Carnival Valor NYE Cruise (maybe)

[BlerkOne]

Party started early...

 

 

[BlerkOne]

[cgladin]

That’s really cool!

 

[Guest BasicSailor]

Thought he was carving out a mask for a second there 🙂. Be safe enjoy. Follow along for this lively review.

[Joe817]

Golllleeee. That is a work of art! They are so talented! 👍

[BlerkOne]

Stopped in BTR for the evening. So far, so good. VERY surprised masks seem to be optional. Insanity. But oh well. I have mine 

[Guest BasicSailor]

9 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Stopped in BTR for the evening. So far, so good. VERY surprised masks seem to be optional. Insanity. But oh well. I have mine 

😶 Recommended, mandatory or nonenforced?

[BlerkOne]

27 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

😶 Recommended, mandatory or nonenforced?

At the restaurant entirely optional for all, including employees. Odd, because starting tomorrow, they will only be open for dinner, due to lack of employees due to covid.

[BlerkOne]

But this is about a NYE cruise, if it happens, so enough about that. 

[BlerkOne]

Testing? What testing? Our old reliable primary and backup failed us, so we will try at the port - reservations required, $100pp. I figure safe enough - not open to the public, they already took my money and gave us appointments. They better have!

[BlerkOne]

As long as I'm getting ahead of myself, the NYE MDR Menu

 

 

 

[BlerkOne]

Got ahead of myself again...

 

What/where did we fetch supper tonight?

 

 

[BlerkOne]

Oops - never mind - that was lunch yesterday...

[BlerkOne]

[icft]

2 hours ago, BasicSailor said:

😶 Recommended, mandatory or nonenforced?

No statewide mask mandate. New Orleans may be different (they strive to be different by nature) and each business can set their own requirements - medical facilities require masks. The general rule we follow is always carry a mask. If you walk into a business and people are wearing masks then the business probably has a mask requirement and you put on your mask or if it is crowded put on your mask - outside or need binoculars to see the nearest person, leave the mask in your pocket.

[cruisingguy007]

What is this I see? Blerk ignoring the science and CDC and taking a New Years cruise in defiance of the CDC? Actually having fun and living smack-dab in the middle of a raging pandemic? Shocked is a understatement! Super impressed though! Who'da thunk it? Beast mode, I love it! Have a great cruise! 🥳💪🍹 

[BlerkOne]

Not ignoring science at all. We have KN95 masks (even though most are counterfeit) and N95 masks (not counterfeit). This will be our 4th cruise this year and if they shut things down, we will have gotten our fix. This will certainly be a different cruise from the others.

 

 

 

Well, we could go back home and cancel the cruise or continue our journey and see where it leads us. All I know is we can't stay here. Since New Orleans is closer, that will be the next stop (after filling up the beast with petrol).

[BlerkOne]

Oh yeah, we still need to be tested... What the winner don't know, the gambler understands

 

 

[BlerkOne]

No maybe - we are on the ship, in our cabin! Done the mustard drill. 

 

Maybe a newsflash, not sure. We got tested at the port and the test lady said Carnival wasn't accepting the at home tests - even the monitored ones. I dunno. Someone might want to verify with Carnival.

 

[BlerkOne]

Testing at the port was a breeze - when they check your documents and you say you have an appointment, we got escorted through a special security line - no waiting! Then it was wait a while for the test and about 15 minutes for test results and boom - on our way. 

 

 

[BlerkOne]

Making general announcements to mask up indoors and when drinking to sip and cover! 

[Lady_E]

42 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

No maybe - we are on the ship, in our cabin! Done the mustard drill. 

 

Maybe a newsflash, not sure. We got tested at the port and the test lady said Carnival wasn't accepting the at home tests - even the monitored ones. I dunno. Someone might want to verify with Carnival.

 

Hey Blerk. SO we're traveling on January 10th and we got the at home ones Carnival recommended. Same port, same ship. You said you had an appointment? How hard was it to get one? I've ordered at home tests but now i'm worried we'll need to wait forever to get tested at port.

[twpion]

We are for the 9th lol assuming it sails. We have the at home ones, hopefully all good. we didn't wan to schedule tests since they want $100. 

 

Communication has been pretty poor, they sent an email that I found in junk about itinerary change that changed 2 of our ports which kind of sucks...

 

Thanks for updates, are there a lot of people on board or kind of empty? Be safe and have fun!

[BlerkOne]

They're giving away free glasses of champagne - woohoo!

 

I honestly don't know if what the "nurse" said was true or not, or just a rumor she heard herself. The self test stuff is still listed on carnival's website, so I would be pissed if I bought it and they didn't accept it. If you have the Carnival recommended tests, I would not schedule at the port unless you want to - the fee is non-refundable. If Carnival won't accept it, I would expect them to test me for free.

 

My guess would be that maybe the tests aren't effective at picking up omicron, but that is only a guess.

 

If you need a test and can't find one, testing at the port is a good option.

 

The cruise was sold out, but then cabins started popping up - some because people are testing positive and some because of cancelations. I found out the upstairs late dining is closed due to lack of people - so the ship certainly isn't full.

 

Red Frog Pub is having Happy Hour!!!!!!!!!!!!! woohoo. We got a couple of pain killer fish bowls. The drinks are half price, but not the souvenir glasses.

 

I have run into a few idiots wearing chin diapers. I can't believe some push it to the limit. They have made several announcements that face masks are REQUIRED inside, and it is sip and cover, when drinking. Most are following the rules.

 

Belize appears to be the only port stop where temperature checks will be taken. Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel all say masks required indoors and outdoors, except while eating drinking or in the water.

 

The Pain Killer is kicking in - time for some food.

 

 

[BlerkOne]

31 minutes ago, Lady_E said:

Hey Blerk. SO we're traveling on January 10th and we got the at home ones Carnival recommended. Same port, same ship. You said you had an appointment? How hard was it to get one? I've ordered at home tests but now i'm worried we'll need to wait forever to get tested at port.

Appointments were easy for us - even at the last minute they had some slots, but the total number is limited, it is pay in advance and no refund. Testing at the port isn't open to the public - it is inside the terminal. It might look disorganized, but moved rather quickly - certainly easier than waiting forever at an urgent care place. But you are taking a chance that you won't test positive. If too many people start using, they could run out of time slots. I think the money was well worth saving my time and if we tested positive, oh well. It wouldn't matter where we were tested if we were positive.

 

Definitely time for food, and maybe a refill on the fishbowl. 🙂