Reigert2008

Looks like Azamara fired the first shot. 

Azamara Announces Removal of Embarkation COVID-19 Testing - Cruise Industry News

42 minutes ago, tina.ferrari said:

Hi all! I’m a first time cruiser and looking forward to this weekend! I am sorry if this has been asked a million times but I cannot get anything other than vague answers regarding telehealth proctored COVID tests. I have a ton of COVID tests at home, unopened and unexpired, that my work provides to me. They’re the flowflex ones…can I pay for video observation from an online provider such as AZOVA and have that work for boarding Navigator this weekend? Walgreens is now charging $130 a person for travel COVID tests so I’m trying to avoid a significant additional cost for our trip.

Here is the link to the Healthy Sail Center on Royal's page -- > https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center?icid=hlthys_wrnssn_hlt_nbrdxp_pghdr_3467

The only self administered tests that I know Royal accepts are the eMed/Navica ones, but you are too close to order, receive, and test if your test is this weekend.  At this point in your journey, you may be relegated to Walgreens/CVS or other local provider.

Personally, I would not risk using other home proctored tests, since there's a chance Royal would not accept it id the document is not correct.

Good Luck!

Have a (hopefully) quick question or two...

1. If you win your bid but don't find out until you are already traveling, do you need to do anything about your bag tags?  I assume I will at least need to get new ones from the porters, but who knows.

2.  If you win your bid, but don't check your email, or even receive the email after boarding, what happens with your luggage?  Will Royal figure it out?  Should we do something?
3. Since your bid is probably accepted after you complete check in, will that mess up your arrival time?  
 

4. If the set sail pass is already printed will that need to be redone? If so what if you don’t have access to a printer?

Sorry, it was four questions  

Thanks!

16 minutes ago, WAYNO said:

I dunno... Is PDX a small airport?  Or Kansas City, or Lauderdale?

I'd consider FLL "smaller" since it is so close to Miami, but i've never been to the others (yet)   It's all relative, i just noticed that I got stopped a lot at my home airport in Louisville, KY which shuts down at basically 8:00 PM, so not a lot of traffic.

On 7/11/2022 at 8:57 AM, TheRealAlex97 said:

I (20) am sailing on Odyssey in 3 weeks for summer vacation. Can’t wait!

My one concern is that I’m in the 18-20 age group which makes it more difficult to find people to socialize with.

Previously, I would have had the teen club, now that isn’t an option and I’m under 21 so not fully considered an adult by the cruise line. It’s a family trip so I don’t have friends with me and my boyfriend (25) had to back out.

How can I socialize on the ship and find people my age to hang out with? I am a bit worried about being lonely.

Check out the Cruise Compass for the "Singles and Solo Cruisers Mixer" you may find another person in your same situation and make a new friend.  I've never been to it since I am not single and have not yet been a solo cruiser, but it seems like a good way for people to meet others. 

As a person who doesn't drink alcohol, we spend virtually no time in the bars and always have great time.  We've struck up conversations with people at Café Promenade, the pool deck, Windjammer, etc....  

Also check out the "open" activities like Pickleball, Table tenns, etc..  We met someone who joined us to hit pickleball (not competitively) and then we had a friend for the rest of the cruise.

Good Luck!

2 hours ago, WAYNO said:

That's where I'm at too.  I've never done anything to make me in any way a threat, but I seldom get thru TSA without the full TSA special.  My wife, always in the line ahead of me to retrieve all my belongings when I get stripped and/or groped, is never stopped.  She sails on through every time.  Ironically, she used to travel with her very elderly mother a lot, and her mother was often singled out for the whole deal.  There is no understanding.

But, as I said, the shorter line is still a perk.

does it tend to happen at "smaller" airports.  There is some randomness to the extra security and if you're flying at a smaller airport during less busy times you may be flagged often.  Before I had pre-check i got stopped often at my home airport for extra security checks and swabbing my hands.  But our airport is not very busy most times at 5:00 AM so it's like i was always the "5th caller!"

2 hours ago, Cruisegirl1976 said:

I guess it all depends on what airport your are traveling from/to, vice versa, and the time of your flights... my husband will not shell out the $85.00, and I hate to admit he was right the last time we traveled, there was hardly no line in the regular tsa line on our 1st  flight and on our way home from Miami, there was maybe a 5 minute wait through tsa, and taking off shoes and belt really isn't a big deal, imo.

