topnole

You can’t book her in two rooms. It is either or. Get her the UDP and DB packages and the genie will include her in many things. We had friends in the cabin next door on our trip last month and the genie booked all our meals together for example (both in the cabin and at the specialty restaurants). When we had dinner on our balcony, he brought us all a glass of wine. They couldn’t come to the Coastal Kitchen however. That was the one thing that was an absolute no. So if that matters to you, take that into consideration. The wives did a show together and the genie held them and a couple of the kids seats. We even did a skating show and the genie held seats for all of us. We didn’t ask for this, he just offered. I’m sure he had plenty of Star class seating available for that one. So be a little flexible if the genie is including someone extra. For you only having one extra, I would imagine they will include them in nearly everything. Just assume coastal kitchen is a no go and hope for the best on that. Fyi. We didn’t really ask for them to be included. In fact in my emails pre cruise I simply explained our dynamics and that we knew they wouldn’t be included and get Star class perks, but that we wanted to enjoy our perks as much as possible without making them feel like second class citizens. I’m sure the genies get this a lot. They do their best. Our friends did not board or disembark with us. They did that using the normal process. So that is another issue you may want to consider.

Always at the end of each meal for us. Very likely you will have different servers at some point at least once or twice. But do it however you want. I just much prefer to do it with each meal. I’m sure they appreciate that too. I’m certainly not the type to tip before service (to entice good service), but I also wouldn’t want them thinking I’m not tipping them all week. We typically get fantastic service in the CK. So I’m sure they appreciate the tips. With that said, I suspect they would provide good service either way.

Probably been on nearly 100 cruises. Probably 30+ on Royal over the past 12 years or so. Nearly 20 of those were on Oasis class. I’m not sure I ever recall seeing a priest (although I probably have once or twice) and I’ve never once seen a chapel being used for a service. I have seen wedding parties that I know got married in the chapel before the ship sailed on day 1. They used to let guests board to attend weddings and then depart before the ship left. In the early years both Oasis and Allure had large beautiful chapels up on deck 17. I have no idea where they would even do a service now on Oasis class ships.

And how many of these well paid analysts predicted the recent huge declines before they happened (not in general but with with actionable price targets). How about in 2006/7? How about in 2000/1? Few if any. Their analysis is almost always a day late and a dollar short. Sure, these folks make good money. So do some weathermen/women. Doesn’t mean they aren’t wrong all the time. As I said in my prior posts, you get an edge by understanding the products and business (ie understand their strategy, business models, and external environment). It isn’t that hard though to pick top companies in attractive industries and buy and hold. Trading is just gambling. Sure you can win. But you will win if you invest in the market long run. Prove me wrong please? I don’t think you will find any legitimate research that shows otherwise.

Haaa. I didn’t buy Royal stock before Covid and I would only ever buy it as a pure gamble now. Not a good investment now and wasn’t before IMO. And investing doesn’t involve one stock. But if you use that analogy, how would Google, or msft, or apple be working for the long term investor? And the sucker that sold when something was up 30% left a lot on the table when they split, then double, etc., etc. Sure trading can bring big gains. But I know lots of smart people that lost their butts trying to short term trade. I don’t know anyone who invested in the market (and left it there for decades) and lost. No one. Sure, some people get lucky trading. But no one honestly systematically beats the market by much in the long run. Of course no one lives for the long run so some will win and some will lose (and sometimes big time). I know a person who knows zero about investing and zero about one of the companies he invested in. He made a fortune. Doesn’t make him smart or smarter then the market. Just lucky. I’ve also done very will investing. None of it from short term trading. But keep at it if it works for you.

Yea. But I don’t think you can tell by the crowds. Our last cruise felt totally normal based on crows. Big lines, packed pools, no towels even available by the pool, etc. The difference between 5600 and 5100 on oasis class isn’t going to be noticed imo. They will both feel pretty crowded.

Definitely many areas the scooter can bottom out. But if you can just get up and lift a little this is likely a non issue. This is a much more difficult or impossible situation when the person can’t get out or stand on their own. That is probably the problem you have heard about. Even getting to the helipad is difficult or impossible for some. But if someone can get off easily and someone can lift it a little, every threshold I’ve seen on ships would be none issue. The scooters aren’t that heavy when no one is one them. Yes there are heavy, but a little boost over a threshold isn’t a problem for most.

They are probably near as full as they used to be pre Covid. Or at least close enough for it to matter to the average person worried about crowds. So yes, on most ships and itineraries expect they will be near full. There will be exceptions here and there.

