Are you feeling more optimistic about cruising?

[Jim Avery]

In keeping with this thread, I am more optimistic about cruising.  Our personal take is yes, vaccine, as it will be required for foreign travel anyway.  Used to do it and had the "yellow card".  What I want is back to cruising with no masks or continual testing lines.  I can stay home and go through that.  I remember Mr. Hagen saying something to the effect that Viking would resume cruising when they could do it the Viking way.  Fine by me.  Not sure how they could manage "social distancing" anyway.  It would require the removal of lots of tables in the World Cafe and Main Dining Room.  Chef's Table and Manfredi's table removal to a lesser extent as they are already spaced better.  So that comes down to reduced capacity on the sailings.  So far, no specifics as it is probably premature until cruising is actually announced.  Someone will post here as soon as we know.  For me, a few hundred less passengers wouldn't break my heart.....

[Peregrina651]

Honestly, it isn't the cruising that I'm worried about. It is the getting there (not just for me put for all my fellow passengers) without picking up anything along the way -- in the airport, in the airplane (I don't care what the airlines say) -- that might be carried on to the ship. 

[OnTheJourney]

On 1/2/2021 at 2:48 PM, Peregrina651 said:

It is the getting there

Absolutely agree. Viking's protocols - as promising as they appear to be - don't do any good until passengers are onboard. Similar level of protocols will surely not be present in airport terminals, hotels, etc. Right now I know far too many people in my local community - some personally - who either have or have died from covid. So I've suddenly become a bit less optimistic about the entire situation. Will hopefully feel better about things once we start to read about more people successfully getting the vaccine. I'm just as glad (well...in some ways) that I don't have any cruises planned for next year. 

Edited January 4, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[rbslos18]

The world (with the exception of Israel) has a long, long way to go to getting the vaccinations done. Hopefully, the US gets its act together this year, but the data shows most of the world’s handling of the COVID vaccinations is alarming. 

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

[LouChamp]

I will wait 

[Pushka]

Celebrity isnt. They have cancelled all Europe sailings in three ships until October. 

[vslparis]

6 hours ago, Pushka said:

Celebrity isnt. They have cancelled all Europe sailings in three ships until October. 

Only the Edge and Constellation have been cancelled for Celebrity Europe this year ( thru Oct. ) . They still have 4 others ships scheduled to sail in Europe after 01 May. How many will actually go is the question

of course 😉

[MSEm]

We got the first inoculation and will get the 2nd inoculation early February.  We are booked on the VO Bali to Sydney cruise beginning in Nov 2021.

[vslparis]

16 minutes ago, MSEm said:

We got the first inoculation and will get the 2nd inoculation early February.  We are booked on the VO Bali to Sydney cruise beginning in Nov 2021.

Still waiting for our appointment which should be soon .

 We did the Bali to Sydney December 2019. A word of caution about the heat and humidity on Komodo Island. Make sure that you bring plenty of water, a hat, I took the umbrella from the room and a good suggestion that I got from Cruise Critic was to chill a washcloth in the refrigerator to  take along in a baggie to cool down your face and neck.  I had heard how some people collapsed from the heat and humidity and did not want that to happen to us.  We saw 3 people taken out on stretchers !  We did fine; did the shorter walk which I think was a good idea. 

[Pushka]

On 1/17/2021 at 4:41 AM, MSEm said:

We got the first inoculation and will get the 2nd inoculation early February.  We are booked on the VO Bali to Sydney cruise beginning in Nov 2021.

Given that Aussies have been told we cannot expect to travel Internationally until 2022 I cannot see that cruise happening at all. 

[OnTheJourney]

I don't see travel, in general, ever quite making a return to what many of us 'veteran' explorers would define as "normal" - the relatively carefree and relaxed mode we've all enjoyed (perhaps too much so in terms of the potential to spread any sort of virus or contagion...ala the longtime problem of noro with cruising. To that end, will we ever again handle our own serving utensils at the buffet line?). 

 

Throughout history events come along that change the world - possibly forever. On the most massive scale, you have the K-T extinction that eliminated nearly 75% of plant and animal species. Other things would undoubtedly include  the Reformation, Black Plague, invention of the printing press, flight, automobile, internet, etc.; the Titanic event relative to lifeboat numbers and capacity; the aftermath of 9/11 in terms of enhanced airline security (though is that even as vigilant as it should be?); the Viking Sky event of March '19 - possibly resulting in ships never again leaving dock without full oil tanks (oops...my bad...just kidding...well, sorta)

 

In a post-covid world - who knows fully what to expect? First we have to deal with vaccination and then looms the spectre of possible additional issues caused by variants. Greed and the ways it can manifest itself unfortunately enters into nearly every equation that involves people. We already have reports of folks trying to buy their way into a vaccine ahead of others, and so forth. 

