
JasonOasis
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Posts posted by JasonOasis
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I don’t think this is surprising news at all. Given the impact the global shutdown has had on manufacturing around the world it is nearly impossible to make up the time loss when these factories were shut down.
I’m just excited to hear confirmation that in spite of COVID Royal remains committed to building a 6th Oasis Class ship. There is no way she could be delivered during the second quarter of 2023 when they haven’t even cut the first piece of steel. I hope she will be built for the US/European market whereas Wonder clearly isn’t.
Second quarter of 2024 really isn’t that far away seeing that in less than 8 weeks we will all bid adios to 2021 and welcome in 2022.
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It is still closed for dinner on Symphony at least on the October 30 sailing which I’m on now, we arrive back in Miami on November 6th. Who know maybe they will open for dinner on that sailing.
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2 hours ago, Fairlynew said:
It is stressful to get all of the documentation and tests together before the cruise. On the other hand, once I got on board, I felt very safe-safer than I feel going to my office.
I agree all of the things we had to take care of before getting onboard actually lead to a much safer environment onboard. On Symphony of the Seas right now there are families with small children onboard but vast majority of adults around 99% that I’ve seen all have the blue bracelet representing fully vaccinated. In fact this cruise is the first time I’ve actually hugged people I don’t know or shook hands with complete strangers. I’ve taken quite a few land vacations since the pandemic but this is my first cruise since the pandemic and it actually feels like a normal cruise where people can relax and let their guard down and not really have to worry about COVID. Strangers are interacting with each other not avoiding each other like we do in grocery stores… LOL!!!
I’m trying to explain it I don’t think I’m doing a good job so my advise is simply this get on a cruise and experience it for your self.
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1 hour ago, Neesa said:
Are they aiming for maximum stress before sailing? Do they really want us to sail? I totally don't feel warm and fuzzy about sailing with them as much anymore. Jump through all these hoops and MAYBE we will let you sail, smh....
No they are not aiming for maximum stress before sailing, they are trying to reduce your stress level by having you take care of everything you need to do so once you arrive at the port it is smooth sailing right onto the ship. My husband and I are onboard Symphony of the Seas right now as I type this. We arrived at the port checked our bags and were on the ship in about 25 minutes if not less. We did see people arrive at the port fully vaccinated but they didn’t have all their documentation in order and they were running around frantically trying to get things in order this included passengers who didn’t know they need a negative COVID test to board even though they were fully vaccinated. Before arrival at the pier it does seem like Royal is trying to make this process as hard as they possibly can but once you arrive at the pier if you have crossed every T and dotted every I, it is smooth sailing right onto the ship without any delays and most importantly without any STRESS.
Unfortunately until things go back to normal this is the new normal all cruise lines in the US have to deal with but you realize it is all worth it once you set foot on the ship.
- Neesa, Vancity Cruiser and steverk
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I’m on the Symphony now we had the same issue they never offered the Ultimate Dinning Package on line and I called several times before cruising and was told it was sold out. My husband and I get onboard and were able to book the package at the pre-cruise rate before we even made our way to our suite. I asked why isn’t it available to book online and why agents over the phone where saying its sold out and I couldn’t get an answer, even the suite concierge couldn’t answer why it shows sold out in Royals reservation system.
So don’t freak out if you can’t book it in advance just book it as soon as you get onboard and they will give you the pre-cruise rate.
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13 minutes ago, Jill said:
Glad we got on her for March. Just may be our only chance to sail her.
This is exactly why I book a cruise on her out of Florida in April.
Once she leaves the US at the end of April 2022 I highly doubt she will ever return. If Royal can't make it work from either Hong Kong or Shanghai do to restriction on cruising in china I think like others have pointed out they will simply homeport her either in Singapore or Australia.
For those of us in the US is you want to get on Wonder I suggest you book a cruise on her for either March or April of 2022 or book a 2022 Mediterranean Cruise.
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2 hours ago, UNCFanatik said:
Yes, I dont blame you. We live in a weird time where we can pack stadiums full of people crammed together unmasked and uncertain of vaccination status but somehow masking on a cruise ship is a thing regardless of vaccination status BUT somehow its ok to have a dining room full of unmasked people for 2 hours while dining. But that causes less Covid risk than say if you walked unmasked in the spacious promenade????? Walked down the hallway on your floor to your room?
I know Royal feels compelled to follow the CDC when sailing from Florida but I wish they would ignore the CDC from Florida as they are not bound to follow them. BUT Royal will ignore Florida's vaccination laws and are willing to see how the penalties play out down the line.
