jgmorgan

2 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

Just on the 7/25 /21 sailing of the Equinox. Minimum table amount for blackjack was $15.

Ouch.

3 minutes ago, phoenix1975 said:

Thanks. Am I best taking some dollars with me or can I get them on board / charge it to my onboard account?

 

If I won some money, how do I get that back?

Unless there have been post-Covid changes, you can use your sea pass to draw money if you have a credit card registered to your account.  They have a cashier's booth where you can cash in chips for U.S. currency.  I think you can also open a credit account online.

The cruises I have been on the minimum wager at the craps table has been at least $10, (which prices me out).  It seems like I have seen $5 blackjack tables.  I don't recall about poker.

4 minutes ago, Sam.Seattle said:

I am on the millennium this week.

If you get a chance, please post the earliest time that passengers are allowed to disembark tomorrow on a walk-off basis.  We are booked on Millennium later in the month and have a fairly early flight (10 a.m.).  We also have a refundable back up that I hope to not have to use. 😀

4 minutes ago, iancal said:

I believe that you should direct this question to your cruise line.

Where's the fun in that?  If everyone did that there would be no need for our never-ending speculation.😀 

1 hour ago, Bo1953 said:

In health and bon voyage

And same to you!  You make excellent points (as usual).

The CDC card was always intended as a record and for the individual being vaccinated and the provider of the second shot (when applicable).  The mistake made by many (me included) was expecting the vast majority of people would seek to "get through the door" in order to take advantage of the availability of the vaccine as soon as they could in order to avoid getting, and sharing, a disease that could be dangerous.  Had it been anticipated that the whole issue would become a red/blue flashpoint and there would be a long-term need to differentiate between vaccinated and non-vaccinated the documentation system might have been developed differently.  Who knows?

The CDC card worked very well to achieve the purpose for which it was intended, i.e. a personal record of the vaccination dates and vaccine details.   It was never meant to be a "vaccine passport".  If the CDC had proposed a standardized and secure national medical record for vaccination status, I suspect the reaction from many people (some of whom are frequent CC posters) would have been extremely hostile to the idea, not to mention that the use of such passports would be illegal in some states.

The consequences of not having a national health system are many, this is but one.  On the other hand, having maximum choices when it comes to healthcare certainly has appeal for those who can afford it.

1 minute ago, Fouremco said:

I'm as critical of Celebrity's IT shop as anyone, but I wouldn't place the blame on them for content update inconsistencies. They'll update the webpages with whatever text they are given, and if the office responsible for the health FAQ doesn't provide consistent text for each question and answer, that's really not IT's fault. 

Hmm...sounds like you might have experience working in an IT shop (but I agree).

We always found the IT shop to be a convenient place to lay blame. 😂

4 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Looking at the FAQ's on Celebrity Website at your link.  I see the discussion on question 1 that says 72 hours.  I do not see the language anywhere posted on this website by the OP @jwfw.  What am I missing?

It may be the next question: What Type of COVID-19 Tests are Accepted?

12 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Logic???  😀

It might have something to do with the monitoring and reporting protocols embedded in the CDC's order.  If Summit had continued to operate within those protocols it might not have raised the same issue.  But as someone noted earlier, we'll probably never know the full story.

At any rate, Celebrity knew what the rules were weeks (months, actually) in advance, they apparently didn't take those into consideration and continued to sell cruises that have now been cancelled.  Then they sent a letter that was misleading (at best) that implied new guidance from the CDC was the culprit.

Even with all of that, though, I can't wait to walk up the boarding ramp to the Millennium next week.😀

And, that may explain why Celebrity gets away with some really poor business practices.

7 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

"Smart politicians", isn't that an oxymoron?

With the exception of the "very stable genius".😂

Definitely for unvaccinated kids.  I misunderstood and registered a few days back, but when speaking later to Celebrity it was made clear to me.  So, we unregistered.😬

lLutoff-Perlo@celebritycruises.com

or 

CEO @celebritycruises.com

These showed up on a Google search.  I used the second one.  Neither may be good?

5 hours ago, Merly said:

The title of this thread makes me shudder. Too many historical connotations.  Let s get them to ring a bell and go around shouting “unclean unclean”.

You know, that comment reflects something that I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about it.  In New Testament times, the "best thinking" was that leprosy was highly contagious, therefore the influencers of those days advocated the forced segregation of lepers from the rest of society.  Several centuries later it was discovered that, while contagious from human to human, it took many months of close contact exposure to spread leprosy from one person to another.  Over time, the way lepers were treated changed to reflect current best thinking.  I suspect that there are many similar examples of how "best thinking" changes as the science became clearer.  Bubonic Plague and Yellow Fever come to mind.

