OCSC Mike

Different strokes... we're doing a B2B 3-night/4-night on Friday and one of the reasons was so we could go to Cococay twice. We'll be staying on the ship during both Nassau stops. Definitely enjoyable to stay on the ship during port days.

That was my guess. You're good to go as far as the test kit is concerned.

Just to be clear, I obviously didn't ask to see her medical license, degree, etc. It was a friendly woman clearly in her home. That said, I tend to take things at face value unless given reason to suspect something more nefarious.

Check the calendar on their site.

We used a test that was past the original expiration date but not expired due to the extension with no issue. I had other test kits dated further out just in case but obviously didn't need them. I scheduled two consecutive times (15 minutes apart) and even had different proctors (their name comes with the confirmation e-mail) but I just told the the 1st one we'd like to be tested together and she accommodated us no problem, just as I was told via live chat. Are you sure you're not misunderstanding what's printed on the test kit box? I just read the back of another iHealth test kit (you may have a different type of course) and after it says not FDA approved, it says it is authorized under the EUA (emergency use authorization). I believe this is the same way vaccines were approved so quickly and I can't imagine the government sent you unapproved tests.

Yes, especially the comedy shows b/c the venue is so small. They tend to fill up quickly.

I believe so as it's actually a Canadian company and they have contact info listed for Canada, USA, and Australia. Our proctor was in Ontario. Their live chat was very helpful and quick to respond. Ask them.

I have no reason to expect any issues given how many reports I have read and my personal previous experience with how little scrutiny was given to my covid test (from Walgreens) on 5/29. I can't promise I'll update after I board on Friday but if you don't hear from me you can safely assume everything went smoothly.

Too hard to decide for me. Not meant to be a cop out, but I have specific memories from different cruises, some of which are fairly random, more so than entire cruises that stand out in my mind. Alaska was my most memorable "trip" but that largely includes the 10 days we spent on land prior to the cruise. My recent extended family cruise on Harmony was memorable as it was our first time in a suite and the Sky Class perks were amazing! Other random memorable events may not seem overly special but they stood out at the time and still do... We had a wonderful week on Freedom with an unusually small number of Diamond members aboard and spent each evening taking advantage of the open bar in the DL (pre-vouchers obviously) and chatting with a friendly server every night. It was so empty that she was able to sit with us. Love the DL on Freedom class in the crown as well. I also remember having a bagel with the DL concierge that week on a Saturday morning while we chatted and watched EPL (English football/soccer) on the tv's there since I was the only person in the DL. On an Oasis cruise during which we ate most dinners in the WJ, we met the happiest crew member we have ever come across. She was a greeter from the Caribbean and never stopped smiling. After the first couple nights she recognized us and we ended up chatting so much over the course of the week that my wife ended up friending her on FB. Lastly, we were on Mariner about 15 years ago and they played the same random song all over the ship before every show and activity. It was catchy and got stuck in our heads though we didn't even know what it was until we looked it up. It was "Love Today" by Mika and my wife has used it as her ringtone for me ever since. Sometimes it's the little things...

I used my laptop. I think it's easier to use a laptop just for the large screen but a phone would definitely work as long as you have a stand or lean it on something while you use 2 hands to open the test kit and perform the test. Anything the proctor asks to see (ID, test result, etc.) needs to be held up to the camera either way so it's probably just personal preference.

I scheduled mine maybe 10-14 days out but it looks like you can schedule all the way into August right now. They have a preview calendar on the site you can use to check for availability before actually making an appointment. On a related note, their first appointment time is 8am et. That was our preference but it was unavailable when I first booked. I checked back a few days later and it was available so I rescheduled our appointments from 8:15 & 8:30 to 8:00 & 8:15 using a link in the confirmation e-mail. It was all automated and very simple.

Wife and I took our tests this morning and it could not have gone more smoothly. Before scheduling, I asked via live chat if we could both get monitored at the same time by one proctor even though you have to schedule two separate appointments. I was told absolutely, just let the proctor know. We did and it went just as I was told. Prior to the appointment, they sent numerous reminders via e-mail and text with a link to the Microsoft Teams meeting. You don't have to download Teams if you don't want to though, simply click on "open in browser" after clicking the provided link. We used free iHealth rapid antigen tests provided by the government (from our stockpile) but they will let you use any FDA approved test. Our proctor (a registered nurse) was very friendly and professional. She double checked all our information and made sure to ask if we had any questions throughout the process. She also stayed online while she sent the PDF results via e-mail and had us go over the info to ensure it was all correct before ending the session. Cost was $20 per person. Just wanted to share my experience. I'm not trying to convince anyone to use this service. Everyone should use whatever testing method they feel comfortable with. If you are interested, here's a link... https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/

You schedule two separate tests, yes, but they told me to just tell the proctor of whomever has the 1st appointment that you and your husband/wife have B2B appointments and they will do both at once. Haven't used them but my appointment is at 8am et tomorrow morning. EDIT: EMed is only for the tests they sell. That's the point of using a 3rd party site like RT&T, you can use any FDA approved test you got for free from the government, pharmacy, wherever.

Go to 1 of the 3 snack shacks, order mozzarella sticks and the chicken sandwich, put the mozz sticks and sauce on top of the chicken... wonderful chicken parm sandwich. After that, eat as many funnel cakes as you can from the same location.

Or just use a free government test if you have them with a 3rd party online proctoring site like RapidTestAndTrace or On-Point.

If all you care about is the ship… Allure & not even close imo. Oasis class (ships like Allure with Central Park, boardwalk, etc.) is a huge step up from anything older.

We didn’t even know we had a doorbell til our stateroom attendant used it while we were in the room. 🙈

Only the 1st 2 people pay. So 2X your bid if you wanna look at it that way.

Yes.

You can RoyalUp from a GTY. The timing of the e-mail varies. No I don’t believe calling would help. Also, once you can check-in (usually 45 days out), you can use the “bar code trick” to figure out your cabin number if not assigned yet. Go to your set sail pass in the app and either scan the bar code or add it to your apple wallet if using an apple device. You will see a string of numbers under the bar code. The numbers after the dash are your cabin number.

Yes. Reservations required for dinner. Can best be described as somewhere between the MDR & a specialty restaurant (based on my extensive experience of having access for one 7-night cruise on Harmony recently).

As mentioned, any other Oasis class ship will be more than close enough for the kids (and the adults).

No, those are the safety videos. Watch them on embarkation day then report to your muster station once onboard.

That's pretty much my take, also from reading, not doing. OnPoint also asks for some additional info (although you can decline to share it apparently) and asks you to sign up with some sort of portal on another website. Live chat customer service with RT&T went very well for me on multiple occasions so, in addition to the above, I reluctantly spent the extra $5pp for them (I'm as frugal as it gets, lol). Will be testing with them Wednesday morning.

You're very welcome. I'd love to say I just like to help others, I do of course, but incessantly reading CC and checking my RoyalUps are help keeping me busy while I wait to test on WED for my B2B on Friday.