40yearcruiser

We are booked in cabins 5385 and5389 which were recommended by our PVP for their quiet location. It looks on the above plan that they are located below the restrooms adjacent to the Fortune Teller bar. Guess we'll find out how quiet they are IF we get to cruise on May 29. We like the cove balcony from the other ships we've been on and have never had a noise problem. I hope the diagram above helps you to make your choice.

I suspect there will be some vaccination requirement to travel, such as the yellow card I carry with my passport any time I go to a country with a risk of yellow fever. My husband and I were fortunate to get an appointment and received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine last week and will get the second dose 4 weeks from the first. I know from others that the rollout of the vaccine varies from county to county in Florida and some have been very disorganized. We are lucky to be in a county with a good appointment system, so far only for healthcare workers and anyone over 65. When we received the first shot we each were given a CDC card listing the dose ID and date received. We'll take the card back for them to record the info when we receive the second dose. I don't know if that card will be sufficient proof of the vaccine or if we will need to apply for something else. We have a May 29 cruise booked on the Mardi Gras and are still hoping it will go (it was rebooked from the canceled New Years cruise). We can only hope that in the wake of the vaccine rollout the CDC will revise some of its ridiculous requirements for cruises to resume.

We have cruised all over the world and consider encountering other languages part of the experience. We have done only one Mediterranean cruise on Carnival and as I recall all announcements were in English. However, if you cruise on Costa or MSC expect that all announcements  will be in multiple languages. On one ship when the cruise director made announcements each sentence was repeated in six languages before he went on to the next sentence. You really had to listen closely to catch what you could understand! However, on most ships the entire announcement was made in one language before going to the next and only the languages with a large number of guests onboard were included. Enjoy your Greek Island cruise (they are spectacular!) and don't stress about the small stuff!

It's a gamble. If you book Early Saver and then cancel you lose the $50 each change fee, but if you book the higher rate to assure a refundable deposit and you cruise you will probably pay at least $50 more in the fare. Look at all the fare possibilities to see what perks might be offered with each, such as onboard credit or reduced deposits. Everything is so uncertain right now it's impossible to know when it is safe to book. I'm hoping our Mardi Gras cruise at the end of May (rebooked from canceled New Years cruise) will be going this year but it doesn't look promising.

Almost a month since the last post and the cruise situation still looks grim. We were booked to cruise out of Sydney to Fiji and then trans-Pacific (including 4 ports in NZ) in March & April of this year, which we canceled just 2 days before we were to fly over, and then Princess canceled all cruises the next day. Very disappointed, but it's a good thing we hadn't already flown over or we might still be stuck there ☹️. We rebooked for Feb & March of 2021 thinking this virus would be behind us by then--and again it's been canceled, although we had come to the conclusion that we wouldn't go under the current conditions even if they restarted the ships. It appears that AU wouldn't let us come in.  Being optimistic, we have booked with Princess again for March & April of 2022. We are anxiously watching what happens in Australia and NZ over the next year so appreciate your updates.

On 11/4/2020 at 1:26 PM, Formula280SS said:

 

Well, some also ask that question.

 

https://cruiseradio.net/cdc-double-standard-airlines-why-only-single-out-the-cruise-industry/

 

CDC Double Standard: Why Only Single Out the Cruise Industry?

Published 5 hours ago November 4, 2020

By Doug Parker 

This is precisely what I have been trying to say. I am not denying that the possibility of contracting COVID is a threat to anyone who interacts with others and I support social distancing and safety measures.  But the actions of the CDC in the guise of protecting the public have not been evenly applied to all businesses. Completely shutting down one travel industry while allowing others to continue operating with little oversight and interference is unfairly targeting it with no proof that it is any more dangerous to the safety of the traveling public. I'm afraid that with the current surge of new cases it may be a very long time before cruises from the US will resume. 

10 hours ago, KennyFla said:

 

You can.  The CDC wanted to extend the no sail order until March.  They were over ruled.

Over ruled? Really? They didn't actually lift the no-sail, they simply changed their tactics by putting so many conditions on a restart to make it impossible for the cruise lines to begin cruising from the US anytime soon. If it were truly "lifted" the cruise lines would be ramping up for cruising before the end of the year using the protective procedures that they have already presented to the CDC.  Instead they have been forced to cancel everything this year and don't expect a magical restart after Jan. 1. The CDC is sure to come up with some other "conditions" to keep passengers off the ships indefinitely. I love your optimism and really hope you are right that the end to this persecution of the cruise lines is in sight.

3 hours ago, BoundForSea said:

I do believe there is something there with the CDC and the cruise lines.  There is some sort of back history there we aren't aware of.  Some say the reason is that the cruise industry is the only entity that CDC can control completely and that's why it appears this way, only because THEY CAN.  Regardless, it's not right.  I wish there was a way to cast my vote tomorrow for my opinion on how CDC has handled the Cruise Industry, man I would be first in line with my ballot.  

