New Back2Back protocol

[g_deol88]

Waiting on the second email is pure torture. I am suppose to board my flight tommorow for the first leg of b2b

[JessyCruises]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Begins Sept 1🤔

I guess I will have to wait and see what happens on the next switch (9/5)

[Ashland]

Let's just hope the 2nd email isn't worse 

[John&LaLa]

3 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Let's just hope the 2nd email isn't worse 

 

Yep, it can always get worse

[JessyCruises]

1 hour ago, sandebeach said:

Let us know how it goes. 

I will ask on the morning when I go in for my Covid test

[Anton]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

The new😁 b2b special lunch will be held in cruise terminal lounge while they swab your nose

The LA will hand each person some quarters and point out the vending machines with the packs of snack crackers.

[long4acruise]

5 hours ago, dswallow said:

The B2B testing on-ship happened on turnover day when I sailed on Adventure and I since have heard they moved the testing to Friday, the day before turnover day. That's when you'd know if you're positive. The Saturday B2B'er actually waited for results; others come in, take the test, and go back out to the ship, and if they test positive, they get sought out after having been mixing with other passengers already.

Yes, that's what happened on my B2B ADV sailings and it went very smoothly!  The main reason I decided to add another cruise to my initial selection was to experience the B2B for myself!  Whew, it's getting harder and harder to cruise.

[HicksRA]

[smokeybandit]

That's a really embarrassing and lazy screw up

[neverbeenhere]

Forgot how to write “don’t have to pack bags and don’t have to carry them off”???

[ONECRUISER]

2 hours ago, LadyShiva said:

Maybe second sailing for Celebrity Edge? And then there was a rumored LARGE police presence for Symphony's boarding last Saturday (with handcuffs being used again).

Sure they weren't passengers Handcuffs from a "Lifestyle" Cruise? Were they pink and fuzzy?

[ONECRUISER]

11 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

That's a really embarrassing and lazy screw up

A Royal lazy screw up

[neverbeenhere]

For those that hit the hay early tonight(east coasters), boy are they going to feel good in the morning. 😅

[Old Fart Cruisers]

15 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

"guests will debark (leaving their luggage onboard)"  Will the luggage still have to be packed, just in case of a positive test so it will be easier to throw them overboard? 

[ptf2009]

5 hours ago, CK57 said:

We were on Symphony doing BTB and last week had to leave ship and go thru immigration in port terminal .  Wait in baggage claim area for an hour to get all the same paperwork rechecked from the previous week before finally getting back to the terminal waiting area for another hour wait.  We started off in main dining room at 9:00 am and finally back on board at 1:00 pm.  There were about 50 of us.  We were changing room so had to lug all personal items but bags stayed on board packed.  We had to retest antigen the day prior.  All aboard already knew they were good to go.   This worked reasonably well and why the change beyond that makes little sense.  First week we were 1600 passengers and week two down around 1200.  Crew is 70% filled and all aboard 12 and older are vaccinated.   Those under 12 are still the issue.  
Crew is board stiff and you will get tired of being asked if there is anything I can do.  Main dining room you can hardly eat with so many stoping by to check on you.  Specialty restaurants are nearly empty and same line of questions will nearly ruin your experience.  It’s like going to a party that no one came to.  It’s no party and rather a bore wherever you go.

 

[ptf2009]

Was the antigen test the one that only goes up the nose an inch?

[dswallow]

6 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

"guests will debark (leaving their luggage onboard)"  Will the luggage still have to be packed, just in case of a positive test so it will be easier to throw them overboard? 

 

This is pretty much how they always describe the process in the past, and it simply can vary based on the ship and the port, depending on staffing of US Customs at the time (when a US port is involved).

 

From Nassau, where it's pleasantly relaxed they don't even need to wait for the ship to go down to zero passengers aboard before letting B2B'ers out of their processing/holding pen onboard. 🙂

[SheSailsFL]

I literally just booked a b2b 2 hours ago and was specifically told by the RC agent that I would leave my stuff in my cabin, go for the test and reboard. 
this is a PITA.  Only doing it for the C&A points. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[CruiserCindy]

1 hour ago, sandycruzr said:

This really stinks!  I was told

when I booked back to back to back to back to back we would

be covid tested onboard before the end of

each cruise and enjoy our day onboard. I completely understand that protocols are evolving but this makes no

sense at all.  I do use the laundry service on

the ship but I pack a lot for 5 weeks. I am thinking this

might be a sign that it’s time to cancel. As much as I was looking forward to these cruises I just can’t do it!  I am not packing up in sitting in the terminal 5 times!
 