Strange times indeed....
I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with your point of view, I just have a question since you suggested Royal should ignore the CDC and follow Florida's vaccination laws. My question is are you saying Royal should also ignore international laws for arriving passengers into other countries. Take the Bahamas as an example if Royal were following Florida's vaccination laws they would not be able to port in the Bahamas even at their own private island, and that is just one country there are a whole host of Caribbean Island nations that are now instituting entry requirements requiring passengers regardless of how their arrive (air or ship) to be fully vaccinated.
It is a conundrum and unfortunately Royal is stuck in the middle, it isn't just the CDC that Royal is following in order for their cruise ships to sail they also have to comply with the laws for the countries they intend to visit. I'm not in favor of any mandates I think people should have a choice the unfortunate reality is this if Royal and other cruise lines wish to remain in business until this madness is over they are going to have to comply with rules put in place by the countries they intend to visit. Complying with Florida's vaccine laws could result in a shutdown of the cruise industry or severely limit the ports Royal could visit as more and more Caribbean Island nations put vaccine requirements in place for all passengers. At this point in the pandemic this has gone far beyond the CDC and their CSO and cruise lines are now having to operate a lot like airlines meaning if an airline wishes to fly to (for example Israel) that airline must check the vaccination status and COVID test for all passengers before they leave the US. If the airline isn't willing to comply with Israeli law requiring all passengers be fully vaccinated and also present a negative test then that airline can't operate flights into Israel. Israel isn't the only country there is a long list of countries requiring full vaccinations, and the next countries on the reopening list requiring full vaccinations for all passengers is Australia which reopens in a few days or weeks. Starting November 1st anyone 12 and older traveling from the US to Canada will be required to show proof of vaccination (until now all you needed was a negative COVID test that all changes November 1st) and soon New Zealand when they reopen will require proof of vaccination. It is unfortunate but this is where international travel is headed at least for most if not all of 2022 and cruises from the US are no exception because we have no domestic cruises.
Following Florida's vaccination laws would be a death sentence for Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines operating out of Florida because they can't afford to wait this out, they can't afford to wait until things go back to many of us would consider "Normal".
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5 hours ago, rcrabb said:
We live in Illinois and Midway (MDW) is the closest airport at about an hours drive from our home. The other factor is we have accumulated many SWA rewards points so we fly using points just paying the taxes out of pocket. Ohare (ORD) is about 1 3/4 hours drive in normal traffic and if I-294 is congested the trip is closer to 2 hours in duration. Other airlines fly from Midway so Newark could still be an option, just more cash out of pocket.
Whenever I've cruised out of Cape Liberty I've always flown into EWR. I live in the Chicago born and raised so I'm very familiar with the traffic situation you are describing here in Chicago. You are 100% right depending on where you live in the Chicagoland region getting to either MDW or ORD is simply not convenient and if there is traffic which now days there always seems to be traffic a hour drive can easily turn into a two hour drive.
Although I've been to New York City more times than I can count I have never flown into LGA to catch a cruise out of Cape Liberty so I can help you with that or offer any advice on if that option is the lease inconvenient option.
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2 hours ago, rcrabb said:
Southwest Airline (my best option) no longer services the Newark airport (EWR) and I am curious what is the best way to get from LaGuardia to Port Liberty? I would imagine a cab would be very expensive.
TIA
If you don't mind me asking what airport are you flying out of?
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11 hours ago, smokeybandit said:
It has to be a destination based on the C&A page teaser.
South American cruises?
I would love to see RC do seasonal cruises out of South America, perhaps multiple sailings out of Buenos Aires too perhaps Brazil and/or sailing around the tip of South America to San Antonio, Chile. I know Celebrity already offers seasonal South American cruises but it would be nice to see RCG offer these cruises on a Royal Caribbean ship.
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Working in the airline industry I would suggest you make this process as easy and hassle free as possible. Since you cruise is returning to Italy, I would implore you to find a nonstop flight back to the US from the nearest international airport in Italy. If that isn't possible I would strongly recommend you remain within the EU Schengen Zone because any flight within that zone would be treated as a domestic flight for all intents and purposes. You can still get back to the US easily from France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and a whole host of other countries that are within the Schengen Zone. If you can not find any nonstop flights from your nearest airport I would suggest you check out connecting flights to the US from FCO, BCN, MAD, MXP, FRA, MUC, TXL, AMS, BRU, CDG, just to name a few. However if you heart is set on coming home though London then you are going to have to deal with entry requirements to get into Great Britain even if you are not staying in England only connecting and then deal with entry requirements required to get into the United States.
