RCVoyager

I'm determined to not worry about the end of the month for at least another week or two. I just refuse, lol.

She'll just float around near Coco Cay like she did during the shut down.

I'm not a smoker.  In fact, I've never taken a puff... not once in my 56 years.  I hate the smell of smoke and that it gets in my clothes and hair (what little I have left).
However, smokers and drinkers, and to an extent casino goers are the easiest people to tax. Politicians across the country take advantage of these people by hiking taxes on their vice and rolling like pigs in a trough in the money they raise and then continuously restricting where and when they can use the products.  
I like the move by RCCL.  Banning smoke will cost them some customers, but will gain them others.  Whatever cruise line doesn't ban smoking will gain smoking customers, but lose non smokers to RCCL.  I'm not sure I agree with the last minute change.  I don't think that's an appropriate way to treat a customer.

It's all about saving face.  If they let the CSO expire on 10/31 while the pandemic/public health emergency order that inspired it is still active, it looks like they are admitting they lost the legal battle.  By extending the CSO and adding an end date, it looks like they are working with the cruise lines and adapting to changing circumstances.

I'm not Matt, but I can give a little bit of an answer.  It has been my experience that the long sweeping cold fronts that cross the States in the Winter have pretty long tails that can reach way down into the Western Caribbean.  For instance, three of the roughly 12 times I've done a land vacation in Grand Cayman (not Mexico or Honduras, but close) in Winter, we had a week of cool, cloudy, rainy, windy weather.  Twice, I've seen the main oceanside street through downtown Georgetown closed due to high surf flooding.  Each time it was because of a long cold front in the States.  So will it be cold like in the 30s?  No, but the above description with steady temps in the upper 70s happens fairly often there in Winter.  Having said that, it would not alter my travel plans if I were planning to go there.  There is about an 80%+- chance you will have beautiful weather.

Cute that we think the OP wants actual feedback here.  She’s had her little hissy fit and facts be damned!

As in all COVID mitigation measures, considering benefit is frequently ignored on the assumption that doing something is better than doing nothing (the optics) ..... and in many cases the cost of a given measure is also ignored. Masks don't cost much other than being an inconvenience, but that's not the issue for me.
There is only limited evidence that masks actually produce meaningful PH benefit. That position is debateable but I don't wish to debate it. Moving on from that is the larger issue of governments telling us what to do and not do. Right, the feds via the CDC aren't mandating masks or are they?
Carnival is mandating masks, a lawful action, undertaken by a business to create a safe environment for employees and patrons. Do they really want to do this? I doubt it. Does carnival need to add additional layers of protection for a fully vaccinated vessel when it is already unpopular among the folks and might, just might reduce bookings? I doubt that it really needs to do that.
Even considering the specious argument that they are effective in preventing the spread of SARS2, Carnival is being coerced by the threat of civil liability to mandate them. That is because the CDC - an agency with zero credibility at the moment - is "recommending" them. 
I have a problem with this, not on the basis of the argument that masks work or don't work, although that they don't in the case of SARS2 is a viable hypothesis, but rather on the basis that an executive agent of the federal government is, for all intent and purpose, telling Carnival their guests have to mask.
I think we've already seen what two courts think about government telling us what to do - overreaching their Congressionally authorized authority -  under the guise of a PHE.     
 

My wife and I are planning a land based post Christmas trip.  San Francisco is one of the options.  Because of the possibility of CA being shut down again, we are not booking until we see where Delta goes.

I agree that "Zero covid" is impossible,  But the more venues, places, business functions that require 100% vaccination the sooner we will get back to not worrying about it.  With 100% vaccination we see very few serious illness and almost NO death.
I fully support the government employees and armed forces mandate to vaccinate.  I just pulled from the archives the vaccine records of my children, they were required to attend public school and for that matter still are, small pox, TB, polio, measles, mumps and numerous others.
I also support a requirement of the vaccine to fly anytime anywhere,  that does not impose one bit upon your freedom, you can WALK anywhere you want.  But it does protect the rest of society
 

Stop testing people with no symptoms. Just like they stopped testing people for H1N1 in 2009-2010 especially tests with high cycle rates and no lab cultures that will pick up dead virus particles. 
Vaccinated/Unvaccinated. there is ZERO way to get rid of Covid cases on a cruise ship or anywhere else in this world. As long as we keep seeing case counts decoupled from Deaths then we should get back to normal life and realize case counts mean little. If you are vaccinated there is a very low chance that IF you get Covid that it will turn into anything more than the common cold or flu. AND NO I am not saying Covid is like the flu. Can you imagine if a few years ago when they estimated 80k people died of the flu if we heard constantly about daily case rates? 
ZERO COVID is a fools errands. Covid is a seasonal virus. The Delta variant will wane soon just like it did in the UK and India. Get vaccinated. Eventually, I hope, people will regain their sanity and look at things in proper perspective.
I get Cruise Lines are in the spotlight and have to enforce masking just for the optics but cruise lines cannot stop the virus no matter what they have their guests do.  

