dswallow

1 hour ago, Eileen G said:

We have 263 points and this is the first time I've heard of the crystal blocks. What do we have to do to get one?

Go back through your cruises and figure out on which ships/sailings you reached 140 points and 210 points, then call the Crown & Anchor desk (+1.800.526.9723) and let them know you never received crystal blocks for those ships on those sailings. And when you're on a sailing where you'll reach 280 points, proactively visit the Loyalty Ambassador onboard and inquire about it.

6 hours ago, WindinmySails said:

Wow, so if I bought now, and changed my mind, I could?  Or if the price goes lower, I can cancel and repurchase at the better price...Just want to make sure.

For any beverage package or internet package you could even board the ship and cancel it onboard. The refund will go to your onboard SeaPass account as a refundable credit; if you didn't use the full amount by the end of the sailing via the onboard account it then would be credited back to your credit card.

4 hours ago, SRF said:

The question is, will you buy $60 per day of coffees and waters?

 

It would take 5 alcoholic drinks a day, on top of your 4 Diamond ones, to break even.

 

Did you think of getting the Refreshment package to cover your non-alcoholic drinks and use your Diamond vouchers for alcoholic drinks?

 

On our next cruise, the Deluxe Beverage Package is only $53 per day.  But the Refreshment Package is only $23.   I can probably easily do $23 in coffee, water, and fresh squeezed OJ.

These are all good suggestions for anyone uncertain about the value of a package to do in order to examine the value to them. Another thing to look at is if you can justify the refreshment package for what it offers at its cost, then look at the price difference between it and the deluxe package to consider if the incremental cost for the package to also cover alcoholic beverages makes sense.

A daily specialty coffee, and occasionally a second one would be about a $6 or so value each. A soda or bottled juice/sports beverage would be a $3.50 value. A frozen non-alcoholic drink falls in a $6-$8 value. A bottle of water would be a $2 value. Fresh squeezed orange juice seems to be about a $4.50 value post-Covid, but I previously saw it sometimes priced at as much as $9 on some sailings. If you depend on the Coke Freestyle machine for favorite sodas, you need to evaluate the refreshment package incremental cost over the classic soda package cost, since Freestyle usage is only as part of a package, you can't readily think of it as a per-drink value.

Much of it can come down to you not actually spending the full cost of a drink package if you were buying a la carte, but when you have the drink package, you may be more willing to get things that would've had a cost instead of settling for things that don't; like having a soda with a meal instead of iced tea or lemonade or water. Or enjoying a glass of wine with your meal when you might not normally do that. So it may be good to consider if you can come close to justifying the costs, that simply the small extra amount is something you can safely ignore for the ease of choice it provides you, too.

5 hours ago, kands6191 said:

I just booked two October cruises so I have been checking the drink package prices for the past few days.  It has been $71 (at the phony sale price of 20% off).  Today it went down to $62 and it isn't designated as being on sale.  No email about a "sale" either.  I bought it because even with our 4 free Diamond drinks I think it will be a good deal for us at this price.  We buy lots of water and coffee too.

 

I checked my May 2022 cruise and it went down to $58 and it had also been at $71.  

A sale begins 9/23. Prices usually adjust the evening before, but the percent-off banners, at least on the old-style cruise planner pages, generally doesn't change until sometime later, on the day the sale is actually supposed to begin. This leads to people thinking sales are "faked" because they visit the day before, see a price and the wrong banner, and then come back the next day and see the same price with the correct banner.

If you've seen $71 at 20% off, the onboard price will be approximately $89-$90. It's not exact because Royal Caribbean likes to round things to dollars much of the time, and for legal reasons 20% off the price cannot turn out to be 19.8% off the price, it must be at least 20%, et. al., so the actual discounts are usually slightly better than the indicated percent-off works out to be.

Since you also see $62, which likely will turn out to show being 30% off when the banners are updated properly for the sale, that would also indicate an onboard price of approximately $89-$90, so that's consistent.

