TLCOhio

Continue to enjoy your great progress and pictures. Below is a map showing your current location with your ship circled in red. Connecting with Edward? Have you a chance to talk with your waiter who might have been the same one we met at the Royal Livingston in Zambia in early 2016? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Sorry about those dealing with snow and cold. Here in Central Ohio, we are doing fairly well. Need proof? Below is our forecast today from AccuWeather, It now at 9 am is 71F. On the way to a high in the low 80'sF. Plus some examples for our Spring daffodils. Looking like Spring is here for us? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From AccuWeather for Columbus, below is our forecast today. PLUS, an example of the many, many daffodils that have been coming up, UP at our home. Spring seems to be here in this part of Ohio!!: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

Sorry, my memory is kind of foggy to go back that far. Not sure if we had a reservation or not. We dined outside. If you can make a reservation, it is good to do that. Glad you are researching and planning ahead. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From the New York Times Travel Section late last month, they had this headline: “36 Hours Johannesburg” with these highlights: “For too long, Johannesburg was a victim of its own reputation for violent crime, with citizens retreating behind high walls and socializing in shopping malls. A culture shift — partly spurred by the city’s strict pandemic lockdowns — has many Joburgers rediscovering the outdoors and the city’s Goldilocks weather (not too hot, not too cold) to dine and dance under the open sky. Over a weekend in this modern, contradictory city, wander through changing neighborhoods that are embracing galleries and sidewalk cafes, pull up a plastic chair at a market for unfussy barbecue, or sing along at a theater with a rich history of protest performance. And no longer the no-go area for tourists, as it was during the apartheid era, Soweto is a testament to Black South Africa’s contemporary creativity and unbridled joy. Take a turn, or as South Africans say, a 'short left,' and be rewarded in Joburg.” If doing a cruise in or around South Africa, you might be flying into Johannesburg and/or traveling around nearby. Should you send time in Johannesburg? When we did our Cape Town exploring, plus cruising in this region, we traveled through Johannesburg and stayed there one night in going up to Botswana. Time and budget was limited, so we did not get to explore that town/area. Full details below in my live/blog. In this detailed profile, a number of restaurants and bars, galleries, markets, shopping, attractions and historical sites are outlined. Many options to consider!! If and if?? Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/23/travel/things-to-do-johannesburg.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 53,903 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Great follow-up from highplanesdrifters! I was not that familiar with that writer/analyst. When I look him up, he was described as Dr. Doom. Rather negative. Sometimes that works out correctly. Other times, not so. What for our current economic future path? From the Wall Street Journal this morning, their lead story had this headline: “Oil Prices Jump on Saudi-Led Output Cut.” Will this cause unhappy worries for cruise line executives as oil prices go up?? Did they hedge those future fuel prices? Among the WSJ story highlights: “Oil prices rose sharply after leading members of the OPEC cartel said they would cut production, a surprise move that stands to boost gasoline bills and inflation in the West. The jump extends a spell of volatility for oil prices. It also adds another complication for central bankers, who are trying to gauge the direction of the economy and inflation. The cuts will mean the world consumes significantly more oil than it produces in the second half of the year, winnowing down stockpiles and boosting prices, said Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING Groep.” This week in Central Ohio, we saw gasoline prices at the pump jump about twenty cents per gallon. Does this impact "consumer confidence" as folks consider future spending and possible travel plans/hopes? Here is more from their story reporting: "Oil prices had fallen in recent weeks, after the collapse of several banks appeared to hasten the onset of a recession in the U.S. They then rallied last week following the closure of a major pipeline in Iraq and Turkey." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-news-today-04-03-2023/card/oil-prices-surge-on-opec-output-cut-ixWHVVJS9a9itb2dOoAb THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 33,307 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Just checked in my photo file and found another picture of him with my wife from early 2016. I zoomed closer and saw that his name was Edward. Look forward to hearing more as to this interesting and potential Zambia-Silversea connection. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

WOW!! What a small, amazing world it would be if he is the same waiter we experienced in Zambia. You'll have to show him this picture and ask. We were there in early 2016 at Royal Livingstone Hotel. He was very nice and wonderful in talking with him. Glad that he is liking Silversea. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

