Threedrones

Thanks for the suggestion. We’re thinking more like hop on hop off or a tour, since we will be coming off a cruise spent on swimming and beaches. The website you gave was very informative though. We will be using it in the future. Love using CC because of all the knowledge being shared. Thanks, again.

We have a late flight out of Miami after our cruise. Has anyone used Bounce to store their luggage. If so, where. Is there a location near the port, or would we be better off taking Uber to any specific location? Suggestions? The only ship excursion is the Everglades, which we have done and would still leave us 3 hrs before we could check our luggage in. Thanks.

All mask mandates will end on April 1st.

Just heard from TA that our May 9, 2022 from Vancouver will now be leaving from Seattle. 
 

10 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

If you are in a Junior suite, you can, based on availability have dinner at the costal kitchen, reservations necessary.  If you are in a grand suite or higher, you can have all three meals in the costal kitchen.

 

 We never made reservations for dinner in a grand suite or higher for dinner.  Since we dine early, never a problem.  

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Doesn’t that vary by ship?

Kind of why I asked. Price for my sailing is $18.99. Zoom S&S is $18.39. Only real difference is Key must be purchased by everyone in cabin. If priority boarding or chops menu lunch on arrival been in play, I might have tried it to check out before “real” cruising starts up again. Thanks, everyone, for the responses.

Has anyone recently purchased “the key” on Freedom and, if so, found it worthwhile. I know it depends on one’s own cruise habits, but am curious as to recent cruising. Are there benefits that no longer apply?

Thanks for some useful hints.

9 hours ago, d9704011 said:

Population has pretty much ZERO to do with the numbers; that's why things are typically expressed as a percentage or per 100,000 people or something like that.  Normalizing data is a common way to be able to reasonably compare things between two disparate sample sizes.

Actually, it has MUCH to do with it. If Canada had distributed the vaccine at the same efficiency as the US, your entire population would be fully vaccinated.

On 7/28/2021 at 8:22 PM, bookbabe said:

And that’s of the total population…if you go with just the numbers for people 12+ it’s 81% first dose and 65% both.

However, population has a lot to do with these numbers. US has administered 354,000,000 doses compared to Canada’s 54,000,000.

As rka suggested, the floatplane with a secluded lake landing was probably the best excursion my wife and I ever experienced, and not just Alaska related. I’m not so keen on the train, though. If it is foggy, as it often is, you miss quite a bit. 

14 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

the problem is as soon as you hear they are able to test you at the cruise terminal, then everyone will start to show up without tests results and want that option.    then you end up with a 1000+ people to test before boarding and they have to adhere to time schedule with the Harbor pilot, etc. 

I agree. But they could make the fee high enough to discourage that.

Couldn’t RCL test them at the dock (for a fee)? They test children under 12 at the dock so the tests must be available. 

52 minutes ago, Den7Cruiser said:

Hi All, currently booked on Liberty of the Seas for October and I was in the Cruise Planner booking excursions today.   I thought I'd also just put in my My Time Dining Reservations while I'm at it.  Over the years, I've always booked My Time Dining, with reservations around 5-5:30 pm each night.  I've never had to do 1st or 2nd seating dinner times, nor have I really wanted to.

 

So when I went in today to book MTD, the earliest time available each night was 7-7:30 pm!  Has anyone else experienced this?  Just trying to figure out if everyone on my cruise has already taken up all the earlier times, or if the earlier times haven't opened yet or what's going on!?!

 

Also, can anyone tell me what time 1st and 2nd seating is for dinner each night?  Because if I have to wait 'til 7 each night for dinner, I'd assume 1st seating is earlier than that!!

 

Thanks for the help in advance...

I had the same issue with Freedom in September. It appears that, at least on Freedom, the main dining venue is being shared by Early dining (5:00-6:30) and My Time dining ( beginning at 6:45). It makes sense because those are both vaccinated only. We were able to snag some 7:00 slots.

38 minutes ago, dswallow said:

 

I'm not sure you understand the laws involved. The Bahamas will not allow any cruise ship to dock unless it certifies everyone aboard 12 and older is vaccinated, provides the manifest and related info, as well as documents about those with some allowed medical exemption.

This is exactly like what just happened with the US Virgin Islands. And it's exactly like many destinations airlines fly to. Royal Caribbean cannot dock in those ports between September 3 and November 1 without complying. Many of those sailings, with The Bahamas ports, then are not legal within the framework of the Passenger Vessel Services Act, and could not sail from a US Port, either.

