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Anthem & Potential Coronavirus


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No more updates for now so hopefully things have stabilized.  At this point they are refunding 2 days of cruise fare, 2 days of prepaid packages and reimbursing hotel and food up to $200.  They’ve cancelled Nassau (yippee) and cut out 1 sea day.  IF things go smoothly tomorrow I think all will be well.  I have a 4:00 checkout at the hotel so if they begin boarding at 5:00 that should work out.

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Just now, WAAAYTOOO said:

No more updates for now so hopefully things have stabilized.  At this point they are refunding 2 days of cruise fare, 2 days of prepaid packages and reimbursing hotel and food up to $200.  They’ve cancelled Nassau (yippee) and cut out 1 sea day.  IF things go smoothly tomorrow I think all will be well.  I have a 4:00 checkout at the hotel so if they begin boarding at 5:00 that should work out.

Have a great time!! Hopefully the ship isn't full of grumpy people. I say a shortened cruise is still better than no cruise!

 

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No new updates is good. At least they are trying to make the rest of the cruise as fun as possible. That is unless you have your heart set on Bahamas.

I have no doubt that the piece of mind you have from knowing they took every precaution will help to alleviate some grumpiness. Like @emsff02 said it is still a cruise.

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15 minutes ago, ellcee said:

Are you guys at least doing something fun or relaxing? Unfortunately the weather has been crappy these past two days.

No, we don’t have a car and decided to just stick around the hotel. I will say, downtown Newark is quite an experience.  At least we will be thrilled to get out of here and get on the ship finally. 
 

No new updates so it looks like 5:00 today for boarding and 10PM departure.  Yippee !

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3 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I will say, downtown Newark is quite an experience.  At least we will be thrilled to get out of here and get on the ship finally. 

Newark has a number of hidden gems, but many of them are...well hidden.  It is not a wonderful area for exploring without a local to guide you.  Hopefully there's enough to do on site and you're being well taken care of until tonight.  Bon voyage!

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Update:

S: Here's the latest concerning your sailing on Anthem of the Seas.
We're still waiting on the conclusive results from the CDC from their office in Atlanta, GA. We're planning to announce the status of boarding at 1:30 PM EST today. If we do not have confirmation of when we can expect results, our plan is to delay boarding until tomorrow. If we do end up needing to delay boarding until Sunday, we will provide you with updated boarding times, itinerary, and compensation at 1:30 PM EST. If we have to delay further, and you no longer want to sail with us on Sunday, we completely understand, and you may cancel and receive a full refund. We are hopeful that we will not need to delay your vacation further, but we also don't want to have you start to make your way to the terminal only for us to find out that we won't have the test results this afternoon. We will continue to provide updates every hour. We greatly appreciate your patience and apologize for this situation.

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Update:

S: Here's the latest concerning your sailing on Anthem of the Seas.
We're still waiting for the results from the CDC. As we shared on our 11 AM update, if we do not have confirmation of when we can expect results by 1:30 PM, we are going with our alternate plan. At that time, we will provide you with updated boarding times, itinerary, and compensation. If we have to delay further, and you no longer want to sail, we completely understand, and you may cancel and receive a full refund. We will share another update at 1:00 PM EST or as soon as we hear from them, whichever comes first. Thanks for your patience and apologize for this situation.

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37 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Update:

S: Here's the latest concerning your sailing on Anthem of the Seas.
We're still waiting for the results from the CDC. As we shared on our 11 AM update, if we do not have confirmation of when we can expect results by 1:30 PM, we are going with our alternate plan. At that time, we will provide you with updated boarding times, itinerary, and compensation. If we have to delay further, and you no longer want to sail, we completely understand, and you may cancel and receive a full refund. We will share another update at 1:00 PM EST or as soon as we hear from them, whichever comes first. Thanks for your patience and apologize for this situation.

Thanks for posting the updates. Where are you getting them from? I looked on the official royal website but didn’t see anything. 

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36 minutes ago, Jaymac Radio said:

I Hope This Pandemic Will Cause The Cruise Prices To Go Down So I Can Go On More Cruises!!! 