 

So "cautious" optimism is the perspective I view it from relative to the thread topic. Sorry to perhaps have been more pessimistic than optimistic in the general tone of my post. Being hunkered down at home and denied of travel for so long maybe has taken a toll 🤔

 

Stay safe everyone...we WILL get back out there again....

Edited January 21, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[rbslos18]

Very insightful OTJ. I believe by the end of the year we should be able to cruise. The largest question is the vaccination pace worldwide. The US will be in a fairly good position. The rest of the world is moving very slowly.  Yes, it will be different. How different, no one knows. Typically after paradigmatic shifts the world, economy, life...re-emerges different but still recognizable. We will get through this. Be safe and plan a new cruise!

RB

[Porcupine 52]

I just got unblinded by Pfizer vaccine testing.  I did get the real shots back in August.  Like I told my kids I don't think me knowing  will really change my life today.  I still will wear a mask and still social distance and wash my hands 50 times a day.  Will be interesting to see how this all turns out.  But for sure it does make you feel a lot  safer.

 

We just got back from Maui and had to be tested before we got on the plane.  Wore a wrist band before boarding the plane.  Rental car needed to see a hard copy of the Covid test.  Condo also needed a copy of the negative test.  About every where you went they checked your temp.  It seems that  Hawaii is doing as good of a job as they can do.

[duquephart]

Air arrangements for our mid June Baltic cruise turned up in MVJ a day or two ago. I suppose Viking has to pretend but I think I have the same chance of cruising in June as I do of landing on Pluto.

[PasadenaDave]

We were also surprised to have air booked for a Venice departure April 18.  Per CNN article Italy extended their closure to US citizens until April 30.

 

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/italy-travel-covid-19/index.html

[SM77]

I'm not feeling very optimistic about cruising in 2021.  Vaccinations are going at a crawl in Virginia and for our health district we were one of the very last ones to go to 1b today.  Also, though the state is suppose to open up 1b to 65 & over, anyone under 65 w/ underlying health conditions, our health district is only vaccinating 75 & older individuals.  There is a new requirement to have a negative COVID test within three days of flying back to the US(starts on 1/26/2021) from aboard.  And I just noted on the State Dept Travel Advisories that the CDC is continuing the no sail order through September 2021.  So I will contact Viking next week and my TA to cancel our 2021 Ukraine river cruise.  I had until May to cancel but with all this uncertainty on changing travel rules, I am more concerned that we may get stuck abroad and not be able to get back into the US at the end of our cruise.  Once we get vaccinated, we will feel comfortable enough to travel via car instead.  I am so disappointed to do this since it will be the fourth trip that we have canceled.  😔

[CCWineLover]

6 minutes ago, SM77 said:

I'm not feeling very optimistic about cruising in 2021.  Vaccinations are going at a crawl in Virginia and for our health district we were one of the very last ones to go to 1b today.  Also, though the state is suppose to open up 1b to 65 & over, anyone under 65 w/ underlying health conditions, our health district is only vaccinating 75 & older individuals.  There is a new requirement to have a negative COVID test within three days of flying back to the US(starts on 1/26/2021) from aboard.  And I just noted on the State Dept Travel Advisories that the CDC is continuing the no sail order through September 2021.  So I will contact Viking next week and my TA to cancel our 2021 Ukraine river cruise.  I had until May to cancel but with all this uncertainty on changing travel rules, I am more concerned that we may get stuck abroad and not be able to get back into the US at the end of our cruise.  Once we get vaccinated, we will feel comfortable enough to travel via car instead.  I am so disappointed to do this since it will be the fourth trip that we have canceled.  😔

I feel your angst as well.  We are in the same spot - in California still waiting in our county for them to even get through the 75 and older.  Somehow they haven't managed the distribution too well and there is a big shortage in our County.  Hoping to get shots by April in the 65-75 group.  It is rather amazing that every state and county is so different in the way they are handling this.

As for cruising in 2021, we are definitely figuring out November Rome-San Juan trip will not be a go, and are getting concerned even about our March 2022 cruise.   The real issue is when to cancel - if you wait to late, and for Viking to cancel, people may have already booked up future late 2022 and 2023 cruises we'd like to do, as well as prices going up.    Our strategy we think is to get a placeholder on a couple cruises as long as the Risk Free policy is in place, which will certainly be removed at some point.

