lovemylab

33 minutes ago, islandwannabee said:

I would love to go again, but tests in my area are taking 10-14 days for results. 

That is nuts.  So basically by the time you get back the results you could be recovered.

In my area (Atlantic Canada) we get the results back within 24 hours.

9 hours ago, cruisinfanatic said:

I've never paid for an excursion ahead of time in 40 cruises. Always got what I wanted after boarding.

I book ahead of time for two reasons: prices are often cheaper when booking in advance & don't need to spend time onboard standing in a line.  We've been on a few ships excursions that sold out quickly onboard.  

Friends once did a Med cruise and waited until onboard to book excursions.   The ones that most interested them were no longer available and in one particular port there was nothing left at all.  

4 hours ago, Justmekaren918 said:

Actually u can't get to Canada, because Canada has closed their border till 2021! 

1. Canadian citizens can still return to Canada.  

2. The Canada/US border is currently closed to August 21, 2020.

I would call as it sounds like the first person you were speaking with provided wrong information.  If you think the information you are receiving is incorrect ask them to double check or speak to a supervisor. 

When I called to do mine, I was initially told that my 9 night Med cruise could not be shifted to a 9 night Greek Isles cruise as the "itinerary wasn't the same".  I referred to the Q&As on the website and asked that she double check.  A few minutes later she came back and said it could be done.   When you do get your invoice, double check that all prices are correct.  On mine I noticed the port charges were higher on my invoice compared to what the website was quoting.  

When I did my L&S, I got to choose what sailing to switch to (in my case there was 3 to choose from).  Royal didn't decide for me.  You should have no issues getting your parents cruise moved to the same one you will be on.

We have always been a combination of the two.  We are frugal on certain things but there are other areas where we'll splurge.  We will remain this way going forward.

-For a precruise hotel we've used hotwire/priceline to save some $$.  In Europe we tend to stay at 3* hotels that are clean and in convenient location.  In Europe the star level refers to the amenities, not the rating.  Things like room service, pools, onsite restaurants, bellhop, etc. are not important to us so we won't pay more to have these services.

-We usually book an inside cabin.  We are usually only in the cabin to sleep/shower so can't justify upgrading to something bigger/with a better view (that we likely won't use as we're usually not in the cabin).

-We take the savings from that inside cabin and will splurge on some nice experiences during the cruise.   This could be things like a dinner at a specialty restaurant, a drink package or particular tour in a port.

As for excursions in ports, we will pay more for a better experience.   While some ports can easily be done with public transportation or on your own, others do require a tour.  For example, when we visited Livorno we joined others on our roll call for a fabulous tour through the Tuscan countryside with a stop at a winery for lunch.  There is no way we would have got this same experience had we limited ourselves to what was available using public transportation.  So instead of looking to see "what can we do on the cheap" we research the ports to determine what we want to do and then figure out how is the most cost effective way to do it.  Usually on a cruise we end up having a combination of DIY tours using public transportation, private tours (shared with others from a roll call) and the occassional ships tour.

We've done land trips to both Jamaica and Barbados and loved both.  In Jamaica we stayed at an AI.  We have never visited Jamaica on a cruise but love the AI experience there.

In Barbados we stayed at a hotel that had a kitchenette and was right on the beach.   Barbados can be pricy but having the kitchenette allowed us to save a fair amount on meals/drinks.  We ate out once a day (for dinner) and for a beach day we'd just pack a cooler with drinks.

Honestly, I'd take a land trip to all of the ports I've been to in the Caribbean.  

2 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Are there exemptions to the rule?  How do some get across to their summer homes?

Not sure about all the exemptions, but I know citizenship is one.  So an American who also holds Canadian citizenship can cross the border to their summer home but they are still subject to 14 day isolation.

Cross country travel across Canada also requires a 14 day isolation in some cases.  I live in Atlantic Canada and anyone travelling here from outside the Atlantic Provinces needs to isolate for 14 days when the visit.  If I leave the Atlantic provinces (to go to Quebec or Ontario for example), I would have to iolate for 14 days when I return.  

1 minute ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

I wonder if it's the same for Americans who own property in Canada.  A few weeks ago someone posted that a Florida couple was recently arrested in Canada for not following quarantine in their property in Canada.  These are strange times!  Hope you get to visit your property soon.  

