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Absolutely disgusting. I either fill from the tap in my room or use a small collapsible funnel I bought online.

That's interesting. RAT instructions generally say results are unreliable from 30 mins after the test, so does the steward just hang around waiting?

I got through this morning and had it reversed for the 4th time, once again with apologies for the inconvenience and a promise it won't happen again. They said if it does happen again just ignore it and the cruise won't be cancelled. I'm very sceptical of this as it's likely automated, and fully expect to have to call again after final payment due date on 18 Dec. I'm worried that it may also automatically cancel the drinks package, so I'll have to argue to get that back for the same price we paid in Black Friday sale. They refused to offer any OBC or recompense for the many hours spent on the phone fixing their repeated errors. Sharp contrast to Carnival who I just disembarked from, who gave everyone on a Moreton Island cruise $200 OBC and 50% fare in FCC just for missing a port due to weather. One will likely get my repeat custom, the other will not.

I'm at my wits end with Royal Carribbean. A couple of years ago I made a booking that was cancelled due to Covid, received FCC, then made a new booking and applied it. I then changed this booking to a different cruise, paying the change fee outright. Each time I was quoted a final payment amount, and sent an invoice to that effect. Later when I check my "Make a payment" online, the amount due is larger than that on my invoice! Usually by either $100 or even $200. This happened 3 times, and each time they swore they fixed it, sent through an invoice with correct final payment, only for me to see an increased amount the next day in the online portal. It's now happened again, after I made final payment (due on 18th Dec)! I have an invoice emailed to me saying that the remaining balance is $0 and a screenshot of the planner showing final payment has been made. But when I log into it today...$100 due! I'm trying to call yet again but their line is so bad I get cut off. I'm seriously worried that even if they fix it, it'll happen again and my cruise will get automatically cancelled. My first sailing with them will be Feb 23 on Quantum and I already never want to sail with them again.

Me three...I just paid the equivalent of $90/day for a drinks package on Royal, and was satisified with that given the USD prices there, so $65 seems good.

It's more the immunity induced by infection. The chance of getting it again within 3 months after both vax and an infection in late Nov is extremely low.

Thanks for your detailed experience. That really doesn't sound ideal, but I guess it's a risk we choose to take if we get onboard these days. I have to say, I'd probably keep the Feb cruise and reconsider the May one...you're extremely, extremely unlikely to get Covid on the Feb one. Hope you're both feeling better.

Wow. Thanks for the detailed description. I'd been wondering how confirmed positive cases were handled at disembarkation. That's all just completely unnecessary chicanery. They may as well not even bother to be honest. And to be fair, I actually mean that. It's not like an airline makes special arrangements for positive passengers at their arrival terminal. The eastern seaboard cruise protocols clearly state that positive cases can't use taxi, rideshare or public transport, and that the line is responsible for getting them home or putting them up in a hotel. Realistically this was never going to be achievable or acceptable to most, so this strange in-between is just irritating theatre.

I would be extremely reluctant to do a South Pacific (or any OS) cruise without insurance regardless. One slip by the pool and you're up for thousands, if not 10s of thousands. You wouldn't necessarily want to rely on healthcare in the South Pacific, so medical evac would be very pricey indeed. Even for domestic cruises I use the Insure n Go essentials cover, as it covers limited (non-Covid) medical expenses only for my pre-existing conditions. Then my quite reasonable credit card insurance cover that will do all the non-medical things like cancellation/baggage/delays as well as Covid medical cover. As always, carefully read the PDS (theirs is extremely convoluted)

Yeeeeah. There's a lot of 'angry' emojis flying around like they're being asked to throw their first born overboard or something....

Surface (aka fomite) transmission of Covid, and most respiratory illness is really low. Though ironically touching the outside of your mask then touching your face increases that risk. Ventilation is the biggest issue, so wearing a mask in tightly packed, low airflow areas is logical and sensible. Realistically unless they enforce 'sip and cover' in the bars and restaurants, as you said, it won't make much difference in those venues.

I'm on Splendor in a couple of weeks, and I admit I'm also a little torn. On one hand I appreciate the effort to reduce infection risk (no doubt borne out of the recent publicity), on the other hand I was hoping for a little experience of normalcy for the first time in a while. I have no problem at all wearing my N95s (I recommend the Aussie made AMD ones), but there's no doubt they inhibit social interaction, especially the casual first-time chats you regularly have on a ship.

