TLCOhio

Sadly, today was another bad, BAD day for the cruise line company stocks. How negative? Double-digit drops and new lows during the most recent twelve months. Have not heard anything about RCL selling Silversea. Not sure the timing would be good right now. From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, below is their chart reflecting a 10.2% drop, going below $50 a share. Carnival dropped 10.4%. Norwegian was down 12.2%. Overall, the market dropped, but not in that high of a negative category. The previous recent RCL stock market low was $23.81 on March 18, 2020, when the cruise industry had to shut down totally. Where do they go next and what is causing this negative trend? Just debt load and/or overall negativity with the economy? 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 237,489 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

Appreciate this follow-up, including the appropriate focus on the bureaucratic slowness with the CDC, FDA, etc. When leadership is needed, do not expect bureaucrats to be strong and aggressive. Slowness tends to be their pattern. Cover their you know what is their game? Sad, but true!!?? From the Wall Street Journal last month, they had this headline: “The 10 Busiest Airports in the World: Atlanta Tops the List" with this sub-headline: "Global travel continues to improve but still hasn’t returned to prepandemic levels; here’s the list of the busiest airports globally.” Why is this of interest and related to getting the cruise industry back into a full-speed resuming of "normal"? Without international flights being back, reasonably priced, etc., cruising will continue to be challenged. Right or wrong? Here are some of their story highlights: “Atlanta is back on top as the busiest airport in the world after dropping one spot last year as global air travel continues its rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic. There were nearly 4.5 billion global flight passengers in 2021, an increase of nearly 25% from the prior year, according to figures released Monday by Airports Council International World, an industry group. However, that is still down about 50% from 2019. The world’s 10 busiest airports, which represent about 10% of all global traffic, transported 463 million passengers in 2021, a 52% increase from 2020, according to ACI World. That is a 29% drop off from 2019.” Here is more from their reporting: "None of the top 10 airports last year have returned to prepandemic levels. Flight traffic has improved as nations around the world have relaxed Covid-19 travel restrictions such as testing and vaccination rules. Australia began allowing fully vaccinated visitors into the country without quarantining in February. Dubai International Airport remained the top destination for global travelers in 2021. The airport has 29 million international passengers in 2021, a 13% increase from the year before, but is still down 66% from 2019." Here was the world's 2021 top ten airport rankings with the passenger totals in millions listed second. Next is the % change in numbers versus 2019 levels: Atlanta, Ga., 75.7 million, -32%; Dallas/Forth Worth, TX 62.5 million, -17%; Denver, Co., 58.8 million, -15%; Chicago, Il., 54.0 million, -36%; Los Angeles, 48.0 million, -46%; Charlotte, 43.3 million, -13%; Orlando, 40.4 million, -20%; Guangzhou, China, 40.3 million, -45%; Chengdu, China, 40.1 million, -28%; Las Vegas, 39.8 million, -23%. Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-10-busiest-airports-in-the-world-atlanta-tops-the-list-11649716699?mod=hp_user_preferences_pos1#cxrecs_s THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details from two visits in a city with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 44,549 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

