mek

1 minute ago, A&L_Ont said:

That’s already happened for some sailings that had more positives than quarantine cabins. With the changes coming, I think quarantine cabins will become a thing of the past and people found to be positive will be treated as though they have the Noro virus and confined to their cabin. 

I don't sail until October 15th - so hopefully by then that will be SOP.

For the first time in 2 1/2 years, I'm looking forward to cruising again.

Now if they would just announce the elimination of mandatory quarantine cabins and allow people to stay in their own cabins, if positive,  I would be dancing in the street.

On 8/22/2022 at 11:12 AM, rrraydon said:

Yay!!! Finally!

 

I can now start booking cruises with my unvaxxed granddaughter!!

Too late for me to do that this year, but I can't wait until next summer.

On 8/12/2022 at 1:40 PM, Sea Dog said:

With eMed it's easier for each person to have the Navica app and set up an account. Take the test separately with each of you logging into your account. When the results come back they will be emailed to your respective accounts and phones.

my husband uses my e-mail - can two people use the same one?

1 hour ago, TheHawk1 said:

Then why would you suggest switching your loyalty from Royal to Carnival over a little test? I’m not a big fan of it either, but I’m not all bent out of shape over it like some others here.

Again another misconception about me - although I'm Diamond on Royal, I'm also Platinum on Carnival and Princess - I have absolutely no "loyalty" to Royal at all.  

It's just that prior to Covid, we cruised frequently and only took cruises based on itinerary, ship, price..... so we have accumulated a lot of cruises on multiple lines.

I don't know that I'm bent out of shape over pre-cruise testing - I simply don't think it's necessary any longer and it is a big hassle because we have to fly - 2 days before means we can't fly down 2 days prior without a lot of complications.

While it really shouldn't matter to you, my husband is disabled and our trips require extra planning without adding something else to have to manage, so I would gladly switch to another line in order to not have to deal with it.

3 hours ago, TheHawk1 said:

Maybe Carnival could become the official cruise line for the unvaccinated?  Works for me since I plan never to cruise with them.

I thought we were discussing pre-cruise testing.  Perhaps you are assuming, incorrectly, that I am unvaxxed.  I have been jabbed 4 times and if available, plan to get another booster in September before I cruise in October..

2 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

This is a complete 100% non issue. If you like how Royal is handling it, sail with Royal. If you like how Carnival and Princess are handling it sail with them. OK, sail with Princess - Carnival might be too "belly flop" for most Royal cruisers. 😁

Not really - some of us are stuck with cruises we booked pre-covid and we don't have any option but to cruise with Royal.

Trust me - if I could, I would switch my existing cruise over to Carnival or Princess in a heartbeat - and yes, it is because of this one issue.

22 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

Hi MEK.  Haven’t seen you around for a while.

Honestly, not much for me to talk about as I haven't cruised since Feb, 2020 and the issues I continue to have with cruise protocols have been beaten to death.

Like it or not, it looks like I will have to go along with them as I'm cruising in October. I'm sure  I'll have plenty to say when I return - hopefully positive.

On 7/29/2022 at 11:08 PM, Ocean Boy said:

I think you will have a fine time aboard. If I were able to cruise in the Fall I'd be looking to get back on the ship. I did think there were some food quality issues in January but it all seemed resolved in April.

Thanks, OB.  Despite my reservations, I plan to go on this cruise and have a wonderful time.

1 hour ago, rudeney said:

 

That is my fear in all this, that we are effectively being trained to accept less service for more money.  We justify accepting lower levels of service and higher prices in hope that it's temporary.  We play along as faithful paying customers, helping out, keeping the company afloat while they work through these challenges.  Before too long, we forget what good service really was and now these lower level offering are the new normal.  This isn't just about RCCL or even cruise lines, but most any industry.  .  

While this may be true, when it comes to cruising I can say enough is enough.  My October Allure cruise will be my first one since Feb, 2020.  It more than likely will be my last until the pre-cruise testing and possibility of being quarantined in a isolation cabin both go away.

At that point I will decide if cruising still offers me what I'm looking for in a vacation and if not, I'll do something else.

As much I I love what cruising used to be, it's not what my life is about - and IMO, it would be really sad if it was.

10 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I'm surprised to read that. I was on Allure in Jan and April and thought the service was fine.

I will be on Allure in October - a cruise I booked in Nov, 2019 and have rescheduled 3X.  Although I'm still not happy with the testing requirements and the possibility of being moved to a quarantine room during the cruise, I'm tired of playing the waiting game and keeping my fingers crossed that this will be a pleasant experience.

We have cruised during September several times and it's been mixed.  Early in the month it's been cold and damp  and then the last week of September was beautiful.

On 7/11/2022 at 11:19 AM, yogimax said:

My $10 watch is still running.

My husband picks those up to wear out in the yard or when he is doing grunge work.  He had one that lasted for years - no idea how or why it kept running so long.

