DaKa2002

We have sailed twice on the 'older' designed ships.  We would chose the SS ships just to experience the newer designs. Either would provide a superior experience, IMHO.

On 5/5/2020 at 1:04 PM, Qcruise said:

Our Alaska cruise was the last one of the season....the next week they were going to Hawaii from Vancouver so everything on board the ship that was for Alaska they marked way cheap so they could make room for Hawaii gear.  We also were able to see the Northern lights off our balcony at our Northern most point at midnight.......it wasn't entense  but it was sure there.

Done that on one of our 6 Alaskan Cruises - last cruise of the season, and with good weather.  Down side, if you call it that, was that in many of the ports a lot of the shops had already closed to move to the Caribbean!  

As another said,  cruising Alaska is often a crap shoot based upon weather; be prepared and make the best of the 'Great Land.'

Love this!  In honor of my best Friend who served in the Pacific on a Navy destroyer during the Vietnam conflict.  He is gone now, but not forgotten!

My service was in the Air Force, 1967-1992.

To all the Guardians of America -Thank You.

24 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

I don't need to cruise, it's the cruise lines that need me to cruise.  To that end, my cruise plans for the future are on hold until there is a worldwide vaccine in use.  I do not need to go on a cruise with enforced distancing or restricted movements.

 

It's time to break out the road atlas and plan a road trip or two.

We agree exactly!  

1 minute ago, Sir PMP said:

60 plus-ers with class...

Agree.

Loved the Journey and her wonderful crew!  Thanks for sharing this.

No.  We would not!

39 minutes ago, ducklite said:

Remy on the Disney Dream.  If it were land based it would have two or quite possibly three Michelin Stars.

We agree - Remy on the Dream or the Fantasy!

For us, both 70 or older, and one with a medical condition as currently listed, it means the end of cruising with any and all lines requiring such a note from a certified medical professional.  We will cruise together, or not at all.  I believe there are lots of folks, like us,  who will find they are no longer able to cruise.

Not cruising the ocean until planned July trip to Alaska which has been cancelled by us.  However, the road trip planned for this spring would have had us somewhere in New Mexico or Arizona with our RV headed for northern California to see the grandchildren; then a further trip on to Portland and Seattle to see relatives, and on to Vancouver B.C. before turning east into Alberta, and then south  wandering through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, etc. towards home.

27 minutes ago, TiiiSailor said:

My wife's new Global Entry card came in the mail also.  I need to go for an interview.  They'd already said before all this Coronavirus stuff came up, that current card holders were valid for a year after expiration if they've applied  to renew due to the backlog of renewals.  I think that backlog just got longer

Yes.  My wife received her new GE card in the mail; we have also been told there is a one year extension for my existing card.  I am not sure all this will be over in a year, and then there is the backlog.  Maybe the queue will be arranged based upon when one applied on the internet.

We just renewed our passports because they were almost out of blank pages; however, i am waiting on a Global Entry interview and all interviews have been postponed indefinitely.  My wife got her Global Entry updated via internet application (mine didn't). 

21 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

I've been a merchant ship's engineer for 45 years, sailing on nearly every type of merchant ship there is, including time with NCL on their cruise ships.  Been sailing Chief Engineer for about 35 of those years.

I am another member who has appreciated your technical and detailed information!  Thank you.

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Here in Germany, just like in so many countries, musicians are streaming concerts from their home. On 22 March musicians were asked to play "Ode to Joy" from their window. It is a poem by Friedrich Schiller set to music by Ludwig van Beethoven which he incorporated into his 9th Symphony. This is the article on it: https://www.dw.com/en/beethovens-ode-to-joy-rings-out-during-the-corona-crisis/a-52894646 

 

An orchestra in Rotterdam went even further and recorded it: https://www.classicfm.com/composers/beethoven/rotterdam-philharmonic-virtual-ode-to-joy-concert/ 

 

Good news has come from our political leader. Angela Merkel is back from her quarantine.

 

Life in my town is continuing in its weird state with no big news, somewhat thankfully. Fewer and fewer cars on the roads. Quiet, even barge traffic on the Rhine is a little reduced.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

Wonderful music - brought tears to my eyes!  Thank you so much for sharing.  I really need that this morning....

21 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I bought my ladies citizen watch onboard. The one that runs off sunlight so you dont need to change batteries... though I guess not a top cost brand, I love mine

I bought one years ago on board, still keeps excellent time, still waterproof for swimming.  Has lasted longer than any other watches that I purchased or receive as gifts.  

I believe the cruise lines make an easy target, unlike the others you mention, and there are many more - think of 50k to 100k people jammed into a stadium for a football game.  However, a cruise ship packs the same people together in pretty close quarters for days, maybe weeks, even months!  That is the biggest difference I see.

We still know very little about this virus, like how long you can pass the virus on before you know you are sick, how long the virus stays active on various surfaces, how long or even if the virus leaves some immunity to those exposed. (Just a few big questions and there are any more.)

At this point I am not in a position to lay blame to any ship's captain, crew, or cruise line; they have been forced to react to very unusual circumstances.  Just look at the dis-coordinated actions of the various national, state, county, and city governments as efforts are taken differently to solve this problem.  

