Longwood50

On 10/30/2021 at 8:16 PM, CruiserBruce said:

And, as far as I know, no cruise ship is going to Thailand under these procedures. Either the rules will need to be loosened, or procedures developed, like testing on the ship, to get to the point of resuming sailing to Thailand.

I have seen some cruises advertised with stops in Bangkok or Phuket but it remains to be seen if those ports are changed or the rules are.  Right now everyone including Thai's that enter Thailand are required to have Covid test within 72 hours of arrival, have approved vaccine passport, and be tested again upon arrival and be quarantined for 1 day until test results are back. 

This for sure will eliminate Thailand as a stop.  You can't have each port dictating that the passengers get continually retested and expect that you will have people willing to put up with the continual testing. 

On 10/19/2021 at 6:25 AM, iancal said:

We are anxiously waiting for Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam to open it   This area is one of our favorite go to areas for snowbirding.

Well I am residing in Thailand.  Don't plan on it any time soon.  They "relaxed' the standards as of November 1, 2021 to get into the country.  You only need a Covid test within 72 hours of when you are admitted to Thailand, have a vaccine passport, and be tested upon arrival and quarantined for 24 hours until your test results are in, and have medical insurance that is good in Thailand covering you for a minimum of $50,000 USD.  

Normal stop in Bangkok/ Laem Chabong is 1 to 2 days and typically only 1 day in Phuket so by the time you get out of quarantine the ship has already left. 

I know that most of the cruises require that the passenger must show they have been fully vaccinated.  I was just wondering how the cruises were handling the different admittance requirements of the various countries.  I know in Thailand at present only tourists from 5 countries will be admitted without quarantine, and even those 5 countries tourists will have a 1 day quarantine until the results of their Covid test upon arrival is completed.  I believe that Vietnam is totally closed and the same for Australia.  I would like to book a cruise to the Mediterranean and/or Greek Islands but if the ship hits ports in several countries, I am wondering if that is realistic given that any non-EU country would likely have different Covid entry requirements. 

 

Looking at a cruise on Holland America.  I see one I am interested in to the Greek Islands but it is on the Volendam.  Took a cruise in Asia 3 years ago on the Volendam and it was terrible.  The ship had just come out of dry dock where it was "refurbished"  Despite very hot temperatures the air conditioning throughout the ship was not functional.  At times the main dining room temperature got above 30 making dining extremely uncomfortable.  Same was true for the staterooms.  The toilets throughout the ship were also out of service the majority of the time.  I often had to go back to the stateroom since none were open on decks.  Numerous other problems including the ship being very dirty.   I would be willing to "try again" but wondering if someone has been on the Volendam recently.  I use that term recently "loosely" since obviously no one has been cruising in the past year. 

I like many people have Future Cruise Credits for last years cancelled cruises.  Even though I paid for those cruises entirely, when they are cancelled each one on the booking gets Future Cruise Credits put in their respective "My Princess Accounts"  As a test, I went to go book a cruise for later this year.  I logged into my account online and it correctly applied my future cruise credit, but not my wife's.  Has anyone else faced and resolved that?  Do you have to call Princess to apply both credits.  That ought to be a joy to try.  Or has someone out there just worked with a travel agent who can streamline the process of getting both credits applied to the same reservation.  I certainly would hope they don't intend on credits having to be used on two different reservations.  Given the limited number of cruises that will be available, even booking one cruise and using the credits will be a challenge. 

I purchased some Holland American Gift Cards for a cruise in March which has since been cancelled.  I used two of the cards to pay the deposit.  Those have been extended as a FCC until 12/31/22.  However the balance which I intended to use for paying the cruise were issued back in mid 2020 with an expiration date of 12/31/2021.  Needless to say, it is becoming increasingly less likely that there will be cruising in 2021.  I wrote the office of the president of HAL twice.  They confirmed my deposit was extended to 2022 but despite asking twice about the other cards and their expiration I got no reply either time.  

