xqueenfrostine

I’m currently aboard Symphony of the Seas and have eaten both in the MDR and in specialty restaurants and have found the food to be pretty good across the board.  Not exceptional, mind you, but nothing to complain about.  My one meal in the MDR so far was easily as good as my meal at Jamie’s, though my meal at 150 Central Park was better than both.  

58 minutes ago, Blauelini said:

With Coco Cay now up and running with the pier and the improvements still in the pipeline, I forsee RC doing away with Labadee permanently. No reason to have it anymore.

I wouldn’t say no reason.  Royal Caribbean has more ships sailing in the Caribbean at once than Coco Cay can likely handle, at least during peak season.  I think it’s still worthwhile for them to have a separate private island.  There’s no reason of course that that location has to be Labadee, but I don’t think any of their upcoming building projects are big enough to be a good substitute.  It sounds like their other projects aren’t meant to take entire ships worth of passengers.

Being “abandoned” in Barcelona sounds like a bonus not a problem to me!  I realize the extra hotel costs weren’t what you were expecting OP, but you can definitely do better than €700 for 4 nights, especially if you’re willing to consider alternative budget accommodations like budget hotels, pensions or private rooms in hostels.

17 minutes ago, nelblu said:

The confusion that I have with the Q&A is "Molecular, also called PCR/NAAT tests. " Again, unless there are various kinds, these tests take longer to get results a long as 72 hours in some cases.  The test that I'm listing takes about an hour.

You need to clarify what type of molecular test they’re offering for their rapid testing.  Without that info, we’re all just guessing about its validity with RCCL.  There are some NAAT tests that some providers are still able to do on-site and  quickly.  If that’s what they’re offering then you’re in luck.  If it’s something else, you need to know exactly what it is so you can get the right information.

I believe so.  Here is the Royal Caribbean page that goes into details about what they will and will not accept.  This quote from that page seems to confirm that molecular tests are acceptable: “

• There are two common types of diagnostic COVID-19 tests and we accept either kind to satisfy pre-cruise testing requirements. 
  • A molecular test, also called a PCR test or NAAT test
  • An antigen test, also called a rapid antigen test”

1 hour ago, RTR 21-0 said:

Was the cost onboard the same as pre-purchase?  Thought I read somewhere it was $109 total for 2 people for 3 restaurants if purchased onboard.  

It’s $109 per person, not for two people. If it were for 2, that would make the price of the 3 night package the same price as one night at Chops for 2!

I would also just keep an eye on the cruise planner. I’m on the Symphony at the end of Oct and I’ve noticed that some of the dining packages have disappeared and reappeared a few times over the the past month or so. I don’t know if it’s a glitch or if there’s a limit to how many packages are sold precruise for capacity reasons and it comes back as people cancel or what.  At least for me the 3 night remains available, but the UDP comes and goes (and is currently gone).

50 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Agree. Mom 75 yrs old has Heart Disease, Emphysema, recovering Breast Cancer 2 times. She will get Booster soon, me 56, healthy, 2 Shot Vax last March, unless new Strain will prob never need a Booster...

I wouldn’t say never.  Most vaccines need booster shots eventually, even among healthy folk.  But the COVID vaccine is too new to know whether that window is one year or 10.

14 minutes ago, dwayneb236 said:

ordered mine the friday before labor day. received them on the wednesday after. I'm good with that.

I had a similar turn around time for mine.  I ordered Thursday, got a notice that my order was being shipped on Friday and received it on Monday morning.  I’m curious why they’re having issues with some orders and not others.

On 9/18/2021 at 11:28 AM, rj59 said:

It's the equivalent of a person who needs urgent heart surgery being turned away from a hospital now because all ICU beds are full of unvaccinated Covid patients. 

It is most certainly not that.  One is a life and death matter, the other is just a massive disappointment that could have been prevented if if they had read Royal’s testing policy which is extremely clear that they do not accept home tests that aren’t monitored by a health professional.   This is like turning up to the port with a photo copy of your birth certificate instead of the original document.  It’s an honest mistake for the customer, but one anyone who reads the cruiseline’s policy should be able to avoid.
 

Also a Royal isn’t selling anything on their website.  They’re directing you to an authorized 3rd party, which is sending tests with plenty of time left on them so long as you’re not buying them 3+ months before you need them.  I just received mine that I ordered last week and it expires in January, which is plenty generous for a cruise I have late next month.  If everyone just plans a month ahead, they won’t have to worry about the tests not being good.

