luv4cruises

3 hours ago, Dorh said:

Following.  We are on The Edge on 8/28.  My same thoughts, somewhat stressed.  Will CVS allow us to schedule both tests? We are thinking of scheduling PCR for 8/25, then scheduling rapid antigen on 8/26, just in case we don's get the PCR test back in time. We are flying on 8/27 at 8 AM.   TIA

I was thinking of doing the same thing! 
PCR on 8/24 and Rapid Antigen on 8/25.An Edge cruiser responded saying they accepted the Rapid  Antigen Test.

 Another person asserted that the Rapid Antigen test will be accepted.  I wish more cruisers had responded that their CVS Rapid Antigen test was  accepted. 

We are on the 8/27 Equinox cruise.  Can any of you confirm that your CVS rapid Antigen test was accepted at the port? I’m so paranoid about this.  I just scheduled the PCR test for

4:00 on 8/24.  We fly from Ca on 8/26. 
im debating on signing up for Rapid

Antigen test as well. The word Rapid worries me. It would be a relief to know that your CVS Rapid Antigen test was accepted at the port?  Thank you in advance!

Roseann (luv4cruises)

1 hour ago, Seany527 said:

Hello everyone. 
 

Sorry for the lack of updates. Cruise Critic was basically not usable unless we were in port. 
 

To close the loop, it ended up being just the two people who tested positive. They were moved to another stateroom on deck 2. So keep that in mind...if you book a “nice” cabin and test positive, you will be moved to another location of the ship. I had the mind set that “if I test positive, at least I’ll have a huge balcony” but that is not the case. 

 

There were about 20 other people who were placed on precautionary quarantine for about 12 hours pending the results of the PCR test. Celebrity gave those people, specialty dinners, free movies and streaming internet. They remained in their cabins. The contact tracing was effective and ranged from people who took shore excursions with the two positive guests, down to people who sat immediately next to them at the bar and had physical contact. 
 

For the two people that did test positive, they remained on the ship on deck two where the ship was fitted with its own air circulation system. A plane was chartered for them to bring them back to the USA. 

 

This morning disembarkation was extremely easy and efficient. SXM will not let you into the airport until it’s closer to your departure time. The line outside was endless, with minimal seats, so I highly recommend waiting on the ship. I wish I had. 
 

Our boarding time is 12:15 and they allowed us to enter at 10:15.  
 

Overall, it was a great cruise. Initially I thought Celebrity could have done a few things differently to keep up with social distancing and disinfecting. But in the end, it didn't matter.  With over 1,000 guests and crew onboard, only 2 people tested positive and who knows where they contracted it. A job well done. 
 

I’ll get to answering the remaining questions shortly. 

 

Thank you for the update!  Safe travels.

So Carnival adds to the stress during these difficult times by now delaying their cruise cancellation decision til March 30 instead of the promised March 27 date.  All the other other major cruise lines have delayed sailings til May 12.  NOT Carnival!

They are fully aware of that , and the CDC’s decision advising this’s over 70 NOT to cruise.  We are caught in an untenable position- try to coordinate 13 people’s schedules , some of whom are over 70, dome who will have to take time off without pay, possibly at higher prices with limited availability.  Stop delaying Carnival-  Free is from the agony of uncertainty, refund our money, stop holding it hostage .

Three families are booked on 5/2 cruise.  Three cruisers are in the vulnerable group. 

Forcing us to take a Future Cruise Credit instead or issuing a full refund adds additional stress, while forcing us to choose a new cruise in a restricted time frame, possibly at a higher price with limited availability as most cruisers have to reschedule,  coordinate three families schedules, take time off from work without pay since we will have used our vacation time while “Shelter in Place” is in force.

Carnival, please follow the suspension of sailing in keeping with the other major cruise lines. Don’t hold our money hostage.

Carnival is the only major cruise line to suspend sailings for 30 days and not 60 days making it very very difficult to manage money and future cruises and adding to the stress already suffered by everyone.  I had planed a cruise with family and friends for May 2.  Some of us are in the vulnerable group.  It will be very difficult to reschedule and coordinate everyone.  In addition the restricted time frame for rebooking, limited availability , higher prices clearly put the burden on the customers / the Carnival guests.

We would like a full refund, releasing our money to re-book when the timeframe and cost work for us. 
 