Certainly the airports, time of day, and time of year play into it as well.  At our home airport (SDF) it really doesn't help a lot most times since we fly at about 5:00 AM.  However at places like Miami, we've had to wait nearly an hour for my in-laws to go through the regular line (they don't have precheck yet) when our line was less than 5 minutes.  

I like pre check since (most times) i don't have to take my CPAP or computer out of my bag when going through.  We've had it for 5 years and just renewed, and the only time i've had to take the cpap out was in LAX, on September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the trade center attacks, so I just attributed it to extra security on the anniversary.  Even then the line at LAX was less than 10 minutes

In my opinion, there is no good reason to "surprise" someone on a cruise.  Now that you've already booked, that would be the surprise and now you can work together to plan things together (or apart).  They also may think somethign is wrong if they see some "wonkiness" in the app or on the website when tryng to do things and not know that you have secretly done things.  You would also prevent any awkwardness if the party being surprised, decided to change thier plans and now you're "stuck" (although is anyone ever really stuck with a cruise  ).  

We once surprised our nieces at Disney World, but we had coordinated it with my sister to make sure it went smoothly.  

As the designated "travel supervisor" for several families, I've learned that things just go smother when parties are involved, at least the adults.  

31 minutes ago, JC Pats said:

I believe she went the weekend before. Here's the link to the article from that weekend  I tried Elon Musk's Starlink internet on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship | Royal Caribbean Blog  

But 3 nighters are almost always a full throttle party as lots of "groups" (bachelorette/bachelor parties, friends getting together, large families) to say nothing of the people who just want a fun weekend away. The 4 nighters during the week are a lot more chill. 

Thanks!  Basically we have an extra “long weekend”  and it turned out that even with driving from KY, the cruise was cheaper than a hotel in a closer spot.  Plus with the other cruises we have scheduled, this quick 3 night will push us over to Diamond after our last cruise this year.  We typically sit and stare at the ocean but with no sea days we’ll just star at Nassau and read a book at Perfect Day   

on our drive in we will hit up a few National park sites so it’ll be a fun weekend trip. 

Wasn’t sure where to post this, so please move where appropriate.

reading the recent post by Nicole on the blog and she says she “recently” went on the cruise.  Do we know if the cruise was over the holiday (Friday to Monday) where people had 4th of July off on Monday?  Just curious as to if the “party crowd” was normal or if this was also a holiday weekend cruise.  
 

and anyone have any comparisons for a 3 night cruise from Port Canaveral? I’m sure it will be more of a party vibe, but we have one scheduled and we’re curious.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/07/06/i-tried-my-first-3-night-cruise

3 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

Free coffee machine in the Diamond lounge for cappuccinos, lattes, espresso, etc. One of my favorite D perks.

This is great to know!  When we are on our crusie that puts us over the points, I was going to ask the Loyalty Ambassador on the ship if we could get a tour of the Diamond lounge so we can be prepared   

Thanks!

4 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

Just venting about a minor irritation. I know there are other sites that let you narrow down your exact travel window, but I'd prefer to do it on RC's official website. I actually find the whole "search for a cruise" process really clunky and frustrating on RC's site (I know, I know, Royal IT...). What if I'm considering different room types? Go back and start over. What if I'm considering 1 vs 2 rooms. Go back and start over. Why do I often have to click twice on the page where you choose the floor for your room (once for floor and then "select")? And why can't the number of days selection be part of the other choices? Do many people really just choose a 3-5 day cruise with no other considerations?

Ugh.

I agree! Sometimes we know we can go on a trip on day x, and would love to easily see all the options that leave on that day. Then we can fly to whatever port we need to.

9 hours ago, twangster said:

Many people including myself prefer the new approach of any drink,  at any bar, at any time of day, including the private destinations.

The nightly happy hour event had to change.  It wasn't scalable with the growing number of Diamonds and during a pandemic it is a super spreader event.  Yes, the virus is still with us and impacting cruising.  

Personally I love the new approach.

