40yearcruiser

Thanks for the review and pics. We'll be getting on the ship right after you get off!!  A couple questions: On elegant night were many people really dressed up or mostly casual? Have you checked out the roller coaster yet? I've wondered if they have run it at all with the rain you've been having. Have a great time and keep the helpful information coming.

Thanks for the great photos. I'll be eagerly following your review and am anxious to hear your experience in the ports. We'll be boarding the Mardi Gras in 2 weeks with the same itinerary!!!! 

13 hours ago, beloum said:

MSC would be more since they are not following 5% rule.  

Not any more! We are booked on a MSC cruise in October and received a text today that they are now requiring all passengers 12+ to be vaccinated to comply with the Bahamas ruling. Negative COVID test is also required of all passengers.

I emailed my request on July 10 and the email and new confirmation came to me tonight (12 days). I just scanned the cover page with names and address (I blacked out the account number and covered over the account balance summary) and the page with the Carnival stock listed when I applied. In the past when I faxed the request I sometimes got the OBC applied the same day, but that was in a different time.

Have you used Go Port before? We used to park at or across from the Radisson Hotel with Park Port Canaveral, but they are not taking reservations yet. Our cruise is Sept. 4 so I am looking into finding parking but not deciding until we get a little closer.

In the past we have always parked at "Park Port Canaveral" the lot by the Radisson Hotel at about half the price of the terminal lot. We've never had an issue with safety there. In addition, we like that their shuttle drops us and our luggage right at the check-in and we don't have to drag our bags out of the garage to the drop-off. However, they are still closed until the cruises actually start again.

In searching for an alternative I've found "GO PORT" parking. Does anyone have experience with this operation? 

Our March 2022 cruise on Princess from Sydney to Fiji B2B with a transPacific back to the US was canceled almost 3 months ago. That was our 3rd try for this itinerary, the first in 2020 was canceled 2 days before we were to fly over. The reason for the latest cancellation was repositioning of the ship, but I think they saw the handwriting on the wall that Australia wasn't going to be welcoming outsiders anytime soon. I hope you will get to go but with the new variants of the virus it doesn't look promising. We have rebooked for 2023 and are hoping this will be behind us by then.

Looking forward to your preview of the ship. We aren't on until Sept. 4. 

We have done 9 TAs with number 10 coming up next March. We'd much rather cruise than fly long distances 😉. We have cruised in both directions since most West to East are in the Spring and East to West in the Fall. However, our last two crossings were in July and August of 2019 going both directions with Cunard. We've also done 2 transpacifics--should have been 3 but Covid cancelled the last scheduled one. It depends on your own expectations whether you will enjoy the many sea days. We like the varied activities on the ship as well as plenty of time to just relax and read a book. You also have more time to get to know your shipmates. At any time of the year the weather can be unpredictable. Most of our crossings have been very smooth and none with any prolonged rough weather. Leaving London in November you should expect some pretty cool days at least in the first few days of the cruise. Take the chance on a new experience and see how you like it!

We have booked E409, directly across from E410, on the Regal for next Spring. Before booking it I searched for comments and reviews of the location and those I found were positive and that the only obstruction is the small promenade deck below. Since most of the balconies on this class of ship are tiny, I think the large balcony of these cabins will far outweigh any slight obstruction.

We were booked in Feb. of this year for a cruise on Majestic Princess to Fiji (which obviously didn't go) in a mini-suite in C410 directly above you. We liked the location and were really looking forward to that cabin and ship.

In the same class ship, we have cruised in E110 on the Regal twice and though forward and in the bulkhead the balcony is huge and we liked the cabin. Also have that cabin booked again for next year.

As the above posts prove, a lot of cabin choice is based on your personal preference of what you want your cruise experience to be. We've done both cove and a variety of balcony configurations on various ships. We like the coves but you need to be aware that although there is more privacy your visibility of the passing "scenery" is limited if you are seated. I agree that there is very little chance of a cove balcony being swamped but you will get more sea spray. In choosing the location of any cabin keep in mind how much noise you can tolerate. Personally, I would avoid being under the galley or any other area where carts or chairs are being moved around all hours. We like being close to the elevators giving easy access to all decks of the ship, but sometimes rowdy passengers can get noisy in these areas. If motion sickness is an issue choose a cabin on a low deck in the middle of the ship. So many choices! Hope you are happy with the choice you make. If not, you'll know better next time ☺️.

