LibertyBella

Everybody should be flexible, as we are in a completely fluid situation.  Viking can only respond to Bermuda's constantly updating requirements and then try to share with us in a timely fashion.

Here is a link to the most recent Bermuda news conference summary held June 3rd:

https://bernews.com/2021/06/june320215-30pm-video-govt-covid-19-press-conference/

The good thing is that as of June 24th, many restrictions in Bermuda will be lifted.  I am on the June 29th cruise, so keeping my fingers crossed it will all get easier... We really want to do some independent excursions, as I am a beach person and husband is scuba certified.  So we are waiting and hoping, but also keeping up with all the Bermuda news! 

Canada has not yet opened its borders to Americans, so the itinerary was a pipe dream anyway.

And there are cruise lines like Viking that do not accept children under 18.  

Really, a state governor has no authority over an international cruise line.  The cruise line can basically "port" anywhere, and customers will still travel there.

All Viking Bermuda cruises starting mid-June are just about sold out.  (And yes, I am booked on one of those cruises for this summer--fully vaccinated, multiple covid tests required in advance, and tests during the cruise, excursions bubble.  And all cabins have balconies!)

My Princess cruise scheduled for 2022 is in Europe.  There is no reason why I ever really have to go to Florida for a cruise.  Besides,  I value my health enough that I prefer to travel only with those that are like-minded.

I second the recommendation to visit many jewelry stores on sea and shore.  And if she cannot find what she is looking for there, she should have free reign with an Internet search!  Enjoy, and keep the credit cards nearby.

I will say that sometimes a cruise vacation is about value, and sometimes it is getting exactly the itinerary, cabin or date that you really, really want. 

There were times in the far past (before online bookings) that I would call the cruise line and just say put me on the cheapest one week cruise available during this month....There were times when I waited three weeks before a sailing and got a great last minute fare (New York to Bahamas). 

But when it is a cruise I have to have, I sometimes book more than a year in advance, especially if the itinerary is more complex (Greece), and I do not skimp on the cost if it is a trip to a "dream" destination. I will be sailing the Regal Princess next summer in Europe in a mini-suite, and I wanted a certain deck which cost more than other decks.  Oh well.  

I am exactly the same way with hotels--sometimes it is a place just to sleep--other times it is a special resort hotel that I must stay in, no matter the cost.

I will say traveling with children adds a different dimension--you want to make sure you will have no worries or hiccups, so it is important to have all the details addressed as you have done.

Enjoy the wonderful adventure and terrific scenery--it will be an experience you and your family will never forget!  Splurge on the shore excursions as well--husband and I loved walking on the frozen  glaciers in our crampon boots. And isn't money supposed to help us create terrific life memories?

I once used Princess air for a Baltic Cruise and the routing was terrible (Philly-Chicago-Denmark). What was even worse was that the international Chicago flight was cancelled due to weather, and we had to overnight in Chicago airport (at our expense) and wait for Princess to book us on another flight the next day after many phone calls. 

Thank goodness I had three hotel nights in Denmark pre-cruise so I did not miss the cruise. Of course I also had insurance that I filed to make up for the hotel night loss, but I could not make up the extra day of sightseeing. What I learned was never again.

Now I book all my own cruise air, direct non-stop if possible, at least three days in advance for international, at least one for domestic. I always take insurance for international travel, and I make sure I have a credit card available for any major emergency last minute flight changes. Occasionally I use frequent flyer miles and fly for free. My peace of mind is paramount especially for arriving--I am not quite as stressed returning after the cruise.

Of course the Covid experience was unique and changed the landscape a bit, but I still will not deal with the cruise lines for airfare, although it can sound enticing and easy.

I do not know where you see all those other cruise lines sailing out of U.S. ports yet.  The CDC has not yet given approval for any U.S. port cruises.  There is a big difference between what a cruise line puts on their website and what actually becomes a real cruise.

It is already the end of May--the cruise lines need time to make bookings, assemble crew and organize port calls.  

Plan for the Fall or later.

I am old school for formal dressing-- I love to wear my evening gowns and DH just had his tux altered and ready to go for all our upcoming cruises. We purchase the photo packages and have lots of beautiful shots in our dress-up outfits.

I book Princess, Celebrity and Cunard because I WANT to dress up and be elegant.

RCL, NCL and Carnival are more casual, but I still see plenty of formal wear on those cruises.  

And yes, we are somewhat critical of those who do not embrace the cruising lifestyle and pack a few nice outfits.  (Of course it is always easier to be a lazy slob.) 

Can't wait for my Princess Cruise summer of 2022 to Italy and Greece!

There are no other options to "replace" cruising---just other vacation ideas that I already do anyway!