Is anyone else in the same situation and do you have any additional information other than what I have got? 

If you want them to be the only teens on the ship.  HAL caters to an older clientele.  The Caribbean itinerary will certainly be younger than if it was to Alaska or the Mediterranean but If I was going to pick a line that offered nice amenities and other teens plus fun things to do for them I would pick Royal Caribbean.  

I have future cruise credits on both Princess and Celebrity plus a gift card for Holland America.  All of them said that they expired on December 31, 2021.  As mentioned when I opted for these it was back in the March/April time frame.  Who would have ever guessed that cruising would completely stop for 2020 and now I am starting to think that this may extend into the first quarter of 2021.  That would leave very little cruises available for 2021 and I am certain I am like many who have FCC and would look to use them before they expired.  I question if the cruise lines upon re-opening would have availability for all that would like them. 

I took FCC on three cruises that were all cancelled.  I thought when they cancelled I certainly would use up at least one of them in 2020 and the remainder in 2021.  I am now starting to wonder if they will expire before they can be used.  Cruising is obviously done for 2020 leaving only 12 months and even if they start again with all the back log of cruisers with FCC I wonder if they would even have capacity to satisfy everyone.  Your thoughts? 

I purchased some Holland American Gift Cards during their promotion that indicated that they would provide a $200 additional bonus card for each $1,000 card purchased.  That was back in June the promotion ended June 30.  I was told that I would get my digital cards immediately and the bonus cards in 2 to 3 business days.  I have called several times and emailed the gift card department.  I have never heard back from the gift card department and the agents just tell me that they are backlogged.  I can understand some delay but to go from a couple of business days to now almost 2 months is already straining credibility.  Anyone else having these problems getting their bonus cards? 

Had a May 9 cruise that was cancelled back in March.  On June 16 received back the port charges and taxes but have never got anything regarding the FCC.  Is this typical?  What have others experienced in terms of the time to get the FCC.  Seems like that should go fairly fast. 

24 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

Those FCCs are great for the cruise line. For the consumer lots of luck. The cruise lines will probably come out ahead in most cases.

Charles4515  

I agree, they obviously are like a gift card that has an expiration so the cruise lines know that they will have a pent up demand to use them up irrespective of price.  Fares now on most cruises listed are much much higher.  The same cruise I booked is offered at a worse time of the year in the Mediterranean and is double the price I had booked for prime time in August.  Nope, I will ask for a refund and if anything book at the last minute if the prices drop. 

Yes, I had two cruises with NCL  booked for August in the Mediterranean.  Both canceled.  That now makes 6 cruises I have booked and all cancelled.  No more FCC for me.  The prices for the new sailings are more than double. 

I just tried to buy some gift cards online.  My transaction went through and then I got an email saying that we are unable to process your gift card order.  The charges went through on my credit card and it does show both a charge and refund pending.  Is there are reason for that such as they are no longer offering the program? 

2 minutes ago, Lido - Lanai said:

Purchasers may not acquire Gift Cards from Holland America Line® in any given day in an aggregate amount that exceeds $10,000. Each single Gift Card may be purchased in any denomination between $25 and $2,000.

Lido-Lanai

Looks like I should have phrased it differently.  It appears there is a $200 bonus when purchasing a $1,000 card.  If looks as if when you purchase more than $1,000 you still only get one $200 gift card.  Does anyone know if you can purchase one at a time the cards and get the $200 bonus each time or if there is an aggregate limit of $200 to a single purchaser? 

On 4/18/2020 at 4:39 AM, wesport said:

Just received and email from HAL about a gift card bonus. Buy $500 get $100 bonus. Buy $1000 get $200 bonus. 20% return on your money. Better that a CD right now. 

Does anyone know is there a limit on the amount of cards you can purchase?  Lets say I have a cruise that is $2.000 per passenger could I buy $4,000 in cards? 