As promised for J.P. and Chris, I have more to consider for Victoria Falls and Botswana. Below are some visuals regarding Victoria Falls and nearby. We stayed at the Zambezi Sun Resort that is close and very handy to the falls. It is now called the AVANI Victoria Falls Resort. The more "classic" and costly Royal Livingstone was next door. Had drinks and dinner there to experience their spectacular setting/atmosphere without the bigger price tag. It is only a ten-minute walk between those two locations. A shuttle also operates between the hotels at regular intervals during the day We did an African Queen/Princess sunset cruise in going upstream along the Zambezi River that was super wonderful with all of the wildlife, birds, etc., that we enjoyed. See more below as proof. The high season here is considered from February to June. At certain times of the year, the water flow is much, much less and you might miss the "drama" for experiencing these falls at their peak, best water flow. Check your timing!!! There are helicopter flights over the falls, but on many days the mist from the falls obstructs the views from above. Plus, on the ground, hearing those chopper above was rather irritating. From my notes, Victoria Falls is considered one of the most spectacular plunges and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The 1.2 mile-wide Zambezi River drops more than 328 feet into this narrow and steeply-walled gorge. At the peak times, there are 130 million gallons of water a minute thundering over these falls into the Batoka Gorge. Need more? Added questions? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 102,139 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226 Here is one of my visuals from being at Victoria Falls. Even have a rainbow bonus showing for you. Lots of moisture in the air and it damaged my camera. Be careful!: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here are two of many highlights from doing a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. Like the "big mouth" displayed by this hippo? We saw lots of them during this sailing, plus a great sunset as shown below. Just saying the word "Zambezi" is exotic and exciting. It was!!: Here was our friendly waiter at the Royal Livingstone Hotel where we had drinks and then dinner. Much more affordable to visit and dine here than staying in their pricy but very nice accommodations.:

Great updating by you and jollyjones about the Internet speed questions and challenges. Good to use that www.speedtest.net website. Clearly things are better, but hopefully the speed and quality will improve much MORE for the future. Love the additional pictures from Morocco!! Have not visited there, but it looks historic, interesting and fascinating. Keep up the excellent sharing. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From CBS-TV News' "Sunday Morning" program today, they had this headline: “Attending a masquerade ball in fairy-tale Venice” with these highlights: “The opulence of a masked ball in the Italian city of Venice during Carnival must be seen to be believed. Correspondent Seth Doane joins revelers, including a couple who traveled from Florida to attend a lavish costume party, 'Il Ballo del Doge'; and talks with designer Antonia Sautter, who has created ever-more extravagant costumes for this Venetian tradition dating back centuries.” Yes, it is lavish and costly for such participation. See some visual highlights below. But, very interesting and hardly boring and bland. Check out this visual story that centers around the traditions of Venice. Unique and different!!! For my wife and me, this does build up excitement for going back to Venice and re-visiting this great city. Full story at: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/attending-a-masquerade-ball-in-fairy-tale-venice/#x THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas! Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/ From CBS-TV News this morning, here are some of their visual highlights for their segment about the costume balls in historic Venice.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

Yes, Botswana is awesome!! As detailed in the live/blog below, we did three different Belmond camps in Botswana. You fly between the camps and getting those "logistic" correct and seamless if vital. Prior to Botswana, we did Victoria Falls, etc. Amazing, too! From friends who have been to Namibia, it is nice, but more only about the landscapes. In Botswana, it is all about the wonderful range of animals and that they are managing these areas well to avoid too much of the "mass tourism" with the excessive crowds, etc., that can marginalize the desired experience. From our former Columbus Zoo director here, who has visited Africa more than twenty five times, he rates Botswana as the "Best of the Best"! Will share and explain more later. Getting ready to head out to dinner now and can share more specifics and background later. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 53,903 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

From MSN News yesterday, they had this headline: “10 Most Beautiful Beach Towns In Greece” with these highlights: “Ahh, Greece. Words alone aren’t enough to describe how magnificent this country is. To some, Greece is a historical destination, especially in Athens, also described as the birthplace of democracy. While to others, it’s an incredible tourist spot that attracts many with its dramatic landscapes, beautiful islands, delicious foods, and secret coves. The country also has beach towns that soothe the mind with their impeccable beauty. And these 10 are the most beautiful that travelers shouldn’t miss out on.” Their top ten listed were: Preveza, Agios Nikolaos, Kardamyli, Nafplio, Galaxidi, Nafpaktos, Parga, Asos, Symi and Mykonos. Mykonos is the only one of these we have visited. This profile notes it is "famous for its lively atmosphere". Plus: "Shoppers peruse boutiques and souvenir stores along Matogianni Street before sitting in one of the reasonably priced tavernas serving delicious souvlaki and gyro delicacies. Alefkandra, known as Little Venice, has restaurants opening up to narrow paths just beside the sea. As the sun goes down, lovebirds flock here for romantic dinner dates and admire the stunning sunset views, with the famous windmills catching the last golden rays." When we visited Mykonos, there were no other big ships in port and that made things much more enjoyable. Rented a car and visited some of the beaches, too. Plus, exploring around in the main town/village. Lovely!! Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/10-most-beautiful-beach-towns-in-greece/ar-AA19jmEj THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas! Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

