ladychater

I'm starting to worry about my May European cruise.  If too many people on a ship test positive, the port can refuse them entry.  Cabo San Lucas turned away a Carnival ship yesterday (actually, they said everyone wanting to come ashore would need to take a rapid test that day, and Carnival couldn't see how that was feasible for a port they'd only be in from 6:30AM - 1:30PM).  Now, when I go to the Caribbean I'm bummed out if I miss a port, or a port changes, but it's no big deal.  A beach is a beach and most of the Caribbean is fabulous.  But with a European cruise, I'm going because I want to visit those specific ports and I'm making plans for what to do in the ports.  I'm starting to think I should move my cruise out by another year...which sucks.

Back to the original topic, I don't think they hold back excursions.  Why risk it?  A dollar in the hand is worth two in the bush.  I was just on the Panorama, and the two excursions that I went on sold out before we set sail (I'd bought mine in advance).  When I went to the excursions desk looking for a third excursion, they still showed as sold out.  I think that perhaps they add some excursions as the sailing nears, these days (since some excursion companies are also in their own restart process) but I don't think they set aside tickets to sell on board.

I'd love to see the end of them.  Royal Caribbean had some really cheesy and creepy looking "art" staring out at you from a million places, all wearing little tags saying that they'd be available to buy at an auction.  I kept thinking the tag line should be "they uglied up this lovely hallway, imagine what they could do for your home!" 

I just got off the Panorama, and had a ball.   I noticed that there wasn't an art auction on the ship, nor did I see anywhere that they would be staged, so I'm guessing this wasn't a covid thing, and that they've decided not to have auctions on the Panorama.  Seems like a good idea to me, those things are so tacky!  Are the auctions gone from all Carnival ships?

On 10/1/2021 at 5:36 PM, pnwredhead said:

We had 5 hours in Cabo starting at 6:30 am - nothing was open. Getting off the ship was a waste of time which made me sad cause it was our first time there.

 

Wow, only 5 hours?  I just got a note that the 11/27 sailing is also now going in reverse order with shortened hours in Cabo San Lucas, but they claim we're getting back on board at 2:30.  It's pretty stupid, and I'm a little pissed off as I've never been there before.  We're also allowed to get off at 6:30AM, but who the hell would want to be up that early and what would you possibly do?  Shivver on the beach  until the sun finishes coming up?

3 hours ago, Markmom18 said:

I WISH that people who book cruises, like me, could be offered $100 cruises. Yep, I know you gotta be a gambler, which I’m not.
 

 So, I pay ‘regular’ prices and am grateful I can go at all. 
 

TILL …. 🤣🤣… I read threads like this … and the little Bobbi in me …. Cries “It’s not fair”. 🥲🥲

 

🛳🛳

Bobbi 

I've never put as much as a quarter into a slot machine on a cruise and I got this super deal, too!  Check your emails from Carnival.  They've sent me tons of them this year and the one that linked to the super duper deals didn't look at all different from the regular ones.  The subject line was "Splash into fun with exclusive savings" which doesn't exactly sound like "open up for $100 cruises."  If I didn't already have 3 cruises booked, I would have jumped all over these deals.  I just don't have the vacation time (and nothing sails out of my nearest port, San Fransico).

My mom, who has cruised twice with Carnival and wasn't exactly a big spender on the ship (I think she bought a cheap purse and a scarf) just got the offer. Alas, she lives in NYC and nothing is going out near her. I'm in California and would LOVE to get in on those cheapie Long Beach cruises.

1 hour ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

OR is implied.

 

Since the vast majority of people in the US got cards and no digital QR code, "AND" would be almost impossible to meet.

I don't know that I would be so confident about that implied OR.  I'm going to cover my ass and get both.  To get your QR code, do an online search for covid QR code for your state.  I'm in California, and it was simple to get a QR code which I now have saved to my phone and in my email.  Plus, at any time I can go back to the website and pull it up.

Can't say I'll  be bothered to see fewer kids.  Shorter lines on the water slides for me, and less shrieking.  🙂  Let's hope the parents wisely keep away thier kids for a while longer until we can get the delta variant to subside.

