Am I (we) going to be sorry I did not book cruises,trips and flights at these prices.

[dolittle]

I think so I have been on a few travel sights looking for something for this summer and there are some great deals. but this whole thing just makes it hard to pull the trigger on something.You can feel that this starting to go away and most people have short memories .Then I will be kicking myself for not booking . Any on else feeling like this or have you taken a good deal.

[clo]

7 minutes ago, dolittle said:

You can feel that this starting to go away

110,000 dead Americans and states that have reopened are seeing spikes already. Until there's a tried and true vaccine, not for us.

[KnowTheScore]

Not remotely tempted

 

What's the point?   Would you genuinely choose to put yourself in a Diamond Princess, confined to cabin for 2 weeks experience just because the prices were cheap?

 

I certainly wouldn't

 

The fact is that as far as I know the situation has not yet changed.  No cruise line that I have seen has declared publicly how it would deal with any cases of COVID-19 on-board and that frankly is the primary thing that passengers need to know.  Cruise lines appear to be hoping that people will forget or not be bothered about it and are hiding behind pithy PR pieces that state what serious changes they are making to keep everyone safe, social distancing, regular health checks and so on.

 

They take us for fools.

 

At some point they HAVE to tell us what the protocols are for on-board cases of COVID-19 and if the answer is it is the same treatment as the Diamond Princess then frankly I don't think they will get much business no matter how cheap the cruises are.

 

We are therefore still in a stalemate/deadlock situation.  Until cruise lines resolve this singular issue with CDC and other authorities it remains (at least for me) completely "Game Over" for cruising as a holiday.

 

.

 

 

 

[ColeThornton]

There is always going to be deals.   Let the obsessed cruisers go on and lick the doorknobs and slide down the banisters.  Once the lab experiment is over then people can start booking good deals as they surface when the all clear alarm is sounded.

[Flatbush Flyer]

30 minutes ago, dolittle said:

I think so I have been on a few travel sights looking for something for this summer and there are some great deals. but this whole thing just makes it hard to pull the trigger on something.You can feel that this starting to go away and most people have short memories .Then I will be kicking myself for not booking . Any on else feeling like this or have you taken a good deal.

Instead of "travel sites," a better bet would be to watch the specific airline, cruise ship, and governmental websites for any itinerary you seek. 

A relative minimum of research will quickly zero in on what really may happen before this autumn.

 

And, I'll save you the trouble.

 

As FDR, who is the CEO of NCLH (I.e., NCL, Oceania and Regent) has said in recent public interviews: At best, what we'll see as a cruise restart will be phasing in of our ships in the late third and fourth quarter of this year.

 

So, you can book for this summer and what will be your prize?  I hope you'll be happy with an FCC when they cancel.

 

Want a really good deal? Look to the small ship lines with great space ratios and a long history of heavy emphasis on cleanliness and food safety (e.g., never having allowed passengers to self serve any food). Book 2021 cruises on those ship and sim for regions that are already talking about reinviting cruise ships.

 

[clo]

24 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

At best,

Operative words.

[chipmaster]

1 hour ago, dolittle said:

I think so I have been on a few travel sights looking for something for this summer and there are some great deals. but this whole thing just makes it hard to pull the trigger on something.You can feel that this starting to go away and most people have short memories .Then I will be kicking myself for not booking . Any on else feeling like this or have you taken a good deal.

 

No it's only money, you got only one life, at least on this earth.

[navybankerteacher]

I propose you wait a couple of weeks - by then a resurgence of COVID infections may, or may not have put things in perspective.  The fact that close to twenty states are right now seeing an uptick in infections - perhaps because of overly optimistic re-openings or the mass demonstrations of the past week: who knows?

 

The first sailings are scheduled for early August — around the end of this month you will have a little more data on which to base your decision - and the lines will have had a little more time to come up with some specifics about their new protocols (so far, all they have provided is empty blather).

[clo]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

I propose you wait a couple of weeks

Agree. It seems like it's already starting. If a cruise ships sails this year, I'll be (very pleasantly) shocked.

[Cruzaholic41]

Thanks, OP, for starting another thread that gives the same tired people an opportunity to say the same tired crap they keep saying in every other thread. 
 

To clarify, OP, that’s not a knock on you. 

