Bradison

ours opened 75 days out. 

Quantum Sept 11 cruise also now shows Sea Days for the Juneau and Edicott days. Hope its just an IT issue--but when I went in to try and book an excursion for either port, it wouldn't let me reserve it. 

2 minutes ago, lonestarmikeb said:

Is the food in the Costal Kitchen tasty enough to give the UDP?

Not in my opinion.  The level of service is much higher than MDR but the food is in the same ballpark

3 minutes ago, blueslily said:

 

I was on the sailing. Sorry, but misinformation continues. The captain verbally and in the email to us said that the individuals were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. Both was included in communications with current passengers. And we were instructed of what to do and what was done.  I wish threads like this would not continue because so much gets misconstrued. The RC rep was misquoted or didnt say it to the media. I don't know. But, as a passenger on the sailing, I know what was told to us. I just ask that people that were not on the sailing please be careful what you interrupt from what is posted online. Emotion impacts communication sometimes and that results in inaccuracies that grow and grow. The "eyewitnesses" that people are quoting are also speaking from emotion and some of what they posted on social media is impacted by that. Even the count of positives is misquoted on various media sites. For some reason, people cant even copy and paste accurately. Really a lot more is being made of this. Yes, its unfortunate that some people are positive. Gosh, tons of people have been positive the past 20 months OR had COVID and never knew, but were going on with their lives. We don't all get tested everyday in our regular lives so we don't all always know how many people around us are positive on any given day, including us perhaps being positive but asymptomatic so not knowing.  I sailed. I knew I could possibly be exposed because COVID is everywhere. It's not unique to a cruise ship. I took a risk. So did everyone else who chose to sail. Yes, procedures are in place. Yes, things change and procedures change. Changes have been going on for 20 months also. Too much speculation has been tossed around the past 24 hours about this sailing and people are inferring too much. Can we focus on what we love about cruising. Like how awesome the Symphony ship is. Lately there has been so much focus on negatives that the joys of cruising had been lost on this site. I used to enjoy the site. Now it's just so much arguing, speculating, and just negativity. I don't argue with strangers online because my life is too full to waste time doing that, but I just had to say something because this is going on and on. I love cruising. I cant wait to see the Wonder next year and return to the Symphony. 🤗

Agree completely.  If a positive test terrifies you (it is ok if it does) then cruising or any other activity that exposes you to a mass amount of people just may not be the right activity at this time.

Does being in a suite impact this question?  We are in a CLS and got a 2:30pm slot.  Not happy about that and was hoping it was not that stringent

We got a sea day

14 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Duh!

even your uncited claim of single digit efficacy in a population of millions is worth the small effort of wearing a mask.

Nope

11 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

a friend of mine is a Lyft driver. He has worked through the entire pandemic, transported thousands of people, wore a mask religiously and didn't get Covid. His wife works at the hospital (a nurse) and didn't get covid either. They are 60+ yo.

So, yeah, masks work. They are not a magical force field, but they do work.

No disrespect intended but I will look at larger sample sizes and more scientific studies than some dude and his wife as anecdotal evidence.  Maybe there is some other variable that helped your buddy and his wife.  Whatever it is/was, good for them.

Best scientific study you will find is around 15% efficacy at best and that is with 100% proper usage.  Some studies show single digit efficacy.  Wear the mask since it is better than zero but as the warning on the box states it is not intended to prevent the spread of viruses. 

3 minutes ago, Lou33 said:

It means a lot to me because my family has been impacted by COVID and I want the rest of my family to be safe.  

 

I can tell you that where we live in the San Francisco Bay Area, people have always been happy to do their part and wear masks.  Almost everybody wears a mask and nobody has to tell them.  And the infection rate here has always been way less than the rest of the country.  So I see a cause and effect here.  

 

Yes, you can get infected during travel, but you can likely still test negative at the pier.  It takes a few days for most people to test positive.  

