LIVE - Adventure of the Seas - July 17, 2021

[bethco]

21 minutes ago, MorganClark said:

 

Yes, Monday will be o.k. Make sure it is a pcr test (not a rapid antigen). But, don't fret too much about it. Even if you don't have it (or it gets rejected, like mine), the med team (on behalf of RCI) just sends you in to a near by room and administers a rapid antigen test. You get your result back via e-mail in about 15 minutes.

The rules change as of August 1.  It is 3 days and can be either a PCR or rapid antigen test.

[HBCcruiser]

2 hours ago, MorganClark said:

 

Thanks. I'm on Delta. How do I get hooked up with Global? Also download an app?

No you apply for it thought the DHS. It is a process. Right now it is difficult to get an appointment as @3kidsncats noted above. COVID 🙄

[smokeybandit]

22 minutes ago, bethco said:

The rules change as of August 1.  It is 3 days and can be either a PCR or rapid antigen test.

It doesn't matter anyway. If you show up with no test they'll give you an antigen test on the spot and you're good to go

[HBCcruiser]

28 minutes ago, MorganClark said:

 

l would imagine the app itself would tell you what airlines the program applies to. Am I right @Sailing12Awayor @HBCcruiser?

 

 

 

Not Delta. Currently for AA, Alaska, BA, Aer Lingus, Iberia Air and Japan Air.

[exm]

5 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

No you apply for it thought the DHS. It is a process. Right now it is difficult to get an appointment as @3kidsncats noted above. COVID 🙄

 

It's not Global Entry we're talking about...

[CruiszBug]

9 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Not Delta. Currently for AA, Alaska, BA, Aer Lingus, Iberia Air and Japan Air.

I see now... VeriFLY is for American Airlines and its "partners" which include: Aer Lingus, Alaska Airlines British Airways, Iberia, Japan Air Lines, and Qantas.

[MorganClark]

17 minutes ago, exm said:

 

It's not Global Entry we're talking about...

 

Actually, it was. I had asked about Global Entry in addition to VeriFly.

[MorganClark]

I can now check the conch box. This is a lot of conch!,

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by MorganClark

[MorganClark]

Roh, roh;

 

 

There is a cruise ship in port. At first glance, it looks like a RCI Quantum-class because of the light blue hull. But, I can not see a North Star and can not see the ship's name painted in BIG letters on the hull (up near the bow). So, I went to "Marine Traffic". Turns out, it's the Freedom of the Seas. I thought only RCI's Quantum-class ships had the light blue hulls. Is RCI painting the hulls of all their ships in the fleet light blue also?;

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by MorganClark

[HBCcruiser]

54 minutes ago, exm said:

 

It's not Global Entry we're talking about...

I was answering my fellow Cruiser and contributor on my thread@MorganClark 

[HBCcruiser]

37 minutes ago, MorganClark said:

I can now check the conch box. This is a lot of conch!,

 

How was it? 

[CruiszBug]

54 minutes ago, MorganClark said:

I can now check the conch box. This is a lot of conch!,

 

Presentation with the Conch Shell looks wonderful!

[MorganClark]

25 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

How was it? 

 

It was good. Kind of like clam strips. I had had conch before but it was years ago. 9 out of 10 forks.

[MorganClark]

Ohh nooooo. Say it isn't so...(que the Jaws theme). She/he's back. Tanned, muscular female MMA fighter. She/he's going up and down the beach; doing her/his "routine". Throwing jabs and hooks. Be afraid, be very afraid... Just don't look her/him in the eye and you might be o.k.;

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by MorganClark

[HBCcruiser]

22 minutes ago, MorganClark said:

 

It was good. Kind of like clam strips. I had had conch before but it was years ago. 9 out of 10 forks.

Awesome. I’ll try it next year during our B2B with NCL. It will be interesting to compare Coco Cay to Stirrup Cay. I’m doubtful that anything can beat Coco Cay though.

[MorganClark]

Just now, HBCcruiser said:

Awesome. I’ll try it next year during our B2B with NCL. It will be interesting to compare Coco Cay to Stirrup Cay. I’m doubtful that anything can beat Coco Cay though.

 

I have never been to NCL's Stirrup Cay but I can already tell you, RCI's Pefect Day at Coco Cay blows it away. Half the time,, NCL has to cancel the stop at Stirrup Cay because of sea/weather conditions. Unlike RCI, NCL doesn't have a dock on Stirrup Cay and has to tender passengers ashore.

[reney313]

I finally got caught up.  Thank you to all the  contributors!  I just booked Adventure out of Galveston for January and I CAN'T WAIT!  6 months will be a long wait, but it seems short compared to how long it's been for a cruise!

 

Question for those of you who sailed Adventure recently...it sounds like for internet, it's best to just purchase the regular zoom and not the streaming?  We will be in the Panoramic Room on the top and very front.  I'm assuming the streaming will be just a waste of money?

 

And Morgan-regarding Global Entry, with all of your cruises upcoming, I'd definitely apply for it once you get home.  We applied Pre-Covid in June 2019, hoping to use for a trip in December 2019.  We did not even get our conditional approval in order to schedule an appointment until July 2020.  And then couldn't get an appointment until February 2021.  That said, once we had the formal interview, we had our GE number and cards in hand within a week.  Granted, we didn't have anywhere to use it in 2020 or so far in 2021, so maybe it's good the 5 year clock didn't start until earlier this year.  

 

Now, I'm crossing my fingers I can get my passport renewed by our cruise late January.  It just expired last week.  Yikes!

[reney313]

3 minutes ago, MorganClark said:

 

I have never been to NCL's Stirrup Cay but I can already tell you, RCI's Pefect Day at Coco Cay blows it away. Half the time,, NCL has to cancel the stop at Stirrup Cay because of sea/weather conditions. Unlike RCI, NCL doesn't have a dock on Stirrup Cay and has to tender passengers ashore.

