Anthem Delay - the Latest

[VernRDH]

We were supposed to be on this cruise. We are now home ( 3 hour drive from Bayonne).  On Friday when we arrived at the port there was absolutely NO communication regarding what was happening at first. Then they handed out a sheet that said we would leave Saturday at 1pm, even though the CDC and USCG had cleared the ship to depart. It went downhill from there. 

We are going to take the full refund and book something else. Hoping they will compensate for the hotel stay, as they indicated they would in the first email. If not, no big.

This has been a cluster from the jump, they knew before they docked on Friday who was ill/needed to be screened. If they are concerned about the virus, why let everyone off? 

[GarlicBread]

1 hour ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

It sounds like RCL may have been trying to keep this information from coming out.

 

Unless you know the crew member, or are directly involved in this situation, why would you need to know this information? 

4 times in my 9 contracts, a crew member passed away, the companies I worked for didnt announce their death to the general public, nor did they need to...

[kjacruiser]

Here's another update a crew member was found dead Feb. 2nd in St. Lucia......

[cruiserchuck]

2 minutes ago, GarlicBread said:

 

Unless you know the crew member, or are directly involved in this situation, why would you need to know this information? 

4 times in my 9 contracts, a crew member passed away, the companies I worked for didnt announce their death to the general public, nor did they need to...

 

I would not need to know it, since I am not cruising anytime soon.  However, to say one crew member is being tested, and not report that the crew member died, would seem to be withholding information that I would like to know if I were on the cruise.  I am not saying that they needed to identify the crew member, or give any personal information about the person.  

[suzyluvs2cruise]

9 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

I would not need to know it, since I am not cruising anytime soon.  However, to say one crew member is being tested, and not report that the crew member died, would seem to be withholding information that I would like to know if I were on the cruise.  I am not saying that they needed to identify the crew member, or give any personal information about the person.  

 

Where did it say a crew member was being tested? 

[Jimbo]

5 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

Where did it say a crew member was being tested? 

It was quoted somewhere they are doing a "rushed" autospy on him.........

[marci22]

oh boy here we go.

[CDNCRUIZR]

We are also waiting to go on this cruise. RC brought many of us by coach to the Residence Inn in Jersey City, NJ. They had RC staff here all day to help people that had questions since most of the hotel rooms are filled with cruisers. We are staying here until Monday and hoping that the cruise will happen. We are trying to make the best of it and planning on visiting Manhattan tomorrow.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

15 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

It was quoted somewhere they are doing a "rushed" autospy on him.........

 

Different than saying a crewmember is being tested for Coronavirus.

Edited February 8, 2020 by suzyluvs2cruise

[Jimbo]

2 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

Different than saying a crewmember is being tested for Coronavirus. 

Oh so you don't think they are testing for that? okay you go with that...............after all this how can you even think that they are not checking for that. Oh brother some people. I'm out.

Edited February 8, 2020 by Jimbo

[GarlicBread]

35 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

I would not need to know it, since I am not cruising anytime soon.  However, to say one crew member is being tested, and not report that the crew member died, would seem to be withholding information that I would like to know if I were on the cruise.  I am not saying that they needed to identify the crew member, or give any personal information about the person.  

 

Again. On the cruise or not, why do you need to know?  

[suesnake2002]

Can not bear to read thru 6 pages. But everyone BUT royal seems to know that testing will take a min of 2 days. 

Heres another monkey wrench. Next week all the kids are off of school for winter recess in the northeast. Wanna bet the ship is booked to 110 % capacity. And thats all royal is looking at. 

[cruiserchuck]

6 minutes ago, GarlicBread said:

 

Again. On the cruise or not, why do you need to know?  

 

Because I am curious?

[suzyluvs2cruise]

22 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Oh so you don't think they are testing for that? okay you go with that...............after all this how can you even think that they are not checking for that. Oh brother some people. I'm out.

I didn't say anything about not testing the crewmember for the virus. My initial comment was in response to the post by cruiserchuck that said " However, to say one crew member is being tested, and not report that the crew member died". Your response was they were doing a "rushed autopsy".  Trying to keep what's happening factual. 