3 hours ago, npcl said:

As far as Vietnam it is not quite like the picture you posted at peak they had 80,000 in quarantine, and had a very tight lockdown

npcl,

I am not sure where you get the 80,000 figure from but even if that is accurate this is a country with 97 million people.   In regards to Sweden.  The point you and others seem to miss is that despite no lock down.  Their situation is not any worse than Italy, Spain, France, U.K. or Belgium..  If the lockdowns and other social distancing were effective, those countries would have markedly lower rates and Swedens astronomically higher.  The fact that Swedens is lower proves that IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE.   

My original point was that cruise lines seem to be slammed unfairly and yes I stand by that.  Lets say you get coronavirus from another family member but are not symptomatic yet.  You take a flight to your cruise and on that flight are several other passengers who are also going on the same cruise.   You go to your hotel and they go to theirs. Now with both groups infected at breakfast before heading to the cruise port all the people now infected pass it along to yet even more passengers.  

Several days later the ship has multiple cases of coronavirus and the headlines blast, the cruise lines.   

This is no different than if you went shopping at Walmart and infected the same number of people but since there is no way to establish how the other Walmart shoppers got it or passed it along No News Headlines. 

The virus does not spread any faster or is more contagious on a cruise ship than in a taxi, subway, bus, airplane, amusement park, theater, or Walmart. 

4 hours ago, PortFees45 said:

There are vaccines for influenza

PortFees45  I am not saying you are stupid, you just don't think well. 

Vaccines "prevent" they don't cure.  Despite a vaccine for influenza between 5% and 20% of the world gets influenza each and every year. You also "edited" my statement.  I did not say that Coronavirus was like the Flu.  I said the TREATMENT was no different than the flu.  There is NO CURE for the flu either.  A person who is hospitalized with the flu has their symptoms treated.  If they are having trouble breathing they are assisted.  SAME AS THE CORONAVIRUS.   Study sometime.  The common cold is caused by the virus.  Is there a cure? NO NO NO.  Your body naturally fights it off.  Same for Influenza and same for Cornavirus.   PS. with influenza even those who take the vaccine upwards of 50% still catch it.  So if you are hiding under the sheets waiting for the vaccine to prevent it, I 'think' it is coming just after the one to prevent another virus infection AIDS.  Oh wait, we have been attempting that since it was first discovered in 1959. 

9 hours ago, pmd98052 said:

You also ignored my HIV comments. Please explain your thinking there.

pmd98052

You are wrong there are "treatments"  https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/coronavirus/how-hospitals-treat-covid-19-patients

This is no different than the flu, cancer, etc.  NO CURE  but the hospitals give supportive care to alleviate the symptoms. 

The point still is that cruise lines are getting unfairly lambasted.  The only reason they can point to a cruise line is that a passenger is on board for one week or longer.  The person gets sick along with others and they are all geographically in the same place.  The ship.

If you took 3000 people and dispersed them throughout a city to shopping malls, restaurants, movie theaters, subways, airline terminals, and supermarkets a certain percentage of them would contract covid 19 and I suspect at even higher rates than on board.  The fact that you are on a ship makes ZERO difference.  It is human contact that passes the disease and that happens unless you completely isolate yourself with no contact.  The fact that ships have 3 to 5 thousand people is totally irrelevant.  It is like saying  you went to a football stadium and so you exposed yourself to 65,000 people.  No you were exposed to those immediately around you.  No different than a cruise. 

In terms of the mortality, yes it is higher than the flu however in over 86% of the cases the person who died had at least one pre existing medical condition.  

Two facts.  Sweden did not social distance.  Its rate of infection and its rate of death is lower than Italy, Spain, France, U.K. and Belgium.   The below picture is of Vietnam on May 16 in a bar.  Notice no social distancing rules, no masks etc.  VIETNAM HAS 97 MILLION PEOPLE AND ZERO DEATHS.  Why  almost all the countries with low coronavirus cases and death are tropical and the countries have young populations Vietnam median age is 30.  Conclusion  a cruise to the Caribbean is a far less likely environment to catch covid in that sitting in a home in Baltimore. 

