shipgeeks

I am keeping the smaller bottles that my 30-day supply originally came in, and will transfer the appropriate amount, from my current 90-day big bottles, when I'm close to sail date.

Yes, we had to go through Immigration when we did 7+7 nighter. We went as a group, were cleared, and then could go right back onto the ship or into Miami; our choice.

A few months ago, St. Lucia and Barbados only allowed vaxed to go beyond the terminal. I imagine any port will set its own guidelines according to their current covid situation, including on short notice. Things seem to be getting better, but you never know.

We have had cabins near Centrum on Enchantment; never had any noise issues, nor did our friend who was in the first cabin. I also find it interesting, on Enchantment, that we can sit in the walkway beside Bolero's, one deck above Centrum and not very far from it, and not hear any conflict with the music being played in Centrum and the music in Bolero's.

Your daily planner will probably advise not going beyond the terminal. We did not read our planner. We went for a walk around Colon. A Port Security guard accompanied us back to the terminal. Not a good place. Looked like a movie set from Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo and Juliet". Crew were only permitted to go ashore in groups and in authorized transportation.

What's the big hurry? After the stress of getting to the ship, boarding, waiting for luggage, unpacking, it's nice to have a leisurely dinner and conversation with our new tablemates.

A good way to avoid that, then, is to not cruise.

Same here. And I'm realizing that food-wise, ships are doing a better job of providing a variety of meals than my local supermarkets. I go shopping, they have milk but not cereal. Potatoes but not beef. Fruit but not yogurt. And yet, so far, I have not felt a lack of any foods I wanted on a cruise. How do they do it? I don't know, but I like it. (I kind of like that they prepare it and clean it up, too!)

Is there a way to do a search for ship and cabin? Or do I have to read all 1,000+ entries in the hope of finding the one I'm curious about? I tried a search on general forum; no match.

I always admired people who could smile with their eyes as well as their mouth. Then during the pandemic people started teaching it. I learned a bit, and hope I can keep it. Makes for an even better smile!

And we had it (I should say, those who wanted it; not me) on second formal night of 8-night, as well.

Well! I just found out how easily one can be fooled. I did a search for ArriveCAN, chose the one that seemed most likely to be government, and filled it all in. Last page: "Choose payment method." (No mention of amount.) I jumped out, went back to the first page, and eventually found some fine print saying "This is a private travel agency, not an official government site". Chose another one, filled it all in again, and was successful.

Might masks (crew and/or passenger) have contributed to the problem? We've done two cruises so far this year; did not have any difficulty understanding or being understood.

Agreed! I'm always puzzled by why people have to know which way their bed will face/all the menus/what time the shows are/who the CD is/etc.

Colon, Panama. Cruise passengers are advised to not go beyond the cruise terminal unless on an excursion.

I have not used it myself, but I have seen mention of Trinity Reservations as a source of information re hotels in the area, and what amenities each provides.

ALKID, Do you understand who chengkp is, and why he is pursuing the answer to your situation? FYI, he is chief engineer with a lifetime career on ships. He knows a few things.

Pack the jackets, dresses, trousers, etc. on hangers; hang them up as soon as I unpack. Pack undies, jerseys, etc. in separate clear square zip bags; put them in drawers as soon as I unpack. Leave things I hardly use, like swimsuits, in the suitcase; put it under the bed. Done; minimalist clutter visible, just the way I like it.

A person reported on another site that she had to pay $60 for her ArriveCAN. Is there even a line in the application that asks you to pay?? (I think she is thinking of something else, but I'm curious.)

For any cruise, my personal preference is for an Oceanview, not a Balcony. Is that not one of your options? I like being able to look out, up, down, sideways from the comfort of my cabin. As to C/NE cruises, I haven't found much difference in viewing opportunities compared to Bahamas or other destinations; most of the trip is at sea, with no land in sight.

OP, As to your question of Is it really that bad? No, not in my opinion. We loved cruising during our 30 years before the shutdown, and we love it now. We've done two cruises since February, and have three more booked in the months to come. Wearing a mask in February wasn't great, and a few of the shows were cancelled due to sickness among cast members, but otherwise the experience was excellent. Good service, good food, nice surroundings, pleasant people to spend time with. No complaints!

I read CC a lot, but I never read reviews any more. Not for cruises, not for stores, restaurants, products. Just too individual, and too Wonderful or too Awful.

Even though I know food is a Serious Subject, allow me to add a bit of ketchup humor, lifted from the humor pages of CC. I accidentally got ketchup in my eyes. I now have Heinzsight.

Back in February, those of us who are vax had wristbands, others did not. The ports that had rules like this could see the wristbands.

SAS Transportation (rideSAS) does pickups at various hotels around FL. Check their website before choosing a hotel. We have found them reliable and inexpensive.