volfan22701

state governments will not be allowed to tell private business whether they can or can't require vaccinations. courts will never accept that from the states. private business can make the rules for their business to protect themselves and their customers as they see fit.

4 minutes ago, d12j28 said:

Really?

Yes unless you are already dead.

17 hours ago, Tink10 said:

 

 

 

If people choose to get vaccinated, I'm all for it and I certainly respect your opinion. But by the same token, I resent having my freedoms curtailed to protect a relatively small number of people who are deemed at-risk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EVERYONE IS AT RISK.

20 hours ago, Tink10 said:

For people who choose to follow the requirements. I say great! Have a fantastic time! (And I really do feel that way).

 

Because of Covid & riots in the city we lived in in Wisconsin, we moved to Arizona and I can honestly say that here in AZ, our beliefs and choices about Covid do not put us in the minority. I know with absolute certainty that if a line could get around the Covid "recommendations" put in place by the CDC, the masses of travelers who aren't afraid of Covid and don't agree with the mandates would flock to them. 

LUCKILY THEY CAN'T.

we liked going out of Charleston, and the Sunshine is our favorite ship. we have cruised from there 3 times with the last one being just a couple weeks before cruising stopped. hope to go from there again, but out next three we have booked are on other ships and ports.

i wear my RIKI TIKI TAVERN tee shirt often. we cruise out of Canaveral often. in fact 2 out of the next 3 we have booked leave from there and we usually hit the pier while in town.

hopefully the cruise lines will be smarter than the governor of Florida. it is their business that will be destroyed when they have an outbreak on the ship from people that do not care about others. the state of Florida should have no say in the rules of any company trying to keep their customers safe. it should be well known by now that the vaccines work and masking and distancing as well. hopefully in a year or so the pandemic will be gone and none of this will be required, but for now need to do the right thing and follow the guidelines in place to keep all safe and healthy.

the week of Thanksgiving is sometimes priced higher because many families try too book when kids are out of school. also because of that the cruise has lots of young ones. we like going the week after that. usually much cheaper and quieter. we do like that time of year though from late October to about second week of December. weather has usually been great.

On 3/11/2021 at 8:14 AM, Doggielover68 said:

Until there is herd immunity

the correct answer

one of ours on the Victory  years ago when i went to the buffet for morning coffee i was bouncing off both walls in the hallway. when i got to the buffet area water an inch or two deep from the pool was running side to side with the swaying of the ship. coffee cups had crashed all over the deck and were going wherever the water took them. people were just sitting there eating like nothing going on, but lifting feet every time the water run under them. quite a funny sight. we were first day out from Norfolk in the middle of a nor'easter going down the coast. cleared up by mid day and perfect the rest of the cruise.

we have cruised from Baltimore 6 times mostly in October and have had rough seas on 3 of these cruises. 2 were heading south to Bahamas but the worse was going to Bermuda. one of them coming back from Freeport they roped off all doors leading to outside decks because or high swells of around 20 feet and 50 mph winds. we just spent the day having fun inside and the rocking ship does not bother us. the motion going to Bermuda was different though and while the waves were not as high the motion was worse. coming back though was a sheet of glass. it is always a chance going down the east coast to have motion. we have never experienced this much motion leaving from Florida or even Charleston SC. still October is one of our favorite times to cruise because the humidity and temps have dropped a bit in the Caribbean by then.

On 3/6/2021 at 10:40 AM, cruisingguy007 said:

I think many folks are underestimating the impact of masks and social distancing will have on the cruise experience. Imagine a craps table with only three players? A bar with people spaced six feet apart? A pool with folks just standing 6 feet apart? Some things just aren't the same when the social aspects and benefits are removed. It becomes a sad version of what would otherwise be an exciting, energy filled, and social occasion. Not to mention, long lines of folks 6 feet apart to get a guys burger or some tacos? There wouldn't even be enough room for that. 

