LonB

Thanks for posting this.   I was hoping I'd feel this way (headed out of the Freedom in two weeks). I'm glad to hear that Royal is doing it right!!  Glad you had a good time

Just got home from the Allure of the seas Aug 22, 2021 cruise. So first I have to say, that I felt safer on the ship then I do at my work(I work in a hospital). Everywhere you look and turn are hand sanitizing stations and hand washing stations. They clean your stateroom twice a day, all theaters are fogged after each show, masks are required for everyone indoors and pools and hot tubs have a capacity limit as well as elevators which are also cleaned ALL DAY LONG! The care that is put into making sure we are safe is above no other. The buffet was weird to not serve yourself but was still kind of normal feeling (as much as it could be), you cant even get your own drinks for the refillable cups, they have someone there at all times to serve you. we were at about 30% capacity (1684 passengers and 1800 staff). We have already booked for our next cruise to cozumel in March 2022. We did have to present our negative covid test and vaccine record 3 times prior to boarding the ship but we gladly did so. We have no doubt Royal is going way above what the CDC says they need to do.

I'm not expecting any issues.  It's not even something I'm thinking about.  In the past as a solo cruiser my points often posted incorrectly but C&A always fixed them with a simple phone call.  I expect that to continue.  

Hey folks,
 
So I have a cruise coming up om Allure in mid September. I know that there is cruising with reduced capacity but wanted to know if anyone has heard specific information going into the summer? 
 
Thanks for any information!
Ed

I have the Bixax’s just in case, but hoping nothing changes.  We’re going on Mariner this Friday and we have Antigen tests scheduled for Tuesday am. ?

The antigen test results come out within 15-30 minutes of testing

Are you alllowed to buy two ? Do you get more C&A points for having the double drink package ?

Thanks Josh - That's what I figured.   Appreciate the quick response 

I vote to book another cruise this year….ya gotta do what ya gotta do!?

I feel sorry for anyone in this situation as well, but seriously, people really shouldn't consider traveling internationally (including cruises) during a pandemic unless they are willing to keep up with the ever-changing rules daily.  You really have to stay on top of things.  A look at the website each day for RCI, and understanding the different types of tests that are acceptable, including turn-around times, would have really helped this couple out.  That, and actually reading the many 'forms' they have to sign off on.
I have friends that are (or have) travelled internationally and they are clueless.  I have no idea how they either get where they are going....or eventually make it home.  

I don’t think there’s any uproar at all. RCI, at least, wants to be running fully-vaccinated cruises, as evidenced by the fact that they’re already doing so everywhere (I think?) but Florida. These changes by the islands just give them more cover to do what they have wanted to do all along in Florida as well. 

It is fairly simple if Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines with itineraries that include stops in the Bahamas wish to continue to sail to the Bahamas then they must comply with Bahamian law and require all passengers over the age of 12 be fully vaccinated in defiance of Florida law which so far we have not heard of any cruise line being fined by Florida.
However if a cruise lines decides they are going to comply with the Florida law and not require all passengers over the age of 12 be fully vaccinated then that cruise line or cruise ship can not stop in the Bahamas at all including the cruise lines private islands.
Basically cruise lines and their passengers are now stuck in the middle of this mess and they never should have been in the middle of this vaccine passport bill to begin with.

I knew something like this would happen the minute Ron DeSantis signed that bill on vaccine passports which didn't exempt cruiselines.  I've said this from the very beginning cruiselines should be in the same category as airlines because except for the 2021 Alaska season there are no domestic cruises out of the U.S..   These Caribbean Island nations can not afford to be overrun with COVID and they have to do what they deem necessary to protect themselves until they have enough vaccine in circulation to where everyone of their citizens has a choice just like we here in the U.S. have a choice.
I am not surprised at all to see the Bahamas take this approach even with the cruise lines private islands, we have keep in mind although it is a private island locals still work on those islands, not every person we come across on these private island work on the cruise ship some of them actually live in the Bahamas.  
Ron DeSantis has no power to tell another country who they can allow into their country even the USVI now require cruise passengers over a certain age be vaccinated. 

....... if RCL wants to operate in the Caribbean, they're going to have to switch gears and require everyone to be vaxed. 
I hold that what's going on throughout the Caribbean is hyper-conservative but completely understandable given limited health services. These islands cannot afford an outbreak and all it takes with Delta is one 12 yo getting infected in route to a cruise, passing antigen screening during the incubation period, going on a tour, spreading virions at high concentration levels and infecting unvaxed islanders.....1 to 5, 5 to 25, 25 to, you get the point. While the risk of that occurring remains low, it's a risk that governments protecting a vulnerable population and vulnerable health care systems are unwilling to take. 

This is excellent news, and likely exactly what several of the cruise lines were hoping would happen in other countries after St. Thomas made their announcement not too long ago about the requirement. Plant the seed, watch it take root and grow.

FWIW
I am boarding a cruise tomorrow and had a PCR test done on Tuesday of this week at a Walgreens near me.  Cost was $0.
Test sample was taken ~4pm Tuesday and my results were received by email at 1am this morning, on a Thursday.  Results: Negative.
I scheduled the Walgreens test on Monday and chose the next day to fall within the "3 day" window for my cruise.   My only checkbox when signing up for the test was "International Travel".  This particular location does not offer rapid testing.  A PCR test was my only choice.  The test was done in my car at a drive thru window.  They explained the steps to me, passed the kit through the drive thru slot to me, I did the tickle swab up my nose (15 seconds each side) and followed the instructions to seal it and pass it back while being supervised by them the whole time. 
I have found that CVS allows you to schedule tests 13 days in advance.  I have another cruise in just over two weeks and I have already scheduled a CVS test to fall within the 3 day window pre-cruise.  
I love the cruise industry and while I wasn't required to test for this weekends cruise I feel a lot better knowing I am not an asymptomatic carrier potentially bringing something to the terminal where I know I will be tested again based on that cruise line's policies.  I have no plans between testing and cruising so my opportunity to become infected between test and cruise is reduced.  I don't even need to go grocery shopping in between.
This was a practice run for my Odyssey cruise in September and I am much more comfortable with the whole testing process and timeframe in preparation for my Odyssey cruise. 
So now not only am I vaccinated but I have also tested negative and I am ready to cruise safely!