doppelganger2621

Lol the offer ended the first time (last fall) by the time I booked my cruise, and now I’ve already paid for my entire cruise and all the extras when the offer came back

I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding about why pre-cruise testing is done. Of course it's not going to fully stop COVID from getting on board. But COVID has like an r0 of somewhere (depending on the strain) between like 3 and >7.

If you can even stop a few active infections from coming onboard, you can at least reduce the number of people becoming infected. And even a small number of people not coming aboard with an active infection can make a big difference.

I don't think that any cruiseline is under the impression that COVID testing is going to stop COVID from coming on board, but it can (hopefully) reduce the number of people needing to be quarantined onboard, or needing to go to medical, or paying for quarantines upon arrival back in port.

1 minute ago, timfan27 said:

My check in starts next Tuesday. I am traveling with 4 different couples and our reservations are linked. My question, if I do check in early to get an early time to get on the ship, can I do everyone in my traveling party? I just want to get us all the same time and then each couple will  go in fill out the rest at a later time.

 

Another question, I see all the linked reservations if I look at in on the website. If I look on the app on my ipad - I only see mine. If I try to link them on the app, it tells me they are all linked already. Anyone know how to see all the linked reservations on the app?

 

Thanks for the help.

I can't help on the app part, all of our linked reservations I can see on the app by clicking the "Check In" button at the bottom.

However, yes, you can go in and check-in for other members of your party and at least get the same boarding time.

We set pretty high expectations on our kids’ behavior (well always but especially) in public settings. And I hate the idea of anytime my kids might be an annoyance or negatively impact someone else’s experiences. Traveling with parents is a privilege in our household, as we could just as easily send them to grandma’s house for the week and take a vacation (as we sometimes do).

THAT SAID, kids the last two years have had a hell of a time man. My kids have gone from remote learning to hybrid learning to in-person. They get school and activities cancelled because there’s not enough substitutes in the school or people to drive the busses. My son’s junior high school had some very bad behavioral issues this year. And I do think it manifests differently in some kids and maybe for some, this is their first vacation in a couple years, so I’m willing to accept some general orneriness and understanding that they are just having fun. Of course, there’s a fine line between what might be fun for kids and what is annoying or negatively impacting other cruise goers.

I wouldn’t let my kids engage in what the OP discusses, just because I know for some people—that’s annoying. But on the grand scheme of what children have endured during the pandemic, I would understand it’s pretty harmless. But if this is something that bothers you, I would definitely say pick another time to cruise.

I guess it depends—are your kids super into Disney? My kids were basically all but done with Mickey Mouse by age 4 or so. They like Disney, but meeting a character at Disney World wasn’t really that wild to them by age 6.

Thanks for the review! We’re on Allure next Sunday so I like seeing recent positive reviews

5 minutes ago, ravenjls said:

How do you do that? According to the drink package in my planner it says we both have to get the package.  

 

Deluxe Beverage Package

Important details and advisements

• Each adult of legal drinking age assigned to the same stateroom must purchase this package.

You have to call Royal and say the other person(s) don’t drink 

3 minutes ago, poocher said:

And your card SHOWS you paid the large price.  Bars are understaffed and busy.  The easiest, fastest means of the bartender knowing you have packages appropriate to the drinks you are ordering is to have your card(s).  Is it really that much of an inconvenience?

This seems to be the height of a first world problem lol

8 hours ago, Ellaleah said:

It will be my first and maybe only trip to Cozumel.  Should I expect 9 ships to make it super crowded?  I’m thinking that places like Mr Sanchos and Paradise Beach could be ridiculously crowded.  Would it be wise to have reservations or a tour planned?

I think reservations are wise for any of the beach places that take them. There’s enough stories on here of taxis not even willing to take folks to PB or NC if they don’t have a reservation.

If you don’t want to make a reservation, then I would devise a backup plan.

I have not personally used it but others on here have said that it worked for their cruise testing requirements

3 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Well said. When I worked Restaurants, Colds, Sinus Infection, Bronchitis, we all had to show up to work. Miss a day we were let go. At Will Workers. Not really that long ago know these same places could only miss a day work if got a Dr Note which most these Min Wage workers could not get

Thanks for proving my point—people who work in restaurants should NOT have to show up to work with communicable diseases. But unfortunately we’ve created a system and culture where people are expected to show up sick thereby infecting coworkers and patrons just to protect their livelihoods.

my hope post-COVID was normalizing that we should be giving sick workers sick days to stay home. And you have sick days and you are sick, please stay home.

Just now, Ashland said:

 

 

So am I correct that RCI will still require the neg test to sail ???

As of now, yes.

2 minutes ago, BND said:

My DIL is an RN in a GP's office here in VA and they have basically the same policy. Her office is part of the INOVA healthcare system.  It appears that it's commonplace across the medical field and not just in CA.   

It's commonplace among employers period. 

29 minutes ago, UNCFanatik said:

 

Unfortunately, not everyone is afforded the luxury to not go to work when they feel the least bit ill or have the sniffles because they cannot afford to miss work. Its not that they dont care about others, its that they care about providing for their family. Not everyone works in a cubicle farm. Not every one has sick days. 

I totally agree that it's a shame that not everyone has the luxury of sick days (which shouldn't in fact be a luxury), but didn't want to add more politics to an already politically-charged topic. But it is in fact part of what we should do to "normalize" that it's okay to acknowledge one is sick and provide avenues for them to maintain their livelihoods in order to stop the spread of illness.

