AspiringCruisePlanner

PSA that Walgreens provides a rapid PCR test called ID NOW. It is a NAAT test which is a type of PCR test that Royal would accept. The test is performed ON SITE at Walgreens, so you can get your results back in as soon as an hour instead of waiting for results from an offsite lab. My wife and I used the tests for our trip to Hawaii in May when they required PCR tests within 72 hours of arrival. Super easy to go through the drive-thru, take a sample, and got the results via email in an hour. You could always schedule appointments on the third and second days before the cruise in case an inconclusive test came back.

To add on to @WAAAYTOOO wonderful insight, there's some things you (or your TA) should calculate and consider before deciding to move your GD to the ATS stateroom reservation. I'll do my best to include them all succinctly. All the assumptions made here are made based on this sailing occurring after January 2nd, 2022 due to the recent final payment deadline modification by Royal. Option #1: Move GD from balcony to ATS booking Since you originally booked more than two people in the ATS, the price that your GD would pay would be the same as what you paid for your high schoolers (3rd/4th passengers) in your original booking. Adding people in this scenario does not trigger a reprice. Removing your GD from the balcony with your son and daughter-in-law would most likely trigger a reprice and could require a room change, potentially to a different deck. I'm not certain on this room change requirement, so you should call and ask. Assuming you didn't purchase a beverage or dining package for your GD, you wouldn't be saving any cost there by moving her to the ATS booking. In this scenario, you may end up saving money while being able to have your GD on the ATS booking, but I doubt it. Also, @WAAAYTOOO's insight on the star class perks for travel companions still applies. Option #2: Move GD AND daughter-in-law to ATS booking Since you originally booked more than two people in the ATS, the price that your GD AND daughter-in-law would pay would be the same as you paid for your high schoolers in your original booking. Adding people to the ATS in this scenario does not trigger a reprice. Removing your GD and daughter-in-law from the balcony would likely trigger a reprice and potentially a room location change. This could be a price increase or decrease. You'd have to find out. Moving your daughter-in-law to the ATS would negate the need for her to have the UDP and UBP since she'd receive star class perks. Saving you that $. In this scenario, you may end up ahead by not needing the dining and beverage packages for your daughter-in-law. Also, the 3rd/4th passenger rate could be really cheap. Our ATS booking had rates of $487 for the 3rd and 4th. Option #3: Move everyone to the ATS! There's plenty of room in the ATS! You'd probably end up saving the most by doing this and everyone would be guaranteed star class amenities, but it could be a little tight in the room. Our family is planning on sleeping 8 people in the room, but we do have the deck 8 (A1 category) stateroom so there's a little more wiggle room. I hope this helps and I'm curious to hear more about this vacation and how it goes! Our family is on Allure at the end of July.

Why are these available? Shouldn't have been til next week...

Alaska 2023 is open for booking on Royal's site!

It's certainly possible that the young gentleman has ASD which makes it difficult for him to wear a mask correctly or compells him to put things in his mouth. The behavior certainly sounds like he might.

The article states that only passengers 12 and older will be required to be vaccinated. It looks like they are still allowing kids 11 and younger to sail without being vaccinated. The OP was referencing new vaccination requirement for kids 5 and older on DCL.

Good question that I was wondering myself. However, antibody level tests have not proven to be strong indication of disease protection. Check out the NPR article below. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/08/28/1031287076/antibody-tests-should-not-be-your-go-to-for-checking-covid-immunity I've heard people talking about whether cruise lines would start accepting antibody screenings in lieu of vaccination proof. The article plainly describes that this is not a viable option at this point. The CDC guidance for booster shots came from empirical research comparing the efficacy of the mRNA vaccines over a several months as well as safety data from clinical trials and vaccine side effects reporting systems. Research showed that there was gradual but significant waning of efficacy for all age groups in the months following the second dose. Interestingly, the efficacy waning was most significant for those younger than 65. They also discussed the safety results pertaining to booster shots from clinical trials and the nationwide vaccine side effect reporting systems to ensure the benefits of this booster outweigh the risks of adverse effects. They put together a very constructive presentation highlighting all these details (link below). https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2021-11-19/06-COVID-Oliver-508.pdf I know most people don't have the interest to do this level of research on vaccines, but the more that myths about these vaccines get snuffed out by people who've done their research the faster we can get back to normal. Including cruising without tests or masks!

