Doggielover68

On 12/27/2021 at 7:51 PM, geckoaz said:

I am on the radiance for a new years eve cruise. Today the cdc reported the radiance was yellow. I presume there was an outbreak on the cruises after dec 13 but have heard nothing. Does anyone know any facts?

It changes to yellow if one crew member tests positive. Outbreak is probably the wrong term (not yours, the media)

5 minutes ago, hurricane0226 said:

Nearly 50 percent of seniors have been vaccinated,  and the age drops next week to 40 yr

olds, and April will drop to 18 yr olds, guess our governor is doing it right.

Cool. I have no beef with vaccinated people. The more the better. 

I'm angry at the people who are making excuses. 

Just now, boatseller said:

What's selfish and entitled is expecting other people to cancel their lives for no reason.

 

No one is stopping you or anyone else from taking care of themselves. 

 

It's my right to cruise, its your choice to not.

Again, not a right. It is a luxury! You don't have to cancel your life. But you can't get whatever you want. Even colleges require vaccines. If you need a vaccine for college, you definitely need one for an optional activity. 

I'll probably switch over to a cruiseline that requires vaccines. If carnival doesn't, it's a big fail. 

1 hour ago, boatseller said:

I hate to break it to you but reality will eventually catch up.  People are not staying home.  Vacation, including cruising, is an absolute right for everybody.  Our parks are packed and I guarantee barely 15% would qualify for the vax right now.  No one cares.

 

No one is stopping you from taking care of yourself.  Just like no one has the moral standing to make these decisions for me.

 

If you have reason to worry, you can choose to stay home.

 

 

Or, you could get vaccinated to help protect everyone. 

19 minutes ago, Ellaleah said:

 

There can’t be new variants if the viruses have no place to go.  That is exactly why we need everyone possible to get vaccinated and people who refuse to do so should not be rewarded allowing them to cruise.

AMEN. 

Vacation is a privilege that should only be awarded to people who do the right thing. 

Remember back in the beginning of the pandemic when people told "scared people" to stay home? Well if you're afraid to get the vaccine, STAY HOME.

7 hours ago, boatseller said:

In Florida, we've had 9 major theme parks running, packed by the way for months, and there is no zombie apocalypse.  In fact, Florida is doing better than most states at this point.

 

And don't try the 35% thing, I go pretty much every day and the parks are are allowing 35% of maximum capacity but operating at maybe 50% capacity.  The midways, restaurants etc are just as crowded at any pre-nonsense day.

 

The CDC's motivations are not the C & P.  They're just incompetent cronies too afraid their reputation will be tarnished if someone gets the sniffles on a cruise ship.  They don't care one whit about the hardship they've caused, they all still have their cushy jobs.

False. Florida still has a testing positivity rate of over 10%, which places Florida pretty high on the list for cases. That also doesn't include the spring break idiots that took covid home to other states as a souvenir. 

42 minutes ago, skridge said:

I don't know why anyone would be shocked.  They have been canceling after the final payments since back in April when they knew there was no way any of those ships were going to sail.  At least right now it is a little less shady with the vaccine being out there.  The cruise industry has screwed a lot of people over since April and they have done it in the shadiest way.

It's not shady when people voluntarily pay up. It's been a hassle for sure, but I feel like Carnival handled it pretty well. I would have requested a refund right from the beginning, but I paid half of my fare with gift cards. By the time I actually get to go on my prepaid cruise, I will have booked, and paid for it almost 3 years ago. Since they are offering the option to cancel with no penalty, they are doing nothing wrong. 

On 3/15/2021 at 8:15 PM, Bobster17 said:

We are booked for 2022 and I have just noticed scrolling thru the bars on board that some of them say 21+. Our daughter does not attend the kids clubs and has always enjoyed coming with us for a pre dinner or theatre drink. Is this age restriction after a certain time of night or all day would anyone know? 

Please don't. Adults go to adults only areas for a reason. If you want to grab a pre dinner drink, I'd suggest taking them outside of the bar area. There are plenty of family friendly areas to lounge and very few adults only spaces.

Probably the same amount of rust or more since the crew has been limited and the ships still sit in the ocean. 

15 hours ago, mpdog42 said:

For how long should we be forced to wear a mask?

Until there is herd immunity

On 3/6/2021 at 7:51 AM, ledges1 said:

With the anticipated return of cruising, excitement is high as are bookings. Many of us remember cruising as it once was. With new restrictions, will this limit the FUN on Carnival and possibly sour the experience until restrictions are lifted. This could take a year or two. Will these possible restrictions limit the FUN.

1. Mask required

2. Limited seating in nightclubs

3. Limited seating in shows

4. Limited seating/games in casino

5. Slow turnover of players in casino resulting in waiting to get a slot machine

6. Carnival only excursions

7. Fewer ports of call due to slow reopening by other countries.                  8. Key West no longer available as a destination and Grand Cayman may limit cruise ship visits.                              

