DCPIV

16 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

Bars are closed when in port?  Do they open in the evening?

You can pretty much bet on the Pool Bar being open good and early every day, something like 9 AM. If that's not early enough for you, I believe you can get an eye opener at Cafe al Bacio somewhere around the crack of dawn (but I've never confirmed it). Many others open around lunchtime.  Some may not open until mid afternoon or early evening.  Hours can vary from ship to ship, as well.  

Some bars may open later on port days, but -something- will be open.  The only bar I know of that is always closed while in port is the Casino Bar.

Yes, you select it when you check in.  If you aren't yet able to check in, go to the app and select the sailing.  Swipe right or touch the (abstract looking) person icon at the right of the top row.  There, you can see the date that check-in opens (you may need to scroll down a bit).

It sounds like a good fit.  At the very least, it sounds like you would have a very good time on Celebrity.  

It is true that, at the moment, Celebrity ships sailing from the USA do not require masks while on board.  I'm confident that they are doing everything they can to stay that way, too.  Personally, I'm not bothered by wearing a mask, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy not wearing one.

The best I can tell you is that it takes "a while."  It could be a little while, and it could be a long while.  Either way, do not be concerned with it.  You still need to present your vaccine proof at the pier.

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

But they shouldn't know at this point if they got the vaccine or placebo, as it'd corrupt the ongoing trial.

It's either been recently unblinded or about to be. 

28 minutes ago, Harrylinden said:

Can someone who has done the home proctored test? Can I register online for the test or is it only scanned with  the QR code on my phone? I would like to do it on my computer if possible as it is a bigger screen than my phone or IPad!!! Thanks in advance!

You can do it on your computer as long as you have a web cam for it. They'll scan the QR code. 

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

The Retreat Lounges are way better than any airport lounge I have ever been in.  The service is extraordinary, IMHO.

It is. It truly is. The service is phenomenal. The people are wonderful. 

The decor and furniture? Not so much. 

7 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I know this to be true on Millennium but uncertain of other ships.     Maybe others can confirm what they find out about other ships.  

 

 

I can confirm that Summit had truly freshly squeezed orange juice in Luminae, but I never investigated further. 

Thanks! I look forward to having some in a few days! 

5 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I understand you can get a PCR test same day but can you get the results of the test in under 48 hours?  The issue that I have been reading comments about with the PCR test is that there is no guarantee that you will get the results back within 48 hours.. 

 

There are some labs in town that guarantee same day results. We went to one back in July. It was $90 a pop, so I'm happy to stick with the home test for the moment. 

2 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Same is true here but I am also hearing that CVS are cancelling appointments at almost the last minute due to lack of supplies.  Have not heard that about Walgreens. 

 

Probably because they only schedule 2 or 3 days out.

Frankly, neither option appeals to me. I either risk last minute cancelation or last minute scheduling. I'll stick with the home test right now or even a same day PCR appointment that I can get in town. 

Thanks for the report! We'll also be on board Reflection in February, so we're eager to hear about her. 

32 minutes ago, donna1009 said:

Deep deep bubble starting just before Thanksgiving.  I refuse to catch that nasty virus. Anyone else plan to skip Thanksgiving this year? Thanks for input.

Nope. We're all vaccinated, and many of us have had boosters. I have suggested that we all pick up the inexpensive home tests (not the monitored ones), just in case, but holidays are on. 

15 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

If your cruise is on Tuesday. you can get the test on Saturday or Monday. The day of the cruise doesn't count. neither do the hours. If you test on Saturday, Sunday is day 1, and Monday is day 2.

Testing on Saturday would be to early. Sunday or Monday would work, as would Tuesday. 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/how-do-i-figure-out-when-to-get-pre-cruise-covid-19-test

The eMed test is a fairly simple process. There are YouTube videos showing the process of you would like to see how it's done. You don't need to make an appointment for it. In fact, I don't believe you can. 

I expect it will continue for some time. 

To be more precise, suite guarantee fares do not include "Retreat" perks. 

Guarantee fares do not include "Always Included."

2 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

The Retreat on the E class to me is a airport lounge or hotel executive floor lounge.

That's a rather excellent comparison. Better drinks and snacks in the Retreat Lounge, though. 😉

November 29 will be too early. Frankly, I would go with the home test from eMed. I don't know what the cost of the concierge testing is, but I bet it's close to or even more than the at home test. The at home test takes about a half hour to do, and you'll have your results then and there. 

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

Same with the Walgreens in our area.  We are hearing that Walgreens is even more reliable, less closing of testing, than CVS. 

The big difference between Walgreens and CVS, at least around here, is that you can schedule a test at CVS about two weeks ahead of time (15 days, I think?), but Walgreens only allows scheduling 2 or 3 days ahead. 

Good tablemates can be one of the great joys of cruising. We've had a lot of good times and even made friends that we've had for 15 years. We've had more than one cruise where our table would be laughing so much and so loudly that we would get some looks from others in the dining room that were not having as good of a time. 

On the other hand, bad tablemates are something of a living hell.

I like flexible dining. You can make arrangements with dining partners you enjoy, and you can make excuses with those you don't. 

Get the wasabi gelato in Sushi on 5.

17 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

On M-Class no actual windows but a glass door up near the bar going out to deck 4.

There's a floor-to-ceiling window next to the glass door (the door is actually frosted, if I recall).

We'll be in a CS on Reflection in a few months. I would likely have booked RS had one been available, but I didn't even consider SS. The separate bedroom is key for us. DW often is up before I am. However, it's also a matter of the Host being able to come in without disturbing us before we're up and dressed.