WAYNO

Well then... If they're that light, just maybe my RoyalUp will be accepted for my Feb 26 cruise on Odyssey. Fingers remaining crossed.

Thanks for the reports. I've thought so many times of doing a Mexican Riviera cruise. Living in Oregon, a little 2-hour flight to Los Angeles would sure be easy. So, I'm always interested to hear folks' experiences on such a cruise, until I do it for myself.

If you like to sit on the beach, enjoying the sun and the ocean... and a steak and lobster to boot? It's an easy choice.

I am a firm believer that even the experts don't really know where the pre-paid gratuities go. I have asked many times while on a ship, and never twice in a row do I get the same answer, either from employees or supervisors. So, I do pre-paid gratuities, I pay the 18% that's tacked on drinks, and I still tip my servers, waiters/waitresses, and room attendants in cash. Ain't nobody calling me a cheapskate.

Although Cats is not my cup of tea, I suspect there are plenty of folks that think such a production is the cats meow. So I would not hope for the demise of this production only because I didn't care for it. I would further suspect it has a bigger following than we might think.

By now you're on your way. And on the 26th, I'll be on the same boat. Have a great cruise! Wayne.

My experience... The vendors do not want local currency. They want US dollars. Their currency fluctuates in value so much, even they don't know what their money is worth. Prices are always quoted to me in US dollars.

We have also thought about moving South. My research tells me I oughta live in central/inland Florida. That's still less than 2-hours drive to a couple of the cruise ports, the houses are much cheaper than on the beach, and hurricanes often slow down a little bit by the time they get inland. Winter Haven is on my radar.

We tried Spirit also. It just didn't pencil out in the end. With add-on costs such as luggage, membership fees, and even having to pay to talk to an agent, in the end, a major carrier would have been cheaper. I understand if you're needing a cheap way to get somewhere, and you have zero luggage, as well as expect absolutely nothing in amenities, then Spirit could save some people a little money.

We have done the Orlando/Cocoa Beach/Port Canaveral thing multiple times, using a rental car. From Orlando Airport, we took the car to the motel in Cocoa Beach, and to the rental car agency in Cocoa Beach the next morning, where they had a free shuttle waiting to get us to the cruise port. We reversed the process at the end of the cruise.

I recently mentioned this to my wife. I watch the old geezer channels and see Royal Caribbean ads often. She watches mainstream TV and has yet to see a Royal ad. Apparently, this far from cruise ports, it's not a targeted market for such ads on the major channels.

It's wise to be doing your homework early. And speed of tests can vary by location. None of the big-box pharmacies out here will commit to results within the time frame required for a cruise. So in our case, the best option was to schedule a test at our healthcare provider. Two tests for two individuals at the same time and place. One result was received the next day, the other result was received the second day. That still cut it close and made for a nail biter.

I also was contacted by Royal, over a month ago, offering us a Royal Up, from a Balcony to a Junior Suite on Odyssey. I offered the top available bid, but at 3-weeks til we cruise, I've heard nothing. My fingers remain crossed.

I am envious of those folks living close enough to a cruise port that they can take advantage of the shorter cruises.

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Odyssey, Feb 26th, 8-day... Originally, Aruba, Curacao, Grand Cayman. Grand Cayman was then cancelled and replaced with Nassau. Today, Jan 28th, we were notified that Nassau is now cancelled and replaced with Perfect Day.

First... The A-B-C Islands, (we were scheduled for all three earlier, but alas, our cruise was cancelled). Barbados, The Dominican Republic and Grenada are also on our to-visit list.. We're booked on Odyssey for February 26th, and are going to Aruba and Curacao. So that leaves a cruise in the future to visit Bonaire to complete the ABC trifecta. We're also seriously considering our options to cruise to the Mexican Riviera. A two hour flight to Los Angeles would sure ease the logistics of travel.

We have cruised NCL one time. Norwegian Breakaway. The nicest ship we've been on, but we still prefer Royal. Differences? For us, the hugest difference is, on Breakaway there is not a traditional Promenade. Shops scattered throughout, but not concentrated in any area, and many more bar opportunities. On NCL, I just plain miss having a Promenade where I can sit and watch people go by, and visit. I suppose the bottom line is, the Breakaway was geared to a younger crowd. And that's good for them. I'm glad there are choices.

The longer this is discussed, the further I'm confused. I'd rather go back to the old days when cash tips were given for every service received. I do the pre-paid gratuities thing. In addition, I still tip in cash, over and above this, as I do not know who receives a portion of the pre-paid gratuities, or how much they receive. I tip very well my food servers, my drink servers, my cabin attendant, and anybody that provides a service. Then, over and above all this, just yesterday I was charged another pre-paid tip package for beverages. Everybody I've talked to about this, has their own idea of how the tip packages work, but seldom do any two people understand it the same, including employees on a ship. The only folks that know for sure if they're being tipped, are the folks that receive cash in their hand.

The one and only time we sailed from Bayonne... On Anthem, the skipper had to outrun Hurricane Dorian which ended our cruise slightly early. To make it up to us, he drove the ship quite a ways up the Hudson River, spun cookies adjacent to New York City, and passed the Statue of Liberty. That was a wonderful treat. We were close!

@Caribbean ... Very nice report. Thank you.

We're booked on Odyssey, end of February thru the first week of March. This one's been tough, trying to keep it all together. Airlines have been a pain. A combination of airline cancellations, fights for refunds, and the price going up substantially with each re-booking, as well as port cancellations and the ever-changing covid protocols made me question the karma of this cruise. But we wanted to go, and we stuck with it. As we speak, we are booked for the cruise, we again have airline tickets, and a stay at a motel in Ft. Lauderdale the night before the cruise. I hope for no more surprises.

Most of our sailings have been in Junior Suites, and they are well worth it to us. Depending on the ship, you could either have double-bathrooms, or a huge single bathroom and a walk-in closet large enough to live in. A larger couch, a larger balcony, and more floor space, all are nice. As we speak, I'm booked on a cruise next month in a balcony stateroom. I was offered a Royal Up, jumped on it in a heartbeat, and I have my fingers crossed.

Our Medicare Advantage HMO has paid for all medical services on the ship while cruising the Caribbean. Both on the ship, and in port at the beginning of the cruise, the providers involved all billed our insurance directly. Had hospitalization been prescribed, that's where the travel insurance is valuable, to fly a patient to a modern hospital. .

This video worked fine. I'm sorry you're having to endure this. This is tough for the folks affected, and for the folks trying to keep it together. I am scheduled on a cruise in late February. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Get well soon! Wayne. (from rainy Western Oregon)