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Freedom test cruise began today


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With an almost fully booked cruise set to sail Nov 2, 2021 I am concerned about passenger capacity as well as just how many "normal ammenities" will be available.  Make a pool use reservation, deck chair/table lotteries, priorities being given to passengers with highest previous sailing history?  Cutting back on number of paid passengers allowed to keep their cabins already booked?  Who gets to take the cruise most of us booked 2+ years ago?  Disabled passengers that are allowed to take cruise having accommodations made for getting around ship ie: elevator use etc.  It needs to be addressed very soon!  Free refunds, priority rebooking for future date at booked rate and cabin levels such accessible cabins? Meal seating/times and entertainment options and using pools, spa and flow rider use?  What will be deleted from use that you paid for when you booked.  Ports that are scheduled being open to disembarking and is that limited?  Full price for 50% of what your paying for.  Curiouser and Curiouser

 

 

 

 

 

 

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24 minutes ago, Bemintz said:

With an almost fully booked cruise set to sail Nov 2, 2021 I am concerned about passenger capacity as well as just how many "normal ammenities" will be available.   

 

 

November is quite a long time from now, as far as cruise protocols go.  With as frequently as things have been evolving later, I think it's just too early to expect answers to all of these questions.   Final payment isn't even due until early August, and Cruise With Confidence protects you until 48 hours prior to sailing.

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@BemintzI think if they continue with capacity restrictions, then they will close the bookings.  I recall reading that over 30% of bookings are new cruisers. I doubt many new people are booking cruises, so the idea of bumping people or offering incentives seems a bit farfetched. Now normal amenities is something up in the air, who knows but other than the current offering, I doubt much will be offered.

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Well there is a lawsuit out right now by the Florida Governor stating the CDC is overstepping their boundaries when it comes to cruise ships and a judge is hearing it so this CDC mandating everything a cruise ship has to do to set sail may go away. Here is to hoping

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6 hours ago, DuaneG said:

Well there is a lawsuit out right now by the Florida Governor stating the CDC is overstepping their boundaries when it comes to cruise ships and a judge is hearing it so this CDC mandating everything a cruise ship has to do to set sail may go away. Here is to hoping


See this thread below:

 

 

 

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@Bemintz Royal has been planning for reduced capacity for at least a year. With a year and a half of cancelled cruises/lift and shift/refunds etc, they’ve had a plan in place. 
 

Even now if you do some mock bookings, you’ll see outside view as “sold out.” I’ve noticed very few interior cabins available with the exception of connecting rooms. 
 

I’m not concerned about future capacity and being bumped for my October Symphony. 
 

Right now the biggest issue to me would be a resurgence of new cases that would impact sailing but with so many vaccinated, that’s not really probable, even with variants out there. 
 

Adventure was a great example as to how things will be. According to @Matt, the cruise was more “normal” than not. Even with some unvaccinated on board, I’m not expecting anything that would impede my having a great time. 

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CDC claims it will respond to applications for a CSO within 5 days.

 

With really only a week turnaround time between test cruise and revenue cruise, I assume RC has it application already written, since there's nothing in the CSO application requirements that even mentions the test cruise. Just some pre-existing documentation and some affidavits.

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51 minutes ago, Jill said:

Obviously a gag order is in place. Good reason to choose employees as test cruisers. Hopefully all is going well and CDC representative(s) is blown away at the execution of the protocols. ?

Based on the results of the Fl lawsuit, it might not matter what the CDC rep thinks!

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12 hours ago, wordell1 said:

Based on the results of the Fl lawsuit, it might not matter what the CDC rep thinks!

I don't think the FL lawsuit matters at this point. at least for the "early restarting cruises".  I think the lines have a plan in place and they will work that plan.  Maybe they increase capacity some, but they have already canceled so many cruises that if they suddenly start those same ones it would be a PR nightmare.

 

Our 7N Allure from Canaveral was canceled and we moved to a 4N Freedom from MIami, so i know we would be pretty upset if they re-offered the 7N we were on.  Not sure we can change the flights again, unless Royal was able to offer some real incentive to offset the additional costs.  

 

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Look at the big picture to assess how one's future cruise is going to go down. The West and most of the Northern hemisphere is either controlling or gaining control (a positive trend) of COVID. Pre-COVID normalcy is returning with post COVID hesitation on the part of people and PH authorities. Depending on the COVID risk assessments of both individuals and governments, varying degrees of hesitancy and/or mitigation measures will pertain depending on where you go. The good news in the US that the most restrictive measures of the CSO are going to fade. JMO.