I do not expect cruising to disappear in my lifetime unless all the water in the world dries up.

We are just on pause...

We may be anxious more than tired because we are expecting normalcy in times that are not normal.

The world is in upheaval and we are having difficulty negotiating the virus, quarantine, cancellations, job losses, protests, and so forth.

But, as we know, the only constant is change.

I try to be grateful for all that I have seen and experienced, and all that I possess.

I have been blessed not to have had any great incidents of health problems or major economic loss during this time period.

Yes, I am sorry my cruise was cancelled and my refund is slow in coming, but at least I know someday I can take another cruise.

This is a good time to fix up the house, to garden, to sort through too many possessions and consider donating, to catch up with some good books or television programs, or simply take time to reflect.

My question is always, how do I help to make the world a better place, not just make my life better?

The Covid quarantine is what has really had the most influence on all of our travel plans.

I live in Philly and we have had a few weeks of protests, looting and curfews just like Seattle and New York.

The protesters are not interested in tourists!

As we move into phase yellow (cautious reopening), more people are out working and shopping in previously empty downtown streets. People are able to see some sun and feel a warm breeze instead of being housebound with cold and gloomy weather outside.

People who live in big cities and travel to them respect and appreciate their diversity.

Since most Seattle cruises go up to Alaska and that cruise season is on hold, no need to worry about traveling there for a cruise.  

By the way, I have visited many, many much more dangerous countries than the USA, and I have many more on my bucket list to see. I never worry about any cruises in any cities in the USA. 

WOW!  What a bad experience.  Technology makes many things easier but can also really, really mess up one's life.

Sometimes booking directly online offers no protection, and having that travel agent buffer or a live reservation agent could have really helped with the process. I am not sure why you wanted to book right away in May, but I know many of us are very eager to plan a future vacation.

Okay, how are you for money and time?

At this point, since you do not want a credit card dispute, and you have been patient on the phone and spoken with supervisors, I think you could just consider booking TWO future cruises.

Yes, you should definitely keep following up and write the letters.  You absolutely have proof that the FCC was supposed to be applied.  But as someone who has been waiting for a RC refund since March 16, I think they will not be in a hurry to process any refund for you.

I believe many cruise lines are on the edge of collapse, and the management is barely keeping their heads above water.  That is not an excuse for poor customer service, or shoddy technology functions, but it is a bigger picture perspective that says to me they want to value their customers, but have become so overwhelmed they are unable to get past day-to-day functions.  

So allow your letters and complaints to play out, but offer your family the potential double treat of two cruises for having survived all of the social distancing and cancelled cruises. (For the second cruise, talk with a live reservation agent!)  And yes, you will have a great time!

Very heartbreaking. 

NY, NJ and MD are the hotspot ports for East Coasters who like to drive, park and cruise!

Because it is so cold in the winter, 2021 will probably mean Spring/Summer.

A semi-permanent new normal of constant change with differences!

My travel agency said to wait 90 days so that is what I am doing, and I have only two weeks to go!

A long and frustrating process, but I will not let if affect me...

Someday I will cruise again!

All of the mainstream cruise lines will welcome children and provide special activities for them, but there is a difference between those programs and making children the center of the cruise experience, similar to Disney.

For the most adult and refined experience, I prefer Cunard, and then for more intricate itineraries, I will select Celebrity, Princess or Holland America.  If I just want a fun cruise and getaway I choose RC, NCL and Carnival, whichever best fits my calendar and budget.  I think loyalty is good, but because I belong to six different cruise line loyalty programs now, I can pick and choose as to whatever appeals to me!

I always do the automatic tipping and I just consider it a regular part of the cruise cost. However, I am never really sure how it is divided among staff. Some Americans seem to  complain a lot about the tipping charges, and some people from other cultures do not even tip, and do not want to. I think the tipping prices are quite reasonable.

Once on board I ask for envelopes from the purser's office and give a nice extra cash tip on the last day to my head waiter, second waiter, wine person, Maitre' D, and my room steward.  The amount depends on the cruise length, and service expertise,  but usually no less than a $20.00 dollar bill (except for the Maitre D'.). 

I always do sit-down formal dining only, so I get to know my dining room team quite well. I have never had a complaint about a room steward--they work so hard!

Will people still want cash after this virus experience?  

Yes, I will definitely tip more because I am blessed to be a cruise passenger, not a worker, and the virus did not significantly affect my income (yet). 

I used to try to always travel for my anniversary and/or birthday(s), but one cannot always predict when the best itineraries or the best prices are offered, so I have become much more flexible.

I had booked a RC cruise for a big birthday early April and because of the virus, it was cancelled and I celebrated quietly at home.  It was a fun itinerary, full of beaches and sunshine.