9. Hairy chest contest eliminated.          

10. Lido deck games removed due covid restrictions; putt putt, cornhole, chess, ping pong, ice carving, mixology contest, hot tubs, etc...                               I have no real insight to what the restrictions may be, but in reallity, these could all occur.  Will this effect your experience?

This is the ultimate list of first world problems. "I'm going on a luxury vacation that many people would never be able to afford and I have to wear a piece of cloth on my face. Poor me."

I get it, masks and restrictions are annoying. My glasses fog up, my ears hurt, I have acne, etc. However, I would gladly deal with those minor inconveniences to be able to look at something other than my house. For the past year, I leave my house only to get groceries. In 2019, I spent 4 weeks out of the country on vacation. I'm ready to go just about anywhere at this point.

I would like regular straws for frozen drinks,  but I can do without for everything else. I drink slowly and my sugar straws tend to melt shut before I can finish a daiquiri. 

Then again, if they provided straws for select drinks, people ordering other drinks would just ask for straws and the staff would comply, so I understand why they don't have them at all. 

I just wish I could vacation at all. 

5 hours ago, asalligo said:

This is exactly what I would do if I ran Carnival. I would make a deal with Mexico on becoming a home port for Caribbean cruises and start working out some airfare deals to include in cruise prices. Free covid testing before flying back and a quarantine guarantee just like the AI resorts are doing in Mexico. The CDC in the US has drug their feet for far too long. If I can go to Walmart and Disney, I can cruise. Heck, even movie theaters are back open here and airlines never closed. I had to fly last month on a full plane with a person seated on each side of me. 

If you get sick at Walmart, Disney, on a plane, at home, at a hotel, etc, you're not too far from a hospital. If you get sick on a ship, good luck. 

Since covid, the only trips I've been on have been ones where I could stay away from people. Camping and boating, hiking, and beach trips are great options (preferably if you can go by car). 

In October, I'm going to Hawaii. Hoping that most of the population will be vaccinated by then, but I'll still be able to stay isolated from others if need be. 

In 2022, I'd like to get back to traveling internationally. 

14 hours ago, joeyancho said:

I could live with the mask.  It's all the other restrictions.   Especially not being able to leave the ship on my own.  Most ports I have been to many times.   I have beaches, restaurants,  shopping places, etc I like to visit that the tours do not visit. Just imagine the cattle call those tours are going to be.  Not for me. 

I'm assuming that carnival sponsored excursions may be different than the usual selections. They may very well have options to transport guest to a beach and back (like when ships have been stranded in ports with mechanical errors. We'll see what happens

1 hour ago, joeyancho said:

Exactly right. There are many forms of vacation. Why would someone want to jump through all these hoops just to get on a cruise?

Cruises can still be enjoyable with restrictions. I went on a land based short road trip over the summer and the same precautions applied. Unless you're going to an isolated destination, covid is still going to tag along for the ride. 

Outside of grocery shopping, I haven't left my house since August. I'm ready to be anywhere but here. I'll happily stay away from everyone,  reading a book on my cruise ship balcony while soaking up the sun, sipping on a fruity cocktail, and hearing the sounds of the ocean while my work emails are completely ignored for a week. A mask is really no big deal.

I think a paper menu delivered to the cabin would make sense. They already have printed ads for the art auctions, spa stuff, etc. They would only need 1 per cabin and if people want to bring it along,  no problem. Phone can be a backup option in the dining room, as well as a copy posted outside of the dining room.

1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said:

Since the virus is a problem all over the world, it's clear that wearing masks will not stop it.  As long as travel is occurring, the virus will continue to spread.  I think some people just don't understand that you can't lock down a virus with masks.  Anyway, since the US isn't the only country in the world experiencing the pandemic, then it's not the citizens who are the problem or the previous leader.  It's a virus.  Unless everyone stays at home for 14 days and nobody is allowed into the US, then the virus will continue to run its course.  Maybe after this pandemic, people will understand more about the spread of viruses and how lockdowns can only slow the spread.  Lockdowns and masks will not stop a virus that can go right through a mask.

California has some of the strictest lockdown and mask requirements in the country and yet it's a mess with the virus.

Why do you assume people will understand viruses when you certainly do not? Masks do help stop the spread. However, there are waaaaay too many people letting their guard down.

Holiday/family gatherings? Check. People going on vacation? Check. People protesting in the streets without face coverings? Check. 

Overcrowded hospitals filled with infected patients? Check.

These are the things that are causing it to continue to spread. The only countries that have managed to stop the virus in its track are those who care more about public health than themselves. I.e. in Taiwan, borders have been closed since March. Anyone who is allowed in must quarantine in an approved location alone for a full 14 days and it is monitored. Everyone is required to wear a mask in buildings and on public transit and everyone willingly does so. Now, they have pretty much no cases (and only 7 deaths since March) in the entire country because people did what they were told to do. Masks work.

