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LinRon2

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  1. Ha, yea what I was thinking. Wife likes the vendors in Labadee as she can find items we don't see in other places in the Caribbean [ha, I always kid her it's all made in China now, LOL]. But no, she actually can bring home some really nice art work and 'stuff'. After all, Haiti is not known for it's tourism so when is one going to get there [except for a stop at Labadee]? As far as the OP question 'which is better' [actually an interesting question that makes one think]...each offers a different experience for us. We like CocoCay for snorkeling. But there's a snorkeling excursion in Labadee that's really nice too [Snorkeling Safari...goes to some really nice reefs and great picturesque photos of mountainous seacost of Haiti]. But we don't see the Safari Snorkeling advertised for next year [2023]? There is a speedboat snorkeling option we might sign up for; not sure yet. Seems a lot more 'exclusiveness' at Labadee [though Cococay has their $1000+ cabanas too and who rents those if not a party of people]? Even their beach clam shell lounges have doubled in rental price we see [now $100]. One things about CocoCay is it never feels too crowded for us even with 2 ships in port. Hard to give either port an edge really; we like both. Labadee has the zip line and I think there's a roller coaster...so that might be a consideration. But not much snorkeling off the beaches we've tried either.
  2. Second Speednoodles comments. They just rent you the equipment and then you are on your own. They do like you to wear a snorkeling vest though [we bring out own gear including vests]. Chill beach is best snorkeling. There's at least two wall structures there out between the lifeguard platforms where fish congregate [mostly majors and school fish]. There was a sunken airplane way out, but you can't get beyond the float lines to get to it anymore. It's nice they station lifeguards on platforms out where you might be snorkeling. Not the clearest water you'll find in the Caribbean, ha...but usually adequate. Might catch sight of a stingray or two. Silt is stirred up quite a bit by mid morning crowds near shore, but once out a ways, it stays pretty clear.
  3. Just a quick comment here on CocoCay in general and the free beaches [we've never paid for anything there like cocoa beach club etc]. We usually go to chill beach and have a good time. We like to snorkel and though not ultra clear water and no reefs [but a few wall structures where fish congregate], it does offer some interesting snorkeling. They station life guards on platforms there now. We tried South Beach a few trips ago, and we didn't like it as much. The sand is sort of mucky there in the water, and after a channel close to shore, there is a very shallow sandbar that goes out quite a ways [again, sort of mucky] and too shallow for swimming. One thing we are impressed with about CocoCayis that it never seems too crowded on the island, even though we've been there with up to 9000 passengers [Mariner and Symphony docked one time]. We can always find a 'free' lounge on the free beaches. Sometimes there's lines to get food though. But RCL has designed the island well IOO [relating to crowdedness].
  4. we were looking to do an ATV adventure at Costa Maya, but we see the maximum age is only 70 [quite angry about this we are]. We did an ATV excursion in Cozumel and it was a blast. 70 year olds are not all decrepid. We do 50+ laps at the Y pool 4 days a week plus gym equipment and I ride close to 100 miles a week on my road bike. But RCL no allows me to snorkel or ATV, ah well. Yes there is a beach snorkel there [but again, no 70 year olds allowed] but you said they weren't interested in the beach [and there's the seaweed problem they have there anyway]. Sorry for the age thing; but not right.
  5. Yea, that's the way we are 'interpreting' the way RCI words all this. We ARE stopping in Columbia in December on the VIsion..and it's more than a 9 day cruise. It just says 'unvaccinated' passengers need to test 3 days prior to boarding [ie for a stop in Columbia]. It does not state directly [positive affirmation] that since we ARE vaccinated, we DON"T have to test. We have only to ASSUME this. There is no statement about number of days anymore, thusly, again we must ASSUME that means we do not have to test if more than 9 days [on that point, no one has to test [unless stopping in Haiti, Honduras, or Columbia AND unvaccinated]]. It remains confusing because one has to ASSUME by what is NOT being said, rather than specific wording that AFFIRMS each condition [that nullifies previous protocols]. Wording has been kind of atrocious on the protocols from the getgo, ha, especially when everybody and their brother [every nation had something different] had a protocol when travel started back up JULY 2021 that changed almost weekly. This is how we are INTERPRETING our 11 night cruise [again, more than 9 days, and stopping in COlumbia]: Only 'unvaccinated' passengers need to test before boarding, for reason that COLUMBIA requires it. The former 9 day maximum before people had to test no longer applies [no limitation on length of cruise since nothing is so stated anymore?]. Therefore, since we are vaccinated, we will NOT have to pre cruise test for our upcoming 11 night cruise on the Vision OS [neither issue applies to us by assumption]. We only go into detail here because we are having to INTERPRET [assume] most of this and could be wrong in some way.
