wake74

I'm planning to stop by Costco before I leave in April and buy the 5 gallon bucket of cold meds, and the jumbo size case of feminine hygiene products. I fully expect to get the best service ever when word gets out among the crew that I have the goods 🙂  (That's a joke based on recent threads).

These are grown adults, they aren't your kids, or grandkids.  They want cash.  On second thought your grandkids want cash too. These "the crew was so excited when I gave them XYZ" makes me chuckle.  They get paid to smile and be nice.  Keep it simple, give cash and don't put them in a position where you make them pretend to be your new best friend.

I'll add to what the others have said, if we were just going as a couple, we'd do Celebrity.  And in a few years (ours is a Freshman), we'll go back to cruising Celebrity.  But there is no one right answer to this, as it's highly dependent upon the vibe you are after.  There is an a$$ for every seat so to speak. 

Are there really too many "tourist" places in the world that won't gladly take good old US Greenbacks?  Sure you may not always get the best conversion rate, but I've never had someone say no, in anything that I would define as a tourist area globally.  Now, I've been to some way off the beaten track places in third world countries that expected local currency, but thats a different story as these aren't places you are going just wander into on vacation.

I'd vote for Cozumel, if you haven't been drift diving on Palacar, you should 🙂

I'd recommend  Scuba with Alison.  Small boat experience, you don't have to worry about who your going to get for a crew / guide, you get Alison.  While I've been certified a long time, I don't dive often enough where I consider myself "comfortable" on the first dive.  She was great, there are so few people on the boat, you don't have to worry about the personal level of service. It's a quick taxi ride up to meet her boat.

Very devoted following, the reviews speak for themselves:  

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150809-d595526-Reviews-Scuba_with_Alison-Cozumel_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

I can't imagine the cost or logistics to reroute four revenue generating vessels (or maybe five depending upon timing) to a single location.  The cruise industry is in desperate need of margin.  My guess is that decision metric at the C-suite level is as simple as "Increases Margin?  Yes   No"  I don't see that expense passing that metric.

50 minutes ago, Rusty_lock said:

 

I can't, in my wildest imagination, see myself handing my cabin attendant a package of tampons.

It makes you wonder what little Johnny and Sally get for Christmas from Grandma.   Sally is getting Tampons and Johnny some anti-fungal itch cream.  Makes Clark's Jelly of the Month Club look pretty good 🙂

Anyone have a recommendation for a Car Service out of MIA?  It's vastly cheaper (and more convenient, direct vs. connection) for us to fly into Miami for a cruise leaving out of Fort Lauderdale.  We are staying on the beach the night before, and trying to decide if we want to reserve a car service, or just grab an Uber.

But....but.....we are Americans.....everyone not like us must need our charity and saving.

The crew isn't interested in your charity any more than they are interested in being your friend.  It's their job to be friendly.  Don't confuse it for friendship.  They have a job, and families and friends no different than any of the rest of us, and just see another random batch of strangers every 7 days.  They forget you 10 minutes after you leave, when the next batch arrives.  That's by no means an excuse to be rude, but it's equally as rude to cross the line and treat the crew like they are your prodigal child that needs to kiss the ring for some care package.

I'm sure it does make for some laughs in the crew mess though.  

5 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

 

As you are curious, I'll report the situation in BC province.

 

Last heard, BC Public Health said that 42% of recent covid hospitalizations were not covid related. These people entered the hospital for non-covid illnesses, and tested positive.

 

 

Interesting, thanks for sharing that stat.  It would be interesting to know the same stat for the US, but I don't think we are reporting a difference between "with" or "due" in either hospitalizations or deaths.

I fly a lot for work, so am certainly not unaccustomed to wearing a mask.  It's all just theater.  If I go into the office for a business meeting, and 6 of us sit at at a 15 foot table, masks are required.  When that same group goes out for a business dinner, and sit at a 5' table for 3 hours, no masks.   

We'll cruise on the Wonder in about 2 months with or without masks and I forecast a great time either way. I suspect the ship will sail close to full (brand new ship, Spring Break, fairly high costs per cabin average, a company desperate for revenue), and if Omicron stats  continue to drop at the current rate, I'm also forecasting enforcement will be next to impossible.  

37 minutes ago, Mapleleafforever said:

All mandates will probably be over soon. Hopefully. 