[SM77]

12 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

I feel your angst as well.  We are in the same spot - in California still waiting in our county for them to even get through the 75 and older.  Somehow they haven't managed the distribution too well and there is a big shortage in our County.  Hoping to get shots by April in the 65-75 group.  It is rather amazing that every state and county is so different in the way they are handling this.

As for cruising in 2021, we are definitely figuring out November Rome-San Juan trip will not be a go, and are getting concerned even about our March 2022 cruise.   The real issue is when to cancel - if you wait to late, and for Viking to cancel, people may have already booked up future late 2022 and 2023 cruises we'd like to do, as well as prices going up.    Our strategy we think is to get a placeholder on a couple cruises as long as the Risk Free policy is in place, which will certainly be removed at some point.

With canceling so many cruises and dealing w/ the TA & the travel insurance company, I've decided to hold off even though Viking has been so generous.  We have one set of vouchers, I don't want to collect any more large ones and if we cannot get the exact accommodation or cruise so be it.  In the past, I would book as far out as possible, not any more for me with all this uncertainty and obviously too much disappointment.  It is a real shift in mentality for me, I'm not a last minute kind of person & I like to plan in advance.  

[vslparis]

On 1/22/2021 at 11:55 AM, Porcupine 52 said:

I just got unblinded by Pfizer vaccine testing.  I did get the real shots back in August.  Like I told my kids I don't think me knowing  will really change my life today.  I still will wear a mask and still social distance and wash my hands 50 times a day.  Will be interesting to see how this all turns out.  But for sure it does make you feel a lot  safer.

 

We just got back from Maui and had to be tested before we got on the plane.  Wore a wrist band before boarding the plane.  Rental car needed to see a hard copy of the Covid test.  Condo also needed a copy of the negative test.  About every where you went they checked your temp.  It seems that  Hawaii is doing as good of a job as they can do.

I am thinking about doing Hawaii ( although there is no Explorer's Lounge there😁 ) staying there for a few weeks. Did you feel that it was an any different experience , anymore restrictions than staying in your hometown ?

[Jjg34219]

The vaccine rollout has been very disappointing for us in Florida. The bottom line issue simply appears to be not enough vaccines available. Our county here just south of Tampa received a whopping 3000 doses last week to vaccinate a pool of over 130000 over 65 people registered to receive it. 
I see the travel industry basically shut down thru 2021. Once it begins to open, the industry in general will have taken such a financial bloodbath you wonder if the “quality” will ever be the same as the industry tries to rebound. 

[Canberra601]

The rollout of the vaccine is yet to commence here in the Philippines, and when it does start it will likely be some time before a significant majority of the population are vaccinated.  Some projections are that this could be sometime in 2023.  This is similar to many other "developing" countries.  I wonder what the impact of this will be on the ports that can be included in cruises even after the majority of the population of "developed" countries are vaccinated.

[rbslos18]

On 1/22/2021 at 8:02 PM, SM77 said:

I'm not feeling very optimistic about cruising in 2021. 

The fact the US Government is getting involved with the vaccination production/distribution bodes well. FEMA and the military are experts in getting things rapidly produced and distributed. Currently, the distribution is inconsistent. We can do better.

 

I believe by Fall 2021, cruises will begin running with controlled sightseeing. Vaccination proof will be required and we still may have to wear masks until a bubble is created. The problem I see is many European countries were late to purchase vaccines and create an infrastructure.

 

If this is in fact a national emergency (it is) then it should be all hands on deck to get people vaccinated as safely and quickly as possible.

Hopeful RB

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

We were holding out hope for July, but today made the decision we'll have to go for 2022.  Unfortunately where we live we're way out on getting a vaccine.  There's a possibility we'd not have the second vaccine by then.  

 

Getting a row boat and heading for Atlantic is sounding better every day.😜

[rbslos18]

We are slowly but surely making headway with the vaccinations. This week we should reach 10% of the US population. Europe while behind us is starting to make some progress. With one or two new vaccine options on the horizon, we may reach 70% herd immunity sometime this Summer.
 

Fellow cruisers things are starting to look up. Don’t despair! Wear a mask and plan a cruise!

RB

[OnTheJourney]

On 1/25/2021 at 8:56 PM, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

Getting a row boat and heading for Atlantic is sounding better every day.😜

LOL...the ultimate "DIY" trip...