MEFIowa

Here is ARGENTINA today, from the US Embassy: " For cruise ships: Only a negative COVID-19 PCR test (not antigen) administered no more than 72 hours prior to the departure of the cruise ship will be accepted. COVID-19 Information - U.S. Embassy in Argentina (usembassy.gov)

Parts of S. America have and were opening up. I flew from Chicago to Sao Paulo, Brazil to Asuncion, Paraguay in April 2022 and then back in early May. Brazil didn't worry about testing. And Paraguay eliminated its testing requirement the day I flew down. What was bizarre was that at the time the Mercosur countries--Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay--did NOT require testing or vaccination from their members travelling across these borders. So the German family and I on the GOL plane to Asuncion with all the Paraguayan shoppers were likely the only people on the plane tested! It had seemed like Argentina was the most conservative, for the Paraguayans were miffed they wouldn't open the bridges or border for a long time due to COVID.

That's why I pay close attention to O's periodic sales. That 12/21 A4 Concierge Veranda on Riviera I paid $2099 cruise-only fare for 10 nights during 2021 Presidents' Day Sale is currently listed same ship, same room, same cruise in early 2023 at $3999. Caught a nice sale earlier this year for a 2023 Med cruise.

Don't get me started on S. America! Having flown to Asuncion, Paraguay thru Sao Paulo and back. See how the Mercosur nations (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) were eventually willing to waive vaccination and testing requirements for their citizens going back and forth across these borders. I suspect the German national and his family and I were the only 4 vaccinated and tested people on our GOL 737 flying into Asuncion on April 19, 2022. Crammed into a plane with no empty seats and so many Paraguayan shoppers coming back with their buys in Brazil filling the overhead bins. But God forbid you were not a Mercosur resident, then you had to follow specific protocols. As if COVID can't be transmitted by certain citizens over non-citizens!

No, the policy is clear that there are exceptions: "Certain destinations have specific requirements which will vary from our new base-level protocols."

On a 10-day cruise with 6 port days spread out and NO testing during the cruise and NO mandatory masking while on excursions, all you're doing is accepting the risk that people will come back on board having been exposed. And it's all theatre, pretending that somehow pre-cruise testing is any panacea. Esp. when you've got say a 72-hour window to present your test (testing negative for the test but then possibly being infected afterwards before boarding). Or if you allow the easier tests with higher false positives & negatives rather than a PCR. Being vaccinated is the best single option. I certainly support that as a continuing mandate, since people who might get seriously ill may need to be hospitalized (having watched in 12/21 a very elderly man cause our cruise to grind to a halt one afternoon as he had to be evacuated near Key West by patrol boat, for non-COVID-related issue). Along with not cruising at all if you have risk factors. IF people are so worried about COVID, then don't cruise.

Just curious, are you planning on getting tested when you disembark and then return to the ship after every excursion? After interacting with all those in port or out and about in country. Seems weird how COVID testing is desired by so many worried about travelers from Minneapolis to Miami but suddenly those same people don't give a rip about testing if it is say returning to the ship from a day in Belize City, Bermuda, Helsinki, Rio, Rome, etc.

Wife and I were on Riviera 12/13-23/21 (W. Caribbean), the last cruise that essentially looked like pre-cruising, before the late Dec-Jan spike in cases. BUT it didn't seem as if anyone was adversely impacted by COVID. As for the fully vaccinated today, the now endemic virus seems to put so few into the hospital and so many even fewer die. And I had no issues on a 16-day trip to Paraguay in April-May, 2022. No COVID. Few COVID concerns. Both USA and Paraguay removed the testing requirements after I flew down there (on the flight to Chicago we were told we could remove our masks due to that court order dropping the requirement, so flew from Des Moines to Sao Paulo unmasked). So FULL SPEED ahead for our 11/18-28/22 cruise on Sirena (E. Caribbean). Can't wait.

