smplybcause

Refunds if you test positive before the cruise was EXTENDED to March 2023. If anything that suggests royal thinking pre cruise testing will be here for a while. 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-i-test-positive-for-sars-cov-2-what-is-your-refund-policy-and-costs-covered

So their FAQ definitely doesn't say what happens if you test positive for a cruise after March 31. And I have a cruise leaving in April. *****

Edit: Jk on the refund part - it's March 2023. Didn't notice the year! 

Looks like the cut off for them covering costs if you test positive on board is end of April. 

40 minutes ago, topnole said:

That appears to be the case.  Plus, starting in May,  no more refund if you test positive right before the cruise.  These are big changes. 

Are they at least giving you FCC?

3 hours ago, BND said:

I wasn't posting "anecdotal evidence".  I was reporting what everyone I know that I have talked about it has decided.  And, we plan to wait as do my friends and family that I have talked to.  I think you need to look up what "anecdotal evidence" means because that's not what I said.  I didn't make a statement about anyone that I don't know.  I stated what people I know have actually said.

That's literally what anecdotal evidence is. Unless you literally know thousands of people, you don't have a large enough sample size to be anything but anecdotal. To say nothing of the bias that may be in the sample size of you happened to know that many (a key factor in a sample size is random where the people you know often think similarly to you).

Anecdotal literally means personal accounts... which is exactly what "well my friends are doing X" is. 

If the $49 is only 1 minute flight that's around land prices. $29 is a lot cheaper. 

Anything is possible if you just believe! 

At least until you get the assignment that will 99% likely be a junior suite.

So far since the restart all entertainment reservations only open up once you're on the ship. 

9 minutes ago, richmore said:

Ok. Thanks for the info- wish they would let you pay upgrade the other 2, since they only charge you for 2 people for Royal up. 
 

btw- yes we have 1 adult in each room with 1 kid…

You can pay... you just pay regular rates not royal up. 

You could all sleep in it but only the people assigned to the cabin that got upgraded would get any perks associated. 

So you'd either have to leave the 2 behind to enjoy the suite perks or forgo them. 

And if your two kids are in a room together and underage there's a chance you might have an issue with their room no longer being next to yours, but I'm not sure on the likelihood of that. 

Besides one when I was a kid, I've only been sailing since 2010... though I didn't sail again until 2015 (and it's been at least one a year since then. Went from 2 cruises before 2015 to adding 15+ since then).

Apparently have had 2 gone since I was on monarch and majesty. Three if we're counting other lines because the Bahamas paradise ship is scraped. 

On 3/12/2022 at 6:58 PM, DirtyDawg said:

Isn't that what Custer said; "Hey, I've already paid for my Airbnb at Little Bighorn ...." 🙂

I regret everything... in case you were wondering. 

13 minutes ago, BopRN said:

WE did, but the orders are still in tact. We will be on a B2B, so maybe that included both cruises?

If it's two different reservations then it wouldn't be one refund. 

Anything in your cruise planner equal that amount? 

Doubtful - companies aren't known for protectively taking less of your money. Otherwise Royals cwc wouldn't require you to call for the price adjustment. Unless you have a TA that might have done something - but 304 is higher than the diamond balcony discount.

Have you purchased anything on the cruise planner? 

Usually the price you pay in the cruise planner in a discount from what's on board. But I've seen them do bogo half off on board that was pretty close to what it was selling for online. 

So I did mine after midnight because I was up. My friend didn't do it until the morning - before 9am if I remember right - but was able to get the same time. 

FYI unless the people skimming credit cards in ports wait months to use them... I've honestly never had a problem using my credit card at a cruise port. I usually prefer it over worrying about the cash on hand. It's not like I'm on the hook if it's used anyways. 

5 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

You can always stock up on vanilla in Costa Maya or Cozumel! 
 

On one Roatan trip, we stopped at a local stand for a quick bite and we paid in USD but were given change in Honduran currency. I have been trying to remember to bring back the money for years😂😂.

 

 

mac_tlc

One trip one of the stores in the Cozumel port gave me change in pesos. I was dumbfounded. But it was like a dollar so I shrugged and gave it to my nieces who got a kick out of it. 

They don't HAVE to. It's suggested. Otherwise they need to get tested in Anchorage. 

8 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Might not confusing to you if you aren’t on one of the first sailings.

Below was issued on March 7

 

Guests wanting to take a cruise that departs from a Canadian port, or one that has a Canadian port as a port of call included, will need to take a PCR test within 72 hours before they board. 

An antigen test is also accepted; however, only if it was taken within one day of boarding. That means that the current standard that is in place in the US, 48-hours before boarding, is not valid for cruises that call in Canadian ports. 

And Royal hadn't issued any protocols then. Royal recently issued them and Royal won't benefit if they put out the wrong protocols. I'm assuming some clarification is coming out of Canada on this soon. Especially since Royal has different protocols if it ends in Canada vs not. 

Royals protocols actually line up with Canada no longer requiring a test to enter if fully vaccinated - which was announced AFTER the cruise requirements were though from what i saw didn't specify if it included cruises. 

7 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I bet those land rules change next week when Canada gets rid of entry testing.

Uh aren't the land tours exclusively in Alaska and therefore have nothing to do with Canada? 

1 minute ago, graphicguy said:

Boy...I'm sailing Alaska in May and am still confused by testing procedures, and if this thread says anything about that, as it might, but not sure because it sure is cryptic.

Have you gone to Royals website? They now have protocols listed. It's not that confusing. 

Ah so they're mad Royal is making them test before the land portion and then before the cruise portion both at your own expense. 

1 hour ago, Starry Eyes said:

The drink package is handled differently on the two lines.  For many categories on NCL, the fare includes the drink package option for first two guests if you pay about $20 per day per person in gratuities…if you have more than two adults, the extra packages for those extra adults seem pretty pricy (base price $99 per day plus 20%).  On Royal, the fare does not include the drink package; each party makes their own decision.  As suite guests have a free happy hour in the SL, some suite guests do not feel the need for a drink package; others do…your call.

They switched it a bit before covid it's now passengers 1-8 that get the drink package. However if the passenger is under 21 they'll only get the soda package if they're guest 1 or 2.

Specialty dining and wifi is still only guests 1 & 2. 

2 hours ago, BND said:

I have a 2 ct solitaire engagement ring plus other expensive pieces but I wear them everywhere.  Mine is also worth a "crap ton" but I have it to wear.   Otherwise, why own it?

I mean she doesn't not wear it. It's worn more often than not. But when you're putting on sunscreen and in and out of water all crap that gets the ring dirty...meh I don't think I'd wear it either. 

I bring jewelry to wear at night - because why have it? But I'm not a day time jewelry wearer at home so I don't wear it. 

My friend that's married just brings silicone rings on cruises (she has multiple colors) and other trips. Her set it worth a crap ton of money so she is sometimes worried it could make her a target.