.......idle jottings continued

[ho-hum]

14 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

She is a witch.... Or else Harry is thinking with his.......  er, you know..🍸

Dick Mountbatten would be “turning in his grave” !
 

For your information......a British tabloid referred to them as the “Crown Jewels” after he was photographed naked with his hands covering his “equipment”.

They left the UK citing one of the reasons being a lack of privacy and a wish to raise their child in peace.......where are they now ?
Hollywood !

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

53 minutes ago, ho-hum said:

Funny you should say that.......

Have ye news of SD plans in the Med?

 

We are assuming 2021 is a write-off for cruising, but doing some planning for 2022.  If an effective vaccine is possible with corona viruses, one should be available by then.... touch wood!

[ho-hum]

52 minutes ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

Have ye news of SD plans in the Med?

 

No

[Jim Avery]

Ok, no Med.  I am not picky, just give me Jost van Dyke.🍺😎

[ho-hum]

On 7/8/2020 at 7:00 PM, Jim Avery said:

Ok, no Med.  I am not picky, just give me Jost van Dyke.🍺😎

Good choice......and  our American chums can travel to the Caribbean (Hum understands) but Hum understands Americans can travel to Europe but (currently) have to be in quarantine for 14 days.

Meaning, no Americans will be sailing on SD.

 

But up until yesterday Brits could.

That all changed today.

The  British government announced today that Brits cannot cruise !
 

“The Foreign Office (FCO) has advised Britons against travelling on cruises, meaning that holiday companies will not be able to operate trips and passengers’ travel insurance will be void“

 

Without Americans and Brits, Hum worries for SD and it’s amazing crew and for the industry at large.

 

Hum asks.....have we gone too far ?
Its an open question without any underlying motivation and Hum doesn’t expect anyone to respond........but if you do, Hum knows it will be stated with awareness of this very sensitive situation.

[Jim Avery]

That is rather a strong move by the UK.  Too far?  Part of me says yes, way overreaction all over the world shutting down far more than cruises.  Another part of me would never be want to be stuck on a cruise ship as many were this Spring.  Well maybe the "Magical Mystery Tour" when Viking Oceans World Cruise began to wander about the planet with only 8 Canadian passengers.  8 passengers and 450 crew is right up my alley.  As to SeaDream, you are very right.  No Brits and no Yanks will make for a tough year for Atle.  It is great they can cruise Norway.  With Norwegians.  But how long will that last?  We were in Bergen last September.  I called it "Winter".   Cold, windy, rainy, scattered sleet.  The good crew will not be around if they only have a three month season.  Again, all I want is Jost.....🍸 I fear we will not see cruising as we want for a very long time.  The Carnival Corp. is leading in disposal of tonnage.  Selling/scrapping ships is usually a "cut your losses" type of move but it does remove lots of personnel costs.  We shall see how many ships are disposed in that way and who else follows.  Scrap markets are very volatile and prices for scrap will drop rapidly as more ships pile up.  Might mean layup instead of scrap for some.  

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Other than niche cruises, e.g. SD in Norway, cruising will stay halted until an effective vaccine available to the masses.  Maybe spring?

 

Won’t have to worry about arguing with “anti-vacc’ers” on cruise ships, as proof of vaccination will be required to board the vast majority of ships....

 

We already have our sleeves rolled up and a cruise wish-list compiled 🙂

 

[cburger100]

Were I able I should be in the Pub as well.  A man can only drink tinned beer so long then strange things start happening.  Like Meghan in charge.[emoji33]  Poor, poor Harry.  What if the "herd" is right?  As I understand it it is aerosol like and airborne.  In other words, air breathers stand a very good chance of being exposed at one time or another.  Sort of like Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, in the desert Valley Fever, and on and on.  The death rates as a percentage of the total population are extremely tiny.  You could look it up but this year, on this planet, approximately 59 Million people will die from all causes.  Is Covid serious? Yes.  Is it the end of the world? No.  And I will not spend thousands to wear a mask on a cruise ship.  [emoji15]  Pull me another pint of Shropshire Lad if you please Mr. Barman...[emoji481][emoji41]

What is Shropshire plz ?


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Jim Avery]

Shropshire is a county in Northwest England. It borders with Wales. Where part of my family is from. Shropshire Lad is the name of a particularly good local bitter ale. I can never seem to get enough.🍺🍺🍺😎

[ho-hum]

5 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Shropshire is a county in Northwest England. It borders with Wales. Where part of my family is from. Shropshire Lad is the name of a particularly good local bitter ale. I can never seem to get enough.🍺🍺🍺😎

 

           Why, if 'tis dancing you would be,
          There's brisker pipes than poetry.
          Say, for what were hop-yards meant,
          Or why was Burton built on Trent?
          Oh many a peer of England brews
          Livelier liquor than the Muse,
          And malt does more than Milton can
          To justify God's ways to man.
          Ale, man, ale's the stuff to drink
          For fellows whom it hurts to think:
          Look into the pewter pot
          To see the world as the world's not.
          And faith, 'tis pleasant till 'tis past:
          The mischief is that 'twill not last.
          Oh I have been to Ludlow fair
          And left my necktie God knows where,
          And carried half-way home, or near,
          Pints and quarts of Ludlow beer:
          Then the world seemed none so bad,
          And I myself a sterling lad;
          And down in lovely muck I've lain,
          Happy till I woke again.
          Then I saw the morning sky:
          Heigho, the tale was all a lie;
          The world, it was the old world yet,
          I was I, my things were wet,
          And nothing now remained to do
          But begin the game anew.