I have been to both several times. They are just "different" to me.  Oddly, I always thought GSC was greater than Coco Cay (Little Stirrup Cay).  But then Royal Caribbean has really stepped up it's game.  Just adding a dock is a HUGE improvement, let alone everything else.  That said, I still miss/yearn for the older days of the rugged beach paradise.  I enjoyed Coco Cay back in the day.  I also like it now, just different.  So it's nice to have Great Stirrup Cay as an alternative once in awhile.

[HBCcruiser]

1 minute ago, reney313 said:

I finally got caught up.  Thank you to all the  contributors!  I just booked Adventure out of Galveston for January and I CAN'T WAIT!  6 months will be a long wait, but it seems short compared to how long it's been for a cruise!

 

Question for those of you who sailed Adventure recently...it sounds like for internet, it's best to just purchase the regular zoom and not the streaming?  We will be in the Panoramic Room on the top and very front.  I'm assuming the streaming will be just a waste of money?

 

And Morgan-regarding Global Entry, with all of your cruises upcoming, I'd definitely apply for it once you get home.  We applied Pre-Covid in June 2019, hoping to use for a trip in December 2019.  We did not even get our conditional approval in order to schedule an appointment until July 2020.  And then couldn't get an appointment until February 2021.  That said, once we had the formal interview, we had our GE number and cards in hand within a week.  Granted, we didn't have anywhere to use it in 2020 or so far in 2021, so maybe it's good the 5 year clock didn't start until earlier this year.  

 

Now, I'm crossing my fingers I can get my passport renewed by our cruise late January.  It just expired last week.  Yikes!

Honestly, I’d just get the regular Zoom and an international phone pass. My international phone pass for 10 days which included unlimited calls, texts, data and high speed wireless was $35. I used that whenever we were in port. It was just the sea days where WiFi was needed. 
 

We expedited my DDs passport and it was here in 5 weeks. You’ll be fine! 

[HBCcruiser]

2 minutes ago, reney313 said:

I have been to both several times. They are just "different" to me.  Oddly, I always thought GSC was greater than Coco Cay (Little Stirrup Cay).  But then Royal Caribbean has really stepped up it's game.  Just adding a dock is a HUGE improvement, let alone everything else.  That said, I still miss/yearn for the older days of the rugged beach paradise.  I enjoyed Coco Cay back in the day.  I also like it now, just different.  So it's nice to have Great Stirrup Cay as an alternative once in awhile.

Have you experienced the new Villas at Silver Cove? I’m looking at those…😃

[MorganClark]

12 minutes ago, reney313 said:

I finally got caught up.  Thank you to all the  contributors!  I just booked Adventure out of Galveston for January and I CAN'T WAIT!  6 months will be a long wait, but it seems short compared to how long it's been for a cruise!

 

Question for those of you who sailed Adventure recently...it sounds like for internet, it's best to just purchase the regular zoom and not the streaming?  We will be in the Panoramic Room on the top and very front.  I'm assuming the streaming will be just a waste of money?

 

And Morgan-regarding Global Entry, with all of your cruises upcoming, I'd definitely apply for it once you get home.  We applied Pre-Covid in June 2019, hoping to use for a trip in December 2019.  We did not even get our conditional approval in order to schedule an appointment until July 2020.  And then couldn't get an appointment until February 2021.  That said, once we had the formal interview, we had our GE number and cards in hand within a week.  Granted, we didn't have anywhere to use it in 2020 or so far in 2021, so maybe it's good the 5 year clock didn't start until earlier this year.  

 

Now, I'm crossing my fingers I can get my passport renewed by our cruise late January.  It just expired last week.  Yikes!

 

I'd purchase the Voom package. I think RCI offers a combined package; Voom + Specialty Dining Package.

 

Thanks for the advice wrt Global Entry. You're right, I have many cruises booked, even into 2023, so it will pay off.

 

I thought I had heard that RCI was going to homeport Adventure of the Seas in Galveston. You just confirmed it. Thanks!

Edited July 25, 2021 by MorganClark

[MorganClark]

5 minutes ago, reney313 said:

I have been to both several times. They are just "different" to me.  Oddly, I always thought GSC was greater than Coco Cay (Little Stirrup Cay).  But then Royal Caribbean has really stepped up it's game.  Just adding a dock is a HUGE improvement, let alone everything else.  That said, I still miss/yearn for the older days of the rugged beach paradise.  I enjoyed Coco Cay back in the day.  I also like it now, just different.  So it's nice to have Great Stirrup Cay as an alternative once in awhile.

 

For a more "natural" (and small) private island, check out MSC's (I can't remember the name of it off hand).

[MorganClark]

The pilot boat has been "lurking" about. May be a sign that a pilot has boarded Freedom of the Seas to take her to sea. If FOS leaves the dock soon, she will pass right in front of me (like Celebrity Edge did a week ago). I should be able to get a couple of good shots of her passing by;

 

 

update: speak of the devil. FOS is moving off the dock.

Edited July 25, 2021 by MorganClark

[MorganClark]

I was right. Freedom of the Seas now outbound from the Port of Nassau;

 

 

FOS right in front of me;

 

 

Zoomed in on her stern;

 

 

FOS making the starboard turn to head out to sea;

 

 

Goodbye to our ship's (Adventure of the Seas) younger, larger sister;

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by MorganClark

[natefish95]

1 hour ago, MorganClark said:

 

It was good. Kind of like clam strips. I had had conch before but it was years ago. 9 out of 10 forks.

Would you say you prefer clam over conch? Or is conch just a vacation thing? 😉