Appreciate these excellent insights and varied follow-ups regarding the financial markets. Sadly, some in the field want people to keep buying, selling, panicking, etc. The more trading, over and over, then . . . the more money is made via commissions and fees. Long-term focus can and should be more reasonable as an objective, maybe? From a national financial news website this morning, they had this headline: “Why This Cruise Stock Analyst Is Cutting Price Targets Following Carnival Debt Offering” with these highlights: “Carnival Corp completed a much-needed $1 billion debt offering last week, and one Wall Street analyst said Monday that shareholders of Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises should take notice. The Cruise Stock Analyst: Bank of America analyst Andrew Didora issued the following changes to his price targets for cruise stocks: Reiterated Neutral rating for Carnival, cut price target from $22 to $18. Reiterated Neutral rating for Norwegian, cut price target from $25 to $20. Reiterated Underperform rating for Royal Caribbean, cut price target from $70 to $57. The Cruise Stock Takeaways: After an extremely difficult few years, Didora said the cruise stocks now have a different set of financial challenges coming ahead in the form of debt maturities. Carnival has $1.6 billion of maturities in 2022 and $2.9 billion in 2023. Royal Caribbean has $8.1 billion of principal payments due with $3.7 billion of notes, term loans and revolvers maturing in 2022 and 2023.” Here is more: "Norwegian has $861 million in maturities through the end of 2022 and another $934 million in 2023. Didora said the fact that Carnival completed its offering even though it has $7.2 billion in total liquidity is telling. 'We think this debt issuance at these levels of liquidity shows the refi needs of the cruise industry in the face of rising interest rates plus concerns around a spike in COVID cases (cruises still test),' Didora said. Investors are still waiting to see when or if the cruise industry returns to its pre-pandemic levels. There may be significant long-term upside among cruise stocks, but at this point there is simply too much financial risk and business uncertainty for investors to feel confident about near-term upside." Full story at: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/why-this-cruise-stock-analyst-is-cutting-price-targets-following-carnival-debt-offering-1031482285 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 244,326 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Sorry (or good news) as Terry does not have a "bad list". Appreciate these various comments and follow-ups. It is very challenging to figure out the market and value during these uncertain and very challenging times. Whether for cruise stocks and/or others, these times are very uncertain. Agree 100% that those pesky "derivates" were very risky and bad. It was a huge governmental and financial market failure to allow such "vehicles" to be driving dangerously on the public roads. From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they had this major headline: “Stock Market Bottom Remains Elusive Despite Deepening Decline" with this sub-headline: " ‘Things are going to keep getting worse before they get better,’ one portfolio manager says.” Here are some of their story highlights: “U.S. stocks are in the midst of their longest selloff in decades. Whether they are close to bottoming is anyone’s guess. Market selloffs have long stumped strategists trying to predict when they were close to done. Some have concluded with bursts of panicked selling. Others, such as the one lasting from 1973 to 1974, ground to an end after days of subdued trading volumes. Many investors and analysts looking back at historic pullbacks believe that the current slump that has put the S&P 500 on the cusp of a bear market still has a way to go. Investors continue to have a hefty chunk of their portfolios in the stock market. Bank of America Corp. said this month that its private clients have an average of 63% of their portfolios dedicated to stocks—far more than after the 2008 financial crisis, when they had just 39% of their portfolios in stocks.” Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/stock-market-bottom-remains-elusive-despite-deepening-decline-11653141699?mod=hp_lead_pos1 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 254,877 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

From the New York Times Travel Section yesterday, they had this headline: “What’s Going on With the Testing Requirement for Travel?" with this sub-headline: "The requirement to test for Covid before flying to the United States is hated by many travelers and the U.S. travel industry. But the government shows no sign of getting rid of it.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “As countries, including Canada and Britain, have lifted their Covid testing requirements for vaccinated visitors in recent months, some Americans are irate that they still have to show a negative test to board a flight back to the United States. Jason Miller, a 37-year-old software engineer who lives in Texas, is so frustrated with the rule that he recently sent letters to the White House and several lawmakers and began encouraging others to do the same. 'I support the C.D.C., still wear a N95 mask when in crowds and when I travel,' he said. But, he no longer feels that the rule provides value, in large part because 'the testing has not stopped variants from entering the country.' Other travelers have posted similar comments on social media, and a good portion of the travel industry in the United States has made clear it feels the same way. But they have gotten little satisfaction from the Biden administration and public health officials. On May 6, Jen Psaki, then the White House press secretary, said she was 'not aware of a timeline' for ending the testing requirement and that the administration would base its decision on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation. As to what, specifically, the C.D.C. is using to determine whether testing is still necessary, an agency spokeswoman offered the vague explanation that it 'is looking at different indicators' and 'evaluating all guidance and orders based on the latest science and state of the pandemic.' ” Here was a key bottom-line summary in this comprehensive NY Times story: "The obligatory test has not just created logistical hassles, it has fundamentally shifted the experience of traveling internationally, travelers say." YES, sadly, this story sums up so much of our frustrations with CDC, etc. Keeping this testing requirement before being able to return home serves as a huge "hang up" on our part in being shy for wanting to book and travel overseas, especially on a cruise. Who wants to get "stuck" for ten days or two weeks in a foreign country thousands of miles from home because you get an unfavorable test? Am I being unfair and/or missing something major? Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/19/travel/testing-requirement-flying-us-cdc.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Dubrovnik! Nice visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 48,701 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

Appreciate this great follow-up from Mr. Banjo. To add to the story about my wife's brother and the Covid challenges from their Ireland trip, here is more. My brother-in-law's wife has now picked up Covid, too. At least they are home in Kansas, but, clearly it is not fun having these challenges from international travel and adventure. From this below-connected financial website this morning, they had this headline: “When Will Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Drop Vaccines, Testing?" with this sub-headline: "One of the big three cruise lines just extended its covid-related protocols in the United States until the end of September.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “For an industry vulnerable to storms in general, it was a terrible combination of events that left the industry shuttered, while hotels, theme parks, arenas, and other venues all remained closed for much less time. That's because the United States government only has limited control over how private industry operates. A local municipality may shutdown industries like the way New York closed Broadway or California shut down its theme parks — but the federal government only has limited power for certain things. When it comes to cruise lines, however, the federal government has an incredible amount of power.” Here is more: "Royal Caribbean recently told its booked passengers that it plans to keep its current covid protocols in place through the end of September. Many passengers and future passengers want to know how long these protocols will be in place. It's possible the CDC changes these requirements, but probably not any time soon, according to former Food and Drug Administration chief Scott Gottlieb, a physician who serves as chairman of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ SailSafe Council. 'I think that it’s likely to be a requirement that is in place through this fall and winter,' Gottlieb said. 'I’m talking more about CDC and the policy environment. I think that the public health officials, CDC, is going to want to see what the epidemiology of this disease is when it gets to a quote, unquote, ‘normal’ state.' Gottlieb said he does not expect the CDC to make any changes until it sees a period of time where no new variants flare up. He said he thinks the federal agency will wait until 2023 and not even first thing next year." Full story at: https://www.thestreet.com/investing/when-will-royal-caribbean-carnival-norwegian-drop-vaccines-testing THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 49,210 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

