frankp01

Yeah, yesterday was disappointing.

"World Series" is a bit of a misnomer, otherwise you'd have had some clue!

Woo hoo! The Phillies are going to the world series.

In December I made a list of all of the public spaces, ranked by WiFi signal strength. Now I can't find that list, but I'll have to add that desk to the list. I didn't try the lobby. Off the top of my head, two really good locations were the lounge at the Verandah and the marble walkway between the Carinthia and the Mareel Spa.

To a much better team, sorry!

This is from the shareholder benefit document: This benefit is not transferable, cannot be exchanged for cash and, cannot be used for casino credits/charges and gratuities charged to your onboard account. I don't know why it says that, since (from experience) gratuities are covered.

I've read that, too. But, as others have said, it's not really the case.

Understood, you were distracted. I'll just carry adapters for every possibility.

I'll second Space Oddity's endorsement of the Commodores cocktail class and tasting. It was very entertaining and great fun. I'm glad to see that it has returned. (When the seats at the bars were closed it wasn't being offered.)

Thanks. The plates even look like those in the QM2's Carinthia. We'll definitely be giving it a try

Yup, I knew that. I was hoping for the equivalent. Carinthia has some great breakfast items, and some nice afternoon tea items, too. We'll definitely be checking out the Chart Room.

That wasn't shown in Host Hattie's dining clip from the Daily Programme. Having only sailed on the QM2 I'm not familiar with the QV and QE's dining options.

I was hoping the QE/QV had an option like the small plates in the Carinthia Lounge. That doesn't appear to be the case? We have also enjoyed the QM2s fresh pasta in the Chefs Galley. That option doesn't exist either?

Your photo is not 'embedded' in the card. As WestonOne suggests, it's simply stored in the database of passengers. Your entry, with photo, can then be retrieved by your name, or a barcode (such as is on the boarding pass) or chip (such as with the room card). And, speaking of a chip, when did the room cards get chip technology? I was surprised, on our trip in December, to be able to tap to purchase drinks and goods. On prior trips I must have had to visit the Purser's Desk at least twice to replace my card because the magnetic strip went bad. That didn't happen once in December. Oops. I'm hijacking this thread... I should start a new one.

We are lucky to live near several very nice consignment shops. I've picked up a nice Italian tux and a set of vintage tails, both for a song. That might be an option. And there was Century 21 (sadly no longer with us) where you could get every formal accessory that you could possibly want. The closest to Century 21 might be Nordstrom Rack. But the prices aren't nearly as good and the range of goods doesn't compare

If no one responds to your post, I seem to recall previous discussions on the cost of renting versus buying an inexpensive tux. I'm not suggesting that you buy rather than rent, but the point of the discussions was that renting was about the same price as buying an inexpensive tux. Perhaps you should do a forum search on 'tux' and see what hits you get.

We won't be on board that crossing this year, but we often are. The ship is beautifully decorated and there's usually some "weather", so you get to see how she performs in heavy seas. Enjoy

Thanks for the updates; it sounds like you're having a great trip. Since late seating is back to being at a fixed time, have you noticed if seats at the bars have reopened? On our last trip, I seem to recall, they were still closed off.

I think the issue is CVS is primarily set up to bill insurance. And, therefore, the questions are designed to filter for the conditions under which they can bill an insurance policy. They can't bill for just a rapid test. But a rapid test along with an office consultation can be billed. But if you're paying, there are cheaper places than CVS. In what location are you looking to get tested? In NYC, my London-based friend got a test at Bloom Labs. Here's a chain of COVID testing locations (with quite a few around the country), and they take cash at some of their locations: COVID-19 Testing Services | Curative

Bon Voyage! Could you do me a huge favor? Could you take note of the style of power outlets (North American, British or European) available in public spaces, such as the library, or lounges where one might plug in a laptop to work? Thanks. Hopefully I won't have to carry adapters for every possible scenario with that info!

Just FYI, I suspected the reason, but wasn't sure why. This entry, from a local chain if urgent care centers, perfectly explains it... Why doesn’t insurance cover rapid COVID tests at vybe? In the eyes of most insurance companies, it’s an issue of medical necessity vs. wellness screening. Lab-based PCR tests at vybe can be covered by insurance because they typically include a physician evaluation. When someone has COVID symptoms and comes to us because they’re sick, our physician makes the decision if they should get a PCR test. Rapid tests are usually not covered by insurance because they do not include a physician evaluation – especially if the person isn’t experiencing any symptoms and simply wants to know if they have the COVID virus.

It's not an app, per se. It's a dedicated website.

Glad we got to the bottom of it.

Try answering yes to this question and see what happens. I don't think insurance will cover the visit, otherwise.

As was discussed earlier in this thread, the testing options provided by CVS vary dramatically depending upon responses to the screening questions. In particular, I think the insurance question. If you say you have health insurance you get the screens I included above. If you say you are paying yourself, the number of options fall dramatically. I don't know why. When I was last getting tested (at a CVS) I specifically asked if I would have been turned away if I had been a private pay client. The technician said 'No', even though that location did not appear unless I said my insurance was footing the bill.