Bob_KY

We were on the Harmony for the extended cruise over Labor Day and we did a Day Bed on Chill Island and it was wonderful.  They do have waiters that walk around taking drink orders throughout the day.  It does make it very nice to not have to get up and down for cocktails all day long, but the swim up bar is very close as well as the Snack Shack and other necessities.  just for what it is worth, the day beds were great, that part of Chill Island is just that, CHILL.  Super quiet when we were there and the water was fantastic.  Hope you enjoy it if you do wind up getting it.
P.S. The price is for up to 4 people, so keep that in mind.  They do give you wristbands when you get there so it is limited to just those 4 people.

The Royal agent I spoke with on the phone said 40%.

Wow....I think with that group I would definitely go with the floating cabana if the price isn't outrageous.  I think you will have WAAAY more room on the floating cabana than you would with the beach cabana.  I guess the biggest concern with having a 6 year old would be them falling into the water from the cabana but my guess is that the child would be wearing a vest most of the time anyway so maybe it's not that big a deal.  ...and just b/c you are on a floating cabana  doesn't mean that you can't go to the beach and let the little one play in the sand.  The reverse is not true.

That's the first competent decision they've made since 2019

Bonus of going to pharmacy is getting a real printed label. Put them in the passport, extras I will stick on a flat credit card plastic and then laminate. Honor system was never going to work. Next buzzword will be "booster" shots. The un vaxxed will keep this bug alive and mutating for many years.

You can check to see if you can bid here: Cruise Room Upgrades - Royal Up | Royal Caribbean Cruises don't have to wait for an invite, they take anyone's money!!

We've bid once and won; JS to a GS (Allure).

We've bid once and won; JS to a GS (Allure).

We've bid once and won; JS to a GS (Allure).

I would go with c. I also agree with cruisellama that cleaning is important, but I think we can all agree that RC has been VERY good at keeping things clean even pre-pandemic. I think that at some point, we will all need to go back to weighing individual risks whenever we do any activity, whether it's going on a cruise or crossing a street. The vaccines are protective, so if I'm vaccinated, I don't much care who else is or is not.

Eloquently put. Race, creed, sex, color, orientation or religion are not things most people want separate treatment for but this is different because it is based on risk as you pointed out. You spoke of your personal risk but I contend its also a risk to the industry. In California you can choose to build a home where it regularly experiences wildfires but you can't get fire insurance and if you can you will pay much more due to risk. When my kids were teens, their car insurance cost more, due to documented risk. If cruises end up with just a few cases onboard the news will spread like wildfire and cancellation of whole cruises will cost them millions. Especially in the first few months, they need it to go perfectly, everyone is watching. In time capacity will increase and rules relaxed but these first few months are critical to their future, they are essentially test cruises with paying customers. They don't want to tell the unvaxed they can't go, but they really don't want them to go in the beginning or at least they want very few to go all in the name of risk management. I support individual rights but I also understand that those do not override a private company's need to minimize risk at such a pivotal juncture.

Glad to see this line: Passengers who don’t want to pay for the additional testing or follow the newly announced protocols for the ship can cancel the trip for a full refund, Royal Caribbean said.

Something worth understanding re SARS2 Variant, Delta .......
Something interesting has emerged in COVID reporting. The MSM is providing balance. Some folks here are aware becasue you look for it but the folks who don't follow cruising like we do on the periphery, the ones who really need to know, don't. 

Cases have stopped falling in the US and the Delta variant is thought to be part of the problem. The other is regional low vaccination rates. Alone this news could be more of the dire consequences stuff we've become accustomed to from the press. But no ......for the first time since I've been watching (and bitching about it's absence in reporting on COVID) deaths and hospitalizations are loudly proclaimed as continuing to drop. The NYT had a graph that showed a steep rise in new cases in the UK - all of it due to Delta which describes 90% of new infections there. Superimposed on that graph of rising case numbers is deaths. That graph continues its steep decline. The UK is one of the few countries globally that has a high vaccination rate among it's population and the continuing steep decline in deaths is attributed to that. The message here is that falling vaccination rates in the US could slow a return to normalcy

Not mentioned in the NYT's piece is the path that Boris Johnson chose to pursue which was to get more shots into arms by significantly delaying administration of a second dose - that was recently reversed and at risk Brits are getting their second dose on an urgent basis. There's a good chance that the lack of a second dose is behind an increase in transmissibility and attendant steep rise in new cases. The takeaway here, also not mentioned in recent reports of this circumstance is that you can't draw parallels to the circumstance in the US which is approaching 60% of the population vaccinated at least once and 50% twice. The US also has a high per capita rate of SARS2 infections which is known to confer some degree of immunity - the level of it over time is unknown for now - but the US is theoretically closer to a level of herd immunity that may, by itself, tamp down R(0) [the rate of increase of infections) in the coming months.

