srpilo

5 hours ago, Grego said:

I'm sure we'll have a great time with Jody because we are ready for a great time.  What will be interesting to see is who are filling the positions that you have listed.  We have made lots of great friends that have filled those positions over the last 45 voyages and will be great if any of them are still continuing on after being gone for the last many months.

I'm booked on the full transit next month in October, and I'll try and post the above senior staff list once onboard the Emerald 

3 hours ago, Smokeyham said:

Hello, we are booked on a Panama Canal cruise  in February, 2022 and final payment is due in November.  Trying to get an idea for how people feel about travelling to the various countries that we still stop at (Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Columbia) on this trip, especially with the continued uncertainties of Covid.

I'm booked on a Princess full canal transit in the middle of October (next month) and it seems to be on schedule just like any other up coming Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruises, there's nothing inherently different, special or unique about a canal cruise other than the 7 hours of actual transit, the rest of the itinerary is basically a modified mix of Mexican Riviera +  Southern Caribbean cruise.

To get a better look at your cruise's probabilities keep on eye on my cruise next month, should be a decent indicator of likely hood's of near term current and short term future full transits 

I also just saw a YouTube canal information update, that passenger ships also pay a extra fee within their reservation fee guaranteeing a day-light transit .

Right before the scurge in early 2020 the fixed fare to Mambo (both directions) was $25.00usd for up to 4 people in the taxi, in the past on ship days it was always easy to gather a couple of people in the taxi area to fill the 4 people and split the fare, and coming back rarely more than a few minutes waiting until others showed up to fill the return and split the fare.

IMO hard to beat Mambo for an easy beach day

No problems on the first cruise I entered, a little hicup on the second, but uninstalled the app and reinstalled it and all my personal information populated the second cruise also and in two minutes I was green lane for that one too 🤪

Maybe they're finally working the bugs out.... 

1 hour ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Sounds like a typo based on the 48-hour test turnaround and keeping unvaccinated testing at three days.  The unvaccinated are hugely more likely to become positive even within a 48-hour test window.

No typo...

Unvaccinated require PCR test up to 36 hours or more for lab results ---- Vaccinate Antigen test less than one hour for results

2 minutes ago, Sprocket said:

So for Canadians flying to FLL for instance 2 days ahead to allow for weather and other disruptions and who have to pay $$$ to be tested to enter the US that test will not be admissible?  Our flight leaves before we would be able to be tested at the airport.

 

And it says this applies to Restricted Voyages, can anyone elaborate if that means all cruises and itineraries or just some?  

The CDC terms all cruises during the CSO period "restricted" 

3 hours ago, Buckeye10640 said:

I think with reducing the window to 2 days the cruise lines are going to have to start to consider making rapid testing available at the port. It might be worth it even if they charge a nominal fee. 

At port testing may be the CDC aim in shorting the pre-embarkation testing time frame. Pushing the testing at the port will mean in case of outbreaks the CDC will have a actual in house test specimen from every passenger onboard, to aid in tracing, and additionally shortens the testing window down to 1 day, or even less down to several hours

Just a guess at this point

                                                              Bad News 

As of today, 8/28/2021 the CDC says tests must now be preformed within 2 days of embarkation not the previous 3 days !

             *********  This should really throw wrench into the cruise lines plans !!! ***********

20 minutes ago, Dar & Bob said:

Also in the guidance is the ability for vaccinated passengers to self test with telehealth supervision, so that would make your results available immediately.  

That option has always been available

9 hours ago, zelker said:

Zuiderdam's first cruise isn't happening until November 6th.  They consolidated all her Mexico and Pacific coastal cruises with those on the Koningsdam.  I do know Zuiderdam has crew onboard already so don't know what they'll be doing between now and then.  Anybody?

 Time will tell ...

49 minutes ago, nocl said:

However with the way Delta is hitting I expect that the CSO will be extended in some form.

Yes.... Hard to believe it wouldn't be extended in some form or other with the way things are going

6 hours ago, lx200gps said:

Thanks very much for posting this. We're on the same trip as you, and this appears to be very good news. As far as I can tell from the Princess posting you quoted, it appears to imply that after 31 October, no more testing AND no more masks? If true, that's a powerful inducement for us to not cancel and actually make the trip. Our only issue to deal  with now is the testing requirement to fly to and from the ship.

Though you may deduce that Princess implies no masks after 10/31/21, that's just a optimistic assumption at this point, as Princess makes no reference what new if any rules will apply after 10/31, only that this rules will expire on 10/31.

This IMO is just another Subject to Change cruise line update designed to alleviate existing customer's fears, and canceled bookings , and to generate new ones, and not a new ground breaking change in tone or tenor.

 This pandemic has proved one thing,  that positive future predictions regarding the state of the virus have rarely been correct

Our 60 day mark on the Nov 5th Grand sailing is sometime next week, Princess has during the entire pandemic rarely waited til the 60 day mark to cancel. Additionally with any short term Hawaiian cancellations Princess with need to fill those long btb 15 day Hawaiian stretches on the Ruby and Grand with replacement itineraries.. So I think judgement day if it's coming will be revealed sooner rather than later (hoping soon !!) . From a passengers point of view though I'll be disappointed with my Hawaii cancellation, I'd rather know now (soon as possible) so we can try and scramble to salvage vacation plans and dates, and at least try and rebook something if possible with the freed up paid in full funds.

Man we all thought these waiting for the hammer to drop cancellations were finally behind us... Guest I have one more to stress through, and hopefully this is the last one

47 minutes ago, jcbc522 said:

 

Just curious if you have the beverage package now, and want to pay $  for the waters, coffee's, etc , you can't.   Since you're using your cruise card to pay, those waters, etc instead being charge the couple of bucks$, instead will be  automatically deducted from the beverage package first at a $11.00 value, and not charged to your account until you exceed 15 beverage .

