teacherman

Can you order a "double"?

After LOTS of cruises on several cruise lines,we finally will have an All Included drinks package on Reflection in a couple of weeks.  We are planning to have afternoon cocktails on our balcony (staying away from other cruisers as much as possible).  Question is can we each get a couple of drinks at the same time from a bar and take them back to the room, or are we just allowed one at a time?  Can one of us get the drinks or does each one have to get their own?  How does it work?  As the ports are being dropped, this may become our main source of "entertainment".  All info is welcome.  Thank you.

We ordered on NY Day from Optum.  Should receive them today or tomorrow.  WE have a test scheduled for Jan 17.  These are for "emergency" back-up.

Are people wearing some type of tracing bracelets?   

As far as I can see from reading these boards, once a person tests positive while on the cruise , some "contact tracing" begins of others who have been "near" to that person.  So who gets tested?  I can see that other traveling companions and people on the same shore excursion would be, but who else?  How do they decide?  Are people sharing dining tables?   Also, are people kind of jamming into bars and the casino?  We are scheduled for Reflection January 19 and still planning to go, but also to stay socially distanced from others.  Any information on this is welcome.   Thank you and stay safe.

We are flying Delta from DTW to FLL for a cruise on Jan 19.  We are flying on the 18th.  For some reason, I have booked one way tickets both down and back.  We have first class on the way down.  My hope is that all will go well, but if we are cancelled on the 18th, then there are 3 more flights after us that same day and 3 the next day that will get us to the ship on time.  I did see that the last few days Delta has cancelled at least one, and sometimes two, flights DTW to FLL each day.  Hopefully this will all settle down some in the next few weeks.

When the testing requirement began a few months ago, it seemed an "easy" hurdle to overcome.  Many of us (like me) live in areas that have many testing sites available.  All we had to do was go on-line and make an appointment for 2 days before the cruise.  For those who did not have these opportunities, the cruise lines gave us contact sites where we could buy a self-administered test and we would have it shipped to us within several days.  Not now.  It is very difficult to schedule a test where I live.  There are a few places where you can stand in line in the cold for a few hours, but not easy to do.  And now, with millions of people wanting to be tested, I am also seeing reports on CC of people who ordered the tests and find out that after a week, or more, the tests have not even been shipped.  Some people have gone to Florida a week early and can't find a testing opportunity.  Just like with the new CDC quarantine guidelines, things are rapidly changing.  Is the time coming when if we are fully vaxxed and boosted, we may not have to present a test (which may be highly inaccurate anyway)?  Or, will they start to test people at the pier, as they did at the beginning?  It would seem that something is going to have to change.

Different travel destinations have different requirements.  Cruise lines accept PCR or Antigen (rapid).

Merry Christmas from Michigan.

Did you receive any information about how many cases were onboard and had to quarantine?  Where did you get a test on Christmas Eve?  We sail from Fort Lauderdale in 3 weeks. Hope you feel better soon.

We are on your cruise, but are flying down on the 18th from Detroit.  We live about 20 minutes from the airport. We are scheduling our rapid test for the 17th here at a CVS.  Will you be able to use a USA pharmacy as it looks like you are from Canada?   Hope it all works out well for each of us.  Merry Christmas.

It would appear to me that if people are "arguing", then they are too close to each other and probably sharing whatever "things" might be coming out of their mouths when they are talking.   Just saying.😇

I believe in vaccine and boosters.  We have received them.  I believe that being in a well ventilated area helps.  We like to spend most of our time outside, which is why we like to leave Michigan for a couple of weeks in the winter and go on a ship.  I believe in social distancing, and always have, which is why we try not to go places where people are jammed together for long periods of time.  (We are fortunate that we can spend extra to fly first class so we get a little more space).  And the fourth layer is a mask, which I wear when I cannot get the distancing.  Strangely, we do not wear our masks at the gym, which has overhead fans and HIGH ceilings, and where we go at hours there are not many people, and we exercise in areas not shared with others.  BUT we do wear our masks at church services, where we may be seated for an hour near to others and are singing.  We each have to determine our own level of risk and then see if it is worth it to spend the money to go somewhere.

Some can easily drive to the port in a day, so canceling is not a big deal.  We fly, so it is more of a problem to make a late cancellation.  We are scheduled to be on Reflection January 19, so, as of now, we are going.  If the people in charge say we have to wear a mask, then we will.  It's their ship and they make the rules.  Safe travels to each of you.