For a perspective, you might want to reread histories of the black plague, the Spanish flu, SARS, MERS, HIV, etc. 

5 minutes ago, John99 said:

Weberman -- sorry to hear about your refund situation.  Was that for your transatlantic cruise in September?  At least AMEX came through for you. 

 

 

Princess Issued an Updated on Refunds regarding Processing Time -- March 20, 2020

 

Given the volume of refund requests and the care being dedicated to ensure each guest’s request is processed accurately and in a coordinated manner, please allow for approximately 60 days for refunds to be processed. All refunds will be processed in due course, but delays should be anticipated. Please allow sufficient time for us to manage this process.

 

 

 

Well for us retirees this was a big year with three cruises planned as part of our 50 years of marriage.   Two were cancelled (about 30/40 days ago in February) with one still on tap for October.  It took about 25 days to receive a combo of FCC and a credit to our Visa card.  I just we were lucky.

Wishing you a special and wonderful 50th anniversary year! And many more together...

This year is our 50th also, and we had made big plans too. The first three have been cancelled, an Alaskan cruise in July and two road trips (May-June and August- September).  At the moment we are hanging on to hopes for the Octoberfest river cruise.  We are thinking about celebrating 2020 in 2021 (kinda like the Olympics!) 

7 minutes ago, orchestrapal said:

Since the dreaded Covid19 will not have gone away just because our president says it is over. We are looking at possibly 18 months Or longer of it still being around.
Since ships have been described as floating PETRI dishes many will not want to cruise for years to come.

This will not “be over until it’s over.”  

Even some cruisers are now unemployed and may never be able to cruise Or vacation  again.
Viking  and other cruise lines will have to have long term plans and probably long times to crawl out of this.
Half empty ships will not keep them in business after this is all over.

Stay safe, stay home.👍

Very much agree.  And as a very 'senior' couple, we are having to pay much more for ever increasing insurance coverage which significantly reduces the potential to cruise more often.

IMHO - No Way!

North Texas here, just north of Dallas-Ft Worth.  We are senior citizens, so the lock down and various restrictions tend to not be as hard on us as many others, except for our investments.  The virus activity is just getting underway, with numbers increasing every day; I do not think this will be over anytime soon.  Hunkered down, watching movies on TV and internet streaming, reading books we read many years ago and kept because we enjoyed them, and we have started Spring cleaning early; we will have a significant amount to share, sell, give away as this comes to an end.  We shop during the restricted shopping hours provided by a few grocery stores, and make a weekly run to our favorite deli for take out (to help them stay afloat). I exercise each family dog once a day, usually early in the morning, and my DW and I take a late evening walk in the neighborhood while always keeping our distance from others.  We contact family and friends afar by internet messages,  pictures, and telephone calls.

To say the least, I would rather be sailing again on the Marina or Insignia to far off lands to explore!

25 minutes ago, Weluv2cruise2gether said:

I am an ER nurse and I can tell you that all the positive Covid-19 patients we have seen so far in our ER have not been anyone who was on a cruise or even had recent travel. There are many people in the world who are positive Covid-19 and have never cruised or traveled outside of their country. On that note, we need to remember to ALWAYS have good hygiene whether we are at home or traveling and not just during a health crisis. We also need to remember to be KIND to one another everyday. I was to be currently on a cruise as I type this. Disappointed that I’m not on vacation but also grateful that me and my family are healthy and praying we all remain that way, as well as you all!

Great post.  

And a special 'Thank you" to you and all your compatriots that are on the front line of this 'war' against this virus!  May you all be safe.

1 hour ago, iancal said:

Our friends asked us to join them on a HAL world cruise.  We looked at each other and said no thanks.  It was not only the sea days. 

 

We find that after two weeks we get very tired of the same food from essentially the same kitchen.  Longest we have done was 21 days.  It was fine, lots of ports and Milford Sound, but we were both happy to disembark.

Agree.  We can take about 15 to 20 days, and we want to be home.

We cruised out of Ft Lauderdale for a Caribbean cruise over Christmas one year.  It was a disaster from our perspective as children ran loose and unsupervised all over the ship: they would run down the halls knocking on doors and run off; they would get on an elevator and push all the floor's buttons; several large groups put all the children at one table while the adults sat at a separate table paying no mind as the kids ran ruckus and abused the dining staff.  Sadly, no one, not even the line's security paid any attention.  We both felt very sad for the entire dining staff.

1 minute ago, Junkhouse said:

The problem is that there will be residual cases for months and maybe years.  When will most feel comfortable in resuming their life as it was before the virus hit?

The real future is unknown, unless you have a crystal ball.  A lot depends on numerous outcomes: how fast the virus mutates and how deadly/infectious the mutation happens to be; how fast and how well a potential immunization might be, how much immunity an infection may provide; and many more unknowns.  In my opinion our most blatant failure right now is the ability for massive testing.

2 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

Great Caesar’s Ghost! No spargel essen 😱😰😭

Himmel