Interesting perspective and follow-up from our friend, Stumblefoot. Personally, I am not a player in the stock market and do not own any cruise stocks. The waters are far too "choppy" and uncharted for my risk level/interest at my age and position in life. From this below-connected financial website late yesterday afternoon, they had this headline: “Why Cruise Stocks Keep Going Down” with these highlights: “Cruise line stocks number among the bigger decliners today. What's behind today's cruise stock pessimism? From a big picture perspective, financial news websites are full of headlines warning of recession risk, and reporting that the S&P 500 just officially crossed the line into bear market territory -- down 20% from its high point hit on Dec. 27, 2021. That's certainly not helping cruise stocks go up today. We're also probably seeing the tail end effect of Truist bank cutting its price targets on each of Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line stocks yesterday. According to the banker, cruise companies may be enjoying some success in attracting customers with discounted rates and special offers -- but the rising cost of food, fuel, and other inflation-sensitive input costs means that the prices on offer may not be high enough to earn the companies any profit.” But wait, here's more background: "And now here's the kicker: Food and fuel aren't the only things getting more expensive for cruise lines. Debt is getting more expensive, too. In case you missed it, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates by half a percentage point earlier this month -- its biggest hike in two decades -- and strongly hinted at plans to hike rates at least that much twice more before the year is out. This should concern cruise stock investors because, as I pointed out earlier this week, since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago, Carnival has had to load up its balance sheet with $20 billion in new debt, Royal Caribbean with $11 billion, and Norwegian Cruise with $6.5 billion. The higher interest rates go, the more it's going to cost these companies to service their debt." Full story at: https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/05/20/why-cruise-stocks-keep-going-down/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020 (right before Covid shut-down), many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/

Appreciate these great comments and follow-up regarding investing, the stock market and the negative slide facing the three major cruise lines. From the New York Times this afternoon, they had this top headline: “S&P 500 is down for seventh week in a row” with these highlights: “The index ended the week with a loss of 3 percent, its seventh straight weekly decline. That’s its longest stretch of losses since 2001.” For the three major cruise lines, you can see below that all three companies today hit their 52-week LOWS today. There was a slight rally late in the afternoon, but today and this week reflected continued pessimism about the overall economic trends. Higher interest rates, rising fuel prices, etc., make for a less than positive environment. Right or wrong? But at these prices, do cruise stocks have no where to go but up?? How would you like to roll the gambling dice? Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/20/business/stocks-bear-market#stock-market-inflation 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 Wall Street Journal, the below charts reflect how the stock market valued (or sunk) the three major cruise lines during the past week. It was a bad, BAD week!! Sorry to be so blunt. At the bottom is the chart for Royal Caribbean during the past three months. Continued rocky, roller-coast, downward movements?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

YES!!! Very interested as to any recent updates as to how the sailings on the Silver Origin are going in the Galapagos Islands. We had friends there in August of 2021 and they enjoyed it very much on that new ship and with Silversea. We had booked this cruise for early 2021, but had to scrub due to Covid. Would like to do, soon, maybe, if and if . . . . But like our friends, one of our concerns and questions, would be the worry about testing positive for Covid and being forced to quarantine for ten days or so in the Galapagos or Ecuador. Interested how full things have been with passengers on the ship and the levels of staffing on these cruises in the Galapagos. 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 244,276 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

