Justalone

On 3/8/2020 at 7:04 AM, Ride-The-Waves said:

Spouse has determined she wants to postpone the river cruise through France until 2021.  So the next challenge is engaging the TA and Uniworld on Monday followed by doing battle with the airlines.  She does not want to take any chances with COVID-19 expanding across France as it appears to be doing.  Obviously one cannot know what will be happening May 2021...

Isn’t it ok to do a river cruise through France?  No Covid-19  in Bordeaux region?  I was hoping by May-July 2020.

On 2/28/2020 at 8:40 AM, ed01106 said:

This is pure speculation. 

 

I tend to agree we haven’t seen the bottom of the tourism stocks but reality is your broker doesn’t know the future.

On 2/28/2020 at 8:10 AM, Justalone said:

My broker suggested CCL will soon dip to $8 or less.   And may cut the annual dividend to zero.  

On Board Credit benefit will do no good if no one is cruising.

It will take years for CCL, if they don’t go bankrupt, to rebound from losses....and return to profitability..  unless one can wait 10-20 years if you currently have CCL stock.   Due to soon to be announced Corona virus as a world wide pandemic, she  advised to avoid all cruise company stocks as well as some airline stocks. She says  for now travel industry sector as a whole is too risky to invest in.

 

On 2/28/2020 at 8:40 AM, ed01106 said:

This is pure speculation. 

 

I tend to agree we haven’t seen the bottom of the tourism stocks but reality is your broker doesn’t know the future.

On 2/28/2020 at 4:13 PM, Colo Cruiser said:

I call BS

You think so?

I am so very glad I listened to the wisdom of my stock broker.   Bought put contracts on CCL.   Now hoping CCL stock will fall even lower.  

She also suggested shorting the stock market. Which I did.

Also increased my position in gold bars as a hedge.  Filled up one of my safety deposit boxes with gold bars.

She predicts OBC will continue as an incentive for cruisers to commit to cruising with Princess. 👍

She believes it is highly probable Princess will discontinue or reduce dividend payout.  👎

Believe what you want.   Buy more CCL stock and dollar average.   Maybe get you investment back in 5-10 years. In the meantime,  go on more cruises.   Take advantage of  your OBC.   It is going to be a fun ride.😁

11 minutes ago, chipmaster said:

That is crazy with what has happened for anyone with a future business mind, not to offer 100% credit including deposit back under these circumstances is simply terrible.

 

With bonds so low the cost of borrowing is negligible, better keep a happy disappointed future customer, then a few more dollars in your pocket but an angry customer that will always remember and pick another line in a few years when good times are back.

That is  why CCL will keep cruisers  on the OBC hook to cruise with Princess.   Cruisers  taking the bait by offering OBC.   😁

2 hours ago, LeeW said:

Sorry to hear. At 70 I have seven cruises booked and don't plan on cancelling any.  Our only concern is that they keep cancelling sailings and it wouldn't be much fun to get to the port and not have a ship to sail on.

Good on you.  👏

I am sure you did a risk assessment for you age, and health.   (See CDC, Dr. Fauci of NIH. And US State Department warning).

And at your age, why not go?   Pragmatically,  you do not knowhow much time  you have left.

Enjoy your cruises. Have fun.  Stay healthy,  and do not get infected  with Covid-19.

15 minutes ago, hllwdcruiser said:

So, onto more happy news. 
 

Tina must be very new to the Royal Class ships because she had never heard of the Winemakers Dinner. Taking @Astro Flyer advice, I asked her to call the dine line to see if it was being held and if so, if we made the cut. I’m happy to report that they are having it tomorrow night and we will be two of the select few attending. I may actually take some food porn to share with you. 

 

I don’t know if sailing 400 passengers short of capacity can make that much of a difference but we have not experienced any lines or waiting anywhere on the ship. We went to the anytime MDR just before 6 last night and walked right in. Service was fast and very attentive, reminding me of what it was like when we first started sailing with Princess. If you want photos of what we are, just visit @MaryBethV blog - whom I have to thank for the photo of the grilled seafood bowl with mango salsa. I ordered it as an appetizer and it was amazing. Steve and I both had the prime rib for our main which was perfectly cooked and delicious. We then thoroughly our go to desserts, creme brûlée for me (beyond yummy) and cheesecake for him. 

Prior to dinner we visited Ryan and Lou at Good Spirits and I am happy to report that he had all the ingredients:

I ordered it extra spicy and it sure had a kick! I will definitely order it again. @Host CJSKIDS - thank you for the recommendation- Ryan said he remembers you!
 

