rcixfan5

B2B process can vary a lot by port, ship, and by time.

 

Here was the paperwork for Allure in Aug 2021.  After we checked in at the dining room before we left the ship the morning of the cruise the envelope had our new seapass and the transit card.   

 

 

14 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

Got one on the Symphony last week. It's still the scrunched up Oasis Class image. 🙄

 

Are you referring to the text of the ship name, or that it doesn’t have the picture with the slides in the boardwalk?   I thought the harmony/symphony blocks had the updated ship design with the slides on it.   

On 9/8/2021 at 10:14 AM, truffles2 said:

That could surely change. There are no tracelets used on this cruise.

 

I was on the first two Allure cruises 8/8 and 8/15.

 

I do not understand the logic of stopping the use of the tracelets.  They already bought them and were using them.   Out of facemasks, the I’m vaccinated bracelet, and tracelet they seemed to us like the most important part of the whole protocols.   I was hoping those would stay and the masks and bracelet would go.

 

Does anyone know why they stopped the use of the tracelets ?

The above compass was for a port day.

Remember we have 1500 guests on Allure right now.

For Thursday which is a sea day (due to Grace) it has the following in the compass:

Mixed wave 9a-2p

Advanced stand up surfing 2-6p

Boogie boarding 2-6p

I heard something last week from the cruise director about new flowriders.   Here is a picture of the port side one.   The starboard one was in use, nobody wearing masks because outside and using the flow rider is like being in pool no need to wear because mask will get wet.  The line seemed normal but maybe a bit more spaced out seemed like honor system versus enforced.   

 

 

Grace cancelled Cozumel port stop for Thu 8/19/21

 

 

1 hour ago, CruisingSince1982 said:

I understand not liking an empty ship, but there are so many "vaccinated only" areas, that it shouldn't have required you to wear a mask for so long. Unless you aren't vaccinated. 

 

Depends on the venue.  I’ve been on both 8/8 and 8/15 sailings and only seen schooner open once.  They are reduced hours also for venues.  

 

I have ave been happy with entertainment, assuming you can get tickets for V showtimes.  You mask going to show but remove once seated for the show.   

 

There are certainly times that vac and unvac are being treated the same.  Biggest is fitness center from 6am-7:30am, when everyone must mask.  Then fitness closed from 7:30am to 8am for cleaning.  On 8/8 cruise since all guests over 12 were vac, it wasn’t this way.   No mask was needed because no unvac adults.   

I think I heard today at the ice show the cruise director said there are 1510 passengers on Allure for the 8/15/21 cruise, and 200 or so are kids.   

43 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

I am still waiting for the information about the FlowRider.  Andrews is not built yet and I am on the Allure in December…..  So, at this point, I hate to be an ingrate, but I am not yet grateful.

 

jc

 

What did you want to know about flowrider on Allure?

 

Both have new “blue stuff” whatever the thing is under the water.   Last week I saw them both in action.   

 

Tomorrow is a port day but they have stuff as early as 8am and as late as 6pm.

 

I don’t flowrider but I could try to find out info if you give me a clue how to find out the answer.   I’m still onboard this week.   

 

4 hours ago, jaygatsby27 said:

Anyone know what specialty restaurants are open for lunch on sea days?

 

For day 2 on 8/16 from cruise compass 

 

chops

giovanni’s

hibachi teppanyaki

izumi

johhny rockets

sabor

Show info for Allure 8/15 to 8/22 cruise.  

 

Note NO aqua shows, there is a technical problem that they are working on, they said it was due to not using it for the last year plus.   I don’t think they know yet when it will be working again.   

 

 

Departure info for Allure 8/8 to 8/15 cruise

Port Canaveral

 

BIG change - you depart the ship DIRECTLY from your stateroom.  Seems like a great change, makes breakfast easier and you can relax in your room until debark.

 

Seems like earliest boarding (except B2B) will be 12:30pm or so.   

 

 

On 8/14/2021 at 8:36 AM, orville99 said:

Curious to know what the "wellness check" procedure entails. Is it just re-submitting the same data that you completed the day before your first leg during the online check-in process, or is it an actual examination?

 

All B2B passengers met at 9am at the dining room, they wanted to photograph our vaccination cards (again, they did for the 1st cruise), they asked the questions in the checkin that you answer no about 10 times, then they gave us new seapass cards in sealed envelope.   The process took maybe 3 minutes per cabin or so.   

 

The issue (which they already know about) was timings were different because of social distancing during debark.  So we sat in the dining room after completing the questions and getting new seapass cards until about 10:15am (which seemed to be dictated by other passengers getting off), then they gathered all the B2B and we went off the ship to the terminal building to walk past the CBP facial machines.   That part was fast and easy.  We walked back on the ship at 10:30 or so.   

 

But then they took us to dazzles and we sat from about 10:30 until 11:15 when they let us go.   When they let us go they made a statement that they knew the process needed to be improved.   

 

I think overall they did ok considering they need some of these to happen before they have a new process down in terms of how long everything takes.   It was the very first revenue cruise for them so I certainly have no complaints about it.  I’m sure the zero count thing is something that they don’t control.    

 

Oh, something I forgot to mention, we got antigen tests done the day before in the confererence center.   So no testing on turnaround day.   

8 hours ago, Redgem said:

For anyone on the current cruise, did you get your sea pass card when you checked in or was it on your cabin door? 

