Its not RCL that scares me, its the airlines...

[ZoeyVictoria]

13 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

We have not flown in 10 years.If you can drive and you are healthy there is nothing better that a long distance drive,

We are 68 and 72, and healthy.  In June 2018, we took a 3,200 mile, 29 day road trip.  We enjoyed it, but knew immediately that it wasn’t going to happen again.  We moved three months ago and have now made the 2.5 hour each way trip eight times.  It seems longer and more tiring with every trip.  Did we get older that suddenly, or are we just done with road trips?  Either way, the only drives I see us making in the future will be to cruise ports (45 minutes to 3.5 hours for the Florida ports).  

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

I don't know...the "Walmartians" at Walmart are pretty scary too.  

 

Walk in with mask (if at all) but take it off in the store.  Some coughing and sneezing at the same time...yikes.  Noticed it more in the Panhandle of Florida than central or south part.  Not sure why.  

Not at my local Walmart and other stores in my hometown...everyone is masked and taking it seriously 

[lenquixote66]

8 minutes ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

We are 68 and 72, and healthy.  In June 2018, we took a 3,200 mile, 29 day road trip.  We enjoyed it, but knew immediately that it wasn’t going to happen again.  We moved three months ago and have now made the 2.5 hour each way trip eight times.  It seems longer and more tiring with every trip.  Did we get older that suddenly, or are we just done with road trips?  Either way, the only drives I see us making in the future will be to cruise ports (45 minutes to 3.5 hours for the Florida ports).  

We are both a lot older than you .When we were in our 30’s we drove from NYC to Toronto and then drove cross country stopping in many ,many cities.We continued doing road trips (my wife drove beginning 2003 when I became ill) till 2018.

[Mikew0805]

19 minutes ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

We are 68 and 72, and healthy.  In June 2018, we took a 3,200 mile, 29 day road trip.  We enjoyed it, but knew immediately that it wasn’t going to happen again.  We moved three months ago and have now made the 2.5 hour each way trip eight times.  It seems longer and more tiring with every trip.  Did we get older that suddenly, or are we just done with road trips?  Either way, the only drives I see us making in the future will be to cruise ports (45 minutes to 3.5 hours for the Florida ports).  

We are 42 & 45, and just north of you over the county line, and I agree. The 30 minutes to Tampa, 2 hours to Port Canaveral, 3.5 to Everglades, and 4 hours to Miami are just fine for us. 

 

When we lived in Colorado, we used to drive to Galveston or LA/San Diego. Those 16-18 hour drives were horrible, especially on the way home. 

Edited November 19, 2020 by Mikew0805

[BND]

We have friends and family who have flown over the last 6 months and none of them have gotten sick.  One couple flew to Split, Croatia and are staying for now because their destination is France where they own a home and have decided to have as their base.  My DS flew to CA and back.  Other friends have flown to Mexico and the DR.  The DR (one couple) and Mexico (Cancun - two different couples) were to all inclusives. They had more than 25% occupancy and none of them got sick either.  My DS has to fly back to CA, probably in Jan (work related trips).  It's impossible to know where the OP got sick unless they know for sure who they were around that was positive.  There are cases of people who have gone nowhere and had everything delivered, cleaned it off, etc. still get sick.  Some people are just more susceptible.  We all know that person that catches the same thing every year and others who are never sick.  As far as I know, there hasn't been any real outbreak among flight attendants either.  The filtration system and the way air circulates on planes makes them safer than other locations.

[Ashland]

2 minutes ago, BND said:

We have friends and family who have flown over the last 6 months and none of them have gotten sick.  One couple flew to Split, Croatia and are staying for now because their destination is France where they own a home and have decided to have as their base.  My DS flew to CA and back.  Other friends have flown to Mexico and the DR.  The DR (one couple) and Mexico (Cancun - two different couples) were to all inclusives. They had more than 25% occupancy and none of them got sick either.  My DS has to fly back to CA, probably in Jan (work related trips).  It's impossible to know where the OP got sick unless they know for sure who they were around that was positive.  There are cases of people who have gone nowhere and had everything delivered, cleaned it off, etc. still get sick.  Some people are just more susceptible.  We all know that person that catches the same thing every year and others who are never sick.  As far as I know, there hasn't been any real outbreak among flight attendants either.  The filtration system and the way air circulates on planes makes them safer than other locations.

