GoldStatustravler

Hi, Just got off the Allure of the Seas on a holiday Eastern Caribbean cruise. Denied entry to St Thomas and St. Kitts. Got port costs and tours refunded. Crew stated that port denial is based on that cruise and number of on-board Covid cases. So, if you do get on the ship, you won't know if you are going to the ports until the ship's captain tells you. I would be prepared for days at sea or a visit to CocoCay (owned by RC) or Nassau (most RC ships flagged there). All current cruise ships have Covid cases and can affect your cruise destinations. If your OK with that go, but if your looking forward to the destination ports you might want to reconsider because you may be turned away.

CocoCay has mainly sand roads, paths and beach areas. Hard surfaces are only at the pier, beach club and very limited walkways. It is not currently designed for anyone in a regular wheelchair, power chair or scooter who cannot transfer into one of their beach wheel chairs and being pushed by your party member in soft sand for long distances. They have a handicap shuttle but they drop you off in sandy areas except at Beach Club $200 a day per individual or the cabanas at $2,100. Limited bathroom access and no beach access to regular wheelchairs, scooters or power chairs and wouldn't recommend going to the island for a general visit unless you can get through soft sand. Overall, in my opinion, if you cannot transfer to a beach wheel chair and then being pushed by someone in your party don't go to CocoCay island unless you want to spend money for access at the Beach Club (still no access to beach) or floating expensive cabanas.

Just got off the Allure of the Seas holiday tour. The Captain announced that 24 passengers and 3 1/2% of crew tested positive for Covid and were being isolated. Our ship was not full and about 75% capacity. All areas on ship except outdoors are mandatory mask use. No exceptions anywhere inside except your room. No one gets on except under 12 without proof of vaccine card. Allure unloaded infected crew members onto Onassis of the Seas in CocoCay on last day of cruise. Boat still has Yellow CDC status and was denied entry to St Thomas and St Kitts. We cruised all the way down there and back only to cruise for a total of 4 days at sea. Only stopped in Nassau and CocoCay which was NOT on our tour. Anyone getting on a cruise ship today will most likely be denied entry into almost all Caribbean ports except Nassau (ship is flagged there) and CocoCay (owned by RC). Just a word about CocoCay. You will find that everything except sitting on the beach is EXPENSIVE! All most all activities are over $100 per person with several close to $200 and to rent a floating cabana is $2,100! Also, CocoCay is NOT very handicap accessible, They require you to push a beach wheelchair in soft sand almost everywhere on the island and this is difficult and require pushing long distances. They have very limited hard surface areas for regular wheelchairs, power chairs or scooters and to use them it will cost you $200 at the beach club! I wouldn't recommend any type of wheelchair bound individuals to go on CocoCay. The Allure of the Seas is an amazing ship with plenty of space, great shows and extremely stable. It was a big step up from our last cruise on Anthem of the Seas.