oceanseagle12

We are beginning plans for a fall 2019 cruise, and having a hard time making a final decision. I know it is subjective, but thought it would be nice to hear some perspectives. Specifically, we are looking at the following:

Adventure 8-night, going to Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba

Harmony 7-night, going to CocoCay, Costa Maya, Roatan, Cozumel

We have been on 9 cruises (including Carnival Liberty, Dream, Breeze, NCL Epic and Breakaway, Regal Princess, Oasis and Allure). The Oasis class is our only RCI experience, and we fell in love with them- we love the way the neighborhood concepts breakup crowds and provide unique atmospheres in different areas, as well as the variety of activities and entertainment. So the Harmony is appealing because we know it will be amazing.

Adventure is appealing because of the extra night, and all the ports are brand new to us. On Harmony, only Roatan would be new. Yet we worry that Adventure will be a letdown from our last two cruises on the Oasis and Allure, given that it is an older and smaller ship.Yes, I'm aware of the recent dry dock.

I'd love to hear from those of you that have sailed the Oasis class and Adventure, especially post dry dock Adventure cruisers!

You have extra time before the sunset. No Daylight Savings Time, so if it's 5 PM Eastern Time, It's 6 PM Atlantic Standard Time. You want to keep that in mind so you don't miss your ship!

It is actually the opposite. It is currently 11:00AM eastern time/ship time. And noon Atlantic time. The sun will set at 441 ship time, which will be 541 local time. So we will have 2.5 hours after sunset to get onboard.

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Allure arrives at 1:00 pm and Gem leaves at 1:00 pm. Divina leaves at 4:00 pm. So closer to three ships in port while you are there.

That’s helpful. I didn’t see times listed.

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We're on the Allure - we were thinking Coki, but after reading reports, are leaning toward Maegan's instead, even for a little bit.

What concern has you second guessing Coki?

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If you don't mind, can you please report back after your trip to let us know what you decided to do and how bad the crowds were. We will be there on 12/13 with a total of 6 cruise ships and 17,000+ passengers. We were originally planning to go to Sapphire beach because we heard they were less crowded and had decent snorkeling, but I'm not so sure now.

I will try to remember to do that!

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I’m sailing on Allure of the Seas 11/26. It stops at St Thomas on 11/29. I looked at the schedule and notes there are 5 ships scheduled that day with a total load of 12,000 passengers! I’m happy for the island as I know they are counting on us returning. But it has me wondering what to expect and options that may not be as busy. I’m betting Megan’s Bay will be slammed! On the other hand we were considering a ship tour just due to uncertainty of everything. Any suggestions?

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There are 2 docks. Since the hurricanes the docking situation has temporarily changed because relief workers are housed on ships docking at Crown Bay.

 

 

 

When are you coming and on which ship?

Can you tell us the changes?

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Not discouraging anything just saying you don't know the other person's situation. My BFF can't use hand sanitizer due to allergies to most of them. Her hands will break out and burn for hours after. She washes them constantly and deals with the dirty looks from people when she passes on sanitizer.

Fair enough. That’s a different issue altogether. I just meant the part where you said the sanitizer doesn’t work. I see that over and over on these boards, and I just wish people would stop saying it.

I didn’t know they had sinks on some Royal ships. I’ve only sailed Oasis so far. I wish they all would do that. And frankly I think it should be mandatory to wash before entering!

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I understand your frustrations but santizer doesn't prevent Noro. Also a person could be allergic to the hand sanitizer. I'm not saying this is always the case but you never know. Hand washing is the best prevention of Noro.

The CDC recommends use of hand sanitizer in addition to regular handwashing to help prevent non-envelopes viruses like Noro. Please don’t discourage using hand sanitizer. Consider that in the windjammer, the sanitizer is the last opportunity to do anything. (Unless on the princess ships that have sinks for handwashing outside the buffets) People should thoroughly wash their hands before coming. Use the sanitizer offered when you come in. Then use again after you go through the line.

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Just a caution, that St. Thomas and the other USVI islands are on Atlantic Time, there is no Daylight Savings. So if your ship departs at 8, be sure to consider that. Another option is to take the ferry from Crown Bay to Water Island. They have just reopened the restaurant there, and Honeymoon Beach is worth the visit. Check the water quality on VInow, before you head to any beach. They test the quality weekly. Sadly Paradise Point is still closed, as others have already mentioned.

Am I thinking about this wrong? I was thinking the time difference would actually provide EXTRA time after sunset, not less like you seem to be thinking. BUT I am the first to admit that I'm desperately in need of vacation, so I'm not sure my brain is fully functional right now. :D

But what is iMessage. That is what I am not clear on. I send messages all the time from my i phone. Am I using i message. Is that a special app?

No special app

When you send a text message, it is either sent as iMessage or SMS (cellular text service). Assuming you have iMessage turned on in your settings, if it is with another Apple device it will be iMessage. If it is with a non-Apple device it will be SMS.

Look at your messages. If your sent messages are blue, it’s iMessage. If they are green, it’s SMS

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I been here and I walk up and its free.

Yes. This post is about the recovery after the hurricanes. Currently, Paradise Point remains closed. No word on an opening date so far.

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I been here and I walk up and its free.