This is nowhere near pandemic levels. A true pandemic would have rapidly infected many more countries and spread more rapidly than this has been doing. To see an example of a real pandemic, read about the Spanish Flu, the last true pandemic to hit humanity (although the 2009 swine flu outbreak is also considered a pandemic, it wasn't nearly as lethal).

Quote

It infected 500 million people around the world, or about 27% of the then world population of about 1.8 billion, including people on remote Pacific islands and in the Arctic. The death toll is estimated to have been 50 million, and possibly as high as 100 million (about 3 to 6 percent of Earth's population at the time), making it one of the deadliest epidemics in human history.

 

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Now Bermuda!

Should you chose to join us, our updated compensation is:

• A 50 % refund, which will be added to your Onboard Account as a refundable onboard credit.

• And, because we know that this is not how any of us wanted this to go, and we want you to give us another shot, we will be also provide you with a 50% future cruise credit.

• In addition, if you purchased an internet or beverage package, unlimited dining package, or pre-paid your gratuities, you’ll receive a prorated refund as a credit for the 3 days your cruise was shortened by to your Onboard Account.

• Any pre-purchased Royal Caribbean International shore excursions for the impacted ports will also be refunded to your Onboard Account.

All credits applied to your Onboard Account can be used anywhere onboard, and any unused credits will be refunded back to your credit card on file about 3 – 5 business days after the sailing ends.

 

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Update:
 

 
 
 

 

Royal Caribbean
 
ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS
 

 

 

 

 

Dear Guest,

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this situation, that is so challenging for all of us. As we previously shared, we received an update from the CDC. Unfortunately, due to the volume of tests they are conducting for Coronavirus, they will need the next 24-48 hours to complete the test. Given the timing, we are going to push the departure date to Monday in order to have conclusive results before sailing. Our goal is to now set sail from Cape Liberty, New Jersey on Monday, February 10th at 3:00 PM EST. Boarding will begin at 11:00 AM EST and all guests must be onboard by 2:00 PM EST. Please see our revised itinerary.

Day

Date

Port

Arrive

Depart

Fri

2/7/20

Cape Liberty, New Jersey

 

 

Sat

2/8/20

Cape Liberty, New Jersey

 

 

Sun

2/9/20

Cape Liberty, New Jersey

 

 

Mon

2/10/20

Cape Liberty, New Jersey

 

3:00 PM

Tue

2/11/20

Cruising

 

 

Wed

2/12/20

King's Wharf, Bermuda

9:00 AM

 

Thu

2/13/20

King's Wharf, Bermuda

 

3:30 PM

Fri

2/14/20

Cruising

 

 

Sat

2/15/20

Cape Liberty, New Jersey

6:00 AM

 

You may be wondering why our itinerary changed from a Bahamas cruise to a Bermuda cruise. With a Monday afternoon departure, we wouldn’t arrive into Nassau until around 3:00 PM and would need to depart later that evening to make our way back to Cape Liberty – not a great experience. Given that our goal is to provide you with the best vacation possible, we made the decision to sail to Bermuda, where you’ll have more than a day and a half in port to explore. Plus, the weather forecast is looking favorable in Bermuda during our visit.

We know how much you were looking forward to beginning your vacation, and we cannot apologize enough for the impact this situation has caused. But we can try to make up for it. 

Should you chose to join us, our updated compensation is:

  • A 50 % refund, which will be added to your Onboard Account as a refundable onboard credit. 
  • And, because we know that this is not how any of us wanted this to go, and we want you to give us another shot, we will be also provide you with a 50% future cruise credit.
  • In addition, if you purchased an internet or beverage package, unlimited dining package, or pre-paid your gratuities, you’ll receive a prorated refund as a credit for the 3 days your cruise was shortened by to your Onboard Account.
  • Any pre-purchased Royal Caribbean International shore excursions for the impacted ports will also be refunded to your Onboard Account.

If you choose not to sail, we completely understand and you may cancel and receive a full refund. You do not need to do anything to cancel, no need to call or contact us for this, as we want to make it as easy for you as possible. If you do not show up to the pier, we will understand that you decided not join us and we will automatically process your refund. You should see it on your account 3-5 days after our updated departure.

