TRUEBLUE66
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Posts posted by TRUEBLUE66
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21 minutes ago, ssb said:
Trueblue66 so then the first cruise searchable and bookable on Quantum is now out of Tokyo on the 4th of April 2021 and on forward ? Nothing else out of Singapore like the original April 21, 2021.
No, still able to book from 4th April 2020 in Singapore.
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This morning the remaining March 2020 cruises on the Quantum were still bookable. By UK lunch time they were still showing but no longer able to be booked and by dinner time no longer on the site. First cruise searchable and bookable is now the 4th of April. Got an email from R.C. UK a short time ago in response to my "what is happening" question a couple of days ago and as far as they are concerned still going ahead. Have replied appropriately!
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43 minutes ago, gingernm said:
We're on 4th March Quantum sailing. Nothing received saying otherwise.
Rob & Sarah
We are on the 22 March one. Just waiting and watching developments. Our sailing and several around it are still able to be booked but not the 4th March. First showing is the 13th.
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2 hours ago, gingernm said:
Royal UK website has an update from 21st Feb, as does the US site, they are different though, this is the extract from the US site....
TRAVEL ADVISORY UPDATE
The U.S. State Department published a new travel advisory. We’ve been staying on top of the situation and had already cancelled or modified most sailings in Asia through mid-March, with no sailings departing from mainland China or Hong Kong, China.
U.S. guests on cruises in Asia departing before March 23, 2020 who want to change their plans will be allowed to rebook without penalty at a later date.
We are unaware of any significant travel restrictions, delays or quarantines anywhere else in the world. Accordingly, we look forward to welcoming our guests who are booked on itineraries outside Asia onto their cruises as scheduled.
We continue to monitor the situation constantly, and news of any travel restrictions or cancelled sailings are regularly being updated.
Linky… https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates
The above is not shown on the UK site, the above has been updated, as Singapore was also listed on the no sailings sentence yesterday.
We contacted Royal yesterday, the agent knew nothing of the above, just advised our sailing (4th March) is still going.
The ship is going to be like the Marie Celeste. 😞
Rob & Sarah
What ship and sailing you folks on? March 4th Quantum not on R.C. site to book any more.
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6 hours ago, Sail n Snow said:
This is interesting according to a social media group page a TA in the UK has started giving refunds for these two cruises stating they’ve been cancelled. However those that call RC direct are being told both cruises are still going.I think one of the reasons that the remainder of the cruises from Singapore could be cancelled is the due to the updated details on the R.C. website in the past 24 hours to include Singapore and Thailand for the specialized screenings. Not sure how long they take but everyone would have to be done at the start and end of the cruise and also getting off and on in Phuket, Thailand.
- There will be mandatory specialized health screenings performed on:
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- Any guest who has travelled from, to, or through Iran, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, or Thailand in the past 15 days.
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10 minutes ago, twangster said:
Yet in Singapore Owner Suites, Grand and Royal Loft don't get Sky benefits or access to CK while a JS has dinner access to CK and a GS gets all day access to CK. Very odd.
I agree. The below details are taken directly from the current R.C. website:
Royal Suite Class is available on Symphony of the Seas®, Oasis of the Seas®, Allure of the Seas®, Harmony of the Seas®, Anthem of the Seas®, Ovation of the Seas®, and Quantum of the Seas® (Singapore Departures Only).
and these details from a c.c. report on the R.C. royal suite class:
Star Tier: The highest tier, Star, includes the Royal Loft Suite, Owner's Loft Suite, Four-Bedroom Family Suite (Harmony of the Seas), Grand Loft Suite, Sky Loft Suite and Two Bedroom AquaTheater Suite (decks 8, 9 and 10 on Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas).
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I believe they went back to Royal suite class after the drydock and cruising from Singapore.
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Hi,
Have been getting conflicting answers both from RC and searches so hoping someone knows!
What class does a sky loft suite come into on the Quantum of the seas?
I know, from the name it sounds like sky class but from reviews on this site guests sailing Sky loft have mentioned being in Star class when sailing on a Quantum class ship.
This may have been complicated because until the refit the ship operated on the golden suite system in China.
Thanks.
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Whilst I realise that there is a good chance that our sailing on the Quantum for 22 March will be cancelled, I got the Royal Up email a few days ago.
I thought, why not, as we were in a JS and the prices were lower than others I've seen so placed a bid on each.
Got a quick reply and a very cheap upgrade to a Sky loft suite. IF things were to calm down in the next 5 weeks then excellent. If not then no change from where we are just now.
