SPS

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-activities/archery I know it's April 1st, but, it appears that this is a real thing, unless @PPPJJ-GCVAB somehow convinced RC to be in on the joke! ?

Captain Kate's YT channel is really entertaining. It provides a lot of interesting info about working/living/operating a cruise ship. Plus, there's several appearances by her sea-faring cat, "Bug Naked"! ? If you're claustrophobic at all, you should probably avoid the Azipod video where she and another crewmember crawl inside it (?) for servicing.

Morbo is the most trusted and feared name in news!

Unfortunately, I only have one booked at a time. (Currently, Odyssey on January 29, 2022) I would like to think that if I lived much closer to a port (or ports), I would take advantage of short sailings for long weekend getaways. With having to fly (or drive a LONG way) it's just too time and/or cost prohibitive.

A friend of mine is always complaining about his car from Sweden. I'm tired of his Saab stories.

I'm not sure about the answer to your question, but, I do know that they've gotten better at issuing FCCs. (Unfortunately, a year of cancellations has made them good at it ?) From the time of cancellation (December 2) to the issuing our FCCs (January 8) was 37 days.

I second this. Even with only one cruise booked at a time, I've taken to keeping records of every "Cruise Vacation Receipt" with notes of the changes each time I get something changed or have the cruise re-priced. I'm not sure why you are not getting these. Every time I have called RCI's customer service reps, they have sent me an email regarding my changes while I am still on the phone with them to review while I am STILL on the phone with them. I can understand your frustration completely. I know this doesn't help, but, I have certainly found some CS reps to be more able and helpful than others.

This only works for ships painted orange with "01" painted on the side.

@Lovetocruise2002 I literally saw that pop up on the homepage within a minute or so of asking! Pardon me, it looks like I got some work to do!

How can WE effectively add OUR voices? Does anyone know?

Agreed. I think what's getting lost in the mix here is that the CSO is a CONDITIONAL SAIL ORDER. It is NOT a NO SAIL order. I don't think that anyone is expecting that cruises will be free of any/all COVID restrictions before the November 1 date. What we DO expect to actually "conditionally sail" rather than just being continually denied by the CDC.

Us/Cruise Lines/CLIA: Can we start cruising again in July? CDC: No. Us/Cruise Lines/CLIA: Why not? CDC: BECAUSE WE SAID SO!

From the article: "@RoyalCaribbean cruises is now requiring you to get an experimental vaccine to book a cruise with them. I will be boycotting the company instead."

It's worth noting that rowdy, hard partying college kids vs. calmly gathered families/couples following cruise line mandated protocols are hardly comparable. Not that that would keep the CDC and/or the ever vocal "I'd never go on a cruise" crowd from playing a game of "I told you so".

This reminds me of the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

You're about 45 minutes late with this news. ?

This is all entirely outside the US, CDC has NO say in it. If nothing else, they can sail, gather data, give it the CDC and say, "SEE, WE CAN $%#$%#$%# CRUISE SAFELY! NOW LIFT THE BAN!"

This isn't gonna help at all! People will definitely break social distancing guidelines to pop the bubbles!

As an option, there are some pretty cheap Android phones available that could be used to connect to wi-fi without cellular service activated. Or someone could even borrow a used smartphone from a friend or family member that's had a recent phone upgrade to bring along. (Just a suggestion)

Hmm, that is curious, but, it does still keep me thinking about being able to electronically verify the documents being presented for check-in. I would think that the enhanced license could also be e-verified. Birth certificates are just not going to be as easy to verify online/through the app. I'm not even sure of what the process would be. Would a scanned copy have to be "hand verified" by a RCG representative somehow? Having a passport is just so much easier, but, I certainly understand why a family of travelers wouldn't want to go through the time and expense to get them for possibly one use or so.

No surprise since passports are "in the system" and are easily verified electronically, as opposed to birth certificates that have been issued who knows where or when with no one standard/format.