From the Miami Herald and MSN News yesterday, they had this headline: “Cruise bookings smash records. And passengers are accepting COVID-19 likely will be aboard” with these highlights: “Nearly a year since cruising restarted in North American waters following a 15-month pandemic hiatus, many cruise vacation travelers appear willing to accept the risk of getting the infectious disease that’s gripped the world for two years. Two of the global cruise line leaders based in Miami — Carnival and Royal Caribbean — are reporting record reservations for voyages, despite COVID-19 infecting the large majority of ships now sailing. Of 92 cruise ships in U.S. waters on Thursday, 70 of them are under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for coronavirus outbreaks. The CDC investigates outbreaks when at least 0.3% of a ship’s passengers and crew members test positive for the virus. The federal health agency data shows the outbreaks are nowhere near as widespread as in December 2021 and January when the omicron variant emerged, and eventually all 92 ships sailing in the U.S. early this year were being scrutinized for onboard virus cases. In late December, the CDC had suggested all travelers, even those vaccinated, should avoid cruising.” Here is more from this reporting: "Cruise industry leaders have acknowledged that having coronavirus cases on ships is the new normal, but say the infection rates are less than in the general population and the industry’s public health safety protocols are more stringent than most public settings. 'Yes, there will be COVID on the ships, but there’s COVID everywhere in society,' said Arnold Donald, the soon-departing CEO of Carnival Corporation, at the Seatrade global cruise conference in April in Miami Beach. 'Because people are vaccinated, the chances of them having a serious outcome from COVID is reduced. We have protocols to mitigate risk on ships.' Cruise Lines International Association, the cruise industry trade and lobbying group in Washington, D.C., said in April its global market research found that 84% of people who had cruised in March said they would cruise again, and that 69% of people who never cruised are open to it." Good, realistic news and information? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/cruise-bookings-smash-records-and-passengers-are-accepting-covid-19-likely-will-be-aboard/ar-AAXjzmG?ocid=BingNewsSearch THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 52,727 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

Appreciate these kind comments and follow-up from Mr. Banjo. Congrats for your upcoming 42nd anniversary. You are getting close to your magic 50th!! On your mention of "many stumbling blocks", let me give you a personal example that came up this week. My wife's brother lives in Kansas and just got back Sunday from nearly two weeks touring Ireland, much of it by bus in a group of 25 people. It worked well and was fun for them. BUT, during and/or at the end of this travel, a total of eight participants tested positive for Covid. Ouch!! That triggered complications, especially if you are needing to be quarantined so very far from home. Everyone had the shots and boosters, etc., on their Ireland tour. That fear of needing to do added testing and potentially getting locked down so far away does raise questions . . . and risks!! As first mentioned many months ago, the variants continue to mutate and add to ALL of the uncertainties. Am I missing something and/or being unfair? From CNBC cable financial news Sunday, they had this headline: “A severe pilot shortage in the U.S. leaves airlines scrambling for solutions” with these highlights: “The pandemic exacerbated a pilot shortage by slowing down training, hiring and a creating a wave of early retirements. Airlines offered pilots early retirements to cut labor bills during the depths of the pandemic. The process to become airline-qualified in the U.S. is lengthy and expensive, making the barrier to entry high.” Here is more: "The United States is facing its worst pilot shortage in recent memory, forcing airlines to cut flights just as travelers are returning after more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. The crisis has the industry scrambling for solutions. At least one lawmaker is said to be considering legislation that could raise the federally-mandated retirement age for airline pilots from 65 to 67 or higher to extend aviators’ time in the skies. The Covid pandemic halted pilot hiring as training and licensing slowed. Major U.S. airlines are trying to hire more than 12,000 pilots combined this year alone, more than double the previous record in annual hiring. The shortage is particularly acute at regional carriers that feed major airlines’ hubs from smaller cities." As the cruise lines seek to return to some form of "normal", the airline flights, costs and avails are a part of that overall, long-term solution. For most people, including us, you cannot cruise unless you first can get to the departure port and know your way back home works, too! Full story at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/15/us-pilot-shortage-forces-airlines-to-cut-flights-scramble-for-solutions.html 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 69,821 views: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Cute catch and sharp-eyed follow-up from our travel friend. Could a fiction writer come up with a better, more interesting script? What will next week bring? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate these kind wishes from Lois. Actually, our official anniversary date is on June 17. We did the Disney/Florida family celebration in early May hoping to avoid the bigger summer crowds and high humidity in Orlando. It was still very, very busy at Disney and Universal Studios. And, hot! But, fun!! Great family memories. Keep it coming with the other great comments and follow-ups on these various cruise financial issues. Friday the 13th was very, very GOOD NEWS for the stockholders of the three major cruise lines. Really? Yes!! See below from the Wall Street Journal. Is this a long-term trend? Hard to know as the past week or so has been challenging for most stocks, especially those in the tech fields. Glad that I am not a stockholder with these firms as the worries and tensions during the past two years have been very difficult to manage and ride. It looks as if the two top CEO's of Royal Caribbean and Carnival were smart in deciding to move on/retire. Lots of difficult decisions have been made in the past two years with much more hard choices to be made in the next few years. 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 20,819 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/ From the Wall Street Journal, the below charts reflect how the stock market valued the three major cruise lines during the past week. It was four straight negative days, but then Friday, the 13th, it was a big, positive jump back UP!! At the bottom is the chart for Royal Caribbean since the first of this year. Lots of rocky, roller-coast movements?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