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1 hour ago, kernow said:
Just cancelled our Quantum cruise from Singapore next week. With the ever changing situation we just decided it was too risky, not so much of us getting the virus but being put in quarantine and getting stuck somewhere. We booked the whole thing with a UK ta who is refunding us in full, we might all moan about the inflated UK prices but grateful for all the protection when something goes wrong. At the same time we booked to fly out to Dubai next Wednesday and board Jewel the following Monday so not all bad news!
Fully understand where you are coming from as the situation is changing daily. Also booked through a U.K. travel agent on this occasion but will hold off for now as we have longer to go until our cruise. Enjoy Dubai, should be a nice temperature. Love the Jewel also, going back on in October {hopefully!}.
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4 minutes ago, BeachChik said:
Have you read articles where the people on the ship have been interviewed? They aren't allowed to leave their cabins. Imagine the people in interior rooms or the people with small kids. No thank you. Two weeks locked in a cruise ship room sounds horrible.
We were on the Diamond Princess last May in Japan, thankfully not in an inside cabin. Loved the ship but doubt I'd want to have to spend long under those conditions even in a suite!
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1 minute ago, kernow said:
Not good, we're due to fly there on Tuesday.
No.
As I said before I think the risk is still low but the fallout surrounding it now is getting worse. If we even catch a mild cold from the long flights it will be looked upon as a self quarantine issue coming from these countries.
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2 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:
What about the China based cruiselines that are not name brands in the US? Aren't there some mid-size ships that sail full time from China?
Genting cruises operate both star cruises {which we have been on} and the newer Dream cruises in Asia, one of which is quarantined in Hong Kong. There are other smaller operators like Astro ocean who purchased the old P&O ship which now sails as Piano Land exclusively for the chinese market. I'm sure there are others.
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I suppose it was too hopeful to think that Singapore wouldn't get dragged into this sooner or later.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51398039
Just got to keep fingers crossed it doesn't get any worse and it is a one off.
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Thank you. Bringing it all back! We sailed on the r tucker Thompson rigged schooner that is in some of your excellent photos. Loved walking around Russell, such a picturesque little town. I do remember however several of our fellow passengers being upset as to how long the tender took as they were missing out on their drinks package!
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We went there a couple of years ago with another cruise line on a small ship for the day. Not geared up in any way for mass tourism. Small town, high end shopping and narrow roads all around the Island. We drove to some beautiful beaches and enjoyed the change of pace but they have no need for cruise tourism and will not encourage it.
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4 hours ago, kernow said:
Additionally, Singapore Authorities have implemented a new travel ban that regardless of residency, anyone with a Chinese passport that has been in close contact (6 feet or 2 meters) with an individual that has returned from mainland China 14 days prior to sailing departure, will be denied boarding. Both measures are precautions to help avoid the spread of the coronavirus, which has recently seen an increase in cases globally. '
The Singapore authorities bit is new, I guess it is mostly referring to Chinese people living in Singapore who may have family or friends recently returned from China.
Hi,
We go on the Quantum towards the end of March {hopefully!}. As things stand I believe our chances of catching this virus are slim but we have made alternative arrangements in the event of the cruise being cancelled as we might only get a weeks notice and will already be in Asia by then.
However, my two concerns would be firstly how could the local authorities police such a ban unless people come forward and volunteer the information.
Secondly, I have more fear of someone getting onto the ship with no signs, then developing even minor symptoms from the virus and us all being quarantined for 2 weeks, unable to go home etc. like the people on the Diamond Princess just now. I suppose there are worse places to be!
{on a more jovial note, do you think R.C. would honor the extra nights towards C & A? 😁}
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-51381594
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1 hour ago, kernow said:
Had an email overnight to say our 15/2 Quantum cruise has been changed. We are now returning to Singapore instead of ending the cruise in Hong Kong, feel much better about this, now all we have to do is change the flight home.
Got the following email overnight re our Quantum sailing in March from Singapore {going to Malaysia and Thailand}. Has already affected one of our roll call members who was flying via H.K.
ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS Dear Guest,
We’re looking forward to welcoming you aboard our March 22nd Quantum of the Seas sailing! Before we embark on our adventure, we have some important information to share with you.
After consultation with medical experts and public health authorities, we’ve decided that regardless of nationality, any guest or crewmember traveling from, to, or through mainland China or Hong Kong less than 15 days prior to their sailing will be unable to board any of our ships. We regret to have to do this, but due to the recent increase of coronavirus cases around the world, this precaution will help avoid the spread of this virus. We take this very seriously and have a responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy environment onboard our ships, as well as in the ports we visit.
Additionally, we’ve tightened our secondary health screening requirements and the following guests will need to undergo extra screenings to ensure safety at the cruise terminal:
- Guests or crewmembers that have been in contact with individuals that have traveled from, to, or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the last 15 days.
