Flowrider

On 12/27/2021 at 12:40 AM, MuttMutt said:

My issue with the Galveston Expansion at this point is there are basically only Mexico Cruises with Roatan.  So the other route which was Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Falmouth are gone.  It's a real bummer since I was hoping that they would add more routes in instead of removing them.  We lost New Orleans as a port as well in the last year not that I really wanted to sail from there but now my only option is to head to Florida and since I like to dive and carry a lot of gear flying isn't the greatest option for me.  Not to mention they have been packing the planes and it's cheaper for me to drive with 2 people by a TON.  Plus I can take my weights and not worry that I have a suitcase that weighs 70 pounds.

Really hoping that we can get back to Jamaica and Falmouth again.  It’s great to be cruising again, but I’m with you.  Cozumel, Costs Maya, and Roatan need a little diversity.

Street Tacos Mazatlan 

45 minutes ago, Heather M said:

hello

This is our first time cruising with our two kids, ages 7 and 9. They are both vaccinated. I uploaded vaccine cards to the app for my husband and myself, but don't see a way to upload my kids' cards. I just now received an email from Royal asking me to schedule their second antigen test on check-in day. Am I correct that they don't need to take another test on check-in day and that their PCR test (that all four of us are getting) 2 days prior to sailing is enough? Is there a way for me to upload their vaccine cards now or do I need to wait until check-in to show them?

Thanks!

You are correct.  Fully vaccinated children don’t need to register for the antigen test.  Follow typical vaccinated protocols and have them take a test with you 2 days prior.

You won’t be able to upload their cards yet.  System hasn’t been changed for that.  Just take their cards to the terminal and they will do it all there.  

We were on the same one with you, fantastic cruise!  There were minimal slots available for the adventure ocean.  Didn’t care though honestly.  We had a ton of fun with our kids! Lots of Flowrider time, rock wall, sports courts, card games, hot tubs, chatting with other people, and not to mention all the good shows and activities that were planned! We hardly had any down time!  Our kids are 7, 10, 13 and 15.  Older ones hung out with us too and didn’t even do teens club.

Navigator crew seemed very low staffed.  I think it’s because they have had much lower capacity levels on a day to day basis on the Navigator.  The Christmas cruise is an obvious bigger draw and higher capacities were a given.  Not feasible to expect RC to hire more crew for a week or two just to cover everything.

6 hours ago, twangster said:

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/12/31/thousands-reject-cdc-advice-board-cruise-ships-for-vacations-amid-rise-in-covid-cases/

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Cruising into the new year, thousands of passengers are rejecting the CDC’s advice not to sail as COVID-19 cases reach record numbers. The CDC issued this guidance despite every passenger 12 and older being required to be vaccinated.

“We don’t like to see even one case, but our experience is a fraction of the comparable statistics of virtually any other comparable location or industry,” Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain wrote in a statement Thursday.

Royal Caribbean said since restarting in the summer, 1,700 of its 1.1 million guests have tested positive with 41 of those passengers going to the hospital and none of those 41 with the new variant.

I think it’s better if we all stop clicking and reading these stupid news articles.  Stop giving these news outlets clicks.  Push these stupid news articles ti the bottom of news feeds.  

9 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

No big deal at all. 

Exactly!!!

Just got off the Navigator.  Mask was indoors the whole time, not outdoors.  When we were in line to be served food at Johnny Rockets or El Loco Fresh they asked us to put it on.  No mask required at the pool.

Once we got off the ship in Mazatlan/Cabo/Puerto Vallarta we took masks off.  Nobody ever asked us to put the on except for obvious indoor settings, i.e. in a store/shop.

MDR or Windjammer you wear it like before.  Sitting at the table the mask is off.  Walking around to buffet mask is on.

20 hours ago, Neesa said:

Here is the letter we just received in our cabin. My refunds for excursions as well as the two days refund already hit my on board account. While I struggle with Royal and the reason we got here I feel they have handled this with transparency and the unexpected compensation is MORE then generous in my humble opinion. 

 

Wow that’s super generous!  I actually really enjoy the sea days so that would be a sweet bonus!

2 hours ago, not easy being green said:

 

The Walgreens that we use (about 30 miles from us), let all customers know that they will have no tests for the rest of the year and well into January that are monitored.  They get in self tests weekly and that really is not helpful for travel and the home tests are now very limited.