We plan to go to Elite Platinum Suite Cocktail hour tonight. Steak Tartare on the menu tonight - one of my favorites. Yes, I’m on this cruise and I eat raw beef. Clearly, I’m a risk taker!

 

@tawlaw1526 - as you can see by my last sentence, we are risk takers. This has been an amazing cruise and we are loving every moment. I wouldn’t hesitate to go on again. But (and that’s a big BUT) we are both retired and have no real responsibilities if we do end up quarantined. We do have a pup but he is being very well taken care of by our daughter. He’s with his best pit bull friend and probably doesn’t miss us at all. The cavalier rules over the pit bull - the latter being the gentlest dog I’ve ever known.
 

Off to lunch. We are a little less full again so time to eat again. 
 

Thanks for following along - more later!

Princess allow dogs on board?

On 3/7/2020 at 5:18 AM, welly world said:

We leave in 2 weeks. Not even considering cancelling.

Enjoy your cruise.

1 hour ago, Baby_Bear said:

My mom and I were booked on the Caribbean Princess on May 16 out of Fort Lauderdale. In view of the increase in coronavirus cases across the US, we reluctantly decided over the weekend to cancel our cruise. My mom turned 70 last year and would therefore be at greater risk in the event she got the virus, although she has no major health concerns aside from arthritis. Both of us love to cruise and were super excited to be sailing again after all land-based trips last year, but recent events plus the CDC warning just tipped the scales in favor of playing it safe. Ironically, while I'm more worried about her getting the virus, she herself isn't worried so much about getting sick as opposed to getting quarantined (which is an additional worry for me too given work pressures, etc.).

 

So I called Princess early this morning. After a wait time of 1 hour, 45 minutes, I got through to an exhausted sounding Princess rep and cancelled. She noted it might take them up to 5 days to process the cancellation as their systems are so backed up. Is this what other people are hearing? She told me they have been swamped with cancellation calls all weekend. We are 68 days from sailing, so that should be fine. We will get back all but the deposit - not sure about that. She sounded confused about the deposit - it was booked as non refundable, but she thought that in view of the unusual circumstances, Princess might give me back the deposit as a future cruise credit. Maybe someone here can confirm? Regardless, its $200 and while I would much prefer not to lose it, if I have to eat it, I will. 

 

So that's my cancellation story. We are both so sad to cancel, we hope we did the right thing, but who knows?

 

As an aside, spare a thought for the cruise line reps and cruise TA's who are all getting hammered right now with calls. And prepare for long hold times!

 

Stay safe everyone and happy cruising. Now off to change flights!

Losing $200 is not so bad.   IMO, you made the right decision to cancel.  This is not a good time to go on a cruise.   See warnings from CDC website, and Dr. Fauci to avoid cruises, and why.   

Maybe 2021-2022,  if a Covid -19 vaccine  is developed, tested, and safe for the public.
 

2 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

7% drop-15 minute stoppage

13% drop-15 minute stoppage

20% drop stop for the remainder of the day.

2 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

13%

I’m so glad,  that at the suggestion of my broker, I shorted the stock three weeks ago.  👍

Also, bought more gold bars.👍

Revised my “good until cancel” buy order from $18 to $11.  😳

Broker still suggested CCL annual dividend is at risk of being reduced or discontinued entirely.

My broker thought CCL OBC will still be offered as an incentive to cruise on CCL.  
Good luck to all of you that are in for the wild ride down.  Maybe you should by more CCL to dollar average your cost?  Hopefully you will live long enough to realize your stock recovering to what you paid for it.  

For those in the high risk demographic,  there are worse things than getting infected with Covid-19 virus and quarantined  on a cruise ship.  It is not such a bad thing for those who love cruising.   True?

Safe travels  and  enjoy your cruise.👍 

from US. State Deparrment:

Passengers on Cruise Ships

U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship.  CDC notes increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment.

5 hours ago, aheape1979 said:

 

“I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty.I've got whozits and whatzits galore. You want thingamabobs? I’ve got twenty.” ~Ariel

 

Another Amazon Box?

 

I admit it…I may have a problem!  When going away for almost 3 weeks, I want to be prepared!  I want to be organized!  I don’t want to have to spend $10 for a package of bandaids.  When we went to Hawaii a few years ago, I did the same thing.  We used almost everything and didn’t have to make any crazy purchases while we were there.  A cruise environment (especially in another country) makes me want to be sure I have what we need!

 

Here are some of my purchases (or items I already had) that should come in handy on this trip.  (I have no financial or advertising interest here…just showing you what I have!)

 

Health:  Medical grade sanitizing wipes, bandages, homeopathic cold and flu medicine, and Rhinease (I often get nosebleeds after flying and when in dry environments).