From the London/UK Times this past week, they had this headline: “Egypt is currently one of the cheapest places to visit” with these highlights: “Although it has long been a good value destination, a massive currency devaluation in recent months, coupled with prices becoming more competitive due to a reduction in Chinese, Russian, Ukrainian and American tourists, has turned Egypt into the bargain of the season — provided you avoid big international brands and all-inclusive packages that have already fixed prices. Travel independently, eat, drink and shop locally, and you’ll not only be putting cash directly into the pockets of locals and making your own adventure, you’ll save a packet too. Most activities are priced in euros and dollars so are unaffected by currency changes.” Here is another detail shared from their story: "The imminent opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, slated for later this year, will shift Cairo’s centre of gravity for visitors out to the Giza plateau, also home to the Pyramids. The capital is a maelstrom of traffic, so retreating to Giza in the evening is a good plan, especially since the metro takes just six minutes. In the historic centre of Cairo, there’s everything from fragrant spices to stained-glass lamps in the famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar, where the traders are disarmingly well versed in rhyming slang." Full story at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/egypt-has-never-been-cheaper-here-are-the-deals-to-book-now-50cz88d25 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 242,593 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Appreciate that nice follow-up from the Green Family. From the New York Times this morning, they had this headline: “Venice Is Saved! Woe Is Venice.” This long and detailed profile focuses much on MOSE, an Italian acronym for Experimental Electromechanical Module. This name is evoking the biblical Moses, who had parted the waters and that this engineering has saved this historic city. Here are a few of their reporting highlights: “Even as Italy now hails its against-all-odds success, MOSE’s story — 50 years in the making — and Venice’s — some 1,500 — are still being written. MOSE has already become much more than an engineering project. It came to embody Italy’s ambition and technical ingenuity, but also its political instability, bad governance, bureaucracy, corruption, debt and defeatism as delays mounted. Now, though celebrated as the city’s sentinel, it may yet stand as a monument to the inexorable nature of climate change and the futility of man’s efforts to stop it. MOSE’s walls, costing 5 billion euros, about $5.3 billion, took so long to come together that the pace of climate change is already outstripping the projections they were built to withstand.” The writers, Jason Horowitz and Emma Bubola, who have reported from Venice over years of floods, raise questions such as: "Will Venice one day have to cut itself off from the waters that are its lifeblood?" Through pictures and their text, they detail that these sea walls are making a major difference in lessen the flooding impacts. But, they note: "Venice is already using MOSE more than expected, and faces the prospect of needing it much more than it had ever imagined against rising seas, so often that it would threaten to seal the city from the waters that are its lifeblood." And that . . . "The sea walls have allowed life to go on as usual." This question is also raised: "Its incessant deployment, experts warn, could render Venice’s lagoon a fetid swamp choked by noxious algae, turning the city’s charming canals into stinking open sewers." Here is the NY Times map featured in this story showing where the sea walls are located and operating: Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/01/world/europe/venice-mose-flooding.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 21,675 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

Remember the late 60's pop group called the Fifth Dimension who had a hit song titled "Up, Up and Away"? That might summarize what happened with the stock market during this past week. And that shows for the three major cruise ship companies. It was an unusual week with all things moving in a generally positive, upward manner. What will happen next week for cruise companies and the stock market? If you want to read some of the potentially "dark side" for future financial trends, here is an article from a financial news website yesterday afternoon. They had this headline: “Opinion: ‘Most U.S. banks are technically near insolvency, and hundreds are already fully insolvent,’ Roubini says” with these highlights: “In January 2022, when yields on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds were still roughly 1% and those on German Bunds were -0.5%, I warned that inflation would be bad for both stocks and bonds. Higher inflation would lead to higher bond yields, which in turn would hurt stocks as the discount factor for dividends rose. But, at the same time, higher yields on 'safe' bonds would imply a fall in their price, too, owing to the inverse relationship between yields and bond prices.” Are the concerns gone for high inflation, bank stock risks, bond values shrinking, etc.? Full story at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/most-u-s-banks-are-technically-near-insolvency-and-hundreds-are-already-fully-insolvent-roubini-says-18b89f92 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Dubrovnik! Visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 49,456 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227 From the Wall Street Journal late Friday afternoon, here is how the three major cruise companies performed during the past five trading days. All positive and moving up, UP?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) For a perspective, here is what happened with the overall stock market during the past week as reflected by this WSJ S&P 500 chart.:

Agree with the wonderful idea of "No More Stuff". Have not, however, got my wife to agree to such a smart strategy. Sorry! As to taking on responsibility for a whole cruise ship, I would call that getting "Lots and Lots and Lots of More Stuff". Will pass on the "honor" of getting one. From the Wall Street Journal this morning, here is a mid-week update that shows during the first three days of trading this week, that values have been going up, UP and UP!! Yesterday both Carnival and Norwegian rose yesterday around 6%. Since Monday's afternoon close of business, Carnival went from $8.79 a share to $9.89 late yesterday. That is a 12.5% increase for Carnival in just two days. What is driving these positive cruise stock value trends? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Various visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 50,515 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

Appreciate, J.P., this great background and these follow-ups. Under our current plan, assuming we can work out the return airline flights with Frequent Flyer miles with AA, we would have four days and three nights in Singapore. That should allows us to see much, but be able to do it at a reasonable, somewhat relaxed pace for folks who are not as young and energetic as you and Chris. Clearly, there is much to see and do in and around Singapore. Look forward to any additional visuals, posts details from your adventures there. Keep it coming!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 246,535 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

Super love all of the colorful visuals from the Arts Cafe. Makes me hungry to be looking at these tasty treats. Won't get in the debate over medium rare versus rare. Just looked at your upcoming port stops, including the next two for Morocco. That includes tomorrow for Casablanca, Marrakesh, Morocco. Hopefully you will share some pix's from these exotic locations. Below is the map showing your upcoming stops on the way to Barcelona. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Fun/cute follow-up by R&T. But, not sure I would want to own the ship and have to pay the costs for fuel, staff, maintenance, etc. Owning a boat, especially a BIG one, is never cheap. From the Wall Street Journal financial news website this afternoon, they had this headline: “Carnival’s stock bounces back after long-time bear says stop selling” with this sub-headline: "Wells Fargo’s Daniel Politzer upgraded the cruise operator to neutral, after being bearish, or not rating the stock, for at least the past three years." Here were some of the story highlights: “Carnival’s stock surges, to reverse previous session’s selloff, after Wells Fargo backs away from its long-time bearish stance on the cruise operator. Wells Fargo’s Daniel Politzer said his concerns about the cruise operator now seem 'de-risked.' The stock CCL climbed 6.1% in midday trading, and was among the S&P 500 index’s SPX top gainers. The gain reversed the 4.8% drop suffered on Monday in the wake of the company’s disappointing outlook for losses in the current quarter and the full fiscal year.” At the stock market's close at 4 pm today, Carnival finished at $9.33 a share, a gain of 6.14%. Full story at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/carnivals-stock-bounces-back-after-long-time-bear-says-stop-selling-f9bc3512 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Visuals, details from two visits in a city and nearby with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 50,995 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

Great pictures and details about your adventures and exploring in and around Singapore. Wonderful touring there. Am copying and making notes for our first visit to Singapore in late February 2024. How long, J.P., did you have in Singapore and what were your top dining favorites? What did you miss in Singapore that you wish you would have done? Keep up the great sharing! Hope you are recovering from the intensity of this travel. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

YES!! Should be a great and exciting adventure. Just used the below link and found the current location of the Silver Moon and saw your current location in the Atlantic as you sail toward Barcelona. It looks like you an excellent variety of wonderful ports and locations. Look forward to experiencing many visuals and details. Follow along from this ship location website. https://www.cruisemapper.com/ships/Silver-Moon-1618 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Agree from highplanesdrifter that "No, no, yes.😃" might be the smart, reasonable responses. You could be winning the prize! Other reactions? From the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Yahoo News yesterday, they had this headline: “Cruise, port leaders at Seatrade conference in South Florida see fortunes rising post COVID-19.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “Cruise line industry leaders are feeling better about their prospects after the COVID-19 pandemic nearly destroyed their businesses. Answers emerged quickly Monday at the annual four-day Seatrade Cruise Global conference. A panel of executives from cruise lines and ports painted a somewhat guarded but optimistic picture for tourism worldwide. But a full recovery is likely to come later for places such as Australia, which reopened its economy after the United States. Asia also has been slow to recover, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is disrupting the Baltic Sea cruise business.” Also detailed was: "Terry Thornton, senior vice president of Princess Cruises, said North America took the lead as being the main source of major market recovery while others lagged for a variety of reasons. 'All geographic areas are not the same,' Thornton said. 'What we found so far, and I’m talking about where guests live, North America led the return by far.' Australia, he said, 'is about a year behind' as it 'just started back up in June.' 'I think we have to say Europe sourcing right now is still somewhat challenged, and I think there are obvious reasons [as] to why that is,' he said, citing the war in Ukraine." Here are some additional aspects cited: "More new ships are on the way, as well, with 17 entering the worldwide market this year and 66 by 2028. Moreover, new operators are entering the business including those with special themes and niches. Two examples: Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons, both high-end luxury hotel and private residence operators. In the meantime, older less efficient ships are leaving the industry’s fleet as new vessels come online." Full story at: https://news.yahoo.com/cruise-port-leaders-seatrade-conference-004100194.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 53,877 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

