dude_hdt

@2552phxcrzr I'll email for the link also. I'm booked on Oceania for 2025 ATW so would love to learn from your blog.

For the go-cart, is $15 for certain number of laps or based on time?

The more I look at the itinerary,  the more it's growing on me.  Amazon, southern Africa, southeast Asia are pluses.  Missing on my bucket is Petra, Suez Canal, Mediterranean,  Baltic,  and Iceland.  Those can be checked off with another couple of segments with Oceania or another line the following year or 2.

2025 is first opportunity for me after things settle down post retirement.

I've been targeting world cruise in 2025 for a few years now.  I want circumnavigation and Oceania is the first decent company to offer that with start/end at same port so just booked today!!

Not the best itinerary...eastward and no Europe.  On the other hand, Amazon River, southern Africa and Japan near cherry blossom season are pluses.

2 hours ago, DCPIV said:

Frankly, I would rather someone with clean hands touching hundreds of clean cups than hundreds of passengers touching the one I take. Crew are much, much better than many guests at maintaining proper sanitation. 

I agree with the regular glass for water/tea/juice.  I'm worried about the tumbler they give you with the drink packages and usage at Freestyle soda machines.  Everyone handing their tumbler to employees could leave all sorts of stuff on that hand.  Just have to wipe down the tumbler when employee hands it back to you I guess.

Also sailing 21st as well as 26th (b2b).  Just got my negative ID NOW results go good to go. 

Are the drink stations self served or still staffed?  Not liking idea of employee touching 100s of cups then touching yours at the sofa machines.

WhatsApp is the way to go.  Did several voice calls during Vista Oct 2 cruise with middle wifi plan.  Pre-covid, even did video call thru WhatsApp...blurry but it worked.  Just make sure whoever you're planning to call has WhatsApp and test it out at home before you cruise.

If you're currently onboard, can you tell me how much Go-Pro cameras are costing and what models available?  Trying to decide to buy before our cruise or price and tax free onboard is better.  We're sailing in 2 weeks...

Thanks in advance!!

How does the drink at Sea Day Brunch work for Platinum (my wife will be Platinum on our next)?  Is it for every day that there's a Brunch or just one time on a particular day?

If texting from iPhone to iPhone then ship's wifi package will do.  If not iPhone then you can use an app like WhatsApp for texting or voice.  I've got WhatsApp to do video a few years ago but haven't tried it since.  Video quality was not very good at all.  We've always gotten the middle of the line wifi package.

On 10/18/2021 at 11:03 AM, Izena said:

Sailing out of Galveston in November.   What are the boarding time options?  Will need to coordinate with several families.  I’m also a nervous Nelli  and tend to over think.  I’m driving from an hour North of Houston. 

Sailed Vista on Oct 2.  Don't recall earliest time but not being platinum the earliest we could pick was 11am.  We were let into the building around 10:50 so a little early.  There was a roped off line for 11:30 people so they were held back.  Only 5 minutes or so to the first station which was covid paperwork check. Then thru x-ray then desk check-in.  We sat down in waiting area by 11:15.  There were tons of people in that waiting area already.  I asked some folks in waiting area and they had 10am check-in time so don't know if that earliest or what.

Many years ago, boarding in Galveston is usually 11am and I'd time my arrival to be 10:30 so that I can walk thru check-in and right onto the ship with barely anyone in the waiting area but this new enforced check-in has people arriving really early.

I did the Walgreen ID NOW test for my Vista cruise on Oct 2nd.  It was accepted w/o question at the terminal.

Since most ships have at least 2 MDRs, they should designate one to be elegant dress and the other to be normal.  That way, those that want to be elegant won't be saddened by others around them who don't dress up.

13 hours ago, rlindholm said:

Which ship?

 

Vista.  I'm about 30 minutes from Galveston so too convenient to frequent whichever ships ports here.

My wife called Walgreen in the afternoon for status, Walgreens didn't say anything about issue but to get back with them if we don't hear after 24 hrs.  Perhaps that IT problem was the delay...

Just sharing my experience with IdNow and Walgreen.  My previous test in August got results in about 1.5 hrs.  Today's test was 9:30a and result email didn't come until 6p.  Lesson is not to assume always quick turn around and procrastinate to test morning of boarding.

Sailing Saturday.  Scheduled the first test at Walgreen this morning at 9:30a.  Got email 3 hrs later about Rx ready to pick up...whatever that means.  Around 5p, my Walgreen account showed Rx picked up which I took to mean they are finally processing my test sample.  At 6p, got NEGATIVE result!!!  Now I can finish packing.

Compared to early August test at same location when I got result in about 1.5 hrs...just don't expect waiting time to be the same every time.  To be fair, their webpage does say IdNOW takes 24 hrs but we're just spoiled getting it earlier.

Thanks for the quick report.  Also on for 10/2.  Masks outdoors on the island seems weird but the locals get to make their own rules.  Just happy to be (about to be) sailing again.

As mentioned before, there's Enterprise at near corner of I-45 and 61st street.  I've seen them (talked to Enterprise driver) picking up returning passengers at the port using the rental car to take them back to office to process paperwork so they will do pick up/drop off.

That was pre-covid so not certain if they're fully functional again or not.

15 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

I cancelled my August cruise and moved everything I paid to a cruise in 2022.  I did not have a penalty and even got to keep my $600 that I had for rebooking a previous cancelled cruise.  I could not keep my Free Cheers promo from my cancelled cruise and had to book the new cruise with a current promo.

I've got Oct and Dec sailings (fully paid) but reluctant to move because of that $600 obc from cancelled cruises but if I can keep those and no penalty...then will have to look into this...

We'll be on Glory for 14 night Panama partial transit right after Thanksgiving.  Hope the inside got some upgrade too.  Never been on Glory but sooooo looking forward to that trip.

We're supposed to be on Vista for early Oct to Cayman (purposely chose this route) but haven't received anything from CCL yet.  Still hoping Cayman opens up sooner than next January.

I'm booked on Vista first week of Oct 2021.  Crossing my fingers...

What level are the "free air" tickets?  Just Economy and you'd need to pay extra for upgrades from there?