 

I wish they did do testing at the pier, but an advantage of testing at home is that it may prevent asymptomatic people from traveling across the country, then infecting others at the pier, just before they get on the ship.  And since many people fly, they would be forced to quarantine for 10 days at the port city before they could fly home.  

Your point about testing at home to save you the trip is valid but still does little to protect the cruise passenger.  Does RC care about those flying or the perception of its customers?

As for implication about SF, masks, and infection rates I will leave that alone.

If I can test negative at the pier and still infect everyone on the ship then what is the point of the test at all?  Why not make us test in our cabin each and every day so we can be locked down if we get a plus sign?  If you are wanting to go on a cruise you are accepting some risk and while some things can be done to mitigate that risk (vaccines?) I don't believe testing is one of them unless they do it right before boarding.  If it takes days to show up then even that is suspect.

2 minutes ago, bucfan2 said:

We’ve been on 3 RC sailings since resumption.  The rules are generally being followed (by us as well….we knew what they were going in).

That being said, it’s a whole lot better experience on the lines that realize they are not needed, desired or wanted.

Vote with your wallet, right?

Are people ignoring the rules and how are RC folks reacting?

So we plan to get tests at CVS on Friday then fly to Miami on Saturday and board on Sunday.  My (hopeful) negative test means little as I stand in line at security with people all around.  It means little on the plane surrounded by people that pull their mask down with every sip of drink or munch on a snack.  It means little as I stand around the crowd to get our luggage.  It means little as I get in a cab/uber with a driver within a few feet to get to the hotel and no clue who was just in the vehicle before us.  It means little in the hotel lobby or in the hotel restaurant eating food prepared by someone in the kitchen who's covid status is a complete mystery.  If you think the required masks in the airport/airplane/cab are some kind of magical force field I suggest you study up on the subject or better yet just read the advisory on any box of disposable masks.  And almost nobody follows the prescribe social distancing anymore (which is the most effective way to protect yourself but can be highly impractical).

The test is nothing but an attempt by Royal to say "see, we are doing something".

Test at the gang plank and I would be more convinced this is a real attempt to keep me safe.

34 minutes ago, mcaron said:

Just received an email that our Royal Up was accepted. The new cabin assignment has been updated online and in the Royal APP however, luggage tags still list old cabin number. Does anyone know how we go about getting new luggage tags?

If I may ask, how far out are you from your cruise?

On 10/20/2021 at 7:17 AM, Ocean Boy said:

The place is leased not bought. That is an ongoing cost. You also have no idea how trashed the place may be and the cost of bringing it up to speed. What is the cost of increasing security? What is the liability to RCI from bringing customers to the area? How to you secure the open water front with a village across the bay? How much money do people actually spend during their stop there? Will passengers feel safe? Can they keep their employees who are stationed there safe?

 

Right now Labadee, located in a disaster of a country, is bringing in zero revenue to a company that was shut down for months.  Who knows if RCI is paying on the lease, which is an expense, during this mess. There are many points to consider if you want to see this "from RCI's perspective".

The hinge point of my post was "if security concerns can be addressed" which would imply a return to previous satisfactory conditions.  I realize that is a big "if" at the moment but not impossible with time.  You don't just stop paying a lease so it is indeed a fixed cost until it expires.  The infrastructure has been established and paid for and if it is trashed then that is what insurance is for.  From a business perspective the place is a cash cow given that every drink and every excursion is a profit source for RCI alone.  Simple fact is that if they can get back to the previous levels of security and safety they are highly incentivized to get back to business at Labadee

On 10/18/2021 at 1:31 PM, Blauelini said:

With Coco Cay now up and running with the pier and the improvements still in the pipeline, I forsee RC doing away with Labadee permanently. No reason to have it anymore. Labadee was started way before Coco Cay was around. Will help RC bottom line dumping it. I was never impressed with it and Coco Cay blows it away.