In a "normal" year all of the base cruise lines (Carnival, NCL, and RCL) have lots of kids in the summer and during school vacation times. We've cruised all of them and haven't seen any major difference in the number of kids onboard between those cruise lines. As suggested above, select an off-season time to cruise when most kids are in school. Another suggestion is choose a cruise line that doesn't market to kids: Cunard, Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, Azamara, or one of the "premium" lines. You probably will pay a little more but have fewer activities that appeal to kids. Also, if you book a cruise 14 days or longer you will be less likely to have a lot of kids onboard. By the way, if you want lots of kids onboard book Disney.

Thanks to all for the updates. We board the Duchess on Aug. 2 so are relieved to hear no pre-cruise testing and that the HOHO are running again. This is our first AQSC cruise and can hardly wait!

Glad to hear things are opening up again. We will be there in August after a river cruise and are hoping things will be in full swing by then.

Is it possible to take luggage on the streetcar? We will be going to a hotel near the streetcar line when we get off the ship and wonder if it is an option for getting to the hotel. 

I agree that when traveling with a group having a set dining time keeps everyone better organized. Over the years that we have cruised we've done both set and YTD. Generally, we are more likely to choose YTD when it's just the 2 of us because we like meeting a variety of people and have more flexibility of dining time. We often take long cruises and usually do YTD then. We agree to share a table and have met some really interesting people. Also, if you meet someone on the cruise that you would like to dine with you can go together to the dining room if you're both on YTD.

Fantastic video. Thanks for posting it. I was even able to locate my cabin! Can't wait to get on the ship--Sept. 4 if all goes well. Fingers crossed 🤞!

"Those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify vaccination will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols, which will be announced at a later date," Royal Caribbean said on Friday.

Royal Caribbean may have backed off somewhat from requiring vaccination, but the real question is what protocols will be required of those who will not or can not verify that they have been vaccinated. If the unvaccinated are required (as the CDC has published) to  be tested repeatedly, wear masks, social distance, and only leave the ship in a cruiseline sponsored tour while those who voluntarily provide proof of vaccination do not have to comply with these protocols there will be all kinds of complaining about how "unfair" this is. In addition, RC is going to have to institute a system to easily identify who is subject to this protocol and who isn't. This looks like a way to get around the Florida "no ask" vaccine passport law and still have most passengers vaccinated. It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

7 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

Many of them have either had covid or are at very low risk of developing severe symptoms.  The people who have to be concerned are the elderly and people with certain diseases.  Everyone else is at low risk of being hospitalized.  I am not sure why people think young and healthy people must be vaccinated.  The high risk people are the ones who must be vaccinated.  Once the death rate goes down because of high risk people no longer contracting covid because they are vaccinated, this will be no different than the flu.

Every single person I know who contracted covid has recovered.  None of them were hospitalized.

Just because you didn't personally know any of the 600,000 from the US or nearly 4 million worldwide who have died from COVID doesn't change the fact that many of these people were young and healthy before they contracted the disease. Science has shown that being elderly and having other health issues can increase the severity of the disease but it can be deadly to all ages. Anyone of any age increases their risk of getting the virus, and spreading it, by not taking advantage of the vaccine to protect themselves and the ones around them. 

We won't be with you, but will be cruising on the Duchess August 1-16 from Red Wing to New Orleans. It will be our first time with AQSC so hope you will post and tell us your experiences on the cruise and what you think of the riverboat. We are also anxious to resume traveling after having so many plans for the past year canceled. I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

Depending on when and where you cruise, you may be required to take the ship's shore excursions. If so wait until onboard to book them and the OBC can be used for that.

By the way, Princess also allows OBC to be used for pre-cruise purchases.

He'll long be remembered as a very important part of the Princess family. Condolences to his family.

We have found that the shorter the cruise the more likely it is a "party" cruise. However, the time of the year can have an effect on how rowdy a crowd is onboard (Spring break and after graduations are notoriously wild).  We have been on a couple 5 night Carnival cruises and they were no different from 7 night ones. I know Carnival has a party reputation, but you can get on a rowdy one on any of the main lines. Luck of the draw!

17 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

If the Health Assessment doesn't include proof of vaccination, I guess tests will be required by CDC.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/covid19-operations-manual-cso.html#testing-of-embarking-and-disembarking-passengers

I'm curious. Even if the ship can't ask you if you've had the vaccine (in Florida at the moment) could you voluntarily provide proof of vaccine to avoid the testing required of those not vaccinated? There should be some benefit to those of us who have had the vaccine. I've no problem with showing my vaccination card. I just don't see how this is any big privacy invasion.

Don't know when it is set to arrive in PC, but I talked to my PVP this week and she said the Mardi Gras will be docking in Miami first so all the crew can be vaccinated. She was hoping to get a tour of the ship while it's in Miami. Not sure what day they are to arrive. Anybody else hear this?