Reigert2008

3 hours ago, James K said:

Maybe you could change your cabins to connecting rooms? That way you can get to both rooms with the one key, as the internal doors is unlocked by your room steward for the entire cruise on day 1.

That’s what I was going to suggest. I understand the desire to get two rooms, but if the kids are too young to be ina too on their own, I would assume people would only get connecting rooms.  I certainly wouldn’t want to leave kids in a non-connecting separate room, regardless of how close the rooms are.

As a curious person, can I ask why someone would want/need to know before they board?  They’ll direct you to the right place.  Just curious.

3 hours ago, BillB said:

Does any one know if it is true that the CDC forbids ships to sell aspirin, Tylenol, etc.?  My back has gone out and I could not find any pain relievers in any of the shops on board.  I asked at guest services and was told that the cdc does not allow them to sell pain relivers due to covid. I looked on line and could not find anything that suggests that this is true.  I ended up having to buy Midol to help with my pain since it does have acetaminophen in it.  Does anyone know  if this is true that they can not sell plain aspirin or acetaminophen?  Thanks.

There generally a vending machine down in the medical center. I’d check that out and then you could always ask and explain why you need it.  Couldn’t hurt.

27 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

They will not seat you with anyone other than your sailing party during Covid protocols.

YMMV, we were on the first sailing of the Explorer and the table next to us had 3 parties of two sitting together and they did not know each other.  We overheard them all discussing that they didn't know why they were all seated together.  Each party of two were adults and they all happened to be from Texas, but there were many empty tables around where they could have been spread out more.  It was all very weird, especially for the first sailing back.  

We never heard them determine why they were seated together and they stayed there for the whole week.  

For the original poster, I would certainly reach out to your travel agent.  They can tell you what size table you are at and put in a request for a table just for your party.  Once on the ship, go to your MDR location and they can show you your table and accommodate changes as needed.

If anyone is still following along, it looks like we received the Sara Alert emails for 10 days after the cruise.

3 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

It will be in the app. We had 4100ish on Harmony this past week but no reservations were needed. The line to get in went fast.

My suggestion is to make the reservation in the app for when you want to eat and then you’re covered in that rare case that they get busy and take reservations first.  We did that back in August on Freedom and then in November on Explorer.  Then you’re at least covered.  
 

same with the shows, make the reservation and at worst you don’t even need it.  
 

note: we only made windjammer reservations for breakfast, not sure they even took them for lunch. Never really needed it,but just in case.

5 hours ago, Flowrider said:

What capacity is it going to take to get the windjammer back at night.  Sounds super lame, but we don’t hardly care about eating.  We want to be in and out and partying out on the boat!

Your dining team can get you in and out as quickly as you want.  We are a party of two and eat in the MDR all the time.  Our servers on Explorer a few weeks ago asked if we had shows or whatever to help with the service speed.  We didn’t but we never spent more than an hour in the MDR on our cruise and that was us really killing time.  There’s generally lots of other options available, but we’re still in COVID times so just know what you want to order when you walk in (there’s a menu outside the dining room you can view). 

4 hours ago, rcrabb said:

I made final payment on our cruise to Alaska.  During that same credit card billing cycle we cancelled a specialty dining reservation and booked another.  RCCL refunded the amount of the canceled dinner TWICE.  Their internal checks must of caught it. Instead of cancelling the extra refund credit they took that extra refund from our cruise fare payment and it left us a balance left for the cruise.  The "Pay Remaining Balance" button was grayed out BUT the subsequent cruise invoice showed a remaining cruise fare balance in the amount of the EXTRA refund.  While on hold for a supervisor to help figure it out I matched the numbers up and realized what had happened.  It got it fixed but check, check, check everything!

Using a good travel agent would also help in preventing a last minute issue.

9 minutes ago, Bee-rad said:

How was the snorkeling?  Where did you go?

