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Absolutely disgusting. I either fill from the tap in my room or use a small collapsible funnel I bought online.

That's interesting. RAT instructions generally say results are unreliable from 30 mins after the test, so does the steward just hang around waiting?

I got through this morning and had it reversed for the 4th time, once again with apologies for the inconvenience and a promise it won't happen again. They said if it does happen again just ignore it and the cruise won't be cancelled. I'm very sceptical of this as it's likely automated, and fully expect to have to call again after final payment due date on 18 Dec. I'm worried that it may also automatically cancel the drinks package, so I'll have to argue to get that back for the same price we paid in Black Friday sale. They refused to offer any OBC or recompense for the many hours spent on the phone fixing their repeated errors. Sharp contrast to Carnival who I just disembarked from, who gave everyone on a Moreton Island cruise $200 OBC and 50% fare in FCC just for missing a port due to weather. One will likely get my repeat custom, the other will not.

I'm at my wits end with Royal Carribbean. A couple of years ago I made a booking that was cancelled due to Covid, received FCC, then made a new booking and applied it. I then changed this booking to a different cruise, paying the change fee outright. Each time I was quoted a final payment amount, and sent an invoice to that effect. Later when I check my "Make a payment" online, the amount due is larger than that on my invoice! Usually by either $100 or even $200. This happened 3 times, and each time they swore they fixed it, sent through an invoice with correct final payment, only for me to see an increased amount the next day in the online portal. It's now happened again, after I made final payment (due on 18th Dec)! I have an invoice emailed to me saying that the remaining balance is $0 and a screenshot of the planner showing final payment has been made. But when I log into it today...$100 due! I'm trying to call yet again but their line is so bad I get cut off. I'm seriously worried that even if they fix it, it'll happen again and my cruise will get automatically cancelled. My first sailing with them will be Feb 23 on Quantum and I already never want to sail with them again.

Me three...I just paid the equivalent of $90/day for a drinks package on Royal, and was satisified with that given the USD prices there, so $65 seems good.

It's more the immunity induced by infection. The chance of getting it again within 3 months after both vax and an infection in late Nov is extremely low.

Thanks for your detailed experience. That really doesn't sound ideal, but I guess it's a risk we choose to take if we get onboard these days. I have to say, I'd probably keep the Feb cruise and reconsider the May one...you're extremely, extremely unlikely to get Covid on the Feb one. Hope you're both feeling better.

Wow. Thanks for the detailed description. I'd been wondering how confirmed positive cases were handled at disembarkation. That's all just completely unnecessary chicanery. They may as well not even bother to be honest. And to be fair, I actually mean that. It's not like an airline makes special arrangements for positive passengers at their arrival terminal. The eastern seaboard cruise protocols clearly state that positive cases can't use taxi, rideshare or public transport, and that the line is responsible for getting them home or putting them up in a hotel. Realistically this was never going to be achievable or acceptable to most, so this strange in-between is just irritating theatre.

I would be extremely reluctant to do a South Pacific (or any OS) cruise without insurance regardless. One slip by the pool and you're up for thousands, if not 10s of thousands. You wouldn't necessarily want to rely on healthcare in the South Pacific, so medical evac would be very pricey indeed. Even for domestic cruises I use the Insure n Go essentials cover, as it covers limited (non-Covid) medical expenses only for my pre-existing conditions. Then my quite reasonable credit card insurance cover that will do all the non-medical things like cancellation/baggage/delays as well as Covid medical cover. As always, carefully read the PDS (theirs is extremely convoluted)

Yeeeeah. There's a lot of 'angry' emojis flying around like they're being asked to throw their first born overboard or something....

Surface (aka fomite) transmission of Covid, and most respiratory illness is really low. Though ironically touching the outside of your mask then touching your face increases that risk. Ventilation is the biggest issue, so wearing a mask in tightly packed, low airflow areas is logical and sensible. Realistically unless they enforce 'sip and cover' in the bars and restaurants, as you said, it won't make much difference in those venues.

I'm on Splendor in a couple of weeks, and I admit I'm also a little torn. On one hand I appreciate the effort to reduce infection risk (no doubt borne out of the recent publicity), on the other hand I was hoping for a little experience of normalcy for the first time in a while. I have no problem at all wearing my N95s (I recommend the Aussie made AMD ones), but there's no doubt they inhibit social interaction, especially the casual first-time chats you regularly have on a ship.

I guess they could still tell the majority to wait in their rooms until clearance is granted. But I imagine they'd still want the rooms cleared so they could start turning them over to embark the next sailing. Let's be honest, the cruise lines are only doing any Covid protocols at all reluctantly, and most are simple 'hygiene theatre' that do little to reduce risk but comfort the masses. They really don't care if people are catching Covid waiting in a stuffy crowd to disembark, they're all getting off the ship anyway.

My Mum has been quite unwell, has a bunch of comorbidites for Covid and got through pneumonia (non-Covid related) earlier in the year. We spent a lot of time talking about it but decided that it's no point in just surviving if you're not living. To manage the risk a little we've booked a big ship (Quantum), on a shorter cruise (5 nights), and outside school holidays, so I'd be surprised if it's full (especially the way Brisbane sailings are selling atm). Having something to look forward to has really brightened her mood, she's started getting out more, trying to do more movement and activity so she can be ready for the cruise. Odds are good she'll be able to get an Omicron specific booster in January before the cruise. So it's all just calculated.

The forum needs a 'shock' reaction emoji. That's off the charts ridiculous. I doubt I can mention the site here, but external providers have a near identical tour for about 1/5th of that price.