The takeaway here is that the vaccines plus high levels of herd immunity are capable of restoring normalcy to cruising more quickly than most expected. However, those who are able and refusing to get vaccinated are hindering that effort. Those are the facts; this isn't about the politics or emotions surrounding vaccinations. The science does support that if you had COVID and developed detectable ABs, you're likelihood of contracting COVID is about 10X less than uninfected persons without ABs. However the data is preliminary, not peer reviewed and goes out to only 120d. After that the question is, how long does natural immunity last? We don't know - studies are ongoing but any loss of natural immunity might stoke a seasonal jump in infection prevalence this fall. We also know that the unvaccinated are more likely to be asymptomatic viral shedders to what degree others may become infected is not known but it is theoretically possible. We do know this: 6 months of vaccine availability has allowed small studies following people that got vaccinated in December. This group shows a stronger AB presence than those with natural immunity only. Vaccination significantly boosts an AB response from previous COVID infection IOW, vaccines produce a more robust immune response than natural immunity does. That unquestionably relates to lower rates of transmission across all age cohorts.

We know that relying on new case numbers as a measure of disease control and disease burden or lack of it is unreliable, there are better measures, right? Do politicians who ultimately make PH policy decisions know this? Is there a risk of an uninformed public putting pressure on these politicians andHHS/CDC officials to "do something" when case numbers rise in the US? Is shutting down cruising a highly visible, easy to do thing and is cruising at risk? The answer is obvious. Ways to reduce risks of that happening?: Keep case numbers low. Get vaccinated.
BTW, FL is in good shape. If you're interested this is the state report through 6/4/21. The graphs showing vaccine impact by age group says it all ......
http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_partners/covid19_report_archive/covid19-data/covid19_data_latest.pdf  

ISP for wildlife and a more authentic Alaska experience.
Sitka for a larger town (as Alaska goes) experience.
ISP sits in an area known for marine wildlife and bears.  The port area is operated by a native cooperative and currently only allows one ship at a time.  There is plenty to do but most of it involves outdoor activities and wildlife tours but there is a pretty cool zip line.  What's lacking are the t-shirt and chinese trinket shops peddling more of the same souvenirs found at other Alaska ports (the native co-op bans those stores).  If you were planning on doing only one whale watching excursion during the whole cruise this is one of the best ports for it.
Sitka has a significant Russia influence as it was once a significant area for Russia commerce back when the land was owned by Russia.  As Alaska goes it's a fairly large city-borough so there are more restaurants and a "downtown".  It's a beautiful area rich in history but more of an urban setting (for Alaska).  If shopping is a higher priority Sitka offers more than ISP.
Here are some trip reports:
ISP
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/12630-ovation-goes-north-way-north-to-alaska-11-nights-may-13-2019/&do=findComment&comment=124366
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/9160-radiance-of-the-seas-alaska-southbound-83118/&do=findComment&comment=83835
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5211-alaska-recap-celebrity-millennium-june-2017/&do=findComment&comment=51846
Sitka
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/12630-ovation-goes-north-way-north-to-alaska-11-nights-may-13-2019/&do=findComment&comment=125207
Personally I love ISP but I booked a Quantum cruise that includes Sitka primarily because I've only been there once and Quantum is cheaper for the win.

I’d go research icy straight. It’s a toss up 50/50 it seems. Not much to do there. 
 
We’re on the Southbound Radiance in May of ‘22 and icy  straight is a port. We’ll find something to do or take a needed nap! ? We added a 3 day Denali land tour pre-cruise so if there’s a port with not much going on, I’m down for a nap! 

If you’re at all concerned, this App is awesome for blocking out noise. We use it every time we travel. You’ll sleep like a baby! 

We've stayed at the JW Marriott Marquis and the Kimpton Epic & both were fantastic stays. Great views, amenities & service. Short cab/Uber to port. 

Thanks everyone! We are going with the Wilderness Express Land Tour! A little sticker shock but YOLO! 
 
5 months later we head to Rome for our 12 night Holy Land/Best of Greece on Odyssey. 
 
I better start playing the lottery! Lol 

I lived in Alaska for over 2 years (Fort Richardson - Anchorage) and preferred having a Cruisetour package deal that came with a Guide.  For us, it was less stressful in planning and more relaxing during execution (not worried about reservations,  transportation, cancelations, etc...).  We did go early to do local stuff. Another benefit that we did not think about about was meeting great people that would be on the Radiance too.

We loved Talkeetna Lodge and their back patio.  Denali in the background was phenomenal.   I haven't checked cruisetours lately, but did they quit going to Alyeska?

Its a nice summary of the fleet "desirements".   Wish it would all happen, but I remain skeptical of any summer '21 at this time.

I book a cabana to have a dedicated spot for my kids and us with plenty of shade, and more importantly, the service you get.
There's definitely plenty of seating around the island, even if you have full ships. 
It's simply a nice to have perk.

The price seems to just go up over time.

Great recommendations.   One thing that is different for me is Coco Cay.  If you want a cabana, you may want to book it early.  They move fast.  

Great recommendations.   One thing that is different for me is Coco Cay.  If you want a cabana, you may want to book it early.  They move fast.