Onboard Riviera Jan. 4

[Nymich]

2 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

On Riviera’s 17 November transatlantic sailing, I wouldn’t say the dance parties in Horizon after the evening show were well attended, but that’s an advantage in these covid days. 

I agree!  I am loving the extra space that we have.  Since we are talking about old TV shows what did Geraldine(Flip Wilson) always say?

 

What you see us what you get!  I see that space as a great thing that won't last forever.

[flaminkokid]

Odd question. Are cabin stewards primarily male or female? We're on for back to back to back (boarding 1/14) and I like to bring little gifts--a little easier when you know gender. We leave a little cash to supplement paid gratuities but it never hurts to show your appreciation to people whose job is to make your life easier and who work far from home for long periods of time. Getting back on the ships must be a godsend to many. We're living in a time of wall-to-wall stress but woe be to him who takes that stress out against the rank and file. Bad karma. Be kind! (I know you will be--just a reminder!) 

[pilgrimage]

1 minute ago, flaminkokid said:

Odd question. Are cabin stewards primarily male or female? We're on for back to back to back (boarding 1/14) and I like to bring little gifts--a little easier when you know gender. We leave a little cash to supplement paid gratuities but it never hurts to show your appreciation to people whose job is to make your life easier and who work far from home for long periods of time. Getting back on the ships must be a godsend to many. We're living in a time of wall-to-wall stress but woe be to him who takes that stress out against the rank and file. Bad karma. Be kind! (I know you will be--just a reminder!) 

 

We had two stewards - the primary was female, and her assistant was male.  I don't think there is any standardization there, I saw a fairly random mixture as I walked corridors.

[Nymich]

2 minutes ago, flaminkokid said:

Odd question. Are cabin stewards primarily male or female? We're on for back to back to back (boarding 1/14) and I like to bring little gifts--a little easier when you know gender. We leave a little cash to supplement paid gratuities but it never hurts to show your appreciation to people whose job is to make your life easier and who work far from home for long periods of time. Getting back on the ships must be a godsend to many. We're living in a time of wall-to-wall stress but woe be to him who takes that stress out against the rank and file. Bad karma. Be kind! (I know you will be--just a reminder!) 

I have 30 cruises now and at least 25 have been male.  On this Ship we have a female and I have seen other ladies as well.

[flaminkokid]

44 minutes ago, Nymich said:

I think the concern was in the event of a positive test do they hold off on loading your bags.  Maybe I spent too many years in the airline industry but I wondered myself.  We always held "profile" bags off to the side.  In this case everyone is "profile" until cleared with the negative test. 

 

[Nymich]

Ok time to sleep to the motion of the ocean breakfast in the morning and then a covid test.  Night all

[slw207693]

6 hours ago, flaminkokid said:

Odd question. Are cabin stewards primarily male or female? We're on for back to back to back (boarding 1/14) and I like to bring little gifts--a little easier when you know gender. We leave a little cash to supplement paid gratuities but it never hurts to show your appreciation to people whose job is to make your life easier and who work far from home for long periods of time. Getting back on the ships must be a godsend to many. We're living in a time of wall-to-wall stress but woe be to him who takes that stress out against the rank and file. Bad karma. Be kind! (I know you will be--just a reminder!) 

If you give me your cabin number you will be in I will ask the exceptional Chief Housekeeper, Vanja, what your configuration will potentially be so you can bring them little gifts.   I do this too.  I usually bring the entertainment staff the movie size boxes of kiddie candy (lemon heads, hot tamales, Ike and mike, starburst, etc) as a piece of home.   When I buy make up and it comes with gift with purchase, I bring those as gifts as well.  
 

crew are not allowed off ship in ports anymore to call family or shop for essentials.   Your kindnesses mean the world to them.  And when you go from 1150 pax down to 690, tips are reduced that so many of them depend on to support families back home.  

[AlexCherie]

Not mentioned here much has been the weather, especially against the horror backdrop of my home in Western New York - where they are setting all sorts of unfortunate records. 

Wonderful, obviously. Sunny almost hot, just enough wind while we are underway to create a great experience if you are in the shade. Bathing suits required in the sun. Slightest rustle underfoot, enough of a tug at your bedside - but really barely a misstep as you navigate.

Other things I’ve appreciated: the wide girth in the Riviera Theater (and a good show), and the depth and width of the pool (5’11” the whole way). I would call that a proper pool. If we were full, I might think there is a lack of hot tub space, however. 

Oh … and we took advantage of room service last night, just to try. Quite quick, quite good. Again preaching to a choir here but the menu for service is almost up to MDR on Carnival. And of course, should Cherie and I want to eat in the room at dinner time …

No reservations tonight and we aren’t going to try. I’m looking forward to another burger from Waves, or perhaps some nice grilled fish and then either the buffet or the GDR. 

The ship reminds me of Oscar WIlde: “I can resist anything. Except temptation.” 

[PhD-iva]

1 hour ago, slw207693 said:

crew are not allowed off ship in ports anymore to call family or shop for essentials.   Your kindnesses mean the world to them.  And when you go from 1150 pax down to 690, tips are reduced that so many of them depend on 

To add insult to injury, I heard that the port agent charges the crew $20 for every package that is delivered for them to the ship. Think, care package from home.

In particular this was regarding the American entertainment staff, I’m assuming it applies to the crew equally.

