njhorseman

The problem is that you want a summer cruise. Cruise lines currently don't do any summer itineraries from San Juan or other Caribbean ports.

No, they don't ask about COVID vaccination status, nor any other vaccination, nor any disease or illness you may have or have had in the past. Past diseases or conditions will come into play when you file a claim as policies typically have a pre existing condition exclusion. That exclusion usually can be waived by purchasing the insurance within a specified time limit after booking the cruise or other travel. There are some policies that will waive the exclusion as long as you purchase coverage shortly after making final payment, but they're typically more expensive. You're only asked about the nonrefundable cost of the trip, the trip starting and ending dates, your age and your residence state. The insurance companies aren't concerned about what is called adverse selection for this type of policy. Adverse selection comes about when insurance is more likely to be purchased by those who have a higher probability of making a claim than the insurable population as a whole. An example of a condition that could cause adverse selection for life or health insurance is if you are a smoker.

The obstructed view oceanview cabins on deck 6 of the R ships have been converted to single occupancy .

The hotels on the Jersey City waterfront are in a nicer/safer area than the Doubletree Newark Penn Station. However the Jersey City hotels do not provide transportation from EWR so you would have to take Uber or a taxi from the airport to the hotel. In either case, Newark or Jersey City, you'll have to take Uber or taxi from the hotel to Cape Liberty. You can take New Jersey Transit directly from Newark Penn Station to New York Penn Station in midtown Manhattan. From Jersey City you'll have to take PATH and make a train change to get to 33rd St. in midtown. Even though the neighborhood in Jersey City is better if all you're doing is jumping on a train to get into the city and back and not wandering around the local area, the Doubletree Newark Penn Station has better transportation to midtown and provides a shuttle from the airport to the hotel.

I'm not personally familiar with it, but All Stars Sports Bar & Grill on West 57th St. is about a 5 or 6 minute walk from your hotel.

Hopefully the change in management will mean a greater variety of vegetables appearing on the menu. One of my biggest gripes about O's food is that the same few items, including the mashed potatoes, appear perpetually on the menu to the exclusion of other choices.

Well...perhaps not. This is my understanding based on what I've read and been told: Paxlovid is not an FDA approved drug, it is permitted to be prescribed under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Unlike FDA approved drugs, which physicians are allowed to prescribe "off label", an EUA technically only permits a drug to be prescribed in accordance with FDA permissions and instructions. Paxlovid's EUA is solely for patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by means of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test . (At home positive tests are permitted for this purpose.) This would seem to preclude prescribing Paxlovid for someone just in case they might need it later. My understanding is that some physicians are willing to turn a blind eye to that but others will not prescribe it to someone who has not been diagnosed with COVID.

I always start with the fish chowder and then usually have the chicken pot pie. Ellie usually has a salad topped with either chicken or salmon.

Your ship will be docking in Brooklyn. There are two Dream hotels in Manhattan, one on West 16th St., the other on West 55th St. I'm not personally familiar with sports bars in Manhattan, but in order for someone who is familiar it would be vey helpful to know which hotel you're staying at.

If it's wrong it wouldn't be the first time a cruise line has had an error in their published protocols.

I don't find O to be much different than most corporations I do business with in this regard.

Oceania are well are of the need to update their protocols to reflect the requirements of destinations they will be sailing to in the future. In fact the Sail Safe program pdf, https://www.oceaniacruises.com/sites/default/files/2022-08/sail-safe-new-program.pdf ,which includes an outline of current exceptions also says "The above summaries are applicable to all currently scheduled voyages departures from September 2, 2022 through October 31, 2022. Further guidance for departures outside this range and for destinations not listed above will be made available in the near future."

