![]() While two-day sailings give you plenty of time to explore a ship physically, they don’t allow for trying out all of the different venues a modern cruise ship has to offer. ![]() The Iconic Suite starts at $75,o00 per week and is booked out for the next year! So Much Food, So Little Time ![]() Other staterooms include interiors, oceanviews, concierge class, spa suites, aqua class, sky suites, Celebrity suites, Edge villas, and the Iconic Suite. If I’m not mistaken, Celebrity was the first line to add shaving bars to their showers, something that we’re seeing other lines now do as well. The bathrooms were pleasant, well-lit, and featured a shaving bar in the corner-placed showers. ![]() We were allowed to pour ourselves tea, coffee, water and juice, though a sign reminded us to refrain from refilling our cups with ice - a rule created to curb another virus, the norovirus.Color scheme-wise, the grey and blue tones featured in the Apex staterooms are soothing, managing to be both classic and modern at the same time, not an easy balance to pull off. There was one holdover from pre-pandemic times: the beverage station. I stopped torturing her after three pieces. At the cheese-and-dried-fruit counter, a crew member struggled to pluck apricots from the front of the case with a pair of tiny tongs. Nothing makes you more self-conscious of your portion sizes than having to ask a server for a spoonful of fried rice, and another, and another. In addition to a Purell stand and a hand-washing sink by the entrance, all of the buffet’s self-serve implements had been removed. I spent an inordinate amount of time at the Oceanview Cafe, where the ship’s safety measures were on display. Most of the onboard diversions involved booze, trivia, anti-aging consultations or live music. Every evening I received in my stateroom a schedule of activities and a gift, such as a box of doughnuts or an etched wine glass. On the seven-day cruise, we had three days at sea and three days on land. (Midway through the voyage, Celebrity’s parent company announced that unvaccinated travelers on Royal Caribbean ships must carry travel medical insurance in the event they test positive for covid-19.) Our ports of call in Mexico and the Bahamas could also prohibit this contingent from coming ashore. The day before the cruise, I received an email detailing these restrictions: Unvaccinated passengers age 16 and older (or age 12 as of Aug. 1) must wear masks except when eating or drinking pay for several antigen tests during the trip, at $178 per person and sit in designated areas in public spaces including the dining room, casino and theater - the pandemic version of the smoking section. However, I would have to follow strict rules that, he hinted, could curb my freedoms on land and sea. Ron DeSantis won his lawsuit against the CDC.) He amended his answer to say the cruise line “strongly encouraged” it but would not deny me boarding if I showed up empty-handed. (The week before the ship sailed, Florida Gov. I mentioned the Florida law that bans businesses from requiring such proof. A man named Alfonso called me one morning to remind me to bring my vaccination card. (Royal Caribbean Group owns both the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean International cruise lines.)Ĭloser to departure, I received some clarifications. Less than two weeks later, it set off from Miami with real passengers, not volunteers - another first. On June 22, Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas became the first ship to complete a test run. Ships that wish to accept nonvaccinated travelers must conduct a simulated cruise, so the crew can practice the CDC’s safety procedures in a controlled environment. Celebrity Edge was the first vessel to receive the agency’s approval to sail from the States under the vaccination proviso, which requires at least 95 percent of passengers and crew members to be fully inoculated. In June, a few ships kicked off the summer season from home ports in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, which are outside the CDC’s purview. Cruise ships have been sailing in Europe and Asia since last year, but the rebound in North America has been slower. The entire industry went dark March 13, a day before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a No Sail Order. During the pandemic, hotels and planes kept a few lights on, but not cruises.
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