If you decide to sail and are local, we ask that you please relax at home and make your way to the cruise terminal on Monday. If you flew in, we’ll assist you with hotel accommodations up to $200 USD per stateroom, per night. If you decide to cancel, and flew in, we will assist you with air change fees to get you back home. We will cover $200 USD per person for domestic flights or $400 USD per person for international flights. Please send your receipts to RoyalGuestRelations@rccl.com for reimbursement. And lastly, if you booked your airfare with us and choose to cancel, we will help you reschedule your return flights home.

As promised, we will continue to keep you informed and will share an update with you tomorrow at 9:00 AM EST, even if there is no new news. As always, you can check our dedicated Anthem page at www.RoyalCaribbean.com/AnthemUpdates for live updates.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we ensure your safety and wellbeing.

Sincerely,

 

Image did not load.

 

Additional details: 

All credits applied to your Onboard Account can be used anywhere onboard, and any unused credits will be refunded back to your credit card on file about 3 – 5 business days after the sailing ends.

  • If you sail, your refund and future cruise certificate will be based on the total cruise fare paid, per person, non-inclusive of taxes and fees. You can expect to receive your future cruise credit by Friday, February 14th, 2020 at 6:00 PM EST.  
 

 

 
Royal Caribbean
 
Royal Caribbean
 
©2020 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships' registry: The Bahamas.
Royal Caribbean International
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, FL 33132 USA

 

So are we happy about this change ?  Nope....but we’re going for a couple of reasons.
 
1.  We are already here. We’ve already waited a day and a half.  What’s another day and a half ?
2.  This is my annual “free” casino Prime Cruise.  If I cancel, I will only have until 31 March to book another cruise.  Even if that were practical, I am having surgery at the end of Feb (knee replacement) and I will not be ready to cruise again that soon. If I don’t stay on this cruise, I will lose my free annual cruise.
3.  Dan redeemed $500 worth of RCCL Visa point as OBC for this cruise.  I don’t believe those are retrievable if he cancels this cruise.
 
So....looks like we’re going to Bermuda in Feb. Can’t wait.

 

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@WAAAYTOOO... There is a Broadway show about people stranded waiting for their trip to continue.  They have no idea when or where they will be going next.  

3PM show tomorrow on Broadway.  (Maybe only premium sheets)

The only problem it is about being stranded in the middle of nowhere Newfoundland (Come From Away) ... my Canadian is showing.

Still a great show.

Curt from Canada

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1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Terrible news, CV or not.  Great crew members like this work so hard to make our time on board so wonderful.  That includes crew in the engine room that we likely never interact with.  

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3 hours ago, Curt From Canada said:

@WAAAYTOOO... There is a Broadway show about people stranded waiting for their trip to continue.  They have no idea when or where they will be going next.  

3PM show tomorrow on Broadway.  (Maybe only premium sheets)

The only problem it is about being stranded in the middle of nowhere Newfoundland (Come From Away) ... my Canadian is showing.

Still a great show.

Curt from Canada

My wife and I loved that play.

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S: Good, actually, great news about your Anthem of the Seas sailing
Good morning! Late last night, we sent you an email sharing the news that the New Jersey Health Authority advised us that they received the results from CDC, and the individuals tested negative for novel coronavirus. (We decided it was a little too late to text you.) The good news, our departure from Cape Liberty, New Jersey will remain the same, at 3:00 PM EST on Monday, February 10th. The even better news, our team has been tirelessly working and has advised you can board the ship today! So, come start your vacation early with us. The terminal doors will open at 3:00 PM today and boarding will take place today from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM EST, or Monday from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM EST. Please know, since stevedore availability is limited today, you may need to bring your bags onboard with you, so it may be a good idea to pack lightly.

We really appreciate your understanding during this unexpected and very fluid situation. Our top priority is your health, safety, and wellbeing. We would never put you at risk, especially when it comes to health. So, thank you for your patience and we look forward to seeing you later today, or tomorrow!

 

Yippee !  Boarding today at 3:00. Ready to get this party started !