Our family pilot (captain on a major carrier) agrees with you too.

[The Fun Researcher]

43 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

We have not flown in 10 years.If you can drive and you are healthy there is nothing better that a long distance drive,

 

To each his/her own, but I prefer not to be drained at the start of my vacation.  Driving 1400 miles one way, either over multiple days or in one long 21+ hour drive doesn't appeal to me nearly as much as a 1 hour drive to the airport followed by a 2.5 hour flight.

 

Dan

[BND]

Just now, Ashland said:

Our family pilot (captain on a major carrier) agrees with you too.

I left out the two friends of ours that are pilots for United and both have been flying this entire time.  They have seniority so they have been working fairly steadily. They fly domestically.  They used to occasionally fly international flights when needed, but not right now.  Also, my DIL's brother is a pilot in the Philippines (domestic) and he's been busy and healthy.

[Zach1213]

It's tough. I understand the fear of flying during these times. But I also understand how, despite how it appears, the flights themselves are really quite safe. Even during Covid, I do a roundtrip every three weeks or so (a drastic drop from pre-Covid days) and I haven't gotten sick yet, nor have I heard of any outbreaks associated with air travel. BUT, of course, it's possible. Possible to get sick on the plane, in the airport, on the bus, etc. etc. 

 

I understand not wanting to fly because of Covid. Personally, I have had few fears of flying (but I am going to stay home at least through the rest of the year, my employer has made that clear with current rising rates) but I won't touch a cruise ship for quite a while. 

[BND]

1 minute ago, The Fun Researcher said:

 

To each his/her own, but I prefer not to be drained at the start of my vacation.  Driving 1400 miles one way, either over multiple days or in one long 21+ hour drive doesn't appeal to me nearly as much as a 1 hour drive to the airport followed by a 2.5 hour flight.

 

Dan

We take (or did lol) Amtrak to ports.  Auto Train to FL and Acela to NJ/NY.  We drive to Baltimore since it's all of an hour from our home.  I love the train and on the AT, we get a bedroom with our own bathroom.  I grew up driving from MD to TX every other summer and as an adult did that drive a few times with our kids.  

[Hoopster95]

Three things have to go wrong for you to get infected on a flight...

1. There has to be a Covid-19 patient on board
2. They have to be contagious
3. Assuming they are wearing a mask, which is mandatory, the mask itself has to fail to prevent the transmission.

 

Add the fact that on the plane you are sitting in a finite area within proximity of maybe 10 people max within 6 feet of you, vs. crossing paths with 1000 cruisers over 4 days, I'd say you have 100X multiples more chance of getting infected on a cruise ship

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, boatseller said:

Sorry, no.  The airlines are 100% following the infallible guidelines by the unapproachable CDC.  My guess is one time, you washed you hands for only 18 seconds or possibly inhaled in a place other than a empty field at noon.

 

Either way, you irresponsible desire for an unnecessary vacation has put your entire state at risk.  I wish you well in your 3 month quarantine, for safety of course.

-----

Back to seriousness....it's is unlikely you were exposed on the aircraft.  The car, check-in, terminal, bag claim are all more likely candidates.  Cabin air is a lot fresher than any other indoor space.  I flew week before last and with the vent pointed down on me, I felt more comfortable onboard than anywhere else because the face covering continuously vented.

 

As for cruising...I will remind everyone again, no one should expect a virus free cruise, regardless of the protocols.  If you have any concern for the virus, cruising isn't for you right now.

Just saw that they said they covid checks to board airplanes not safe. Taking your temperature isnt enough they need to screen for symptoms or something. Was on tv, so I didnt catch all the details why they said airlines covid screening with FHA is inadequate. 

[firefly333]

13 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

Three things have to go wrong for you to get infected on a flight...

1. There has to be a Covid-19 patient on board
2. They have to be contagious
3. Assuming they are wearing a mask, which is mandatory, the mask itself has to fail to prevent the transmission.