The Southern Hemisphere is a different story and I hate bad news so, won't write about it here.

I posted about this before but individuals can find any number of resources to evaluate how well a particular port or region the port is in is doing by looking at the rate of rise or fall of new cases (an indicator of transmission or control), percent positivity of new cases (an indicator of virus presence) and make an informed assessment of the likelihood of your cruise sailing from the port you are interested in right up to the weeks and days leading up to your cruise - this works best for foreign ports because, in the US, the certainty is high and increasing every day that if you are sailing R/T from a US port, your sailing won't be changed or cancelled in the US because of COVID. Caribbean Port calls are going to be iffy due to varying COVID circumstances and local PH regs. But for the most part Caribbean ports are open GC being the outlier. But vaccination rates in this par of the world are low - things could change quickly

I think sailing from traditional European ports is going to occur just a bit behind sailings form US ports but it already evident that EU PH authorities are granting cruise ship port access. In comparison to US sailings beginning in July and expanding from there, EU sailings, some that have already begun on a limited and restricted basis, are more likely to become more numerous and unrestricted, in the August/September time frame. Ships sailing on East bound translants, transpacs, Panama Canal itineraries and most places in the Southern Hemisphere, the ME and Asia are less certain. Because vaccination rates are low in this region of the world, I see significant restrictions to cruising persisting well into 2022, possible early 23. In the case of the ME political instability will contribute to hesitancy on the part of cruise lines to sail itineraries there.

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Happy for Royal and the successful Freedom test, but now begins the waiting game for those of us on Adventure July 3. Speculation is that it will be our itinerary that gets changed to avoid two ships at CocoCay on July 4th when Michael Bayley has promised fireworks. Just lousy when we’re ten days out and booked since March, let alone any private excursions that can’t be altered. Royal seems to have quickly forgotten about Adventure. I get it, all the real money is in US sailings, it’s just disappointing after we chose to support them by flying out to Nassau. 

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22 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Our July 24th Adventure cruise still has us with Freedom at CocoCay.

Maybe they’ll keep us the same. Not surprised they changed this week’s sailing since the CDC was on board, but wondering why other Adventure sailings later in the summer got adjusted. Maybe there were three ships scheduled for CocoCay? I’m fine with it either way, it’s just the possibility of a last minute change that concerns me when it comes to private excursions we’ve booked. 

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1 hour ago, Biff215 said:

Maybe they’ll keep us the same. Not surprised they changed this week’s sailing since the CDC was on board, but wondering why other Adventure sailings later in the summer got adjusted. Maybe there were three ships scheduled for CocoCay? I’m fine with it either way, it’s just the possibility of a last minute change that concerns me when it comes to private excursions we’ve booked. 

I know it's not a popular opinion, but booking through external private parties and not the cruise line is a risky take since ports are never guaranteed. The advice I've received on here is to make sure that it is refundable and if possible that they know the ship schedule where they may be able to shift if the cruise docks on a different day.

 

We've only ever done one excursion and it was the train in Skagway.  Doing our research, i did not feel that the price was out of line with what the train company was offering, but of course other options may exist.

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57 minutes ago, Reigert2008 said:

I know it's not a popular opinion, but booking through external private parties and not the cruise line is a risky take since ports are never guaranteed. The advice I've received on here is to make sure that it is refundable and if possible that they know the ship schedule where they may be able to shift if the cruise docks on a different day.

 

We've only ever done one excursion and it was the train in Skagway.  Doing our research, i did not feel that the price was out of line with what the train company was offering, but of course other options may exist.

I hear you, but you should see the slim offerings available right now in Freeport and Cozumel. We actually booked one through Royal only to have it canceled a month before the cruise.

We’ve booked plenty of private excursions in the past with no problem. I’m fine with being flexible, but now that we’re 10 days out, there’s not much you can do if they do adjust the itinerary now.

Don't get me wrong, we’ll be happy to be cruising again!

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It’s official, Royal bumped Adventure for Freedom on July 4th at CocoCay, citing the CDC for why two ships won’t be there together. Still interesting that it’s ok in Nassau on July 3, definitely seems like it’s more about the marketing and having the first US sailing there on the 4th. Royal is promising to bring Adventure in close enough to see the fireworks though which is a nice addition. 

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