Thanks in advance,

Chuck

 

In the envelope things on the doors, just used the set sail pass to board (we printed them out and just used the paper one with the barcode).

 

But unlike some of the newer ships, Allure still has the doors you have to put the cards in versus just proximity swipe.   (And no wow bands because of that).

On 8/13/2021 at 1:09 PM, SherriZ366 said:

I can't remember if this has been asked -- what time did they open up the staterooms.  This may be different for our cruise as you had no passengers prior to you 8-8-2021 cruise.  

 

They told us in the terminal building that rooms were ready, but the ship had been at port more than 24 hours prior to that point.  I think it was unique to the first cruise for the ship.  Not sure what normal timings will be.

Allure back2back info

First cruise 8/8/2021

Second cruise 8/15/2021

 

Yes, at least on Allure as of Aug 2021.  

 

There is a right angled hdmi cable connected to the HDMI1 input on the LCD, I would assume the other end goes to the hotel/computer system they have.  They have them hidden nicely not sure which system they are using.   

 

Anyway, just pull the right angle connector, the TV complains nothing is connected to HDMI1, then plug in your device.   You will want straight connectors for sure.   

 

The upstairs TV is on a heavy metal panel, and the TV is mounted to that panel using the vesa mounts.   Even my large hands had no issue getting at the hdmi plug on the right side of the TV.

 

Two pictures of the top tv, and one of the downstairs (with my white cable plugged in currently).   The downstairs tv is on an articulating arm so easy to get at the back, and they have good cable management also.

 

Again might be different from ship to ship or in the future.   This is Allure Aug 2021.   

 

 

Show schedule 

The MSC and RCL devices are different.

 

The MSC device has a battery and transmits a signal (imagine a 6 digit random number). Everyone has a different number. Antennas on the ship listen to the number beacons and which antenna picked it up and when. The data is stored on a computer that connects to all the antennas.

 

The RCL device is much thinner, because it does not have a battery, and is no different than the RFID in the seapass. Just a different size/geometery. Since it doesn’t have a battery it needs to be in a magnetic field coil (how a electric toothbrush charges) in order to have power to send a signal. In that way it is the same in that it transmits a number, but only when really close (usually 3 inches or less) to the coil which is also near the antenna.

 

Long story, but the RCL devices nor the antennas can track where you are on the ship unless you “badge” devices like you do your stateroom door. Same range.

 

Something they could do is require everyone to have a cell phone, since that has a battery and could work like the MSC device, but given how bad the app has been it’s a more complicated. Plus the support of dozens of device types makes it challenging.

 

More likely you can expect to have to “checkin” to shows and dinner with your seapass. You already do for oasis class, they would just need to add that to smaller ships and also track dinner.

 

 

My only complaint about those deck 8 hump rooms is that it CAN be a long walk from the aft elevators.  Since you have to go completely around restaurant row it can sometimes be a bit of a slog.  It's really quiet on deck 8 behind the restaurants though....and you're so close to Central Park.  I enjoyed the Deck 8 hump balconies that we have had even though I complained about the walk every time.

Can you explain? I’m missing something. The distance between front and aft elevators are the same on all floors, so what makes the “walk around the restaurants” different?

I wonder if they could find a Caribbean nation that would allow a ship to anchor within its territorial waters for a small fee and process everyone as if they went on shore but don't allow anyone on shore.  From an immigration perspective they have a documented visit to another country.  Or let them step onto a pier but go no further.  What constitutes a visit to a foreign country?  

I think it would certainly be possible, whether they would do it is another. They would certainly collect port fees even if you couldn’t get off to pay for the “process”.

When we did Celebrity Eclipse out of Buenos Aires, they took and held all passports at checkin. They said it was because Falkland Islands wanted to manually inspect all passports prior to arrival. Their passport control people got on the ship at some point and before we got to that port they gave all the passports back to everyone on board the ship.

The point is that our passport had a stamp for Falkland Islands when we hadn’t even been there yet.

 
Agreed.  While I understand what they're trying to accomplish, there's a pretty big difference between boarding at 11:00am like I tend to do and boarding at 5:00pm as I've seen offered for boarding times in some upcoming cruises.  
 
Unfortunately, I would expect them to attempt to (further) monetize the desire of some cruisers to board earlier.  

As someone who must fly in night before, late times are going to create an issue with hotel check out times on embarkation day. I’ve noticed many people in the terminal before 11am, some probably have little control due to being kicked out of hotels.

I was so happy with the virtual show Royal Caribbean did on 8/14. Makes me remember how good their entertainment is.

NFC (near field communication) devices like the WOW bands have a very limited range (inches) - because the device has no power source and receives power from a wire loop magnetically from the reading device. The loop induces current, then the WOW band transmits a signal. The WOW band and seapass use the same technology.

I would assume that the MSC and Princess use batteries and bluetooth or RFID style communication, which requires a power source.

I know I am in the vast minority, but we are making final payments. The 25% is more than that money will make me elsewhere, and at least in the suites I am not seeing significant price increases year over year.

I have some FCC from a back to back I was on in March 2020, they kicked us off the ship for the second week. Since then we have had 2 cancelled, and I have 5 booked for 2021, using different ships, homeports, classes, some on Royal and some on Celebrity. Trying to maximize my odds of going someday.

Way I figure I will eventually go, and if RCG goes under the world is in much deeper financial problems than whatever I have “invested” with Royal.