International travel will not be back to what many would consider "normal" in 2022 especially for those traveling internationally. Please do yourself a favor and do not complicate your travel experience unnecessarily, fly home from an airport within the Schengen Zone.
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18 hours ago, asilverman said:
I currently have three cruises booked. One in November (Oasis), December (Adventure) and January (Odyssey).
I noticed that each ship has three different looks to the Cruise Planner website. Also, all three currently has three different promos going on for the Ultimate Beverage Package. One has a 20% off, the other has 30% off and last one is running a 40% off sale (Adventure of the Seas).
Any ideas why RC does this as a company? I wish all three of my cruises would run the 40%!!!
If you are a person who generally uses the UBP to the fullest then I would suggest you buy the packages. I have 5 cruises booked so far starting with Symphony on October 30th. Both my husband and I take full advantage of the UBP and we booked our UBP package this past spring for our October 7 night cruise, the total price for 2 people including taxes was over $1,200 dollars. Royal is currently running a special promotion so I call Royal to see what specials they were offering on the UBP for my October cruise and the representative quoted me a price of $969 dollars for 2 people including all taxes. I had them cancel my original UBP and refund that money back to my card and rebooked the UBP at the new lower price. We made the mistake one and one time only of buying the UBP onboard and never again will we ever do that. If you see a good deal or think it is a good deal book it and should Royal offer something better pick up the phone and call them to get the better rate.
The UBP is no different than your cruise fare if you find a lower rate for you cruise you call your TA or Royal and get the lower rate, the same applies to the UBP.
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58 minutes ago, Chili said:
I think Wonder will stay in the Atlantic and in a couple of years one of the older oasis will be home ported in Sydney and Singapore.
I don't disagree that an Oasis Class ship at some point will home port in Sydney and Singapore but I still don't see Wonder staying long term in the US and Europe. Royal still hasn't released Wonder's fall/winter 2022/2023 schedule and it has me asking why. I think as Royal is updating Wonders schedule and making decision on what to do with Wonder as they get more information from China, on when that country will reopen when they will allow cruising to resume. I think just like here in America and in Europe once China reopens and allows cruising to resume there is going to be overwhelming demand for cruising because since February the cruise industry in China has been shut down.
The rumors I'm hearing in the airline industry are don't expect China to reopen (have any type of normalcy travel wise) until late 2022 at the earliest some rumors even move that date into spring of 2023. Should these rumors prove true and China does not reopen or allow cruising to resume until 2023 then it it entirely possible Royal will leave Wonder here in the US for the fall/winter 2022-2023 season, send Wonder to Europe for the 2023 summer season and then send her to homeport in China starting in the fall of 2023. Unless China bans cruising for ever I don't see Royal Caribbean abandoning their Chinese ambitions and China is the most populous country on this planet. Should the government allow cruising to resume I firmly believe Royal will send Wonder to the market she was built for.
My question is does Royal still intend to build a 6th Oasis Class ship? In February of 2019 it was widely reported Royal had entered into an agreement for a 6th Oasis Class ship. Does Royal still intend to build a 6th ship or has the pandemic changed their plans for that 6th Oasis Class ship?
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18 minutes ago, twangster said:
MSC is trying to build a US customer base. It wasn't that long ago they didn't sail here.
The incumbents have no interest in trying to lure loyal MSC guests, there aren't that many based in the US who haven't already sailed the big 3 in the US. Most MSC Black/Diamond US based cruisers got there from a status match already, granted some may have sailed their way to it but even then those frequent cruisers probably have history with the big 3. MSC has a keen interest as it builds its brand in the US in luring loyal cruisers from other lines.
It's a low risk move for MSC because you are not upsetting a large MSC organically grown US loyal customer base by easily allowing a status match. If the big 3 allowed status matches their long time organic loyal customers would scream murder.
I agree it cost MSC nothing to status match us and we've done 2 MSC cruises and in my opinion the big 3 have nothing to worry about from MSC at this time. I would go on NCL again (I've had nothing but great experience with them) before I get back on a MSC cruise. Both of the cruises we took were in the MSC Yacht Club "suites" (which isn't a suite at all) and to be honest except for Cirque du Soleil at sea and freshly made Mozzarella we were both underwhelmed by MSC, their onboard employees don't really engage with passengers, their ship layout is strange, and their boarding process in Miami for Yacht Club is a mess.
