BND

It used to be quite comical on Grandeur. Literally, people would be there at the DL when the appetizers came out and pile the strawberries on their plate. I was only able to get one occasionally. When we started going to the CL that never happened. It was truly weird. GR is the only ship I've ever seen that happen on. What is in someone's brain that makes them take all them and think that's perfectly ok? I guess some of us were taught to take one or two of something and go back later after everyone has had a chance. It's like they haven't eaten in an hour or so lol.

Don't take everything so seriously. All it takes is reading a few threads to get what I mean.

We were just on Harmony in Nov/Dec and there is no magnification on the bathroom mirrors. In fact, I've not seen that on any ship.

First thing I thought when I read this question was "pot stirrer".

I don't think so as I don't know anyone who had the impact that a very, very few have reported. I think it's more common than the media leads people to believe. Our church has over 1,000 regular attendees and we lost 2 elderly who also had other major medical issues and no one that was healthy and our church is very diverse across age and race. Everyone else I know who had it just didn't get that sick. At this point, positives just really don't matter much just like the flu, it's a minor inconvenience for those that have any symptoms at all. Numbers will never be zero, like the flu, pneumonia and other viruses that people basically ignore every year. As more and more countries are doing, they've stopped counting cases as they means nothing. Counting hospitalizations is more important and shows the true story.

I went to Urgent Care a couple of days after we got off EN a couple of weeks ago. I knew I had a sinus infection but they tested me for Covid and the flu and I was right, neg for both but a PITA sinus infection/sinusitis. They only tested me because I also had a 100-101 deg temp (well, duh, with sinusitis you have a temp usually). I knew I didn't have the flu and also that it wasn't Covid. I joked that I prob wouldn't have been as sick if it was Covid. My symptoms other than a temp weren't consistent with Covid. I had a productive cough, not a dry one and tons of sinus symptoms, yet they tested anyway.

Back at the beginning? It's a very different illness now. We lost no one and neither did most people I know. Several extended family members actually caught it way back when but only one was hospitalized and that was for pneumonia but he only needed oxygen, antibiotics and steroids and made a full recovery. Most family members went into work (no choice due to careers-one is an RN and others work in a secure environment)

When we did our b2b on HOTS in Dec there was a short line to get in to test. When we did ours for EN a few weeks ago, we walked right in and only stopped long enough to "check in". EN only had two techs doing testing and they looked pretty bored. HOTS had prob at least five. Our DL concierge disappeared a couple of days into the second leg of our b2b on EN. She was perfectly fine, displayed zero symptoms, but because she tested positive, she had to isolate. DH and I had several close conversations with her including her pulling down her mask (after asking of course) so we could understand each other lol. All I came home with was a sinus infection and tested neg when I went to Urgent Care. Also, no one on our FB page or roll call reported being positive after returning home, but several did have colds. So, random testing turned up a crew member who wasn't sick at all and probably was never contagious.

But, for now they still have to keep them onboard for the crew so not sure this saves them much. I think they're just not getting many positives and those that they get are asymptomatic anyway.

Testing isn't really necessary anymore for those vaccinated. It's time to do what Finland is doing and let all the testing go like we already do with the flu. Hospitalizations are way down and most people either have no symptoms or very mild ones. And, before anyone starts with the "vulnerable" people, they need to do what they always have and protect themselves. Many viruses are risks for those that are immune compromised. I'm hoping by our July Bermuda cruise that testing isn't required for anyone vaccinated.

Our TA is a very good friend so we trust her completely. We can call her anytime and always get ahold of her. They consider us family. I don't know what I'll do when she retires, although as long as she cruises, she'll keep booking for us. Point is, while you can get some benefits from online TA's, it's not a personal experience and a few have had problems with some. My suggestion is find a TA that cruises regularly.

Since I had my knee and ankle injury almost 3 years ago, we are more limited in what we can do. Walking on sand isn't good for my knee, although I did a little at Coco. Walking tours are out because although I can walk distance, I need to sit/lean every once in a while. No hiking, biking, etc at this point. My knee is improving and the fact I can walk the piers and around ports is a vast improvement over 2 years ago, I'm still somewhat limited. But, I am 62 so we'll see how much improvement I get. Much different recovery for my knee than it was when I did the same injury at 17. Anyway, my point is a lot of people stay onboard because they have limits on what they can and can't do. In St. Croix for example, we took a bus tour that stopped on the other side of the island in Christiansted. We got off the bus there with some time to walk around. Sidewalks are uneven, cracked, and there are slopes, etc so we got off and sat on a bench near the fort. It wasn't going to be a fun walk. As opposed to Charleston (second leg of b2b) the walks are in great shape and I was able to walk around town easily. In Nassau we didn't get off due to the construction, long walk and how the roads/walkways are there. You have to know your limitations. Prior to my injury I could walk anywhere and do anything I wanted. Appreciate what you can do while you can because it can change very quickly.

We've seen it up 2 out of 3 times since the restart.

We've stayed onboard in Nassau several times. This past b2b, on the first leg we stayed onboard in St Lucia and Barbados (been to both a few times). We've also stayed onboard in Cape Canaveral a couple of times and once in Coco Cay. We met a couple on this past 12 night on EN who didn't get off in any port during the entire 12 days. We've met many, especially older cruisers who never get off. Others we get off long enough to grab lunch or just do a little shopping. We make decisions one port at a time.

To be fair, OP asked about coming back "into" the US.

Confused lol. Hawaii is part of the US.

We've done 4 since the restart (2 b2b's) on HOTS and EN. All had great attendance and we met a lot of people as well as ran into others we knew.

We fought this battle about our 340+ perk on HOTS last fall and thought it was fixed. EN LA made sure it was so we'll see on EN in July although that's only a 6 day cruise so we'll only get one bottle. We'll have to wait til Nov Jewel to see if the requests stuck. Crystal blocks seem to all be mailed now. On HOTS last Nov/Dec we received ours in our cabin. On EN a couple of weeks ago, we got a form to fill out. It worked out that we were to receive one for each leg of our b2b but we only filled the form out for the first leg. We'll see how long it takes to receive it. DH later said jokingly we should have taken the second one after he found out people sell them on ebay lol. I think they found out not everyone wants them so by making you fill out a form, they aren't giving them out to people who don't take them home.