Diamond is not being cancelled.  It is still one of the best loyalty levels on any cruise line.  The any time, any drink four voucher drinks made it even better.

If you have grown weary there is nothing wrong sailing with other lines.  NCL doesn't provide a nightly open bar for loyalty tiers.  Carnival doesn't provide a nightly open bar for loyalty tiers.  MSC doesn't provide a nightly open bar for loyalty tiers.  Despite that if the grass is greener somewhere else for you, by all means go there.  It's always good to try something different if for no reason than to remind yourself why Royal is still the best.  

As an Emerald member, we are looking forward to becoming Diamond at the end of this year.  For us it’s all about the drink vouchers. Being as we don’t typically drink alcohol,we buy the refreshment package for the sodas, mocktails, and speciality coffee.  Once we become Diamond we most likely will not need to buy the refreshment package, saving us approximately $300 on a  night cruise.  We’ll have to figure out our sweet spot, maybe it’s the soda package plus vouchers , maybe it’s not. Maybe I get a coffee card to go with my vouchers.  Either way we will enjoy the benefit.  Maybe we’ll still get the refreshment package and use the vouchers to try some of the alcoholic drinks that look interesting, but we’re too cheap to try

We’re not opposed to alcohol, but we both worked grocery stores in our younger days and have friends in the restaurant industry so have a good idea of the markups that occur.  We also started dating before drinking age, so it was just never a part of our entertainment.

I think it’s inappropriate to ask a crew member for this type of information.  Maybe an officer at the captains talk, but even that may be crossing the line.  I know that everyone is wanting all the information, but this is an odd thing to discuss. We enjoy learning some details about the crew when we interact, but we certainly don’t want a lot of deep details about their personal lives.  We ask for their suggestions and things they may enjoy or dislike, but we do not venture into their personal lives.

3 hours ago, luv2sail said:

Any suggestions on the best transportation option(s)? We will arrive via air on a Friday, need transportation from the hotel to the port Saturday, and return the the airport the following Sunday. 

3 hours ago, Suite Snob said:

When I was the Parking Facilities Manager at FLL, https://www.supershuttle.com/ was the best option available.  Especially their "Shared" option.  It's been a while and things may have changed.  But, check 'em out.  

your best bet is probably something more like Uber/Lyft.  We have used Larry’s Limo for a party of 7 but for smaller groups even the XL of Uber/Lyft has been more cost effective on our trips.

also, we used to use SuperShuttle and they were great, but some time ago they went out of business and others have been “using the name” but it is. It the same service it used to be.  Places like zTriip, YellowCab, Checker, etc… are now the providers depending on the city and if you have an issue, there really is no customer service since, in some cases,  you’ve been pause through multiple 3rd parties before your get the actual service.

2 hours ago, JimnKathy said:

Hello cruising friends!

Anyone have good hotel reservations for the Port of Boston area they wish to share? We would love a place near the Port that has cool local restaurants nearby.

Thanks!

There is not much by the port that is very interesting. I would recommend staying in the North End area of Boston, there are many great dining locations in the area.  Boston is an easy city to move around in via the Subway, so you can get anywhere relatively quickly.

some places to eat that we really enjoyed are below.

Aldente — http://www.aldenteboston.com

Bova’s — http://bovabakeryboston.net

Pauli’s — https://paulisnorthend.com

16 minutes ago, SpicyCherry said:

My DH really enjoyed the Lavazza Coffee Machine in our Suite on Symphony. However, he neglected to note the specific model. Anybody know the model Royal uses? I want to get one for him as a gift. 

Never been in a suite, so not sure of the details.  Here’s a video from Allure that may help you narrow it down on the lava a site

i suspect it’s the Classy Mini

https://www.lavazzausa.com/en/coffee-machines

7 hours ago, Huntr104 said:

Hi all.  My family and I usually cruise in the springtime.  I'm turning 50 this year in October and I want to go on a vacation and cruising is my favorite way to travel.  But, I've never cruised in the Caribbean during Hurricane season.  Any advice from the cruisers that travel during this time of year?  Pro, Cons, anything else I should think of that would be different than cruising in the spring.  Thanks!

