travelbug4

11 hours ago, M.Travels said:

Getting off the Star Pride this morning after 11 days and the A/C worked great the whole time! Absolutely no A/C issues, and I was pretty nervous about it after this thread … but all was well and we had a great cruise.

That's fantastic news!  Was your cabin in the new section or the old section?  We are booked in the old section which I believe is the area that had issues so curious if those cabins have AC.

Curious if there are any updates on the AC on the Star Pride now?  Thanks!

We had a great experience with the emed proctored tests.  So easy and I would do it again in a heart beat.   We had 5 people but purchased 10 tests (each test is in it's own box so yes two people can use the two pack).    A 2-pack sent off to our college student, a 2-pack sent to my mom in a different state and a 6-pack sent to three of us residing in the same house.   Was nervous about missing parts of the test so we had two for each person but our tests were perfect and not missing pieces.

Was so easy for each of us to simply open the Navica app at checkin and show them the negative test on our phone.    We will use the remaining tests for future trips.

Proctors came on immediately.  My husband will probably take these on work trips to Europe  to test to get back to US now that we know how easy they are.

2 hours ago, eabplus2 said:

Two are teenagers. One is 16. I have to see if she cann have her own account. I think the answer is "NO", but she can swab her own nose. My other child is 13. I will have to swab her nose. 

Our 16 year old had his own Navica account.   Was super easy for him to just open the app at checkin and show his negative test on his phone.

Just took our second RCCL cruise and our first using The Key program.  I debated getting it but am so glad we did.  I know many people said it isn't worth it, but for us it was worth every penny.

- First,  it was just a 3 night cruise for 5 people (2 adults, 2 teenagers and my mom). (3 interior promenade cabins)

- 21.99pp, pd - originally it was 29.99, but I saw a price drop and snagged the lower price.

- We were going to do the surf and stream for everyone anyway so this was just $1 pp,pd more

- 11:30 am boarding!  Literally some of the first guests on board.   This gained us 2 hours on the ship as we had 1:30 boarding, which with a 3 day cruise is huge.  I kept checking up until the day before to see if earlier times opened up and they never did.

- Luncheon in the MDR with the Chops Grille abbreviated menu was outstanding!  One of the best filets I've ever had.   Very relaxing, had a bottle of wine, a nice round top table by the window and no stress of carrying trays and carry-on bags with huge crowds.  Just a handful of other Key guests up on Deck 5.

- Nice to be able to drop some of our bags just outside the restaurant and have them sent to the cabin.

- Day 2 - Fruit bowls arrived in each of our cabins from The Key.  Not necessary but a nice touch

- Dedicated time for ice skating.   My son and husband had the ice to themselves for the first 30 minutes.

- Flowrider! This was incredible.  Our son tried this and loved it.  Basically had a private lesson for an entire hour with 3 staff members who rotated who taught.  There was literally one other person using the Flowrider during The Key private hour.   This private lesson in itself we felt paid for the They Key for 3 days.  At non-Key times, the line was huge!  We did not do the Rock Climbing.

- Seating for shows!  We walked into Studio B for the ice show (which was very crowded) at 8:25 for an 8:30 show.  Mentioned we were with The Key and before I could finish she said right this way!  They had three rows of seats for us to choose from.  Introduced us to the next person who worked there and said they are with The Key program and he sat us down in great seats that are held for The Key guests.    Around 8:28 they released the seats to anyone else that wanted them.  This was a nice perk as we were running from dinner to get to the show.  We did not use this perk in the Royal Theater as it wasn't crowded and we just found some seats.

- Disembarkation.   Loved the relaxing pace of the Key.  Breakfast was available in the MDR on Deck 5 for Key guests from 6:30-8:30 (they checked cards).  I guess other guests can eat in the MDR until 8 but on a different deck.     We headed there around 8:15, had a leisurely breakfast and then walked off the ship when we were ready around 9am.

Overall, we decided for a 3-night cruise the Key is worth it.  I can see how it can get very expensive and not worth it on a longer cruise.  But for us, it was just perfect.

Fantastic!  Thanks everyone! 🙂

When testing 2 days prior to sailing, do you have to calculate in the boarding time? (so if a Friday cruise boarding at 1 you can't take test before 1 on Wednesday) or do they simply look at the day; so anytime on Wednesday is fine?

Just don't want to mess it up.

Thanks!

17 hours ago, GJM said:

I just ordered, it said if I order by 6 I should have it next business day.  Hopefully it goes thru without a problem.

 

My Urgent Care does, but it was $100 for each of us, and not covered by insurance.

I would definitely keep the backup tests you have in Florida.   I ordered our Emed 6pack last Friday morning, it was shipped Saturday and we received them on the Monday.  Fingers crossed yours are sent overnight.

Good to know.  Thanks for the info.

Any idea if you have to make a reservation for the shows?  Or did you just show up?

Curious if anyone has been on the Freedom of the Seas the past week or two.  Wondering how full the ship has been running. 
 

Going on our first freedom of the seas cruise in the next few weeks!

On 3/26/2022 at 11:23 PM, imola said:

I just went to the med site to order.  I put the 6 pack in my cart.  It added the shipping and tax which brought it to over $182.00.  Then after I put in the billing information it said:

"Items in your cart legally require a medical prescription to be dispensed. Those items will be delivered to you after approval by an eMed Medical Professional."

Has anyone else has this happen?  If so is there a cost from them to get this "prescription"?  They are making it hard to do business with them. 

