pirokp

Yes, Celebrity pulled the Equinox out of South American for the early 2025 season.  Perhaps, there are just not enough cruisers to fill the Equinox in South America.  Best I can tell, the Summit and Constellation are not yet committed for the time frame.  Those ships are about 25% smaller than the Equinox.  Either ship would be in a position to sail to South America for the season with one being in Tampa and other in San Juan in early January.  I believe Celebrity will update their schedules around October.  Time will tell.

The 2025 South American cruises on Equinox disappeared a couple days ago.  I will note the Equinox, Summit and Constellation have no scheduled cruises Jan-March, 2025.

Are they planning on selling or scuttling some ships or perhaps rotating ships on some existing itineraries for capacity reasons.

Time will tell.  Have a good day.

Wife and I did a TA in spring-23 with two couples that had never cruised Azamara.  By the end of the trip, they were searching for the next Azamara sailing.  

Three post-covid cruises with combination of port intensive and TA crossing.  No difference in previous cruises.  Same on-board service, food quality and officer interaction.  Have two more booked.  Miami corporate services are slowly getting better.  Do not fear the on-board product.

We are on the Onward Lisbon-Miami (Nov. 20th) stopping in Bermuda enroute.  Still a vax required cruise. Because Azamara no longer requires testing, I will wager they will avoid Bermuda again this year due to Bermuda's strict COVID rules.  Please-not St. Thomas again instead.

Andrcan-Sorry about you being the experiment.  

Per an email from Windstar received today,

Windstar requires guests to arrive at the pier with a negative COVID-19 test result in hand.  Windstar also accepts medically observed telemedicine tests.

Proof of a negative antigen test (professionally administer or medically observed via telemedicine) taken no more than two days before your're schedulat to board your ship.

This should help some cruisers in the future.

Article about it in Seattle Times newspaper was written by someone from ASsociated Press

Please-Shore tour department won’t respond to an email, maybe she would like to know that.

For what it is worth, I emailed the Azamara corporate shore excursion office at an address ending in Azamara.com.  I received an auto response saying they would get back to me in 36 hours.  No response after 4 business days.  I will add the auto response came from an email ending in rccl.com leading me to believe Royal Caribbean is still running the shore excursion dept. on behalf of the new owners -Sycamore Partners.

I’m the original poster of this thread.  I was merely asking how many people have been cruising on a  particular ship lately.  It has turned into a forum not on topic.  Please stay on topic or start another thread of your own to share your views.

Hi,

Has anyone recently sailed MSC from Florida?  If so, how full was your cruise?

Mike

I called MSC this morning.  For those of you doing a B2B, you will need to get tested at the medical center before your second cruise.  Same requirements apply, time to be tested, etc.  The cost is $120 for a test at the MSC medical center.  

We are on the sailing on the 27th, and the following cruise, doing a back to back.   In looking at the Walgreens website it says that diagnostic tests are free (they bill insurance but say you never get a bill from Walgreens).  The way I read this it is only the PCR Test and the ID Now test that are free because they are diagnostic?  The rapid test is not free but I cannot find out the cost on the website.  Can anyone confirm what I think is true, and if you know the cost for the rapid test?

Also, I tried to make an appointment on the walgreens website and no appointments available within 200 miles of me for either the PCR or ID NOW.    Anyone else try to schedule with Walgreens?  Same with CVS, nothing within 100 miles. 

Anyone else doing a back to back and know yet how MSC is going to handle the requirement for testing for the second cruise?   I had heard MSC provides testing in their health center on board, for those that need it to fly home, the cost is $120.  I sure hope that MSC would not make us test on board then charge us each $120??  

From Walgreens Website:

Free COVID-19 testing is available to patients ages 3+. If you receive a Diagnostic Test and have insurance, you will be asked to show your insurance card at the appointment and the lab may bill your insurer. You will not receive a bill from Walgreens or from any lab partner.

State and federal programs may also provide free testing in your area. Click here to view a current list of our government-sponsored testing partners.

The below prices represent what is charged to your insurance provider or to state or federal programs that cover the cost of testing. You will not receive a bill from Walgreens or from any lab partner.

• Diagnostic Lab Test (PCR, results time varies†): $129
• Rapid Diagnostic Test (ID NOW, results in less than 24 hours): $129

The cost of Diagnostic Laboratory Tests is $129, which includes $100 for the laboratory services to process your test and $29 for your Walgreens visit. For information on our lab partners’ COVID testing costs, click here for Aegis Sciences and click here for LabCorp. 

The cost of Rapid Diagnostic Tests is $129 which includes your Walgreens visit and testing services performed on site. 

Thanks to the person who posted the itineraries.  I am a bit disappointed that with the exception of two cruises (Tokyo-Singapore & Singapore to Athens), nothing is outside of Europe.  

Thank you!   Do you know if purchasing onboard we will be charged FL sales tax?   Just curious because there was no sales tax for the 4 day package i just bought.  We are doing the 4 day after the 3 day (back to back).  
 

I’ll join the roll call.  Thank you!

It is my understanding that Celebrity is requiring all be vaccinated for their cruises at least through April-22.  That could change between now and then.

My wife and I have a Japan cruise in November that will likely be cancelled.

20 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Do these cruises have a 95% or 100% vaccination requirement?  Mine is at the end of February.  I am thinking about rebooking a year out.

I am a bit confused on the 125% FCC.  We made our full payment last week.  Is the 125% Future Cruise Credit given on the base cruise fare only, or on the full amount we paid which included taxes and port charges?  Thanks for helping to clarify this.  

NCL Sun appears to be cruising northbound.  Yesterday off coast of Monterey, CA and now off coast of Central Oregon.  Any thoughts?

RCCL sells Azamara.  I guess my October post was more than a thought.

Very sensible view.  Thanks for the reply.

With the announcement this week that Celebrity Cruise lines is moving to a more all-inclusive fare similar to Azamara in that alcohol, gratuities (and Wi-Fi) will be included in the cruise fare, I wonder if RC International might be preparing to sell Azamara in the future?  Granted Azamara continues to command a premium cruise fare and their ships are of smaller size than Celebrity, the ships are older and probably more expensive to operate.  I understand the Celebrity product and the Azamara product have distinctly different sailing atmospheres, the thought still lingers in my mind.  Thoughts?

Yes.  2021.  My error.  Can't get this goofy year out of my mind and hope it ends soon.

Can someone clarify something for me?

Quantum canceled the repositioning cruise from Singapore to Japan.  They are still selling Japan to Japan cruises for April 5th and 15th.  They are also selling Tokyo to Seattle on April 25th which may or may not be a newly offered for sale this month.  I am not sure.

I do not see the April 25th cruise for sale on any other websites besides Royal's website.  I am slightly confused if the trans-pacific cruise is correct.  Any background about this is appreciated.

Thanks

I read a post saying someone sat in on a panel discussion with someone at Celebrity today that said the line will not send any ships to Asia in 2021.  I saw it on the Millennium roll-call for April 25, 2021 (post #511).  Thoughts?????

We will be on the Quest from Anchorage to Tokyo.  Has anyone experienced the  Internet speed and reliability when far away from anyplace.?  Good or bad?

Mike