It may be that the only way to save the Beverage Package daily limit specifically for pricier beverages is maybe to buy a low value beverage card and use that instead of your cruise card for waters, coffee's, etc.

IMO not a great value to use the limit on a Premium Beverage package to buy $1.70 bottles of waters at a $11.00 value

3 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Not encouraging news.  I just checked the NCL Pride of America website.  First cruise is scheduled for January 22, 2022.  (In my opinion) she would be the first cruise to start in Hawaii (full island itinerary).  Sorry to share that news with you.  For those booked in November/December, I would wait until Princess makes a decision.  

In addition from last week... reported to the Hawaii Tribune

“There are no formally scheduled bookings for any cruises, at any commercial harbor, at this time,” said Shelly Kunishige, spokeswoman for the Hawaii Department of Transportation in an email. “Resumption of cruise activity continues to be conditional on operators meeting the conditions of the CDC order.” “Positivity rates and case counts will be considered, should any cruise lines look to discuss a port agreement as required by the CDC conditional sail order,” Kunishige said.

On Friday, Hawaii County had the worst test positivity rate in the state for the prior seven days, 8.0%, compared to 6.8% statewide. “At this time, we do not have port agreements with any cruise lines of the ports under our control,” said Kunishige, who added NCL or any Cruise  Line cannot sail under the CDC conditional sail order without such an agreements.”

Kunishige said the islands are “not the focus of cruise activity at the moment,” and Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, said it’s not certain when cruise ships will again dock at local ports.

So now your $2.40 expresso in the mornings has a $11.00 value ......  $1.75 bottled water cha-ching --> now $11.00 .....

Additionally , I'll just say --- This is following the new " Have It All" that doesn't include gratuities, and  these sly (maybe they won't notice) type changes are pretty insulting, and HAL must have a pretty low opinion of the intelligence of their clients .

Virtually every cruise line that offers a version of HIA includes gratuities , as well as Virtually every line that sells beverage packages does NOT include non-alcohol drinks in their daily limits. ... 

This pandemic has been a eye opener for me with HAL, and as soon as I can use the THOUSANDS of $$ that I foolishly let them have in FCC, and after years of loyalty to HAL I'll be letting my wallet do the walking 

11 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

 

Like Australia & NZ, I do not foresee Hawaii cruises being allowed until next year at the earliest. Hopefully for those booked later this year things will greatly improve but don’t think Hawaii is planning to reopen this year in an effort to better protect their population.

I think your assessment is probably spot on... Sadly I'll be one of the cancellations, and ironically my booking on the Grand to Hawaii stemmed from my 28 day Emerald from Sydney cancellation for April 2022 -  The hit's just keep on coming !! 🤪

9 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Based on today’s statements by Gov. Ige the state is recommending visitors & locals to restrict travel and as cr8tiv1 wrote Ige places the blame for the spread primarily on residents.

 

“Most” new cases are the result of residents traveling off-island and coming back home to spread COVID-19 in the community, Ige said.

 

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/08/23/breaking-news/ige-tells-visitors-to-stay-away-from-hawaii/
 

I have not read anything in our local news about any discussions for reopening the state to cruise travel. It took many months of discussions & adjustments before flying to Hawaii resumed. With no public discussions yet about allowing cruise ships that indicates to me that cruises might not resume until next year.

 

Hopefully for those who are booked on cruises to Hawaii my perception is wrong but it’s based upon how Hawaii has responded to the pandemic to isolate itself.

 

Additionally, Green your Lt Governor has made no secret in the past (pre-covid) about his dislike of cruise ships in Hawaii, and in as much as he is #2 in charge of state  Covid policy, that in it's self may not bode well for cruising in Hawaii any time soon

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

Nope, I just filled out the questionnaire on line and no questions asked inside the pharmacy. Only one question online asked if you are immunosuppressed and as per post #15 everyone qualifies!

Which pharmacy has that system online ?

At some point in the near future I think society in general has to come to agreement on whether to stop hanging everything on test percentages and cases, and begin to follow the percentages of bad outcomes and deaths as the measurement for continued mitigations efforts 

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

Yes, that may be true if you're spending a week in a packed Wal-Mart without leaving.  I think the CDC is reacting to the "outbreak" on Carnival Vista in Belize.  Twenty-six crew and one pax tested positive and all were vaccinated.

Might not be true if all the Walmart customers were required to take a Covid test before shopping like what is currently required before cruising.

Feel  pretty safe on a ship where there's almost 100% vaccinated passengers and crew, and all have been pre-tested before mingling...  so spending a week with those numbers, sounds pretty good compared to shopping at Walmart with several hundred of "who knows" what status even for one day .......

Just saying

.

26 minutes ago, 007colocruz said:

 

Does not make sense to me 

 

 

 

 

This is not the smoking thread right ?

The online protocols insinuate that there may be places indoors ("where  crowds DON"T congregate ") where masks are NOT required.

Was there any place specifically indoors where masks were NOT required ?

27 minutes ago, spyro1952 said:

I doubt if they will cancel Regal TA but Regal has some 3 & 4 day cruises on return to Ft Lauderdale that could be canceled.  Remember that the CDC CSO is actually voluntary for cruise lines in Fl as the governor won in court.

Virtually all cruise lines have firmly stated they will continue to follow CDC regulation regardless of Florida's exemptions. 

IMO if the CDC signals or hints in September or October that they're extending the CSO past November 1st all the transatlantics across all brands will be canceled, and sail empty