Edited February 9, 2020 by suzyluvs2cruise

[Nangelina]

Do I understand this correctly:  A 50% refund will be given and added to your onboard account to be used as an onboard credit?  I understand getting the 50% FCC, but 50% on board credit???  Explain please. 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, Nangelina said:

Do I understand this correctly:  A 50% refund will be given and added to your onboard account to be used as an onboard credit?  I understand getting the 50% FCC, but 50% on board credit???  Explain please. 

It’s a refundable OBC. If you don’t use it it will be refunded to your credit card. 

[BHannis]

48 minutes ago, CDNCRUIZR said:

We are also waiting to go on this cruise. RC brought many of us by coach to the Residence Inn in Jersey City, NJ. They had RC staff here all day to help people that had questions since most of the hotel rooms are filled with cruisers. We are staying here until Monday and hoping that the cruise will happen. We are trying to make the best of it and planning on visiting Manhattan tomorrow.

 

Is RC paying for the room, Or did they just offer transportation to the hotel?

[Merion_Mom]

6 minutes ago, BHannis said:

 

Is RC paying for the room, Or did they just offer transportation to the hotel?

 

$200 per stateroom per night.  

[pink845]

Here is the latest complete update for Anthem of the Seas.  Issued at 5 pm Sat Feb 8, 2020

 

Anthem of the Seas Updates
February 8th, 2020 at 5:00 PM EST
We'll share our next updates tomorrow, February 9th at 9:00 AM EST.

 

 

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this situation, that is so challenging for all of us. As we previously shared, we received an update from the CDC. Unfortunately, due to the volume of tests they are conducting for Coronavirus, they will need the next 24-48 hours to complete the test. Given the timing, we are going to push the departure date to Monday in order to have conclusive results before sailing.

Our goal is to now set sail from Cape Liberty, New Jersey on Monday, February 10th at 3:00 PM EST. Boarding will begin at 11:00 AM EST and all guests must be onboard by 2:00 PM EST. Please see our revised itinerary.

 

DATES	DAY	ORIGINAL ITINERARY	REVISED ITINERARY
2/7	Friday	Cape Liberty, New Jersey	-
2/8	Saturday	Cruising	-
2/9	Sunday	Cruising	-
2/10	Monday	Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida	Cape Liberty, New Jersey
2/11	Tuesday	Perfect Day at CocoCay	Cruising
2/12	Wednesday	Nassau, Bahamas	King's Wharf, Bermuda
2/13	Thursday	Cruising	King's Wharf, Bermuda
2/14	Friday	Cruising	Cruising
2/15	Saturday	Cape Liberty, New Jersey	Cape Liberty, New Jersey

 

You may be wondering why our itinerary changed from a Bahamas cruise to a Bermuda cruise. With a Monday afternoon departure, we wouldn’t arrive into Nassau until around 3:00 PM and would need to depart later that evening to make our way back to Cape Liberty – not a great experience. Given that our goal is to provide you with the best vacation possible, we made the decision to sail to Bermuda, where you’ll have more than a day and a half in port to explore. Plus, the weather forecast is looking favorable in Bermuda during our visit.

We know how much you were looking forward to beginning your vacation, and we cannot apologize enough for the impact this situation has caused. But we can try to make up for it. 

Should you chose to join us, our updated compensation is:

• A 50 % refund, which will be added to your Onboard Account as a refundable onboard credit.

• And, because we know that this is not how any of us wanted this to go, and we want you to give us another shot, we will be also provide you with a 50% future cruise credit.

• In addition, if you purchased an internet or beverage package, unlimited dining package, or pre-paid your gratuities, you’ll receive a prorated refund as a credit for the 3 days your cruise was shortened by to your Onboard Account.

• Any pre-purchased Royal Caribbean International shore excursions for the impacted ports will also be refunded to your Onboard Account.

All credits applied to your Onboard Account can be used anywhere onboard, and any unused credits will be refunded back to your credit card on file about 3 – 5 business days after the sailing ends.

If you choose not to sail, we completely understand and you may cancel and receive a full refund. You do not need to do anything to cancel, no need to call or contact us for this, as we want to make it as easy for you as possible. If you do not show up to the pier, we will understand that you decided not join us and we will automatically process your refund. You should see it on your account 3-5 days after our updated departure.