This sale was first announced around 12 noon ET on 9/21, and starts on 9/23, so it's a rather short-notice sale. I've attached the flyer.

 

1 hour ago, DCCanuck said:

Thank you @Sunshine3601 and @lazydayz!

 

Any one been able to see the waterpark prices? That's really the major one I'm interested in doing... 😅

From the last sale in the Cruise Planner, Thrill Water Park Full Day Pass was $88.99 and identified as 10% off the onboard price, so that would put it at $98.88 onboard. Probably something like $98.99 the way Royal Caribbean prices things.

The current pre-cruise price is a 5% discount. And it's at $93.99 which would make the onboard price $98.94, so again, probably $98.99 onboard.

Almost never will a price be cheaper onboard than offered in advance.

There will not be another sale for the 9/4 sailing, but the sale that begins on 9/3 will be available for the 9/11 sailing purchases.

31 minutes ago, brookmill18 said:

I meant if the parent is not with the children. If a parent is alone, are they able to enter a vaccinated area (like Schooner's Bar)  even though their traveling party is not vaccinated.

Yes, there is no different restriction on the vaccinated parent just because they are traveling with an unvaccinated child. The vaccinated parent can enter any area that is limited to vaccinated-only passengers. The restrictions are based on what you do when you have the unvaccinated child with you, including things like leaving the ship. If for the port Royal Caribbean requires excursions unvaccinated people be on ship-sponsored excursions only, but unvaccinated people can move freely around the port, you cannot take the unvaccinated child with you and freely move around the port.

19 minutes ago, brookmill18 said:

Sorry to ask bc I feel like this has been answered but I can't find it...are vaccinated adults sailing with unvaccinated under 12's allowed into the vaccinated only areas like the indoor bars? Thank you!

Vaccinated-only areas of the ship truly mean vaccinated-only.

4 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I have been on ships with the buzzers. I'm surprised they are still using them. They don't want people touching serving utensils but they are handing these buzzers from person to person. Not that I think they are going to transmit the virus but it just seems a bit contradictory.

They've always wiped them down between uses; I'm sure there also using some disinfectant if they hadn't been before.

11 hours ago, exm said:

Update: heard that we had 1 passenger tested positive for Covid on our 8/21, not 0. Still not too bad.

 

Finished my final WJ breakfast, and need to leave.

 

Another positive Covid change (besides the muster station, and the new departure process) is the omelet station. No more waiting in-line, you simply place an order and get a buzzer to let you know when it’s ready.

They've done that on other ships; I prefer the line.

6 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

"guests will debark (leaving their luggage onboard)"  Will the luggage still have to be packed, just in case of a positive test so it will be easier to throw them overboard? 

This is pretty much how they always describe the process in the past, and it simply can vary based on the ship and the port, depending on staffing of US Customs at the time (when a US port is involved).

From Nassau, where it's pleasantly relaxed they don't even need to wait for the ship to go down to zero passengers aboard before letting B2B'ers out of their processing/holding pen onboard. 🙂

I have yet to hear anything back from eMed but I consider the useful life of these to be unacceptable; they were manufactured in February and expire in October. Even if you allow for the 3 month extension, I've bought tests that I get half the useful life out of. Pitiful. This company will either be addressing it by guaranteeing to replace the kits if needed after that expiration, or will be taking all 6 back, and issuing a full refund including shipping, or will be the recipient of a credit card fraud dispute.

A passenger currently aboard Adventure of the Seas out of Nassau reports that according the the suite concierge there are no changes for B2B handling on Adventure. B2Bers stay aboard and continue to report to the Dining Room on deck 5; testing had previously moved from Saturday on turnaround day to Friday, the morning before, and I presume that remains the case.

Just now, LadyShiva said:

When the Navica app reads the QR code, you will get a pop-up that shows the extension on shelf life the FDA approved on April 6, 2021.

