Erik101

55 minutes ago, torpeedo said:

Liked the hair cut, but his message was sadly lacking in any real detail or news regarding the start up of cruising.  Not very encouraging yet Royal continues to sell cabins for Nov and forward. 

His last several videos were the same. I’ll pay attention to what he says when he has solid information on cruise resumption.  Otherwise, the videos continue to be nothing but speculation. 

I’m not loyal to any cruise line but I like RCCL because of the oasis class ships.  I like the choices of activities and if I simply want to chill, then I’ll retreat to my balcony with a book and a drink.  For me, it’s all about the ships, its size and activities to the point that I don’t get off the ship at popular ports in the Caribbean. 
 

As I mentioned, there’s no loyalty so I’m also looking at Virgin’s Scarlet Lady as a future option. 

11 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Hahahahaha. I dont like Italian or pasta. 

 

 

Same! I also don’t care for food from the U.K.  I find so many of their food to be very bland. 

The one thing I will spend money on is specialty dining.  After cruising for more than a decade, I have realized that I don’t like eating in the main dining room because I don’t care for the large amount of people and the noise.  The specialty restaurants offer more of the things I enjoy when dining: quiet atmosphere, smaller venue and generally, the food is better (not all the time). 

If they make it mandatory, then yes I will get it.  My biggest concern is what the ships will do if there is a similar outbreak despite the availability of a vaccine.  My biggest angst is being quarantined out at sea like the cruisers and crew of the Diamond and Grand Princess.  I love cruising but I’m not interested in an extended vacation.  

I would go with Harmony because of Cococay.  Falmouth was an absolute disappointment as a port. Every time we stop at Falmouth, we don’t bother getting off the ship.  I still remember the first time getting off the ship at Falmouth and the first store I saw was Diamonds International, followed by 20 other jewelry stores in the same area. 

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

$20 would put a big smile on his face.. 

For 11 people in two cabanas?  That’s $1.81 tip per person for the entire day. 

5 hours ago, The Scurvy Pirate said:

I hard the S.S. Minnow was going to re-start some of its three hour tours.... what could possibly go wrong.

I’ll pass because the professor lacks practical experience and knowledge.  He knows how to turn a coconut into a transistor radio but can’t fix a hole at the bottom of a boat. 

St Thomas 

I needed to go to Walgreens for a family member. At the port, I requested a taxi and was told the Jeep taxi which holds about 30 people will take me there. So I get on one.  The Jeep went around the entire island and at the end of it, the driver told me I was on a driving tour of the island. I told him I asked the guy at the port for a taxi to go to Walgreens. He said he wasn’t going there.  I ended paying for the tour.  
 

Back at the port, I asked another port attendant that I needed a taxi to take me to Walgreens and because I was pissed at that point, I said I wasn’t getting in a Jeep.  She didn’t argue. I got a sedan that took me to the store and the driver waited for me to take me back to the port.  
 

Lesson learned: communicate with the driver on your intentions or you’ll end up paying for an unwanted excursion like I did. 

We were booked for Harmony in November (Port Canaveral)  this year but decided to lift and shift to November 2021.  Our initial plans were to fly in to Orlando and spend a couple of days in Disney prior to sailing.  That's all been shot to h*^# as we have no desire to fly for the rest of the year.   

Any of the 5 star resorts in Hawaii.  I stayed in one in Maui and they kissed my a$s so much, I'm numb from the experience.  

Wait until the first week of August.  That's when we'll all learn if the cruise lines are given the green light to sail out of Florida.  

The last time I wore a jacket was at the French Laundry restaurant only because they require it. The only time I wore a suit on a cruise was on Navigator. I didn’t enjoy having to wear multiple layers of clothing because I get hot easy and if I have to take off my jacket when I sit down to eat just so I can be comfortable, then there’s no reason to wear one. 
 

So I just go with a Hawaiian shirt and jeans that look like khakis and avoid the MDR during formal nights. 