I just had the same thing happen for the 6 pack at Emed, although it came to $167.  I called because I was concerned as well about the "Items in your cart legally require a medical prescription to be dispensed. Those items will be delivered to you after approval by an eMed Medical Professional." but he said they do that so it's easier to send it to insurance company if you want reimbursement.

I ordered two other two packs from optum the other day (we are all flying in from different places so I'm shipping these to multiple places and did not get that statement from Optum about needing an Rx.

Yay!  This is excellent news and sounds easy enough to just switch it on the ship.

If I switch it now will it mess up the whole check-in process we've done - vaccine cards, checkin times, etc etc?  Just don't want to mess that up.   And carrying two cards sounds easy enough.

I guess I should have called to book.  The online booking wouldn't allow me to put them in a cabin by themselves even though attached to my mom.

Thanks everyone!  Love the Boards!

This is a weird question, I know. And I'm wondering if anyone has done it.

We have 3 side by side cabins; two are adjoining.  Because our children at 16 and 18, I could not book them in a cabin together without an adult.  So I have myself and daughter in a cabin that adjoins to my mother's cabin, and my husband and son are in the third cabin which is right next door.

When we board, can we put our children in the cabin that adjoins to my mom's cabin (they don't get to see each other often) and then my husband and I can move into the third cabin?    Will they be able to put access onto the key card to open both of those cabins so we can each get into the correct cabins?🤪

Are Emed and Optum the same?  When we ordered ours on the Royal Caribbean site it dropped us into the Optum website offering the 2 pack or 3 pack.  But all the videos I see are from Emed?  Are they the same company?  Just wanted to make sure we have the correct tests.  Thanks! 🙂

I ordered last week on the RC site for the 2 packs from Optum.  I called because it said free shipping for over $49 and I couldn't get that to work.   She told me they need to update the website, they are no longer offering the free shipping on either the 2 pack or 3 pack.

Lots of great thoughts, thank you.

It was 34.99 the other day and now 29.99.   This is just a quick 3 night cruise

Thanks everyone.  It looks like the price dropped overnight and is now down to 29.99 per person per day.  Does it keep dropping?  I like the 19.99 you mentioned! 🙂

Just checked in for an upcoming cruise and got a 1:30 check in time.   Then saw the Key (we are new to RCCL).  

Has anyone used The Key on Freedom of the Seas recently? 

I'm wondering if it will give us an earlier boarding time so we can get to the Chops lunch.  Also wondering what times the flowrider and rock wall times are for the Key.   And also it says you get to choose departure time.  Does anyone know how late that is?  Is it right after the breakfast?

Thanks for your help.  Just weighing our options and learning 🙂   Any other details about it would be great!

I just dealt with this.....I actually just got off the phone RCCL (40 minute wait time) to ask about making the beds in one of our cabins to twins.   She said only they can do it, we can not change it on the website.  So she changed it for me.

This is awesome!  Thank you!  Just ordered.

Thanks Diana.  This is great info.  Glad to hear you do not have to make an appointment and you only waited 3 minutes.   This sounds perfect.  

Do you know if the 3-pack can test 3 people?  And do they need to be in the same location on the same call or can 2 be in one place and 1 call back from another place?

So excited to hit the seas again but have a bunch of questions I can't seem to figure out.

Testing.  Has anyone done the emed telehealh testing through Royal?  Do you happen to know if it's easy to get an appointment after purchasing the kit?  It doesn't look like you sign up for a time when you actually purchase it and I didn't want to buy it and not be able to get an appt.

Insurance?  If someone in our party tests positive just before the cruise, does RCCl give a full refund or credit?  Or do we need to buy any reason cancellation insurance from a third party?  We've always purchased trip insurance for past cruises but never during covid times. 

Thank you for any advice!

Just found a discussion on this subject from back in 2017 on cruisecritic.  So interesting...all of it. 

Consensus on that thread (what I read, not my opinion) was that you had to be off the ship for 24 hours (in your case between cruise 2 and 3) or travel on a different ship from Vancouver to LA to not violate the PVSA laws.  Or the plan that they suggested which is to join the ship the next day in Victoria (which I guess fulfills the 24 hour requirement)?

It's rather confusing but definitely an interesting read and might shed further light on your predicament.  I've read through it and am still confused by it.

But the fact that they (Celebrity or travel agent) allowed you to book it makes me feel like they should pay for your transportation and overnight accommodations.

4 hours ago, lorimay said:

We just told them we wanted to be by ourselves and they seated us that way every night. But warning - at least on M class ships, the tables are so close together that even if you are eating at a table for 2 you feel as if you are eating with others. If allergies are an issue the other people may be too close. Just talk to the host and he or she will fix you up!

Great advice!  Thanks so much.  And great review!

3 hours ago, lorimay said:

You can go on the Celebrity website to the Cruise Planner and set up your Select dining reservations. There is no cost (although it looks like you are buying something) and you put the dinner in your "cart". I could only do it one day at a time then had to go back and do it for every night.

 

You can walk up with no reservations but they say you should go early or late because the times between 6:30 and 8:30 are the busiest and you may have to wait. We liked having reservations because we got the same waiter every night and we loved him. 

 

For us it was like we were having set dining but at the time we liked. You can make a reservation for different times every night if you wish. If you pretty much know what time you usually like to eat I would say make reservations in advance. There is no downside to making a reservation and the upside is a shorter (or no) wait. I don't think we will ever go back to fixed dining. We really enjoy Select.

If you make select dining reservations in advance will they put you at a table for just your party?  Or do they put you at a large table with others?   Hoping to be at a table with just our party as we have food allergy concerns but didn't see an area to request that.

Thanks! 🙂