  6. Well, we think it's more a convenience thing really. If' I've used up my 4 vouchers getting drinks for drinks for the both of us, say in our cabin...I doubt I could use my wife's card to get more, meaning she'd have to be the "gopher" or we go together...that sort of thing. As long we're together no problem I would think. But often we aren't [and I'm always the go-fer, ha]. On the martini's, which we highly enjoy before dinner, I somehow think having to make a hard copy with signature will eliminate this with vouchers, since these are $17 drinks. I'm not sure, but somehow I think bars were lending a kind of blind eye on these [at least 2 ships we've been on since the voucher policy allowed the martinis]. I hope not, but with a paper trail, management probably will demand a closer alignment with actual RCI policies. Just guessing on all this and we'll adapt of course. I'm just glad RCI offers these vouchers period. We're just spoiled, LOL. Oh dear...does that mean we're becoming a 'Karen and Kyle"? Ha.
  7. We have our doubts about this new policy of signing checks. My wife and I treat our 8 total drinks between us together. I might go to the bar to get us drinks or coffee in the morning, and instead of taking two ship cards, I'll, say, just use mine for two vouchers. Later one, we might use her card for something I want...say two beers to take back to our cabin etc. IOW, we track our vouchers as eight total rather as individuals. I suspect this new policy might make things more difficult if not impossible for a collective strategy to use the vouchers; not sure. Here something else. We like to have martini's up in the crown lounge or diamond lounge [if we can find a seat, ha] before MDR dinner. So far, our vouchers have been accepted; but martini's I think are $17 drinks. Point here, is if RCI is taking a closer look at these vouchers, will it be harder [if again impossible] for bars to accept the vouchers for anything except the $13 drinks [I think it's $13; forget]. See...can of worms kind of thing. finally, ever since they introduced this voucher program for diamond and above, it's really made big difference in our enjoyment on our cruises. Even from the getgo, I was sort of worried if RCI would continue this benefit for long. We've always found it unbelievable anyone would purchase the full drink package [who drinks that much...totally puzzled we are, ha]...so the vouchers are plenty for us [we have trouble using up all our vouchers; at the end of the day, like I said, we try and order a few beers or sodas to use them up...not always allowable depending on the ship]. Point here, if there are too many problems with this voucher program, via complaints, confusion, or just lack of control...well, we surely don't want to lose this important benefit. It weighs heavy on our decision to book Royal instead of other cruise lines. Anyway, we're keeping an open mind and hopefully this check signing will help things. We'll probably lose the martinis before dinner though, LOL.
  8. Just signed up for this cruise on the Adventure Dec. 2023. Will be our second time in St. Croix. Any excursion suggestions appreciated. Same with Puerta Plata though it was Amber Cove we visited before and didn't get out of port.
  9. Yea, we use cruisemapper. You can find all ships due at any port on a given date. But something we have not found yet is the actual dock any ship might use at a given port [on a given date]. Docks at some ports can be miles apart and if one is making plans off ship, it can be a very material thing to know. If someone knows a good resource for this info, please post. Thanks.
  10. Yea, the chair hogs are perhaps our biggest gripe too. Celebrity seems to handle the chair hogs [our experience anyway] the best by putting out folded towels on every pool lounge start of the day. One can still get locked out of a lounge, but it seems to tame down those saving a lounge for hours without being there. Getting locked out of a table in the Windjammer perhaps our next biggest gripe. That one just due to the hordes of people onboard. There is that sense of anxiety as one approaches either the pool deck or the windjammer as to 'Will I find a place'? You get used to it of course and there are workarounds, like showing up early. I just keep circling the windjammer until I find something open. I've circled up to 4 or 5 times before [eggs cold by then of course, ha]. I used to get mad inside, but now I realize there is no fault by anyone; just how things work out. We envy the OP by Dannyboy. We still love cruising, but there's nothing like the thrill of those first times. Love to hear about those first experiences too [or any experience] There's just something about sitting out on one's balcony, sipping on a beer, watching the horizon or for flying fish going by. Good for the soul or something. Cudos to the Post Dannyboy; hope you venture on many cruises in coming days.