Come back to this thread in August when the lines start sailing again.  If they do start sailing, someone will post their onboard experience on YouTube.  You’ll get your answer then. 

Same.  But, I tend to be a generous tipper when it comes to our cabin steward since I see them on a daily basis. On the last night, I’ll hand our steward an envelope with cash and thank them for their hard work.  I would do the same for the wait staff but for the last couple of cruises, my preference for specialty dining has increased where I don’t go to the MDR anymore. 

51 minutes ago, erinsmom03 said:

I think of all the surgeons, doctors, and nurses who wear masks for extended periods of time, and it makes me laugh when people claim that they are breathing in carbon dioxide from wearing a mask...how does the medical world survive? lol

What’s worse is when I have colleagues who claim their carbon dioxide levels are increasing from wearing an N95. 
 

🤦🏻

At first I said no but after thinking about it, I switched to yes.  I work in the ICU where I wear an N95 at least 3 to 4 hours straight.  I can definitely handle wearing a mask in the cruise lines’ public spaces. 

6 hours ago, erinsmom03 said:

I really would love to get one of the over the water cabanas...except at this point, it is only my husband and myself on this cruise.  Our first kid-free trip!  It's a bit much for just two of us!. If I knew for sure friends would be coming with us, I'd book it for sure!

Agree with you about the cabanas for only 2 people because it would have been only my DH and I which would have been too much.  But I convinced his family to join us especially since the cabanas will provide distancing from the rest of the guests.  Now, I’m looking forward to it.
 

Hopefully, you’ll have some friends join you for your cruise. 

I understand your post is regarding your Alaska cruise but to answer your topic question, I’ve always printed my pass. It makes the embarkation (pre pandemic) so much easier, smoother and faster. 

14 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Agree, and some States and Reservations required so no way around it. If Ships sail dont see it required as separation already present in Casino. Then cant wear it in Restaurants, kind of hard to eat

My guess regarding cruise casinos is they are watching to see how Vegas will reopen their gaming floors on how they handle huge crowds.  Interesting you mentioned separation already present in cruise casinos because from what I observed, the only time separation existed was in the mornings during sea days due to low guests volume. But at night, holy crud!  I’ve always seen shoulder to shoulder.  On my last Carnival cruise, there was so many people, I’ve had to leave several times because of the high level of noise and smoke. 
 

On restaurants, I watched videos on Disney Springs restaurants opening this week where the guests took off their mask once they were seated.  But one thing I noticed is a lot of venues were outside which had tons of spacing. Makes me wonder if the MDR will be at half capacity. 

1 hour ago, ONECRUISER said:

Casinos on land are opening, Masks not required but slots have dividers and Tables have max 3 players spread out. When Cruises resume there with be CV tests on board for those that show symptoms and followup if ship has confirmed case 

The masks requirement depends on the property.  The casino in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho requires every guests to wear a mask while several of the Arizona casinos don’t. 
 

45 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

 

theres more than enough non smokers so give their money. pretty sure casinos have the numbers on land to prove that non smoking doesnt kill revenues. 

I’m one of those non smokers who will gladly “donate”.  And the non smoking policy has been working well for Celebrity. 

Sorry but you’re not going to sail. The CDC has a no sail order lasting until July 24.  I definitely would not book a flight if I were in your shoes. 

13 minutes ago, ownedbypets said:

 

The average age for currently booked cruisers on Virgin is 48.  

I’ll be glad to book a cruise on Virgin and I’m in my 40s.  Their selling points for me are no kids and their food venues that are very different from other cruise lines. Very curious about the Korean bbq restaurant. 

On 5/9/2020 at 8:36 AM, Locobill49 said:Will you be eating there?

Will you be eating there?
On last cruises, I have seen people handle food that I’m not sure I would be comfortable with now. Thoughts?

Most likely not. I’ve seen the same behavior you have from other cruise lines and it was off putting.  Also, the only time I went to windjammer was for breakfast, usually during port days so we can quickly grab a bite to eat before leaving the ship.  In future cruises, I think I’ll just order room service for breakfast.