Are you feeling more optimistic about cruising?

[duquephart]

54 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

I would like think that by the time it is their turn to be vaccinated that so many people will already have been vaccinated that we have a reliable sample to judge the side effects.

 

 

 

Twenty years from now folks are going to be walking around with three arms. 😊

[Gojagators]

I don't know if I'm more optimistic or just tired of isolating and not going anywhere, but I find myself really looking forward to our b2b British Isles explorer and Viking homelands cruises scheduled for August/ September in 2021.  Hopefully we will be vaccinated by then and hopefully all the ports will be open to explore.  We had 2 bucket list cruises cancelled this year and the lack of travel is really weighing on me.  My wife is still very pessimistic about traveling in 2021 and has forbidden me from even looking at Vikings website until cruises actually resume.  Here's to hoping for a trip in 2021.  

[Porcupine 52]

Is having 3 arms a bad thing?

[Jim Avery]

4 minutes ago, Porcupine 52 said:

Is having 3 arms a bad thing?

Many times I have needed that.....🥃

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

2 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Twenty years from now folks are going to be walking around with three arms. 😊

I often wish I had a prehensile tail.

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Twenty years from now folks are going to be walking around with three arms. 😊

 

Ever the optimist!

[duquephart]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Ever the optimist!

 

If your eldest sister was born with two flippers for arms due to thalidomide you might understand.

[rbslos18]

"Are you feeling more optimistic about cruising?"

I am not feeling "optimistic" but a sense of relief that there is finally a light at the end of the  very dark COVID tunnel. Despite Viking's excellent new policy, the risks are just too great.  The COVID game is cruelly rigged and not in our favor. As expected, every cruiseline failed to pull this off. This should not surprise us. We are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. The thought of getting sick and ending up in a hospital in some foreign country scares me. Sadly, cruising is pretty far from my mind. Right now, I just want my loved ones and friends to be safe and alive. 

 

So why would I not expect cruises to resume in the near future? There is just too much that we do not know about this virus and it seems to be mutating. SeaDream Yacht proves how challenging this is. Viking is doing the best it can with its announced program but I expect it to not be a game changer.

 

And yet, I do think a lot about our Viking cruise in December, 2021. It gives me hope the pandemic will be winding down. We will only cruise if Viking requires everyone to have been immunized,. I believe that is a reasonable expectation. 

Bob

[Cienfuegos]

The destination ports /countries will also need to possess a confidence that the vaccine is effective, and will provide their citizens with a shield. Some countries may not see a deluge of tourists as a complete blessing.

 

First world countries, in particular, may have a different experience in vaccine appreciation than folks farther down the waiting line for treatments.

[rickc5]

Primarily due to COVID fears, I'm only optimistic that perhaps in 2-3 years, we may feel safe enough to consider taking a cruise again.  We've planned a Viking Mississippi River cruise in 2023, but we're going to wait and see how things progress.   Truly tired of staying at home except for grocery shopping.

[rbslos18]

3 hours ago, rickc5 said:

Primarily due to COVID fears, I'm only optimistic that perhaps in 2-3 years, we may feel safe enough to consider taking a cruise again.  We've planned a Viking Mississippi River cruise in 2023, but we're going to wait and see how things progress.   Truly tired of staying at home except for grocery shopping.

Oh my. I sure hope it doesn't take that long! Once the vaccination is widely given AND Viking requires the vaccination to travel, we should be good to go. It will be interesting to see how this travel evolves. I don't believe we will return to the old normal. Until then, stay safe!!

[Jim Avery]

I hope not too.  If it takes 2-3 more years, there simply will not be a cruise industry.  No ship owner can afford to keep ships idle that long.

[haydn12]

My wife is getting her vaccine in another week.  She's a nurse at Scottsdale Osborn Hospital.  Wonder how long it will be before the rest of the family can get it.

[Cienfuegos]

On CBS, Dr Fauci was asked this morning about the time line for ordinary US folks receiving the vaccination.  He anticipates that might begin in April of 2021.

 

(One practical issue is whether areas where there is a high resistance to the vaccine, to masks, to the whole idea of the virus will receive an oversupply based on actual use while other areas remain in short fall.)

[tipsygirl]

When the virus was in early stages  we moved the funds for our cancelled Viking river cruise to a June 2021 ocean cruise in Northern Europe. While we accept that we may not be able to take this trip we are hopeful, and will wait as long as possible before cancelling if needed. We are ready to get the vaccine as soon as it is available. Since we are in the "elderly" group and distribution is moving fairly quickly in our area we are anticipating having the vaccine in time to develop sufficient immunity to feel safe to travel. But of course whether the cruise will happen depends on conditions in Europe, not just our readiness to travel. We will see how things develop.