 

Cruise Lines will do what they did for sailings include the US Virgin Islands. Only some sailings have even a viable alternative.

Didn’t the Governor of USVI ask DeSantis to carve out an exception for them. Has the same been done in this case?  I do understand the laws involved and, as I cited, it will be interesting to see how it plays out. 

48 minutes ago, dswallow said:

 

What it can and will change is removing all unvaccinated passengers among all ages of people who are eligible to be vaccinated other than those with some documented medical reason they cannot be vaccinated.

Not necessarily, though it would be nice. The last I looked, Florida was not subject to Bahama’s laws. It does present an intriguing problem for Florida though, as well as RCL. Can’t wait to see how it plays out since I’m on Freedom in late September.

2 hours ago, nbsjcruiser said:

Quite honestly I place a lot of the blame at the feet of DeSantis. Had he left the cruise lines and CDC to their business, the rules would have been clear from the start. Instead its constant court cases and as a result constant changing of rules. One day its ok to ask for vaccinations, the next day it isn't. One day a test at the pier is possible before boarding. The next it isn't. One day vaccinated people can cruise, the next day they can't. Some lines are asking for vaccinations, some aren't. Some lines are threatening to pull out of Florida, some lines are cancelling cruises (looking at you Celebrity) because they need to quarantine for 4 week after homeporting outside the US. Mass confusion every where you look. We spent two weeks trying to figure out if we would be able to cruise, what cruise line, what rules we'd need to know until we finally gave up. The added complexity and uncertainty not only took all the fun out of the planning phase but it left in doubt whether or not we'd even be able to step foot on the ship in 2 or 3 days even though we meet the criteria today. Just not worth it.

Seriously?  Had he left it to the CDC, the rules would have been clear? 

40 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Testing at the FLL airport is only for those flying in or out.  I don’t know the OP’s situation, but I just wanted to flag that for anyone reading this thread. 
 

From their website: “The testing service is open to consumers that can provide proof of travel plans to/from FLL on any airline.”

Do you know if these tests are covered by insurance?

6 hours ago, jerseygirl3 said:

Just so you know, everyone, whether vaccinated or not, is required to wear a mask indoors on Royal. 

Not true according to Royal’s protocol document from July 21st. Vaccinated guests visiting venues that have been designated as “vaccine only” can go maskless. That would appear to include certain gym hours, certain shows and the casino.

7 hours ago, kearney said:

You might check out this link..and look at the port and timing for your cruise to find what you need to do... and it will keep changing...so check back periodically to see if they have modified protocols for your cruise... https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center

Great info….thank you.

We checked in for our Freedom Sept 20 cruise last week. Hope everyone has a great time on their cruises.

On 6/17/2021 at 10:24 PM, BirdTravels said:

A vaccine does NOT prevent you from catching COVID. It protects you from becoming seriously ill and dying WHEN you catch COVID. Going into crowds (cruise ships) without a mask will help you catch COVID and allow you vaccine you help you from becoming seriously ill and dying. 

The vaccine greatly reduces your chances of catching Covid. NOTHING guarantees anything. Receiving a polio vaccine does not guarantee you will not get polio…it does greatly reduce the probability, though.

On 6/17/2021 at 9:09 PM, Tapi said:

Remember that the primary reason for the mask has always been, not to protect you, but to protect others from you. 
 

Yes, it sucks that the vaccinated people are still required to wear a mask to protect those who are unvaccinated. I’ll leave it at that.

But the CDC and just about EVERY health expert are saying vaccinated people do not spread the virus. So being vaccinated negates the need to wear a mask.

4 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Curious as to why is your state AL so high in positivity rate?  Your governor is lifting the mask mandate there April 9th.  Texas is very high too.  No masks as of March 10.  FL has no state mask mandate but the large cities and counties in FL do.  Surges in the No Mask states will impact the rest of us for cruising and traveling.  Maybe the No Mask states should be subject to receiving less vaccine distributions?  Just a thought.

 

https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2020/states-mask-mandates-coronavirus.html

Curious as to why you think people in no mask states should be penalized for mandates beyond their control.

23 hours ago, natefish95 said:

I didn't realize wearing a mask was akin to sacrificing your firstborn child...it's really not that big of a deal. I'll be on that ship with a mask and fully vaccinated whenever cruises start back. 

 

Y'all anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers can stay on land. I'll send y'all a key chain. 

How does not wanting to spend a vacation in a mask equate to being an anti-masker or anti-vaxxer? Explain your logic.