But its fixed costs and infrastructure are long since paid for.  If the security concerns are addressed it is a no brainer as it is no doubt a cash cow for RCI.  You are only thinking of your perspective and not RCI's.  We have been there twice and enjoyed it both times and specifically booked our next cruise because it went to both Labadee and Coco Cay.  Unfortunately, like others here Labadee has been replaced by a sea day.

We are on Symphony on 12/11 and we got a sea day for Labadee and St. Maarten for San Juan

2 hours ago, HicksRA said:

Junior suites get suite boarding. 

First time we had a JS I went to the Suite line and was rebuffed by a RCI employee.  I started to argue and the DW tugged me by the arm and pointed to the numerous other lines with little to no waiting.  Funny how we get caught up in the benefits and don't realize how reality works

12 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

I wish you good luck with the RoyalUp bid but I think it’s a bit irresponsible for your TA to make such a claim.  As others have noted, the SC suites are very few and they are very popular.  There could be literally hundreds of RU bids targeted at these suites.  The chances of getting a SC suite are actually quit slim.  Of course, if there are any SC suites available, someone will get them.  I hope it’s you !

Thanks for the positive thoughts.  Would not be the first time she has been wrong about a detail on a cruise.  That is why I was looking for some recent experience as I know it is a completely different environment at this time.

FWIW, there are 2 2 Bed ATS showing available if you do a mock booking.  One on deck 8 and one on deck 9.  I have always wanted to be on deck 17 for the convenience to CK/SL but DW is in love with those huge balconies.  Either way we will win as the CLS will still be awesome.  The Genie is a novelty to me but for some reason really excites her.  Maybe she is tired of being my Genie

Our TA just told me that if we bid up on either a 2 bed ATS or a Star Loft we would get it since capacities are so low.  Seems too good to be true.

We are in a CLS but would be thrilled with either upgrade.  If we bid on both how do they decided which one to give us?  Was planning to bid just above the minimum bid but the TA has me rethinking.  Thoughts?

We were booked on Allure in a CLS last November.  Did a L&S to Symphony CLS for this December for the same price as Allure cruise.  Total win, right?  Nope, DW watched a tube video of the CLS on Symphony and right away saw that we were losing the rain shower and going to same tub/shower that is in Grand and JS.  She was pissed at me.  She still mentions it.

I don't get why they switched.  Is a tub preferred by families?  Why build that kind of suite for families?

We did Anthem out of Newark in March 2017.  Hoped for a decent day and it was 38 degrees.  Tried to be outside for sail away and it was a no go for us.  Weather was rough in the mid Atlantic (roughest we have ever experienced).  We had a JS with the oversized balcony and we spent the least amount of time on it on any cruise.  We got to Florida and it was 70 degrees.  Very nice but not cruise weather to us.  They had to skip Coco Cay (no pier at that time) and we got to Nassau early and spent a day and half there.  Went to Atlantis and it was just barely warm enough to swim.  This was in March.

For us it was our worst cruise.  We had two kids with us but they were 17 and 23.  The bumper cars and sports plex were nice but not really that big of a draw for us.

We loved the ship and would highly recommend Quantum class and can't wait to try it in the Caribbean and/or Alaska.  

1 minute ago, SheilaSirkin said:

 

Supposed to go from Vancouver to Hawaii. I have hopes that this virus will be gone. What do you think

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Doubt it is gone but I am more optimistic about the cruise happening.  Hope you are healthy as they may have tight restrictions.

15 hours ago, GaNavy said:

Media-generated hysteria? They took it because the President hyped it as a cure. The wife's eventual response? "Don't trust anything President Trump says."

You realize she was an idiot and killed her husband through ignorance?  POTUS did not hype algae cleaner as a cure.

Think people.  Think

Every time I even think about a star class room I try and calculate just how much I am paying for a bigger than we need room plus a Genie.  We can do a sky class plus UDP and DBP and still be thousands ahead.  I am sure these people are amazing but can it be worth the cost?  After reading John's TA review I am not so sure.  Even if the guy had been aces on everything I am still far from convinced.

2 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

if you run out of tp... 😂

My wife made sure that is not an issue.