I guess that is where we are today so far as Covid goes.  What is the alternative to crafting policies and procedures based on the "best thinking" at the time?  Some on these forums seem to advocate ignoring "best thinking" and would prefer that practices be based on convenience and minimal disruption to "normal" activities.  On the other hand, there are some who seem to go to the other extreme and advocate policies that ignore "best thinking" and try to eliminate risk altogether.

I suppose I am somewhere in the middle.  It makes sense to me that the decision-makers would take the current "best thinking" and develop procedures that are expected to lead to acceptable results.  As the science becomes clearer, appropriate changes should be made.  But, the process will be messy and what may be required one day will be different on a future day.

As I sit on my Aqua balcony with the other millionaires (apologies to TeeRick 😀) on my upcoming Alaska cruise, I will ponder this issue further.  But, I will spare you all of more of my "best thinking"...

16 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Maybe.  But, at what point does it turn negative for the State to continue to pursue this when few or no one cares or wants it?  

 

To me it’s burning through state funds that could be much better used to stem what has become a hotbed COVID state.

You must not be running for President. 😂

We had a sunset veranda on our Alaska cruise and thought it was wonderful.  The balcony was much larger  than other veranda staterooms and the wide-angle view of the Alaska landscapes were awesome.

Has anyone encountered Fernando on a recent (post-Covid) cruise?  If so, which ship was he on?

We have had the pleasure of his company on three cruises and find him to be great fun and spot-on with his recommendations.

2 hours ago, MarkE said:

Aug.5 and we are sailing on Aug 7, which is three days.

I hope your boarding goes as planned.  You should be in good shape since any test administered on August 5 will be within 72 hours of 12:00 on August 7.  If you tested on August 4 you would need to have the test no earlier than 12:00 (assuming no time zone changes).

25 minutes ago, UKWLDCruise said:

In the UK they provided this handy chart

 

This would certainly help to clarify and simplify things if Celebrity would do this in the US.  As many others have noted, the science behind 3 days versus 72 hours seems pretty dubious.  Maybe if we all emailed Ms. Lutoff-Perlo to that effect it would help.  I just sent mine.🙂

3 hours ago, basenji56 said:

What happens if you only get the test results back 24 hours before the cruise?

The following is from the Testing and Screening FAQ on the Celebrity website:

Guests who book a Celebrity Cruise with a sail date on or before October 31, 2021, will have the following reassurances included at no extra charge. 

• 100% refund of your cruise fare, and your Traveling Party’s fares, if any of you test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days prior to the cruise or at the boarding terminal. 

• Pro-rated cruise fare refund for anyone who has their cruise cut short due to testing positive for COVID-19 or being suspected of having COVID-19 during the cruise.  

• If you test positive for COVID-19 during the cruise, Celebrity Cruises will cover the costs of COVID-19 related medical treatment onboard, any required land-based quarantine, and travel home for you and your Traveling Party. 

3 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

@jgmorgan....curious....do you know if the Link goes from the FLL airport to the cruise terminal?

https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/getting-around/transit

They have a route planner so you can see what's available. 🙂

(I believe Real NHDOC was travelling from Seattle).

21 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

The OP and I aren't flying in within the 3 day window so for us it would mean taking a cab back out to the airport ($65 each way) and two tests - $400 so a mere $530 extra or more than the airfare to get there was just to get tested.

I understand your point.  The test cost is what it is, so if you want to cruise there is no choice.  That will likely be true until the vaccine is more ubiquitous.  However, you can save quite a bit of money by using LINK to get from the downtown to the airport and back.  I think it costs $3 each way.  If you are over 65 (like us) the cost is only $1 each way.  The LINK terminal connects to the airport and is very easy and a stress-free way to travel.

There is a testing service at the Seattle airport. Xprescheck SEA.  I hand made an appointment there.  Results in 30-60 minutes.  $200 or so.

3 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

It's so ridiculously funny!!!

Ridiculous...yeah.  Funny...not so much.🙂

1 minute ago, mgmigs said:

Are they seriously going to count the hours like this? Or is 3 days before embarkation ok?

I was told by Celebrity on the phone that it was 72 hours from boarding the ship.  The customer rep was very specific about that.  When push comes to shove they may well give folks some leeway, but I wouldn't risk it.

If the testing requirement continues beyond the September 6 date, hopefully Celebrity will conform to the CDC international travel requirement of three days rather than 72 hours.

19 minutes ago, BDevilCruiser said:

72 hours from boarding, not from departure

I got the same information on a call with Celebrity yesterday.  We are in CDT zone leaving on an early flight for Seattle two days in advance of our Millennium cruise.   Our tests are scheduled for 3:15 CDT, the latest available, the day before we leave.  If I have calculated correctly, our boarding time (12-12:30 pm) is about 71 hours after the test. 😬

Finally got through to Celebrity by phone.  The test at the terminal is only for unvaccinated passengers which by definition should be under 12 years old.  Why the website allowed us to schedule a test even though it asked for date of birth I don't know.