Would you cruise if only ports were private islands?

[iancal]

Absolutely not.  Nor would we consider it during hurricane season just for the sake of cruising!

Edited May 5, 2020 by iancal

[spookwife]

2 hours ago, JimnKaren said:

Ya wanna beach? I am less than three miles from the Gulf of Mexico. I'll charge you less than a balcony/verandah and feed you just as good. I'll even throw in my cat (Tony the Tiger), he likes to hear cruising stories.

Into the 80s most days recently and the forecast low tonight is 68. Almost like being there.

Let me know, I'll clean the sheets!

Jim

And we practice social distancing too.  If you time it right, you can even be treated to a fly over by the Blue Angels.  
 

I am not a fan of the private islands.  I do prefer sea days, but not all sea days.  
 

I’d probably opt to not cruise if the only options were private islands as the port

[George C]

25 minutes ago, spookwife said:

And we practice social distancing too.  If you time it right, you can even be treated to a fly over by the Blue Angels.  
 

I am not a fan of the private islands.  I do prefer sea days, but not all sea days.  
 

I’d probably opt to not cruise if the only options were private islands as the port

I also like higher end resorts , but ships have way better entertainment,  Blue Angels are in Dallas tomorrow. We just like being pampered in nice suites which includes almost everything.

[rattanchair]

When we were young, we enjoyed port intensive cruises, like hitting every attraction in Disney, Epcot , etc all in one day. Now the days seem shorter. No more 'death walks' in Florence, climbing Ayers Rock, or the pyramids of Egypt. Today a leisurely walk from the cabana, to a rainfall shower, to a gourmet lunch, to a balcony lounger for an afternoon nap on the high seas, followed by another rainfall shower,  dressing up for  another gourmet dinner, followed by a 45 minute show and throw in a jazz ensemble before being tucked into bed with sweet dreams of repeating everything tomorrow. Reminds me of the story of the old bull and the young bull on a hill over looking the herd down below....but that is a story for another time.

Edited May 6, 2020 by rattanchair

[clo]

1 hour ago, rattanchair said:

riffraff

The "riffraff" aka locals are my favorite part of traveling. Anywhere.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, rattanchair said:

Dear GC,

     These private islands are the best destination besides the ship. No island riffraff, cleaner environment. My dream cruise ! I would only get off the ship for a private island.

I wonder how the natives of islands feel about the riff raff that come off the cruise ships.

[rkacruiser]

Would I sail on a private island cruise only itinerary?  Yes.

 

I'd prefer--as I have said multiple times on this Forum--I prefer a cruise with no ports at all.  

[navybankerteacher]

If cruise ships keep getting larger and ports in the Caribbean develop their own infrastructure, it is likely that the ports will focus more on visitors coming to stay - contributing to hotels, resorts, restaurants, etc. - rather than the low-budget day trippers coming off cruise ships -making private islands stops more likely.  

[mammajamma2013]

8 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I have no interest in cruising just for the sake of being on a ship and never have. (Well, at least not since I was a kid.)

 

I will not be taking a cruise until I can be fairly sure that the itinerary I book will be the itinerary I get on embarkation day, and that I won't be subject to a quarantine afterwards. 

 

When those are givens, talk to me again about booking.

 

Same, but without the cruising as a kid. Didn't start cruising until I was in my mid-fifties.

[Krazy Kruizers]

15 hours ago, George C said:

Would you cruise if only ports were private islands or just a cruise to nowhere? This would not bother me at all I like being on a ship but do want to visit at least one beach. We stay on board for many Caribbean ports and all of them that tender.

 

No

 

We are no longer beach people and do like to roam around the towns -- see what has changed.

[puppycanducruise]

No.  We are not beach people.  We cruise for the itinerary. 

[K32682]

A cruise where you stay on the ship and only get off on a place owned and controlled by the cruise line? No thanks. 

[sparks1093]

17 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Sorry, but that proves nothing. Particularly, as prior to Covid, millions cruised every year without getting sick. We have been on 22 cruises, averaging over 10 days each, and never got sick, knock on wood. I would think (theory, not stating as fact), you are far more likely to get sick on the flight to/from your cruise. Much smaller space, much closer to others.

 

 

I have read of many people getting sick from Noro Virus and I can't count the number of threads where people recounted coming back from a cruise sick with something. Any time you are in close proximity to others (and yes, planes count) you are more likely to catch something. Here in Vermont COVID-19 is more prevalent in the more populated areas of the state and I suspect that holds true elsewhere.

 

To answer the question (and thus to remain on topic), yes, I would cruise just to a private island. 

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

No.  We are not beach people.  We cruise for the itinerary. 

We also cruise for the itinerary. DW is a beach person (while I definitely am not), but she is also a art teacher so ports with museums are super important. For beaches, I get to watch our stuff while she does her thing.

[Joebucks]

10 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

If cruise ships keep getting larger and ports in the Caribbean develop their own infrastructure, it is likely that the ports will focus more on visitors coming to stay - contributing to hotels, resorts, restaurants, etc. - rather than the low-budget day trippers coming off cruise ships -making private islands stops more likely.  

 

Where have you seen evidence of this? Of course they want all of their businesses to grow. However, I don't think the focus has been place "more" on hotels, etc. Look at how many islands are beefing up their ports. Adding new shopping, restaurants, entertainment, etc. It's best to capitalize on the opportunities you have vs getting greedy on what you want. Letting those cruise ships go to private islands instead is shooting themselves in the foot. They make plenty of money off of port taxes, shopping, etc.