As far as Casino Royal's offer our post card showed up 3 days ago, I was a bit shocked to get the card because our last cruise will be over 2 years ago when we finally set foot on Symphony later this month. In 2019 although we did 3 Royal Caribbean cruises that year we didn't spend nearly as much money in the casino like we did in 2018 or 2017 so I was surprised to get this offer.
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24 minutes ago, twangster said:
There's no way the CDC is ready to let go like the virus isn't still with us.
As long as the CDC does not attempt to once again over step their authority and do something drastic I think the industry will be okay. The cruise lines have demonstrated they can operate safely during a pandemic. They were scapegoated early on in this pandemic, shut down, held to a higher standard than any form of land based vacation yet this industry has risen to meet the challenge. At this point the CDC needs to just leave the cruise industry alone and let people enjoy their cruise vacation.
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42 minutes ago, Sandy A said:
Monday departures are proving to be a problem for obtaining rapid 2 day results. It seems kind of useless to me, as you can have a negative test on Saturday and have Covid on Monday. I agree with having everybody fully vaccinated, but this last minute Covid test is adding additional stress to what started out as a pleasant care free cruise.
It depends on where you live, here in the Chicagoland region there are multiple Walgreens and CVS's where you will have your results in 15-20 minutes and there are others who send them out to a lab but now results come back within 24-36 hours. Labs here are open even on the weekends processing tests but depending on where people live that may not be the case. But the BinaxNow option is available and in my opinion anyone going on a cruise should have a BinaxNow kit as their backup insurance policy to speed up their boarding process because testing pier side sounds out right dreadful.
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22 minutes ago, Scooter6251 said:
I assume eventually EMed will have newer kits with expiration dates well beyond those being shipped now. We have a Nov 2021 and a Mar 2022 cruise so I would like the purchase of the 6 kit pack to cover both cruises. It seems right now, that can't be done.
I would buy the 3 pack to cover the November 2021 cruise and wait on the March 2022 cruise.
I made that mistake back in late August of this year of buys 6 kit pack. Until now the only international flying my husband and I have done has been to Mexico to stay at resorts where you didn't need a negative test to enter Mexico and the resorts provided free testing to come home. However this September we took our first trip to Europe since the pandemic began and even though we can go to Walgreens or CVS that doesn't help us coming back to the US. So I had the bright idea of buying a pack of 6 test thing we would use one to come home from Europe another for our October cruise and the last on on our January 2022 cruise. Luckily we will be able to use the test for our upcoming October cruise but the last test will be wasted because it expires before our January cruise.
What is causing me concern is this as Europe continues to re-open many countries are now or I'm hearing will require all passengers to present a negative COVID test taken no more than 48 hours before arrival and I'm not sure Walgreens and CVS can always meet that turn around time which is going to put pressure on companies like Abbot (who has partners with quite a few airlines and also Royal Caribbean and who knows how many other cruise lines) to make sure they keep these test in stock and not the over the counter test many of which are NOT acceptable for travel. Working in the airline industry I can tell you the airlines are preparing for surge in travel from the US to Europe starting next spring. For those who are not just traveling to Europe but also going on a European Cruise depending on how early you arrive in Europe a single person may need 2 test (1 to enter Europe and a 2nd to board the cruise). I understand wanting to be prepared because it would suck if a person couldn't board their European cruise because they couldn't find a test. I hope BinaxNow does not become the new toilet paper in 2022 but I would suggest you resist the urge to buy the test to early because unlike toilet paper these test do expire.
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3 hours ago, fireclan said:
Doesn't the back say Symphony of the Seas?
At first I thought the photo was real but then I noticed there are no passengers anywhere in that photo so I started digging and found out the photo isn't real. There are no records of Symphony of the Seas ever passing through the Panama Canal and if she did go through the canal what was her purpose in passing through the canal since she was built in Europe? Also there are also no records of Symphony of the Seas ever sailing in the Pacific Ocean. According to records the largest CRUISE SHIP that has ever passed through the Panama Canal is The Norwegian Bliss at 168,028 tons.
If and or when Royal moves Wonder of the Seas to Asia they are going to have to go the long way around not through the Panama Canal. Even if they could get the ship through the canal can she fit under the Bridge of the Americas? I know some time ago I posed the question what if Royal sends Odyssey to Los Angeles to combat both NCL and Carnival both of which before the pandemic were using new ships out of Long Beach. Several posters pointed out they don't think Odyssey could fit under The Bridge of the Americas. So if Odyssey can't fit I don't see how an Oasis Class ship could fit under the bridge.