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/supply-chain/us-faces-pressure-to-keep-up-with-heightened-covid-19-test-demand.html?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=3025D9657890H1H

Or:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/21/walgreens-limits-at-home-covid-tests-to-four-per-customer-due-to-demand-surge-amid-omicron-fears.html

I also read on another discussion that eMed is having delays, it is getting harder to find/get tested with paying a lot of money and even some of them are running low on supplies.  Not sure how this is going to mess up travels or even cruising down the road.

Doubt it will be a problem.  Emed is just delayed because of Holiday shipping.  It’s natural to see more demand with the spike of Covid cases, but manufacturers will respond bc of the big money involved.

35 minutes ago, Darryl Luke said:

I bought a 3 pack eMed at home test kit - one for a current cruise and the others for future cruises next year.  Is there an expiration date on these test kits if one of my cruises isn’t until next April?

Look on the back of the test kit.  Expiration dates are right there in a sticker.  

12 minutes ago, Austin said:

I know it’s all speculation, but I’m curious to see what you guys think.

Original Feb. Oasis itinerary was DR, Puerto Rico, Labadee, St Thomas

Changed to Nassau, Puerto Rico, Labadee St Thomas

I know we won’t be going to Labadee, but they cannot change it to Nassau since they already changed Dominican Republic to Nassau. Coco Cay also is unlikely because there is already an Oasis Class there on the same day. I guess they could change the entire order of the itinerary too.

I’m hoping the bring back DR now that the pier is ready and replace Labadee with Coco Cay.  

Thanks for the hot tip! We’re heading there in January and couldn’t decide what to do.  We really wanted the Mayan water park, but that appears to be on permanent lockdown!

2 hours ago, OscarMayer said:

The Puerto Plata port (Taino Bay) opened this week (on 12/15) and has already received two passenger ships. I wonder what are the odds of Royal Caribbean putting it back on my itinerary for January 2022….

https://dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2021/12/17/cruise-ship-cuts-ribbon-on-puerto-plata-us80m-port/

https://www.porttainobay.com/es

It looks wonderful! 

 

This is huge news! We were schedule there in Feb, but they changed us to Nassau.  I hope they reverse it! I don’t want to go to Nassau!!!

We’re doing the navigator for Christmas.  Haven’t even booked excursions… all the offerings stink!

Initially we had 2 booked and then they got canceled.  Very disappointed!

16 hours ago, Shay said:

I'm already making a stop in Coco Cay. I'm hoping for Cozumel or DR.

We were supposed to go to the DR, but they said that work on the pier would not be completed and they changed us to Nassau.  Not excited about that!

1 hour ago, TXcruzer said:

We were on Liberty for Thanksgiving week, had a GREAT time, as will you I am sure.

Was windjammer opened for dinner on Thanksgiving?

29 minutes ago, Shay said:

I'm cruising in February and I haven't seen any updates about Labadee, which we're scheduled to visit. I was there about 10 years ago and loved it. I was looking forward to seeing all the updates to royals private island.

I hope we don't get rerouted to Nassau.

I’m with you on that.  Wasn’t impressed with Nassau.  Send us to Coco Cay!

17 hours ago, not easy being green said:

We just found out on our upcoming Holiday Cruise on Allure of The Seas, The Windjammer is open for all three meals!  Great new for our kids and others!

How did you learn about this?

Is this family friendly?

Anyone have some insider information on the water park.  I can only imagine they were hit hard by the pandemic.  We have been itching to go back there for a long time.  Seems like theirs no information on their website.

Any idea if there’s a way to validate the younger kids on the app?  Looks like Royal hasn’t made that feature available.  We got the older ones done, but there’s no validation option for our 7 and 10 year olds.  

6 minutes ago, D D said:

When can I make reservations since I've heard without one, it is a long line to be seated?

We’ve just walked straight in on the Symphony, Independence, and Adventure post pandemic.  Wash hands and eat.  I wouldn’t bother making a reservation, honestly don’t know how.

4 hours ago, D D said:

First time cruiser here, so for you vets this may seem like a dumb question...but do I need to make reservations for lunch at WJ?  Or breakfast there?  I'm not sailing until Feb on Adventure but wanted to ask now.  If so, can I make them on the day I board because I don't see where I can make them now?  Thanks for any help.

You can make reservations, but you can just walk in.

5 hours ago, Reigert2008 said:

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). 

This is true, they are very good about getting you in and out when you give them a heads up.  Our preference is still the WJ for how we go.

3 minutes ago, rjac said:

You do know you can have dinner served in your room by room service. That way you can get the party started early! 

Yes it’s true… we’ve done that too, but it is nice to grab from the selections of desert or a little of this and that from whatever’s available.