I ask why did the other cruise lines suspend sailings for 60 days and Carnival only 30 days?   Are their guests not entitled to the SAME options as Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Princess and other cruisers?   

47 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

Princess just made this announcement, can Celebrity be next?

I sure hope Celebrity follows suit especially in light of ban on European air travel.

i am scheduled to embark this month.  Here is my HO:

It is time for Celebrity to offer full cash refunds to those embarking in the next 30 days. The NEW TRAVEL ban makes it impossible for European travelers to make connections.  So many cruisers come from the U.K., Germany and other European countries.  

Do the right thing, Celebrity, refund the money to all cruisers!  Holding our money until the Corona Virus threat is over, forcing us to hastily  book future cruises at a higher price even higher if you choose non-refundable deposits is unfair and not in keeping with the Celebrity brand.  I feel like my hard earned money has been taken hostage by Celebrity and the other cruises I have booked on other cruise lines,
Do the right thing, Celebrity, refund our hard-earned money!

Thanks for the photos and info?  Looks great! 
Can’t Wait!

You can do it yourself.  Get the Medallion app on your phone.  In addition to Princess and other websites. You tube has several videos.   Order it in advance or pick it up at the port.  I suggest you order it in advance.

Neither doe Celebrity or Royal Caribbean.  Just wear nice clothing, or dress to the nines if you want.😊

I have cruised on 6 different cruise lines with 43 cruises sailed. Princess used to be one of my favorites. IMHO Celebrity has outdone them in the Caribbean. Celebrity’s cruise fares for mid level balcony cabins are less expensive, The cabins are better, sofas in every cabin(but with less storage, a beautiful and roomy bathroom, a decent sized balcony with nicer furniturewit, faux teak wood decking not that ugly blue stuff. The entertainment and activities are comparable to Princess, the food and service equal. The Soltice class ships are among the most beautiful at sea, with an adults only Solarium, with Pool, hot tubs, a healthy food cafe in it, a beautiful Ocean View buffet with ample aft outdoor seating, a lovely Cafe al Bacio similar to Internatiinal Cafe, a Martini Bar second to none, and a Grand Foyee similar to the Piazza.

The Solarium (with nobutler service) is avaiable to all adults, unlike the costly Serenity are on Princess. On Celebrity you are welcomed aboard with Champagne. Celebrity runs many more promos - most of the time I get a less expensive fare than Princess for a better or same category cabin, itinerary, and it includes the classic drink package that includes the 18% gratuity and a choice of free daily gratuities,Internet or OBC. Furthermore Celebrity offers reduced deposits of 25.00 /pp often. Celebrity is the first to open booking windows 2-3 years out. I have been trying to find a cruise on the Royal Princess that can offer me all that I get on Celebrity for a comparable price. So far no luck. I have sailed on the Royal, the Regal and 6 other Princess ships. I hope that sometime soon Princess will be more competive with Celebrity.

An additional less known benefit for sailing Celebrity and Royal Caribbean is the reciprocity of loyalty levels on both lines. Once you reach Elite on Celebrity you are automatically Diamond on Royal Caribbean. This works well for cruisers with grandchildren and teen or young adult family members. Royal Caribbean is a wonderful multi-generational cruise line. The big ships with all the bells and whistles are surprisingly comfortable offering a wide range of activities, extraordinary entertainment, excellent service and comparable food. Our young grandchildren love cruising on Royal Caribbean. With so many children the age groups at the kids club’ are better designated 3-5 etc. A nominal fee nursery is also avaiable for children from 6 months to 3 years old.

Let me add Princess is truly # 1 in Alaska.

I have cruised on 6 different cruise lines with 43 cruises sailed. Princess used to be one of my favorites. IMHO Celebrity has outdone them in the Caribbean. Celebrity’s cruise fares for mid level balcony cabins are less expensive, the cabins are better, sofas in every cabin, a beautiful and roomy bathroom, a decent sized balcony, with faux teak wood decking, not that ugly blue stuff. The entertainment and activities are comparable to Princess, the food and service equal. The Soltice class ships are among the most beautiful at sea, with an adults only Solarium, with Pool, hot Tubs’s, and a healthy food cafe in it.

