whitsmom

The cdc just announced that if you’re vacanated  you no longer have to were a mask when you gather   Sounds like good news for a mask free cruise   Just maybe  !!!

I wouldn't cruise without a passport. If there is an emergency and you need to fly home it's essential. And you're not going to leave your kids behind and fly home, so get them one too!

This is my takeaway. The two sides are talking, even if it doesn't result in policy change.
I think many, myself included, assumed CDC was "missing in action" and the cruise lines were submitting requests and proposals with no feedback.
It's encouraging that the CDC is not only talking, but engaged.

Today that is correct but no one is saying cruising in the US should resume 9am tomorrow morning in the US.
One day soon the US will also have low enough rates like Singapore does today to allow cruising.  We can begin to prepare for that and that begins with the CDC issuing technical details for the cruise lines so they can begin to prepare, train and acquire any equipment required.  
Once the cruise lines know what they must do it will take months for them to get ready.  

I think it is encouraging that the CDC did request details about its use in Singapore. 
First it demonstrates there is two way communication.  That's huge.  It also indicates that the CDC is aware that 35,000 passengers have sailed on a Royal ship using this technology without a single positive case.   
That is perhaps even more important - that the CDC is aware of and considering that other countries have restarted cruising without incident.
However the CDC could also be interested in the technology purely out of interest so they might see if the technology has other applications beyond cruising.

We stay at the Marriott which is next door to the Doubletree. Those two hotels are connected to a mini-mall that separates them. In the mini-mall is a Starbucks, few restaurants, hair salon, deli, fruit smoothie shop, etc

I think I am going to get my money back when they cancel my Canada/NE cruise as I have already did the L&S from October 2020 to October 2021.  I just hope they don't drag the cancellation out.  I think we will just want until things start moving before we re-book.  My sad but I am ready to find another vacation to do this coming fall.

This is a re-post ... so regulars can pass it by.
Grandeur is one of our favourite ships.  It's connection with the sea is a highlight.  The restaurants can not compare with the larger ships, but we sail for different reasons:
Frequently, you will hear experienced cruisers talk about the different reasons for cruising.  Sometimes the discussions separate into three camps: “stay on the ship” versus “visit ports” versus “be at sea”. Obviously, there is no “right” answer, but it is very interesting to hear the preferences of others.  I think when a cruise line offers “choices”, so that you can meet your needs, they deserve your “attention”.  One of the reasons my soulmate & I cruise so often on Royal Caribbean, is the wide variety of experiences on board their ships.  I am certain that there are other cruise lines that offer the same variety.  Still, one tends to stick with the known versus the unknown.  Below are different ways to approach cruising: 
1).  The Ship is the Destination:  How can anyone disagree that the ships are so special that passengers want to maximize their time on the ship?  The large ships offer so much that visiting no ports would probably be fine for some.  On our last trip, Harmony of the Seas was so busy there was little time for afternoon naps (we think this is necessary if you dance all night).  Even their medium sized ships are packed with on board options.  So many ships (Oasis, Quantum, Freedom Classes) have so many things to do; we frequently are stuck trying to determine what we will not do (because there is more than one event at the same time).
2).  Travel is the Main Goal:  We have spent a lot of time in Europe with self-directed land vacations.  It is a different experience and has its advantages.  One thing that is an absolute pain is packing, unpacking and travel between destinations.  When we are in “Travel Mode” it is such a treat to unpack and pack once and wake up with a new experience almost every day.  These are not necessarily restful vacations, but they are stimulating and are normally filled with many special memories.  Although these can be had on the large ships, we find that small and medium ships are better to meet this objective.  
3). Stay Connected to the Sea:  After all, this is a cruise ship.  Some ships have a strong and obvious connection with the sea.  Everywhere you go you can see the sea.  When we travel, it is never so obvious than when we are on the water … we are not in our home, we are venturing out, we are exploring.  Small and medium sized ships maintain this connection easily.  The larger ships get the more difficult it is.  We have been on Grandeur three times in the last 2 years.  Lady G does not have all the “bells & whistles”, but she has sea views everywhere.  In support of Goal 2), she taken us to many places we have never been before. She also has been the catalyst, for our main reason for cruising …
4).  Make Your Own Fun:  We did not start with this strategy, but it is becoming our primary one.  Sometimes, day to day routines can foster a complacency that turns into a “rut”.  Travel is one way to shake this up, but we think the concept is a little simpler.  By using new experiences (ship or port or sea), we “connect” better on cruise ships.  Relationship building is about shared experiences, and we find that we converse more, laugh more, dance more (and drink more too) on the ship.  As much as possible we try to travel with friends.  The more friends, the more opportunities to build deeper relationships.  It does not matter if the ship is big or small, if the number of days are few or many, or if we are in port or at sea … we make our own fun.
For 1) … we enjoy: Allure, Harmony & Anthem.
For 2) … we enjoy: Radiance, Grandeur, Adventure, Explorer & Anthem.
For 3) … we enjoy: Grandeur, Radiance & Anthem.
For 4) … we enjoy: All the above.
Regardless of how you cruise … Have a Blast.
Curt from Canada

