The Fun Researcher

Looks like all those July cruises on the Freedom are gone.

So nothing definitive yet?  Thx

Sorry if this has been discussed in detail already but I can't find the info.

Considering the Freedom early August for a quick 3 nighter but I can't find the mask protocols.  We're fully vaccinated.  Is there a link to how Royal is handling masks onboard (or if masks will be required or not)?  

Dan

The only time we’ve flown since Covid was the week after Christmas (round trip direct to Florida on United). Both flights were completely full.  It was the most unnerving part of the trip.  Yes there is good air filtration but when someone right next to you coughs or sneezes it still makes you cringe.  Fortunately none of the seven in our party got sick, and our condo stay on Clearwater beach was great.  Enjoyed the Florida weather, great take out dinners, beautiful beach.

I’m not sure I would feel any better on a cruise ship though.

Dan

On 1/20/2021 at 8:38 AM, island lady said:

 

And sadly many not only took advantage of it, lots of plates of partial eaten food piled up in the hallway (which was totally gross)....but many did not tip.  

True, in all our cruising we've never used room service once.

Dan

Very happy to see the sail date extended to September 30 2022.   We received multiple emails today about it for our various credits

Dan

Just spent last week in a BEAUTIFUL 2800 square foot condo on Clearwater Beach.  Gorgeous weather as well. 

As much as we enjoyed it, it doesn't hold a candle to cruising.  We're finding out that we miss it more, not less, since this covid mess.

Dan

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

How would they know if you had it before?  Are they going to check some central database?

This is a very good point, but from the viewpoint of those who have had Covid but were asymptomatic and never knew they had it.  I could be wrong about the numbers, but I seem to remember a statistic that says around 40% of Covid cases are those who are asymptomatic and don’t even know it.
 

They might be in for a rude surprise when they get their Covid test three or so days before the cruise and find out they are positive.  You can easily test positive for Covid 2 to 3 months after having had it even though you are not contagious, and probably safer to be on board than those who have not had it

Dan

1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

 

Some further official insight into my previous comments. 
This is from the policy for the Singapore Quantum sailing leaving today  

 

“Guests who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the past 180 days before embarking, or hold a positive serology certificate dated during this timeframe, will not be able to receive a PCR test, and are therefore unable to cruise.”

Thank you for this!  I would guess that this would carry over to US sailings as well.  

WOW, 180 days!  That's a lot of folks who are not able to cruise for quite some time after contracting COVID.  For us, this makes it very hard to plan or book a cruise IMO.  Sure, RCI can provide you with cruise credit if you need to cancel, but I'm not sure what policies airlines will have by the time cruising starts up again in the US.  For those of us living up north, flying is much preferred for many of us.

Looking forward to when things are back to "normal" whenever that is.

Dan

54 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Every time that my kids said that something was not fair while growing up, I had the same response...life's not fair.

35 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

You've met my mother it seems. Whenever I said its not fair she said, no one ever promised life would be fair.

Yeah I set myself up for responses like this when I used the term “not fair”.  Trust me, I’m not one of those entitled whiners.  I should have left that sentence out.

It doesn’t change the reality of the situation for those who catch Covid 1-3 months before sailing.  We’ll see how this all shakes out

Dan

55 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Talk to my colleague, an ICU hospitalist that has been not allowed into the hospital for about 8 weeks because he can not produce 2 consecutive negative tests (this is in November not June)

I cannot argue that and I believe you, although it is shocking in the current environment.  I honestly pray that Texas does not run out of ICU and hospital doctors and nurses due to this practice.

My buddy who is also an ICU doctor is having to work 13 days straight due the high demand and need.  This is the same gentleman that was asked to return to work after testing positive for COVID and quarantining for the minimum 10 days because he met the CDC criteria.

Dan

42 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

The issue is there is no way to validate a previous infection or the viral load of the person. A positive test is a positive test, that is the way it is. 
Fair has nothing to do with it. I have a nurse practitioner in my office. She has worked for me for 11 years, she tested positive in June, after a couple weeks she was 100% asymptomatic, and ready to return to work. It took 11 weeks for her to be able to produce 2 consecutive negative tests. The Texas Medical Board would not allow her to return to my office until this requirement had been met. It is what it is. 
A positive test will not be boarding a cruise ship, period. 

I would not talk in such absolutes.

It is easy to show previous infection by providing the documentation of positive COVID test results.  So now we will except negative tests as proof but not a positive test?

I highly doubt that the Texas medical board currently does not allow doctors or nurses to return to work until after two consecutive negative results. That was back in June. Much has been learned since.  We have many doctor and nurse friends and they are allowed to go back to practice, after infection, as soon as they meet the CDC guidelines.(copied below)  One of our doctor friends, who was COVID positive, was back to work at the hospital 10 days after initial symptoms.

I agree that a positive test from those infected 1-3 months prior poses extra challenges.  A double negative test result within five days of sailing is also wrought with risk.   Folks could easily  pick up the virus within that timeframe and not have enough viral load to show a positive result.

