whitsmom

I have always felt that cruises are cleaner environments compared to hotels.  As a former frequent business traveler it was not unusual to pick up something on a business trip.  Having had that occur on a number of trips I started wiping down everything in my hotel room from the TV remote to the telephone which I avoided at all costs, and I was wiping down my seat area on the airplane.   That was before any notion of a pandemic.  Even with that sometimes I'd get something from a common cold to some kind of crud in my chest.  
However I never did get any of that on a cruise. 
There has always been plenty of hand sanitizer on a ship but rarely in a hotel until now.  
Fifty plus cruises later and I'm still of the opinion that cruises are safer, healthier environments compared to hotels.  
Now even more so.  Cruise lines took a pretty clean environment and made it safer with the protocols we know about.  Hotels aren't doing most of that.  Hotel employees are cutting back service so they don't come in your room as much but employees may or may not be vaccinated.  Hotels are now putting sanitizer out in some places but still not as prevalent as on a ship.  
There will be cases occurring on cruise ships but there are also cases occurring in resorts and hotels.  The difference is that they are detected on cruise ships because of the protocols.  Make no mistake - cases are occuring at resorts and hotels but there is no reporting requirement, few protocols and zero awareness that cases are occurring.  Out of sight, out of mind and out of the news but that doesn't mean it isn't occurring at land resorts.  

My Brother-Sister in laws just got back from a Viking Cruise around Iceland.  Everyone had to be vaccinated, wear a mask on the ship and off (except when eating and drinking), and every morning the had to spit into a glass tube (before drinking anything or brushing their teeth) and put it into a baggie with their name on it and leave it on the table and the cabin steward would pick it up before 9 am. They had an on board lab. They had to test before flying, test before they boarded, and daily though out the trip.  No one on board tested positive.  If anyone was to test positive, they were removed at the port and would have to quarantine for 14 days then they would be allow to fly home. They also had to wear or carry a small round disk with them whenever they were out of their cabin for contact tracing.

Sorry to hear about your mother, Daniel. Back in 2019, I had to cancel a Thanksgiving cruise due to an emergency surgery and, after filling out the paperwork and getting the doctor to sign off, the RCL travel protection policy thru Aon made me whole. In your situation, I don't see what loss you would be looking to be reimbursed. If you are referring to the additional cost of reverting to a 2 person room, that only comes into play if you rebook. Don't rebook, have your deceased mother be a "no-show" at boarding, you won't be charged anything extra and you will save yourself from having to do the paperwork. In other words, continue on and enjoy your cruise! Again, condolences on your loss.

My Brother-Sister in laws just got back from a Viking Cruise around Iceland.  Everyone had to be vaccinated, wear a mask on the ship and off (except when eating and drinking), and every morning the had to spit into a glass tube (before drinking anything or brushing their teeth) and put it into a baggie with their name on it and leave it on the table and the cabin steward would pick it up before 9 am. They had an on board lab. They had to test before flying, test before they boarded, and daily though out the trip.  No one on board tested positive.  If anyone was to test positive, they were removed at the port and would have to quarantine for 14 days then they would be allow to fly home. They also had to wear or carry a small round disk with them whenever they were out of their cabin for contact tracing.

FWIW
I am boarding a cruise tomorrow and had a PCR test done on Tuesday of this week at a Walgreens near me.  Cost was $0.
Test sample was taken ~4pm Tuesday and my results were received by email at 1am this morning, on a Thursday.  Results: Negative.
I scheduled the Walgreens test on Monday and chose the next day to fall within the "3 day" window for my cruise.   My only checkbox when signing up for the test was "International Travel".  This particular location does not offer rapid testing.  A PCR test was my only choice.  The test was done in my car at a drive thru window.  They explained the steps to me, passed the kit through the drive thru slot to me, I did the tickle swab up my nose (15 seconds each side) and followed the instructions to seal it and pass it back while being supervised by them the whole time. 
I have found that CVS allows you to schedule tests 13 days in advance.  I have another cruise in just over two weeks and I have already scheduled a CVS test to fall within the 3 day window pre-cruise.  
I love the cruise industry and while I wasn't required to test for this weekends cruise I feel a lot better knowing I am not an asymptomatic carrier potentially bringing something to the terminal where I know I will be tested again based on that cruise line's policies.  I have no plans between testing and cruising so my opportunity to become infected between test and cruise is reduced.  I don't even need to go grocery shopping in between.
This was a practice run for my Odyssey cruise in September and I am much more comfortable with the whole testing process and timeframe in preparation for my Odyssey cruise. 
So now not only am I vaccinated but I have also tested negative and I am ready to cruise safely!