If I remember correctly, we were in the chill island area.  The snorkeling was ok, didn’t really see much, but that’s par for the course.  I’ve always just snorkeled at the private islands and never really seen anything great,  it still have fun.

we just did a snorkeling excursion in St. Thomas and didn’t see much there either.  The best place I’ve snorkeled was in Bermuda. There was a place across from the dock (about a 5 minute walk) and it was only $5 to enter for the day and I saw some amazing things there.

good luck.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/perfect-day-at-cococay-wayfinding-map.pdf

15 minutes ago, The Fox said:

Has anyone done the all day snorkeling at Coco Cay? It says stop by and get equipment, but doesn't mention a cost? Is there one? Anything else I should know?

I believe there is a cost, it would be in your cruise planner.  It’s basically an equipment rental and then you snorkel on your own where you like.  My brother in law did I it back in august.  I have my own equipment, so I’m not sure of all the details.

I agree with everyone, we’ve done 2 cruises since August and have felt far safer on the ship than we do at some family gatherings.  For the most part the ship is a controlled environment and at least you know everyone is following the published protocols.

once you get off the ship, you’ll find yourself checking out peoples wrist for a vaccination band

In an effort to NOT start another RoyalUp thread, i'm putting my question here since it is relavant.

Say you win an RoyalUp bid, but do not find out until close to your cruise and have already printed your bag tags for the ship.  Does royal get your luggage to the right place even if you forget to tell them about the cabin change?  Or what if you find out you "won" as you are boarding and have already dropped your bags off with the other tags.

Thanks.

I think it depends on what you are looking for.  We just got our Refreshment package for $17 per person per day when it was $30 in the cruise planner last week and had dropped to a previous low of $23 a few weeks ago.  We typically don't do excursions, specialty dining, or internet, so don't have a history on those items.

Royal knows that a lot of people are looking at the DBP so why would they deeply discount it during a known sale time (like black Friday).  They know they will get a lot of sales during this period, so why not make a little extra money.  It's still far cheaper than buying drinks onboard.  They can always discount it again later if they see that a percentage of cruisers on various sailings need to be enticed to make that purchase.

This is the one I use and it has been amazing.  It only has USB-A connections.

https://us.anker.com/collections/chargers/products/a2142

i wpuld also suggest low power mode and not using the internet.  Was recently on a cruise with my teenage niece and contrary to her belief, she did survive without her phone

50 minutes ago, Funeegal said:

I know the topic title is kind of stupid.  We flew to FLL today for our cruise tomorrow.  It was pouring rain when we landed and once we got to our hotel and opened up the luggage, many of the items inside are wet (hardcase and softside suitcases).  We do not have a rental car.  There is not a laundromat nearby.  There is too much to hang and let dry overnight (only to re-pack again) tomorrow morning.  The hotel does not have a coin laundry machine.

What is the best method to get clothes to dry on a ship?  It seems like even when we hang stuff on the balcony or on the line in the bathroom, it takes forever to dry.  Would RCL have a dry only service?  We are a family of 4 and I don't want to have the equivalent of 2 large suitcases sent out for laundry on RCL.

Looking for reasonable ideas please....

We had this happen to us on one of our trips to Disney world.  we just hung things up in the room and let them dry over a couple of days.  What I suggest to you is that you hang up some things and use the hair dryer to get them "dry enough" and then once on the cruise, hang things in the closet of your cabin to dry (and use the hair dryer again)

Also, I would ask your cabin steward for some options and explain the situation.  Royal may dry your things for you at no or low cost.  The worst they can do is say no.  My wife once got something on her shorts while at a show and when we asked if they had some detergent we could "borrow" they just washed and dried them for us.

Because of this situation, we have since lined our suitcases with a garbage bag while packing just in case it gets left in the rain.  Good Luck!

We were recently on the Explorer for a 7N Cruise and here was our break down:

5 nights were labeled as Casual

1 night labeled as Dress Your Best

1 night labeled as Formal

On the casual nights i wore my khaki shorts and a t-shirt, on the two other nights i work jeans and a polo (one night we were at Izumi).