Key thing I've come to learn and understand about the J&J vaccine over the weekend is that, while it's only 49%-72% effective (depending on the region you're looking at and how widespread variants are there) at blocking infection, it has been 100% effective at preventing death due to the disease and over 90% effective at preventing the disease from becoming serious enough to require hospitalization. And those latter stats include all the people in the trial who've had the various variants. That's on par with the other vaccines, and as others here have noted it's a game changer when combined with the fact that it's stable at standard refrigerator temperatures, only needs a single dose, and can be produced in much larger quantities.
@WAAAYTOOO, this vaccine still isn't what you'd call a "traditional" vaccine based on a dead or weakened version of the virus. It's delivered using an Adenovirus (i.e., cold virus) that has been genetically modified to carry the DNA for producing the spike protein, but also modified so it can't reproduce itself. Same end result -- "infected" cells at the injection site produce just the spike protein, which gets secreted from the cells into the blood, and an immune response is triggered.
This is a newer approach to vaccine design that's been researched for decades, although the first such vaccine was only approved last July (for Ebola) -- see this article from the New York Times that explains it all at a high level.

2021 and beyond cruise wear

We love the Intercontinental Miami!! That is our go-to hotel when sailing out of Miami. We always book the Bay View rooms and we also book Club level since that gives you access to their lounge (well worth the extra cost IMO). 
 
The hotel is a 5 min walk to Bayside Marketplace where there are tons of choices for dining and shopping. It’s a 15 min ride to South Beach if you want that. And best part is that it takes less than 10 mins to get to the port of Miami. 
 
Love that hotel, I miss it. ?

These restrictions are like everything else in life. You have to stop at a red light, you might get lucky if you do not but eventually you will get tagged. Just because I have to obey traffic laws does not mean I refuse to drive my car because I do not like some of them. Will wearing a mask cause me to not enjoy the ocean breeze and sunshine, no. Will staying 6 feet away from a fellow passenger cause me to not enjoy the Dining hall, Windjammer, shows, getting a drink at the bar or simply walking the ship, no. And in the past I wish I was further than 6 feet from some of the fellow passengers. Will wearing a contact tracing bracelet cause me to not partake in a cruise, no. Just the chance that we can get out on the open deck and feel the sea breeze is more compelling than some minor, inconsequential items and restrictions that may be around for the next year. We are fortunate that where we are we are allowed to go out to eat, visit recreational areas and play sports (even for an old guy I still get out and play). There are restrictions like masks and distancing but it has not stopped us from continuing life. If requiring a vaccination (already done), wearing masks, taking tests (done several times) are a requirement to travel to a vacation especially a cruise so be it. Let the sailing begin and I for one will be one of the first in line.

Whether you agree with the measures or not, you will most likely have the choice to go on the cruise or not. If anything, whenever cruises resume in other parts of the world, I would assume that there would be the option to cancel without penalty due to these measures, if not outright cancelling sailings and re adding new “measure introduced” mirror sailings that would probably be cheaper. 
 