no need to worry about things.  We cruise often during the season and hurricane season runs from June to November, so that’s the majority of the year.  Of course, you should pay attention to the forecasts in the weeks before your cruise since, rarely, a hurricane could affect embarkation or debarkation of the ship. If you’re flying to the port,that could,be affected by the weather (much like any other time). Once the cruise starts you should be good to sail!
 

if your worry is changing the ports while on the cruise, there’s literally nothing you can do about it and it could happen, also rarely, for reason other than a hurricane.  

my advice is to go with the flow and have a great time.  I have family that got 2 days added to their cruise when a hurricane went through once and they enjoyed the extra days at no charge!  (Once again this is a rare occurrence).

here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center. Being that we also do a lot of Disney trips and were on property during Matthew, I follow along for informational purposes, even when we don’t have trips planned.

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov

4 hours ago, Jeff618 said:

Sorry if this has previously been answered, but if so I can't find it.  We have purchased the deluxe drink package to have all of our drinks prepaid.  Does this include gratuities?  

When you made the purchase in the cruise planner you prepaid your gratuities for the drink package.  When you get a drink they may hand you a receipt and you can choose to add an additional tip, but you are not obligated to do so.  While we get the refreshment package, we do not tip on each drink, but since we tend to frequent the same locations you get to know the bartenders and at the end of the trip we may tip extra for great service.  For me, it’s mostly the cafe promenade since I drink far too much coffee.

also, note that gratuities for the cruise (~$14 a day per person?) are different than the tips on the drink package.

First rule of casino gambling is to never leave the floor without cashing out. Don’t want to drop it someplace and then have someone else cash it for you.

3 hours ago, Ogalthorpe Haywood said:

This is a great trick, thanks for sharing. Has your room number ever changed once you’ve “knew” without actually being officially assigned?

3 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

This is the first time I've used it. My last GTY was in 2019 and I didn't know about the trick back then or if it even existed.

If either of my cabins change this time I will certainly share the info.

weve done several GTY cabins and have done the bar code trick.  We’ve had the rooms change a time or two but it was weeks before the cruise.  We love the GTY cabins and always book whichever cabin is cheapest.  We mostly cruise in interior cabins and don’t really spend time in the room anyway.

On 6/3/2022 at 11:27 AM, Cindyb said:

I will traveling with my 86 year old mom to Bermuda. We have never been so unsure how far the walk is once you get off the ship to transportation.  Will I be able to get her a wheelchair or do they have a shuttle to talk her if unable to walk it

I would recommend that you bring one with you or rent a wheelchair before the cruise to use both on and off the ship.  It will come in handy for those times when there is a lot of walking and having a push wheel chair available to you, will allow for full mobility throughout your travels.  It could also help get you to locations faster, should a rain shower pop up.  

Good luck!

52 minutes ago, BipolarBear said:

Hi all, first time on Royal Caribbean. I booked my cruise about two hours ago, and got the email with my confirmation number. But if I put in the number on the website or app with my other info, it says the reservation number is incorrect. Does anyone know how long until i can access the app/planner? 

I assume you’ve logged into the Royal Caribbean site with the same email address you used on the reservation.  It should be pretty much immediate.  I’d give Royal a call and check it to make sure it’s all set.

6 hours ago, PRMLVM said:

I've tried using the "contact us" form on RCI's website twice in the last nine months.  I thought I was doing the right and convenient (for them!) thing by not tying up the phone lines for those with more complicated or time-sensitive questions.  We've had to call them before to settle or clarify those kinds of things, and naturally spent time on hold - which is what I'm trying to avoid, for these two simple questions.  But if they are not going to answer at all....!

Has anyone used the "contact us" form and gotten their question answered?

If you have a travel agent, I’d have them reach out.  Especially if it’s not time sensitive.  Our TA has done some things for us when she was already contacting Royal, so it saves her time as well.  

3 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

Don't forget to add in the gratuties to your cost.
If  the weekend you are thinking of is a few weeks away perhaps try doing a mock booking for this weekend and see when you are cut off.

Yesh, the gratuities are included in my numbers I forgot to list them

basically it boils down to we could do a whole cruise for less than what only the hotel would cost us.  
 

I’ve done a few mock bookings and the the weekends were looking at still seem open, we will have our TA do it once we decide and in reality we will probably make that decision soon just to get it over with.

thanks!