Bags:  Reusable shopping bag on a carabiner clip for my backpack, waterproof bag, the bags that came with my Tieks- great for putting shoes in to make sure you don’t dirty up your suitcase, a laundry bag (we will have to do laundry at some point), and a foldable duffle bag that is heavy duty (to act as an extra checked bag if needed.)

Travel gadgets:  Bag bungee (if you’ve ever carried a tote bag with your suitcase, you know what this is for!  Plus, I think I will need it when we self-disembark!), Bose noise cancelling headphones (I’ve owned these for around 5 years, and they are lifesavers!), collapsible water bottle, luggage scale (to make sure we get right to that 70 pound limit!), and travel compression socks (I found these at TJ Maxx). 

For the cruise cabin:  Hanging shoe organizer (over the door), motion activated night light, non-surge power outlet, and a travel alarm clock

 

For tech:  Power bank for phones/tablets, gear ties (we use these around our cords), and a case that organizes all of our cords, but folds up compactly

For packing: (I found these all at TJ Max on clearance!)  2 sets of compression bags and an inflatable bottle pouch (to bring home French wine, Scotch, or something awesome like that

What are your favorite travel accessories?  
 

A case of latex gloves.

Tub of vaseline.

Pepto Bismol.

Imodium.
.

On 3/5/2020 at 9:14 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Why would someone go through Milan to get from Venice to Rome?  It's an unnecessary detour....

To get off train and  see Milan?  Visit Milan Cathedral, Your Last Supper, La Scala, Galleria. try Milanese cuisine, and more?.

Consider taking a private tour of Venice.

Enjoy your cruise.

On 3/2/2020 at 10:08 AM, aheape1979 said:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover.”  ~Mark Twain

 

Twenty years ago, a pair of young (20 and 22) newlyweds took their very first cruise, less than 48 hours after saying “I do.”  These new college graduates certainly didn’t have much money for a honeymoon, and Port Canaveral was in driving distance.  So off on a cruise to the Bahamas they went, giddy with excitement to be taking their first trip alone together.  Seasickness and sunburn didn’t deter their excitement, and they came back home stung by the “cruise bug” (and a jellyfish!)  They made a commitment…no matter what, they would take a great trip every 5th anniversary of their marriage.  

 

Fast forward twenty years…these parents of two teenagers have changed quite a bit.  Between them, they have 3 more college degrees, have purchased and renovated (Chip and Joanna style) two homes, built a life on the farm, seen careers skyrocket, and are grateful for the health, happiness, and home they have been blessed with.  Traveling has also been a part of the past twenty years.  They have traveled across the continental United States and Canada, to Hawaii, taken multiple cruises (RCCL, Carnival, Disney, and Princess), and been to Disney more times than DH cares to admit! 

 

The 5-year trip plan has worked out too! They have been on a Princess cruise to Alaska (and returned with child # 2 on the way!), an adult-only Disney vacation, Hawaii for 2 weeks on their 15th anniversary, and now had to decide where to visit for their 20th.  Having cruised the Regal to Canada/New England in 2018 for DH’s 40th birthday, they knew they loved the ship.  So when they saw that the Regal sailed the British Isles in 2020, the plan began!

 

Join us as we prepare to have a Regal Experience in June 2020!
 

Good for you!

Do no let the Corona virus pandemic impinge on your cruise.

Enjoy your cruise.👍

7 minutes ago, BCCRUSINGCOUPLE said:

Right now it is crashing if you hold on long term it will bounce back tang is what i have always done and it has worked for me


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Yes, hopefully one will not  die first before the stock bounces back.

2 hours ago, Jeter02 said:

I just spoke to a crew member friend and someone who's currently on their working. It's just a simple water to come back with a no-sale order due to the fact that they also have two crew members or so who were transferred from the Grand and they just want to test them to double-check.

 

on a brighter note I've also spoken friends on other ships Royal princess and Regal Princess are both clear with those crewmembers test coming back negative.

?

20 minutes ago, BCCRUSINGCOUPLE said:

In my opinion there’s no better time to buy stock in Carnival I don’t think we’ll see the stock is low as it is now anytime soon. I’ve also purchased Norwegian and Royal Caribbean and saved a fair dollar. We all know once this virus goes away the ships will start to feel again and the stocks will grow


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Yes. Buy CCL now.
I did put options on CCL 3 weeks ago.   Hoping CCL stock will go even lower.

Also placed a good till cancel buy order for CCL @$11.

Recently bought more gold bars “just in case “ the economy and stock market does a deep dive into recession.