My wife and i were discussing this last night and our recommendation is to pack at least a pair of "fancy jeans" and a "nice polo / blouse" to have in case you happen to be on the cruise where they start enforcing things that they have not been enforcing.  You would at least be able to run back to the cabin and change real quick.

We did have a "long time cruiser" turn up his nose when we walked in with our shorts on one of the casual nights, but he had worn a full tux on formal night, so he probably has a different opinion

My thought has always been that if what someone else is wearing "ruins your experience" then you probably aren't paying much attention to your own business.

@Psycho and Barb As promised, here are the Cruise Compasses (and related notices) from the November 7th sailing of the Explorer from San Juan.  

@Matt can post them with the others if he likes!  Thanks!

Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day01_11072021.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day01_11072021_WelcomeBackCard.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day02_11082021.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day03_11092021.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day03_11092021_WashandFoldSpecial.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day04_11102021.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day04_11102021_PoliticalUnrestNotice.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day05_11112021.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day06_11122021.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day07_11132021.pdf Explorer_CC_7N_SouthernCaribbean_Day07_11132021_DepartureInformation.pdf

45 minutes ago, Kaci said:

Can anyone tell me If I have to buy the 6 test for $150 from emed please? Is there anywhere else that I can purchase them? We cant get tested on Christmas Eve and have the results by the 26th. First, there are no testing sites open on Christmas day or Christmas eve. Two, even if they were, no one would result them do to the labs being closed. WE board the day after Christmas. These expectations are ridiculous. Thanks for your help in advance.

Here is the link to the Royal Caribbean site.  While this board is extremely helpful it is a fan site and you should really rely on the Official site for exact details for your situation.

Pre-Cruise Testing -- https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center/pre-cruise-testing

Related Royal Page about the tests -- https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/is-there-a-telemedicine-option-for-pre-cruise-covid-19-test

Protocols -- https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center

We did the eMed ones before our cruise last week and it was easy.  You will need to create each adult thier own account for the app /site.  Not sure about kids, since that did not apply to our situation.  

I would recommend you have at least a few extra test kits in case a test is damaged or something goes wrong. Some people recommend 2 test kits per person, but you will need to decide that on your own.  

I agree it is stressful.  

Good Luck!

If you use the eMed tests, you should watch this video it shows the exact process (and even what happens if you make a mistake) -- 

3 minutes ago, Psycho and Barb said:

Thank you so much for the information.  We will be on the 21st and 28th sailing and can’t wait.  

We have been to the https://1link.travelsafe.pr.gov and filled out our paperwork and got the our bar code.  Is the travel declaration you referred to?   Is the airport your local airport or the San Juan airport?
 

Really appreciate your help. 

All at the Puerto Rico Airport.  That is the site.  you can fill out the form ANYTIME before you arrive and then print out the QR code that is provides (save a copy as well!)  You will need that code and your vaccination proof / negative test in order to leave the international airport in San Juan.  Once you leave baggage claim to head out the doors, they had a person that that checked your docs and maybe your temperature (not sure on that one)

53 minutes ago, mdyteach said:

We will be sailing over New Year's and have two cabins. Unfortunately they are not connected. One of our rooms has an adjoining cabin, but we do not know the guests who will be in that room. Our other cabin is on the other side of that adjoining room. Is it possible to see if those people would be willing to swap so our family could be connected? What is the best way to do this if so? The rooms are the same type of room, so they would be getting the same room without an adjoining door.

If you need a connecting room, your TA (or yourself if you did not use a TA) should reach out to Royal for this type of assistance, there may be adjoining rooms available in another area of the ship and may not show up on the public site.  For interior rooms, i know there is a "connecting interior" type which change the pricing.  If you are worried about the strangers, i think the door is locked by Royal and you both have to request it to be unlocked?  We just stayed in one, but were sailing by ourselves and didn't even try to open the door.  Royal had moved us there a few weeks before our cruise

Good Luck.

