GrJ Berkshire

13 hours ago, Geobugs said:

I don't support mandatory vaccinations.

Then you will not cruise again!! The new normal will require this and to disembark in many countries. No vaccine will make you "the 21st century lepers" with very restricted choices in what you can do. Remember back to the 50's and iron lungs to fight polio which killed many, now with a vaccine almost erradicated. 

Lets get real no vaccine= no cruises, flights etc I don' t want to mix with super spreaders!!

Note today's news in the UK that Qantas has said to fly with them you will have to have had a vaccination and certificates will be checked at the airport prior to embarkation. 

49 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Unfortunately millions of people don't believe in vaccines and sure at least some of them want to cruise.  Just think of those people forging documents that they tested when it would be easier to simply take the COVID test.

Well if they don't believe in vaccines- hard luck, you will not be cruising , going out, restaurants, hotels, the new "21st century lepers"- welcome to the real world post covid-19. Sorry to sound harsh, but time to get real, if I cruise I don't want to mix with super spreaders. No vaccination certificate- NO TRAVEL.

I have said this before, but stand by it: Anyone who does not get vaccinated without medical reasons and cannot show a vaccination certificate will become "21st Century Lepers" unable to go anywhere or do anything be it travel, flights , cruises, restaurants, theatres, etc etc, other people will shun them!!!!

Lets get real who wants to mix with a covid-19 spreader..........

1 hour ago, Kwaj girl said:

Seems unrealistic to sequester all passengers in some location for 14 days before allowing them to embark.  We retired people have the time....but what about those still working where this would add another 2 weeks away from their jobs....not to mention the costs involved for those 14 days.

This is a total non-starter and if applied will mean Regent's demise. No way will this work plus no international passengers as well: they get the double whammy of then maybe having to self isolate when they return for 14 days from some locations like USA at present so a 2 week cruise becomes a 6 week expedition !!!

Interesting how far ahead the recent mail shots are advertising ; late 2021, early 2022.

Makes you think no cruises for at least 6 months?

If you sail on Regent SSC then the answer is nothing , it's all included. Many other lines may appear cheap but you pay an arm and a leg to get off, including 18% tips on lots of items........

7 hours ago, rallydave said:

Don't believe that is true for all cruises.  For instance ships not in US waters, all of Regent's ships at this time only have to comply with this new order if they will be in US waters before Nov. 1, 2021 and even then only think the 7 day rule will apply to cruises starting in US waters.

 

Should Regent choose to not bring any ships to US waters before Nov. 1, 2021 believe the order now allows them to cruise without complying with the order. Thus longer cruise are allowable.  And, even if ships will be coming into US waters before Nov 1, 2021 they have a number of days prior to that arrival where they have to get the Conditional approval.  

 

There is a lot in the 20 pages or so of the actual order and most everything is subject to change.  Some of the order appears inconsistent to me so it certainly is possible that cruise lines will have questions and changes will need to be made.  Only time will tell. 

With the news from the UK and much of Europe of a 2nd lockdown, this lacks REALISM:  the ships will not be sailing in the next 6 months whatever the CDC  states. Remember most cruises are not out of the US and the ships are all flagged and registered elsewhere - as flags of convenience so the US authorities have limited juristiction over them.

16 hours ago, jtwind said:

There seems to be a big percentage of people who say they won't get vaccinated.  I was under the impression that the majority of them identified with one particular party.  So, should cruisers hope that party wins the election in the hope that he will be able to convince them to take the vaccine?

If they don't get the vaccine if proven effective, they will become the ' new lepers of the 21st Century' , they will not be cruising or going anywhere. No vaccine- therefore a medical certificate, no flights, cruises, foreign travel. insurance, cinemas, theatres, restaurants...........etc. Up to you if you wish to make that decision. THIS WILL BE THE 'NEW NORMAL'

13 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

We got a mailer from Regent today promoting 2021 cruises to S. America, Canada, and Alaska. What may be new is that the new protocols were described. What was described came as no surprise. But what wasn’t mentioned (that I could find) was any onboard mask requirements. Also I could find no direct mention of any prohibition of going on shore at ports on one’s own. 

The decisions on Shore will not be Regent's but the ports they are in and these Countries. It will be like Russian embarkation, at their discretion. Last year we were on the Navigator when we docked in Murmansk. We were in the middle of nowhere a wood yard. On the Quay were security officials (KGB?) , you could not even get on the gangplank without permission and would not have got 50m without arrest!! We were delayed in Murmansk by weather and did not go onto Archangel or the Solvensky Islands, the guys on the quay did not look friendly at all. There was an argument re: the crew painting the sides , touching up the ship as they do everywhere , in Murmansk with these guys. This will be the pattern in most ports , with only leaving as the port authorities want. The "new normal"?

Can we have some REALITY !!!!!

Cruising cannot and will not sail until Spring 2021 at the earliest.