 

Was also thinking of how the many Americans that have retired overseas are faring.  It must be hard not being able to go back and forth to your country.  Not sure this was in anyone's plans. 

It is the same.  I live in an area of Canada where a lot of Americans have summer homes and quite a few have not been able to get across the border.  Those that do get across have to isolate for 14 days or risk fines.

We've bought two watches at Little Switzerland and been happy with both purchases.

1 minute ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

I am well aware of the the subject of the thread.  S/B "How does the Bahamas being closed affect Royal" Traveling there by air is not irrelevant as it is mentioned in the article the OP posted.  BTW there was already a previous thread on this and discussed in several threads before that. 

My reply was in reference to the title of the thread and the OPs initial question.   The OP was asking how this will impact ROYAL. They were not asking how it will impact the Bahamas tourism industry or those with seasonal homes.  But clearly you just want to argue semantics.

BTW, if you have issues with there being multiple threads you can hit the "report post" button.  

4 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

It's not only ships -- they are restricting air travel. It matters to those that fly there and can't anymore unless they have a private plane.  It will also matter a great deal to those with secondary homes on the islands. 

The subject of thread is "how does the Bahamas being closed effect Royal". 

Airplane travel and those with secondary homes on the islands is irreleventent to the subject of this thread.

Seeing as how the ships aren't sailing anytime soon I don't think it matters.

8 hours ago, SRF said:

 

The ONLY vaccination I have had to have proof of is Yellow Fever.  Now, I have only been to 150 different countries, so maybe I have missed a place that did.

 

What vaccinations have you been REQUIRED to have?  And where?

 

The things on the list you linked to are RECOMMENDED.

Actually that list shows quite a few countries where a vaccination is required.  

For Antigua & Barbuda it has the following:  Yellow fever (2014) Country requirement: a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers over 1 year of age arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.

This is not a recommendation. It's a requirement if travelling from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission.

Covid-19 is a Global Pandemic.  The risk of transmission is worldwide.  So if countries have vaccine requirements for yellow fever, I would several countries will require a covid-19 vaccine for travellers.  

I think they will.  Simply because I think the ports they're docking in will require it.

Few mistakes we made on the first two cruises:

1. Didn't pack OTC medication and got stuck paying the inflated price at the gift shop.

2. Having no idea how price drops worked.  We assumed the price you booked at is what you paid.

3. Not realizing that you could order the drink of the day without the souvenir cup (and save a few dollars).  On the last night of the cruise we'd be struggling to find luggage space for them.  Once home they sat in a cupboard for ten years only to get thrown out when we moved.

4. DH forgetting to pack his suit.  Thinking we needed one for formal night we then rented a tuxedo.

I'd choose the ABC islands.

6 hours ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Everything you like about it is available on cruises also. Plus in different countries and locations. Far wider variety cruising. As for the food. You can enjoy many of the specialty dining for up scale food and still pay less in the long run. You mention beaches and pools included in the price. Same on a cruise is it not? I have never paid to go in a pool or on a beach when cursing. Bigger pools than on the ship. Yes. But so are the port swimming pools. Excursions are a lot cheaper if you purchase off of the ship. Just make sure you go early so you will not miss the ship. That is what we do. Horse and buggy rides are nice. Cruising to us is the best time away from home. I live in Florida a 20 min ride to the beach, if I wish. So much to do and see on a cruise and different ports unlike staying in one place for a week. My opinion only. To each their own.

If I lived 20 minutes from a warm beach with palm trees I probably wouldn't be interested in booking an AI beach vacation either 🙂

You are also within driving distance to several cruise ports, so the cost for you to cruise is going to be considerably less than someone from Canada who has to fly to the port.  For many Canadians, it's cheaper to book an AI package vs. going on a week long cruise.  Many upscale resort chains (like Sandals) include excursions in the price so there is no extra costs involved.

1 hour ago, Canadianmama3 said:

Thanks for understanding the wanting to be there a couple days early. And we also enjoy spending time in Florida. 
 

I’m leaning towards the Mariner because of the extra day. And it’s a toss up between Nassau or Cozumel being a more preferred port.  We’ve been to Cozumel before with my son and we like it, but my son hasn’t been to Nassau (my husband and I have) and if we go there we may take him to Atlantis which I’m sure he’d love it. 