Yes. This post is about the recovery after the hurricanes. Currently, Paradise Point remains closed. No word on an opening date so far.

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It is alcohol based though. 71% Ethel Alcohol.

 

I'd also be leery of purchasing this product since you can not buy it in any department store, and from online websites like Amazon it's only sold by third party sellers. The chance of counterfeit is high.

 

Clorox does indeed make a hand sanitizer, but it's only available to commercials suppliers.

 

No one knows if it even actually works. Human norovirus can not survive in a lab environment so they can't run tests on effectiveness. The best they can do is use surrogate viruses that are 'similar'. Clorox does not advertise this product as working with norovirus in any way shape or form. The only place saying it does work is a blog...

 

It may or may not work, but I certainly wouldn't put my trust into a website blog that is selling products via affiliate links.

You make fair points. I would point out a couple of things. I purchased the Clorox from the Amazon seller "Clorox Commercial Solutions". I can't confirm if this is Clorox, but that's my guess. Regarding the blog, I do believe they cite to actual data and documents, and there is additional research out there.

Most importantly, the take away from the CDC says this (emphasis mine):

Using Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers

The use of alcohol-based hand antiseptics (hand sanitizers) does not replace the need for frequent and proper hand washing. The efficacy of most alcohol-based hand antiseptics approximates simple hand washing. In addition, many alcohol-based hand antiseptics have very poor activity against bacterial spores, protozoan cysts and certain non-enveloped viruses, such as noroviruses. Alcohol-based hand antiseptics appear to have very good to excellent activity against many bacteria and some enveloped viruses. Some scientific evidence suggest that ethanol-based hand antiseptics containing 60-90 percent alcohol, appear to be the most effective against common pathogens (including non-enveloped viruses) that cause acute gastroenteritis on cruise ships. In general, ethanol-based hand antiseptics appear to have greater antimicrobial activity against viruses than isopropanol-based hand antiseptics, although both appear to offer some activity against these pathogens.

It should be noted that alcohol-based hand antiseptics are not effective on hands that are visibly dirty or those contaminated with organic materials. Hands that are visibly dirty or contaminated with organic material must be wash with soap and water, even if hand antiseptics are to be used as an adjunct measure. It is also worth noting that the amount of alcohol-based hand antiseptic is important to its overall effectiveness. Failure to cover all surfaces of the hands and fingers will also greatly reduce the efficacy of alcohol-based hand antiseptics.

The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) position on the use of hand antiseptics is that they may be used as an adjunct to proper hand washing. Given the environment of a cruise ship and the types of pathogens present, we believe, if alcohol-based hand antiseptics are used, ethanol-based products should be considered over isopropanol-based products.

I wasn't saying to wash your hands in bleach, that wouldn't be good for your hands. I was meaning in regards to the 'Clorox non-bleach wipes' I would think it would be better if the wipes DID have bleach. For wiping down surfaces.

Gotcha. The product I was referring to is hand sanitizer. I think they just call it non-bleach because we all associate Clorox with bleach. This is an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Definitely recommend using wipes to sanitize surfaces!

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I would think bleach is what you'd want though. Bleach is very effective at almost everything, and can even be used to purify drinking water.

 

But yes, nothing will stop noro once you already have it. Gatorade, or Power Aid, or other electrolytic drink (Pedialyte) is about all you need (due to all the fluid loss), but the ship will provide it if it happens.

 

Wash your hands with soap and water often (especially before eating), avoid public restrooms as much as possible (pay attention and you'll see quite a lot of people don't wash their hands), and keep your hands off your face is the best thing you can do.

I don't think bleach is recommended for hand washing. I agree 100% with the rest of your advice. I would only add that hand sanitizers in combination with, and not as a substitute for handwashing, are an effective addition. And some are specifically believed to better than others at killing viruses like noro.

http://www.stopthestomachflu.com/Home/which-hand-sanitizers-kill-stomach-flu-viruses

I also agree that prevention is the best medicine. Wash your hands early and often. Also, most hand sanitizers are not considered effective against Noro. However, some are believed to be effective. I always take Clorox non-bleach hand sanitizers when I cruise. Available at Amazon. At the buffet, I always use it after going through the line. In the MDR, I use it after ordering and handing back the menu.

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I agree that nothing helps treat Noro but what you’ve suggested can help mitigate the symptoms. I’d add ginger and Bonine for that purpose, if you don’t already pack them for potential sea sickness.

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The app has been available for Allure and Oasis for several weeks now. I’m wondering if anyone has any experience using it onboard yet. Any idea when the additional features will be unrolled for these ships?

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I have an i phone and I know how to text. Are you saying that if I have the Royal IQ app I just text as I would on land using the usual message icon

Yes, but just one clarification. With an iPhone, as long as iMessage is turned on text messages with other iPhone users are sent as iMessage. Texts with others are standard text messages sent through your cell phone service.

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You’re welcome! It’s nice to see some of the greenery returning. Still no word on the opening of PP though!

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You’re welcome! It’s nice to see some of the greenery returning. Still no word on the opening of PP though!

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Update- It looks like they have several videos posted. Very helpful info!

Update- It looks like they have several videos posted. Very helpful info!

The Paradise Point Facebook page posted this video

I thought I would share as I know many are like me and anxiously awaiting any news on progress.

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