I enjoy Celebrity for more upscale adventures, such as last year's Greek isles cruise.  I try not to worry about my status and just go with what appeals to me for the year.

Puerto Rico is certainly seeking tourist dollars to help with the recovery from the hurricane  and now, the pandemic.  There is a lot to see and do, especially in Old San Juan.

You can just take two cruises next summer to make up for this year.  I find Bermuda cruises to be quite romantic, restful and safe.

My brother did the cruise in March and it was extremely cold until they arrived in the Caribbean.  He has two little children and they insisted going out to the pool even though their teeth were chattering and their lips were turning blue.   The cruise staff got a big kick out of watching the two of them every day.  

You may need to prepare for both cold and hot weather if you like to stroll the decks--similar to an Alaska cruise in summer.

For all those who inquired, the OP also posted this exact same thread in the RC Blog/Message Board Forums and this Cruise Critic RC forum.

If you can afford to cruise, why can't you afford to pay for your own drinks?  I find your proposal slimy and dishonest. I notice you are also proposing this same nonsense in the RC forum, but hardly anybody responded.

Are you really asking people to give you some kind of support for basic theft?  I hope you get caught and banned for life from the cruise line.

I have not been able to keep up with reading with all of the thousands of posts on dozens of websites of people owed money by some type of travel industry entity.

The comments have been expanding since mid-March, and some are extremely angry and bitter, which is really bad for one's health, and mental state, and resolves nothing. Also, who is really reading those comments except other travelers? NOT the travel industry workers, who are hanging on by a thread.

Okay, I am still short of the 90 days for my RC refund, and I will just wait it out.  I have not yet bothered to try to call because I do not feel like waiting on a phone for multiple hours, but more power to those who do so. 

I waited out my airlines until they canceled (the day before the flight!) and was able to get a full refund.  

I will apply my China tour credit to a future trip in 2021. 

Sometimes for variety I read all the comments from people waiting for their stimulus checks.  Many of those folks are very, very poor, have never dreamed of cruising, and their comments can make you cry.  

Patience, empathy and kindness are most helpful in times of extreme chaos.

Glad the RC refund finally arrived.

Still waiting for mine, but no stress.

American Airlines refunded my flights in three days.

Not sure what is meant by the "poors"--you never know how others spend their money and on what!  (My DH prefers skiing over cruising any day of the week--Europe more than Colorado as the vertical drops are greater.)

As for me, I find ALL cruise lines quite similar--the only way to truly achieve luxury is to charter or own your own yacht!

There has been a lot of discussion about taking temperatures.

The problem with the virus is that even if one has excellent health upon boarding, an inhaled droplet (from a shore excursion, a crew member, a fellow passenger) could mean the end of the cruise and a mandatory quarantine.

Perhaps they will require all passengers to have very strong health insurance which could potentially cover the cost of evacuations as needed.

Unfortunately the insurance industry may balk at providing that level of service as the numbers were so high in the first wave of Covid-19.

Disney wants to use a liability waiver to state visitors enter the parks at their own risk and will not sue. There are a lot of interesting legal discussions about this topic. Not sure how this would play out on a cruise ship, but I definitely think there needs to be some improvement in the ventilation processes!

Hello BuckEye Mark,

It is a bit impossible to predict what will happen in the Fall, but... Questions to consider:

When is your final payment due?

Have you made/paid for air arrangements yet for your cruise?  

Did you use a travel agent or book independently with the cruise line?

Did you get a special group rate vs. individual rates?

Is your deposit fully refundable?

If the cruise line drastically changes the itinerary, would group members be upset? (Air travel could also be affected)

If you follow the news you will see that Greece has been very successful in fighting off the virus, but currently requires 14 day quarantines, as does Israel. Both countries want to reopen to tourists, but flights are not yet regularly operating. Italy is still struggling to open.  No one can yet predict how those countries will deal with cruise ships. If they have to cancel, it may be likely that RC may announce the Fall cancellations later in the process than is comfortable as they are trying to restart cruising this summer.

The lift/shift policy has some restrictions in terms of rebooking for the following year, and if that does not work because RC has not yet published its calendar, you would want to perhaps opt for FCC, OR ask them if they will have a similar itinerary and guarantee your group space on that sailing.

You need to have a discussion with your group to gauge their comfort level, not just with traveling, but also with waiting for cruise line decisions, rebooking, final payments, air arrangements, itinerary changes, health worries, and so forth.  If you used an agent, that person should contact RC and ask about the various options for your group.  It is a more difficult process because you have multiple personalities of travelers, and there may not be one right decision that is good for everybody.

Best wishes!