whitsmom

Cococay is divided into two sides, the thrill side, and the chill side. The fancy attractions (ex. water park, zipline etc.) are all located on the thrill side.
The chill side is pretty much all complimentary (such as beaches, the pool, restaurants etc.)

This will be just "Perfect!"

Awesome!  I figured there was one but I just wanted to make sure. 

They are teenagers (13 & 16).

This is an aerial view of the pool you can use for free …..
 

You didn’t say how old your grandkids are ……. If they’re younger, here’s a kid’s play area that they can also use for free ….. 
 

There is also Captain Jill's Galleon near the end of the pier in the arrival's plaza.  No charge.

YES ……. Outside in the free area of Cococay, there is a HUGE pool with a swim up bar.  I think it’s supposed to be the biggest pool in the Caribbean.  Also, when you go underwater in this pool, you can hear bassy music playing.
 

Day two of an Odyssey eight night cruise.  Just pulling out of Nassau.
As far as I know we are visiting Aruba and Curacao as planned.  
Great cruise so far.  Went to NextCruise and made it a B2B.  

I'm providing a link to a very useful web site that allows you to select the kind of COVID test you want (15 of them listed and I'll get to those in a minute) along with selecting  the usual distributors/vendors (a bunch of them) and find out when the one's you're looking for are in stock.
I found the web site - Find an At-Home COVID Test On-Line -  last night, picked out the two test kits I was interested in (Abbott's BinaxNow ($19-$23 for a two pack) and Lucira's AG test ($26 for a two pack) not the Molecular version, one test, which is expensive at $85 - this one is similar to tests being used in point of care, airport travel centers and elsewhere. It is not a PCR test and I'm not sure if RCL will accept a molecular test in place of a PCR. I tend to think they will for your unvaxed kiddos you may need them for.
The web site apparently is connected to the distributors of the tests and queries stock at 5 minute intervals 24/7. When a distributor shows product in stock, you get a text. I set mine up last night around 9pm and went to bed at 10:30. At 11:02 (I was asleep) I got a text saying they were available at Walmart. By morning they were gone and the web site says, demand is so high for the BinaxNow tests, product is usually gone in 5 minutes.  
Lo, at 8:30am, I got a text that the Abbott test kits were available on-line at Walgreens, jumped on it and got 3 test kits at $23 ($79 w/tax, free shipping) into my basket, checked out, got order confirmation immediately and a shipping (FEDEX Standard - 3-5 business days) notification about two hours later. As I mentioned up-thread along with others, the "shipped" email means the test kits have probably been boxed and a FEDEX label prepared. That does not mean that the box is in the hands of FEDEX and has left the Walgreen's warehouse. That takes a day or most of one. So, you can't track the FEDEX number right away. BTW, afterI got my 3 from Walgreens, I went back to check and not in stock was displayed. So, yeah, gotta be quick.
On the 13 FDA/EUA COVID test kits available, I have only studied the Abbott and Lucira Rapid AG test and Molecular test products. I can recommend these because I know they are easy to administer and they have high sensitivity and specificity probabilities (90/98% respectively). There's about a 2% false positive rate on any of these test kits. I'm reading that creeps up with Omicron but isn't a show stopper IMO. The Lucira molecular test would be great if RCL will accept it in place of a PCR (technically PCR and Molecular tests are similar in how they work and what they are measuring within the SARS-CoV2 virus). Other tests such as On/Go seem to be available - I'm not so sure about these; InteliSwab and Ellum I'm more sure of but I recommend you do your own research on these test kits to see if they work for you.  An important lesson here is that there are 15 COVID test kits available through this web site. Look beyond BinaxNow. Also, the distributors and vendors are legit. You've probably read about phoney web sites pushing COVID test kits. Stay away!
Good hunting!
https://www.findacovidtest.org/
 

I just got off the phone with emed.  It seems that my order was delayed multiple days and it was longer than my credit card company allows holds.  I guess my credit card company (Capital One) wouldn't process the payment so it wont ship.  Good thing I called 🥴.   They cancelled my order and told me to go online and reorder.  I am afraid that if I place the order on a Friday again, I will be in the came problem.  I am going to reorder on Monday and hope for the best.  I still have a little bit of time but starting to cut it close!  Hope you can get your order issues resolved! 