If you decide to sail and are local, we ask that you please relax at home and make your way to the cruise terminal on Monday. If you flew in, we’ll assist you with hotel accommodations up to $200 USD per stateroom, per night. If you decide to cancel, and flew in, we will assist you with air change fees to get you back home. We will cover $200 USD per person for domestic flights or $400 USD per person for international flights. Please send your receipts to RoyalGuestRelations@rccl.com for reimbursement. And lastly, if you booked your airfare with us and choose to cancel, we will help you reschedule your return flights home.

As promised, we will continue to keep you informed and will share an update with you tomorrow at 9:00 AM EST, even if there is no new news.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we ensure your safety and wellbeing.

 

 

---

 

Please also take a minute to review our screening and boarding protocols. We have been working with medical experts, public health authorities, and local governments, and in alignment with new stricter CDC protocols, we are tightening our measures to protect guests and crew. These steps are intentionally conservative, and we apologize that they will inconvenience some of our guests.

Until further notice, all ships in the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. fleet will adopt these health screening protocols:

1. Regardless of nationality, we will deny boarding to:

a. Any guest who has traveled from, to or through mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau in the past 15 days.

b. Any guest who has come in contact with anyone from mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau in the past 15 days. The CDC characterizes contact with an individual as coming within six feet (2M) of a person.

c. All holders of China, Hong Kong and Macau passports.

2. There will be mandatory specialized health screenings performed on:

a. Guests who are uncertain about contact with individuals who have traveled from, to or through mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau in the past 15 days.

b. Guests who report feeling unwell or demonstrate any flu-like symptoms.

c. Guests presenting with fever or low blood oximetry in the specialized health screenings will be denied boarding.

 

 

All guests who are denied boarding due to these restrictions will receive full refunds.

If you or someone in your stateroom has traveled or been in close contact with someone that has traveled from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau within 15 days of sailing departure, or is a passport holder of China, Hong Kong, or Macau, please contact your Travel Advisor immediately, or contact us at 1-800-256-6649 or visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com/contactus for your local Royal Caribbean International office phone number.

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.

Onboard our ships, we continue to take numerous proactive steps to maintain high health standards. This includes:

 

• Thoroughly sanitizing the cruise ship terminal before and after every sailing.
• Special sanitizing of high traffic areas onboard multiple times a day.
• All areas onboard, including guest stateroom, are thoroughly cleaned on every ship, for every sailing. During this unique circumstance, we’re doing extra deep cleaning on any ship where guests have flu-like symptoms.
• 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.

---

Questions or concerns? Contact Us with your questions.

 

 

FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST ALERTS

[Jedge]

We are not at the mentioned hotel nor have we seen any RC representatives. The communication has improved some, but from what I gather from other guests is the anger came from initial lack of communication. I personally was upset with that aspect of this situation. I understand that they don’t know test results until they come in. But to turn us away at the port without any indication of where we should go was upsetting. My driver looked at me and said where do you want to go and my wife and I looked at each other with blank looks on our face. We flew into LaGuardia the day before, so going back to our hotel was not a realistic option. Like I said, things have improved a bit and I see RC working to make it right. We will se what tomorrow and Monday bring..

 

for now we are planning on a 5 day cruise to Bermuda. We booked for Coco Cay, but I completely understand that itinerary changes are common regardless of situations like this.

[pink845]

Okay weather if you like 70 degrees in Bermuda.  Very little chance of in forecast which is also good.  Hope all works out.  

[Ken52891]

Some good news for everyone going on Anthem!
 

https://abc7ny.com/health/4-passengers-on-new-jersey-cruise-ship-test-negative-for-coronavirus/5914063/

[kathy49]

Bermuda in Feb.? Okay. I always thought of Bermuda as mostly late spring summer destination.

[Merion_Mom]

8 minutes ago, Ken52891 said:

Some good news for everyone going on Anthem!
 

https://abc7ny.com/health/4-passengers-on-new-jersey-cruise-ship-test-negative-for-coronavirus/5914063/

 

Well, there you go.

 

I am not Typhoid Mary.

[BuckeyeMark]

I'll weigh in.  It's not RCI's fault and it appears to me they are doing everything they can to be accommodating and helpful.  I'm pretty impressed with the offer.  Don't know if I'd get on the Anthem but wow - that's a lot of credits they're tossing around.  Good for RCI!