 

Google search will get you whatever confirmation you want on this.

I'm aware of the extension the FDA allowed; the tests I bought last week were manufactured in February and expire in October. Even 3 more months, if applicable to this lot, is still way below any reasonable expectation of the useful lifetime of the test kits.

This was provided in June on Adventure out of Nassau.

I'll just post all 6 levels here for reference.

6 minutes ago, LadyShiva said:

Point your phone at the QR code on the front of the box to see why you should feel better about that "expiration date".

The QR Code on the box and on the "do not open" sleeve simply takes you to the Abbott web page with basic info and links to download the NAVICA App, and which says nothing about the expiration date.

19 minutes ago, CK57 said:

We were on Symphony doing BTB and last week had to leave ship and go thru immigration in port terminal .  Wait in baggage claim area for an hour to get all the same paperwork rechecked from the previous week before finally getting back to the terminal waiting area for another hour wait.  We started off in main dining room at 9:00 am and finally back on board at 1:00 pm.  There were about 50 of us.  We were changing room so had to lug all personal items but bags stayed on board packed.  We had to retest antigen the day prior.  All aboard already knew they were good to go.   This worked reasonably well and why the change beyond that makes little sense.  First week we were 1600 passengers and week two down around 1200.  Crew is 70% filled and all aboard 12 and older are vaccinated.   Those under 12 are still the issue.  
Crew is board stiff and you will get tired of being asked if there is anything I can do.  Main dining room you can hardly eat with so many stoping by to check on you.  Specialty restaurants are nearly empty and same line of questions will nearly ruin your experience.  It’s like going to a party that no one came to.  It’s no party and rather a bore wherever you go.

That's not abnormal; whether US Customs/Immigration comes aboard the ship or has B2B passengers leaves the ship and come to them is based on whether or not the US Customs folks feel they have sufficient staff to do so for that turnover day. So that one aspect of it -- being done on or off the ship -- has regularly previously been something that can be different. But the rest of the process -- packing up the cabin if you're staying in the same cabin isn't needed in any case, and apparently with this change, they want that, and worse, they want you to take all the luggage off and bring it all onboard again. And that means doing the split on the night before, too, keeping on piece in the room so everything you need in the morning is with you.

 

It's a great concept. And I bought a pack of 6 of the tests. All of them expire in October. I'm currently trying to get a response out of eMed by email; will probably call next week if they fail to reply. And if that doesn't work, will dispute it as a fraudulent sale to my credit card company.

12 minutes ago, xxHadleyxx said:

I assume so if someone tests positive between sailings they will not be going back onboard while contagious to pacl up their belongings, etc.  I get that it is a PITA, but I also think it makes sense.

No, you have to understand the steps and processes. It makes no sense whatsoever. The B2B testing on-ship happened on turnover day when I sailed on Adventure and I since have heard they moved the testing to Friday, the day before turnover day. That's when you'd know if you're positive. The Saturday B2B'er actually waited for results; others come in, take the test, and go back out to the ship, and if they test positive, they get sought out after having been mixing with other passengers already.

Nothing in this announcement makes anything better in any respect should someone test positive. And nothing in this announcement does anything else but make the entire experience worse for every single B2B passenger.

Not to mention tossing screened, tested, and protocol-following people back out into a big room with everyone new and give them a chance to catch something and bring it aboard with them.

I just posted a question to Michael Bayley's Facebook page.
 

1 hour ago, xqueenfrostine said:

Sure, why not?  Not everyone who is ineligible to be vaccinated is ineligible because of problems with their immune system.  Some people are unable to take it because of allergies.  Given how many people who are voluntarily unvaxxed are willing to cruise without being vaccinated, I don’t think it’s a stretch that there are people who haven’t taken it due to a history of allergic reactions to vaccine ingredients who might as well.  I don’t think it’s a given that being allergic to certain preservatives or other components of the vaccine would make you more cautious to travel than the general population.