No paying extra for the Serenity experience. (There is no butler service). On Celebrity you are welcomed aboard with Champagne, They run many more promos - most of the time I get a less expensive fare than Princess for similar cabin, itinerary, and it includes the classic drink package that includes the 18% gratuity and a choice of free daily gratuities,Internet or OBC. Furthermore they offer reduced deposits of 25.00 /pp often and they are the first to open booking windows 2-3 years out. I have been trying to find a cruise on the Royal Princess that can offer me all that I get on Celebrity for a comparable price. So far no luck. I have sailed on the Royal, the Regal and 6 other Princess ships. I hope that sometime soon they will be more competive with Celebrity.

Just like Carnival’s “Faster to the Fun”! Another way to squeeze more money out of the average cruiser and diminish loyalty benefits. As a frequent cruiser on many cruise lines and once a Princess cheerleader, I find Celebrity to offer more on similar itineraries- better promos, better prices, a fee free adults only Solarium, better cabins, great entertainment and activities, on Celebrity they welcome all cruisers aboard with a glass of champagne not a gimmick to grab more money! Cutbacks abound on all cruise lines. It is sad to see the cruise experience deteriorate little by little.

Royal Caribbean has cut back more than other cruiselines with deceptive promos and expensive prices. IMHO Royal can do this because they attract younger cruisers and families who do not have a varied and long cruising history on different cruise lines. They don’t remember the good old days and have little basis for comparison. They willingly pay the inflated prices and accept the cutbacks!

Princess, please do not go the way of Carnival! Stop fee for boarding first!

Yes, but you don't get medals on those other cruise line loyalty programs!

 

Nor do you get invited to a free lunch.

A medal is just a dust collector. I never understood earning a medal because you are privileged to be able to afford umpteen cruise days. Congratulations! You are rich! Is that a true achievement?

Free lunch? All lunches are “included” in the cruise fare.

Usually the menu selection at the Mariner lunch is inferior to the lunch menu on a sea day. Now you do get tiles that you don’t get on other cruise lines. Frankly I’ll take the meaningful perks like loyalty transfers between two distinctly different sibling cruise lines of the parent cruise company, free laundry, Internet, daily happy hour and discounts to a medal for a non achievement and an inferior lunch menu.

Having cruises several times on HAL, Princess, and Carnival I lament the fact that no loyalty credits can be shared among the sister cruiselines.

Royal Caribbean International, the parent company of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara has the best loyalty program. If you reach Diamond on Royal Caribbean ships you are automatically Elite on Celebrity. Having the option to cruise both lines is wonderful! Celebrity is similar to HAL in terms of food,service, demographic but with much better entertainment, activities, and perks while Royal caters to families and younger cruisers. Builing up loyalty on either line allows one to enjoy a mainly adult cruise on Celebrity, as well as enjoy a cruise with young adults and grandchildren on Royal Caribbean, It is no wonder thAt Cruise Critic’s Cruiser’s Choice Awards 10 best overall Ships for 2018 include 5 Celebrity ships, 4 Royal Caribbean, and 1 Disney. I’m a 3 Star Mariner and the perks are almost useless. 87 days on HAl - no meaningful perks- a few discounts, 91 days on Celebrity gives me free laundry, a happy hour every evening, 90 minutes of free internet, discounts on specialty dining and transfers similar benefits to Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Princess also has better perks than HAL- after only 5 cruises of any length you become Platinum which gives you free internet minutes among other things.

HAL’s entertainment and activities, including Karaoke, have been greatly reduced in recent years. Last year on the Koningsdam we were very bored in the evenings. BBKing - I’m not a jazz fan, dueling pianos, I miss the traditional HAL piano bar. There was no traditional party band for dancing, no karaoke, very limited activities.

Better to go on Princess. In fact I believe Princess is the best cruise line for Alaska having, the most permits to Glacier Bay, and the most infrastructure in Alaska. HAL is also good for Alaska itineraries, but NOT for entertainment.

Princess has its own rendition of the Voice, great evening entertainment, many activities, constant entertainment in the Piazza, movies under the stars ...

PS - I love Celebrity’s ships and entertainment also, but NOT for Alaska, no permits into Glacier Bay.

I used to love HAL , now I have to talk myself into one. We will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam in March because there were great promos and we love the Caribbean. Unless HAL improves their entertainment they will be our 3rd choice unless great promos are offered.

Thank you for the very complete professional quality photos of the Westerdam post dry dock. Some of us are waiting for post dry dock photos of the Nieuw Amsterdam. I imagine the NA looks very similar to the Westerdam. Many many thanks for posting your Westerdam Album!

