malted muse

49 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Nothing wrong with recording the moment. My grandmother used to travel in Europe way back when -- I think of her as an early Rick Steves -- she'd go on her own or with a friend, traveling by train, staying near rail stations in cheap but adequate hotels and touring on her own. She was also a good writer and kept notes of her trips, some of which I read and probably helped inspire my love of travel. (She also wrote long and newsy letters home. People just don't do that anymore!)

 

I've taken a page from her book. I used to carry a lined moleskine notebook with me and write down what I saw, what I did, what I ate, what my impressions were. Every evening. You'd be surprised how much you forget when you don't do this. Sure -- you remember the "big ticket" stuff like the Sistine chapel ceiling, but do you recall the thrill of peeking through a barred door into a dark underground room and making out an ancient Roman mithraeum bit by bit?  Or that moment when you were utterly gobsmacked by a single statue of Augustus in the Museo Nazionale in Rome and had to just sit down in front of it for a good long while?  Or the crunch and the taste of your first fried artichokes in a restaurant in the old Jewish ghetto?

 

When I read those now, it brings back the smells, tastes, crowds (or lack thereof); the surprise discoveries, the irritations that one tends to gloss over in memories. 

 

Now I travel with a small laptop and use that as my "notebook" but I still try to write down my impressions every evening. It's a wonderful record. When I go back and read about a trip I took 15 years ago, it all comes back to me. 

 

totally agree. My parents never travelled but my wife's family did.  One of the things we often do is try to visit the places they wrote about. Great joy.

11 hours ago, frantic36 said:

On 2/25/2021 at 3:18 PM, malted muse said:

I know this is not 'topic' related but as so many have said about missing cruising I put together a short compilation of ports.  hope that is OK.

https://youtu.be/slYDx03w0UY

Thanks for the video. Lovely to see some places I have visited and some places I hope to visit.

My pleasure. Glad you liked it.  

11 hours ago, clo said:

One is enjoying the moment.....not recording it.... but living it... that is the thing

For some of us recording, noting, creating is part of living the moment, plus doing so creates new opportunities to re-visit those moments in a variety of ways.

I take my laptop on cruises - getting the time to write for pleasure, processing photos from port stops etc are part of the escape and enjoyment I normally don't have time for.  Plus the last couple of cruises had apps that worked on the ship and were used to arrange meets, events and finding your way round the ship.

1 hour ago, drsel said:

Absolutely!

Helping others on cruise critic triggers a release of oxytocin, which has the effect of boosting your mood and counteracts the effects of cortisol (the dreaded stress hormone).

Interestingly, the higher your levels of oxytocin, the more you want to help others

yes indeed.  this is exactly why I think we need to use it, protect it and support it.  Helping each other is rewarding and worthwhile.  PLUS the more we do it the better the community is and the more enjoyable it feels. So let's keep sharing, let's be helpful, be positive when we can and share solutions to the negatives. And let's push away the the traps of moaning for the sake of it and dismissing others when they do not deserve it.

There are so many nice people out there from all over the world.

I know this is not 'topic' related but as so many have said about missing cruising I put together a short compilation of ports.  hope that is OK.

https://youtu.be/slYDx03w0UY

1 hour ago, clo said:

Yes.

 

And, at this time, if we stayed on the topic of (just) cruising then they might as well shut the site down. For instance we have a cruise booked for over a year and a half out in the Baltic and Scandinavia. I have no interest in starting research on those destinations at this time. Who knows if we'll be cruising then or how it all can change. I've answered the occasional question about particular destinations. 

I see your point and feel the same in many ways.  I have planned many trips that won't happen just for the escapism.  Maybe that would be a good thread?

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

You do raise a good point.  I guess if CC were to be strictly about cruising there would no longer be a CC because nearly all cruising has come to a halt.   The topic of COVID and Vaccinations are very relevant since the ability of anyone to cruise will likely depend on COVID, Vaccinations, and the political decisions that impact the ability of any of us to cruise.