 

Add the fact that on the plane you are sitting in a finite area within proximity of maybe 10 people max within 6 feet of you, vs. crossing paths with 1000 cruisers over 4 days, I'd say you have 100X multiples more chance of getting infected on a cruise ship

I'm sure you read that small droplets can hang in the air for like 4 or 6 hours. All you have to do is pass thru them. There is a proven case where a church choir spread it during a rehearsal... assuming you believe dallas morning news, small droplets can hang in the air in a confined space a long time.

[20165]

Ah, the last couple of posts reminded me of something.  When we left Charlotte, no one took our temp which we thought was odd.  We went through security, to the airline club, on to the plane, no check.  They did when we went through security in cancun on the way back, but another reason we had an issue with the whole flying experience. 

[Hoopster95]

2 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I'm sure you read that small droplets can hang in the air for like 4 or 6 hours. All you have to do is pass thru them. There is a proven case where a church choir spread it during a rehearsal... assuming you believe dallas morning news, small droplets can hang in the air in a confined space a long time.

 

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/article-what-are-my-chances-of-catching-covid-19-if-i-take-a-flight/

 

https://www.dw.com/en/how-safe-is-air-travel-during-covid-19/a-55435284

 

https://www.vox.com/21525068/covid-19-airplane-risk-coronavirus-pandemic-airports

[nelblu]

3 hours ago, ULCajunCruiser said:

It boggles the mind how these politicians have decided what is and what is not covid safe.   It is ridiculous to say that packing people into an airtight tube is safe, but sailing on an open air ship is life threatening!!!

Supposedly, airlines are the safest due to their constant venting of air.

Again, supposedly.

[Hoopster95]

2 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Supposedly, airlines are the safest due to their constant venting of air.

Again, supposedly.

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/evaluating-covid-risk-on-planes-trains-and-automobiles/

 

“An airplane cabin is probably one of the most secure conditions you can be in,” says Sebastian Hoehl of the Institute for Medical Virology at Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany, who has co-authored two papers on COVID-19 transmission on specific flights, which were published in JAMA Network Open and the New England Journal of Medicine, respectfully.

[Crazy planning mom]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

Cleared my cruise calendar through May of 2021months ago since I have to fly to cruise. 

 

Hoping Canada keeps it's ports closed so Alaska doesn't happen in 2021.  Really need these cancelled so I can get refunds, I don't want more FCC.   I do not want to visit Alaska on a bubble cruise where I can't get off and self explore.  If these cancel I won't have to fly until the fall of 2021 for Odyssey and were it not NRD I'd cancel that too.  

 

For me, since I have to fly and stay in a hotel, 2022 will be my cruise restart year leaving it for those who can drive to cruise in 2021. 

 

Really hoping 2023 is a nearly normal cruise year.  

 

2 hours ago, twangster said:

Cleared my cruise calendar through May of 2021months ago since I have to fly to cruise. 

 

Hoping Canada keeps it's ports closed so Alaska doesn't happen in 2021.  Really need these cancelled so I can get refunds, I don't want more FCC.   I do not want to visit Alaska on a bubble cruise where I can't get off and self explore.  If these cancel I won't have to fly until the fall of 2021 for Odyssey and were it not NRD I'd cancel that too.  

 

For me, since I have to fly and stay in a hotel, 2022 will be my cruise restart year leaving it for those who can drive to cruise in 2021. 

 

Really hoping 2023 is a nearly normal cruise year.  

That is not cool that you are wishing that the Alaska 2021 season will be cancelled.  If you dont want to go then lift and shift or pay the $100 change fee.   There are many people who are hoping for an an Alaskan season including businesses in Alaska.   Before my scheduled cruise in Alaska, I was planning to spending multiple nights in hotels there and enjoy the food and take local tours.

[twangster]

7 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

 

That is not cool that you are wishing that the Alaska 2021 season will be cancelled.  If you dont want to go then lift and shift or pay the $100 change fee.   There are many people who are hoping for an an Alaskan season including businesses in Alaska.   Before my scheduled cruise in Alaska, I was planning to spending multiple nights in hotels there and enjoy the food and take local tours.

 

Do you how badly Alaska will suck when you are required to only do ship excursions?  