Next best thing to photos of the NA post dry dock -check out the post- 2,190 photos of Westerdam. This post contains a link to 2,190 professional quality photos of the Wrsterdam post dry dock. I imagine that the NA looks very similar minus the central stair case.

These photos are professional quality and show ever part of the ship!

Enjoy

My interior room on the main deck has new carpet, but the color pattern/tones make them look dirty. If an interior room got new carpet, I'm guessing the rest did also. I'm on until Saturday.

Thank you very much.😊

If the same duo is still there for your cruise, they do listen to to the audience a fair amount, especially towards the end of the sets. This may not be something that happens on all ships, but Will and Ivy do a good job of making sure they play songs that their audience wants to hear.

Thank you! Fingers crossed that Will and Ivy are still on the NA in March!

Based on this and your other posts, I notice that you're focused on the newness of the rooms. If this is your priority, I recommend you book a sailing on the newest ship, the Koningsdam. I'm worried that you will be disappointed with anything else.

I’ve sailed on the K. My question is a simple one. Since the NA went through a major refurb, I am hoping for new, truly clean carpeting in the cabins. After all the ship is 7 years old..

I would hope that someone recently off the NA could answer my question.

Thank you in advance.

Beyond what others have posted, be aware that Billboard on Board is a different concept than the former Piano Bars.

The piano players have sets during which they play from lists. Even during request hour, they play what has been pre-selected in Seattle.

 

It is not at all the old passenger selected ideas of what to do to have fun on any given night. The free-wheeling days of passengers having an idea for a theme, for example, and the musician carrying it out, are no more.

IMHO, HAL’S Piano Bar was the best at sea. Often the only venue still lively after 10:00 PM on a HAL ship.

I was terribly disappointed in the dueling pianos on the K last year. As stated -no audience input as to hearing and singing along to their favorites. Now that the NA has been Koningsdamized I go with some disappointment and longing for what used to be in March!

Regrettably HAL has gone forward with implementation of the dueling pianos on all ships being refurbished, without gathering feedback from their clients.

Royal did this a few years ago- deciding without research to implement flexible, rotating dining on all their ships ala Quantum of the Seas. The program flopped and they had the good sense to discontinue the implementation of that program.

I hope HAL wakes up and gathers feedback before they change things in the future.

It took HAL years to finally implement a smoking policy that eliminated smoking on balconies despite feedback from guests and knowledge of restrictive smoking policies implemented much earlier on all other mainstream cruise lines.

Can’t wait to walk the beautiful promenade deck of the NA ( another favorite eliminated on the K and the NS), and snorkel in the beautiful waters of the Caribbean but will miss the Piano Bar, Northern Lights, and the Crow’s Nest!

74 days and counting!

Beds in terms of comfort are subjective I suppose - we have always found the beds to be fantastic (4 cruises on Noordam/Eurodam). Are you referring to the sofa bed or main beds?

We’re the carpets new in regular veranda cabin?

I sure hope so. As far as beds go IMHO HAL’S “Signature of Excellence” brought very comfortable beds to the Vista and Signature class ships. I thought they were more comfortable than those on Celebrity, Royal, and no doubt Princess(worst beds at sea).

Just got off today. Here is what is new:

 

Billboard has been added directly across from the casino.

Northern Lights is wholly transformed into a Gallery bar, which is a combo lounge/bar, etc. with lots of art to view.

Explorations Cafe is gone. Crows nest is gone. It is now Explorations Central with large table-sized interactive displays. It is also the explorations office and desk. There are lots of tables and chairs to sit/read/play. It takes up the space of the old exploration cafe. The cafe/bar is in the old crow's nest, still serving coffee drinks and alcohol, but no finger sandwiches, cookies, etc.

All new carpet and furniture in public areas.

Brand new sofa bed in the cabin.

The casino is smoke-free.

 

Paul

Thanks for the update. I’ve been asking on previous posts if the carpeting and furniture have been replaced in veranda cabins? No one has answered yet.

I am happy to learn that the sofas have been replaced and that the casino is smoke free. I’m not a gambler but the smoke always pollutes the areas near the casino.

Also are the flat screen TVs mounted on the wall?

Thank you.

Hi,

I’ve been trying to find out if the veranda cabins have been refurbished, new carpet, furniture etc?

Thank you and Happy Cruising!