 

I completely agree with you about the name calling which is just silly, immature, and is unfortunately a fall-out of the current western culture.  There was a time when folks would intelligently discuss/debate issues but we are now in an era when folks want to "cancel" anyone with with whom they disagree.   Just try to have a rational discussion with folks about the climate...and you will quickly find yourself immersed in a nasty cancel culture (ie...if you don't agree with me you are cancelled).

 

But the reality about the cruise industry is that it is caught in the middle of the COVID mess, politics, vaccines, etc.  That is not what most of us want but it is the reality of the times in which we live.  When, where and if we can travel and where we can go is related to COVID and politics.  That is reality!  

 

I would prefer to go back to the good ole days when we would discuss ports, tours, where to go, which cruise lines to try, different ships, etc!  But at the moment these issues are not relevant until cruising and world travel once again resumes it's place in our society.   DW and I would love to return to Europe this Spring/Summer be it on a ship or on land.  But the reality of COVID and world politics now makes that seem unlikely.  I guess we could keep posting advice about places like France and Italy...but the truth is that most of us are not even permitted to go to those places (via ships or air).  

 

I will tell you that the online reaction to travel transcends cruisers.  We are spending our usual winter in Mexico and the blogs are outrageous.  There are some expats here in Mexico that post day after day their outrage that anyone would dare travel to Mexico (where they live).  And there are many others who are sheltering in place in both the USA and Canada that constantly flame everyone who has the audacity to go anywhere during a Pandemic.  The vitriol and nasty comments are something I have seldom seen on travel blogs (we are not just talking about CC).   

 

I think that most folks are simply scared, frustrated, and lashing out at anyone who does not see things in the same light.  That is human nature as fear is a very strong motivator.  There do not seem to be any simple answers these days and the ability to discuss issues has been nullified by the inability of many folks to handle debate.  

 

I guess the only answer I can offer to the OP is that when you see threads which make you unhappy...just move on to the next thread.  One nice thing about CC is that we all have the freedom to read or ignore posts.  I like having the ability to make my own choices and salute CC for having a pretty tolerant attitude towards most discussions.  

 

Hank

Thanks for such an in depth and objective reply.  

There are suggestions about reporting and/or ignoring and I agree and appreciate them.  I also feel there is a place for saying 'be nice and stay on topic" - maybe we could have a signal with the like button?  not a dislike or hate option but one that says 'nudge' or something? or maybe we need the occasional chat like this?

12 minutes ago, mom says said:

Well then do something about it if it bothers you that much. Thread highjacking isn't allowed, per the posting guidelines. If that happens, report it. If done often enough, perhaps the usual offenders will learn how to stick to the subject and stop monopolizing the thread for their own annoying side arguments.

I am doing something about it - One thing I did was start a thread about it.

11 minutes ago, clo said:

I think it's pretty darn easy to 'avert your eyes' if you see a topic that doesn't appeal to you. And on the other hand, to start a post about any topic you feel like you want info on.

yes it is easy to avert your eyes - but when you are following a post but have to constantly pass over pages of twitter-like irrelevance to get to cruise stuff - especially if it is a roll call based thread - then it is a pain.  There is also a part of me that gets fed up at feeling everywhere gets dominated by 'big egos' who just seem to want to tell the world what is right etc.  It isn't about topics not being appealing it is about existing topics getting hijacked by things that have nothing to do with cruising.

9 minutes ago, SelectSys said:

Just remember this is all entertainment.  Take it for what it is and realize nothing here effects anyone's life - or at least it shouldn't!

 

BTW - this particular forum specializes in COVID chatter and speculation.  

not sure I fully agree.  Its not just entertainment it is a resource for planning, discovery, saving money etc. I think it's worth looking after and helping it specialise in cruising.

15 minutes ago, SelectSys said:

Sometime by the middle of 2022 CruiseCritic will look more like its old self.  

I hope so.  It's a bit catch 22ish.  I don't like the way it has become a bit twitter like - but if one discusses it it encourages it - if one ignores it it goes unchecked. 