I have no sympathy.  I’m not even considering an Alaska cruise and I knew the policy for sailings out of Seattle.  Each of us has a responsibility to find out what travel documents are needed anytime we travel.  If you choose not to take the time, it’s on you.

This is a classic case of ignorance, which is not an excuse.
Shame on media on reporting on this as if these people are some kind of martyrs. 

My issue with this, beside the obvious as stated in the comments above, is the news media practically salivating over these stories….’left to fend for themselves’…what, were they abandoned in a forest filled with wolves? …’trip of a lifetime’…isn’t that what they always say? …’fixed incomes. And they FRANKLY can’t afford to stay the night in Seattle and then fly home early to Illinois’ …what are they, penniless and laying in the gutter? …’They will work to be made whole by Royal Caribbean’…yeah, make sure you keep pushing the victimization narrative. It’s such a shame that agenda-driven so-called journalists can’t even google information and report the facts. Whatever happened to fair and balanced…or even just reasonable common sense? Nope. Gotta get eyeballs on the story.

Well, I can't say that I don't understand.  I have been there myself.  Sit back and give it some time.  If you still feel the same way (and I would not blame you !  Nobody likes being censored) then continue with your withdrawal.  This is the way I look at it :  I am a more effective advocate for my position and beliefs when I keep up the fight than I am if I give up or give in.  My goal (and I'm sure yours, as well) is not to offend or incite, but to advocate.  I'm no help to anyone if I just give up or let bullies run me off. I'm also just playing into their hands if I let them bait me into a pointless battle of words.  Nobody wins then.
This blog is about cruising, not about vaccinations or about whether COVID is real or a hoax.  There are plenty of other places to fight those battles. I am trying very hard to stick to the things that really matter here - primarily, trying to maximize the joys of cruising.  Truthfully, I'm not sure how much longer cruising is even going to survive.  I have my serious doubts...but I will try and help, not harm.

This subject comes up from time to time.  Pretty much everyone here loves the islands and Buffett and Zach Brown are what we all listen to, and for good reason:  it's great music, and it's about a subject we love.
Well, here's a new entry for you to check out.  Gramps Morgan.  I'm not kidding, the guy's name is Gramps Morgan.
Listen to these two songs:   "If you're lookin' for me" and "Float ya boat".  Fantastic island loving music
       "Two piece bikini or one birthday suit, whatever floats ya boat"
I look forward to hearing what you all think, and no, I'm not his mom.

It won't change anyone's mind that assumes cruise ships are always to blame, but it is good to see that this is indeed not Royal Caribbean's fault at all.

Time for the family to move on.  Period.

Unfortunately, as with all things involving these kinds of suits and our legal system, it ain't over yet.
I'm also not thrilled with this particular line in the article (emphasis added):
For frick's sake, Today, that area is not a children's play area!! That's just the spin the ambulance-chasing scumbag lawyer has used. The Solarium is no more a children's play area than the Schooner Bar or Boleros is. Do just two minutes of homework so you can give a truthful statement. ?

Putting a CDC cap on my head for a brief moment this is the sum of all fears that the CDC has about cruise lines.  That cruise lines have no intention of actually implementing the protocols that cruise lines tout as pandemic stopping.  The CDC believes cruise lines will bow to guest pressure and protocols won't be enforced by crew.
Now ripping the dunce cap off my head...  