13 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

Are we going to have to see one of these "XXXX just dropped testing" in every company specific forum every time company XXXX drops testing?....

 

I sure hope so.  Testing needs to end and I'm glad to see the updates.

On 7/15/2022 at 10:47 AM, matj2000 said:

 

Giving in to the toddler

 

Sounds reasonable...

Well, I don't think  during a vacation is a good or productive time to try and break a toddle of a habit.

2 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

There's a possibility that you could spread it to the cabin attendant and others. Do you only care about yourself and not others knowing you have covid? How do you plan on getting food? If in quarantine they give you free room service and free internet. If you go out for food do you plan on wearing a properly fitting N95 mask? Since you live in Florida and are retired taking a replacement cruise wouldn't be that hard.

Yes I do care about others and probably should just give up on this topic because my opinions on where Covid is now compared to where it was two years ago will only get me in hot water.

I have to make final payment by Friday - for a cruise I originally booked in the fall of 2019 with a NRD and the money is long gone - not sure I want to throw more money at a cruise that has this many obstacles.

I'm not sure it's worth the stress.  There are  many more options for travel that don't require people to jump through so many hoops.

2 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

There's a possibility that you could spread it to the cabin attendant and others. Do you only care about yourself and not others knowing you have covid? How do you plan on getting food? If in quarantine they give you free room service and free internet. If you go out for food do you plan on wearing a properly fitting N95 mask? Since you live in Florida and are retired taking a replacement cruise wouldn't be that hard.

No - I live in Cincinnati,  OH.  If I lived in Florida I probably wouldn't be as stressed out about this October cruise.

10 hours ago, Tatka said:

Who will test you on the ship?
There is no testing unless you request it.

 

When I responded I meant time on the ship.

 

Flying of course could be a problem. That’s why we drive. Even to Florida.

We did go through pre cruise tests on  6 out of 7 cruises after restart. If I had to fly I’d take proctored test with me.

Well, I plan to take some of the test kits I got from the government with us and if we feel unwell and test positive we will remain in our cabin - we can sit on our balcony when the room is serviced - but there is the problem - will we be reported if someone realizes we haven't left for several days?

I'm not the least bit worried about Covid on the ship - I simply do not want to be sent to a quarantine cabin.  I can be responsible and remain in my cabin, if necessary.

Also, my husband is disabled and can't sit in a car for the amount of time it would take us to drive 1,000 miles to Ft Lauderdale and honestly, I have no desire to do that either.

On 7/11/2022 at 2:01 PM, Tatka said:

 

Trust me, there is nothing stressful about cruising now. Maybe this test to get on cruise. Have a great cruise. Don't think about Covid. Just keep reasonable precautions.

Unless a person lives close enough to drive to the cruise port - everything, IMO, is stressful about cruising.  Getting a test 2 days prior to departure is a PITA - especially if you like to go 2 days early.

Flying is a mess.

After you have jumped through all of the hoops to get on board, there is the nagging possibility of testing positive on the ship and being forced to leave a nice cabin and balcony and quarantined to an OV cabin.

Then if you do test positive on a cruise, you have to figure out how to get home w/o possibly infecting other people.

Fully vaccinated including 2 boosters - not at all concerned about getting Covid , but I am concerned about having a crappy vacation.

9 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

rapidtestandtrace.com requires no installation of apps. They use Microsoft Teams but you can just click on a link and it will open in your browser if you don't want to download it.

 

https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/

Thanks - so I can use the test kits provided by the government or something else?

So we're not cruising until mid October and I realize things can change overnight, but right now what is the easiest way to get the pre-cruise test completed?

I don't want to have to install apps on my phone or mess with anything other than getting the test and having the results quickly before we have to fly to FLL the day before departure.

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

Oh they sucks, we got out of a NRD and got all our money back because our cruise was before September 30th........sounds like you missed it by 2 or 3 weeks.

 

Maybe if you call they would at least give you back your deposit in a FCC

For multiple reasons I really would like to take this cruise, but as I get closer to final payment I'm getting cold feet.

I'm vaxxed and double boosted and I don't have any concerns about Covid or being exposed to it, but getting to the ship and actually being able to relax seems unlikely.

1 minute ago, Ocean Boy said:

When my flight home in January was cancelled (one hour prior to departure time 🤨) luggage was available for pickup in baggage claim about a half hour later. This was at Ft. Lauderdale.

I never have cared about problems getting home - I just worry about getting to the ship and making it onboard.

23 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

. Yup, gotta jump through a few more hoops, but it is all worth while. 

No, it really isn't.  Final payment is due in a few weeks for our October cruise that has been changed 3X and honestly, I wish I could just get out of it.  I have a NRD, and just might let it go.

After messing with the pre-cruise tests, booking (very expensive), flights and hoping there aren't any problems, we still have to worry about getting Covid on the ship and sent to the naughty rooms,(which ultimately may be the deal breaker.)

OP - I also hate to see a dirty carpet in a restaurant - makes me wonder about things I can't see.