19 minutes ago, Psycho and Barb said:

Anyone sailed on the first sailing of Explorer of the Seas?  We are interested in how the cruise went and details of the check-in procedures.  Any details would be greatly appreciated.

Yes!  We were on the first sailing last week!  I have the cruise compasses and will upload them when I get them scanned in.  Check in was a breeze, as long as you had all your paperwork in order.  We were in an early boarding group and of course lots of people showed up hours too early.  We had a short wait to get into the 1:00 PM line after arriving at about 12:45 PM and dropping luggage off.  Then we breezed right on in and onto the ship.  On the ship things were smooth and no issues that i could see.  The Windjammer was open for dinner, so I assume it was at least 50% capacity, but never asked anyone.  Several ports required excursions to explore the city, but the ports had "approved vendors" at the port you could use if you are against booking through Royal. We used Royal for our excursions, and they were all great.  Disembarkation was smooth as well, just wait in your room until your tag is called.

FYI, if you are traveling to Puerto Rico, there are some non-Royal things you need to know.  Of course, YMMV.

You need to complete a travel declaration form in order to leave the airport and must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test < 72 hours before arrival

Many stores/restaurants require proof of vaccination (and ID) to enter

Some Hotels also require proof of vaccination or negative COVID test when checking in (we stayed at the Sheraton in Old San Juan both pre and post cruise)

Masks are required indoors and when outside in groups of > 50 people 

when disembarking the ship, they will auto enroll you in the Sara Alert program and you will get a survey via email each day to ask about any symptoms.  We received our first email yesterday (once we were back home) and received another today.  Not sure how long we will get them, but we are answering them to be safe and not inadvertently get a fine.

13 hours ago, bryresangel said:

In my experience this past weekend, you can get two different types of drinks (e.g. bottle water and mocktail) at the same time, just not two of the same (e.g two lattes)

I agree with this (just got off Explorer!) and we have always done the refreshment package.  In the mornings, i would typically get my Americano to drink and a bottle of water to take off the ship.   I think as long as you are not abusing the system it would be fine.  
 

4 minutes ago, MindiLou said:

Besides the at home embed tests, what other tests will Royal accept?   Is it PCR or rapid result?  I need to know which one to get from CVS?

Here is the link from the Royal website.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center/pre-cruise-testing

4 minutes ago, Patt Whitmore said:

I will be cruising with a mobility scooter for the first time on my upcoming cruise.  

Has anyone seen cruisers on scooters in Coco Cay?  I am fully aware that they cannot traverse sand, but it looks like there are walkways between areas that could indeed handle a scooter. (On the videos I have seen, at least)  I can walk short distances ... such as from the walkways across sand  to a lounger,  so I was thinking it would be ideal if I could use my scooter between areas on the island.  I would have to tuck it out of the way to "park" it so that it would not get in anyone else's way - good etiquette for sure.

For anyone who has been on Coco Cay, does this sound doable? Have you ever seen this before?  I understand there are trams but I am worried about the amount of walking I would have to do after getting off the tram and the standing that might be needed to wait for a tram.

I will appreciate any thoughts or experiences with this topic.  .  

We were there in August and had a family member who uses a wheel chair much like you and the scooter.  We were able to get off the ship push her chair along the paved walkways and then used a "beach wheelchair" for in the sand when the distance was too far for her to walk.  Royal was really helpful on the island making sure we were taken care of, so I bet you won't have any issues.

43 minutes ago, Glrynote said:

I have questions about traveling with my husband who uses an electronic scooter to get around.  Is there a blog or specific information online that offers info regarding excursions?  Specifically whether handicapped cruisers will be able to get on boats when the ship has to be anchored a ways from the port?

Thanks.

If you haven't yet, you should fill out the form at the link below.  It will assist Royal in knowing what your needs are and how they can best accommodate them.  I use the form for my CPAP and and other family have used it for when bringing accessibility equipment onboard.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/resources/guest-special-needs