How long will you wait?

[Toad]

My husband and I cruise frequently.  Currently we have nothing booked, but I am curious how long would you wait until you would cruise again...... maybe you can settle this for us!  

[aliaschief]

It’s just to early to speculate and guess. As always said, time heals but I do feel for many of us vulnerable seniors many are probably thinking post vaccine.

I also expect many booked itineraries will be changed due to country/state’s travel restrictions.

 

IMO it’s just to early to predict. For right now a lot depends on how we all mitigate.

 

 

[RuthC]

I'm booked on an itinerary in 8/21 that I have waited years to see offered, and am hoping there will be a vaccine by then. Cutting it close on timing, but there is a chance there will be one by then. 
I'm not sure I want to cruise until there's a reliable vaccine. 

[HAL4NOW]

We have an Alaska cruise booked for September of 2020 and Hawaii in February of 2021. We plan to go on both of them, if they cruise. I would love to see more extensive testing of both passengers and crew. Ideally, testing for covid-19 would be frequent and all-inclusive. Reality is that we could come in contact with the virus just as easily on land as in at sea.

If the cruise lines (specifically HAL) are able to follow all of the CDC recommendations, at sea may be safer.

[Shmoo here]

15 minutes ago, RuthC said:

I'm not sure I want to cruise until there's a reliable vaccine. 

My sentiments exactly.

 

 

[Heartgrove]

We have been lucky on all of our cruises to not experience a Code Red. That would be more attractive than contracting Coronavirus with the fever  and acute asthenia - with the possibility of being intubated attached to a ventilator with a possible negative outcome. All while not being with family.

 

Our country cannot even get its act together on testing as well as a continual supply of medical supplies. No, I think we will wait for the vaccine.

[Gigi1977]

We have a booked cruise November of this year to Hawaii.  If HAL cruises, we plan to be on board. 

[PROCRUISE]

Booked for 12/2020, 2/2021,  3/2021. IF the ships sail, we'll be onboard.

[Lido deck main]

We just booked for September 2021.  Hoping by then we have a vaccine and countries will reopen their ports once again. 

[Jacqueline]

Two months ago I was in a river cruise in Cambodia.... it seems like it was years ago. So much has happened so fast.

Of all the travel options, IMHO cruising will be the hardest hit. CV spreads so easily on a cruiseship and there are no good ways to mitigate the risk. Nothing about cruising says social distancing. Hallways, stairways, dining rooms, embarking, disembarking, all involve many people in the same places.
Sadly, until there is a vaccine, an outbreak could occur at any time and as we have seen, they are hard to contain.  Couple that with the older demographic and it’s difficult to see a way out of this anytime soon.

[Sir PMP]

Just forget 2020..

[kaiiak]

Not interested in cruising until there is a vaccine. I will stick to land based vacations for the next few years because I go on a vaccation to relax and worrying about getting sick or getting stuck on the ship, canceled ports, is the opposite of relaxing. 

[ellieanne]

My next cruise is scheduled in June 2021. So I'll wait at least that long. I'm hoping things will be normal again by then.

[asebastian]

Booked for Aug 2021 (Med cruise); will monitor and see what happens as it's 14 months away. A 2022 Panama Canal cruise is in the wish list. Our Oct 2020 New England cruise unfortunately is a no go.

[VMax1700]

IF the ships come to Europe and IF the ports and countries are open we are looking at a July cruise out of Amsterdam.  We have been 'cocooned' since mid March and restrictions will continue in place until May 5th.   I am a planner and need to have something to keep my mind active.  Also in need Vitamin Sea.

We also have a transatlantic booked from Europe in November, which again depends on the ships coming to Europe.  I would have more concern with this one than with the July cruise as in would entail more airports and more flying.

So we plan and we hope, but as always, ship happens!

[ski ww]

We have rebooked for July 2021. I think you'd be overly optimistic for any cruise before late summer early fall, at the earlist.

[VMax1700]

7 minutes ago, ski ww said:

you'd be overly optimistic

I believe in staying optimistic about life on Earth.  DW is the ying to my yang.   I understand that many believe it will be late summer before cruises recommence, I need something to focus on.  Looking out at the cherry tree already loosing blossom indicates that nature is moving on.

