mathbees

Our only dealbreakers is if they cancel our next cruise, too! LOL

I thought of an interesting twist to this... They could start with a video in your room that displays a QR code for the app (everyone in the cabin would have to scan saying they watched the video). Then you have to go to your muster station and scan a QR code there, too (again, all would have to be present and scan... they could even have it set up so that staff checked that the face matches for security purposes). This completes the eMuster drill... But it launches a shipwide scavenger hunt. Each QR code gives you new clues to another location (also with QR codes). A couple of points, at least from my point of view... 1) I would be able to hear and understand the video. I often have trouble hearing the shipwide announcements, especially in open areas. 2) This would make the eMuster fun for people. 3) It would give them validation that people are completing the eMuster But, as @twangster mentioned, it would need to be approved through the powers that be. One can hope. Especially that the prize at the end was a drink of the day... 😊

Is that Groot over his shoulder?

Step 1: Trademark "emuster" Step 2: ?? https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2020/05/19/royal-caribbean-ends-option-travel-agents-complete-online-check-guests

When I married my wife 10 years ago, I took her on her first cruise (my 5th). She only saw the upfront cost and didn't believe it. Then we did a trip to Universal Studio... She was sold on the cruises after that. Especially with dinner every night... Where do we want to eat tonight? Same restaurants, same food... On the ship... same dining room, new food! And we didn't have to deal with "the food was really good at that restaurant, but the prices were so high!" I just want to relax and enjoy the vacation. I have every confidence the cruise industry as a whole will be OK in the long run. But I am anxious to get it moving again.

You're definitely right in the log term, but I think for the short term it would make sense, even if they lose money. For one thing 50% is better than the 0% they are currently bringing in, so it could slow the burn a little. But, as some others have pointed out, the cruise industry needs some "burn in" time... a chance to try their new procedures to verify the effectiveness, and to prove to the CDC, cruising public, et al, that they are on top of this. I suspect many die hard cruisers would jump at a chance for a half empty ship (half-empty Oasis class - Sign me up!), which is what I am inferring from the number of Casino offerings, especially free cruises. I suspect RCI is trying to keep the regulars on the hook because it'll be harder for them to attract new cruisers for a while. I also think this is a stronger argument for them starting to sail with the smaller ships, but some bean counters somewhere probably know exactly what number of passengers make each ship profitable.

I just hope this isn't a sign that they are about to push the return to cruising start date again... even though it seems most of us are already skeptical that June 12 is realistic.

I've never done a B2B, but I have one scheduled (June 12, no less!). I worked through a TA (Thanks @michelle!) and I highly recommend them. I booked the same cabin for both, explicitly so we wouldn't have to pack and change cabins. I'm not sure what happens in the situations where you switch cabins, but I have known people to do this. I would think non-suite moving to a suite (or suite to suite) would work best (I believe the suites tend to be ready earlier so the change would be easier). You do need to leave the ship between, as the regulations are that the ship must be completely empty of passengers before embarkation starts, as I understand it. But, I believe you are the first to get back on board. I hope I have my facts correct. I know @WAAAYTOOO, @Matt and quite a few others have done B2Bs, so hopefully they'll correct any details I've gotten wrong...

Can't say enough good things about Michelle. She has done us great with price reductions, upgrades, etc. I never liked Travel Agents until we met her... although I'm sure any from MEI would be good.

It's still better than the days you had to go back to your cabin and grab your life jackets 🦺 for the muster drills.... Like that is what would happen in a real emergency... 😆

I'm still hopeful that RCL will stick with June 12 (Of course, my next cruise is June 12). I'm thinking these two announcements were just that they're not ready for the next couple of weeks and it makes more sense to push it out to ensure they are ready. Since RCL had already pushed to June, maybe they'll stick with it. Or maybe I'll join the growing ranks of those disappointed souls that have to push their much anticipated vacations out to a future date.

That's exactly what I thought of first. I could see this being a two step process: 1. Either a document to be read or a video that needed to be watched prior to boarding (could even be part on the online check-in? or just at the physical check-in) 2. Process is complete when all members of the party check in at the muster station between, say 3 hours before sailing and 1 hour before sailing. This part could be using your wrist band/room key badge. If I recall from my last sailing, they already were scanning badges (or am I confusing this with the last conference I went to... Man I need a vacation!). I would certainly favor this. My frustration with my last trip on the Oasis was that muster happened just before launch. We had one party member in a wheel chair and we could not get from the muster by the aft pool back to our room where we wanted to watch the sail-away from (we were in an aquatheater and we we really looking forward to that!).

Thank you for explaining all of that. I'm glad that you understood my point that all US Citizens could freely move between the US and Puerto Rico without the need for a passport (since it is not a foreign country), just like they could between mainland States, Alaska and Hawaii (and some other territories). Thus the borders between Puerto Rico and the rest of the US were completely open prior to being shut and does appear to have been a successful method of minimizing the outbreak there. However, like so much of the current data, we are still in the middle of the situation and there is a lot of analysis that needs to be done before we can come to any definitive conclusions. Since it appears that their first case on the island was from a cruise passenger, I wonder how quickly they will want to open the port to cruise lines. Further, since the current CDC recommendation is no cruising in US Waters, that would include Puerto Rico, if I'm not mistaken. https://www.vox.com/2020/4/9/21213212/puerto-rico-coronavirus-covid-19

Since Puerto Rico is a US Territory, and the people there are US Citizens who can freely move back and forth to the mainland, they do act like a state, in most ways (except voting). I think their response should be taken into comparisons. They were more easily able to accomplish what many other states attempted to accomplish - total isolation, but with a more natural border (like Hawaii) they were more successful. Look at the battle going on between Kentucky and Tennessee, another place where some useful data comes from in understanding whether isolating movements is a good response or not. I think there will be a lot to learn from this pandemic outbreak that will drive future responses. Jonesing is slang for a drug addict deeply wanting their next "fix" of whatever drug they use. In this case, the "drug" of choice is cruising... and I think a lot of us are "jonesing" right now...

Nor did I answer your riddle. I merely stated another fact... (and a question mark at the end of a statement usually indicates a question, if we're being pedantic).