7 hours ago, Kruisn'Kay said:

I just booked a rapid antigen test at CVS. I see that a “valid document” is a requirement for check in. Does CVS provide required documentation for this type of test? If you have taken this test at CVS, did you receive an email with your results? Thank you so much for your help! 

I think the valid document part of the rules is to prevent people from trying to use handwritten notes from doctors (or people pretending to be doctors) or typing up their own results document.  If you’re getting your test done at any establishment that is in the business of doing covid tests (i.e. pharmacies, urgent care clinics, hospitals, testing centers, the health department, etc.) I don’t think you need to be worried that the results document they send you won’t be considered valid. Providing documentation that can be used to prove your negative status to entities that require it is literally their job, and for all of the complaints we hear about the US’s testing infrastructure, not being able to put together a results doc that is widely accepted hasn’t been one of them.

I seem to be having better luck so far with Optum than some here.  I just ordered a pack of 2 tests yesterday, and I got a shipping notice with an official tracking # within 24 hours.  FedEx says the package will arrive Monday morning (which counts as next day since they don’t count the weekend).  I’ll report back about the test’s expiration date and condition when I get them.

51 minutes ago, Lorey2007 said:

What exactly are official results?

I made an edit on my above post and I copied and pasted the things that Royal Caribbean wants to see in a results sheet.   Basically, not doctor’s note but the equivalent to lab results, whether they come from a lab, pharmacy, testing site, or telemedicine practice. Royal says they’ll take these results whether they’re printed on paper, sent in an email or are in the app for your telemed provider.  Here is Royal Caribbean FAQ on covid testing if you have more questions:  https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-need-an-rt-pcr-test-before-i-cruise-where-should-i-go

If the test is administered by the pharmacy and comes with official results, they’ll take it.  With Royal Caribbean the only time they care about what brand the antigen test you take is when it’s administered at home.  And even then they only care because most at-home antigen tests don’t come with telemedicine services and thus there’s no way for them to verify that that test was taken by you and that it was taken the right way.

editing to add: if this covid test is an at-home one that you’re buying over the counter at the pharmacy and then having the pharmacy staff monitor you as you take it, make sure they are willing and able to give you official results that include the provider’s name, your name, the date the test was taken, type of test, and your negative result.   Otherwise, if this is the test they’re testing everyone with, they should be providing you with that documentation automatically.

5 hours ago, Deez123 said:

2016 is a long time ago.   Very few going now (not withstanding current issues.)   Oasis-class ships are few and far between.   We are scheduled to go there in Dec. on Harmony - reason we picked this cruise.

I saw quite a few Oasis class itineraries with scheduled stops at Labadee for 2021 and 2022 when I was booking last May, including the one I booked on the Symphony in October.  I don’t think it’s quite as rare as you think it is, though it’s also obviously not as common of a stop as Coco Cay.  Given that Oasis Class and Perfect Day at Coco Cay are heavily featured in RCCL marketing, it makes sense to pair its newest things together.

10 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

 

They have that. It's called "if you don't feel good, stay home and get tested"

There’s no way we’ve gotten 18 months into the pandemic without you having heard about asymptomatic spread.  Or that people with covid become contagious before they start to feel sick.  One of the big reason COVID spreads faster than some other more frequently fatal but less contagious diseases is that it doesn’t make every person who gets it sick enough to realize they’re sick.  That’s the reason for testing everyone.

2 hours ago, SRF said:

 

And what is the scientific reason behind shortening the time from 3 days to 2 days?????

 

When it is still 3 days for flying into the US.   And as someone stated, 5 days for a surgical procedure.

 

It is almost like someone at CDC had a bad cruise experience and wants revenge.

My best guess is that if has something to do with the median incubation period of 4-5 day for COVID.  Flights are (usually) a one day affair, so if someone catches covid right after their negative test on day zero, there’s a good chance that they still won’t be contagious yet by the time their flight rolls around on day 3.  With cruises, you could be on that ship for a week which is more than enough time for a full blown infection to brew.  To me that’s plenty justification for being more careful.  As for hospital and surgery centers, 5 days is fewer than I would have expected, especially for non-outpatient procedures, but the widespread use of much better PPE and other anti-contagion measures in those places may be why they have decided they can afford more time.

2 hours ago, SRF said:

 

They can spread it to unvaccinated people.

They can spread it to vaccinated people too.  Obviously.  Not as easily as they can to the unvaccinated but it’s still a possibility.  There’s also the people in the ports we visit to consider, who are obviously much less likely to be vaccinated than an adult cruise passenger.