24 minutes ago, mom says said:

OP, I can understand where you are coming from, but I don't know what you expect from a forum such as this. I too am sick and tired of the repetitive threads and the high degree of pedantry on some if them. But I feel I have a few choices. If one sees multiple threads on the same subject, you can ask to have them merged. If you see inappropriate posts (blatantly false information or hostile language) you can report them. Or you can simply not read those threads and move on to one that is if interest. I am not about to tell my fellow CC members what subjects they can or cannot post on. Or how they debate points if view, providing they remain civil.

you make good points.  I agree and I am not sure if I expected any solutions when I started this thread.

22 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

 

Charter member of cruise critic, never saw anything like this, it is just a sign of the times. (Covid) Once we start cruising again, things will get back to normal.  

lets hope so

19 minutes ago, richstowe said:

cruise critic or twitter?

I don't know what this treads title has to do with the OP's opening comment . 

The title is one topic , the comment seems to be another .

Not commenting just confused . What's the question , what's the topic ?

Not sure if there is a question.  More of a reaction to me following  a few threads and feeling flat after seeing so many occasions when they appeared more like twitter than the CC I had come to know.

I suppose I am just reaching out to say something like -

'I like CC, I have found it helpful, entertaining and very useful.  There is much I do not engage in, organising  card games for example, but I can see how they are enjoyable to many and I appreciate how others benefit so I hover over them with an occasional nod.  There are others, like organising taxis or excursions that I have found invaluable.  And there are some, like meet ups and tips on how to get the most (and sometimes warnings about how to avoid problems) that are simply great.  It would be a shame if all this became muddied by politics, ego and extremism.  It would be such a waste if we allowed ourselves to fall into fallouts with each other.  I know I have made those mistakes myself and I am sorry for that.  Maybe starting this thread is a mistake and an example of me being a part of the problem.  If so then I apologise.

I guess there is not a question, just a request that we all stay focussed and in the spirit of being fellow travellers.'

1 hour ago, clo said:

Considering the almost total lack of cruising in the last year, I thing the CC management is being extremely in allowing so much latitude. And I honestly think you may want to look elsewhere. I think it's going to be like this for at least another year.

to be clear - no complaints from me about CC management. 

Not sure what you mean by 'extremely in allowing' as you seem to be missing a word, I think 'tolerant', 'flexible', 'understanding' would all fit in here.

The suggestion of looking elsewhere is the point.  If we are not careful then these places in which we can talk about specific things in a kind way get lost and taken over by those who want to push forward things that are not relevant (they may be important but just not relevant). e.g. It may be relevant to ask if shore excursions will be possible and it may be important to distinguish between the effectiveness of vaccine types, but when the two meet and it falls into pages of posts defining if a word that has been used is the most accurate description related to ... and so on - then the cruising element is lost.

No complaints about CC - I just think we may need to remind ourselves why we are posting sometimes (and I include myself in that as well).

6 minutes ago, paul929207 said:

The subjects are driven by us as the users. Other than removing in appropriate posts, Cruise Critic does not control the subjects

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

There are literally hundreds of non-CV19 threads out there. 

Strangely enough, it's the forums with predominantly US posters that tend to be CV19 heavy.

There are loads of topics and many stay on track - I follow a few that have stayed on course to specific cruises and I have no blind spot to the understanding that there is a need to discuss CV19 issues.  I am getting a bit concerned that there have been a few threads that have descended into vax vis anti vax etc discussions.  It isn't everywhere but my worry is that it can spread.

I remember when I first went on twitter to follow certain podcasts.  It seemed a useful and friendly back then... I wouldn't want the same to happen here.

I don't know the answer and it may be just me - or it may be worth us all making an effort to say 'lets stay focussed.

I may be wrong but I always thought that cruise critic was an international forum formed to share views and information about cruising in a helpful and supportive way.  It seems to me, however, that when I look at topics they seem to descend into the sharing of views about things such as vaccinations - which is the best one - politics and views around them etc.

While I can understand that there is an issue about vaccinations related to cruising I do think the threads descend into pedantic, name calling and propaganda sharing (sometimes of a nationalistic nature) that is detrimental to the role of cruise critic.

