Riley

1 hour ago, Matt said:

I noticed this "phenomenon" too when I started going for the drink package, but you have to remember they pour drinks differently than at home.

Watch them pour a cocktail. They will take the measuring cup and pour exactly one shot of the liquor in there (with maybe an extra splash).  That's what the drink recipe calls for. 

At home, I'd pour much more than that because I wouldn't measure.

But as you said, with the unlimited drink package, you can certainly keep going to make up the difference. 

Not just one's liver - I don't know about you guys but on a cruise we eat richer food than we usually do (and more, to be honest) which affects alcohol absorption in the stomach. Also we tend to drink frou-frou drinks during the day, which include more ice, fruit juices and other mixers that water drinks down.

I understand your concern about the bar tender pulling out a different bottle, but as a professional bar tender (and drinker *cough*) RC crew do not water down bottles of booze. The well stuff is awful and often lower proof than the call stuff but that is true in every bar. It's their adherence to the jigger that does it - most bar tenders not strictly required to use a jigger (either metal like on ship or those awful plastic measures they use in many airports that count each pour so the bar tender CAN'T give you a stronger drink without charging you for it) use a count system and often the count works in the patron's favor. 

The different bottle from under the bar? A higher proof. Rum for example goes from 55 to 151 proof. Vodka runs about 60 to 125 proof. Unless it's really fruity and frozen try to always specify the alcohol, not just from a "stronger drink" perspective but also so you know what it will do to you the next morning when you've been drinking all day. 

On 7/3/2022 at 6:12 PM, Pattycruise said:

nyc

Dulles in Washington DC, too.

19 hours ago, USCG Teacher said:

Wait, is there another camp??

Malt Vinegar 4Life!

Sorry should have been any test you can get that is DONE BY A PHARMACIST (not those little boxes of self-tests you can buy off the shelf) is accepted....

Any test you can get at Walgreens is accepted for travel.

23 minutes ago, Vincent said:

Can anyone share how long the expiration dates are on the Emed Home Test? I'm considering purchasing the 6 pack, so that my wife and I can use 2 for our upcoming July 18th cruise, and then saving the other 4 our the entire family when we cruise again in January of 23.

Also, can the telehealth portion be done with an iPhone? We plan to fly into LA 2 days before departure to see what we can see in LA, so I'm thinking Emed is probably our best option for testing. 

Anyone have any "Must See" recommendations for first time LA travelers?

eMed tests should have at least a 6-month timeline (more likely 10 months or so) plus the CDC has authorized an extension beyond the printed expiration date. Yes, the teleheath can be done over an iPhone without a problem other than getting the phone somewhere the proctor can follow along (a pain if you're doing it by yourself but easy if you have someone to hold the phone for you). 

Check the local Walgreens as an option as well. We have eMed backups for in case we can't get a test at a local Walgreens.

12 hours ago, BRY7 said:

Thanks for the reply Matt!

Nah I wont have an at-home test from US but would be taking a tele rapid test from Singapore prior to departure to US (within 2 days of my sailing on Navigator from LA), the Singapore lab would issue the report which should date within 2 days of my cruise. Would this likely cause any issue at boarding?

Make sure that particular cruise does not require testing no more than 1 day before.

We have done 6 weeks floating around the Mediterranean with only carry-on roller boards and a backpack.

Undies, socks, t-shirts and my nylon casual shorts are washed out and hung over the handy drying line every couple nights. Wear your heaviest clothes (jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt, whatever) on the plane, plan to buy and wear a few souvenir t-shirts since you will anyway, don't sweat formal nights, use vacuum bags.  Finally, bite the bullet and for things that won't drip dry use the "$34.99 for a bag" wash day and cram that sucker full...  I wore jeans and a long-sleeved tshirt, my hiking boots, socks and carried my rain jacket on the plane. I packed two very lightweight pair of pants (one khaki, one blue), 2 pair shorts, 4 ss t-shirts, 1 ls polo, 2 ss polos, a madras camp shirt, ls linen shirt, bathing suit, deck shoes and a hat. My backpack carried my iPad with a bunch of books loaded on it, my basic toiletries, charger cords and an adapter, sunglasses, a nightlight for the cabin, a few face masks, all our paperwork and a book.