History doesn’t predict future stock performance. Go ahead buying and selling. Research shows buying and holding leads to better performance. So even those who make money trading are likely doing worse than they would if they just bought and let it grow. But they feel better thinking they are so smart to be able to beat the market. 😂😂😂

Institutionalism is a huge problem in the analyst industry (among many other rating agencies). They mostly parrot each other and the information is always old by definition. It’s like college sports recruiting agencies. One of the big ones rates a player 98 and a 5 star and most of the others just copy or closely copy that rating. Meanwhile, some future NFL star goes unrated at a smaller school because half the analysts don’t do their work and just copy each other. Sometimes a Bama spots them and makes an offer and magically they improve to a 4 star player overnight. It’s all circular. Same thing happens in the investment community. Don’t invest based on an analysts forecast. You think 5% of them ever even visited one part of the business they are covering? They mostly just take others material and tweak it slightly (just like the comedians on the ships). Do your own homework and study their financials, public disclosures, and products.

I love your Jenga blocks!

Tnx. Not sure I want to gamble, but it is getting tempting at these levels and I do have some cruises booked. Probably worth it if they don’t change the rules on it. Of course that would be one of the big unknowns.

So if I decide to play roulette and buy stock now, could I get an obc for a cruise that is already past final payment? Is it 100 or 200 shares to get the credit?

Shots will be available in Florida. Doctors have already been ordering. The media would have you believe the state has banned the vaccine for kids. Simply not true. The state health department does not endorse them in general for kids that age based on the research data and instead will leave this up to doctors and pharmacies to order and administer. This means the state didn’t pre order them before they were even approved. At most there will be a slight delay measured in days. Covid has been an issue for 2.5 years now. This is a non issue that the media uses to fit their varying agendas.

I got I health. I know people who got other brands that weren’t that or Binax.

The govt sends out varying brands. Did the OP state the company name?

Not sure what kids have to do with crowded or not? 5000 people is 5000 people no matter their age. In fact, kids are smaller than adults and take up way less space. You can actually have the max people in an elevator if they are all 5 years old. Try getting more than 7-8 average sized adult Americans in any elevator nowadays.

Why would they require it when it isn’t required for 5-11? And just look at the efficacy numbers and the sample sizes of those infected for these trials. If you think the vaccine rate was low for 5+ year olds, just wait for the numbers on this one.

This thread is interesting in that it seems there is a significant lack of knowledge on wether a passenger can refuse testing if requested by the cruise line. Clearly the employee had zero interest in requiring a test. But what would happen if the employee did and the passenger refused? What right does each party have in this situation? Can a passenger in this situation be quarantined if they refuse to test? I’d have to imagine what the ship has the authority to do a lot more than they chose to use in this scenario. I’m sure the contract must spell this out and I’m sure such info would benefit future cruisers at some point.

Kids must be tested 1-3 days prior. We did PCR 3 days prior at CVS. Got results the next day. Probably varies by location. Adults can test 0-2 days before. But kids can’t do the test the day you board because they do the antigen test at the port that day. They don’t want both tests on the same day.

Respectfully, I’ve never heard a doctor say fresh air and vitamin D is the best thing when one is sick. Vitamins don’t do much once your are sick. They are preventative at best. And only if you are vitamin deficient. And fresh air? Unless you are breathing uncirculated or contaminated air, I doubt it matters one bit. Sleep/rest and hydration is what I’ve heard most from doctors.

I know that you don’t know what I think because that isn’t what I think at all. I’m well aware that Covid exists in folks beyond the quarantine area. In fact we too had several interactions with guests and crew who ended up having Covid on our last cruise. All the same, if you have a quarantine area where Covid positive guests are confined, it is ridiculous to have other passengers coming and going at their will.

Yeah. But the package is so convenient and it is so hard handing them a sea card to buy a drink. Insert sarcasm don’t here.

The other women coming and going. Geez. Well that certainly can’t be good for containment (which is the purpose of quarantine).

My kids had Covid (not on a cruise) several months back and were also almost entirely asymptomatic. We only tested them because my wife was sick and tested positive. Seems to be pretty common among healthy kids. My wife and I were the only ones who had any symptoms and we were the only ones vaccinated. As far as the ship’s red zone, was this the general red zone or just for kids. Seems crazy that they had non-quarantining parents in the hall visiting or bringing stuff. That does makes zero sense. Why are they quarantining if they allow others to visit. If you are worried about spread, that does make zero sense.