Sounds like a great, exciting cruise and wonderful travels for our California friend. Hopefully when returning, you will share some of the highlights and experience details. Appreciate all of these various comments and helpful follow-ups. Keep it coming!! Sadly, this whole situation is not totally behind us and over. For me, sorry I have not posted most lately as we were busy last week doing seven days at Disney World and Universal Studios with our two grandsons, ages nine and eleven, plus family celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary. Great time and wonderful experiences!! From a newspaper story and a Wall Street-related website yesterday, they had this headline: “Carnival Cruise line cuts passenger capacity as COVID cases increase” with these highlights: “The cruise line industry has been working overtime to ensure safety and health, spending millions on updating their ships. When the pandemic hit, the cruise line industry was hit especially hard Because cruise lines nearly always flag their ships outside of the U.S. in order to work around American labor laws, 'this gives the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more sway over the cruise industry than it has over perhaps any other form of travel.' ” Here is more from their reporting: "While we’d all love for the pandemic to be over, it’s not, and health officials recently identified the ultra contagious Omicron Subvariant BA.2.12.1. The new subvariant is set to become dominant in the United States soon, but new infections are already starting to cause headaches for everyone, the cruise industry very much included. Already, Carnival Cruises has announced that it’s begun limiting passenger capacity on several sailings on its U.K.-based Cunard Line, canceling several bookings in the process. Carnival has revealed that ongoing travel difficulties across international borders are causing challenges for the company. That is making it difficult to fully staff its ships, owing to difficulties with testing requirements, quarantine periods, and other health and safety protocols. Rather than cut back on the quality of service, which would result in longer lines and waits and reduced amenities, they’ve opted to reduce guest capacity for the Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2." Full story at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article261379282.html 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 95,845 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

From this financial website connected below mid-day yesterday, they had this headline: “Why Carnival, Norwegian Cruise, and Royal Caribbean Stocks Got Torpedoed on Thursday” with this quick summary: “the blame for all this selling probably lies at the foot of Norwegian's gangway.” Here is more from their analysis: "Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings reported its Q1 2022 earnings on Tuesday. Investors were happy to hear it -- bidding up Norwegian stock nearly 10% at one point -- but the news still wasn't great. Norwegian missed on revenues, reporting only $522 million where Wall Street wanted $655 million. Its quarterly loss of $1.82 per share (pro forma) was worse than expected, too. And to top it all off, Norwegian told investors it will lose money in Q2 as well." Ouch? But, here are some positives: "There's good news for cruise line investors. Giving commentary on its earnings Tuesday, Norwegian confided that it's seeing 'strong' consumer spending on board its ships, 'snapping back and even exceeding where we left off in 2019.' Q2 2022 may be a bit rough for Norwegian, granted, but already CEO Frank Del Rio is predicting record financial performance in 2023, as CruiseIndustryNews.com reported today. And demand for cruise services is in fact looking so strong that the company plans to increase its guest capacity by 50% through 2027. Nor is Norwegian an outlier. Carnival subsidiary Princess Cruises agrees that consumer demand looks robust, saying more than half its customers are voluntarily paying an extra $50 or even $75 for a 'Princess Plus' or 'Princess Premier' package that deliveries additional services on board. That translates into multiple hundreds of dollars per passenger over a multiday excursion and confirms what Norwegian was saying about consumer demand being strong. All that said, I do get why investors are starting to turn pessimistic about cruise stocks again. As recently as January, Wall Street analysts were telling us that both Norwegian and Royal Caribbean stocks would be profitable again as early as Q2 of this year -- but that's clearly not going to happen. Things should start to settle down in 2023 and thereafter. And with Norwegian, for example, selling for less than nine times 2023 estimated earnings, Carnival costing 9x 2023 earnings on the nose, and Royal Caribbean valued just a bit over 10x, there's still hope that these stocks will reward investors. You just may need to wait another year to see it." Full story at: https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/05/12/carnival-stock-royal-caribbean-and-norwegian-drop/ 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 31,276 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