17 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Post 114 was certainly anti America, intended or not that’s how it reads. I am sorry you were offended, but I just “call them like I see them”

That was my post in  response to your claims about the Russians.  I did not say or intend anything that was anti US.  I was responding to your anti Russian statements and highlighted a feeling about blaming other countries for things that is shared by others, including my own UK, about COVID.  But you call them as you see them - 

Can we get back to cruise talk now? or do you want to libel me more?

8 minutes ago, beerman2 said:

The issue is ,we are having enough difficulties in the US getting this vaccine  situation figured out. Every state has their own timeframe and here in Ohio we haven't gotten to the under 70 group.

 

We have had doses mis-handled /ruined. So yes I will defend our small corner. 

 

He was a Canadian so not biased.

 

Go to U-Tube and look up Byron MacGregor's (The American's), the corner is a little bigger. It was years ago , however very powerful on who the US is and how others " thumbed their nose".

OK. just to be clear and said in kindness

I am not thumbing my nose up at the US.  The US may be having vaccine problems - most places in the world are having problems.  You want to defend your corner? I am not attacking your corner.  'The issue is...' not an issue I referred to.

My issue ? -

This is a cruise topic centred international forum.  I find that using it to push nationalistic agendas (such as claiming that other countries have 'cheated'), promoting the concept that the US is more important and not equal in the need/priority to be vaccinated when there are other countries participating in the forum, and the reference to cruise staff as being 'foreigners', and suggesting that they, therefore, are lower on the priority, is insensitive and inappropriate at the least.

I repeat that I am not anti US.  I actually think it has a lot of potential and, like most countries, has given a lot to the world. But this is not a US forum.  It is an international forum with people from many countries who have also suffered due to covid.  Forgive me but when I think of the staff who will be bringing you your drinks and cleaning your cabin, some of which have had to endure much hardship, I am not that moved by your call of 'let's sort us out first'.

I do not feel the need to be 'educated' by looking on 'U-Tube', partly for the reasons above and also because I have no need to be told who the US are.  I could suggest further reading for you if you would find it useful but I would much rather this forum be used for people to discuss - cruising - in a helpful, supportive and inclusive way.

7 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Malted Muse is one of them with anti USA rhetoric 

This is a forum about cruising.  I am not anti USA nor have I given any indication of it nor any other anti national sentiment.  I find your post about me to be very offensive and I feel you should not be posting in such a way on this topic centred international forum.  

1 hour ago, beerman2 said:

J & J and Moderno are US headquartered companies. I guess you haven't read /noticed some comments from UK CC members , some have as you say " lovely sentiments" also.

Oh I agree self centred attitudes can be from any nation.  Charity does begin at home but some see 'home' as being the whole planet not just their small corner.  I am not anti USA just not keen on anyone who thinks their country is the only relevant bit - especially when it is an international forum.

On 2/11/2021 at 2:40 AM, beerman2 said:

We in the US can't get it figured out on the who , when , where to get vaccinated. Yet people are concerned about getting crew on foreign flagged ships vaccinated.

 

" Charity begins at Home", let's take care of us first. Money shouldn't "talk".

""charity begins at home" let's take care of us first", lovely sentiment on an international forum.  

On 2/12/2021 at 1:22 PM, ipeeinthepool said:

 

3

if only there was a dictionary definition of couple

14 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

No, Sputnik began human trials May 2020, Moderna June 2020. Pretty similar effort, regardless of politics. 

14 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

No, Sputnik began human trials May 2020, Moderna June 2020. Pretty similar effort, regardless of politics. 

"pretty similar effort" but if the Russians do it lets all presume they are cheating and the UK/USA never do.  I wonder what the reality is.  BTW I'm dropping out now as this sort of discussion where we express political bias is best left on twitter so that cruise critic can be kept for information related to cruising.

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

They skipped most of the human testing and data gathering. 

Or maybe they had a government that saw the problem coming and put effort into it rather than trying to convince their citizens that it was a Chinese invention that we don't need to worry about?? but then again this is a cruise forum??

28 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Stolen property!. How else can they be so far ahead?

Don't see why they shouldn't be, they led the space race for ages but worth remembering that these forums are meant to be for cruising...