- Anyone that holds a Chinese or Hong Kong passport – regardless of when they were there last.
- Anyone that feels unwell or demonstrates flu-like symptoms.
While these measures are conservative, our responsibility is to reduce the spread of coronavirus, in an effort to keep our ships safe and to ensure you are able to enjoy your time with us.
Your vacation and your health are very important to us, so in an abundance of caution, we’ve taken numerous proactive steps to maintain high health standards onboard our ships. This includes:
- Thoroughly sanitizing the cruise ship terminal before and after every sailing,
- Special sanitizing of high traffic areas onboard multiple times a day,
- Adding extra medical staff on each sailing,
- Providing complimentary consultations with medical experts for all guests & crew,
- Plus, the Captain will make two daily announcements during your cruise reminding everyone of how to stay healthy onboard.
And, you can do your part too! To ensure we all have an enjoyable cruise, here are some important tips to help keep you healthy and prevent colds, flus, and stomach viruses – both onboard and on land.
- After using the bathroom and before any meal or snack (it’s a cruise; we know there’s lots of that), make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- If you happen to sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue (or with your upper sleeve). Avoid sneezing or coughing into your hands or without covering your nose and mouth.
- Use hand sanitizer as often as possible. Rub the gel thoroughly, and in-between your fingers, until your hands are dry.
Lastly, due to the fluidity of this situation, along with the volume of guests we are currently assisting, we’re reviewing each cruise in sail date order, so that we can better understand the impact of the coronavirus. Should we have to make any changes, we’re committed to contacting you and your Travel Advisor one week prior to your sail date, at the very least.
We really appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
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Wishing you good weather for the Sounds!
We did these ports and a few others on the Radiance a few years back and looking forward to reliving some of it through your great photography. Enjoy.
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Thanks, great photos. On sister ship, Quantum, in a few weeks. First time on anything this big!
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We are in Cape Town just now & it would be a perfect place to base the ship! New cruise terminal right in the city at the Victoria & Alfred waterfront centre ( number 1 visited area in South Africa) with great transport links and a full range of activities from Table Mountain to safari park. Fantastic weather, food, galleries, history and everything is in English! 😁
With so many areas of the world off limits seems like a chance worth taking?
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5 hours ago, lsfla said:
We went off on our own in all of the ports, which was quite easy to do, except St Petersburg where we hired a private guide and driver.
Totally agree!
We did all these ports last summer and agree that you can save lots of money by doing the majority by yourself. Just do a bit of advanced planning so you get to see what you like.
Helsinki,Stockholm,Copenhagen and Tallinn {amazing!} have so much to see in the short time you are there.
For St Petersburg I strongly suggest booking with a local company who will pick you up at the terminal and get you to all the sights , which are very spread out in a large city. We did a 2 day intensive tour and loved it but were glad that other ports were at a more relaxed pace.
We have been on the Jewel before and will be again next year. Excellent smaller ship which I think is suited for this itinerary as I would rather have 2000 people getting off than 4000 in these ports. Also the "smaller ships" can get docked closer to the city centre. Stockholm is the best example as some ships may tender or dock at Nynashamn, which is 36 miles from Stockholm. Trains run twice hourly and take approx 1 hour. We docked a 10 minute bus ride from the centre!
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53 minutes ago, ROWSE said:
Thank you for the compliment! I also love to read other’s picture reviews and even though ours are just iphone photos I like to include them.
Our best guess on the hike between Fira and Oia was about two and a half to three hours. It was probably our favorite thing we did. The views are magnificent.
I have been steadily researching your area, and we are so excited to see it all. There is never enough time to get in all I want to see. Narrowing it down is the hard part.
Cheers to you also!!!
Thanks for the information. Don't know if you've been before but please make sure that a few hours in Edinburgh is on your list for your British Isles cruise. No matter where we have travelled to, it is still near the top of our favourite cities in the world.
Thanks
David
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Hi,
I've no idea how I missed this review!😲 Fantastic photo's, detail and descriptions. I have followed singinalot also as we are visiting a number of these ports next October on the Allure and the Jewel.
Can I ask how long it took to walk from Fira to Oia as we have been thinking of doing similar? Thanks. {P.S. we live between Glasgow and Edinburgh so if you have any questions need answering for your British Isles trip then happy to help!}
Cheers!
David
Live Jewel 17th Feb 2020, A last minute change of plan.
in Royal Caribbean International
Posted
Hi,
We regularly use Emirates and they are often strict on the 7kg hand luggage rule. Our son had to do a repack in the line once because he was carrying 7.5kg. We make sure now to check before heading to the airport.