From the Wall Street Journal yesterday, the stock market continues to beat the hell (excuse my language, but it is true) out of the cruise ship stocks. What do they know, expect and predict for the rocky waters ahead based on the falling Wall Street valuations? As shown below, RCL went down to nearly $56 early yesterday morning before rebounding a littler from that all-time, recent low. Carnival was down 2.14% yesterday. Norwegian dropped 4.22% Thursday. WOW!! When will these downward slides stop? The cruise stock are dropping much more than the overall market!! Is it oil prices rising? Inflation squeezing out potential leisure spending? Continued Covid worries? Interest rates rising making managing debt more costly? Europe/war worries? All of above? What other factors am I missing for causing these negative cruise stock trends? How safe are all of the FCC's as future cruise credits and advanced deposits are in the hands of these challenged cruise lines? 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 32,305 views. Many interesting pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358 From the Wall Street Journal, here is their chart reflecting how Royal Caribbean dropped, AGAIN, in trading yesterday.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Appreciate these great follow-ups and comments. These are challenging times to be trying to guess the financial futures and longer-term stock values. Now to focus back on today . . . read below and react as fits your situation. Need a crying towel? But, is this an opportunity to buy now and watch things rise? Or, will values be going lower? From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, below is their latest chart. Another low!! Below $60. A new low for the most recent twelve-month period. Carnival was down 4.5% today. Norwegian down nearly 5%. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details from two visits in a city with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 44,296 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008 From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, here is what their chart says for Royal Caribbean today and during the period since the first of this year. Below $60!! That a new low during the most recent twelve months.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Appreciate this kind follow-up from our SW Ohio neighbor. Did not have time to do Sea World. We did five days in all four of the Disney parks or Kingdoms, plus a full day on Friday for the two Universal Studios parks. That's lots, especially as things in Central Florida had temperatures in the upper 80'sF+. Rather warm and super sunny!! Good news? No rain, nor high humidity. From the Wall Street Journal late today,, they had this headline: “Stocks Slide to Lowest in 2022 as Rout Continues" with this sub-headline: "Technology, energy shares lead declines as Nasdaq falls more than 4%”. Here were some of their story highlights: "The most punishing market selloff in years showed no signs of abating Monday, with U.S. stock indexes sliding to new lows for 2022 and other assets, like oil and bitcoin, tumbling as well. Markets have been shaken this year by a flood of investor worries. Inflation is running at its fastest pace in decades, threatening to eat into corporate profits and rein in consumer spending.” But, what about the cruise stocks? Don't ask!!! Royal Caribbean dropped to a new low during the past 52 weeks, dropping down more than 12%. See below. Also today, Carnival fell 11.8% and Norwegian was down nearly 13%. Wow!! I cannot remember any such negative slides happening in that way during recent months. Reactions? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-markets-dow-update-05-09-2022-11652073278?mod=hp_lead_pos1 THANKS! Enjoy?? Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 49,152 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193 From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, here is the chart for Royal Caribbean. Late last week, I asked: "Is this very encouraging for stockholders?" But, what about today? Really bad or even worse?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

Appreciate these market experiences, comments and follow-ups from RetiredandTravel and our SW Ohio neighbor. This past week has not been good, positive and encouraging. But, "corrections" are to be expected and "normal"? We have been in Central Florida during the past week doing Disney World and Universal Studios with our grandsons and family for our 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebrations. Hot and sunny here!! Like on many cruises, it is not cheap doing these "adventures"!!! Below are stock charts for the past week's trading. Wall Street still does not see a cruise line recovery to profitability coming soon. Taking more time? But, when? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 52,639 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 late this afternoon, here are the charts for the three major cruise lines during the past five days of trading. At the bottom, the fourth charts shows RCL values during the past month. Is this very encouraging for stockholders?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here is the one month chart for the past month of trading with RCL:

From this top newspaper in New Zealand, they have this headline today: “International tourism is coming back, but a return to 4 million visitors is years away, and some say that's a good thing” looking at their re-opening after their long, long shut-down for tourism. Here some of their story highlights: “No one is pretending there will be a swift return to the 3.9 million annual international arrivals pre-pandemic, and some think that is no bad thing, including Tourism Minister Stuart Nash, who says we cannot afford to fall back into our old ways. While Australians will skip across the Tasman to visit friends and family and ski over winter, the reality is that we won't see many long-haul US and European travellers until summer, says Tourism New Zealand chief executive Rene de Monchy. 'It gives the industry a runway to scale up, but it will be a challenge ... how many rooms can I open or how many boat trips can I do will be a bit dictated by the workforce.' After the border opening announcement, online searches for international flights to New Zealand jumped 41 per cent, more than half of them Australians, and there is no guarantee all those searches will translate into bums on seats. Tourism Export council chief executive Lynda Keene says overseas agents are cautious about booking New Zealand this coming summer because of uncertainty over the border and whether it will remain open, but bookings for the following summer are strong. 'We’re not going to open the door when we reach October 1, and boom we’re back, it’s going to be a slow rebuilding of the market ... if we can get back to pre-Covid numbers by 2025, 2026, that would-be really encouraging.' One of the handbrakes on achieving that is China, which was our second-largest market after Australia, and many of the inbound tour operators who serviced it have disappeared.” How will this NZ re-opening work, last, etc.? Good luck for those visiting NZ. Full story at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/128130596/international-tourism-is-coming-back-but-a-return-to-4-million-visitors-is-years-away-and-some-say-thats-a-good-thing THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020 (right before Covid shut-down), many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/

