What can I book right now? What has a chance of sailing?

[Cruising-along]

1 hour ago, cruzn single said:

I have 2. Weeks booked in September in Europe.  Today read on Trip Advisor that returnees from anywhere outside US must quarantine for 10 days!  I am in vaccine process now as I have gotten the first shot and second shot scheduled for February.  
 

To have the quarantine dumped on me makes me seriously consider cancelling.  Oh well.  Hawaii next January looks better all the time.

Hopefully by September a quarantine won't be required.  I wouldn't cancel, not yet anyway.

I also have fall cruises booked, hoping they happen, but by now I'm not taking anything for granted.  

[KirkNC]

11 hours ago, Himself said:

If the Brittish Coumbia ports do not oprn, that will mean NO Alasks.   I am hoping Alaska will open up.  

I hope it does but IMO Canada will remain closed to cruising until 2022.

[KirkNC]

I think an issue almost as big as when cruising starts is what will the experience be like.  As I read CC I get the impression many have not really thought this through.  The likelihood is that the restarts will be gradual and have significant restrictions onboard.  While these will ease over time, we don’t know how much time it will take.  We could be be 6-12 months into the restart and still have to wear masks on board, take ship excursions to get off the ship,  restrictions on dining and entertainment access.  I fear our desire to cruise may have blinded us to what will be the actual reality of the experience.

[rodndonna]

7 hours ago, sail7seas said:

May I ask?

 

which cruiseline, which ship?

HAL Eurodam (-:

 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

2 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I think an issue almost as big as when cruising starts is what will the experience be like.  As I read CC I get the impression many have not really thought this through.  The likelihood is that the restarts will be gradual and have significant restrictions onboard.  While these will ease over time, we don’t know how much time it will take.  We could be be 6-12 months into the restart and still have to wear masks on board, take ship excursions to get off the ship,  restrictions on dining and entertainment access.  I fear our desire to cruise may have blinded us to what will be the actual reality of the experience.

 

Excellent point.

[iancal]

6 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I think an issue almost as big as when cruising starts is what will the experience be like.  As I read CC I get the impression many have not really thought this through.  The likelihood is that the restarts will be gradual and have significant restrictions onboard.  While these will ease over time, we don’t know how much time it will take.  We could be be 6-12 months into the restart and still have to wear masks on board, take ship excursions to get off the ship,  restrictions on dining and entertainment access.  I fear our desire to cruise may have blinded us to what will be the actual reality of the experience.

Agree.  We are not shopping for or buying cruises at the moment.  Not until we clearly understand what the environment and restrictions going forward will be.   Until then it will be land travel only.

[rodndonna]

7 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I think an issue almost as big as when cruising starts is what will the experience be like.  As I read CC I get the impression many have not really thought this through.  The likelihood is that the restarts will be gradual and have significant restrictions onboard.  While these will ease over time, we don’t know how much time it will take.  We could be be 6-12 months into the restart and still have to wear masks on board, take ship excursions to get off the ship,  restrictions on dining and entertainment access.  I fear our desire to cruise may have blinded us to what will be the actual reality of the experience.

I agree, but we have decided to book anyway (December 2021) taking those things into account. In our case, I don't want to say we are 'anti-social" , but we are introverted and mask wearing in contained spaces, not dining with others and such do not present an issue for us. Actually, also expecting they will not be running full occupancy is fine with us!

 

That being said, with the uncertainty of whether it will actually go and then what the experience would be like, we decided against booking a cruise to our intended  'bucket list' destination ( Norway Fjords) to book an easier 'test' destination (Carib/Panama Canal) for warmer weather so we can be comfortable outdoors much of the cruise and have a better chance of repeating if it is disappointing.

 

[bennybear]

As none of us has a crystal ball,  things could unfold in many ways.   We have deposits on two cruises, one from precovid.   But as always refundable,  so we are covered either way.  It still is nice to hope and dream.  But wait and see how things are. 

Edited January 22, 2021 by bennybear

[KirkNC]

7 hours ago, iancal said:

Agree.  We are not shopping for or buying cruises at the moment.  Not until we clearly understand what the environment and restrictions going forward will be.   Until then it will be land travel only.

You have been very logical and consistent in your approach.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I think for the first month or so cruises will be 5 -7 days.

[mcrcruiser]

 We have 4cruises booked  ;but ,they all are in 2022  starting Feb 2 nd Hawaii R/T SD  on Koningsdam  . 18 might Next Sept  7 2022  on Ruby Princess R/T Alaska from SF  10 night . Then Oct 15 ,2022 Carnival Miracle R/T Hawaii 15 night  & lastly  April 29 ,2023 on Carnival Panorama from Long Beach,Ca , Mexican riviera  7 night cruise  . We booked the Koningsdam with 2 FCDs  , the Alaska cruise  on Ruby Princess was a smakll refundable  deposit of just $200   & the 2 Carrnival cruises are both Casino rate small deposits with OBC s  & free drinks .Our Koningsdam & Riby Princess cruises come with the whole on board packages of perks . We should be ok for all these cruises 

 

 For 2021 we have 5 night stay in SD City for early June , Sept 18 starts a  17 day trip to Utah National Parks through LV . After that a 7 night stay in time share in Palm Desert Ca  Nov 1 

[Balliett]

We received the casino offer Dave OKC did.  We bit.  Even if Canada is closed, an Alaska trip Seattle to Seattle might skip Victoria and sailor on.  We just received our first Covid shot.  If there be restrictions on board, so be it.   I need a sail or two.  Jim

[DaveOKC]

4 hours ago, Balliett said:

We received the casino offer Dave OKC did.  We bit.  Even if Canada is closed, an Alaska trip Seattle to Seattle might skip Victoria and sailor on.  We just received our first Covid shot.  If there be restrictions on board, so be it.   I need a sail or two.  Jim

Sounds good except that a US maritime law forces the Canada stop, so likely the cruise would be cancelled.  In fact, all HAL Alaska cruises would be cancelled under this, so I am passing on the offer.