NCLH and Royal Caribbean Group worked hand-in-hand on the original Healthy Sail Panel, which developed the industry's most comprehensive set of COVID protocols for the restart of cruising in 2021. While each has made some adjustments over time, prior to this announcement by NCLH, the two cruise holding companies' protocols have remained substantially similar. It's highly likely that Royal will follow NCLH's lead, whether partially or fully . They've already given notice to expect changes in their protocols including this recently added statement on both Royal Caribbean's and Celebrity's websites: "We are currently developing updated protocols that provide for the continued safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit, better align with the travel and hospitality sector, and meet destination regulations. This means we’re transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us."

We like the Hog Penny in Hamilton. It has a funky British pub atmosphere. The Swizzle Inn in Bailey's Bay, which is adjacent to Crystal Caves and not far from St. George's is a classic Bermuda pub. As others have mentioned the Frog and Onion in the Royal Naval Dockyard is very popular.

It's not just a possibility...the new protocols are in place to become effective on September 3: https://www.oceaniacruises.com/sites/default/files/2022-08/sail-safe-new-program.pdf Of course there are some countries that require cruise passengers to be vaccinated and those requirements override the cruise line's protocols.

I've had bad meals on Oceania and every other of the dozen or so cruise lines I've been on. Nothing I've said excuses Oceania for not serving food at the proper temperature . It shouldn't happen. But... If I'm buying a steak for dinner I don't expect a USDA Choice steak to be as good as a USDA Prime steak. If I'm buying an automobile I don't expect the manufacturer's mid market model to be as good as their luxury market model. If I'm taking a cruise I don't expect a mid market line to be as good as a luxury line. If you were to cruise on Holland America or Princess would you expect their food and service to be as good as Seabourn's ? (I'm not suggesting that HAL or Princess are in the same market niche as Oceania, but they are a step up from Carnival, just as Oceania is a step up from NCL but a step below Regent)

Don't be too shocked if every cruise line is off your radar for next year.

Not to excuse many of the shortcomings you experienced on your recent O cruise, but why would you expect O to be comparable to Seabourn? Seabourn is a luxury line, Oceania isn't. Seabourn's market cohorts are the likes of Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, and the late but soon to be resurrected Crystal. Oceania is a notch below in the cruise marketplace and more appropriately comparable to Azamara and Viking. Unrealistic expectations are a sure path to disappointment.

No...Q3 ends September 30 so it has over 7 weeks left...over 50% of the quarter remains. Yes, they have a decent idea of the outlook for the quarter, but the substantial change in COVID protocols is intended to improve the results beyond where they would otherwise be.

You do realize that this decision was made once NCLH knew their quarterly financials were going to be far worse than anticipated. They even postponed the release and conference call to today, undoubtedly to give them time to come up with something spectacular to boost bookings quickly. This no doubt will boost NCL bookings...and NCL is the 800 pound gorilla on the NCLH balance sheet.

Ask that question on the Royal Caribbean board. It's their excursion and their wording.

That would be a fraudulent claim because when you submit the application and make payment you agree to the following terms and conditions: "The Travel Authorisation fee is non-refundable".

The cruise lines must follow a country's guidelines if the country's rules are more stringent than their own. If the cruise line's protocols are more stringent than the country's protocols then the cruise line's protocols rule the day. In other words the shorter testing timeline has to be obeyed whether it's the country's requirement or the cruise line's requirement. Sorry, but I'm not going to look up the various cruise line policies because they frequently change. You need to go to your cruise line's website . Bermuda's policy for cruise passengers can be found here: https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation .

And that is likely the reason why NCLH suddenly pulled the plug on their COVID protocols. Their quarterly earnings release was delayed by about a week . No doubt when they knew how poor their quarterly financials were going to be they decided to do something relatively earthshaking in order to quickly boost their bookings . They needed the week to put the new COVID protocols together.

Perhaps it would be better to write to FDR, or write to both. This decision was made at the corporate level as have the NCLH COVID protocols from day one, with only minor differences for the individual cruise lines to accommodate the nuances of their operations. I'm sure the subsidiary CEOs had their input but in the end the corporate executive office is calling the shots.