  11. Wait....really! You received shareholder OBC for all your sailings...months in advance? No...actually a year in advance? What gives? RCI info we have says submit 21 days out [about]. Hey great gig if you can get it! Don't understand though since one could sell their stock at any time [much less a year out and Brandon is doing such a great job at it and all]? We have no plans to sell of course since we are now deeply in the RED, LOL. But would be nice to submit just once for sailings throughout the year. I somehow am suspicious of this though [that RCI really does that]. We still haven't discerned what method succeeds in this...by email, on line submittal form, or written snail mail form? We usually receive the benefit [not always though] and we usually submit several times using different methods [my wife and I each own 100+ shares in separate broker accounts so can submit separately, though just looking for the single benefit per stateroom of course].
  12. Well, we understand the frustration for anyone already booked 6 days or more; or a date off or something. But let's be honest...how many of us really thought the cruise lines [much less RCI] would do away with all testing 'immediatly' after CDC got off their backs? We didn't. We thought we'd be testing to the end of the year. So....we celebrated by booking the first 5 day cruise we could find that we liked [on Mariner 8/29 out of canaveral]. We'll probably still have to test for our 7 day on Symphony in October...but this is how we celebrated!!! Just book a 5 day cruise, ha and YAY! Just think, no more sweating out test results just 2 days away from the end to months of planning, expense, expectation, and building excitement...all the while realizing a stupid positive [real or false] would put an end to all of it at the last minute. Boy, will that CDC ever know what they've put people through for cruising? So, that's our vote; time for celebration no matter what. We have come to hate government [just had to put that in, ha]. We used to trust it; now we cruise to get away from the insanity. Just sayin'...
  13. Bring your own, it's fine. We carry ours everywhere a beach might be. I think a snorkel vest is required at chill beach [not sure if or how enforced though]. I didn't see anyone mention it, but there is a swim platform out past the rocks a ways; and I've found an old ship rampart with rusted-crusted cannon half way to that swim platform. There's supposed to be remnant of a plane somewhere too, but I've never seen it [I think out even further than the swim platform, but not sure]. I second the comments about the rocks just off to the right from the beach having some tropicals.
  14. Yep, we did this excursion too and enjoyed it immensely [to Chacchoben]. Pretty long bus ride, but the ruins were great. After these ruins though, we're not sure what to do. We've enjoyed the port pools when only one ship docked, but if more than one...look out, the crowds become daunting. If we stop at costa maya again we plan to do an atv excursion. We did an atv excursion in cozumel and to our surprise, it was really a lot of fun. We always consider beach and snorkeling, but to date [2022], seaweed has been a problem washing up on beaches there in costa maya. it's intermittent we guess, but can't predict and totally ruins beach or in water activities if prevalent [close in anyway]. Open to ideas on excursions others have enjoyed though; ideas really appreciated.