From the Wall Street Journal this afternoon, they had this headline: “Carnival’s Ship Will Come In Eventually" with this sub-headline: "The leading cruise line’s recovery is delayed amid a mountain of debt, but it has a path to profitability.” Here are some of their analysis/reporting highlights: “Unlike its customers, Carnival Corp. shareholders should focus on the destination, not the journey. Many expected the world’s largest cruise line to be profitable again three years after the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic with so much of the tourism and leisure sector booming. They will have to wait a little bit longer for this very capital-intensive business to get there. The company lost money in its fiscal first quarter ended Feb. 28 and might still be in the red for the year as a whole as it unloads the financial ballast picked up since the global health emergency. As recently as last May, with travel booming and a middle class with ample savings making up for lost time, analysts polled by FactSet expected Carnival to earn $1.58 a share this fiscal year. As of Monday morning, they were anticipating a small loss. One reason is consumer caution amid rising inflation, but a bigger one is Carnival’s own rising costs.” They also noted: "It will take a lot more than full ships and a full revenue recovery to return to prepandemic profitability levels given a sharply higher share count and a balance sheet that has the whole company listing badly in junk rating territory. Getting back to a balance sheet that looks like it did three years ago could easily take the rest of this decade and won’t be free of bumps." Ready to "invest" in Carnival stock? Buy their bonds? Give them big deposits and large advanced payments? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/carnivals-ship-will-come-in-eventually-3c738d88 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 71,175 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

Here is another "take" for the announcement by Carnival. From the Reuters newswire this morning, they had this headline: “Carnival posts smaller loss on strong travel demand, higher ticket pricing” with these highlights: “Carnival reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss and beat estimates for revenue, helped by strong demand for leisure travel, higher ticket prices and strong on-board spending. Cruise operators like Carnival, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings are reporting resilient demand from cooped-up consumers undeterred by elevated inflation. 'We are still experiencing a record wave season, which started early, gained strength and has extended later into the year,' Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein said. Carnival’s shares were down about 3% in morning trading as the operator forecasted a larger-than-expected full-year loss, signaling that inflation and rising fuel prices were hurting its profit margins. U.S. airlines have largely been bullish about travel demand for the rest of the year, shaking off worries of slowing demand and cost pressures. Airline chief executives this month said leisure travels remains strong even though recession fears have sparked concerns about consumer spending.” As you can see by this below Wall Street Journal chart, the traders were not happy with this announcement by Carnival. Down, DOWN was the trend for this company today. The other two cruises did not drop that significantly today. Full story at: https://www.reuters.com/article/carnival-results/update-5-carnival-posts-smaller-loss-on-strong-travel-demand-higher-ticket-pricing-idUSL4N35Z2X6 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal. Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 31,843 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

Appreciate these great comments and detailed follow-up from our northern Philadelphia suburban neighbor. You did very well in focusing on the "education level, wealth and age" factors affecting the cruise industry. Agree, we do not want to go on any type of political tangent. As the Dragnet TV Joe Friday said: "Just the facts, ma'am!" From the Wall Street Journal this afternoon, they had this headline: “Carnival Forecasts Another Loss This Year as Cruise Costs Rise" with this sub-headline: "Projected loss comes as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise expect to post profits this year.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “Carnival Corp. said it expects to post another loss this year as the cruise operator tries to mount a comeback amid rising costs. The downbeat guidance from Carnival comes after rivals Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. have both forecast their first profitable years since the pandemic roiled operations. The cruise sector and other companies across travel and hospitality are facing with higher costs from food, labor, fuel and more. The cruise companies, which issued billions in debt to survive the pandemic, are also getting hit by rising interest rates. Carnival Chief Executive Josh Weinstein said Monday the company is positioned to pay down its debt without selling more equity.” The WSJ also gave this added background: "The company raised its cost expectations for the year, with executives citing everything from food and advertising to labor and fuel. The company also decided to re-enter a couple of still idled ships into service to meet higher demand. The company said adjusted nonfuel cruise costs are now expected to rise 6.5% to 7.5% from 2019 levels, up from prior guidance issued in December of a 5% to 6% increase." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/carnival-ccl-q1-earnings-report-2023-cf676c5d THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 33,235 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358