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57 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

S: Good, actually, great news about your Anthem of the Seas sailing
Good morning! Late last night, we sent you an email sharing the news that the New Jersey Health Authority advised us that they received the results from CDC, and the individuals tested negative for novel coronavirus. (We decided it was a little too late to text you.) The good news, our departure from Cape Liberty, New Jersey will remain the same, at 3:00 PM EST on Monday, February 10th. The even better news, our team has been tirelessly working and has advised you can board the ship today! So, come start your vacation early with us. The terminal doors will open at 3:00 PM today and boarding will take place today from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM EST, or Monday from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM EST. Please know, since stevedore availability is limited today, you may need to bring your bags onboard with you, so it may be a good idea to pack lightly.

We really appreciate your understanding during this unexpected and very fluid situation. Our top priority is your health, safety, and wellbeing. We would never put you at risk, especially when it comes to health. So, thank you for your patience and we look forward to seeing you later today, or tomorrow!

 

Yippee !  Boarding today at 3:00. Ready to get this party started !

Excellent news , very innovative initiative from Royal Caribbean , enjoy the cruise. 

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1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

S: Good, actually, great news about your Anthem of the Seas sailing
Good morning! Late last night, we sent you an email sharing the news that the New Jersey Health Authority advised us that they received the results from CDC, and the individuals tested negative for novel coronavirus. (We decided it was a little too late to text you.) The good news, our departure from Cape Liberty, New Jersey will remain the same, at 3:00 PM EST on Monday, February 10th. The even better news, our team has been tirelessly working and has advised you can board the ship today! So, come start your vacation early with us. The terminal doors will open at 3:00 PM today and boarding will take place today from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM EST, or Monday from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM EST. Please know, since stevedore availability is limited today, you may need to bring your bags onboard with you, so it may be a good idea to pack lightly.

We really appreciate your understanding during this unexpected and very fluid situation. Our top priority is your health, safety, and wellbeing. We would never put you at risk, especially when it comes to health. So, thank you for your patience and we look forward to seeing you later today, or tomorrow!

 

Yippee !  Boarding today at 3:00. Ready to get this party started !

Have a great time!

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2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

S: Good, actually, great news about your Anthem of the Seas sailing
Good morning! Late last night, we sent you an email sharing the news that the New Jersey Health Authority advised us that they received the results from CDC, and the individuals tested negative for novel coronavirus. (We decided it was a little too late to text you.) The good news, our departure from Cape Liberty, New Jersey will remain the same, at 3:00 PM EST on Monday, February 10th. The even better news, our team has been tirelessly working and has advised you can board the ship today! So, come start your vacation early with us. The terminal doors will open at 3:00 PM today and boarding will take place today from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM EST, or Monday from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM EST. Please know, since stevedore availability is limited today, you may need to bring your bags onboard with you, so it may be a good idea to pack lightly.

We really appreciate your understanding during this unexpected and very fluid situation. Our top priority is your health, safety, and wellbeing. We would never put you at risk, especially when it comes to health. So, thank you for your patience and we look forward to seeing you later today, or tomorrow!

 

Yippee !  Boarding today at 3:00. Ready to get this party started !

So sorry for all the delays. Have a great trip.

 

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56 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Have a great trip, @WAAAYTOOO! At least you can enjoy the specialty dining instead of another hotel dinner. Guessing they still can’t open the casino until you’re in international waters, but will also keep fingers crossed you and Dan make out well there.

Yes, we are looking forward to ships food !  I’m certain the casino will be closed 7ntil later tomorrow afternoon but that’s ok. Just glad to get out of here !

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Thanks, Ellecee.  We are finally on Anthem !  Embarkation was a breeze.  Slightly disappointed with our Grand Suite.  Much smaller and feels closed-in compared with any GS we’ve ever had - even Grandeur !  We’ll survive.  Better than a stank  hotel in downtown Newark !

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11 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Slightly disappointed with our Grand Suite.

That is the general consensus with Anthem suites, not just the GS.  I find that even the lofts are a bit more cramped than the lofts on Oasis class.  But you are right, way better than a Newark hotel!  Happy sailing Raye!  Glad you and Dan made it there!

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