That’s what happened in Singapore. All sailing were cancelled and replaced with the ocean getaways. The new sailing also had 50% off every passenger to make it a little more attractive. I don’t know about you, but if I can get $3000 off an initial price, measures or not, I will be more inclined to book it. 
 
Also, to give you a little insight on why maybe these measure work in Singapore and people still go on them. 
 
Singapore is an island (ie completely surrounded by water) smaller than the size of New York City. With closed borders, you’re basically stuck in a small place with no where to escape too. One thing to note about Singaporeans, is they like to travel, even weekend trips to Malaysia feels like a vacation from the bustle of City life. You can imagine the pent up need to leave Singapore. 
 
Add the fact that Singaporeans generally follow laws really closely. I’m sure you’ve heard we’re a “fine” country. Yes, you get fined for some of the smallest things and harder punishments for actual bad stuff. It’s not a bad thing, because personally, I like that I can be walking the street at 3am almost anywhere in Singapore and feel completely safe. 
 
Lastly, we do have COVID relatively under control. So much so, that I personally feel many Singaporeans are getting complacent. That being said, most everyone has gotten used to the measures we have on land. Masks are worn everywhere, regardless of your line of work. I wear my mask for 10 hours everyday, to the point that sometimes, my face feels naked without one now. Yeah, crazy I know. 
 
The need to vacation is so strong that staycations took off, but I would think for most people, between wearing a mask in a hotel and wearing a mask on a cruise. Most would choose the latter
 
Well, I think I’ll end my rant here. Hope you enjoy a little of perspective from a Singaporean 

This^^^
^^^and this!!
Thank you for wording that perfectly as always @twangster ?

Covid is apolitical.  It attacks and infects regardless of physical borders or virtual borders created by virtual fences created by politics.  
That's all well and good but when posts move beyond expressing a view and words are directed towards individuals it moves to another level beyond the scope of a cruise centric community. 
It's also disrespectful to the owner of this wonderful community and forum when posts venture well beyond the scope and purpose of this forum as established by its owner.  This is not a forum to discuss if Ford is better than Chevy, if Airbus is better than Boeing or if the price of tea in China is appropriate at the moment.  It's a simple request, keep it about cruising.  There are plenty of other places to talk about all the other stuff.

You want to look for a travel agency who does not charge your credit card, but does all payments through the supplier such as Royal Caribbean. So when I charge a client's card, it shows up as a Royal Caribbean charge. 
I'm sorry that happened to you.

The only good water that comes in a can is Coors Light. 

Had Jamaica booked for March Spring break but change to San Juan today as it is considered a domestic flight so you do not have to test to fly home from SJU to US.   So it was the Cruise lines first, now it's the Caribbean islands the CDC is screwing!  

The vaccination doesn't prevent you from carrying the virus and being potentially contagious to others... Thats why they require the other test... 
 

Right..if you aren't flying home from Canada you will be ok with the current rules.  If your cruise ended in Canada you would have to be tested.

The CDC requirement is ONLY for international FLIGHTS at this time, NOT for cruisers returning to the USA from an international destination.

https://www.afar.com/magazine/these-us-airports-to-have-covid-19-testing
I found a link for the airports that have testing available.  We will fly out of Newark after our cruise and they have testing; however, the rapid is $200 ?
 

https://www.afar.com/magazine/these-us-airports-to-have-covid-19-testing
I found a link for the airports that have testing available.  We will fly out of Newark after our cruise and they have testing; however, the rapid is $200 ?
 

https://www.afar.com/magazine/these-us-airports-to-have-covid-19-testing
I found a link for the airports that have testing available.  We will fly out of Newark after our cruise and they have testing; however, the rapid is $200 ?
 

Glad she's doing well. You were told correctly, my wife is a Nurse and just took a course on how to administer the vaccine, she'll be doing it part-time if our local Ambulance Squad is approved to receive doses. 
That is the million dollar question. If a test isn't available until after you disembark ... yikes ... a 7 day vacation just turned into a 10 at least.