 

I'd be right there with you. How can CDC continue to blame the cruise lines for spreading COVID when they have been shut down for 8 months? The virus has continued to spread, and the new infections haven't come from cruises. And if we had all the facts, I suspect that only a very small percentage of infections can be traced back to being passed from the passengers on the  ships that had outbreaks in the early days with most original infections traced to travelers arriving by plane from all over the world. But airlines continue to fly around the country and to and from countries that will accept them (I DO NOT advocate shutting down the airlines too). I personally think with all the new regulations that cruise lines are proposing the ships will be safer than about anywhere else, except possibly staying locked up in your home (which most people will not continue to do). The nature of the disease is that it will turn up in any place where people interact so yes, there will be a few positive tests on the ships, but those same people likely contracted the virus going about normal life activities on land before they boarded. And the ships will be more prepared to isolate and stop the spread than has been happening on land. They just need to be given the chance to prove it.

48 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

well that was quick- lol 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/#google_vignette

 

Very disappointed to see that we have been canceled for the New Years cruise on Seaside (it is still showing on the website). It appears the people in power at the CDC are determined to destroy the cruise industry. No other travel industry has been given the scrutiny and over-regulation that the cruise lines have been subjected to. The airlines, bus, train, taxi, etc. where employees and passengers are much more closely packed together have not had to jump through so many hoops to get back into business. It's like they have ignored all the work the cruise lines have already put into preparing to restart. This is our 7th cruise, so far, to be canceled (some were rebookings in hopes by now the worst of this would be over) so my frustration level is high. I think I'm going to ask for a refund of the money we paid for the 2 cabins we booked on this cruise since we don't know when we can get the same family group together again (yes, I know it will take a long time to get the money back). We've been disappointed so many times and can't rely that they will be begin cruising again anytime soon. We aren't booked again until the end of May 2021 on Carnival so hope they survive long enough for us to go on that one. IF the cruises are running in the Spring we will look into what's available then. 

For those of us who were scheduled to cruise out of Australia in the Spring, the decision is made. We had come to the conclusion that we would need to cancel because of the uncertainty of airline travel and being refused admittance to Australia, even with a pre-cruise quarantine. Fortunately, Princess realized the difficulty of any non-Australian being able to cruise from there and canceled all cruises through May 31, 2021. We are less concerned about the safety of being onboard than the logistics of getting there for any cruise from a port outside Florida (we can drive to any of the Florida ports). We are still hoping that our New Year's Caribbean cruise will sail. The decision of whether you feel safe to cruise is a very personal one and relies on many factors including your health, whether you can extend your time in case of a quarantine, the logistics of getting to the cruise port, and how you feel about the possible risk of being infected. May we all feel safe in a few months!

We anticipated that this would happen so not surprised. We had rebooked our canceled cruises from March & April of this year to Feb. & March of 2021, thinking we would be able to cruise 11 months later. But as the virus continues to spread we knew that our chances of going in Feb. were getting slim, especially with Australia still in lockdown. And the thought of the long flight to Australia made it less likely, so we decided last night that we would rebook for March & April of 2022 with every hope this nightmare will be over by then. At least if everything goes well we will have a vaccine by then. 

I agree that unless you are 100% isolated from the rest of humanity there is a strong possibility that you will come into some contact with a person who is COVID positive in your daily life. We all need to take precautions to protect ourselves, but I am not willing to spend my life in fear and isolation. After all the scrutiny that cruise lines are going through, I believe that once they are allowed to resume operations the ships will be the cleanest places on the planet. The safety protocols and contact tracing will be far more rigorous than those encountered in other daily activities. Yes, there is the possibility that there will be someone who is positive who will slip through undetected, but no more than in other venues and with far better preparedness for action to protect those around them. The cruise lines have spent the last 8 months studying every possible way to keep the ships virus-free. Being aware that cruising will be a less carefree experience when it resumes, I am still willing to make the changes needed to get back on a ship again soon. It is a very personal decision and I hope those of you who feel unsafe will follow your own conscience and delay returning to cruising until you feel it is right for you, whether this requires a vaccine or lengthy passage of time.

Where did you find a drydock schedule?

Are booked for New Years Caribbean on MSC and still hoping that will go. We are willing to wear masks and social distance and feel that since MSC is already cruising successfully in the Med they are the best option for the first cruises out of the US. However, we are booked for Feb. and March out of Australia on Princess and highly doubt that those will be a go. We aren't willing to be quarantined for 14 days before and after the cruises, even if Australia will let us in. And the long flights are another downside. Final payment isn't until Dec. so we will hold on to the reservations until then, but will most likely rebook for 2022 and hope things are more nearly back to normal.