Can someone please provide me with the email address of the department at Celebrity where I can order distilled water for my cruise?  Thank you.

I had a catamaran booked for January 24.  They contacted me to say they could not takes cruise passengers.  BUT I have now been contacted again to say MAYBE after January 1 things might change,  It appears they are working with the government to become "approved".    Maybe schedule with them and get your name on a list.   We had put down a 50% deposit that will be returned if it cannot happen.

We are mid 70s and in good health.  We are vaxxed and boosted.  We wear a mask in places where we cannot stay away from others.  We had a trip to Jamaica scheduled for this week but canceled it.  We were not afraid of getting ill, as we were just going to spend our time on the beach or at the pool.  But there was always a slight chance that we might test positive before we came back, and we did not want to risk being quarantined in Jamaica for 14 days, which is their policy.  We have a 10 night cruise on the Reflection scheduled for January and we have had no thoughts of canceling.  My understanding is the 4 ways to protect yourself, in order, are get vaccinated, be outside or have good ventilation as much as possible, socially distance, and wear a mask.  And that is what we will do.  And we are hoping for a cruise that is not near to capacity.

I believe Antigua is currently allowing independent touring.  We usually walk off the ship and get a taxi in the dock area and go to Valley Church Beach.  Very pretty and some natural shade.  They also rent chairs and umbrellas.  A beach bar restaurant is also available.  It takes about 20 minutes to get there.  That is what we are planning in January on the Reflection.  If it is still allowed.

We did this as a "round the Horn" cruise from Santiago to Buenos Aires in January, 2020.  First I heard of the Covid was at the airport in BA when I was asked if I had been in China during the previous week.  I said "No.  I have been down here".  Everyone laughed.  It didn't turn out to be very funny.  Anyway, we have cruised MANY places but there is nothing like cruising through Antarctica.  Having breakfast and looking down at a pod of whales also having their breakfast is magic.  If you can, do the total "round the Horn" cruise.  We did it on HAL.  An amazing experience with different lectures each day on what we would see the following day.  AND definitely add a side trip either before or after your cruise to Iguazu Falls in Argentina.  We did 2 nights there at the end of our cruise and it was the "icing on the cake".   Enjoy.

Hey, Miched..Many times I enjoyed the submarine races.  We liked to select a spot on Belle Isle that could view the races and the downtown area looking down the river.  I remember a couple of times when an ice cream truck would stop and ring its bell and many gentlemen would leave their cars to get some cool treats for their ladies.  Ah....good times.

We look for beaches with nice sand, good shade or umbrellas, food and drink to buy, fairly close to the port, etc.  Antigua has many of these.  We usually go to Valley Church Beach, or Turner's Beach, or Darkwood.  We normally go out of the pier area and find people who are also going to a beach.  We join up and get a taxi driver who will take us and bring us back.   Easy to do, and it seems this cruise we are staying in Antigua longer than normal.

We are cruising Jan 19 on Reflection.  I think I booked it last June, never thinking that all of the shutdowns would still be in effect.  Anyway, I booked a private catamaran tour for Barbados and payed a 50% deposit.  Four days ago, I received an email from them saying that only ship tours were allowed and they were refunding my deposit.  As of now, the only island allowing local tours is Antigua, so we will take a taxi to our normal beach.   We do not do ship tours.  We have been to each of these islands MANY times and have seen it all.  We had our own things we liked to do, and if I had known this was going to be the policy, then I would not have booked this cruise.  For the same amount of money we could have enjoyed a nice land trip.

Just another thought (my own) is that these requirements MAY be coming form Celebrity.  They make good money from their ship tours.  With reduced capacity on the ship, they MAY be requiring ship tours to fill them.  As capacity becomes greater, then more private tours could be allowed. 

I will try it and see what happens     Thank you.

We flew Delta first class from DFW to DTW 2 weeks ago.   We had a nice chicken salad for lunch and a couple of chardonnays and gin/tonics.  It was only about a little over 2 hour flight.  I think the food offerings now depend on miles covered rather than anticipated flight times.

Thank you.   Can I still do all of the reservations and pay for them with my Delta card?

I don't know what the big deal is.  It was only one person coming in from China. 🤔😇😷