In terms of HIV you "could" get it if a person infected had an open sore or cut and fluid came into contact with an open cut/sore on you.  In terms of danger, I suspect you have cruised for years despite the fact that most of the wait staff on ships comes from third world countries that are rampant with TB which is easily transmitted. 

Bottom line being on a cruise exposes you to no more risk than having identical contact at your local walmart, lowes, etc.  The difference is that on the cruise you can be identified, when you get back from walmart and come down with the virus no one can identify exactly where you were exposed. 

9 minutes ago, pmd98052 said:

Sorry what? How do I contract HIV if someone bleeds on me? Are you saying if someone with HIV bled all over me while I had an open wound on a cruise ship it would be bad? Yes I guess so. I'll try to avoid that. Now do this again but pretend that:

 

a) HIV is air transmissible by someone just talking to you.

b) Person might have no idea they have it

c) Unlike HIV there are no treatments

d) 0.5%-1% chance of dying.

e) Repeat 330 million times (just for USA)

 

And yet again you miss the law of large numbers from a new highly contagious disease that would overwhelm all hospital systems and has no cure or treatment. Flu does not do that. Abortions do not do that. Malaria does not do that (anymore), etc

pmd98052

I have been on over 25 cruises.  I know this might shock you but I don't see the majority of the people on the cruise ship for 14 days and the only time I come in contact with them is at meals, shore excursion, or the shows.  THAT IS NO DIFFERENT THAN GOING TO A MOVIE THEATER AND RESTAURANT.   I don't sit next to 3000 passengers for 14 days.  If I go to a shopping mall, I likely come in contact with far more people than on a cruise ship.  If I go shopping at Walmart there are likely upwards of over 1,000 people in the store a confined space space. 

You are delusional that there are no treatments.  If there were no treatments than everyone who contracted the coronavirus would die.  In fact only a small percentage of people who contract the virus are sick enough to have to be hospitalized and of those the hospitalized the vast majority RECOVER 

We have a vaccine for the flu and know how to treat it, yet in the USA upwards of 20% of the population gets the flu not just one year but each and every year because it is only about 55% effective.;  

I know this, even if I was terribly worried about the coronavirus and I am 71.  I would be far more fearful of being on a plane confined recirculating the same air for several hours.  More worried about being in a Taxi, a bus, or a subway than I ever would be on a cruise.  

If you want to sit at home pull a sheet over you head and worry that the sky might fall,  thats ok   I just think that when you compare the other dangers from Malaria, Typhoid, Dengue Fever, TB etc. the danger from the coronavirus is overblown.  
I know this there is only a chance I will get cornovirus however if the world continues to destroy its economy it is a 100% certainty that the world will not be worth living in. 

2 hours ago, pmd98052 said:

Flu - Vacinnes and treatments exist.

Deaths of childen under 5 - What does this even mean?

Abortions this year - What does this even mean? Preventable. Not contagious.

Deaths of mothers during birth - What does this even mean?

Deahts caused by HIV/AIDs - Treatments now exist and its possible to avoid infection

Deaths caused by cancer - Not a highly infectious disease + treatments exist

Deaths caused by malaria - Vaccines and treatments exist

Smoking - What does this even mean? Preventable. Not Contagious.

Suicides- What does this even mean? Preventable. Not contagious.

Road traffic accidents - What does this even mean? Preventable. Not contagious

 

Its laughable to say cruise ships provide handwash so all is good. We all know many MANY people on cruises don't even use the handwash stations that are available.

PMD98052

The point is that the world seems completely nuts over the number of deaths due to the corona virus  However you are missing the point.  Despite Vacine 188,000 people still die from the flu, despite medical advances almost 3 million children under age 5 died so far this year.  Abortion, is a life lost to abortion any less valuable to you? Deaths during childbirth if you don't understated that I can see why you are having difficulty with the rest of the statistics.  Yes, HiV and Aids are both preventable and treatable.  However given your paranoia are you not worried that someone on the ship particularly serving food to you might have AIDS and bleed on you?  How about those third world servers who last year might have coughed on you or worst of all on one of those cruises you took to a tropical port a mosquito with malaria or dengue fever.  