That's certainly the hope, but I am not too optimistic.  If Omicron drops significantly in the next 30 days, mask fatigue is going to hit hard.

Haven't seen this posted yet, but it looks like RCCL has extended the current mask mandates through April 14.  I was really hoping with the dramatic drop in Omicron, and the new info coming out about the real efficacy of masks that they would rethink this before our April 8th Wonder Cruise.  Seems premature to go ahead and extend the indoor mask mandate another 60 days.

Thoughts?

My wife who apparently has transparent eyelids and can spot a blinking clock three bedrooms down even when our master bedroom door is closed has never had a problem on a cruise ship.

I've spent time in rural parts of Haiti, but mostly to the North of Port-au-Prince, not the south side of the island.  It's hard to describe rural Haiti if you've never been there.   I would consider myself pretty well travelled globally including other 3rd world countries like Nicaragua (places way off the beaten tourist path).  There is poor, and then there is Haiti poor.  Go out into the mountains, and it's like stepping back in time 500 years.  I would not go to Port-au-Prince currently, and there is no chance I would take my family there even in good times, where as I have taken them on other trips with me.  Haiti is the one place I traveled, where I really struggled transitioning back into my daily life here.  It is that much different.

While there is never an excuse for kidnapping, extortion, etc., setting here on our computers in our 4000 SF houses on a forum dedicated to lifes excess, talking about why people do the things they do, is silly.  If your kid was starving, there probably isn't much you wouldn't do, even if you think you wouldn't.  

Beautiful island (the parts that aren't just decimated from being a country thats had it's resources used / abused forever by other countries), with a very friendly people.  The one thing I've learned through my travels, is that people are pretty much the same everywhere, and just hoping to make a better life for their kids.

Not sure how this is related to cruising, but it's always good for us to take a step back form our world of excess and see things from a different perspective.

2 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

 

I'm proud to be part of this exclusive club.

I get revoked for literally quoting the words of our VP on when the tests would actually be available.

We are on her in early April.  Hopefully if check-in is allowed, it's a sign they think the ship will be finished on time.  Not much time left at this point.

2 hours ago, colesc15 said:

Ordered a pain killer and Elvis asked if I wanted it the Royal caribbean way or the original, he recommended the original and it's real good. 

Always the original.  Preferably with Pussers Rum and a bit of fresh ground nutmeg.  Years ago we spent a couple of weeks on a 54' Cat sailing and diving in BVI.  Back then if you island hopped, collected so many of the Pusser painkiller tin cups, they would give you a painkiller pirate flag.  Those cups and flag are still around the house somewhere.  Fun times 🙂

18 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Isnt that EXACTLY why we need threads like this? So we can make more informed choices and take responsibility? No issue with the thread contents or the sharing of information.  People who get in over the heads as they did no research about the risks they are taking or the possible impacts is a problem to me.  Especially when their lack of due diligence is immediately blamed on someone (or something) else.  

 

At a guess what percentage of cruise passengers have any idea what they might experience if they test positive in Barbados?  Far less than 5 per cent I would suggest  Likely very low, but thats no one's fault but their own.  They voluntarily traveled, they voluntarily accepted those risks whether they researched them or not.

 

Who should be informing them? They should do the research on their own, so they know what could happen, and decide if they have the fortitude and financial means to deal with it.  There are lots of lower risk / lower cost options for travel.

 

Or should they just find out when it happens to them? So someone on here can tell them "You knew what you were signing up for etc etc"  Again, no issue with people on here posting their opinion on any given situation (the drama and hyperbole is amusing at times, but that's just the nature of modern society). But lack of knowledge, lack of research, is always your issue, not someone else's.  I don't fly to a foreign country, do no research, get quarantined, and then act shocked that it happened, and not know how I was going to pay for it.

People need to accept responsibility for their situations, travel is always optional, and only you are responsible to know what may or may not happen along your journey.  I've travelled all over the world, and always know the risks of any given location before that trip.  When I go into the rural parts of a third world country, I know that the chance of getting proper medical care (by Western standards) is slim, and I need to have a plan for what happens if I get hurt.  If I couldn't afford to extract myself to a country with proper medical care, I wouldn't go.  I was in St. Lucia last week on a family vacation and knew there was a chance one of us would test positive on the way out and be forced to quarantine (at our cost) so I knew the risks and accepted that possibility.  If the cost of a test or quarantine housing is going to be financially burdensome currently I'd suggest not going to Barbados (or lots of other foreign countries in a global pandemic).   I'm not saying the situation in Barbados doesn't suck (I would vote No at this point for my family, and I like Barbados), but we are each responsible to understand the risks we put ourselves in.  It isn't anyones responsibility other than yours to make sure you understand what you are getting into.