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On 9/27/2021 at 6:13 PM, Jill said:
Comes at a steep price though. If I were flying in I’d have an Airbnb as backup lol.
I got the same email today and they’re obviously pushing the home test. I ordered our yesterday and plan to make a Walgreens appt as a backup
This is exactly what I've done my upcoming cruise I've order the at home test through Royal Caribbean's website as a back up just in case my Walgreens test results which I plan to take 2 day prior does not come back in time.
After reading the email about pier side testing I was like thanks but no thanks, $99 dollars and you have to wait outside for at least an hour for test results to come back, I don't need that kind of aggravation before boarding a cruise.
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I've done this multiple times at Port Canaveral, they open the door at 7 AM and most time pre-COVID we were getting into per-arranged car or getting into a taxi by 8 AM at the latest and arriving at MCO by 9 - 9:15 AM.
Off the ship and getting into your limo by 8 AM is 100% doable. The later you disembark is when customs and immigration begins to get crowded.
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2 hours ago, Morganno said:
I thought that wonder had a whole section of the ship dedicated to suites?
They do have a whole section dedicated to passengers booked in Grand Suites and higher. Even though this is an Oasis Class ship when you look at the deck plans you will notice from deck 6 through deck 14 there are no Grand Suites, no Owner Suites on any of those floors like you would find on every other Oasis Class ship. Outside of Junior Suites the only suites you will find on decks 8-14 are Aqua Theater Suites, all other suites from Grand and higher are located on decks 17 and 18 on Wonder of the Seas.
I would suggest people look at the deck plans for Spectrum of the Seas (a Quantum Plus Class Ship) and compare her deck plans to Odyssey of the Seas another Quantum Plus Class Ship, the one thing you will notice is the placement of Grand suites (not the lofts the suite only) and the Owner Suites on Spectrum are all located on decks 15 and 16. Again there are far fewer Grand and Owner suites on Spectrum than there are on any other Quantum class ship.
Keep in mind both of these ships were built for the Chinese market Spectrum went directly to China via the Suez Canal. Wonder was supposed to go directly to China but for now China is not allowing cruising to resume. Now because of everything going on the ship is coming to both North America and Europe, who knows when she will make her way over to China. The deck plan layout is the reason I don't think Wonder will stay in the US/Europe, I think the moment China reopens and allows cruising to resume within a few months Royal will send her to China, she doesn't have enough suites to remain in the US/European market.
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1 hour ago, AlmondFarmer said:
I can confirm this information. I spoke with both my agent and Royal Caribbean representative in Crown and Anchor. Process will take up to two weeks.
I have two friend families who were in 2 bedroom grand suites on Allure which Wonder does not have. I will report back what transpires for those on the blog wanting the full “scoop”Looking at the deck plans for Wonder it clear Royal designed this ship with way less suites than any other Oasis Class ship. Although there are quite a few junior suites there are only a handful of grand suites and even fewer suites in categories above the standard one room grand. Depending on how many suites about a junior Royal sold on Allure many customers may be in for a partial refund if the only cabins available are junior suites or ocean view balconies.
One thing is clear judging from the deck plans, if Royal sold at least 50% of their suites in grand suite or higher on Allure not every passenger who booked a grand suite or higher will be in a suite on Wonder of the Seas.
- AlmondFarmer and WAAAYTOOO
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18 hours ago, Traveler said:
Maybe it will push Canda to allow the ships back.
Canada will allow cruise ship to resume porting in their country starting this November, however like twangster pointed out there are some in Victoria who would like to see a permanent ban on cruise ship so what Lisa Murkowski is trying to do is get ahead of this by being proactive instead of reactive. Alaska's cruise season shouldn't be linked to Canada allowing cruise ships to port in their country. Hopefully Alaskan's support Murkowski in this endeavor and hopefully Congress realizes the importance of this issue and not allow a foreign country to ever again dictate they type of tourism allowed to take place in Alaska.
How rigid are the check-in times for Embarkation?
in Royal Caribbean Discussion
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We showed up for Symphony at our assigned time at PortMiami there was no line no wait we checked our bags and were on the ship in 25 minutes perhaps less.
But there were people in line a very long line I’m assuming those people probably showed up before their assigned check-in time and were forced to wait OUTSIDE on their feet. If you can move your check-in time up then do it, however if you can not I would suggest you NOT show up before your assigned check-in time because at least at PortMiami they are not playing and will make wait outside until your time.