We are fortunate we are healthy and not impacted financially by the virus. We don't wish to take chances with  our health, but we will so happy when we can travel again...safely.

[MSEm]

I'm very hopeful we will be cruising with VO in Nov 2021. We are booked on the Bali to Sydney cruise.

We were on the New Zealand to Sydney in March 2020. We visited all of the New Zealand ports and were to dock in Tasmania when all Australian ports were closed.

Our TA had booked our air flights.  When we got the details on docking in Melbourne, I texted our TA with our original return flights information and booking numbers. Even though it was 5 PM Sunday afternoon for my TA; within 1 hour we were rebooked for our return flights. When booking our VO cruises, my TA only charges us $50 for booking air flights.  Best $50 I've spent.

 

Here's to a much better 2021!!!

[shank63]

We fully expect to have our vaccinations this spring and be safe for our June cruise, but there are many moving parts which must come together.  We are only 50/50 confident that the UK and Europe will be open for US visitors, so hope is all we can do.

[Porcupine 52]

Both of my daughters got their 1st shot of the vaccine this week.  And a good friend of ours that will be on the Viking homeland cruise gets her first shot today.  And since I was in the Pfizer vaccine trial I can get unblinded next week and get a shot if I had the placebo ( I think I got the real thing).  Vaccines are moving through our area very quickly.  

[PasadenaDave]

Very doubtful about our Venice to Istanbul cruise in April.  I expect a cancellation notice from Viking the second week of January.  My suspicions are that that notice will be a cancellation of all sailings until June 2021.  Note that until the end of November i was very positive about cruising in April

[CincyAL]

Plan on seeing the true beauty of America in 2021.  However, not before about June. Too many moving pieces for much cruising in 2021.

[Porcupine 52]

My daughter that is a school nurse got her shot yesterday.  Like I was saying she also said her arm was sore.  She got the Moderna vaccine and  gets the 2nd shot will be in 3 weeks.  And yes they gave her a Covid 19 vaccination record card.  It has the date she was given the shot and signed by the person that gave the shot.   The card has CDC logo on the top.  Is this card some thing that will be required to travel in the future?

 

I get to be unblinded next weeks and if I got the placebo I get to get the real one.

 

 When they get done with the health care workers and long Term care Residents in our area they are Moving into Essential workers and Older Adults (75 and older).  They are expecting this to happen in Feb.  Things are moving!!!!

Edited December 31, 2020 by Porcupine 52

[molymoo]

On 12/19/2020 at 9:19 AM, tipsygirl said:

When the virus was in early stages  we moved the funds for our cancelled Viking river cruise to a June 2021 ocean cruise in Northern Europe. While we accept that we may not be able to take this trip we are hopeful, and will wait as long as possible before cancelling if needed. We are ready to get the vaccine as soon as it is available. Since we are in the "elderly" group and distribution is moving fairly quickly in our area we are anticipating having the vaccine in time to develop sufficient immunity to feel safe to travel. But of course whether the cruise will happen depends on conditions in Europe, not just our readiness to travel. We will see how things develop.

We are fortunate we are healthy and not impacted financially by the virus. We don't wish to take chances with  our health, but we will so happy when we can travel again...safely.

 

We are very much in the same "boat" ... no pun intended.  We moved our Summer 2020 river cruise to July 2021 assuming that it would be fine by then.  Not quite so optimistic now but hopeful and will wait as long as possible to cancel or reschedule.  Meanwhile we did book a December 2022 ocean cruise which we are fairly confident that we will be able to do that one.  Unfortunately our area is not moving as well in the vaccine distribution and still some confusion as to whether Chicago will actually abide by CDC recommendations or go another way.  My daughter travels with me and she is a teacher.  I will likely be vaccinated before she is as right now it doesn't look like Chicago will consider teachers a priority in the early vaccination protocols.  We will have to "wait and see" ... something we are getting pretty good at!   

Edited December 31, 2020 by molymoo

[shank63]

AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine approved for use by the UK with a projected 3 billion doses available in 2021.  Hopefully this will help open some 2021 cruises.

[Cienfuegos]

Porcupine52, thanks for participating in the vaccine trials. 

[Porcupine 52]

From Pfizer.....https://www.covidvaccinestudy.com/participants?utm_source=vto&utm_medium=vurl&utm_campaign=vto&mpt=vurl&fbclid=IwAR015FfX7x5XcQUjV368xnO42NscqP3qpJx9lbaJiFQnaiSKGsURG9bTr7I#vaccine-transition-option