Cruisebot21 - Nothing to add here, other than to say how refreshing it is to see that the OP is mature enough to actually work the problem, without the crazy, world is coming to end drama that you so often see on CC.  He identified the problem and is working well to solve the problem, not ranting crazily stamping their feet like a little child or that he's waiting to call a low end ambulance chasing lawyer to immediate draw up class action papers.   We are headed off to the islands for a week, and know there is always a risk we'll get stuck in an extended quarantine, bringing childs school laptop, IT stuff to work if necessary etc.  Identify the risks and either manage / mitigate the risks, or stay home.  It's not that complicated.  Well done to the OP!  I'd do the hope you get back safely, etc., but given the logical approach laid out so far, there is no doubt, you'll manage your own destiny and make sure things are just fine.

On 12/14/2021 at 8:35 AM, Joseph2017China said:

 

I don't care how tips are handled on a ship.  I believe it should be inclusive, but like all customs, it is not. Like most people, I tip the customary amounts.  That includes the ship, or any country I visit.  I don't bring my customs with me, but instead, I change to the local customs.   I don't feel bad for the employees, because they are like me, chose a job that they want and/or enjoy.  They know the pay, and they know what tips are.  They accept it.  Not my business if they like it or not.  I don't treat them like little children and hand them a bag of candy with a tip, or toothpaste (like saying you need better hygiene, I'll leave that for the dentist).  They are grown adults, with an adult job.  I certainly don't hand out $2 bills that are not widely used.  If they want candy, they can buy it themselves.  If they need toothpaste, they can buy it.  

Lots of good stuff in here that I agree with.  I don't begin to understand why people on this forum want to treat the cruise staff like their kids (or grandkids) or charity projects.  They are adults getting paid to do a job. Regardless of what you think, they don't want to be your new best friend.  Yes, part of their JOB is to be friendly towards the guests that particular week before another 5,000 random people board the ship, but thats the job.  Giving them some token, like a few bits of chocolate is demeaning.  Would you do that to your dental hygienist?   If you think the service was great, and you want to tip cash, feel free, I'm sure they appreciate it, but don't do it with the attitude of I just tipped the bar tender 2 large (yup, $2.00) and I changed their life.

There is never an excuse to be rude, demeaning, arrogant, etc to the staff whether on your cruise ship or your local restaurant.  But your local waitress and the guy that cleans your room on the ship, want to do their job, get paid, go spend time with family and friends, and live their life, just like all the rest of us.

I've never been anywhere in the world where someone refused good ol' US Dollars.  At times I knew I was not getting a competitive exchange rate at a souk or someplace in Morocco, but that was just part of the haggle.  Anyplace you will be going on a cruise (touristy) will take dollars.  My general philosophy is that with an American passport, and a stack of cash (or a high limit credit card) when traveling you can get yourself out of most problems 🙂

Planning our first cruise since COVID (previously done RCCL, NCL, Disney, etc) for school spring break next year.  One of the highlights of our last NCL cruise was the family gathering at Howl at the Moon for sing-alongs.  There were also enough well behaved teens there especially early in the show where our son could come, not feel out of place, and have a good time.

I noticed that Encore doesn't have a Howl at the Moon.  Do any of the other bars do an equivalent piano bar / sing along arrangement such as at Cavern Club?  We are a wee bit young to really be huge Beetles fans, but wasn't sure what they did in that venue when we the Beetles cover band wasn't playing.

Thanks!

We went to Playa Palancar last year and will be doing so again next week. My wife and son stay at the beach club and I do a couple of reef dives that leave directly from there. They do snorkel tours as well from the same shop I believe. Different boats but the ride out to the reef from there is very short so doesn't really matter. The dive shop isn't the most sophisticated I have been with, but for your average cruise ship passenger diver like myself it works out well for the entire family and you get a couple of nice dives in on Palancar Reef.

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Thanks Moki'sMommy. That was very helpful. We will just stick with what we got. In my wife's mind we saved about 1/3 the cost of a new cruise on the Fantasy in October. That is saving us money somehow :-)

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