Agreed, there's quite a few complications that would occur trying to manage mandates for booster shots by the cruise line or any other port of call, which is promising for those people who decide not to get a booster. What is concerning is that without a larger percentage of people boosted this Spring and Summer, it can be expected to see higher and higher infection rates aboard cruise ships unless the testing protocols are capturing all COVID positive cases (not really possible due to the inherent false negative rates of these tests and the incubation time for the virus before a positive test result can be reported). The only thing the cruise lines can really do at this point is mitigate risk of infection by continuing their current protocols until infection rates (or possibly hospitalization and death rates with the help of new antiviral drugs) have consistently been close to zero. Until this happens, they really don't have any choice to reduce protocols without risking major PR hits when outbreaks aboard ships take place. If everyone had the basic understanding of vaccination risks and benefits - both individual and community - (it's not even close how far the scale tips to one side) this virus would have had its butt kicked many months ago. It just shows in my home state of Minnesota. The overwhelming number of cases within this last few months have come from those in rural areas with vaccination rates lower than 60%. People who are making the decision not to vaccinate "for their own health" are really making it worse for everyone. It's like getting into a car with someone who doesn't put their seatbelt on. They are putting themselves at risk mostly, but they also put everyone else in the car at risk if there is an accident and they turn into a human projectile. Human behavior is a double edged sword for businesses, including cruise lines.

In case others were wondering if there were sales other than the cruise planner, here's what they are offering for cruise fare discounts this week. https://loyaltoyoualways.com/service/cyberweek2021/

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-expands-eligibility-covid-19-vaccine-boosters The CDC is meeting today to finalize their recommendation. With the rising rate of breakthrough cases, this couldn't come a moment too soon. I think that it would be a significant challenge for cruise lines to manage instituting requirements for booster shots. However, the farther along we go the greater the likelihood in rise of onboard cases and transmission due to the steady reduction in efficacy of the vaccine over time. Requiring boosters within a certain time frame (after 2nd dose) would significantly reduce the likelihood of increased cases occurring onboard cruise ships. I guess we'll have to wait and see whether people make this choice on their own.

I looked up the trademark and it was registered this November by Royal. I'm convinced it's a real offer.

More planning fun. I recently listened to the episode 358 podcast "family olympics" with Donna and thought that would be perfect for our group! We're also a competitive bunch and it seems like a fun way to get everyone to try a bunch of activities on Allure. I already started on the events rules document (my family is very anal about making sure the rules are understood and clear ahead of every game) and a spreadsheet that calculates the winners based off event times and results based on a points system. I'll be happy to share this with everyone after the cruise. The events I have though of so far are: -Flow Rider (longest surf time) -Rock climbing (fastest time to top) -Mini golf, of course *chuckles* -A relay around the jogging track (maybe). This might actually be too disruptive -Flip cup -Chug a beer (or soda) contest -Hot dog eating contest -Skeeball What's nice is we should be able to get some help from our genies planning some of these events! Maybe plan an opening or closing ceremony We're definitely not going to be the typical group of people booking the star class suites. Or maybe we are? Let me know if y'all have any other ideas for events we could do. Or ideas for prizes for the winners.

Although we're not in the same boat *chuckles* I'm especially reminded on Veteran's Day we must be thankful that we live in a country that gives us the freedom of choice due to the sacrifices of our veterans.

There was at least one death though the cruise line was not to blame. This was from the latest CDC CSO Extension.

I understand your frustration with the situation. I think we can all agree that COVID came in the "sweet spot" mix of deadliness and transmissibility. Just not deadly enough to go into 100% shutdown but transmissible enough that mask mandates, social distancing, and capacity restrictions are necessary. This "sweet spot" and the public's reaction to it is the reason it's dragged on for so long. Let's not forget nearly everyone's first news break about COVID-19, the Diamond Princess outbreak. Cruise lines were the first to get bashed in the public eye and shut down immediately when in reality the majority of transmissions were likely coming from people flying from abroad. Because of this, cruise lines had to tread very lightly to get back and running. Everyone's eyes were on these initial "return to sailing" itineraries. If another outbreak like the Diamond Princess happened again, it would be "come back next year" for the cruise lines. Since returning to sailing, cruise lines have shown excellence in implementing mandates and protocols that have mitigated the transmission of COVID aboard their ships. The CDC reported only 452 positive cases aboard all cruises between Jun 26 and Aug 26 which sailed approximately 600k passengers. I think it is safe to say that the protocols in place are working. The challenges that the cruise lines have to navigate through after the conditional sail order expires are human behaviors. I found this in the CDC's CSO Extension on Oct 25: The infected person probably didn't want their vacation cut short by potentially testing positive for COVID, but that decision ultimately led to their life being cut short. "Normal" human behavior is the reason why this virus has been dragging on so long and the cruise lines have to jump through quite a few hoops to try to stay in business because of it. It would be great not having to deal with vaccine and testing mandates by the cruise lines, but without them outbreaks and cases would be much too prevalent aboard cruise ships.