Anyways, that was simply an example among several I gave.

9 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

I wonder if everyone cared about others as much before all of this. Did most people avoid going to work or other social things if they didn't feel well? Probably not. Misinformation and the media has made some nerve wrecks over this virus. 

But that's kind of my entire point. It would, actually, in fact be nice if NOW people thought before going to that social event with a bunch of others: "Hmmm, you know what, rather than just powering through this terrible sinus infection I have just to attend this event with a bunch other people, maybe I should either wear a mask or just stay home so that I can keep them from getting sick." 
 

If you're coughing your head off, maybe instead of going into work and infecting all the people around you in your cubicle farm, you just take a sick day or wear a mask. If you have diarrhea, maybe think twice about hopping into that public pool or touching those tongs at the buffet. That's all.

2 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

Have you tried the search engine for this forum? There have been a few previous reviews. Also local forum on TripAdvisor.

Yep, I have. Last thread was started in 2021 and the last comment was March and it wasn't a review. Last post "reviewing" the location was last July. The "blogpost" review on the thread is from three years ago.

Ergo, I am asking for any recent experiences with this location, as perhaps someone who has gone more recently isn't going through threads from March, or is cruising soon and gone previously will see this post soliciting advice. 

We just a booked a cabana here during our port stop in Cozumel in a couple weeks: https://thecabanabeach.com/

Recommendation came from another cruiser who had booked but never been here. Reviews online look absolutely amazing. Has anyone been here before? Comments on experience?

I have an 8 year-old that likes wearing dresses a lot on vacation when we go "out". She has a ton of these jersey dresses from H&M which she plans to wear to dinner, just a nice casual, dress. She'll probably also wear a romper or two I would imagine. For shoes, she just wears Toms 

4 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

We leave Saturday  - is that your sailing?  If so looks like we're cruising together.

Sorry by next week I mean, 10 days from now, so I’ll be right after you 😊 Take care of her for us!

2 hours ago, rudeney said:

My Oct. 2nd Voyager CAN/NE cruise is getting full.  All suites are sold out and just poking around looking at other cabin classes, I'd estimate it at 75% sold.  The lowest I've seen the DBP since we booked in March is $65 (today, and during the Memorial Day sale).  I have seen it at either $70 or $75 most days.  I suspect it won't go below $65.  There are really only two more opportunities for a holiday for a sale - July 4th and Labor Day.  

We sail next week on Allure and the DBP for our sailing is down to $68. Not the lowest it’s been ($61) but definitely the lowest I’ve seen it the last couple months.

2 hours ago, Mr. Green said:

News Reporting: Airlines cancel hundreds of flights before summer travel season because of pilot shortage

 

-Leading the trend has been Southwest Airlines, which has cut nearly 20,000 flights.

-U.S. airlines are trying to hire at least 12,000 pilots this year.

-Delta, meanwhile, said it was canceling 100 daily flights from July 1 through Aug. 7 in the U.S. and Latin America.

 

Keep in mind these are flights *already* cancelled, as in they removed them from their schedule earlier in the spring. It’s not flights being actively cancelled now, though those still exist and people should in fact not plan to arrive in port via air the day of their departure

4 minutes ago, GrumpyandMimi said:

Is the Windjammer open for dinner................. if so, do you know what time they start dinner ?

6-9 pm usually

Thanks for the write up—sailing on Allure myself in a week and half. We’re 8722 so pretty similar to your cabin (just aft rather than forward). We’ll also be using the sofa bed so good to see it “in use”. We’re doing traditional dining instead of MTD so hopefully that helps.

Regarding health protocols—I just wish people would use common sense. I’m going on the cruise well aware of the risks of cruising, but you would think after the last two years, we would minimally be able to understand that no one wants to be near people hacking and coughing and sneezing all over the place. I had a bad non-COVID sinus infection in March and just had the decency to wear a mask when I went out (though I typically do not wear one in my normal every day life anymore). At the very least cover your mouth when you cough or something.

Also did the balcony smell you smelled smell like a skunk 😆

8 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

Haven't seen a mask in church in a year.....plus, it's too hot to eat outside....most places only are inside.  But the difference is politics, not the virus, and who you want to follow.  If you follow the rules for mask, a cruise ship, is not the place to be on, especially if it leaves from Florida

Everyone on here is making their own decisions for what they are comfortable with doing at this point. I'm wearing a mask for the two weeks prior to my vacation (because I don't want COVID to interrupt my cruise), I'll wear it on the plane, and I'll have it with me on the boat. 

I understand that there are risks with me choosing to cruise, even though I tend to be quite cautious with COVID (I'm double vaxxed, boosted, and never had COVID), but I am content with the risks. But if I wear a mask on the cruise, does it really affect your cruise? No, it doesn't. Masks aren't required on cruises, so I understand the risk with that that carries, but I'm generally comfortable with the fact that nearly all passengers are vaccinated, many are boosted, and my family and myself are all vaccinated and boosted.

On 5/25/2022 at 10:44 AM, happychippy said:

British Colonial Resort is closed, but the property managers are offering Beach Day Passes to use their private beach.  I got tickets on resort for a day dot com.  It was like $25 for the day and you had access to use their chairs, umbrellas, daybeds on their private beach.  The Bar service beside the pool was open.  Pool was not opened last week when i spent the day.  There was plenty of chairs and it was a very clean beach.  

 

Did you book in advance or just show up?