CruiserNic

Certainly. But that will continue to be the case with or without pre-cruise testing.

I hope RC gives some more expanded info (ie, this is just phase 1) and data (ie, X percent of booked passengers test positive prior to a cruise) to support why they picked 5 nights as the cutoff.

I wonder what kind of trial balloon this is. Surely they're going to get a lot of feedback from higher C&A status people that avoid the short cruises.

I don't think I understand the logic here but okay. Maybe this is phase 1?

Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all voyages and for vaccinated guests only on voyages that are six nights or longer. "
 
Kind of a disappointing change.  Booze cruisers get rewarded.
 
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/royal-caribbean-group-reports-second-120000818.html

Per RCCL's latest earnings release: 
"Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all voyages and for vaccinated guests only on voyages that are six nights or longer. "
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/royal-caribbean-group-reports-second-120000818.html
Hey - it's a start!! 

^^^This^^^ I'm a RCCL newbie, but The Bionic Bar looks like a gimmick that I can live without.  I'd rather talk to a person at the bar, get suggestions on something new and the like.  Art Auction is a joke.  
#1 for me would be (as others have stated) - get rid of smoking in the casino.  Or at least limit smoking to late night. No smoking until 10:00 pm, then stay at your own risk.
 

I second the numerous high-end/brand name stores. I've never seen people in them often and I personally don't look at cruising as an opportunity to buy super expensive jewelry that could get lost or damaged on my trip. And even if I did, I'd just want to use the ports....every port has numerous shops....
I'd love more mid-priced stores or RC branded stores. Like...it's a mall feel in the promenade...give me a shoe store, an electronics store, a cinnabon/auntie annes, heck..I'd even take one of those airport convenience stores...a Hudson News. lol

Get rid of the bionic bar and put a real one in its place.  I would also vote for the art auction and crazy number of watch/jewelry shops on board.  

Even as a non-user of Adventure Ocean it may be the most important feature of Royal Caribbean to me.  It keeps kids so busy and so entertained that they are rarely bored or act out on the ships.  As someone who has never had kids and doesn't particularly enjoy spending time around them, this is such a benefit.  They are happy, I'm happy, parents are happy, everyone benefits!  Without Adventure Ocean I would probably have to cruise an adults-only line.

I voted for gym and spa but really it's only the gym part I'd drop. For my first 3/4 cruises, I would take workout wear thinking I'd use the gym....but I never did and those clothes never got worn. But that's just for me and I think there are enough people who still use them to make them worthwhile. Plus, I think the crew also uses the main gym.
 
Honestly, if I got rid of anything it'd be the casino and smoking.....

If you had listed art auctions as one of the choices, you'd probably have a winner 😉

They should get rid of bars
 

The stairs are my gym

But if there was no adventure ocean, there'd be more kids running around the various decks. So you indirectly benefit
 

Bring back skeet shooting 👍👍👍

Since this is just a poll of our personal preferences/usage, I never use the Gym/Spa (exercise on vacation?) and my kids are adults, so Adventure Ocean doesn't do anything for me.

I share the same curiosity as @SpeedNoodles so I hope if you do sail with them you come back and share your experience! From what I've heard and seen from those who have cruised Virgin, I am very curious as to what your perspective would be of what they have to offer!

LOL!! Absolutely NOT!!  I just thought he might have some interesting content for you.  I'm totally interested in knowing if you go on a Virgin cruise and what your experience is if you do.

Check out @monorailmedic 's content on www.cruisehabit.com (as well as CruseHabit on YouTube).  They've been sailing frequently on Virgin and have some excellent content.  If you have questions about anything he talks about, just post  your question on the video or article.  Billy answers everything quickly and thoughtfully.

This is me just waving bye to this thread as it gets locked. Bye thread, it was nice while it lasted! 🙂

Pattern:  For the most part RCCL does a great job providing a wonderful cruise experience overall.  I    trust I    am safe on their ships and will have a good time.
Pattern:  Current RCCL COVID protocols defy any real sort of logic to everyday life, the math is overwhelmingly in my favor to cruise and I  feel perfectly safe jumping on a ship without COVID protocols.
I     don't simply say poorly implemented and regemented COVID protocols  = bad RCCL captains and staff that make the ship unsafe and I     can't trust them.

After all....90% Vax is WAY safer than 80% Vax or 70% Vax....I've lost the ability to be shocked or phased in the absence of common sense and logic displayed by companies, government, people....
Bowen....my hope is to someday share a beverage and a laugh on a cruise ship with you.  Perhaps I    will follow where you go.

I completely agree with you

I honestly don't believe that the reason or wording anyone uses on there exemption request means didly squat. They accept them until they reach 10% and then cut them off. I highly doubt there is someone at Royal's offices sifting through exemption requests saying that religious exemption request A is not as fundamentally founded as religious exemption request B. Or that this medical request exemption is more scientific than that medical exemption........
 
 

I don't believe this is the cabin steward personally asking for extra.  They are there to use wherever you want around the ship.  I wouldn't look into it that deeply.