Y'all are speaking a different language.

I guess I'd like to know how they plan on sleeping you all in the one balcony stateroom that has a maximum of 4 guests. There's no way! I'd call back and explain this fact with a different customer support agent in attempts to get a refund. If they re-accommodated you into two separate balcony staterooms you would have less of a case, but since you all were moved into one, they have to do something.

+1 for the J&J vaccine. Very low rates of side effects in comparison to the Moderna or Pfizer shots, plus you only need 1 shot. I got my J&J booster last week and had absolutely no side effects. Getting vaccinated is a personal choice and social and mainstream media have a big impact on people's views on its safety and effectiveness. If people aren't vaccinated at this point, I feel it would be hard to change their mind.

Are you manually capturing the data or do you leverage some other automated method? I hope it's the latter. The reason I ask it because the site I use for tracking prices includes a price history chart much like yours and breaks the categories down even further including the 3 tiers of suite classes. The data points on the chart are plotted daily and display the lowest price per person for that category. You can also adjust the number of people in the cabin and it will adjust the data points accordingly. I've found the data that they pull to be very reliable. When I found the site, I couldn't believe my eyes. Such a simple design that shows the info so intuitively. They don't sell the cruises so they don't have all the extra fluff that the other booking sites have. I feel like a TA Check it out for yourself: cruiseplum.com Here's the same itinerary as your second chart. Hovering over the lines shows a tooltip of the actual price for that day.

Another thing to consider is that the final payment for cruises through March 31, 2022 (including yours) is not due until 30 days prior to sailing. This applies towards booking made directly through the cruise line and through travel agents. If you've made any payments already you should be able to get that back as cash until the 26th of November. The downsides of doing the 100% future cruise credit that Matt mentioned is that you'd have to book a sailing to use the credit by April 30th, 2022 that departs before December 31, 2022. Also, future cruise credits are credited to each individual rather than a lump sum that can be used for a different mix of people. So if a few people from the original party couldn't make it to the next booking, their credits would be forfeited as they cannot be transferred. I believe the only exception would be for your father's future cruise credit based on his vaccination status. I'd make the cancelation before the 26th of this month if him not going is truly going to be a deal-breaker. Dealing with the future cruise credits or canceling after final payment were made would be more hassle than it's worth.

Agreed, game changer. Although I still feel that the protocols in place (Vax requirements, masks, testing) will continue until infection rates on land are at extremely low levels or hospitalization/death rates are near zero (which may prove to be achievable with the widespread use of this pill in conjunction with vaccinations). I truly feel bad for those people who have legitimate medical reasons for why they can't get the vaccine and can't sail right now.

These are preliminary results from the Phase 2/3 clinical trial of the drug. I wouldn't necessarily categorize it as a small study. Also, the fact that they are stopping further clinical trial research based on independent expert recomendation due to the overwhelming positive results, I think it's safe to say that this antiviral has shown enough benefit to be granted emergency authorization. True, but it's reasonable to predict that the outcomes for vaccinated people would show even less hospitalization and death rates based on the proven low rates for those who are vaccinated. That's likely why high-risk, unvaccinated patients were selected for the trial. Validate the effectiveness of the drug for those most at risk for severe symptoms.

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-medication-eeea3c6a5f6428479e35bc1bcd7aec52 Saw this news today. 90% reduction is a game changer! Every breakthrough is one step closer to getting back to normal! I like this section: Study participants were unvaccinated, with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, and were considered high risk for hospitalization due to health problems like obesity, diabetes or heart disease. I feel that if this gets FDA approval and gets widespread availability and use soon which ultimately leads to significant reduction in hospitalizations and deaths, COVID no longer becomes a crisis. Hopefully, then masking and testing requirements would become less relevant. Heck, the flu could prove to be more deadly than COVID once these pills become available. Am I being to hopeful thinking that this should have an impact on the timeline of reducing mandates in the cruise industry? Or is this going to have a similar outcome as the vaccines where enough of the population won't trust the medicine to make enough of an impact on hospitalizations and deaths?