[sanger727]

We aren't planning on booking a cruise anytime soon but we had tentative plans for a land trip early next year. We are holding off on booking at this point. Currently all the countries we want to go to are closed to tourists. I feel the same way about that that I would feel about booking a cruise in the near future. I have no real interest in getting on the 90+ refund treadmill for cancelled vacations right now. For me, booking now would be like putting thousands of dollars in a slot machine. Will it go, will it not go, will it go and backfire spectacularly with cruises to no where and quarantines, will it go and have too many restrictions to be fun. You could win big with a great deal or lose big with wasted money. I'm not tempted to book a cruise now. 

[clo]

3 minutes ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

to say the same tired crap they keep saying in every other thread. 

And what is your "same tired crap"?

[clo]

2 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

We aren't planning on booking a cruise anytime soon but we had tentative plans for a land trip early next year. We are holding off on booking at this point. Currently all the countries we want to go to are closed to tourists. I feel the same way about that that I would feel about booking a cruise in the near future. I have no real interest in getting on the 90+ refund treadmill for cancelled vacations right now. For me, booking now would be like putting thousands of dollars in a slot machine. Will it go, will it not go, will it go and backfire spectacularly with cruises to no where and quarantines, will it go and have too many restrictions to be fun. You could win big with a great deal or lose big with wasted money. I'm not tempted to book a cruise now. 

We're definitely not planning any international travel until/unless there's a vaccine or a change in the virus itself. We have a little motor home so can travel with little impact on others or they on us. That's going to be it for us for the foreseeable future.

[sanger727]

4 minutes ago, clo said:

We're definitely not planning any international travel until/unless there's a vaccine or a change in the virus itself. We have a little motor home so can travel with little impact on others or they on us. That's going to be it for us for the foreseeable future.

 

Yeah, I"m on the fence about it. Curious to see how the numbers go between things opening up and all the mass gatherings occurring right now for protests. If there isn't a spike due to all this I would be more be more willing to believe the hype is a bit overblown and be willing to travel. Social distancing and coronavirus prevention (masks, temperature checks) quickly became a thing of past for us at work when the protests started up so we have all turned into an unwilling guinea pigs. Will see how it all works out over the next few weeks. 

[clo]

21 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

 

Yeah, I"m on the fence about it. Curious to see how the numbers go between things opening up and all the mass gatherings occurring right now for protests. If there isn't a spike due to all this I would be more be more willing to believe the hype is a bit overblown and be willing to travel. Social distancing and coronavirus prevention (masks, temperature checks) quickly became a thing of past for us at work when the protests started up so we have all turned into an unwilling guinea pigs. Will see how it all works out over the next few weeks. 

I think the 'spikes' are already starting in states that are opening up. We live in Reno and the casinos have opened. That's going to be interesting. I think you're being wise. Cruising is a nice thing. But how nice is worth it?

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

There is always going to be deals.   Let the obsessed cruisers go on and lick the doorknobs and slide down the banisters.  Once the lab experiment is over then people can start booking good deals as they surface when the all clear alarm is sounded.

 

Yep.  I don't think I want to be one of the guinea pigs.  I'm very content to watch how things go before taking the plunge.  

 

Anyway, to the OP, if you are nervous then perhaps wait until your feel more comfortable. I'm pretty sure we have missed out on sales before.  Not that big of a thing really.    

[iancal]

We have been doing extended travel vacations twice a year since retiring nine years ago.   As part of these we often pick up last minute specials on cruises, hotels, and sometimes air.  Not to mention the quickies we do when we see an attractive offer for a one AI or hotel offering close to home.

 

Our experience is that there are always some specials. If you miss one, another will come along.  This may not be true for the first period of adjustment after covid when everyone is travelling and carriers are adjusting supply to demand.  But in time, supply will exceed demand as it has in the past. 

 

Keep in mind that covid has reduced many people's income and otherwise.  It will be some time before those people can afford to spend money on cruises.  Additionally, there will be people who have sworn off cruising because of covid and selected other travel options for numerous reasons.

[ilikeanswers]

Before you book make sure can get the insurance cover for it. Not just medical but the repatriation flights can be expensive if your ship gets rejected at ports due to COVID19.