For many of us waiting weeks and weeks for refunds from cancelled cruises, we have watched and worried about the longer-term financial health/stability of the three major cruise lines. These cruise lines are heavy with debt and major future capital/operating obligations. From the respected Barron's business publication associated with the Wall Street Journal, they had yesterday this interesting headline: “Royal Caribbean Is the Best in Class and Its Stock Is a Buy, Say Analysts” with these story highlights: “Royal Caribbean Cruises is in the best position among its peers to 'navigate through this unprecedented operating environment,' concludes Stifel research. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the cruise operators as hard, if not harder, than just about any industry save for hotels, restaurants, and airlines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month extended its No Sail Order , possibly into mid-July. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean and the other two large publicly traded U.S. cruise companies— Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line—are burning through millions of dollars of cash as their ships sit idle.” This report yesterday helped push up the value of the RCL stock from about $34 to $37. Since Jan. 17, 2020, RCL stock has gone down $135 a share to as low as $22 a month ago, Among the other key Barron's story highlights: "The Stifel analysts rate Royal Caribbean stock at Buy. They maintain that the company is in the best shape in terms of liquidity, with the ability to keep things going for about 10 months. Bloomberg reported that Royal Caribbean is looking to raise more capital. A Wells Fargo research report Thursday notes that any additional capital raise would likely be limited secured bonds or convertible bonds. 'We continue to view RCL as best in class and needing the least amount of capital, within an industry that admittedly will likely see an elongated recovery to pre-Covid-19 levels,' according to Timothy Conder of Wells Fargo. The Stifel analysts maintain that Royal Caribbean is best positioned when cruising does resume, partly owing to its 'brand quality.' The company’s Silversea brand, which caters to ultraluxury customers who tend to skew older, may have a challenging time initially, they observe. But that brand accounts for less than 2% of Royal Caribbean’s capacity, they note." This info is somewhat encouraging for those debating whether to take future cruise credits (FCC) or grab the promise of cash being returned in one to two months. But, if planning 2021 cruises, how much do you pay down now and how well do you have your risks covered from a worst-case financial situation affecting the cruise lines? There are two large variables/questions: How long does the shut-down take before resuming service? AND, how quickly will the cruise customers (many older and more vulnerable to health risks) re-gain confidence and be willing to travel on tightly-pack airlines and cruise ships filled with a diverse, international groups of passengers and staff? Am I missing anything major or being unfair with this background and questions? Full story at: https://www.barrons.com/articles/royal-caribbean-is-the-best-in-class-and-its-stock-is-a-buy-51587653461?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D20035585715925339982782966094942319618|MCORGID%3DCB68E4BA55144CAA0A4C98A5%40AdobeOrg|TS%3D1587658128 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 49,228 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 Travel Section of the London/UK Independent in the middle of last month, they had this headline: “CAPE TOWN CITY GUIDE: WHERE TO EAT, DRINK, SHOP AND STAY” with these story highlights: “Originally a replenishing point for ships en route between Europe and Asia, Cape Town is the city from which the nation of South Africa grew. Most of its key attractions lie in the City Bowl and adjacent districts set scenically between the waterfront and Table Mountain. Summer (December to March) sees the city in full stride, but off-season (June to September) comes with the promise of watching whales and great white sharks. Cape Town is also synonymous with the late, great Nelson Mandela, whose presidential inauguration took place here 25 years ago this month.” The pictures and highlights from this media profile bring back nice memories. More can be seen below on my live/blog from our visit there in early 2016. Great city and area. Here are a couple of their top insights: "Best view: Hit the V&A Waterfront to see Table Mountain looming above the city and docks. Insider tip: Head to colourful Bo-Kaap for koeksisters, daaltjies and other hard-to-pronounce street food." Full story at: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in/cape-town-things-to-do-south-africa-city-guide-best-hotels-restaurants-a8913716.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 45,725 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 Here are two of the visuals used to illustrate this profile. The second picture is from Boulders Beach that is home to hundreds of penguins and where we visited. Fun sights there!!: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