The ships are not in the US, they will take 60 days minimum to get ready

How will the crew and international passengers get to embarkation? At present USA is off limits to Brits

As to using Florida locations- REALITY  re recent covid-19 figures

People need to be more concerned that Regent will get through this and not go under , after a year with no sailings the ships will need a lot of TLC to get back to the standard expected. all those FCC's we have $40000 in this currency, How safe is it?

Tallinn in Estonia is magical.

Really surprised by Bologna, little in most Italian guide books compared to the more popular cities like Venice, Florence, Rome.

But the unexpected star find was Stockholm, a beautiful city overlooked by many and the sail in and out brilliant.

Please bear in mind with covid-19 more and more places are not taking cash. When we return post-covid this trend will have accelerated rapidly and so CASH will no longer be king! Coffee shops for example are only taking card payments now and many places really do not want cash any more. We are not yet Sweden a cashless society, but it's going that way.

Another miss was Niagara Falls, we found it tacky and commercial, the Maid of the Mist boat just gets you wet. Hard to see anything in the water and packed out ships. Better just to stand in the shower in a poncho and get your camera wet.

Much preferred the Montmourcy Falls near Quebec in a more natural surroundings. Much of the town of Niagara is just a funfair/ shopping mall.

8 hours ago, keywest1 said:

Rome for me.  I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't what I experienced.  Nothing bad happened, there was lots to see, but to borrow from another poster, it just didn't tug at my heartstrings.

Loved Barcelona and NYC--funny how different we all are when it comes to travel.

Agree underwhelmed by Rome, at the Trevi fountain- totally shoehorned in between buildings, I asked the wife if she wanted to throw a coin in , meaning you will return to Rome, she said no, I don't want to come back.

I would exempt the Vatican City from this 

2 hours ago, Oulton Jim said:

I would shudder to be on the logistical side of ship's tours team organiser! Just as a simple example -on a 3000 passenger ship -say 1500 want to get ashore -therefore they look for an organised excursion. Each 30 seater coach takes 15 [I assume] under present protocol -meaning the port has to provide for 100 coaches if my maths are correct.......can you imagine that in some of the less well organised ports. 

I can't see 3000 passenger ships surviving covid-19, I think the mega ships unless its cruises to nowhere have had their day?

But the worry is that like the 747 planes being pensioned off, as no longer economic that Cruise liners will go the same way. You do have to think how many will see off this pandemic or go under on the way to the breakers yards. If no cruising until after Easter 2021 - so a year+ without income - how many companies will pull Through ?

2 hours ago, Oulton Jim said:

I feel certain that in the next coming months those passengers like myself who have always gone independently ashore will not be able to do so.  Perhaps accredited independent shore tour operators may be given some opportunity but again I cannot see how that could be done -IF the only passengers allowed ashore are accompanied by a ships representative......

Think this is the only way forward if Cruising is to restart. This will be the way until you have a vaccine and a certificate to say you have this up to date at each port. No vaccine, no boarding and no disembarking on your own in ports ( the new lepers of the 21st century I am afraid)

1 hour ago, Pcardad said:

Amazon....in January? No disrespect but I think there is a 0% chance that is going.

Totally agree, Brazil is about the only country worse than the US in covid-19. No chance it will sail !!

1 minute ago, mrlevin said:

I still think the Mariner will be the start up ship with short Caribbean itineraries from Miami hopefully starting in December or January.

Very hopeful, in view of covid-19 in the states. No international passengers as USA is still closed to Brits etc and where is the crew coming from? It will not be USA. Few flights in from the usual crew sources. Think this is wishful thinking over Rational thought?

7 minutes ago, marienbad said:

Noticed that all the cabins in the January 2021 are waitlisted.Previously there had been cabins available for sale.We are on the January 14th cruise. Wonder if this change to waitlist means anything—good or bad.

It's not sailing, so is that Good or Bad?

10 hours ago, MomC said:

What now? Will it stay longer in the Caribbean or sail to Europe crew only?

 

Mom C

Not sure where they would get the crew from? Will not be USA.

FANTASY  !!!!

Surely Fake News and hubris : I cannot believe in this climate without cruising back at all, that any sensible company is going to expand its fleet ?

Lets get what Regent have back and working in a viable manner before expansion ideas. Airlines are talking 5 years to get back to 2019 passenger numbers, if at all with the collapse of corporate travel. I would think that cruising must be on the same time scale.

56 minutes ago, SusieQft said:

My May departure has final payment due in December, 151 days in advance.  My cruise is 15 days, and according to the T&Cs, shorter bookings are due at 121 days.  Also, that is when the 25% penalty kicks in (for US customers), and once that happens you would have to pay in full to take advantage of Regent Reassurance to get FCC but not a refund. 

 

Are you saying that they have shortened the final payment to only 60 days before departure?  Or is it just the UK final payment that is due at 60 days?  Has final payment always been 60 days in the UK?

UK and USA T&C are very different, with varied consumer laws.

You cannot compare across the pond.

A lot of advanced Prayer needed for this to happen. Spain ? Portugal is not open yet and Americans after their record on the virus, will probably be the last it opens to.

Without a vaccine and a certificate of vaccination cruising as we knew it will not return