We are going on that cruise too!  There are 3 couples going and will be celebrating a big birthday for hubby as he turns 65 during the cruise. 

I recently had to change our sail date on our star class cruise and am waitlisted for star class on Christmas 2021. (Best I could get was a crown loft suite) I have no idea what constitutes a good price when it comes to unlimited dining and beverage packages but I saved $175 with this sale. Unlimited dining was $196 pp and refreshment package was $23 pp/per day. Is this a reasonable price for a Christmas cruise??

Yay! I just save $465 dollars on my next two cruise for next year!

Yay! I just save $465 dollars on my next two cruise for next year!

Yay! I just save $465 dollars on my next two cruise for next year!

Yay! I just save $465 dollars on my next two cruise for next year!

Yay! I just save $465 dollars on my next two cruise for next year!

We are on the Jewel.  We owns his own business and will need access to make calls, check & send emails.  I will do the upgrade just for hopefully the best chance.  He will do the international plan for while of ship anyway and it is a port intensive trip. 

We are on the Jewel.  We owns his own business and will need access to make calls, check & send emails.  I will do the upgrade just for hopefully the best chance.  He will do the international plan for while of ship anyway and it is a port intensive trip. 

We are on the Jewel.  We owns his own business and will need access to make calls, check & send emails.  I will do the upgrade just for hopefully the best chance.  He will do the international plan for while of ship anyway and it is a port intensive trip. 

Yay! I just save $465 dollars on my next two cruise for next year!

Yay! I just save $465 dollars on my next two cruise for next year!

If the calls are important enough to have to make/take, then I would definitely do the upgrade to give them the best chance at working properly ?
 

Majesty back in 1995

In the covid era, a good TA is probably more valuable than ever.

The benefit to booking with a travel agent is that you have an advocate in your corner to help you plan your trip. This means:    - You have someone to continue to look for and apply discounts should any be released (which is very often with RCI), so that you do not have to spend time doing the same, or potentially missing a better offer.  - You have someone to help you navigate the Cruise Planner program. - You have someone to help you make your dining reservations if you'd like.  - You have an expert in all things cruising and travel to help you plan the best vacation you can.  - You have someone you can come to directly to ask questions to instead of spending time looking around on the internet for your answers.  - You have someone to turn to should something go wrong while you are traveling.    And the best part is, we provide all of this for FREE to you. You get our concierge level service at no extra charge. The difference when you book with me is the difference between information and expertise. Anyone can look up information on the internet. When booking your trip with me you know you have an expert in your corner that can help tailor your trip to your desires and make sure you see everything you want to do!

Just got my eDocs for the 7/2 sailing

Landed safely back in Miami.
 
Check out my journey flying back to America to join a cruise ship.
 
 

Yeah, that employees are taking it in the chin from uninformed idiots is disturbing. But I blame the Feds for terrible messaging and not recognizing that they need to end the PHE, by my measures, completely appropriate.  Things would improve dramatically if they did. 
The problem is they have boxed themselves into a corner with the Biden administration's hyper-cautious approach to a return to some level of normalcy. TBH, this had to have came from Fauci who, from the beginning, has been one of the greatest, don't take a position for fear you may look bad if challenged, practitioners of all time.
It was a mistake to exalt this guy and let him out of the cage Trump put him in .... and don't get me wrong, I'm not a Trump supporter. But I'm not a fan of Anthony Fauci and despite his elevation to some kind of super-hero status who was hog-tied by Trump, he's done way more damage with both his advice to Biden if the messaging from the feds is an indicator of that and his awful PH messaging since the pandemic began than he has done good. Truth be know, he deserves our opprobrium not our applause.   

Chicago still has mask mandate until I believe June 20th, but because so many other places withdrew theirs, people have been behaving crazy. I manage a restaurant and my servers have been physically and verbally abused by guest from other states since last summer. It has gotten worse these pass few weekends. I wish people would understand they are subject to the rules and regulations of not only the government on a federal and state level, but also on a private business level.