Gears

There will no doubt be nuances and details to be worked out. This is also a proposal document, not a firm implementation plan yet. I have a hard time thinking they will discontinue consecutive cruises. After all, they know where you've been. Personally, I would sit tight and let them tell you different from what you have booked if that ends up being the case. You will in all likelihood get something out of it if that happens. Full disclosure, we're B2B in Feb/Mar out of San Juan. No intention of changing or cancelling anything by us.

Not clear on what you mean. Assume by Back 2 Back you mean two separate cruises such as one seven night itinerary followed by a different seven night itinerary, but on the same ship? Or one itinerary on one ship followed by a second itinerary on a second ship embarking/disembarking at the same port (same or different cruise line)?

Hmmmm...125% FCC might not go as far as originally thought?

Correct, that's RBC Bank. The RBC Gold USD Visa is offered by RBC Royal Bank (Canada) and is not connected to RBC Bank (USA).

Ask RBC about how to pay an RBC Gold USD Visa. That is still a US based entity. As a result, you won't be able to pay it from your online banking (which is Canada based). You would have to send them a USD cheque or pay in branch. Unless RBC has suddenly been able to add 'US bills' to it's payee list...

I will explain... If you are an RBC customer, you can apply for an RBC Bank account and RBC Bank Visa. This is different than a US dollar account. RBC Bank is a US soil bank based in Georgia (this is legally different from RBC Royal Bank, the Canadian soil entity) To pay your RBC Bank USD Visa...(in high level basic terms): + In your Canada based online banking, open a $USD savings account. (this is still in Canada) + Transfer CDN funds from your usual $CDN account to your fancy new $USD. Here is where the 'buy USD' exchange is done and online is your best rate. + Go to

Right on...those we call the 'Junior Suite Days'.

Yep. I buy my cruises from a US based TA and pay in USD. The direct RCL $CDN costs take an 'exchange cut' as do the $CDN credit cards. The least cost way is to online transfer CDN-USD and pay with those USD.

Many Canadian banks have US subsidiaries that offer CDN residents US based USD accounts and USD cedit cards. Transfers and payments can be done online eliminating the 2.5% exchange fee. RBC and TD have this service.

We've been in the 100-150 range daily here in ON for almost two weeks. Toronto and the Windsor area are the ongoing 'hot spots'. We live in an area with about 50,000 and there hasn't been a C-19 case (as in we're at 0) in just over two months (knock, knock). The majority of the new cases are now people in the 20-39 age range. On an interesting note...all the reported problems with extremely overcrowded beaches here during the first week of July hasn't resulted in a spike of cases.

I've been working @ home 100% since the second week of March. Finally, on Wednesday I made my way back to the office. I spoke with a couple of the bio-chem P.hDs in our lab and they are clear in their world that C-19 isn't going away, at least not anytime soon. The number of unknowns are still large as can be evidenced by the sheer number of articles (including in the science world) titled with 'maybe' and 'possible'. Management planning is the best path for minimization, but thinking by the public (thanks to the media) that a vaccine will be a magic cure-all is incorrect; it is one element o

One item I have not read anything about... If the CDC does give the go ahead for cruise ships to embark/disembark from FL with some sort of enhanced procedures, process, etc. in the short term...what about crew? Specifically, I am trying to envision how the cruise lines would get crew to FL from around the world if the vast majority returned home. And...how difficult would it be to 'convince' someone to fly to FL to work on a cruise ship under the circumstances?

RUT ROH! Now you went and did it...you had to go there.

We're booked on the FOS out of San Juan in Feb 2021 for a B2B. No US mainland touch points on the cruise or flights...praying to the cruise gods!

Totally agree. With the number of cases being reported in FL, I would be surprised if any cruise ship is allowed to embark anytime soon out of FL. Maybe not at all in 2020. Could this spur a change by cruise lines to outright move embarkation points to places other than FL with no US mainland stops? Just my opinion, if cruise lines are not operational in some way, shape or form by end of the year, there might not be much of a cruise industry left for 2021.