In that case maybe go with the Independence and spend an extra day in Florida?   

As a fellow Canadian I totally understand wanting to fly in 2 days early in February.  

Both ships get great reviews so I'd choose based on itinerary/price.  I just had a quick look at the itineraries and if it were me, I'd choose the 5 night Mariner that goes to Coco Cay.   I like that it's a day longer and also goes to Cozumel (which I prefer over Nassau) and has 2 sea days.  As an added bonus, they have a sailing that leaves on Family Day so if you opted for this one it would mean less school your son would miss (and less vacation days the adults would need to use).  

We prefer a mix of cruises, land trips and AI resorts.  If we couldn't cruise we'd just continue with AI resorts and land trips.

2 hours ago, drrich2 said:

In other news, for people who don't drink alcohol, Sandals might be less appealing since in effect you're paying for it whether you drink it or not?

There are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available at AI resorts like Sandals.  Smoothies, soft drinks, juice, virgin drinks, bottled water, coconut water & coffee beverages are all included.  Where as on a cruise, these items cost extra. 

Whether you do a cruise or go to Sandals, there are always going to be things you're "paying for" that you aren't using.  On cruises we're never used Adventure Ocean, the gym, fitness classes or the pools.  Our last cruise was port intensive and on several days we only ate 1 meal on the ship.  We've done a few cruises where we barely set foot inside the main dining room.  Vegetarians never order lobster, prime rib, filet mignon or rack of lamb.  

We cruised for close to 10 years before we finally tried an AI resort and ended up loving it. Since cruising currently isn't an option I think an AI is a great alternative for those looking for a warm weather vacation.

4 hours ago, CRZR58 said:

Covid aside, we love Sandals, but we don't love all AI's.

 

Pros:

Way cheaper for Canadian's in a package than cruising.

No kids.

Rooms that are bigger than ship cabins, but some we've stayed in needed updating.

Restaurants are better than any MDR on any cruise weve been on except maybe Windstar.

We like the beach and pools, way bigger than on ships and included in the price.

Booze is included. Bar scene is generally livelier.

Italian coffee, ice cream, fresh baked cookies all included.

Stay at one, go to many increases the number of restaurants and beaches you can try.

We find excursions to be cheaper, longer, less crowded and no worries about getting back late if anything happens.

'Yard Sales' are weekly instead of nightly.

 

Cons:

Not on the sea. (Biggest reason we cruise, but we always take a Catamaran day trip anyway)

Nightly shows aren't as good.

Only one island.

 

We have never been to Sandals but have stayed at Couples in Jamaica (which is very similar) and this has been our experience as well.  

At Couples they also have several excursions included such as snorkeling/scuba tours, glass bottom boat rides, catamaran cruises, trips to local sites such as Dunn's River Falls or Rick's Cafe.  

For a cruise, by the time we add on airfare, pre-cruise hotel, transportation to/from port, drink packages, gratuities and excursions it's cheaper for us to stay a week at a high end AI.  I know that booking excursions isn't a requirement but even a DIY beach day at a port costs money (taxi's, renting loungers, lunch, etc.) and needs to be factored in.

I also recommend an open jaw flight where you fly into Nashville and fly home from either Miami or Fort Lauderdale. 

You can then book a one way flight from Nashville to either Fort Lauderdale or Miami.  They are close together so either airport will work.   

5 minutes ago, BND said:

We always pick our own.  It's worth the cost to get the location we want.  Not all cabins are equal in terms of location.  When they can pick, they can leave the more disireable cabins for those willing to pay for it and put those that don't into locations that don't sell as easily.

But in the OPs case it's actually cheaper to pick their own cabin vs. taking the guarantee.  I believe that is what they're questioning.

Hoping some fellow Canadians can answer this one.

Called Royal yesterday to L&S a 9 night Exlorer booking to a 9 night Odyssey sailing.  For my Explorer sailing, the gratutities were showing as $167 Cdn pp.  On the Odyssey they are showing as $260 Cdn pp.   The rep on the phone couldn't explain why they are now almost $100 more pp.  I know exchange rate can play a part but $14.50x9=$130.50 US, which based on current exchange rates should be no more than $185 Cdn.  We are not in a suite.

Has anyone else noticed this?