Sodas are $3.50, so if your wife drinks 3 or more a day the soda package is a good deal for her.  All but one of the beers (Foster’s Oil Can)  on the 2021 menu is $7.49.  Jack Daniel’s is $9.99 and Johnny Walker Black is $9.59. You didn’t mention if your wife drinks alcohol or not, but if she doesn’t (or doesn’t much) I wouldn’t bother with the UBP.  If you get it, they (usually) make you both get it and if you’re drinking mostly beer it’s highly unlikely you’ll be drinking enough to make the price for two work.  You’d save money by buying her the soda package (assuming she drinks at least 3 a day) which, unlike the UBP, can be purchased just for her and then buying your beer and whiskey a la carte.

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Both drink packages have a break even point of about 5 drinks per day. 

 
This math doesn’t quite work.  You break even much faster than that on the soda package, and it would take more than that on the UBP if you’re not a spirits or cocktail drinker.  

When is your cruise OP?  It’s probably worth noting the the vaccine order for the Bahamas currently has an end date of November 1.  The order could absolutely get extended beyond that date (and in my opinion, likely will), but if your cruise is further out than a few months I would hold off making any changes unless you can’t handle being in limbo.  We just don’t know what the rules are going to look like in a couple of months.  So if your cruise is before Thanksgiving, I agree the others, you don’t really have other options besides moving your cruise (or making it an adults only trip).  If it’s after, you can afford to wait to see if the orders get lifted.  Royal might have more ability to be flexible if/when the vaccine rules imposed by other nations lapse.

Does anyone know how long those self-proctored tests are good for?  I didn’t see any info on the eMed site.  My cruise isn’t until the end of October but I’m wondering if it would be better to buy early just in case there are stocking issues later.  

5 hours ago, footzz said:

You do realize that pork belly is uncured, un-smoked and un-sliced bacon.

That’s a backwards way of describing pork belly.  It’s like saying milk is cheese that hasn’t been curdled, strained, salted and shaped.

On 8/20/2021 at 11:21 PM, PhoenixCruiser said:

 

Do you think people who are unable to be vaccinated will be wiiling to risk taking a cruise during a pandemic ?

Sure, why not?  Not everyone who is ineligible to be vaccinated is ineligible because of problems with their immune system.  Some people are unable to take it because of allergies.  Given how many people who are voluntarily unvaxxed are willing to cruise without being vaccinated, I don’t think it’s a stretch that there are people who haven’t taken it due to a history of allergic reactions to vaccine ingredients who might as well.  I don’t think it’s a given that being allergic to certain preservatives or other components of the vaccine would make you more cautious to travel than the general population.

7 hours ago, tserface said:

 

We wonder why we have to wear bracelets to demonstrate we are vaccinated. If everyone older than 12 has to be vaccinated (at least when leaving from Seattle) can't they tell we are older than 12?  I can understand this need for ports like Florida where they have political intervention causing them grief.

 

While it’s usually pretty easy to tell a 20 year old from an 12 year old, the same isn’t necessarily true between an 12 year old and a 15 year old.  Also, the rules for the Bahamas make exceptions for people who are medically ineligible for the vaccine, so I assume Royal is as well (they outline a process of petitioning for an exemption on their FAQ page).  While I can’t imagine there will be that many people with medical exemptions on board, the existence of that loop hole and potential difficulty differentiating between tweens and teens probably just makes it easier for them to keep the current bracelet system in place.

$196 is the lowest I’ve seen it too for my October cruise on Symphony.  The price seems to bounce between $196 and around $210 whenever I look.

Not very difficult.  Go to just about any big lake in the US and you’ll find kids too young to get a learner’s permit for a car driving a jet ski.  Getting thrown off can be a concern if you turn too fast or are in areas where the water is choppy (flying into the water is unlikely to hurt you, but getting back on is much trickier from the water than it is on the dock), but if you just go easy until you get the hang of it and you’ll be fine.

The truth is a little more complicated.  There are fewer children coming down with COVID now than there were when cases were peaking 6 months ago, but since case numbers are down overall, children make up a much larger percentage of the new cases.  So it’s not so much that child COVID cases are rapidly rising than that they have not been dropping as quickly as COVID has among adults.  Which is absolutely still a reason to be concerned and a reason to be cautious if you’re a parent of children too young for the COVID vaccine, but not the same thing as a rise in the raw number of cases among children.

That said, I still support the NCL lawsuit.  I think the concerns around contagion at sea are very real, especially since the cruises stop in ports where the population haven’t had the access to vaccines that we have in the US.  It’s not just about protecting fellow cruisers.