I'll relate the question on why Delta variants matter or don't matter to cruising. Here are the facts:
The Delta Variant is more transmissible Rising case numbers globally and regionally are being attributed to growing percentages of Delta Around 90% of new COVID cases numbers are among the world's unvaccinated cohort. 99% of new COVID cases that result in deaths are among the world's unvaccinated cohort. Generally, deaths and hospitalizations from COVID (serious illness) have remained steady. There are regional exceptions and increased disease seriousness tracks inversely with vax rates - the lower the vax rates, the higher the prevalence of serious illness and deaths.  OK, fine. How do I relate these indisputable facts to cruising?
My take is that the SARS2 pandemic is being successfully controlled and managed by a combination of immunity gained from previous exposure to COVID, from vaccinations and from responsible SARS2 mitigation measures that look at the cost of such measures versus the PH benefits derived therefrom. What else matters in this equation is the remarkable growth in the capacity of doctors to manage the disease of admitted COVID patients and promote recovery. That is a stunning and mostly unrecognized contribution to the effective management and control of the virus. But, no. The media insists on creating a false narrative of catastrophe.  
Because of this, I favor an accommodative approach to new case numbers (Great Britain and others) rather than an elimination through lockdown approach (Australia and NZ). I'll acknowledge both have their place depending on circumstances.
Nevertheless, all forms of media are trumpeting a rise in case numbers as signaling dire consequences, end of times and a resurgence of the pandemic. IOW, things are out of control. IMO, they are not. We are where we should be right now in nations that have secured vaccines. Where nations have not done that things aren't so good, and that needs to be and is being addressed.
Given the media narrative, the potential for the imposition of stricter mitigation measures by policy makers in government is high. Never lose sight of that threat. Sometimes the imposition of mitigation measures is not based on the science or facts on the ground but rather on political pressures to "do something." Cruising is high on the list of targets for imposition of them and that is regardless of the facts that cruising resumed over a year ago and the incidence of cruise ships contributing to the spread of SARS 2 is non-existent. Do you think that will matter? I don't.  

https://nypost.com/2021/07/13/royal-caribbean-cleared-of-negligence-in-toddler-chloe-wiegands-2019-death/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site buttons&utm_campaign=site buttons
I know they will appeal, but I continue to hope the family doesn't recover as much as a thin dime.

For me, if I am paying, I will be selective and will choose based on a number of factors.  But, I have said, if someone else is paying, I would not look a gifthorse in the mouth.

You don't want it in your stateroom.  You'd have to go into the hall to change your mind.

The Grand Turk port is nice for a cruise stop and seems to be more and more where things are going with private/semi private ports.  In 10 years or so I think this will be the norm for many cruise ports, where you start to lose some of the uniqueness and charm of seeing the actual country destination and getting a controlled beach/pool/bar/shopping experience.  Good in some ways, disappointing in others.  
I've sailed a couple of times on newer Carnival ships (Breeze, Horizon) and had a great time - these ships don't compare favorably with Oasis/Quantum class, but match up decently with amped Voyager class ships IMO.  Carnival really beats Royal on complimentary food options- we were able to have lunch at the Asian, Italian, BBQ, Mexican, and Guy's Burger for no charge which were all excellent and better than the equivalent Royal offerings.  Royal specialty dining has a significant leg up on Carnival.  Main dining rooms seem to be a wash for us.  Overall I think  Carnival provides the better food value and caters more to American tastes where Royal has a more international approach.  
We also really liked the party vibe on Carnival - it seems like on Royal (non-Oasis class) things are shutting down after 9:30/10 (most food venues close, pool deck empty, etc) whereas Carnival will have more late night deck parties/comedy club and late night buffets (24-hour ice cream!).  I'm not talking about drunk/smashed out of your mind type partying (you can see that on different cruises), but just good fun with lots of people active and engaged by the cruise staff.  The Alchemy Bar on Carnival ships is also a great experience.  Overall, Royal will try to entertain you with the ship features, while Carnival relies more on staff and activities to generate this.  Both can result in great cruises.
Some people have said in this thread that it's a Walmart (Carnival), vs. Target (Royal) experience.  I can see where that's coming from, but I think they are starting to become more similar than not, especially with the new Mardi Gras class ships.  Same goes for Norwegian with their Breakaway+ class and the new MSC ships - the quality of ships has really changed significantly in the past 10 years for all mass market lines.  
I had only sailed Royal (8 voyages) up until 3 years ago and looked down at Carnival and wondered if I would "fit in with THOSE types of people".  Well...after sailing, my thoughts are "I am one of THOSE people"!  I had a great time...if I had been on an older garish ship like the Glory then maybe my thoughts would be different.  I ultimately see more convergence here in the next few years rather than differences as the new shipbuilding wars intensify and the older ships get forced out of the fleets faster (Sovereign class, Vision Class, Carnival Fantasy class).  Carnival introducing a roller coaster and Norwegian a go-kart track on new megaships (plus their exclusive premium cabin areas) are a signal they are not content to sit behind Royal's lead in innovation.

You truncated the most eye-opening one
 
One is left to wonder, given the persistent risk of transmission of a communicable disease and, in fact, the frequent, debilitating, and sometimes deadly history of transmission of a communicable disease, whether the director of CDC could have — or, perhaps, should have — generally shut down sexual intercourse in the United States or, at the very least, imposed in accord with Section 264(a) strict requirements for inspection, disinfection, sanitation, and “other measures, as in his judgment may be necessary” to reduce to “zero,” for example, the human-to-human transmission of AIDS or syphilis or herpes