[Minoushka]

Ihave gotten amazing. Casino Offers fromHAL but all are non refundable which in this climate ofuncertainty is not possible and with  time constraints rebooking andmpayment ..I find it frustrating ...until borders open and vaccines distributed widely its not possible to plan 

after i got a series of Alaska offers , got interested , was told no refunds and now closures of border extended ...I wonder why make offers if you think they will not happen 

here we are way behind in vaccination so no going anywhere till thats done plus we need. Our border. Opened again ...somehow very complicated 

[Lady Arwen]

13 hours ago, Balliett said:

We received the casino offer Dave OKC did.  We bit.  Even if Canada is closed, an Alaska trip Seattle to Seattle might skip Victoria and sailor on.  We just received our first Covid shot.  If there be restrictions on board, so be it.   I need a sail or two.  Jim

It’s highly unlikely that Canada will open it’s borders and the PVSA will not allow an Alaskan cruise without a Canadian stop.  It takes an act of Congress to make changes to this act, so do not expect this happen anytime soon.  Sorry, but if I were you I’d start checking out 2022.

[GeorgesGal]

I've a Norway Fjords cruise booked for late June 2021.  Hoping it will come to pass, but it's probably 30/70 it won't.

[rodndonna]

12 minutes ago, GeorgesGal said:

I've a Norway Fjords cruise booked for late June 2021.  Hoping it will come to pass, but it's probably 30/70 it won't.

 

I like your optimism!

Can't say that I share it though.  I don't like to say 'no chance', but I think really low chance when I think of how many things have to happen before cruises are running again. 

 

I hope I am wrong (-:

 

[GeorgesGal]

I hope you're wrong, too.  But another problem is this cruise - on Oceania Marina - disembarks in Southampton, and England is a mess right now!

[rodndonna]

4 minutes ago, GeorgesGal said:

I hope you're wrong, too.  But another problem is this cruise - on Oceania Marina - disembarks in Southampton, and England is a mess right now!

 

I  just checked the charts on the John Hopkins site - Netherlands is quite bad as well.  Both UK and Netherlands have substantially worse second waves to get through  They seem to have had similar patterns throughout the pandemic. )-:

 

[GeorgesGal]

We don't have any ports in The Netherlands.  There is one port other than Norway and that is Skagen, Denmark.  I'm hoping that if the only issue with ports by the time we sail will be the UK, Oceania will change our disembarkation from London to perhaps Oslo where we board.  Of course they will probably give us another sea day if this happens.

[Balliett]

I stand corrected.  No open Canadian ports = no Alaska cruises

[KirkNC]

Here is more bad news for cruising.  I don’t think ships will be able to go to countries until most of that country’s population is vaccinated.  Either the country will be closed to cruise ships or the lines will deem it unsafe to visit.  Plus in the case, a large percentage of the crew is from Indonesia 🇮🇩.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/25/indonesia-will-take-at-least-a-year-to-reach-covid-herd-immunity-minister.html

 

 

 

 

[vicd1969]

Here are my personal rankings of HAL destinations for 2021, from No chance to Fair chance

 

No Chance:

Asia

Australia / New Zealand

 

Minimal Chance:

Canada

Alaska, unless PSVA gets repealed (again, little chance of happening)

Europe longer than 7 days

 

25% - 50% Chance:

Caribbean longer than 7 days, or before Fall

Hawaii 

Europe 7 days

 

50% - 75% Chance:

Western Mexico 7 days or less

Fall Caribbean 7 days or less 

 

 

One key factor may be the need for an onboard testing facility if the US still has the 72-hour testing requirement when cruise operations restart. Also, question for those in the know - would HAL be allowed to meet just European cruise requirements and not CDC regulations if it homeports in the Dutch Antilles (ex: Aruba or Curacao) instead of Fort Lauderdale and avoids any ports that are US territories?

[LocoLoco1]

15 hours ago, vicd1969 said:

Here are my personal rankings of HAL destinations for 2021, from No chance to Fair chance

 

No Chance:

Asia

Australia / New Zealand

 

Minimal Chance:

Canada

Alaska, unless PSVA gets repealed (again, little chance of happening)

Europe longer than 7 days

 

25% - 50% Chance:

Caribbean longer than 7 days, or before Fall

Hawaii 

Europe 7 days

 

50% - 75% Chance:

Western Mexico 7 days or less

Fall Caribbean 7 days or less 

 

 

One key factor may be the need for an onboard testing facility if the US still has the 72-hour testing requirement when cruise operations restart. Also, question for those in the know - would HAL be allowed to meet just European cruise requirements and not CDC regulations if it homeports in the Dutch Antilles (ex: Aruba or Curacao) instead of Fort Lauderdale and avoids any ports that are US territories?

Firstly, today Biden ‘fully supports’ The Jones Act and ‘Buy America’, so I am putting your Alaska/New England cruises in No Chance category for now. Secondly, I suppose it COULD begin cruises with 2500+ PAX from certain far flung Ports. Reality check there: My wife will NOT fly coach to Dutch Antilles to begin then end a short cruise. I suspect she’s not alone. 2021 cruising looks anemic to me. .

[papadave]

Well, September is a long time off when you put everything in perspective and realize how much has changed in the last two months.   At one extreme, transmission of the virus may be behind us and we are living a relatively normal life.  If there are 3 or more companies producing vaccines and nearly everyone is vaccinated, it is possible that we can cruise like we used to.   On the other hand, there could be 3 or more new strains of the virus that are not addressed by the vaccine.