Notes:
1. I had my 2 vaccination shots in Oct and Nov of 2021 and it says the exp Dec 2021, if the cruise lines are concerned with that info.

2. Looks like the Carnival cruise out of Miami for the next 3 months (what I was looking in to) was really priced high right now!!

As the title says, I haven't cruised since 2017 Pre-COVID. Are things back to "normal" concerning boarding and cruising?

(this would be pertaining to cruising on Carnival)

Thanks

-Brent

This what I have to keep the water and sand out of phone, but also keeping me from dropping it.
 

I agree with a lot of what has been posted, yes "free room" would have been a better fitted description, sorry wasn't trying to bait anyone with the title.

As mentioned, it would be a minimum of like $500 in reality (Flight to Miami, Port Fees, Prepaid Gratuities, etc.), then I do enjoy gambling and drinking, so it is far from free from my bank account!! 

I even thought, heck what if I lined up 2 or 3 in a row and save in flight costs!!! Lol!!

(the stuff my dreams are made of)

😁

Over the last couple of months Carnival has been offering me $25-30 6-9 day cruising out of Miami.

NOW they are FREE!!! Lol.

IDK if it's a glitch, or the cruises are cancelled or they are desperate to get anyone on a ship to spend money?

What are your thoughts on this??

@HateCruising - Yikes, someone needs a Snickers!! 🤣 

Yes, I think we all know that the Cruise Line holds the deck of cards. Because they are basically blanketed to do what they want. It's not just a small something like some restrictions, but closing down so much of on board activities. Add the outside issues like ports denying access and this is what prompted my question/thoughts. My budget is very limited and I never take vacations, so if I planned something and then 50-75% of the ship was shut down/restricted and then an island says I can't come to shore then why the "heck" am I even taking this chance?! (sorry not trying to rant)

Hopefully this doesn't rub anyone wrong, but to be completely honest, I don't think the Cruise lines are being ethical. I know they don't want to/can't shut down and loose so much money, but instead knowing that COVID and variants are going to be on the ship and people are going to catch it and spread it (denying that would be lying to yourself) and probably knowing that some ports are NOT going to allow access, but still advertise the cruise is going to Aruba, etc, etc... , but pocketing 100% of the $$$ (again sorry not to try and start ranting again) and are "cover" to say, sorry, we are allowed to do this...

@Markanddonna - Holla from Westerville, Ohio as well!!

Flatbush - Oh don't get me wrong, I do enjoy being on the ship (drinking, gambling, sunbathing, swimming and the whole exp), BUT I do want to go and see new places and get my toes in the sand. (half the fun for me!!)

NantahalaCruiser - Right now, it's not even about yourself and COVID, but instead the ships crew and passengers as well. You could take precautions, test and be negative and everything, BUT like what is happening right now, if there is a small "outbreak" with crew or passengers and an island says "Nope!!" 

It feels like such a dice game right now and to be honest and will be for the next 6-8 weeks due to the OMICRON variant. (from what I have been seeing and hearing)

Do you feel cruising right now is worth it?!

With ships returning home early or ports turning away ships (ie. Curacao, Aruba, and Bonaire ), do you think going on a cruise now or in the next 2 months is worth the chance of disappointment or stress of not being able to "enjoy" going out on a cruise.

@c-leg5 "Taxi prices are posted at the port - if you paid $20 for 2 miles, you were definitely overcharged." - I agree, but didn't know what else to do. I mapped it just now and was a 3 min drive and the distance was .93 miles. Live and learn I guess. When you said the taxi prices are posted at the port, can you provide more details?

Scooter - I found a place to rent a scooter that was close to the port. IIRC is was fairly cheap, but the insurance was like 3 times the price of the rental and they required I give them my cruise card/pass as collateral. I was extremely nervous about the whole deal and felt shady. I refused the insurance and noticed some talking between a couple of the guys and whom I was dealing with. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but one of them jumped on a scooter and started following me, almost trying to cause and accident to force me into paying for damage or ??? More then once I found myself going the wrong way and about getting hit, having trucks full of fully armed men running me off the road and not being able to find anywhere to park, I decided to say screw it and returned it. BUT not before sitting at a road and the damn scooter started to accelerate into  crossing traffic. (I about pissed myself after apologizing to some pedestrians that I almost mowed down) (trust me I have more stories about that 1 hr of Cozumel HELL, but won't rant about it...)

Rental - I would prefer to not rent and deal with the inflated cost of the insurance and then trying to deal with 3rd world country traffic (seriously it was insane on a scooter not getting hit or hitting people). I would rather spend the money and just have someone else pick me up, drop me off and not deal w any of the other issues. (but that is why I am here asking about options I don't know about)

Current Environment - ??? Something going on in Cozumel recently that I am not aware of?

"The east side of the island is gorgeous.  In your round trip, you can visit Chankanaab, Punta Sur, lunch at Coconuts, and El Cedral Mayan ruins" - YES!! Those are some of the spots I wanted to go!!

(All good info in this thread, thanks!!)

When I visited Cozumel a couple years ago (from a cruise), I took a taxi/cab down the street (like 2 miles for $20) and the options were very limited, since there was no Uber or Lyft. I was nervous to take a taxi/cab to the other side of island or into Cozumel and get stuck with no taxi/cab to get me back to the cruise port.

(Instead I rented a scooter and about died 3-5 times with in 60 mins. NEVER will I do that again!!)

Question: How do you get around an island like Cozumel? 

"Yes, definitely targeted" - What do you mean?

"ROI" - What is that?

Sorry, new to cruising and the lingo.

"Bubble tours are for the unvaxxed." - Thanks for the clarity.

If I went on a cruise and wasn't able to get off the ship or only get off ship to go to an excursion and hen have to go immediately back, it would not be worth it, to me.

Any major restrictions anyone is aware of?

I was looking at ships out of Miami in Oct, and it's like $25 per person (plus $160 for port fees) for 6-8 day cruises.

That to me is insanely cheap!!

Why are cruise prices so low right now?!

I would assume it is because only vaccinated people are able to cruise, right?

I thought I read that when visiting a destination you can't do any excursions unless it is a "bubble excursion" where you are taken to your destination and afterwards walked back to ship. Is this corrrect?

What other restrictions or changes are in effect that have driven the prices down?

(I went on a cruise just before Covid hit the US and obviously the prices were completely different)