 

Last verse but one from A.Houseman’s “A Shropshire Lad”.

Jim is a Shropshire Lad.

Shropshire is considered by many to be the British archetype.

A noble fellow of the land.

Edited July 10, 2020 by ho-hum

[Jim Avery]

Waking in the lovely muck.  I fess up to actually remembering such an event in my Uncle's paddock in Shropshire.  Now that I am a Desert Lad, I would be eaten by something should I try that out here.  And it's only going to be a balmy 48C+.  118F to 120F.  5% humidity to boot.   Yeeee Hawwww!!!!!  God bless the ice machine...🍸😎

[TrapperZimmy]

In one of my high school English classes we had to memorize and recite a poem every week.  Oh how I wish I knew A Shropshire Lad back then.  I suspect I might have been excused from that assignment for the rest of the term.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

This is off-topic, but....  now wait a minute, IJ and its spawn define off-topic, here’s a tidbit of info about Silver Sea:

 

Royal Caribbean Takes Full Ownership of Silversea Cruises

BY MT Newswires
— 8:23 AM ET 07/10/2020

 

08:23 AM EDT, 07/10/2020 (MT Newswires) -- Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) said premarket Friday it has acquired the remaining shares of luxury cruise line Silversea Cruises.

The Miami, Fla.-based company purchased two-thirds of Silversea in July 2018. The remaining one-third stake held by Heritage Cruise Holding was paid for via 5.2 million shares of Royal Caribbean, or 2.5% of the total common stock.

 

 

[ho-hum]

9 hours ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

This is off-topic, but....  now wait a minute, IJ and its spawn define off-topic, here’s a tidbit of info about Silver Sea:

 

Royal Caribbean Takes Full Ownership of Silversea Cruises

BY MT Newswires
— 8:23 AM ET 07/10/2020

 

08:23 AM EDT, 07/10/2020 (MT Newswires) -- Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) said premarket Friday it has acquired the remaining shares of luxury cruise line Silversea Cruises.

The Miami, Fla.-based company purchased two-thirds of Silversea in July 2018. The remaining one-third stake held by Heritage Cruise Holding was paid for via 5.2 million shares of Royal Caribbean, or 2.5% of the total common stock.

 

 

Certainly is “off-topic” talking about cruising on a CC website !!
Whatever next ?
Old English poetry !
 

But seriously.... what news !
What is the rationale for this move Raggy....or anyone else ?
 

[Jim Avery]

Hard to be "off topic" with Idle Jottings.  But Raggy can be different.  My theory is that it's the Engineer in him.  Always trying to put stuff together into new stuff.  When we were in San Clemente I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of his lab for turning lead into gold.  But then there was beer and tequila involved so it might have been his invention for turning dog poo into calamari.   🍷

[ho-hum]

6 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Hard to be "off topic" with Idle Jottings.  But Raggy can be different.  My theory is that it's the Engineer in him.  Always trying to put stuff together into new stuff.  When we were in San Clemente I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of his lab for turning lead into gold.  But then there was beer and tequila involved so it might have been his invention for turning dog poo into calamari.   🍷

When’s there an Administrator when you need one ?
Please......

 

All sorts of things going on in the cruise industry right now......Carnival scrapping 6 ships etc...

Edited July 11, 2020 by ho-hum

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I thought all Carnival ships were scrap?

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

7 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

it might have been his invention for turning dog poo into calamari.

The tequila had you seeing things backwards.  The “pony” is a food to poo converter.  And quite efficient at it.  Mrs D is a gold to clothes/shoes/purses conveter, but not a very efficient one 😞

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Ragnar Danneskjold

[Jim Avery]

Haha, I will admit to being a bit heat addled.  As to CCL scrapping/disposing of vessels, with approximately 104 ships over 9 brands I speculate that the (now 13) announced disposals would have taken place sooner rather than later anyway.  It will cut thousands of dollars a day in operating costs.   A bit of good news is the apparent good bookings for SeaDream in Norway.  This must be welcome cash flow as well as employment for long time crew.  

[Jim Avery]

7 minutes ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

I thought all Carnival ships were scrap?

Now where else can you see the "Hairy Man Contest", the "Belly Flop Contest", or endless Buckets O Beer??😎

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

You always win the first two, and define “endless” for the third...

[Jim Avery]

2 minutes ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

You always win the first two, and define “endless” for the third...

Endless is until your credit card is declined......

[ho-hum]

8 hours ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

You always win the first two, and define “endless” for the third...

Hahaha.....Raggy’s “on fire” !

[ho-hum]

8 hours ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

I thought all Carnival ships were scrap?

ouch !!
but funny.....

[Jim Avery]

8 hours ago, ho-hum said:

Hahaha.....Raggy’s “on fire” !

Haha, yes Raggy can be wicked when he is in his cups....🍺🍷