Probably worthy to note the ingredients of mRNA vaccines are pretty different from those associated with flu shots and other vaccinations. So usually someone using that kind of excuse is making up an excuse not really looking at the ingredients and past experiences so much.

Safety: Unlike live-attenuated or viral-vectored vaccines, mRNA is non-infectious and poses no concern for DNA integration—mainly because it cannot enter the nucleus which contains DNA. Other strategies such as protein-based or inactivated vaccines also require chemicals and cell cultures to produce. mRNA is made through a cell-independent process and does not require inactivation; thus, it poses no safety concerns due to contamination with toxic agents.

A Simple Breakdown of the Ingredients in the COVID Vaccines - COVID-19, Health Topics - Hackensack Meridian Health

1 hour ago, djefferis said:

Keep in mind the bids seem to reflect what the original fare paid was - so let’s say your minimum was $150 a person and you bid $300 ($600) total. 
 

If your fare was $2k to start (no idea of course - just using round numbers to demonstrate) - you are effectively bidding $2600 on the upgrade $2k base and $600 additional.

 

If someone who paid $2500 had a minimum bid of $50 ($100 per cabin) and bid $51 - they would have the higher offer ($2602 vs your $2600).

 

I would also say don’t up hope yet too - a lot of weirdness with RoyalUp lately

It shouldn't work that way as Royal Up should be aiming for maximum incremental revenue. The scheme should allow them to at a given point in time find the highest bids to shift the most people upward in categories to maximize the earned income. You'd seek to find the most revenue you could earn from all possible combinations that could be found between people willing to put a bid on upgrades and available cabins, including what cabin types become available if you should move a bidder into a new category. It's a very simple algorithmic run once you have established a collection of bidders and what they're willing to pay for all the various possible upgrades, and know the inventory of cabins being set aside for use for upgrades. 

That doesn't mean they couldn't add other factors if they deem them important, be it looking at other revenue coming from the people in the cabin previously, or even sorts of preferential treatment that may be determined by someone for whatever reason.

But the whole point of Royal Up is revenue to Royal Caribbean for maximizing the value of available inventory.

A guest boarding Adventure of the Seas tomorrow had a little time on their hands and called the folks at the Bahamas Health Visa Travel Compliance Unit to inquire about the Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test being accepted for entry to The Bahamas by vaccinated travelers. The short answer is yes it is. So here's a viable option for people to perform a quick Rapid Antigen test at relatively low cost if they cannot find a local source for such testing that is convenient for their schedule. Here's the long explanation of it all...

41 minutes ago, Jasukkie said:

I went to buy this, "for myself and others" but it will only let me put in three names. I would like to use it for 4 people. Is that possible or do I need to buy 2 sets of six tests? 

I wasn't stressing about this a couple of weeks ago but I am now. It's getting increasingly difficult to schedule tests, and I have to fly to my cruise. This would work well for us. 

Technically they're a prescription item and I think that's why the limitation (1, 2 or 3 names is evenly divisible into 6 tests, maybe). Optum sells 1- (sold out right now though), 2- and 3-packs. But for the price difference, I might just buy 2 6-packs. 🙂 

COVID-19 Home Tests | Optum Store

1 hour ago, Rancher Dave said:

So will the Bahamas accept that test for entry into the Country?  That would be a good piece of info to know.   Sounds like timing for when you can send off the spares to someone doesn't match when we need our tests or I'd have been quite interested. I plan to go for a PCR with an antigen test back-up so we don't run into issue being able to sail. 

Matt over at Royal Caribbean Blog posted his experience taking the test; you can go there and see it among the last couple of blog posts since I can't link it here. You end up with proof of a negative result and all the necessary info. That via email as well as the App-based electronic version should be all The Bahamas needs from such a test. Should be fine. Maybe someone will give it a try soon since it all gets submitted in advance; you'd know right away if there was a problem with acceptance and could then just go to some local place to do it again.