 

Take Nassau for instance. Do you see their bang for the buck being new resorts (which already exist) or beefing up the port area (which may in turn actually even cause more people to want to stay)

[Honolulu Blue]

18 hours ago, George C said:

Would you cruise if only ports were private islands or just a cruise to nowhere? This would not bother me at all I like being on a ship but do want to visit at least one beach. We stay on board for many Caribbean ports and all of them that tender.

 

I wouldn't book a regular cruise with just private islands.  I definitely wouldn't book a cruise to nowhere.

 

Actually, there's one exception... a music themed charter cruise where the main attraction is the bands and the ports barely matter at all.  I worry about the one that I booked and the others that I can't book, but that's a discussion for another thread and another time.

 

P.S.  Are there any cruise-line-owned private islands anywhere outside the Caribbean?  I thought I saw some discussion of Royal building something out in the South Pacific, but it wouldn't be finished until 2022.

[George C]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

I wouldn't book a regular cruise with just private islands.  I definitely wouldn't book a cruise to nowhere.

 

Actually, there's one exception... a music themed charter cruise where the main attraction is the bands and the ports barely matter at all.  I worry about the one that I booked and the others that I can't book, but that's a discussion for another thread and another time.

 

P.S.  Are there any cruise-line-owned private islands anywhere outside the Caribbean?  I thought I saw some discussion of Royal building something out in the South Pacific, but it wouldn't be finished until 2022.

We love the music charters have done it last three years and booked for next year also, they are expensive but amazing our last one in February had 20 different acts including America , Steven Bishop, Rita Coolidge and many many more . All the major lines seem to have at least one private island in Caribbean or Bahamas, not aware of any outside of this area. 

[iancal]

We are watching the covid situation in countries that are on our bucket list for potential travel when things open up.

 

The difference between how countries have/are handling the issue and the differences in outcomes significant.

 

Are we looking at cruises?  Absolutely not.   We are both in our late 60's.  Not only are we not considering cruises in November, cruising in general has  disappeared off our radar.  We travel frequently and hope to do so in the future.  But it will not be on a cruise ship...at least for a good few years to come.  We have already adjusted our thinking to this reality until such time as an effective vaccine is readily available.

Edited May 6, 2020 by iancal

[Honolulu Blue]

16 minutes ago, George C said:

We love the music charters have done it last three years and booked for next year also, they are expensive but amazing our last one in February had 20 different acts including America , Steven Bishop, Rita Coolidge and many many more . All the major lines seem to have at least one private island in Caribbean or Bahamas, not aware of any outside of this area. 

 

Thanks George, not only for this reply, but the original post that spawned the thoughtful discussion in this thread.

 

And I did find info on Royal's private island in the South Pacific.  I didn't imagine it after all!  The opening date is still listed as 2022, but I wonder if it's been delayed due to... you know.  Here's the link to the news release:  https://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/press-release/1414/royal-caribbean-announces-lelepa-vanuatu-is-perfect-for-perfect-day/ 

 

[ilikeanswers]

As nice as ships can be it will never be interesting enough for me to forgo the itinerary. If the cruise industry does put more focus on to nowhere or private island cruises, I'm out. 

[ducklite]

No, because private islands/beach days and sea days are not why I cruise.  

[clo]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

Are we looking at cruises?  Absolutely not.   We are both in our late 60's.  Not only are we not considering cruises in November, cruising in general has  disappeared off our radar.  We travel frequently and hope to do so in the future.  But it will not be on a cruise ship...at least for a good few years to come.  We have already adjusted our thinking to this reality until such time as an effective vaccine is readily available.

Ditto. We do have a FCC with Hurtigruten so we MIGHT do a second, one way, Norwegian coastal cruise. It expires about a year from now and I'm going to contact them about pushing out that date. But we'd be more than willing to lose the money before we would travel before we feel safe (enough). And to add to that I saw that an epidemiologist at UCSF talked about if they could vaccinate 50,000 people at a time it would take 800 sites to do everybody in CA alone. So unless one has "favored nation" status somewhere/somehow it's going to take a while I'm betting.

[shipgeeks]

Lots of sea days and two days (overnight) at private island would be our ideal cruise.

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, clo said:

Ditto. We do have a FCC with Hurtigruten so we MIGHT do a second, one way, Norwegian coastal cruise. It expires about a year from now and I'm going to contact them about pushing out that date. But we'd be more than willing to lose the money before we would travel before we feel safe (enough). And to add to that I saw that an epidemiologist at UCSF talked about if they could vaccinate 50,000 people at a time it would take 800 sites to do everybody in CA alone. So unless one has "favored nation" status somewhere/somehow it's going to take a while I'm betting.

 

Second time I've seen you refer to this (I think).  I hope you realize that whatever you are quoting is talking about vaccinating the entire population of roughly 40 million in a single day.  The comment hopefully is quoted out of context, otherwise it is kind of silly.   Of course it will take time to get everyone vaccinated.  

[clo]

2 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Second time I've seen you refer to this (I think).  I hope you realize that whatever you are quoting is talking about vaccinating the entire population of roughly 40 million in a single day.  The comment hopefully is quoted out of context, otherwise it is kind of silly.   Of course it will take time to get everyone vaccinated.  

The doctor who said it, I believe, was speaking hyperbolically. Because it can't be done in a day. And for the whole nation. What? A year? Five years? I think I, who don't usually think black or white, did in this case. Like 'oh, we have a vaccine; let's go somewhere.'