Just received a new e=mail.letting me know the first one was sent in era!!!!We do not have to lug our luggage off of the ship.Hopefully all that got the other will receive the new one shortly!!Thank god i dont have to lug my luggage around with my electric scooter!!!See you (hopefully) on board on the 26th,3rd,and 10th!!!!!

[Bronx12]

8 hours ago, JessyCruises said:

I am on Odyssey  now and doing a B2B2B.  We switch on Saturday. We have an appt tomorrow morning to get tested and have been told we do not need to take our bags…

I am wondering if you have any information on getting a PCR test done on your last cruise, prior to returning to Canada. I have been assured by Royal that they will do a PCR test for us, not the antigen test. Thanks for any info 🙂

[cublet]

Hello,

 

Whoa, hang on a minute.

 

From the mark 2 version, This test will be administered onboard at no expense to the guest.

 

If the test is going to be conducted "on board", then what's the point in getting off?

 

If the test was (originally) to be conducted in the terminal, then I detect the 'dead hand' of the bean counters that thought they could get away with not paying for two teams of testers - one on board and one ashore - and instead only have one for both B2B cruisers and first cruisers.

 

Somewhere on this site, though not this thread, I mused that aside from cruise operations, when it comes to the 'business' side of running a business, RCI are a bunch of complete amateurs.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[barbeyg]

2 hours ago, cublet said:

If the test is going to be conducted "on board", then what's the point in getting off?

 

If I am not mistaken, in the past, B2B guests have, at times, had to get off and get right back on, after scanning cards. 🙂 I’m sure I will be corrected if wrong.

 

This may partly have to do with the islands requiring vaccination proof for the passengers and the cruise lines having to say they have seen all the cards for each cruise, or a new requirement by the CDC. It would be just like government bureaucracy bloat to have something to do with it as well. 
 

Then the shell-shocked cruise lines overreact by taking things a step further, and demand that passengers go thru the disgust of packing and unpacking repeatedly. I’ve seen debacles like this in corporate meetings one time too many. 😂

[5vincent]

We are Diamond plus and have over 360 nights at sea. We have given up the cruise vacations! It’s not what it used to be (understand) or as we knew/know it. BUT this is ridiculous! We were beginning to think in the next few years to “maybe” try cruising again but now  don’t see that happening. In the next year… or so cruising will become a thing of the past . As for what can/can’t be talked about….I can’t stop laughing at that one what a joke!!! People will talk about what they want to regardless. It’s called conversation. Don’t be hostile that’s says a lot about someone but converse. It’s healthy; 
Yes, times have changed and always will. Humans will either adapt or not. Survival of the fittest I call it. 
for those who knew cruising pre pandemic we are lucky to have traveled in that way saw what we did how we did it and mingled they way we could. 
post pandemic is a “new” lifestyle for the world that is still trying to slowly figure this out. I’m sure one day Earth will.  as we change with the times to adapt, life will go on no matter what. 
so people either suck it up, adapt with change. If you choose not to, that’s absolutely fine and “ your choice”. This is the world in which we live. 
Thank you cruise industry for the great times, meeting interesting people and seeing full faces. 
Good luck cruise industry it really was a blast while it lasted. who knows maybe one day we will meet again, for now….this is where we sail in different directions.

 

[BND]

1 hour ago, barbeyg said:

If I am not mistaken, in the past, B2B guests have, at times, had to get off and get right back on, after scanning cards. 🙂 I’m sure I will be corrected if wrong.

 

This may partly have to do with the islands requiring vaccination proof for the passengers and the cruise lines having to say they have seen all the cards for each cruise, or a new requirement by the CDC. It would be just like government bureaucracy bloat to have something to do with it as well. 
 

Then the shell-shocked cruise lines overreact by taking things a step further, and demand that passengers go thru the disgust of packing and unpacking repeatedly. I’ve seen debacles like this in corporate meetings one time too many. 😂

Yes, b2bers do usually get off, even if it's just to walk off and basically right back on.  Our b2b several years ago we walked off, walked by immigration with our passports in hand and walked right to the suite waiting area.  We waited about 20 minutes and were the first to reboard.  DH and I were #2 and #3, only beaten by a woman on a scooter hellbent to be first.  We've since scheduled and had cancelled or cancelled about 3 b2b's and have 3 more currently scheduled.  I don't care if we have to get off and wait a bit, I just don't want to screw around with luggage.

[barbeyg]

2 minutes ago, BND said:

I don't care if we have to get off and wait a bit, I just don't want to screw around with luggage.

 

Ain't that the truth!  I would pay someone to pack and unpack my luggage from a trip.  I can't imagine being forced to go thru that over and over.