 

 The whole thing would be weird. It will also take time for a lot people to deprogram from the standoffish and avoidance behaviors that has been pounded into their psyche for the last year+. Many will have PTSD/anxiety carryover and may be skittish and/or paranoid in group settings, even when things are safe and risk minimal. Cruising just wasn't built and intended to operate in the type of conditions that would be required to satisfy the distancing/masking that people think would be so easily implemented. It really changes the experience entirely.          

this is why i don't think cruising will start up until the pandemic has been pretty much defeated by vaccinations. you know people will not do as told and wear the masks and distance. they can't seem to do it on land so would be a problem on a ship. the CDC knows this so most likely cruising will be one of the last things allowed to come back. would not look for much in the way of cruising in 2021 because of this.

4 hours ago, Bostwick girl said:

Kevin, there’s no real rhyme or reason to the offers you receive. I’ve been on 32 cruises and since they know they have my business, my offers won’t be as good as others who only have one or two cruises under their belts.  
Every once in a while I’ll get a decent offer, but most of the Drinks on Us or Free WiFi type offers are much more expensive than just early saver as others have pointed out. I do get casino offers, but nothing spectacular, usually just money off rates and $25 or $50 on board credit.  Good luck!

 

if you play in the casino, they are the best rates you will see. our casino rates are usually free inside rooms or big discounts on balconies. usually with some on board credit or casino cash. many of ours have been tax and port fees only. but, we end up giving them a pretty good amount back in the casino.

they are only open for dinner and you make reservations. it is one price which includes everything except alcohol. you get your starters and salad and entree and dessert i think. we go at least once every cruise and have always enjoyed it. i think it is now like $38 a person. and well worth it. i have no idea about your question on only having starters. you would still pay the same amount. we always carry dessert with us because no way can we eat it after such a meal.

will probably be long past may before you can cruise. 

16 hours ago, EBONI325 said:

I booked for 2022 in 2020.

we are on that one also. and then again on the Magic march 25 2023 southern caribbean.

we do this most cruises. we like to mix one in the room either to have while getting ready of just enjoying the balcony. all bottles are 1 liter but we bring out own mixers.

we moved ours to April 2022, October 2022 and March 2023. all of them were only $200 deposits with casino rates so not a whole lot tied up. should know at final payment date for each one what the restrictions for that cruise may be and can decide if we can live with it. there are other vacations we can do if cruising is not back to some sort of normal by the time we go. we will have both shots by the end of this month but sounds now as if that may not be enough to be 100% safe with all the variants.

first cruise is still 432 days away so a lot can change in that time.

21 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

I assumed that....sausage fingers.

need to learn to read what i type before hitting submit.

4 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

I think you are safe regarding all being back in operation by your first two dates.  The third date though has officially been cancelled. 😉

that was a typo. should have read 2023.

we are booked in april 2022, october 2022 and march 2023. hopefully all is back in operation by those dates. we have had 2 canceled and are pretty sure nothing will happen this year so went out to those dates and keeping fingers crossed.

one of the best things we like is having a week long designated driver that we know will get us where we need to be. as far as food, our biggest problem is we like it all and eat too much of it. we have had 18 cruises and not even thinking about slowing down. have 3 book now in 2022 and 2023.

remember though on the crowding the ships will probably only sail at 60% capacity the first year or so.

i just booked a couple for 2022 and one for 2023 and that is what the PVP told me. book early because once cruising starts there will be capacity limits. they just have no idea now when starting or how long capacity will be at 60 %.

the Magic is not a small ship. in fact it is the largest we have ever been on and in a week didn't see it all. we are booked on the Mardi Gras next and then the Magic the two cruises after that. our preferences have always been slightly smaller ships.

i think there was a glitch to the matrix yesterday. both of my cruises for 2022 were missing out of my cruise manager when i logged in, and i am in there every day and they had been there every since i put them in the day i booked them. had to go back and enter my booking numbers to put them back into the cruise manager. in all these years had never had that happen once i had entered them.