Edited January 7, 2022 by PhD-iva
Typo

[Nymich]

4 minutes ago, AlexCherie said:

Not mentioned here much has been the weather, especially against the horror backdrop of my home in Western New York - where they are setting 

Yes being from Florida I certainly didn't mention the weather. Lol    Call it spoiled but we expect it to be like this.  Getting hotter as we head South.  GSC Beach day weather was perfect!

[AlexCherie]

Ominous signs perhaps?

Testing begun at 7 AM. By 9 AM guests are being requested to contact the ship. Now hearing it a second time, couldn’t quite hear if it is a different room. 

 

[Nymich]

6 minutes ago, AlexCherie said:

Ominous signs perhaps?

Testing begun at 7 AM. By 9 AM guests are being requested to contact the ship. Now hearing it a second time, couldn’t quite hear if it is a different room. 

 

I am not jumping to any conclusions.....

 

 

[PhD-iva]

9 minutes ago, AlexCherie said:

Ominous signs perhaps?

Testing begun at 7 AM. By 9 AM guests are being requested to contact the ship. Now hearing it a second time, couldn’t quite hear if it is a different room. 

 

Probably some are sleeping in, not the morning person I am (up by 6am even in retirement).

[Nymich]

Our testing was done in 5 minutes as we had a short line   You must bring world card (room key)and qr code with you.  Negative results are emailed or left at cabin.

[PhD-iva]

11 minutes ago, Nymich said:

Our testing was done in 5 minutes as we had a short line   You must bring world card (room key)and qr code with you.  Negative results are emailed or left at cabin.

Here’s a tip for the disembarkation testing. The lines for the 17 NOV sailing were very long, and moved slowly. Get there at the beginning of the testing window.

[PhD-iva]

4 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

Here’s a tip for the disembarkation testing. The lines for the 17 NOV sailing were very long, and moved slowly. Get there at the beginning of the testing window.

Of course, the 17 NOV sailing was at 80% capacity, and you have fewer pax, so maybe it will move quicker for you.

[espmass]

1 hour ago, Nymich said:

I am not jumping to any conclusions.....

 

 

 

I hope there are no positive cases onboard and will be waiting to hear.  NBC News this morning had a report about the cruise industry and insists that every cruise ship out of a US Port right now has Covid cases onboard.  It will be interesting to hear the results.  Good luck to you and for all of us on future cruises!

[Nymich]

12 minutes ago, espmass said:

 

I hope there are no positive cases onboard and will be waiting to hear.  NBC News this morning had a report about the cruise industry and insists that every cruise ship out of a US Port right now has Covid cases onboard.  It will be interesting to hear the results.  Good luck to you and for all of us on future cruises!

Every US City has covid also but they are obsessed with slamming cruise ships. 

 

We will never get numbers anyway but if the ship does well enough with testing to go to Barbados then things are going as well as possible.

[espmass]

10 minutes ago, Nymich said:

Every US City has covid also but they are obsessed with slamming cruise ships. 

 

We will never get numbers anyway but if the ship does well enough with testing to go to Barbados then things are going as well as possible.

 

Yes, I pretty much thought the report was slamming the cruise industry.  One of the things they did also report was some well-known cruise reviewer (sorry I forgot his name) who said he feels just as safe on a cruise ship as he does in a crowded restaurant.

[Nymich]

3 minutes ago, espmass said:

 

Yes, I pretty much thought the report was slamming the cruise industry.  One of the things they did also report was some well-known cruise reviewer (sorry I forgot his name) who said he feels just as safe on a cruise ship as he does in a crowded restaurant.

I am WAY safer here than a crowded restaurant. Jmo

[pilgrimage]

2 hours ago, AlexCherie said:

Ominous signs perhaps?

Testing begun at 7 AM. By 9 AM guests are being requested to contact the ship. Now hearing it a second time, couldn’t quite hear if it is a different room. 

 

 

We had the same thing, both for our mandatory testing for Barbados, and for the optional testing for disembarkation.  Sometimes a name was repeated.

 

I drew the same conclusion that you appear to be having.

Edited January 7, 2022 by pilgrimage

[molemaui]

11 hours ago, Nymich said:

I have 30 cruises now and at least 25 have been male.  On this Ship we have a female and I have seen other ladies as well.

Almost as many -27 or 28 and this is the first time we’ve had a female cabin attendant. All is good!

 

And by the way, on this cruise as well and really enjoy your posts and commentary. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by molemaui

[Nymich]

9 minutes ago, molemaui said:

Almost as many -27 or 28 and this is the first time we’ve had a female cabin attendant. All is good!

 

And by the way, on this cruise as well and really enjoy to your posts and commentary. 

27, 28 or 30 what's the difference right????

It's nice having a female doing the cabin!  Nice change of pace. 🙂

[Nymich]

They are now calling out the people and cabin numbers that didn't test yet.  It was only 1 or 2 that I heard.  Maybe someone else onboard heard.  Good for O that they don't have additional hassle with a bunch of people not showing up.

 

What I have been trying to do is give those cruising in the next few weeks the procedures and paperwork "real time" that we are getting.

There was little to nothing that we knew prior to boarding of what to expect.  In addition you had the FCC thing and the CDC wrapped in there.

Hopefully this can help some cruising Riviera in the near future.  I know it would have helped us.

[azlatina]

NYmich, I am so grateful to read all your posts as well as everyone else on this cruise. We are scheduled to be on the Jan 28, cruise. Thank you for giving us a preview of what to expect. I know things can change day to day.