As more and more of our country contracts Covid during these uncontrolled outbreaks, I think this issue will become more and more significant to those wanting to cruise and to the cruise line itself.

I will wait and see what the cruise industry determines in this regard.

Dan

30 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

They will not be cruising at that time, very simple

So those that are less risk of getting or giving COVID to others are not allowed to sail?  
 

I’m not up to speed on the latest rules from Royal Caribbean, but if someone gets Covid after final payment (and may very well test positive all the way up to the sail date ) will royal give them a full refund including deposit?.

It’s completely not fair to those who get Covid and have recovered to not allow them to sail.
 

Dan

What are they going to do about those who already had Covid but are far past the infectious stage but can still test positive for Covid up to three months after already having it?

Dan

17 hours ago, jean87510 said:

Agree.  Cars are the way to go.  Sounds like you did the same thing as us with karputa and 1000 steps!  Did you snorkel at the salt flats?  Many turtles when we were there.  We will be back there in January 2022 and will either go back to Klein bonaire or rent the car again.  

By the time we got to the salt flats we were starting to run out of time after all of the other activities we did that day so unfortunately we did not see the turtles. However we saw a ton of them in Curaçao the next day. It was awesome

Dan

When it comes to COVID, I believe that anyone can find an article that definitively proves their side of an argument.

Dan

On 11/2/2020 at 7:49 PM, Smartipantz said:

But it leaves out of San Juan, right?  Not sure that will work for us.  Dang!  I got my hopes up!  

 

If you need an excursion for Bonaire, I highly suggest you rent a golf cart and drive it around the island for the day.  It was THE BEST excursion and highly worth the $90 it cost the two of us.  If you need more info, let me know!  

On 11/3/2020 at 4:31 AM, jean87510 said:

Our favorite thing is renting a car and seeing more of island.  You cant do donkey sanctuary in a golf cart. Very easy and much cheaper to take ferry to klein bonaire and do your own snorkeling.  We also went to the beach near the salt flats where we saw dozens of turtles.  Bonaire is an island where you just need your snorkeling gear and a car so you can get places quicker and get more in on your day. No excursions are needed.  

We looked into golf carts but ended up renting small SUV's from Hertz at the Divi Flamingo resort, which is only about a 5 minute walk from the port.  The SUV's were air conditioned and faster than a golf cart.  We were able to drive the entire island in one day.  Started out heading west to snorkle at multiple locations (karpata, 1000 steps, etc...) then heading north to the reserve, then all the way southeast to the salt flats and old slave huts.  Had the most amazing food at kite city, a well known food truck there.  The beach out front of kite city was fantastic, and the snorkeling was great there too.  It's one of, if not THE best, day we've had in all of our cruising.

Dan

43 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

We have not flown in 10 years.If you can drive and you are healthy there is nothing better that a long distance drive,

To each his/her own, but I prefer not to be drained at the start of my vacation.  Driving 1400 miles one way, either over multiple days or in one long 21+ hour drive doesn't appeal to me nearly as much as a 1 hour drive to the airport followed by a 2.5 hour flight.

Dan

1 minute ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I haven’t been in a Walmart since 2015 and that was only to buy my grandson a particular gift they had in stock. 
 

M8

I go to Walmart to check out the latest fashion trends.  Who knew that pajamas were so popular to be worn in the middle of the day?

Dan

The way COVID has exploded in the last few weeks it's hard to determine just where one picks it up.

The plane is one possibility but so are all the other potential exposures you had from the time you left your house until you returned.

Dan

Hopefully Johnny Rockets goes away on Royal Caribbean ships. Just my opinion but it’s never been an impressive venue.  Never really fit.  Subpar burger joint.  

Dan

Honestly, all of your itineraries and ships that you picked are great, except maybe the empress. It is a small older ship.
 

I think you can find what you were looking for an either of the freedom itineraries or the Odyssey itinerary.

Eastern and southern are by far our favorite, with southern being the most favorite.  

Dan

True southern ABC itineraries from Florida, Galveston or Bayonne.  Preferably on Voyager or Freedom class but anything Voyager and larger is good.

This would require 8 night minimum from Florida and probably 10 night from Bayonne.

The 9 night southern Caribbean that we did out of Miami on the newly AMPED Navigator in March 2019 was by far the best itinerary we have done and the ship was amazing after being AMPED.

Dan

12 hours ago, bigrednole said:

We call it the Redneck Riviera 🙂

Same thing we say about Branson.  I call it the redneck Disney World.  Our week was fun but it just wasn’t our style.  My parents and one of my sisters however have been back to Branson multiple times.  

Dan

It was actually our most recent cruise on the newly Amped Navigator, 9 night Southern Caribbean Cruise.  Not only was the ship amazing (and our new favorite) after being Amped, the ABC islands are also our new favorite.  Our weather was fantastic as well, and the 9 nights made for a lot of time to enjoy the cruise and chill...

Labadee, Bonaire, Curacao, and Abuba...  two sea days at the end...  our best itinerary so far, by far.

Here's my review...