Gears

Hey y'all ?
My husband and I cruised with our kids quite often when they were small. All of us absolutely loved it and looked forward to every cruise. 
I have been saying for years that I couldn't wait until my grandkids were old enough so I could take them on a cruise. Now I'm rethinking this.....today marks 12 days that we have had all 3 of them (ages 6, 3, and 11 months) while my son and daughter in law have been packing, moving, and unpacking. I'm whooped! These little people do not operate on my schedule. Trying to keep them all fed (holy cow can they eat!), keep up with the kindergarten homeschool (and I homeschooled all 3 of my kids through high school graduation, so I'm no stranger to that either), AND work is about to do me in. Let's not talk about the state of my house.....
Fellow grandparents out there please reassure me that I won't die if I take them on a cruise without their parents ?

We found the most noticeable impact of the Classic package was at the Martini bar.  (Having top shelf over well drinks wasn't something we cared about)   Classic   limit cut you off at more than half of the drinks at the Martini bar.  As that is our favorite bar to utilize, we ended bumping up to premium.    Now we try to stay in Sky Suites, so the premium package is standard.  They also introduced a premium + for the highest end spirits and wines.    We haven't seen a need to do that yet (of course we haven't sailed in quite awhile). 

On board Millie the first few days of the cruise I heard a lot of bartenders telling guests "that's not included with your beverage package, but for $ you can upgrade".  
This resulted in "What kind of vodka/gin/whiskey/wine is included in my package?" and then the predictable... "Oh, that's all?".  
However those simple days of just upgrading the beverage package have been replaced with more much... interesting choices of upgrades to choose from.
 
https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-deals/always-included
The upgrade path options include "Elevate" and "Indulge".
https://www.celebritycruises.com/blog/ultimate-guide-celebrity-cruises-perks
For just $30 a day per person, with Elevate you’ll enjoy premium drinks, prepaid tips, and shore excursion credits ranging from $100 to $200, depending on the length of your cruise. You and the second guest in your stateroom also have access to Unlimited Surf Wi-Fi throughout your sailing. Indulge, which is $60 a day per person, includes premium drinks, prepaid tips, unlimited Stream Wi-Fi for two guests, plus shore excursion credits ranging from $200 to $400, depending on the length of your vacation. Note the per person requirement, and this is where Celebrity really proves how they discourage solo cruise travel.  If solo you have to pay the Elevate and Indulge upgrade costs for you and your ghost guest who isn't sailing with you.  The upgrade cost is based on double occupancy and like the 200% solo supplement for single cruisers, the Elevate and Indulge upgrades also have the 200% solo supplement applied to them.   
But wait... there's more.
Introducing PerksExtra and PerksUltra.
With the PerksExtra Package, you’ll enjoy the following:
Shore excursion credit** Premium Beverage package for one guest (optional) Dinner in specialty restaurants of your choice Xcelerate Stream Wi-Fi (one device) Laundry service (one bag) For a seven-night sailing, the PerksExtra package starts at $56 per day per person. If you bundle in a premium beverage package, the cost is $127 per day per person.
Here are all the available perks in the PerksUltra Package:
Premium Beverage Package for one guest Dinner at a specialty restaurant of your choice Onboard credit for shore excursions Xcelerate Stream Wi-Fi on one device Complimentary laundry service on (1) bag during your sailing Unlimited digital photos. Stay in the moment and put your camera away; our photographers have you covered. For a seven-night sailing, the price starts at $88 per day. For a ten-night sailing, the PerksUltra Package starts at $144 per day per person, with one Premium Beverage Package included.
 
Confused  Yeah.  It seems they haven't cleaned up the website.  It's really Elevate and Indulge you need to focus on.  $30 pppd or $60 pppd.

Many of us take no responsibility for many of the head scratching decisions being made. Banning cruise ships essentially 13 months out...well, I would like to understand the rationale for that. An extension now...for six months I could understand based on available data.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/covid-19-ban-on-cruise-ships-in-canadian-waters-extended-to-2022-1.5296063

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/covid-19-ban-on-cruise-ships-in-canadian-waters-extended-to-2022-1.5296063

Up to this point the CDC's only involvement with cruising was the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).  This just goes to show how they don't know the industry very well.  
More importantly (if you want to dwell on details) is the requirement to have a valid Certificate of Inspection (COI) issued by the USCG to apply for a certificate to sail.  Technically only US flagged ships can get a COI, foreign flagged ships cannot.
I'm sure the intent of the CDC wasn't to prevent foreign flagged ships from qualifying, it's just another example how the CDC doesn't understand cruise ship operational details.

Just landed in my inbox today...looks like a go.

Or adopted by a nice couple in FLA?

Or adopted by a nice couple in FLA?

American, United, Delta at this time all list Bridgetown, Barbardos.  Several direct flights from Canada

Just landed in my inbox today...looks like a go.

I hate to say it but I truly don’t think that any cruises involving Canada will happen this year.
 
Our government anticipates that anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one by September 2021 (that is the target). Canada has been relatively cautious throughout this whole mess, some provinces even more so than others, I highly doubt they will allow any ships carrying various nationalities or borders to be open until things are stable. 
Hubby and I decided that if we cannot cruise this summer (which I am more sure of by the day will be the case), and we are vaccinated, then we are heading west to the mountains. It will be like a faux Alaska trip. Lol

Then it's meaningless.

Then it's meaningless.

Then it's meaningless.

Then it's meaningless.

Source?

Source cannot be disclosed, especially on message boards, due to privilged information.

Hang on a minute...
Your first post says "So we made what we thought was the best decision and canceled our trip."
Your second post says: "If things were different and we canceled then I can see them keeping the deposit."

1. The Gift
2. CATS
3. Windjammer
 

Any and all 'Port Shopping' seminars...
One of our first cruises...naively thought this was a good idea. Ended up being "Make sure you visit the Diamonds International and pick yourself up some rare crap-o-lite jewelry!". Curious how there is a Diamonds International at every port of call...

Any and all 'Port Shopping' seminars...
One of our first cruises...naively thought this was a good idea. Ended up being "Make sure you visit the Diamonds International and pick yourself up some rare crap-o-lite jewelry!". Curious how there is a Diamonds International at every port of call...

Some of the Voyager class are popular charter ships in the winter after Xmas.  There is a car dealership that offers a free cruise with a car purchase and a few other companies that like the Voyager class to charter.  Smaller, cheaper, easier to fill, amplified, cheaper in winter, etc.  
Charters are a definite down side to Royal.  I've had a number of charter takeovers and it does completely mess up plans including the January 2022 Oasis date.  I'm secretly hoping that masks are still required just to mess this charter up.  ?