23 hours ago, CruisingNewb said:

I did not see limoncello anywhere except for Jaime's Italian.  To be fair, I did not see alot of things due to my constant state of slight inebriation.  

I can attest that - at least on Vision and Rhapsody - it's available at RBar. It's kept in the fridge.

19 minutes ago, sleepy425 said:

Anyone know how it works if minors own the shares?  Two of my kids are under my name for their e-trade accounts, and 2 are under my husband's.  I'm wondering if I screwed up back in 2020 when I made accounts and should have put all 4 kids under one of us so their shares would equal enough for OBC.  Or does it not even matter because the child is considered the owner, so each of them would need 100?  I'll admit I don't know much about who is considered to be the owner (me or the child?) when it comes to these accounts, we haven't sold anything so I haven't had to deal with taxes and such.

So long as the owner(s) of record is staying in the cabin and total 100 shares you should get the OBC. 

15 hours ago, leesam82 said:

@LCWind I spoke with the pharmacy staff today. I still have not received the email. So out of an abundance of caution I asked them to print out my test report. I was told by the pharmacist that it is the same test report that is given via email. This is the first time that we have experienced such a delay in test reporting with the Rapid NAAT. I would reach out to them and have them print a copy for you. Hope this helps. 

Make sure there is not a typo in the email - this happened to my brother once and he was able to get Walgreens to re-send to the correct email address.

The train is great - highly recommend if you have the time. Tickets are about $30 each. We flew in the day before and caught the ~10 am train from Termini Station (which is a big confusing cluster but the only really hard part). The train was comfy and clean as a whistle. We arrived at the Civitavecchia stop (end of the line) an hour later. 

Easy, with a few pointers:

1) The entry points to the tracks in Termini took a while to figure out... most of the entry/exit points are exit-only but look for the green arrows. Your paper of e-ticket bar code will scan you in. When we were there the train to Civi was on Track 25 and - once we were through to the right area - was simple to locate if a REALLY long walk to get to.

2) At Civi you have to go under the tracks to exit so take the elevator or stairs down, cross, then back up again. People go in all directions so look for the elevator to be sure you're headed correctly.

3) Find a shady spot at the bus stop across the street when you exit the station, and look for the correct bus - it will probably be white and does have a small RC paper on the dash. Also the bus drivers can tell you which is the correct bus. Tickets are 3 Euro each, cash only. Taxis are also available if you don't want to wait for the bus. DO NOT WALK.  Depending on which dock, it's a lot further than it seems, and you're in a big port area with trucks and sometimes sketchy sidewalks.

4) have your boarding papers ready as a security guy will com eon the bus when you approach the terminal and check them.

13 hours ago, SunnyDays said:

@Mattthat is good to know.  I am thinking of doing the rapid antigen at CVS on Day 2 prior to sailing out of Rome.  Thanks.

Check the Rome requirement - might be one day before. Several European countries (Greece and Italy, at least in May) required 1 day testing.

Echoing the hop on/hop off, especially in Mallorca there is a stop when you (FINALLY! Longest terminal walk-to-exit I've ever seen) exit the terminal that runs regularly. We really enjoyed seeing Mallorca that way. 

Civitavecchia is a long (~1 hour) train ride from Rome and there is nothing at the port.

Florence/Pisa there are good train options as it's a lot closer to the port.

Not yet been to Capri or Marseilles. Good luck.

I ran eMed tests off one account for my spouse and I both, using my email.  Didn't bother loading the Navica app onto my phone, just saved the "negative" letters received via email into "Files" and pulled them up one at a time when we were checking in.

Just checked - we stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Dania Beach - free shuttle pick up from the airport and I think $15 each shuttle to the cruise terminal. It was an okay stay but there are not a lot of restaurants within walking distance, depending on when you arrive.

I bought for the shareholder benefit - we cruise often enough it's the equivalent of about a 4% dividend. In 2023 the company will reach the point in its COVID relief agreement it can begin paying a dividend again if it chooses, and RCL was a solid dividend payer prior to COVID. 

Right this minute its balance sheet is a mess but this was a profitable company and I expect it to return to such... eventually. I don't intend to pick up any more (though man, it's tempting right now) until the balance sheet settles down. In the meantime I will enjoy my shareholder perk.

One side point - be sure bring a second pair of shoes, even if it's sport sandals. Drying out hiking boots/shoes takes time... 

