tonyfsu21

You have the best luck! Seriously an Icon inaugural sailing RU win is a unicorn. I wish I had that kind of luck. 

You have the best luck! Seriously an Icon inaugural sailing RU win is a unicorn. I wish I had that kind of luck. 

See ya later “Tot Town”! 😂

Confirmed on Symphony NYE cruise at Playmakers and the Pub. 

We have sailed NCL maybe a handful of times and the major difference is the ships. I haven’t found a cruise line yet that can compete with RC ships on any level. The food, Haven, itinerary and overall experience is probably not going to be much of a drastic change for you. IMHO you will find what you are looking for with Regent and possibly Tauck tours but these options are at a drastically different price point. My parents have been on the Arctic sailings with Tauck and still rave about it to this day and they can’t get enough of the higher end experience on Regent.  

Any of the hotels on the beach would be perfect for you. 
No Budget: Ritz Carlton, Conrad, Hilton, W Fort Lauderdale beach, Marriott Harbor Beach. Locals staycation at Conrad and Marriott harbor beach for the most part. 
budget: Hilton Marina
$15-$20ish for an Uber to the terminal. 

Official Statement: you should follow the rules and stick to assigned boarding times. RC will follow up with a stringent message 24hr prior to embarkation telling you NOT to arrive early. 
 
Unofficial statement: arrive when you want and jump in line. I have never been turned away. I don’t like how embarkation is considered day one of a vacation yet 1/2 a day is blown by the time you arrive to the ship for a late assigned boarding time. 

If I cruised more often I'd probably have to do things differently but as someone allergic to exercise who enjoys overeating on cruises, the pre-cruise diet is essential for me. I have very good control when eating healthy at home and am very strict during my pre-cruise diets... then all bets are off once I board the ship.
Different things will work for different people, of course. I fully acknowledge my way is not optimal but as someone with few vices, I'm OK with doing it 2-3 times/year.
On the plus side, as lazy and anti-exercise as I am, I loathe taking ship elevators and use the stairs almost exclusively unless I'm going like 10+ decks. Walking from the Aqua Show (deck 6) to deck 17 on Wonder in June was rough but I made it, lol.

5 min or less I can make it from deck 5 to the Boardwalk Doghouse for 2 hotdogs and a beer. I am otherwise very aware and on top of my health walking 25k+ steps per day (cruise or no cruise) and consistent Peloton rides keep things in check. I don’t bother dieting because it’s overrated. IMHO it’s ok to eat what you want and get control of yourself by not overeating. It’s all mental. 

It would have been best to pay deposit before booking a plane flight because I personally don’t have much faith in IT at Royal Caribbean.  A courtesy hold is not binding in any way so I think you may not have much luck with resolution. Good luck 

When I think “volatile slots” all I hear is the jingle from Heidi’s Bier Haus slot machine for some reason….

Official Statement: you should follow the rules and stick to assigned boarding times. RC will follow up with a stringent message 24hr prior to embarkation telling you NOT to arrive early. 
 
Unofficial statement: arrive when you want and jump in line. I have never been turned away. I don’t like how embarkation is considered day one of a vacation yet 1/2 a day is blown by the time you arrive to the ship for a late assigned boarding time. 

I thought we were past this as a society? Why would the cruise line have to report this information? The cruise contract has specific language detailing the risks associated with exposure to pathogens in the health acknowledgment. I think you either choose to cruise or not cruise and that’s the end of the story. 

Official Statement: you should follow the rules and stick to assigned boarding times. RC will follow up with a stringent message 24hr prior to embarkation telling you NOT to arrive early. 
 
Unofficial statement: arrive when you want and jump in line. I have never been turned away. I don’t like how embarkation is considered day one of a vacation yet 1/2 a day is blown by the time you arrive to the ship for a late assigned boarding time. 

That @Matt approves a Casino Royale subsection of the blog?????? I would bet the ranch that this would be a massive hit. 

I thought we were past this as a society? Why would the cruise line have to report this information? The cruise contract has specific language detailing the risks associated with exposure to pathogens in the health acknowledgment. I think you either choose to cruise or not cruise and that’s the end of the story. 

CV is everywhere around us.  In schools, at church, on public transit, on airplanes, ubers, everywhere because people are infected with it and people are spreading it everywhere.  Fortunately the current strains don't seem to be very impactful.  
Are public schools and universities notifying any one?  Are churches?  Nope.  Why should cruise lines be held to a different standard?
I flew recently unrelated to cruising.  People on the other side two rows back were coughing and hacking the whole flight.  Should they have stayed home?  Can't say, I don't know why they were traveling and don't really care.   Turns out I didn't catch whatever they had.  On my uber ride home how would I know if the last ride had a common cold, flu or any other virus?  Perhaps their germs were all over the door handle and seat belt.   That's life.  
I took a cruise over Christmas.   It was 18 days long with no major cities to debark anyone.  A common cold of some sort went around the ship.  Some people isolated themselves for a few days, some went on business as normal, coughing in the theater, in the MDR, etc.  What it was, a cold, virus, something else, didn't originate on the ship.  It was on land, maybe caught in an airplane or at church or at school or at work.  It probably went through the church, work, airplane, hotel, etc. too.  Should someone's work should have done something about it?  Maybe if they did the bug would have never made it on the ship to begin with.  Putting the onus on schools, work places, churches, etc. to regulate health concerns isn't how our society works.  It shouldn't work that way on cruise ships either.  

I wish for you a speedy recovery. Royal does their best from the beginning of the booking process, this is on my invoice. I hated the shut down, with that said I love to sail. 
Again, I am so sorry you are ill, and wish for you to be well soon.
 

It’s certainly not a one off thing. I would imagine people can get Covid on cruise ships, airplanes, concerts and just about everywhere. Notifying the cruise ship that you tested positive for Covid these days is probably a waste of your valuable time. 

It’s certainly not a one off thing. I would imagine people can get Covid on cruise ships, airplanes, concerts and just about everywhere. Notifying the cruise ship that you tested positive for Covid these days is probably a waste of your valuable time. 

I have no idea what a “clandestine washroom” is. I do however know what a clandestine slot attendant is when it comes time for a hand pay. 

It’s certainly not a one off thing. I would imagine people can get Covid on cruise ships, airplanes, concerts and just about everywhere. Notifying the cruise ship that you tested positive for Covid these days is probably a waste of your valuable time. 

It’s certainly not a one off thing. I would imagine people can get Covid on cruise ships, airplanes, concerts and just about everywhere. Notifying the cruise ship that you tested positive for Covid these days is probably a waste of your valuable time. 

I think this references the very difficult to find bathrooms located (sometimes in) around the casino. Not really sure but I do gamble quite a bit so I really should know. 

That would make sense re: restricting full casino access until the inaugural.