On 1/17/2021 at 2:32 AM, SNJCruisers said:

First of all, cruises to nowhere will not happen when revenue producing cruises start back up because you need to have a foreign port stop.  That's  why Alaska cruises stop in Victoria BC and California coastal cruises stop in Ensenada MX.

RCI and Celebrity have already cancelled through April 30 and of course Carnival will soon follow.  They need to do test cruises, followed by 60 days and then finally short 3 or 4 day revenue producing cruises can start, hopefully by August 15.

Does stopping at a foreign port without disembarking count?

2 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

It might be easier and faster to obtain a covid vaccine in the Caribbean than at home. Some islands have access via association with other countries or organizations like WHO - eg Cayman Islands has access. Development Banks have made over a billion dollars available.

 

Cuba has 4 vaccines under development and China is also a source.

Yes, some islands will have access to vaccines sooner than others (like your example of the caymans), but the caymans will still likely not accept cruise passengers this year. More vaccines are coming, but it will be a long time before we can travel freely like we once did. 

If they are cruising in May, I would expect that missed/canceled ports will become sea days. Vaccines/immunity will not be widespread by then, and who knows when the island nations will have access to vaccines. 

I'm guessing that the first few months of cruises will be cruises to nowhere (all sea days). 

57 minutes ago, boatseller said:

Their problem is COVID is very, very, very low risk.  Sorry, that what the numbers show.  The cruise lines are already sheilded from all sorts of things because they're acts of God.  You can sue, but you have no case if you catch Influenza.  Requiring an unproven medication shifts that burdon.  Before you try, FDA approval is meaningless, just ask the manufactures of Zantac.

 

They can campaign for it all they want, but it's a huge leap to require it.  And if they require a covid vaccine, what about all diseases that are far, far, far more deadly?  I guarantee, there will be a lawyer waiting or the first flu patient hospitalized after a cruise and it's lotto time if someone contracts measels, 

 

Finally, if "the vaccine will not prevent the disease" what the heck is the point?

 

If you want to know what adverse scenarios the lawyers are covering...they're starting with 1976.

Low risk? If the number of positive cases means nothing to you, check out a map of ICU occupancy. Many hospitals have few to no beds left. This is not an ordinary seasonal illness. Cruising is extremely low priority until people stop dropping like flies. 

9 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

 

 

There's so much I could say on the subject of vaccines, but I'll limit myself to commenting on the two posts above.  And I'll try to be brief.

 

First of all, the crew.  It would definitely be nice if the crew were required to get vaccines, but where would they come from?  Most crew come from less developed countries, where (1) the countries are probably near the back of the line when it comes to getting the vaccine, and (2) the crew would probably be near the back of the line when it comes to prioritizing who would get it.  Would the crew line up at a local drugstore in the nearest developed port of call?  I think that would make some people here uncomfortable, especially if they're perceived to be forcing their way to the head of the line.  The cruise line's parent corporation could put in a block order directly with the manufacturer.  But their 50,000 to 200,000 dose order might be considered small potatoes on the world stage and they could be subject to long delays, high prices, or both.

 

And second, the long-term effects.  It's true we don't know the long-term effects of any of the vaccines.  We also don't know many the long-term effects of catching the virus.  One long-term effect of the virus that's starting to show up in the (relatively) short term is death.  Over a million people worldwide have died so far.  I rather doubt the group of vaccines that will be approved will kill, by themselves, a million people, but maybe I'm just a hopeless optimist.  😀  That's not to say that the vaccines won't have some nasty long-term side effects, but we haven't seen them so far, and it seems likely that they will be outweighed by the people who are saved directly and indirectly.  But we'll see.

The crew's home countries aren't as undeveloped as you think. For example, Indonesia already has more vaccine doses than we do. They are not the same Pfizer vaccine, but it's still a vaccine that has been tested to be safe. The US and other EU nations are being selective when it comes to who develops the vaccine...

12 hours ago, jfunk138 said:

I think it's very premature to declare Australia (and NZ for that matter) as having had the most successful strategy.  At some point they both need to reopen their borders and relax restrictions.  It sounds like in order to be "successful" that full reopening will not occur until some large percentage of their population is vaccinated which realistically could stretch into 2023.  Can they stay locked down and walled off from the world that long?  I think even surviving their meteorological winter in 2021 will be tough as the northern hemisphere returns to normal and they remain walled off.

The northeastern states in the US were busy declaring victory this summer as well (a certain governor even wrote a book about his great victory).  Look at them now!  All are worse (both now and overall) than the likes of Florida and Georgia that they spent the summer criticizing.  

New York did a remarkable job in turning things around, but when it comes to community spread, the governor has little control over those who refuse to limit social interactions.