in July on the OTS and staying in a GS, I would second @OCSC Mike‘s assessment above… I think he is right on.

@Bowen, when is your cruise, where do you embark, and what are the destination ports.  Thanks and I hope this is an indication of a significant relaxation in protocols.

Can adults (e.g. grandparents) get access to just watch (not participate) their grandchildren without paying the admission fee?

My daughter has two children under the age of twelve who are not vaccinated.  We are booked on the Oasis 8 July cruise.  Every 3 - 5 days she gets an email inquiry from RCCL for all the people on her reservation asking for the vaccination status of everyone on her reservation.  She and her husband are both vaccinated and have provided proof of vaccination that has been validated.  She responded to the email from RCCL the first time it was sent and provided the requested information but continues to get regularly harassed with the same request.  Has anyone else had this annoying experience?  If so, how did you get it resolved?

What do you feel is the best location on the Oasis of the Seas as it departs New York harbor from Cape Liberty?

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

Interesting, the vaccination portion of the check-in for my cruise this weekend is now gone. The vax cards were validated a couple weeks ago, but it still showed as a step in the timeline. Now it's not there.

 

Observed the same thing… after a few minutes, the vaccination status/requirement returned.

Thanks for the responses.

How long does it take for RCL to validate vaccination records once it has been entered at check in through the app?  On my last two cruises on Celebrity it took about 24 hours.  It’s been around two weeks at RCL and it still indicates that it is being validated.

22 minutes ago, Matt said:

What can a senior citizen do?

Well, let's see:

1. Take up all the seating for dinner between 4pm and 5:30 for the early bird special.

2. Complain it's too cold, hot, and then cold again all over the ship.

3. Complain the shows are too loud

4. Complain cruising isn't the same as it was in the 1970s

5. Complain there are no mints on the pillows anymore

6. Get inebriated and annoy people around them

7. Wear far too much perfume.

8. Sneak in cigarette smoking where it's not allowed (balcony, outside decks in non-designated areas)

Really Matt!?  I resemble some of that.

On 5/19/2022 at 6:13 AM, YellowBrickRoad said:

We are on that same cruise as well and we are in a suite. We will go to the Coastal Kitchen one or two times as we enjoy the other restaurants as well. Great to hear the info above on happy hour times. We still get the Deluxe Drink Package so don’t always know the info…

On 5/18/2022 at 8:49 PM, Stelkp said:

We are on that same cruise. So excited. From my understanding the suite lounge has free alcohol for an evening “happy hour like time”. I was under the impression that it was only during that time. Snacks are all day. Coastal kitchen is the restaurant that we have for suite members only. Whoo hoo

Grandpa (me) has been trying to host a cruise for the entire family since 2019 only to have every attempt cancelled.  Even though it looks like we will finally be sailing on 8 July from Cape Liberty, unfortunately two of my daughters, their husbands, and their children won’t be with us due to the requirement that kids 12 and over be vaccinated.  But my other two daughters, their husbands, and their children will be traveling with Grandpa and Nana!  I have booked them all in Grand Suites and everyone is exited to be going.  Maybe we’ll see you onboard.

We will be sailing on the Oasis of the Seas this summer (July 8 - 15) out of Cape Liberty.  We have heard mixed stories about the availability of complimentary alcoholic beverages for Sky Class passengers.  Can anyone confirm that there is complementary beer and wine available from 11AM to 11PM in the Coastal Kitchen lounge?  Also, we are traveling with some unvaccinated children and we are curious about the requirement for onboard testing for cruises that are 7 days or longer.  Can anyone describe their personal experience with that testing requirement?  Thanks.

I would rate the Reflection as just OK.  I cruised on it this past March, my view is that as a 10 year old ship it is in much need of modernization.  I also cruised on the Apex last October and found it to be excellent with many more amenities and features.  Given the choice I would recommend the Apex or Edge.  In general, Celebrity is much more adult oriented.  If kids are involved, I think RCL is much better.

On cruises 7 days in duration or more is RCL Covid testing all children under 12 years of age during the cruise or is it done randomly.  They say they are doing these subsequent tests at their web site but don’t provide much detail so I am looking for folks actual experiences.  Thanks.

I sure wish they would at least remove the vaccination requirement for children.  Given all the data regarding the current variants and the affect of Covid on young folks it seems unnecessary particularly with the requirement for testing.  I think it’s prudent to retain the testing requirements for all passengers along with the vaccine requirement for adults.

17 hours ago, Charlie Dean said:

What is the best way to check in my family of 19?  We have 5 staterooms.  Do we go by room or all at once

@Charlie Dean I can’t get over the similarity of our situation.  I too have a cruise planned for my family (fourth attempt after three cruise cancellations) of 19 family members and 5 grand suites.  I hope you enjoy your cruise and family as much as I plan to enjoy mine.

13 minutes ago, JeffB said:

Immunity from SARS2 is immensely complex. My review of the literature on this subject indicates that there is plenty of disagreement among research scientists about how much and how long immunity is conferred by a previous infection.

Fundamentally, your body has two types of immunity: humeral and adaptive. You've all read about B Cells. A previous SARS2 infection resulting in even mild cases of COVID trigger a humeral, B Cell response. Your bone marrow produces these. Exposure to SARS2 also produces an adaptive T-Cell response. In both cases, it is not yet known with any certainty how effective your immune system will be in protecting you against reinfection if you've had COVID in the past or how long that immunity might last. 

It is also not conclusively known that any of the currently US FDA approved vaccines will produce better or worse protection against COVID. Research trends suggest that vaccines produce a more robust and complete immune response (humeral and adaptive) v. COVID than natural immunity from a previous infection. Research trends also suggest that people who have had COVID benefit from a further increase in immune response to SARS2 by getting vaccinated.

I am knee deep in the controversy over vaccination. I still believe in choice but as the pandemic plays out it is getting harder and harder for opponents of vaccination, those who are eligible and able, for any number of reasons, to justify that position. The CDC, even though they have made missteps, is still a solid collector and interpreter of available data.

Sure, they've lost the trust of many of us. I am not among those mainly because I follow the research literature on this closely. But, I'd call the position that the CDC has taken, opposite to that of the WHO on masks is solid and is better reflective of the SARS2 transmission situation in the US. The WHO has a more global perspective and where viral transmission is at high levels, it is generally believed masking helps reduce it ........ all the controversial aspects of human behavior and other factors that bear on how masks are worn, how effective they are, not withstanding.  

As far as the cruise lines are concerned @AshleyDillois correct. They are not going to allow those who have been previously infected by SARS2 with proof of antibodies be considered immune. Frankly, I don't think anyone should consider themselves immune from infection by SARS2 if one has had COVID. I would add that the current crop of AB tests have flaws - and there are a lot of them , including home tests that you can buy over the counter. Cruise line health and safety experts are also going to go with the most conservative approaches to all COIVD related practices.

My read is that neither the vaccine or antibodies claim to provide immunity but simply limit the severity of any future contracted case.  The uncertainties associated with the antibodies are likely no more in question than those of the vaccines.

14 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

I don't believe the CDC has adopted this stance as they still recommend those with antibodies to be vaccinated.  As cruiselines are regulated by the CDC, I doubt you will see any of them accept proof of antibodies in lieu of vaccination unless the CDC changes their posture on this.

The CDC has demonstrated that it is highly politicized … it has been months if not longer behind in the science and statistics… and I would certainly challenge the statement that it regulates the cruise industry.  It has been acting in such a manner and is being challenged in the courts.  The reality is that it has very limited regulatory authority and has very likely overstepped its authority regarding the cruise industry.