  15. We just finished our 10 day Baltic cruise on the Voyager OS [June 5 sailing from Copenhagen]. We had signed up for the Berlin "discovery" excursion but were very hesitant given the excursion entailed a 3.5 hour bus ride both ways. I looked for any info on this board before we went, but didn't find much [that was recent]. So thought I'd provide a word here now [june 20, 2022]. Of course, Warnemunde is being given as one alternative on Baltic cruises instead of St. Petersburg [given the Ukrainian conflict etc] and Berlin is one excursion choice at that port. Well, in a word, we had a great time. The bus was modern, large, comfortable...and we had rest stops along the way. It was quite interesting viewing all the alternative energy structures across the German countryside [wind turbines and solar panels]. The 3.5 hours went by quick both ways. But the highlight of the trip was a professional guide that joined our group once in Berlin. He was great and we visited all the major bucket list sights (Brandenburg Gate, Bundestag, checkpoint Charlie, remnants of the wall memorial, and other sights) where we exited the bus for short guided walking tours at every site. Then, after seeing the sights, we were given 3 hours on our own. We wandered the streets buying some german chocolate at a large department store [selling nothing but chocolate] and stopped at a cafe for brats and beer We finished up perusing some requisite souvenir shops before getting back on the bus for the ride back to the Voyager OS. Whatever doubts we had about the long bus ride, it turned out to be a high point of our cruise. Berlin is a great city and so much history there, it would have been a shame to NOT have visited [even if just for the day]. Hope this helps anyone thinking about this excursion [actually there were several versions on a Berlin trip; but the trepidation is probably that long 3.5 hour bus ride like we were wary of]. For us, the ride was enjoyable and not the ordeal it might sound like when reading. And the guide that was provided really made the trip ;more than worthwhile.
  16. I have to agree. Keep to the regular dive/snorkel masks. Many here say they have good luck with these full face masks. I'm sure some do. My wife bought one and I tried it out and I immediately knew the big flaw. Inevitably, there is some reason you might need to clear a mask [usually fogging, but water seepage, sinus pressure...other]...and there no way to clear these full face masks without essentially taking it off. Clearing a mask, any mask, is essential. But each to their own of course and some people really like them [the fullness of breathing is surely more comforable...again, until you need to clear]. My vote is don't buy them. My wife's sits in a closet somewhere; used once or twice and she gave up on 'em as well .
  17. absolutely! Spot on. We've always loved Royal and Celebrity and this 'protocol' from European ports is not really in their character IOHO. My wife says someone [maybe a lot of someones, like the Hawaiian couple off Norwegian this week, or even "US"] might be getting stranded missing flights that's gonna create a lot bad will and bad press [already doing that from posts here perhaps; well at least my barking anyway, ha]. We just need DIRECTION on how to get this done; not necessarily that it be FREE, or even on board. We'd glagly pay any reasonable cost. But to just be thrown off the ship...I dunno; just doesn't sound like Royal Caribbean's true character to us. But, we'll deal with it I guess. We've decided to not cancel [though we probably should with no information on how to do this]. I've been napping in our wooden dining room chair trying to get acclimated to airport seats where we'll probably end up sleeping for days on end when we can't get on a flight home, LOL. I'm 71 too. Just sayin'...
  18. Ha, we're actually considering doing that now too...stay a few nights in Copenhagen [for us] and then give us more "time buffer" to get all this done at the airport. Denmark has lifted all travel restrictions so we assume we could do that now [stay a few nights]. We'd love to see more of Copenhagen anyway. But, I just read a discouraging post over on Cruise Critic that some 'US guests' eMed tests were not accepted at their check-in and they had to get tested at the airport. The good news is that they could 'STILL' get tested [even if the eMed tests were rejected] and we assume, still catch their flight.
  19. Yes, thanks on this. We plan to use the airport [for us in Copenhagen] as the primary...the ABBOTT test as backup [but tried first onboard]. Probably for us is we arrive at 5am so probably won't get off ship, may earliest 7am [probably later] then transfer...say get to airport...a guess...9am?10am? and the latest flight is...wait for it...1:30pm. This is a very tight window...and optimistic at that [lucky to get to airport before noon actually]. So the Abbott test seems to be the 'real' answer for us [though we'll go on try the airport too if that abbott fails onboard]. Doing 'air to sea' through ROyal, one would expect more help in this. Ah well. C'est la vie.
  20. Yes, not sure people are understanding the difference coming home from a european cruise where one has to test to get on a flight to get home [to the USA]. We've been trying desperately to hear from someone or others who have actually done this test 'onboard' a ship [a Royal ship]...specifically to get home [before disembark, not embark]. Yes, a great test in comfort of one's own home, with good wifi and internet...or even in a familiar local setting [hotel or whatever]. But...how about on a ship? Or in an airport with people milling around everywhere? Or in a cab on the way to that airport? Or on a street corner somewhere in a foreign city? Or any help from others having to deal with this CDC requirement to get on a flight home [again to the USA]. Thanks in advance. RCL offers no help from European ports for that covid testing [at least in their protocols]. No information whatsoever except to check one's home country's requirement for re-entry. INFORMATION. needed; how, when, and where to get this done?