Edited June 6, 2020 by ilikeanswers

[navybankerteacher]

11 hours ago, clo said:

I think the 'spikes' are already starting in states that are opening up. We live in Reno and the casinos have opened. That's going to be interesting. I think you're being wise. Cruising is a nice thing. But how nice is worth it?

Cruising certainly WAS “...a nice thing.”  (on some lines).  How similar will the experience be given whatever new protocols/limitations go into effect.

 

I am really looking forward to reports - from the early-birds who do sail, as well as objective facts about port availability, infection rates, etc.

[ldubs]

On 6/6/2020 at 7:20 AM, iancal said:

We have been doing extended travel vacations twice a year since retiring nine years ago.   As part of these we often pick up last minute specials on cruises, hotels, and sometimes air.  Not to mention the quickies we do when we see an attractive offer for a one AI or hotel offering close to home.

 

 

I've been retired for awhile but Mrs Ldubs retired earlier this year and looked forward to exactly what you describe.  Unfortunately, that was before CV-19 was even a word.  Her dreams are now on temporary hold.   

[Nic6318]

Hi 

 

I thought about this subject for a bit. I also have similar questions for booking an A.I. for this winter, and in fact I would have more likely booked an all inclusive trip over a cruise.

 

Maybe the decision was a bit more unsure for you, but it was pretty clear for me. For me booking a trip is deciding to do something/go somewhere. Booking with any kind of uncertainty, for me just didn't make any sense. 

 

I am a frugal person, and like a good deal as much as anyone, but I don't need to save a few hundred dollars, I don't need a free cruise. If I have to spend more because of my decision, so be it. 

 

You don't have to cross a border to get to a cruise terminal, I do. At this time, I cannot even drive into the U.S. to go on a cruise. That isn't to say that come Oct., Nov., or Dec., the same would be true, but it does say that right now something is happening that is still an unknown quantity. Right now there are still 20,000 new cases of Covid19 recorded in the U.S. every day. Right now, I can't buy (affordably) insurance that will cover me for issues arising from what right now is called a worldwide epidemic. 

 

Maybe in a few months everything is going to change. Everything will be hunky dory again. If that were really going to happen, I would gladly pay extra. Wouldn't that be great. I will book my next vacation when I am comfortable that I will "more likely than not" be going where I booked, when I booked to go. Saving money by booking the cruises sailing early comes with an amount of uncertainty. You don't even know what the cruise experience will be. This site already has many threads where people are talking like, "I don't want them to do this", or "I wouldn't be happy with that", of course the "I don't want to wear a mask, I want a refund if they force me". You don't lose anything by not booking.

 

 

[Ashland]

Our next cruise isn't until March 2021 (southern caribbean) and hoping that sails and things have settled down.

 

However quite some time ago we booked an amazing Christmas Market tour (we fly from LAX- MUN) to start it the last day of November 2020. This one is giving me some concerns...but we did take their cancel for any reason ins. offered...but gee I would really like to be able to take this trip....we'll see...anyone have any thoughts about doing this?

[iancal]

Some of our best prices on cruises, all inclusives, weekend resorts, etc are those that were booked ten days or less prior to departure.   We have spent five winters in SE Asia, always flying into Bangkok.  By far, the best price on air the we have had in the past six years was the fare booked a week before departure.

 

Good offers come and go.   They are like city buses.  If you miss one another is sure to come along.    We have learned this in spades over the past nine years of retirement travel.  And today, well who knows what business is going to be in business next year.  Our approach is keep you powder dry and your money in you jeans because when  you are ready to travel an equally attractive offer will always come along if you are patient and if you ship diligently 

Edited June 8, 2020 by iancal

[clo]

4 hours ago, Ashland said:

Our next cruise isn't until March 2021 (southern caribbean) and hoping that sails and things have settled down.

 

However quite some time ago we booked an amazing Christmas Market tour (we fly from LAX- MUN) to start it the last day of November 2020. This one is giving me some concerns...but we did take their cancel for any reason ins. offered...but gee I would really like to be able to take this trip....we'll see...anyone have any thoughts about doing this?

But that's not a cruise, right?

[navybankerteacher]

4 minutes ago, clo said:

But that's not a cruise, right?

isn't that a river cruise?