I like sport sneakers that have removable liners and lots of drain holes as my primary option for that time of year. Unless you're fly fishing in the middle of a stream (in which case you'd have waders) your feet shouldn't get too cold, but wet will be a problem year-round. 

Not for babies but I have travelled with someone recovering from a broken jaw and the wait staff and kitchen crew behind them were wonderful. Pureed veggies and a fruit/yogurt smoothie every night. 

If you layer (short-sleeved t-shirts, shorts etc.) you can likely rinse quite a few items out in the sink. I usually pack for a week and then hand-rinse socks, undies, etc. (the body wash in the shower works really well). You can also buy souvenir t-shirts in port for pretty good deals as well so maybe bring and plan to toss a couple old ones, replacing them with new ones bought there. The weather will be the big variable, obviously. Good luck!

I did it on "Vision" last month and truthfully would not do it again. The pre-appetizer (Izumi) was just a piece of cooked shrimp over rice. The appetizer was a citrus tuna tartare (Wonderland) - decent. The next course was a crab meat and marscapone risotto (Giovanni's) that was way too cloying. The main (Chops) was a surf and turf: the filet was good but the grilled shrimp were freezer-burned. The dessert from 150 Central Park was "fried cheesecake" and wasn't good at all... the best part of the entire meal was the paired cocktail that went with it called a St. Peter's Spritzer.

My go-to "day drink" is always a Dark and Stormy, which should be Gosling's black seal rum with Gosling's ginger beer but non-Caribbean cruises tend to run out of Gosling's. I have found Kraken is a good alternative.

NOTE: any suggestions I'm the reason the ship is out of Gosling's is a scurrilous rumor. With some truth to it.

Agree with all this - if you have a camera (preferably two as the program switches itself to selfie mode for the proctor to observe the swabbing) you will be fine. It's easy to do with a cell phone and a helper - it is difficult to do by yourself with a cell phone. 

Couple other points to consider - if you are on a low deck and near an anchor line any tender port is going to be NOISY early in the morning when the ship drops anchor (also rattle-y - I thought I was in an earthquake for a few moments). 

Also I have been on "Rhapsody" with cabin 3501 - it was a very long walk to the Centrum elevators, main dining, etc.  I got a lot of exercise that cruise!

1) Try for an early check-in and arrive at the terminal on time or a little early to limit the lines you'll be in. There will be porters to take your luggage (be sure to have a couple $ to tip) so be sure to tag everything the night before. Keep your paperwork, ID and, e.g., a backpack or carry on with items you will need, as your luggage might not arrive at your room until dinnertime.  RC usually does a good job of moving everyone along - you will go through security including an X-Ray just like at the airport, then wait in line to check in.

2) Passport or ID and birth certificate is required, yes. 

3) Bring a few magnets and a pad of paper and pen for leaving notes to each other.  Also a nightlight for the cabin is really helpful. Pack the kids' swimsuits in your carry on so they can go right to the pool. 

4) Eh, mixed results. You can (legally) bring 2 bottles of wine per cabin, as well as a 12-pack of soda under 16 ounces per can/bottle (BE SURE to have this in your carry-on to go through the X-ray. If you pack it in your checked luggage you will have to fetch it. NOTE: the folks at security do not confirm cabin when you bring your 2 bottles through, so won't know if you and one kid go through and your husband and other kid go through with 4 bottles total. I have also heard *cough* that saline solution bottles filled with vodka work really well, especially if packed in your checked luggage with contact lenses.

5) Depends on where you are. Most ports you can pick up service but on ship out to sea? Not likely. 

6) there are regular US power outlets but often only a couple per cabin. You cannot bring power strips on board but ask your cabin steward if you need an extra.

7) Continental breakfast room service is free - you can order coffee or tea and pastries each morning to relax with. Tip the delivery guy $1 or $2 if you can.

8 Soap as well as body wash/shampoo provided.

9) No guest laundry unless you pay for it, but the shower has a small clothes line for drying bathing suits and will also work for socks, undies etc. I use the body wash and the bathroom sink and it works just fine. 

10) big long list so I will defer to others here for recommendations...

11) There are a few options for beach clubs that are an easy taxi drive away - let me check my cruise notes from a couple years ago and see if I can find the best one.