From NCL's 2nd Qtr results just published: "Occupancy in the second quarter was 65%, in line with previously outlined expectations, and a 17-point improvement over the prior quarter. Numerous voyages, across several key markets, achieved occupancy levels north of 100% during the quarter. According to a press release, consistent with its core strategy to focus on maximizing long-term pricing, the company continues to expect quarterly occupancy levels to sequentially increase and reach historical levels for the second quarter of 2023. Occupancy is expected to average in the low 80% range in the third quarter of 2022 with July voyages averaging approximately 85%."

" Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings today announced revisions to its SailSAFE health and safety protocols for its Norwegian, Oceania and Regent brands. Vaccinated guests aged 12 and over will no longer have any pre-cruise COVID-19 related protocols and unvaccinated guests may embark with a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to departure, subject to local regulations. According to a press release, this policy will go into effect across Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises for all sailings that commence on or after September 3, 2022. Requirements may differ for guests traveling on voyages departing from or visiting destinations with specific local regulations, including but not limited to Canada, Greece and Bermuda." Norwegian Cruise Line Drops Pre-Voyage COVID-19 Testing - Cruise Industry News

The veranda rooms Concierge A1-A4 and non-Concierge B1-B4 have bathtubs today and they will be going away. So what is happening to the space they are vacating? The exact new dimensions of the bathroom and living area/bedroom.

Given this--"Debuting in December 2022 and November 2023 respectively, Riviera and Marina will become better-than-new ships in a re-inspiration."--please learn as much as you can about how both ships will change, everything from cabins to spa area pools to you name it. The whole 9 yards. The Marina you sail on in 2022 won't be the same ship come 2024. I was on Riviera in late 2021 and will be back on her in late 2023, after the refit. A big issue for my wife & I are in regard to the elimination of the bathtubs. We're doing both veranda and inside staterooms, so wondering what exactly is happening to the interiors of each, including dimensions, with the refit.

Kept all my Currents from our 12/13-23/21 cruise on Riviera: Day 1 was the short sea day from Miami out. Then our Day 2, the long sea day headed to the W. Caribbean, had the Captain's Cocktail Celebration that evening. "Complimentary Cocktails: 5:45- 8 pm Horizons/ 6-8 Martinis & Grand Bar."

The science is clear... Get vaccinated & boosted. You'll all but ensure you stay out of the hospital and won't die. All those asymptomatic cases. Or the mild cases akin to the flu. BUT being vaccinated will NOT prevent you from getting COVID. So expect to get COVID at some point (not unlike the equally endemic flu). IF, however, you have serious risk factors, avoid cruising! Funny how you argue for ONE pre-embarkation test, but then YOU won't admit that such a test is meaningless if you don't also test after EVERY disembarkation & re-embarkation on the voyage. OR do you think the science says, "Only travellers from Minneapolis to Miami get COVID but when those same travellers get off at 6 Caribbean destinations they couldn't possibly get COVID so no need to test them when they return from their excursion and come back aboard"? A single preembarkation test is theatre, a pretend, feel-good act of NO real scientific value for the vaccinated. The science of vaccination and testing.

Really a standard of "stopping even one infected person from boarding"? How come that is only now for COVID which is endemic and far from life-threatening for the vast majority of people, esp. those vaccinated/boosted and without risk factors? We are all vaccinated and boosted. We know our health situations. We talk to our doctors. The SCIENCE would say, "Do not cruise if you have significant risk factors." You want more PRETEND, theatrical, feel-good activity. BUT what would the SCIENCE say with your standard? - Why NOT PCR test only (the more reliable one) and no more than 24 hours before boarding? Reduces false positives and negatives. Actually tries to stop last-minute infections pre-boarding. - Why not mandatory testing POST-excursion for EVERY excursion? If you leave the boat and come back, you have to be tested? If you want pre-embarkation testing at the start, why do YOU stop the testing each time people then disembark and reembark in all the ports? But you wouldn't want to do the things that would actually get more to a "zero" standard, that mythical always one more infected person stopped. As opposed to "let's all look like we're doing something no matter the waste of time or money". COVID is now endemic and the vaccines won't stop the spread. Get over it.