(I have had enough gardening, house decoration and attic clearances for one spring!)

[rotjeknor]

As soon as HAL sails again. We have one  booked in june and july, both Northern Europe out of Rotterdam. Just 25 minute car ride and we’re at the pier. So no air travel.

Hope is the fuel for seeing the light at the end of the tunnel ..... and are we hoping !

[sprockie]

5 hours ago, kaiiak said:

Not interested in cruising until there is a vaccine. I will stick to land based vacations for the next few years because I go on a vaccation to relax and worrying about getting sick or getting stuck on the ship, canceled ports, is the opposite of relaxing. 

This is exactly how we feel.  We'll be avoiding cruising until a vaccine has been given worldwide.  Luckily we squeezed in a great tropical Caribbean just before Xmas with our kids, so I am glad for that.  We've never come home from a cruise without being sick with some virus, so with CV some changes will definitely be made by the cruise lines to keep viruses controlled.

[wesport]

Tough one. We cancelled our July, but haven't cancelled our October. Both 2020. Will wait and see. Won't make final if there is any doubt. Only have a $100 pp deposit. I would not hesitate to put a deposit on 2021. If we don't figure it out by then, it over. Plus if you book for 2021, it gives HAL cash to give refunds from the beginning of the year cruises that were cancelled. 

[Crazy For Cats]

We have cruises booked for August and November this year.  Will cancel August before final payment if things aren’t clear about when cruising resumes.  Additionally I am waiting on refunds from our cancelled March cruise.  No refunds means no money to be given to HAL for future cruises.

[doone]

I am booked for 3/21 and hoping all will be safe for us all to cruise again................

[albingirl]

Sadly, it will be after a vacination period, and cure, occurs for this pandemic.  Whenever that is.  We are completely isolated right now and missing normalcy already. 

[bouhunter]

7 hours ago, Jacqueline said:

Two months ago I was in a river cruise in Cambodia.... it seems like it was years ago. So much has happened so fast.

Of all the travel options, IMHO cruising will be the hardest hit. CV spreads so easily on a cruiseship and there are no good ways to mitigate the risk. Nothing about cruising says social distancing. Hallways, stairways, dining rooms, embarking, disembarking, all involve many people in the same places.
Sadly, until there is a vaccine, an outbreak could occur at any time and as we have seen, they are hard to contain.  Couple that with the older demographic and it’s difficult to see a way out of this anytime soon.

A lot of good points here.  It's really hard to see how cruises can re-start as long as the virus is a threat.

 

You left out a dandy place that isn't "social distancing" - elevators.....

[chisoxfan]

We booked a Jan. 2021 b to b cruise thinking it was cheap "insurance" for our standard winter getaway ie. we could see how things progress on the virus front before final payment (our deposit was relatively small). A few concerns now however. We have been waiting for some deposit returns for two cancelled cruises (cancelled before final payment) and the delays (reported here) in getting funds from the cruise lines is frustrating. Obviously, they are playing a game of let's hold on to the cash as long as possible.

If there is not at least the impression more solid financial footing (at least CCL seems a bit stronger than NCL and RCCL) it will be hard to turn over significant dollars- a FCC won't be acceptable to me.

Perhaps more pressing is how boarding/ health inspection  may be changed. You used to simply fill out a health card and my wife and I always commented 'who is going to admit to a cough, sore throat, or minor fever in the past month and face the rath of further questioning, etc. Now I can envision a stringent process where temps are taken, etc. etc. Maybe restrictions by age and overall health?  

At the minimum one may have to purchase more comprehensive insurance which will not be cheap.

Finally, while we did get a reasonably attractive cruise fare with drinks, grats, etc. included, it did not seem to be a

'no brainer' fare which would induce one to perhaps be more likely to 'roll the dice'.

 

There is no question the cruise lines are up against it and our gov. lobbying for higher oil prices only hurts the only silver lining

present. I remember when low oil prices were praised and desired to help consumers and our economy, now the play book is different.  

 

Healthy cruising (hopefully).