Cruising With JT

Hopefully the requirements will change by next month. If they don't will need to look at my options.

Thanks for sharing this story Jill. Glad everything worked out in the end, but must have been going through a range of emotions in the interim.

Whew! Good point to not automatically freak out! Just read this in a Facebook group: 
 
Thought of the day, DO NOT PANIC!  We are beginning to wind down our amazing cruise on Adventure of the Seas with Royal Caribbean.  We departed from Nassau Bahamas on Saturday and have enjoyed a very relaxing time.  One requirement of re-entry to the United States is a negative Covid test.  Royal Caribbean International is currently offering this service to all passengers departing from the Bahamas.
We took our tests this morning and went on about our day at sea heading to Freeport as our last port of call.  The testing process was very simple by signing up via an email.  We were in and out in under 8 minutes.  Woohoo. Cocktail time with our favorite bartender in Schooner Lounge with some 90’s Trivia. 
A few minutes into trivia, some ship’s officers showed up and spoke to Tim for a moment and he said he was going to the cabin.  I was a bit puzzled until another officer approached me.  He said Tim’s Covid test was positive and he needed to go back to our quarters.  I was simply blown the $&@) away!  I dashed right up to the cabin.  Tim confirmed what they said and we both were in shock.  Here we are on a full day at sea, hundreds of miles from home, and totally freaking.  15 minutes later a guy from medical shows up to perform a PCR test, the one that takes a sample of your brain according to Tim. 
The phone rang while we were waiting.  I answered and the voice on the other end said he was chief of security.  I put Tim on and he walked him through some things on his phone to set up contract tracing.  I’m still freaking that we are going to be confined to our cabin, or confined to medical.  F$&@!!! OMG we are going to be on the news! 
I finally checked my email and my results were negative.  Woohoo!  I can make a mad dash to the bar for a cocktail before they can catch me.  I wasn’t even told to stay in the room.  I get to the bar and order drinks.  A few minutes later Tim shows up.  Omg, he broke out of jail.  I just knew they would find him and make him walk the plank.  Luckily the results of his PCR test came back NEGATIVE!  What a sigh of relief. 
Moral of the story, stay calm and DO NOT PANIC!  We can’t thank Royal Caribbean International for taking amazing care of us during an extremely emotional time.  Loyal to Royal!

It is a little surprising but wearing masks indoors shouldn't really be anything new... most folks are used to it. Things may still change we'll see. Either way I am going on a cruise after 1.5 years and that is all that matters!

Whew well this is good news for anyone booked on Alaska including myself: https://www.ktoo.org/2021/06/18/judge-rules-in-floridas-favor-in-cdc-lawsuit-but-alaskas-cruise-season-is-still-on

This is a link to ALL cruise lines visiting each port. Seems the ship I'm on will be the only ship in port. https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1250

Going to a lot of people moving up the loyalty ladder?

Well...after starting this thread back at the end of March, 2.5 months later I am now booked on 7 cruises LOL... (in Signature). Yay for the cruising restart! So excited ? 

Wow, I almost booked Freedom in July! I am on Freedom in November, fingers crossed things look a little better by then! All these restrictions and such are happening because it is the restart...do it safely... and continue on safely but with less restrictions hopefully.

So the unvaccinated have to get a PCR test a minimum 3 days before the cruise, and then another PCR test at the terminal too, and the an antigen test before disembarking? I think Royal is trying to make unvaccinated people not go on the cruise ?  that and all the masks requirement + not being able to go to certain events etc.
Meanwhile...vaccinated guests --> Vaccinated guests do not have any testing requirements.
Thumbs up from me (except wearing masks indoors if you're vaccinated part). I still think anyone who is eligible should be vaccinated before boarding a ship, but that's just my opinion. You want a safe restart to cruising. This is the way to do it. 

I just can't see too many unvaccinated adults on these cruises. We all have a passion for cruising that may be seen as a bit nuts by non-cruisers, but someone adamant enough not to get the vaccine doesn't strike me as someone that'd be more than happy to wear a mask all day long on vacation

Noooo November's too late (for me) lol. Gotta be moving by September! for...reasons...
completely non-selfish reasons ??

Time for a clean start...

 
 
 

Awesome!! It's almost cruise day!! Also a huge fan of Danny @ Harr Travel, no doubt the best at ship tours out of anyone I have seen. Can't wait to see this one!

Whew well this is good news for anyone booked on Alaska including myself: https://www.ktoo.org/2021/06/18/judge-rules-in-floridas-favor-in-cdc-lawsuit-but-alaskas-cruise-season-is-still-on

Whew well this is good news for anyone booked on Alaska including myself: https://www.ktoo.org/2021/06/18/judge-rules-in-floridas-favor-in-cdc-lawsuit-but-alaskas-cruise-season-is-still-on

Whew well this is good news for anyone booked on Alaska including myself: https://www.ktoo.org/2021/06/18/judge-rules-in-floridas-favor-in-cdc-lawsuit-but-alaskas-cruise-season-is-still-on

A lack of a CSO probably wouldn't change on board protocols much. But it'd make it a lot easier to get the whole fleet sailing again.

I *think* that is why the judge narrowed it to cruise ships arriving, departing and operating from Florida.  That way it doesn't impact Washington state and Alaska.

Does this have any impact to Alaska cruises this summer?

EXACTLY ….. The whole science of herd immunity is based on having a MIXED population where at least 70 to 80% are immune to the virus either by vaccination or prior infection.  It’s boggles my mind that so many vaccinated people don’t trust their vaccine!!!!!
 

The quickest way to kick start an outbreak on board would probably be by putting all of the unvaccinated people together. Really is beyond comprehension.

I am certainly hoping that by the time of my cruise, August, all vaccinated people will be able to go without a mask all over the ship.

Well that question is a sure way to get this thread locked.  ? 
I'll give my simple perspective... vaccines aren't as protective against the new variants/strains of COVID and the biggest threat is the Delta strain which is the cause of surges in the UK and is taking a foothold in the US.  So even vaccinated people are still "at risk" of catching COVID, abet a milder form and hopefully not bad enough to allow that person to spread the disease (research is still out on that).  On a cruise however you feel more "at risk" because if you catch COVID, you may have to cut the cruise short due to the protocols and I know I don't want that for me having waited so long to get a boat.

These new protocols really are to discourage those who are not vaccinated to not sail for now. You’ll get the die hards but your average cruiser probably will wait. 
 
Also.....From a business standpoint: Royal has an opportunity here to snag those Disney cruisers. Disney is shutdown. There’s no way they can start anytime soon. The unvaccinated kids would outnumber vaccinated adults. This is Royal’s chance to wow them over. 
 
These protocols are cumbersome for the unvaccinated and that is the point.