Do you know what percentage they sailed at?  I saw a video from JJ Cruise today where they said that both the Horizon and Mardi Gras were so crowded that they feel that Carnival is unsafe right now.  Were you in the theater or in the Piano Bar?  They said people were packed in like sardines in those places, among others.  I'm sailing on the Panorama in November and this all has me nervous.

Bon Voyage!  Wishing you smooth sailing.

Carnival should just dump the 5% non-vaxxed people.  I bet it would make things far more seamless, as Puerto Vallarta wouldn't have to check vaxx documents or tests if they knew that everyone on the ship was vaccinated and had tested negative before boarding.  I don't know why these un-vaccinated people would even want to be on the ship.  Now they can't get off at one of three ports and they have other expenses and restrictions.

It's all guesswork now, but as the covid cases are actively RISING now, I don't see them loosening up the rules.  I'm on the Panorama in November, too, and I'm hoping they stay at 95% vaccinated.  My gut tells me that they will, but I've been wrong before.

I almost always book a guaranteed room and I've never had a bad room.  I stick with balconies, so those are all pretty nice rooms, I suspect.  I've never had a noisy/problematic room.  I say, go for it!

I t's good to have some clarity. I'm sailing in November so I'm assuming that the same rules will apply.

When you think of all the paper waste that accumulates from this, it only makes sense to stop it. They would put two in my cabin every day. My boyfriend's would go straight in the trash. I'd only want the front page and the perforated schedule. So long as they keep them on the big grab and go racks at Customer Service so people who want them can easily get them, I think this is terrific. Less waste! Less trash! Yay!

Get on the ship (it will be the Panorama for me). Find a table at either Blue Iguana or the Buffet and get some lunch.  Get a cocktail to go with lunch.  Sit back and think "oh, it feels goooooooooood to be on a ship again."  Then go explore!  We've got a whole new ship to discover - yaaaaaay!

I'm on the Panorama on 11/27...I hope. Can't wait to see some Carnival ships pulling out of US ports as I'm fearful of us getting cancelled (again). Maybe your ship has lots of space because folks are worried about California shutting down again?  We were the first state to close and one of the last to reopen.

I've brought on scissors, but I went with ones that had a rounded tip.  They cut yarn and thread just fine and don't look even remotely threatening. https://www.amazon.com/Revlon-Mens-Safety-Tip-Scissor/dp/B07L4GZPCS/ref=asc_df_B07L4GZPCS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416925757425&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12691081673908885130&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032007&hvtargid=pla-935937263207&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=94693358075&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416925757425&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12691081673908885130&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032007&hvtargid=pla-935937263207

While you can get spa discounts on the ship (there's a special of the day flyer in each day's Fun Times), it's for specific treatments, so if there's something specific you want, I recommend purchasing it beforehand if you are offered a discount.

I plan on going on the Panorama in November. We have 3 or 4 sea days, so I'm going to explore every inch of the ship and do more daytime activities. Over the years I've done very few as I'm usually either off the ship or by the pool. It's time to see what's cookin'!

I'm guessing that a lot of people will drop out all on their own. If RC said that you could get a full refund and maybe some perk if you're unvaccinated or simply not feeling ready to cruise just yet, a fair few folks will remove themselves from the sailings.

November 27th. I'm really hoping that the no-sail order will expire and not be replaced.  After all, by then, we should have a huge swath of the US population vaccinated. 

That protocol sounds pretty good to me....though as someone booked with an Ocean View for November, I'm not down with balcony only.  Oh, please, Carnival, don't bump me off the ship!

I haven't received an email from Royal Caribbean yet, but this afternoon I saw that May was cancelled and called them up.  48 minutes later, I was off the phone, successfully having lifted and shifted from May 9 2021 Mediterranean cruise to May 8 2022 Mediterranean cruise.  When I saw that May was cancelled, I just started dialing.   My assumption is that emails will go out tomorrow and then their phone lines will be deluged.  Now, when I go on the Royal website I'm greeted with "425 days" until my next cruise!