Good luck.

55 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

 I’m not sure where you got your information from but this is not correct. You can get infected with covid-19 no matter who you are. You can be healthy and under the age of 60 and still be infected with the virus. The virus is much more dangerous if you are over the age of 60 and have underlying health issues.

 

Stay well.

Yes, of course everyone young and old are at risk for being infected with Covid -19.  But for those  above 60,    with underlying health issues like HBP, diabetes, heart, lung, and liver disease,  compromised immune system are at greater risk of getting sick, and dying.   The underlying health issues, and compromised immune system also applies to everyone , young and old.
For me, cruising is non-essential travel.  I can wait until a vaccine is developed,tested, and available to the public.  Some say between 12-24 months from now.
I can wait to take a cruise vacation.  Cruise is just not that important to me.  I will take other kinds of vacations like road trips, and glamping where I will not be placed in a crowded contact situation with strangers, as on cruise ships.

Wishing safe travels to all who decide to “go for it” now.  Their choice.  Their decision. 

On 3/7/2020 at 5:41 PM, neverbeenhere said:

For the believers of the great cruise ship in the sky, why do you worry at all? 
 

We have numerous cruises booked this year and won’t cancel any of them. Hoping to get a few fare reductions. 

Good for you.  👍

Enjoy your cruises. 🙂

On 3/7/2020 at 2:36 PM, leck57 said:

 

The virus is, in most cases, arriving and spreading in countries via people getting of planes, not cruise ships. Why aren't people making the same comments in relation to the airline industry? 

They have.

47 minutes ago, brisalta said:

That was in response to the previous comment about cleaning of ships. A lot of facilities are being cleaned due to covad-19. (AC transit is the system in Alameda County)

Don’t you also have a subway/metro system that connects Oakland area to San Francisco Airport?   Are they being cleaned due it Covid-19  as well?

4 hours ago, MsCynthia said:

 

The oil tanker dock in Richmond is another possibility.

How about off Pt. Richmond?  Passengers and crew could be off loaded from the ship to the Pt. Richmond Amtrak station and transported in specially equipped  train cars to Travis AFB quarantine facility. Not too far a ride.

Or the Grand could be anchored at the Reserve Mothball Fleet, Suisun Bay and passengers and crew bussed to Travis AFB quarantine facility.  Or have the Mothball Fleet ships converted to quarantine facility.

1 hour ago, thermal said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/coronavirus-cruise-grand-princess-1.5489320

 

My mom is scheduled to go on a Princess cruise to the Caribbean in two weeks.  She's 73 years old with significant health issues.  My dad and her are really struggling to decide what to do.  Two weeks ago, they were pretty certain they wanted to go.  Now everything seems much more high-risk. 

She is definitely in the high risk group.  And your dad?  His risk?  See CDC website.   Highly recommend that  you consult with your mom and dad’s  Dr.   

Me,  I would cancel.   Cruising for me is non-essential travel.   I can wait until a Covid-19 vaccine is developed, tested. and safe for the public.   Could be as long as 12-24 months.  Until then, I’ll take more car trips, and staycations.

18 hours ago, Enryon said:

Wife and I Are doing the Uniworld Castles on the Rhine on 3/22. We are still planning on going. 

Most likely you will be fine,  if you are not elderly (60+) and have no underlying health conditions like HBP, diabetes, heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease.   Also, if you do not have a compromised immune system.  If so, there is a high mortality risk of dying from the Covid-19  virus.  Refer to CDC website.

You might get quarantined between 14-28 days (or longer) if you get infected with the virus, or if any of your fellow passengers or crew get infected and test positive with Covid-19.

Also, consider some of the tourist hot spots like museums, tourist sites, restaurants, might be shut down due to “avoid groups” recommendation by CDC.  

Enjoy your trip.  It sounds like a fabulous itinerary.

Is a cruise worth dying for?  
Are you 60+, with or without underlying health concerns like HBP, diabetes, heart, lung, kidney, or liver disease?  Have a compromised immune system?  I would think  hard about taking a cruise at this time.  It could be lethal.   Is it worth taking a risk?.  Only you can decide your tolerance for risk.  
At least until a Covid-19 vaccine is developed, tested, and administered to the public.  Some say between 12-24  months from now.

See CDC recommendations.

For me,  a cruise is non-essential travel.   I can wait.

If you do decide to take that cruise, safe travels.  Good luck.  I will pray for you.

37 minutes ago, glam mistress said:

Pence just said the crew will quarantine on the ship... 

‘
Crew AND passengers.  Probably 28 day quarantine on ship. . Those tested positive will go to a military base(s).