It appears that some Nov. cruises from the US are still a possibility. Last week the website showed the Seaside canceled through Nov. 30 and then a couple days later it was changed back to Oct. 31. We are still holding on to hope for the New Years cruise although don't know just what to expect (for example, will we be able to get off the ship at Ocean Cay without an escort?).  After the year we've had, I'll be happy to get back on a cruise even if it is to "nowhere".

Mama... we are also on the Seaside New Years cruise, 5 of us in 2 cabins. Final payment coming up soon so we've been discussing what to do. Think we'll pay it and hope we will be able to cruise this year. We're ready to go even with the restrictions. Anyone hear what the precautions will be for Ocean Cay? We're scheduled to be there 2 days now since Grand Cayman was dropped. Worst case scenario--the cruise is cancelled and we get a refund or FCC and rebook for next year! (surely this "plague" can't last forever).

Petra, I want to add my thanks for your efforts in sharing your experiences. As avid cruisers we are very anxious to get back on a ship and are hoping the US will open ports after seeing the success that MSC is having in Europe. We are booked on a New Years cruise on MSC Seaside and are very hopeful we will be able to be on the ship. It appears that MSC has a workable plan for keeping passengers safe and that is very encouraging. Thank you, again, and best wishes for a safe and happy future.

Yes, we will be watching closely any news of when Australia will again allow international travelers to enter. It doesn't look promising, but we're holding on to our reservations until final payment date or Princess cancels. I just checked the Qantas website and our flight reservation is still active. The website says international flights suspended to end of October 2020, but of course that will probably be extended. Trying to be optimistic that the day will come when COVID will be under control, either with a vaccine or herd immunity. Just hoping I'll live to see the day 😏.

On 9/8/2020 at 3:31 PM, Thrak said:

I just looked at the Princess site and am utterly amazed to see early 2021 cruises for Australia and New Zealand listed. I really don't think these cruises can possibly happen. I could re-book the cruises that were cancelled in this new time slot but simply don't believe they will actually sail. Oddly enough, looking at the January sailings they are way cheaper than what we had booked. For instance, the 13 day New Zealand segment - with the full package - is $724 per person less.

We are still hoping Feb cruise from Sydney will go. After our March & April cruises from Sydney this year were cancelled we rebooked for Feb. & March of 2021, foolishly thinking the virus would have disappeared by then. Just going to hold on for now to see what happens in the next 3 months--final payment not due until mid-December for the first cruise (to Fiji on the Majestic Princess). Even if the cruises are sailing by then, the determining factor may be whether Australia will let us come in without a long quarantine. We plan to stay on the Majestic to Hong Kong, which is another questionable destination. 

On 8/27/2020 at 1:51 PM, lifeasme123 said:

Now I think about it...the pool, slides and zip line will be packed with kids.

With the reduced capacity and COVID concerns I doubt there will be the usual number of kids packing the ship if it does cruise before the end of the year. We are booked on the New Years cruise on Seaside so are also hoping it will still go. If the European cruises continue to be successful hopefully that will encourage the CDC to lift its cruise ban in the US.

On 8/20/2020 at 11:16 AM, mamaneedsavacay said:

We are booked on that cruise as well. I started a roll call and requested an M&M. Looks like the roll call date thinks it's a 10-day (added 3 days as a back-to-back to the proper 7 days). I didn't do that, I think the itineraries are pre-loaded.

When we booked this cruise it was offered in a 10-day and 7-day version, so I guess that is why the roll call is set for the longer cruise (we booked the 7-day). We didn't book this until last month after our original booking on the new Carnival Mardi Gras was cancelled because the completion of the ship has been delayed. I'd been hoping to try out the Seaside and go to Ocean Cay so this fit in perfectly. Now we just hope that we won't have another cancellation--we've had 4 cruises cancelled so far this year. We have been on the Divina a couple times but this will be the first on Seaside. By the way, are you aware that the itinerary has been changed? No notification from MSC but saw the changes on the website. We don't really care--just want to go somewhere ☺️.

Still keeping fingers crossed that our New Years cruise on the Seaside will be sailing. It begins on Dec. 27 so if all 2020 cruises are cancelled we will be out of luck again. Happy to see that a couple of the Med cruises are "testing the waters" and hopeful that they will be successful and encourage the industry to begin US cruises as well.

Thanks for the information. We just have to hope we will actually be able to cruise in December 🙂.

This has probably been discussed before but I couldn't find a recent answer. I have heard that MSC does not serve water in the Main Dining Room on some of its itineraries. On the Seaside in the Caribbean, is water or any other complimentary drink available?

If you don't use a TA to book then call Carnival. When I rebooked a canceled cruise today I had to pay a new deposit for the reservation then after it was reserved the agent was able to apply the future cruise credit to the booking and also add the onboard credit bonus. I wasn't happy about having to pay another deposit, but the PVP said that was the only way she could book it.