SargassoPirate

Not to belabor the point too much, but those elevator and stairway lobbies are usually part of the path of exit travel as they serve as access to the stairway and/or as a crossover to get to the other side of the ship in case of emergency. Those outlets are not charging stations and there is no exception for even a single scooter. This is a quote from the Princess website FAQ's--- Guests utilizing mobility devices with batteries are advised that the batteries must be a dry cell type, and must be stored and recharged in the stateroom. Mobility devices of any kind, like any other items, may not be left outside the stateroom.

Once a control is out in place, risk aversion comes into play when it's time to remove that control even in the face of science. A prime example is my pet peeve - rubber gloves on food workers. Sit and watch how many surfaces those gloves touch and yet when I ask a food manager why the employees are wearing gloves the inevitable answers are "for sanitation" or "to make our customers feel safe".

I'm under the impression that it goes directly to the wait staff. My practice with a drink package or by the drink is to tip the server an extra dollar or two as he/she takes my order - usually Scotch. I also ask their name if I can't read the nametag. Soon I'm getting a better pour and from something off the higher shelf. On my most recent cruise, the server noticed I like a Scotch with a more peaty flavor. He went to another bar to retrieve some Talisker and it was my private reserve for the rest of the cruise. I often see those same servers in other venues and they hustle right over to take my order, or hustle right over with my favorite in hand. It's amazing what a smile, some basic human respect, and a dollar or two will do to enhance your cruise.

From the Princess website: "Starting Sept. 6, vaccinated guests sailing on voyages of less than 16 days with the exception of Panama Canal transits, trans-ocean and other special itineraries will no longer have to test before boarding and only need to upload proof of vaccination while getting OceanReady. Unvaccinated guests, or those who do not provide proof of vaccination, on those itineraries will self-test within three days of sailing and upload proof of a negative test before boarding." I hope they don't count total days of a B2B as one voyage. I have a B2B cruises in January. Both are 10 day cruises, so according to the 16 day or fewer rule, I should not need a test prior to boarding the first cruise. I booked one cruise first and then booked the second later when I was able to get the same cabin. I have two booking numbers. I have two separate final payments. I have already loaded my vaccination card into the Ocean Ready separately for each cruise. I did a B2B last January as well. Two booking numbers. Two final payments. Two portfolios on board. Two cruise credits. And, of course, by January the whole world could be changed again.

The chart on the C&A page sez that at 340 points, solo cruisers pay 150 percent for single supplement instead of 200 percent. That's a 25 percent discount. Works for me since She Who Must Be Obeyed doesn't care to cruise much anymore. My big box travel agency gives me a gift card too, sometimes worth up to 8 or 9 percent of the cruise fare. Pretty soon, they'll be paying me to cruise.

Out of an abundance of caution, I will be following the latest CDC guidance. Wholesale testing of people who are not sick and quarantining people who are not sick but test positive has become more covid theater - just like wiping down every reachable surface and servers wearing gloves even if they touch multiple surfaces and wear the same gloves an entire shift.

If that "open" area compromised any part of the path of exit travel, it's still a hazard and in violation of SOLAS. Elevator and stairway lobbies are crossovers from one side to the other. Just sayin'

There's good news on the horizon, but it will take the cruise lines a while to catch up. I'm sure they would like to see the expense of on-board testing and needless quarantines go away as much as we do. CDC ends recommendations for social distancing, quarantine for COVID-19 (msn.com)

Quads don't always show up on the cruise line's deck plans so I use a popular online travel broker that offers ocean cruises, river cruises, and land tours. You can search for the particular ship and then review the deck plans before you book.

There's a form on the big box website in the help section at the top of their website home page. You can fill it out online, download it and sign it, and then fax or email it to the cruise line. I'd send you a link, but that would get me suspended for recommending a travel agent!

Yeah. I got fooled once on one of the newer ships. It had a "promenade" that was really access to the lifeboats. One could walk back and forth with a view of the lifeboats. Now I'm even more careful about reviewing the deck plans.

My perspective hasn't changed. I compare prices between the cruise line and the big box. I book with whichever one is cheaper, usually, but not always big box. On my current WC booking, it was cheaper at the time to book with the cruise with the cruise line and then transfer the booking to big box. That mover garnered me a big box gift card worth just under 10% of the cruise fare! You gotta put the pencil to it.

Oh, the times they are a changin, CDC drops quarantine, distancing recommendations for COVID (msn.com)

That'll work until someone is injured or worse because of lax enforcement of the SOLAS fire safety regs regarding clear paths of exit travel. Plus, a scooter parked in the path of exit travel often prevents another scooter user to get by.

I was reading on the promenade on a HAL cruise one time and here came a crew member pushing a cart with coffee and pastries. I was pleasantly surprised and it made for an even better experience.

In addition to the five cruises I've done since the restart, I have four more booked through mid- 2024. With more decades behind me than in front of me, there's no time to lose!

With the virus mutating into less lethal variants that are, for the most part, producing flu-like symptoms, I suspect this will become less of an issue as time goes on.

Thanks. I always figure there's a reason some cabins are unsold and available for "upgrades" - location, location, location. Once I select the perfect location - cabins above, below, and across the corridor - I want to stay put. I have my reservation marked "no upgrades" and squeal like a pig stuck under a gate if I get moved.

A wrap around full promenade is a must have for me. I think the reason promenades are disappearing is that they don't produce any revenue per square foot.

There's a reason some cabins are unsold and used for "upgrades". Location, location, location. Cabins above, below, and across the corridor is the way to go.

If mobilty devices are parked/stored/charged in the paths of exit travel such as corridors, elevator lobbies, and stairway access areas, they are in violation of SOLAS fire safety standards and should be reported to the guest services desk. There is not gray area on the requirements for clear paths of exit travel, just lax enforcement.

A day at sea with a good book and a shady spot on the promenade to read, somewhere to get something to eat when I feel like it, a wee dram or three in the evening to sip while listening to some un-amplified music and I'm good. Fifty-some cruises with Cunard, HAL, Viking, Princess, and RCI and I've only been on one ship on which I could hardly wait for the cruise to be over ( NCL Epic) and I've never booked another one with that line. See my signature line below.

Were there several cabins to choose from for the upgrade?

There's a reason some of those cabins available for "upgrades" remain unsold. Location Location .Location. An "upgrade" to a cabin under the Melanoma deck or above a Disco may not be such an upgrade after all.

A trap is one way to look at it and one that I hadn't thought about. When I shop for a cruise, it's generally for the destination and itinerary. I use a popular online TA whereby I can search across multiple cruise lines. For example, if I want a transatlantic to get me to Europe, I find one that fits my needs. If I looked only at RCI my choices are more limited. If I do select RCI, the DP340 discount is a nice plus. Loyalty perks work, but it's tough to expand your horizons wearing RCI goggles.