From the Sidney Morning Herald and other Fairfax newspapers of Australia in mid June, they had this headline: “Which Portuguese City Is Best?” with these highlights: “Portugal’s two biggest cities have a rivalry to match Sydney versus Melbourne with passionate locals who glow with pride about their hometown. Is it better in the north? Or do they have it all in the south? Here’s your form guide.”. Personally from visiting both, we found lots to LOVE in Porto and Lisbon. Both wonderful!!! Here are more story highlights: "PORTO: Grittier, cloudier, and teeming with street art, Portugal’s second-largest city has long been overlooked but now it’s nipping at the heels of its more-famous southern sister as travellers discover its affordable, down-to-earth charms. Known as the holy grail for port wine aficionados, Porto might have roots as a sailing port but its modern-day vibe is an unpretentious blend of history, tile-cloaked beauty." However, there is more to consider: "LISBON: In comparison to Porto, Lisbon is a spring chicken. The city was completely rebuilt in a wide-boulevard, grid style after being flattened by the mother of all earthquakes in 1755. The historic Alfama district, which managed to escape serious damage in the quake, is experiencing the curse of its own historic beauty. Residents are being squeezed out as Airbnb moves in and throngs of tour groups pound its cobblestone streets. Lisbon’s status as one of Europe’s sunniest capitals may just seal the deal. Many fall for the city’s magical afternoon glow as light bounces off the pastel-facades, and sunsets paint the sky candy floss pink." Lots of added details, visuals, options, etc., to consider in this profile/article. Brings back lots of nice memories from being in both cities last June. More below on my live/blog. Full story at: https://www.escape.com.au/world/europe/porto-v-lisbon-which-portuguese-city-is-best/news-story/d1b813dc662655d5928a29e8a1368abb THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Finished June 2017 sailing on the Silver Spirit from Portugal to France along the scenic Atlantic Coast, plus great pre- and post-cruise experiences. Now at 20,656 views. Many interesting pictures and details on history, food, culture, etc., from my live/blog at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Getting ready for a mid-November, 2018, Athens to Dubai, 20-day cruise with Oceania. This will include our first visits to the Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan/Petra, Middle East, etc. This includes two stops in Oman (Salalah and Muscat) before arriving in Dubai at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 5. We get off of the ship the next morning. Two key questions! 1. AIRPORT FOR FLYING OUT?: With American Airlines (or their partner), we could fly back to Heathrow via either Abu Dhabi or Dubai. What are the pro/con factors as to which one of these airport would be better to use? That leads to the question of how time to spend for our first time in this region and which options/priorities are best to see and do for this general area. 2. TIME IN TWO CITIES?: We will have the afternoon and evening in Dubai when our ship arrives. Then, we get off the ship the next morning and would have all day and that evening available before our flight to London would depart around 2 am on Friday, Dec. 7. Would that be enough time? How much more time do we really need between these two cities and other nearby options? Since we will need to get back home fo the holidays, our time options are not unlimited for exploring this fast-growing area. As I understand from a posting by the smart/savvy Keith, Abu Dhabi has more cultural/historic options (including the soon-to-open Louvre), while Dubai might be best with the newer, more commercial sites and spectacular architectural structures. TRADE-OFFS??!! What background and details am I missing and should consider? What do you suggest or has been your experiences with these areas for their highest/best priorities? Most important uses for our limited time? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139 for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 198,838 views for this posting.

On aother board, I posted some of my earlier Venice pictures and I got lots of nice comments. I thought I would share some of those visuals here and invite other comments on what you loved most in Venice. What was the "magic" for you? I first visited Venice, twice, in December of 1970, seeing a city without the summer mobs. In some ways, it was then even more of the "real thing" as you were better experiencing it as to how residents live, work and walk around there. We were back in May 1999 and hope to be there again in June 2011 as a cruise stop. This is the website for the official Venice tourism office: http://www.turismovenezia.it/venezia/eng/default.asp?lingua=en THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923 Nothing says Venice better than Piazza San Marco, the "living room" of this great city. Unlike most cities in Europe, this square has people prevailing over the sounds of cars, trucks and motor scooters. The Piazza has it all, the Basilica of San Marco at its eastern end, the Campanile Tower, other historic buildings and the walkway to where Marco Polo boarded ships to discover China and the East. Plus, in the evenings, there are the "battle of the bands" with music playing and people enjoying this area without the middle of the day tourist mobs.: This picture shows San Giorgio Maggiore, a 16th century Benedictine church built between 1566 and 1610. The gondolas are docked in the foreground in the main part of Venice. There were eight to ten thousand gondolas during the 17th and 18th century with only about four hundred in active service today.: This Venice picture gives a sample of different roof designs/decorations, the church dome and the famed Campanile. This bell tower of St Mark's Basilica is 323 feet tall and is a plain brick square shaft, 39 feet wide on each side. This tower reached its present form in 1514, but was reconstructed in 1912 after the 1902 collapse.: Along a canal, this is Da Raffaelle where we had an outdoor table right next to the waterway. Wonderful food and spectacular setting. It is located at Ponte delle Ostreghe 2347. It is west of San Marco Square and south of La Fenice Opera House.: Here is a sampling of more great architecture details in Venice on the historic building and stone columns. In the background is Santa Maria della Salute. There are over one million timber piles supporting the vast weight of this Baroque church's large dome.: