HBCcruiser

I'm going with BidABetterBed
 

This is the wording in my RoyalUp email for Wonder in a few weeks. So yeah, sounds like up to day of departure is definitely a possibility.

Just a semi-amusing aside....
I belonged to another forum for something completely unrelated to cruising where the topic was the exact title here: LA Hotel recommendations.  The post had about 50 responses within two weeks until the OP clarified....LA as in Louisiana.  
My suggestion is to stay at an Air BNB.  

Will be there in April and again in October. Coming from Vancouver anything over 65 degrees is swimming weather for me.

🤣 Me too! 

As an additional potential revenue stream, I would definitely pay for a ticket to watch this auction happen.

Maybe on embarkation day they’ll just gather everyone who’s interested in upgrading inside Boleros or similar venue and hold a bidding war like the art auctions. “How much am I bid for this two bedroom Grand Suite? Going once! Going twice!…SOLD!..to the inebriated deluxe-drink-package-holder who doesn’t realize what he’s just done and his wife is going to be a soooo pisssssed!”🥴

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/passport-card-vs-book

We have a cruise coming up in a week and a half.  I just took the opportunity to let RCL our opinion (using "contact us"), and we all should do the same.  If they opt in on our ship (LIberty), we will cancel.  And we are with a group.  All the same.  It is just so onerous, and just not worth the risk. It's not just face masks. Look at the quarantine-if-exposed requirements. 10 days isolated alone in a cabin?  I don't think so.

We don't really know what it all means. 
There has long been a back channel of private communication between the cruise lines and the CDC.  Back when the original CSO had ambiguous and conflicting verbiage there was communication and direction from the CDC to the cruise lines that we never saw.
I expect the same will occur here.  The CDC will have its very official and super strict program on display but the cruise lines will work out a functioning approach through the maze using private communication that we don't get to see.
What we really need is for the public health emergency declaration to be withdrawn.  Then and only then will cruise lines be free to craft their own policies.  

That would be such a huge disappointment and would set back getting back to normal (including cruise lines bottom lines) another year.

FWIW
 

I can confirm i got an email on Friday while waiting in line to board Indy reminding me of the "great deals on upgrades still available".
i didn't do anything with said email, since it was just a weekend cruise anyway, so i cant say what would have happened if i bid but i was definitely being offered the opportunity.
 
 

It should be Level 1, but, progress.
 
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/02/15/cdc-lowers-warning-level-covid-19-cruise-ships
 
"A level 3 warning means cumulative new Covid-19 case counts over the past 14 days are between 1,000 - 2,000, and cumulative new symptomatic Covid-19 case counts over the past 14 days are between 500 - 999."
 
There have been 1000-2000 cases on cruise ships the last 14 days?  I find that very hard to believe.

I saw this posted on another site regarding changes to when RoyalUp might be awarded. Can anyone here verify or speak to this? Interesting if true:
"They are changing RoyalUp to go until Embarkation Day and you can bid up to 3 hours before the ship leaves port. Final notices aren't being sent out until AFTER the ship leaves port. If you go to Guest Services, they will give you a card telling you to place a bid for RoyalUp. It was rolled out on the Odyssey this sailing and is rolling out fleetwide now."

We also have an app called “bedtime fan” that sounds just like our white noise machine at home. 

Yes, as soon as I hear something

Cruise lines are supposed to let the CDC know by this Friday (Feb 18th) wether or not they are opting into this new "Program". @MattWill you please keep us posted regarding Royal's decision on this? 

It is true https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/02/09/royal-caribbean-will-end-stricter-face-mask-rules-its-cruise-ships

On Day 3, everyone stands at the back of the ship, rips their masks off, and lets them fly away in to the sky

Never

This is a place for reasonable discussion of cruise ship news and rumors. Not a place to discuss your personal thoughts on Covid, vaccines, masks, and/or politics.
It's a simple rule because the moment it veers in that other direction, it just devolves into name calling, personal attacks, and divisive chatter.
We try to give a little leeway since inevitably there's some blurred lines when talking about cruise ship protocols, but if it goes too far, that's the end of it.
There's plenty of places to discuss Covid on the internet, but this isn't one of them.

The CDC and government needs to stay out of our lives. The past 2 years has been a perfect example of an overreach of power and the people worldwide are fed up with all of it. 

Speaking of that, we're seeing the basis of a potential legal challenge to the Voluntary program from CLIA here:
https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/26770-clia-blasts-new-cdc-cruise-program-as-discriminatory.html
Cliff Notes: it's discriminatory. See my discussion of this above in the post I made earlier.

I wonder if anyone will ever consider natural immunity in their protocols.  Would be a breathe of fresh air, imo.