I guess they could still tell the majority to wait in their rooms until clearance is granted. But I imagine they'd still want the rooms cleared so they could start turning them over to embark the next sailing. Let's be honest, the cruise lines are only doing any Covid protocols at all reluctantly, and most are simple 'hygiene theatre' that do little to reduce risk but comfort the masses. They really don't care if people are catching Covid waiting in a stuffy crowd to disembark, they're all getting off the ship anyway.

My Mum has been quite unwell, has a bunch of comorbidites for Covid and got through pneumonia (non-Covid related) earlier in the year. We spent a lot of time talking about it but decided that it's no point in just surviving if you're not living. To manage the risk a little we've booked a big ship (Quantum), on a shorter cruise (5 nights), and outside school holidays, so I'd be surprised if it's full (especially the way Brisbane sailings are selling atm). Having something to look forward to has really brightened her mood, she's started getting out more, trying to do more movement and activity so she can be ready for the cruise. Odds are good she'll be able to get an Omicron specific booster in January before the cruise. So it's all just calculated.

The forum needs a 'shock' reaction emoji. That's off the charts ridiculous. I doubt I can mention the site here, but external providers have a near identical tour for about 1/5th of that price.

Yeah it's currently $122, and that's not far off the lowest I've seen it. I can't imagine it dropping to $87 again, anything around $100 and I'll grab it. Could always cancel and rebook in the unlikely event it dropped again.

Thanks very, very much for the clarification. That really does lower the threshold for reasonable value from the package if you enjoy a few beverages.

I have a Feb sailing on Quantum, and can only see bar prices in the places that sell food (i.e wine bar and the pub). Beers look to be USD$8.25, cocktails $15. I'm thinking that includes the gratuity as you said, and hoping that drinks package would be for drinks <=$15, even though the planner says it's for drinks <=$13. If you can't even get a basic cocktail with the package that would be nuts given the price of it.

I'm trying to sort out the value proposition of different NZ sailings for this time next year. I'm extremely keen to try Celebrity Edge, but the cost is certainly a little more than the RCI/Princess sailings for similar itineraries. The all-inclusive packages on Celebrity which include Classic drinks package and Wifi seem pretty decent value on the surface, but it doesn't take much digging to see that a huge number of wines, beers and especially cocktails aren't included. Limiting to drinks <$9USD seems well, fairly limiting. Could anyone sailing Celebrity soon post a few pictures of drinks menus onboard and their experience with the Classic package? And if you have an existing booking, is there an option to upgrade your all-inclusive Classic package to a Premium one? And for how much? Thanks!

I very much hope to be corrected. I was just going off recent prices from OS cruises, they may have adjusted slightly for Aus-based. But certainly a bottle of beer for $15 or a $25 cocktail is at the upper end of even a swanky bar.

I wonder if it changes the equation a bit regarding booking early. I've noticed similar with almost every line to the end of this year. It may be a Covid related booking delay (both passports and general reluctance). But used to be for the summer season you'd almost never do well leaving it till the last minute.

I wonder what's going on with HAL in Australia? Some of the last minute prices are really quite incredible for a quality line. For example the 6 Dec departure on Westerdam for 2 weeks around NZ to Auckland is only $1989pp for a balcony room ($3290 solo - also quite incredible). That's with no drinks/wifi...but still!

Drink prices are going to be a bit of a shock to many people I imagine. Beers will be about $8USD, most cocktails $12-14USD, then with 18% on top. That'll make a beer nearly $15AUD, and a Signature Cocktail over $25!! Even a coffee will be >$6. I'll be keeping an eye out for Black Friday drinks package discounts. If it can get to about $100/day it'll be pretty easy to break even on a sea intensive cruise.

Before you call make sure you know exactly what you want, so run a dummy new booking in the cabin category you're after to see what promo/price difference there will be. Also gives you a chance to see what cabins are available and to pick one you like. Overall I've been pretty happy with their direct line, despite the wait, each time they seemed genuinely trying to get to the best outcome.

I did this just last week. For a variety of reasons I've actually switched my cruise from a 6-night two person cabin in November this year, to a single person 4-night next March, back to a two person 5- night in February. Each time I kept the $400 non-refundable deposit (plus some previously applied FCC), but paid a $50-100 change fee (charged immediately, not subtracted from the existing credit) It will unfortunately take some time on hold, so make a coffee (or pour a whisky). You should end up with exactly the same reservation number. They'll apply whatever price and promo is on at the time, and you'll pay the difference if the new cabin in the new sailing costs more.