 Again you miss the point despite that 649,000 people have died from it this year.  Again I know you seem to have difficulty getting this point Malaria yes we have vaccines even treatment despite that 378,000 people so far this year have died from it.  

It begs the question why the world seems so intent on hiding its head under the covers about the coronavirus yet has no problem with other diseases and medical conditions that have existed for decades and kill each and every year.  It is like catching the coronavirus in their minds is akin to being diagnosed with stage 5 pancreatic cancer.  Guess What  Most people who get coronavirus are cured.  We do have treatments for it. 

1 hour ago, AdoraBelle said:

Did you get this from your ReOpenMyState Facebook group?

Adorabelle 

no I actually use sources not my personal opinion which is obviously what you rely on. 

https://www.worldometers.info

 

2 hours ago, pmd98052 said:

Its laughable to say cruise ships provide handwash so all is good. We all know many MANY people on cruises don't even use the handwash stations that are available.

 

pmd98052

Maybe they don't but the point is that they are available.  Are cruise ships perfect nope but If I had a choice between the safety and sanitary conditions of a cruise ship versus a movie theatre, a subway, a bus, a taxi, a supermarket, or the typical restaurant I will take the cruise ship.  

 

36 minutes ago, KateQ22003 said:

This is absolutely not true. The only place there is someone greeting  you with hand sanitizer is when you first get on the ship, when you return to the ship in port, and at the buffet. They have Purell machines outside many doors, but nobody enforcing their usage. For that matter, anyone who waves off the washy washy person is left alone. Tables aren't "immediately" cleaned; they are cleaned when you leave. As much as I love cruising, I get it. People don't spend several days/weeks at malls, restaurants, etc; not an apt comparison. On the Bliss in February the theater was full for all shows; no way would there be any changing of seats. 

KaeQ22003

I respectfully disagree.  I DON'T SEE ANY PURELL MACHINES AT LEAST NOT PREVIOUSLY in hotels, restaurants, movie theatres. or sporting events.  In terms of cleaning the tables I sure see them bused a lot faster on cruise ships than I do at restaurants.  And yes it is a VALID COMPARISON.  I don't spend days, or weeks sitting next to people on the cruise ship.  I go to port so the time on the ship is not different than the time shopping at a mall, or attending a movie.  Again, if I feel uncomfortable sitting next to someone at the pool, buffet, or dinner on a cruise ship I am free to move about.  Not true on an airplane, bus, subway or restaurant where I have been seated.  Finally, virus's in general do not do well in environments where 1. it is sunny  2. it is warm and 3 in open air where it is dispersed.  That pretty well describes the majority of cruises.  Also, while it is terrible for there to be any deaths, they did not stop the world for other causes of death which are far more prevalent.  PS in New York the epicenter of the cornoavirus in the USA even Cuomo stated that 66% of the new cases came from people who had totally quarantined.  So if you think cruising is dangerous that is your prerogative but then I would suggest you don't take a taxi, or a bus, or a plane ride.  Don't go to a concert, a movie theater or a sporting event.  Don't go to a shopping mall, a restaurant, of a super market.  You will in any of those put yourself at greater risk than on a cruise.  The attached are actual death tolls as of yesterday for the world in 2020.  

While it is certainly not pleasant for the crew to be quarantined on the ships consider:  Many of their home countries will not take them back in.  Many countries such as Thailand have suspended all flights in or out.  Finally, can you imagine the logistical nightmare it would be to spread thousands of people around the globe and then when the cruise lines are ready to sail get them all back in time for the cruise departure.  A cruise line can deal with a few crew members that don't show up for a given cruise.  They could not operate if crew members either chose not to return or due to logistic problems were unable to return.