And what was sickening about the waste of time and money testing to go down and back in April and May 2022 was that... 1. An American flies from USA to Brazil, no testing required. 2. A Paraguayan flies from Brazil to Paraguay, no testing required. 3. An American flies from USA to Paraguay thru Brazil? Has to be tested. Where is the science in that? The entire MERCUSOR block eliminated testing for travel between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. But only for their citizens. As if COVID knows to avoid them and only gets foreigners sick? Cost me $118 for the two tests. As I flew on planes filled with people who never tested!

Though where is the science? So, you test 72 hours in advance and get it on the plane down. But that test says you're negative. And on a cruise with 6 port disembarkations, does O do 6 return tests? But you could get it at any or all of the ports on your excursions. The "science" is DON'T cruise if your doctor tells you that COVID will likely cause you serious health issue. If you're older or have pre-existing conditions or risk factors. COVID is now endemic and a very low health risk for those who don't meet the risk criteria. When I flew from Chicago to Paraguay and back in April and May 2022 the entire system was a JOKE. All the paperwork that few looked at. Forms that were never looked at or looked at people who didn't have anything to do with them. Airports and planes filled with passengers who didn't have to test in the USA to fly. Etc. But once again, those who can travel safely versus those who shouldn't travel because it isn't safe for them. Specific to each individual.

Though for those cruises where O is NOT requiring pre-embarkation testing, when are they doing "embarkation" or "post-embarkation testing"? Anyone could get COVID while on the ship or during an excursion. AND if someone comes down with it, they may be asymptomatic or with minor symptoms only, in which case they'd never ask nor want to be tested by O. Where does O say when they will conduct the testing of passengers either at or after embarkation? Or at disembarkation? ----------- "Guests that fail to test prior to departure or cannot provide proof of a negative laboratory supplied test result and subsequently test positive for COVID- 19 upon embarkation will not be reimbursed for quarantine or return embarkation arrangements."

Do keep a close eye out for their periodic public sales (e.g., Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, etc.). Often you can get great savings on an A or B veranda, for example, moving up from the C, F, and G staterooms. My first experience with O was seeing a Presidents' Day 2021 sales brochure in the Wall Street Journal. Got an A4 Concierge Veranda for $2099. The exact same room on the exact same cruise & ship in Feb 2023 is now $3999. Booked our next cruise (Sirena 11/22) while on Riviera to get the $200 off (so our B4 Veranda at $2399 is currently listed for $2799; it had been at $2599 when we booked it). Since then we've booked 3 more cruises (2 in 2023 and 1 in 2024). One using the Memorial Day 2022 sale to get steep discount on a B4 on Riviera in late 2023. We always watch to see if our cruise makes it on any sale, including the O Life 10%. If it does, we contact O and re-book at the better price.

We had 719 on Riviera 12/13-23/21 in the W. Caribbean. It was so nice. Thinking 780 crew. So we were pampered. Can't wait to be on Sirena 11/22 in the E. Caribbean.

From Riviera 12/13-23/21: Yes: trivia, classes, comedian, movies, singers, name that tune w/piano player No: water parks/slides, rock climbing

Same here (Riviera A4 Veranda 12/21). We sleep on a king at home, so this was a bit smaller but not an issue on the cruise.

As a veteran from a family of veterans (both my father and my son now on active duty and 2 uncles, one who died in France on June 12. 1944), I don't expect a business to offer such a discount when they already have periodic sales (e.g., Presidents' Day) that I take advantage of. I'm just happy when they treat all customers fairly and provide such sales to all. It would be hard for them to do anything tied to either Memorial Day or Veterans Day just for the USA, because with international travelers you'd then be looking at the same or similar days for the Commonwealth Countries, EU nations, etc. But they could do something simple like free spa day for veterans on certain days at sea, though I'm not sure how they verify the status without some issues arising.

Yep, and buy trip insurance.

Loved my morning Sun Salutation smoothie every morning at the Waves, sitting at table 7 or 10, along the starboard railing. Just a great way to start the day. Did it every morning except one (room service pre-tendering to an excursion) on our 10-day W. Caribbean cruise on Riviera in 12/13-23/21.