 

You are in port sometimes as long as 12 hours.  After taking an excursion, which they jacked up the prices for in 2021 by up to 30% over last year, you will return to the ship and stare at your port of call through the windows of a bar on the ship for the next 8 hours.  

 

One the best things about an Alaska cruise is the long port days where you can do an excursion in the morning then self explore in the afternoon.  Not in 2021.  

 

No thanks.  I don't want to visit a bucket list destination chained to the ship bubble.  I booked a cruise experience where I could experience Alaska.  If all we can is watch is it through a bar window I can look at YouTube videos for that experience.  

 

And those Alaskan businesses will be standing in their empty shop doorways looking at the ship no one is allowed to leave.

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by twangster

[Hoopster95]

3 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

There are many people who are hoping for an an Alaskan season including businesses in Alaska.  

 

Canadians have been leaders in compliance with regard to masks, social distancing, etc.

Canadian leadership has been extremely consistent across the country... Canadian borders and ports will not open for travel, not only to Americans but everyone else, unless C19 is proven to be in control or is eradicated. What are the chances that it's eradicated within the next 5 months before May 2021?

The 2021 Alaska cruise season (re the PVSA), in my humble non-scientific opinion, is in jeopardy.

[Crazy planning mom]

3 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Do you how badly Alaska will suck when you are required to only do ship excursions?  

 

You are in port sometimes as long as 12 hours.  After taking an excursion, which they jacked up the prices for in 2021 by up to 30% over last year, you will return to the ship and stare at your port of call through the windows of a bar on the ship for the next 8 hours.  

 

One the best things about an Alaska cruise is the long port days where you can do an excursion in the morning then self explore in the afternoon.  Not in 2021.  

 

No thanks.  I don't want to visit a bucket list destination chained to the ship bubble.  I booked a cruise experience where I could experience Alaska.  If all we can is watch is it through a bar window I can look at YouTube videos for that experience.  

 

And those Alaskan businesses will be standing in their empty shop doorways looking at the ship no one is allowed to leave.

 

Again, the towns will benefit from pre-cruise stays not to mention that we dont know how long this excursion rule will last.  Again if you think it will suck then stay home.

[Crazy planning mom]

3 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Canadians have been leaders in compliance with regard to masks, social distancing, etc.

Canadian leadership has been extremely consistent across the country... Canadian borders and ports will not open for travel, not only to Americans but everyone else, unless C19 is proven to be in control or is eradicated. What are the chances that it's eradicated within the next 5 months before May 2021?

The 2021 Alaska cruise season (re the PVSA), in my humble non-scientific opinion, is in jeopardy.

It is in jeopardy at the moment.  5 months is still a long time away.  I am still hopeful that a vaccine rollout could  at least allow a partial season.

[firefly333]

23 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Supposedly, airlines are the safest due to their constant venting of air.

Again, supposedly.

Yea airlines ran a test to prove it. They had all the test dummies in N95 masks. How likely is that? Then they said see safe.

 

I dont wear a n95 mask, idk if most do, never saw a poll. But the test was run with non real to life data to say see??!!

 

 

[twangster]

8 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

Again, the towns will benefit from pre-cruise stays not to mention that we dont know how long this excursion rule will last.  Again if you think it will suck then stay home.

 

No one should have to lose money or be forced to take fools gold FCC because the situation doesn't allow a real cruise experience.  Same with Europe or New Zealand cruises.  Why go when all you can do is look at it through a bar window on a ship?

 

Would you take a land vacation where you weren't allow to leave the hotel?  How about visiting Disney but you have to stay within the hotel and never visit a theme park?

 

It's an unrealistic approach to an expensive vacation.

 

Keep it closed until we are free to enjoy the experience we are paying good money for.   

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by twangster

[Hoopster95]

4 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Yea airlines ran a test to prove it. They had all the test dummies in N95 masks. How likely is that? Then they said see safe.

 

I dont wear a n95 mask, idk if most do, never saw a poll. But the test was run with non real to life data to say see??!!

 

 

 

Are you going to actually read any of the hundred articles on line by googling "airline safety".?

Or maybe just click one of the three links I provided to you?

Right... that's too difficult. It's easier to believe what you believe, without listening to any reason or scientific study.