  21. Yes, agree. We need to know if we are to be helped in some way, or thrown off the ships to fend on our own [for re-entry into the USA]. One way or another. Otherwise, how can we plan?
  22. Hmm...don't see trash in San Juan, or St. Croix, or St. Thomas, or st. Martin, or Coco Cay, or...well, you get the idea. If from the US, one would think ALL these places would see the problem. Right?
  23. Hey, thanks a lot. The Falck test center at the airport might be our best option. Still hard to believe Royal would just throw you off the ship on an 'air to sea' booking. Any costs are not an issue (well, to a point anyway), but just getting the test, that's the problem [the where, how to get there, timing etc]. Here at home, one of our first cruises last year, we had to travel 55 minutes there and back to get an antigen test...and we LIVE HERE and are quite familiar with our state, and can DRIVE ourselves anywhere, and speak the language [though, we realize english pretty widely spoken these days]. In a foreign land...it might seem easy to those who live there or have done it [like it does to us now here in the states], but not so much if youre from out of town, much less the country. With only a 24 hour window everything has to be peaperfect. We still might have to cancel just for sake of a dumb swab up the noggin'; we just haven't decided if we really want to risk missing our flight back home. But the 'Falck' info gives us a viable option at least. Thank you again.
  24. This looked like a good place to ask this question about using the Abbot proctored testing [hope this not considered hijacking a thread, but about covid testing so should be cogent?] Right?. We're booked on a cruise to the Baltic in June [after 21/2years of postponements, lifts and shifts, and cancellations]...but our one last and 'great' hesitation is about covid testing to come back home, which the CDC still requires to get back on a plane into the USA [with a very narrow window of 24 hours]. Denmark and the UK [and other nations] have all dropped testing requirements...but our own USA CDC wants to keep us in pandemic mode forever. So my question is about these Abbot tests being used for onboard testing, say a day before one disembarks [say on a baltic cruise] to catch their plane home. Yes, we've used the abbot tests before, and it's great at home where we have internet service and wifi. But...onboard a ship...in the baltic sea? Our only experience with wifi abroad was in the Mediterranean on the Rhapsody OS, and it was slower than dirt [almost unusable really]. That was just to print out a flight boarding pass...and not for a live proctor of testing and peer to peer video communication. Not being techies, what might be our expectations for using those abbot PROCTORED tests using onbaord wifi and internet? Is this doable? Would we need to have purchased high powered interenet for this [for lack of better term; again we're not techies]. We might add here, we are doing our air through royal's 'AirtoSea' program, and can't believe they don't provide such testing last day of a cruise to get back on a plane to come home. Our travel agent seems to have no information on this. So we are 'assuming' Royal does NOT provide this [just throws you off the ship in a foreign port for you to fend for yourself]? (should we be pe'o'd at our agent or Royal, we don't know). We see Celebrity no longer give Canadians such testing to fly back to Canada from, say Miami. So...We are struggling for information on this subject [their website seems geared toward caribbean travelers going back overseas..not USA travelers coming back to USA]. We are on the verge of canceling if we can't get better information on this. Make it the fourth one in row, ha. [we lost St. Petersburg already anyway lol]. And as much as love Royal...this one strikes deeply [Carnival looking better all the time, ha]. [not really]. Maybe MSC. Thanks to anyone with REAL information on this [like a Royal Carib. employee or something]. Rumors are a dime a dozen [like we'd "NEVER" go to Labadee on the Harmony in January, ha again]. [Which we did, and had a great time].
  25. Didn't see any St. Croix threads, so... We have two days to make up our minds. We've signed up for a simple island 'panorama' tour at St. Croix. We like to see something of a place our first time out. But all info I've received through the years about St. Croix is it's a great place to snorkel or dive. We keep tossing around the notion that we can cancel out of the bus tour, and 'get in the water'...either a Buck Island boat snorkel or a beach outing to Cane Beach where info suggests good snorkeling right off the beach there. So, any thoughts out there that might swing us one way or another? Or is there something else we're not aware of there for an excursion?
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