Here are my thoughts on test kits:
A six-pac of BinaxNow, proctored, Rapid AG tests from eMed costs $180 including "next day" delivery from FEDEX. It's seems that "next" day means within 3-5d not including weekends. I suspect delays mentioned above are from the distributor of the tests issuing a shipping label then not getting the package in the hands of FEDEX quickly enough, also mentioned above. That's $30/test that will last you and your partner for 3 cruises in about an 11 month period. Tests ordered and received in January 2022 seem to have November expiration dates. Mine did and others have seen the same. You may be tempted (due to lack of the un-proctored self tests that are available) but don't use these tests except for travel where a proctored test result is required. The proctored tests are expensive compared to the un-proctored model. Those will will either be free by Saturday or in a week or so both models will be covered by health insurance. Abbott Labs test production is scaling up and both proctored and un-proctored tests will be more readily available over the coming weeks. Don't panic buy, don't horde.  Use un-proctored tests (when you can get them) to test if you have COVID symptoms and are worried about spreading it/think you need to isolate or insuring you have cleared the infection after 5d. Don't test needlessly and without symptoms unless you are positive you've been in "close contact" with an  infected person. Be aware that testing too early in an Omicron COVID infection will produce a false negative result. Avoid testing before 48h from symptom onset or exposure. As well, don't rush post symptom testing for return to work/normal routine. Wait at least 5d from symptom onset or exposure and no fever. If you push it, you'll get a positive result and wasted a test. Be patient.  The hallmark symptoms of Omicron induced COVID are a sore throat, fever > 99.0F and in some cases, body aches. These hallmark features will be accompanied by a runny nose and paroxysmal sneezing. Cough, if there is one, is dry and unproductive. A constellation of symptoms that doesn't match these is probably influenza, your common cold induced by the every day coronavirus or a mucous productive cough caused by the bacterium M. Pneumoniae that quickly resolves with a Z-Pk and a 5d course of prednisone. Know the differences. The Navica app (available at the play store for Android and Apple for Apple phones) is nice and will store all your BinaxNow proctored and un-proctored test results for you to display to officials checking for negative COVID tests but recommend you print hard-copy results. A loss of network connection or availability of WIFI will make it impossible for you access the app just when you need it. You will be THAT PERSON in line that is holding up boarding.  

@Neesa.  Seems to me that @SpeedNoodlesgot caught in some nightmare with processing over the new year holiday.  I have no way of knowing but at time systems act funny when a year is closed out.
I purposely waited until the Monday after to order from eMed.  Mine were here before the end of the week.
Also everything that is being reported from both eMad and Optum shows that the supply of old kits is gone and all are now freshly manufactured with an 11 month expiration from mfg.  So most around Nov or later now.
 
Order now safe for March of this year

We just landed in MIA for our Symphony Jan 8 sailing and received the cancellation email while waiting for our bags.  On the phone with Air2Sea now trying to find a way back home. Fun times.

Yesterday I was told (over the phone and by follow up email) that my order issue was being escalated to "Level 3 customer support".  Just now I received the same form letter that I received when I checked on them a week ago (tests are delayed!  Let us know if it's been over 7 days! - Ummm, I have, that's why I called and it was supposedly elevated).   To say that my patience is running thin is an understatement.

i Just received mine on January 4th (ordered December 28th) from eMed and my expiration dates were November 17, 2022

The ones I received today are good until 11/15/2022 

Cup Noodles would be very much appreciated.

Yes, that is my understanding.
I believe wine must be in a carry on. We just boarded a cruise today, 2 bottles of wine per carry on and no one asked anything.  (We are 3 cabins) they don’t ask which bag goes to which stateroom.

I’ve no idea if it’s slow sales or Omicron. I asked at Diamond Club and again at Guest Services as to passenger count, “about1600” and “1602” respectively.  I see all crew in the dining room snd next cruise  wearing N95 with their regular Royal mask over it. I honestly didn’t note/look at other venues.  I imagine the Royal mask is because it looks nicer than the N95.  They must be awfully hot in those masks.
at the comedian last night he asked how many were each C&A level and there were only 2 Diamond and Diamond plus, one pinnacle the rest were between gold, emerald, platinum. A WHOLE BUNCH OF FIRST TIME CRUISERS!!-interesting.
pool still had vacant loungers at 9:30, solarium was empty until about 11-even then still seats to be found. Mind you cloudy and chance of rain -and it did later!
casino has a “decent crowd”  my game of choice is 3 card poker, no seats at the one table, 4 seats open at the other. No smoking at all. 2of 6 poker slots not working ,  looks like a lot of other machines not working (not purposely put out of service because there are plenty of side by side machines!)
5 at most in elevators unless all of the same party than more allowed.  People seem mindful of this.
drinks are great, food is hot, life is good on the ship!

What the heck?  I still haven't gotten the ones I ordered on the 31st. 

Day 2 has been great thus far. Today was our day at Coco Cay and our first visit here since it was completed. What was supposed to be a cloudy day with possible rain has been absolutely beautiful. We had reserved a beach bed at breezy bay and it has been well worth the cost. We love the island and it has brought us much needed relaxation to begin the cruise. We had a small delay getting into port as we were waiting for Harmony to leave. It was not a big deal and cruiser’s disembarked at 930. Until tomorrow…….

I just ordered a 6 pack from Emed - should be arriving tomorrow.  I will post the expiration dates but hoping they are good through November!

Yay!!
We got the aft balcony on Explorer we wanted for Venice to Rome in October.   
 
edit:  screwed up the dates.  We’ll be onboard for my wife’s birthday 
 

Just to hit home AGAIN how important it is to lock in prices...
I thought I was in the middle of a Cruise Planner sale and had a day or so to lock in prices. Unfortunately, the sale seemed to end yesterday. Here are updated prices:
UDP Yesterday: $167 Today: $183 (oof) DBP Yesterday: $88 Today: $70 DBP+VOOM Yesterday: $79 Today: $85 The Key Yesterday: $39 Today: $31 I finally started a spreadsheet to track the hilarity that is Cruise Planner pricing 🙂 If anyone wants me to track something (only on my cruise, but just for fun) let me know!