Greece this summer 2021 ?

[Vict0riann]

What an interesting site.  I like to see the numbers per 100,000  - a great comparison feature.

[iancal]

19 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

What an interesting site.  I like to see the numbers per 100,000  - a great comparison feature.

There are a number of sites that give weekly comparative numbers.

 

I very much prefer numbers to rhetoric and guessing.  The rolling average of infections per 100K, and the stats of deaths per 1 million population tell the story of how countries are really doing in the the covid war.

 

I believe for new cases Canada is at a terrible number of 162.  US at 135ish.  Both increasing.  UK at about 55 and decreasing.  

 

Overall, Europe appears to be very much on an upward trend for infections.

 

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by iancal

[Vict0riann]

Yes, we are not doing well in Canada,  partial lockdowns all over the place.  And younger people are being infected at a much higher rate now that the elders are getting their vaccinations.  A lot of people are not paying any attention the health mandates. 

[iancal]

The covid deaths per million population stats for these three  countries are completely different.

 

Canada is currently  at 607 deaths per million, the US at 1711 deaths  per million and the UK at 1861deaths per million population.

 

There is a huge difference between these numbers and the rolling averages of new covid infections above.

Edited April 5, 2021 by iancal

[mwpyle]

WELL--they were happy to take my money for the JULY 1 sailing out of ITALY to Greece, Turkey, and ending in Venice! That was paid APRIL 1....!

[iancal]

No doubt.  But according to many posters, on several cruise lines, taking your money does not imply any confidence on the part of the cruise line that the ship will actually leave the dock.
 

  Their back up plan is always to get you on the FCC hamster treadmill.

Edited April 7, 2021 by iancal

[Hlitner]

21 hours ago, mwpyle said:

WELL--they were happy to take my money for the JULY 1 sailing out of ITALY to Greece, Turkey, and ending in Venice! That was paid APRIL 1....!

Lets be clear.  It is unlikely to worse then unlikely that your July 1 cruise will happen.  And even if it were to happen you will likely miss the sailing since it is almost impossible that Italy will lift their current restrictions on passengers flying in from the USA.   I would be happy as a clam if the EU would open up to those of us who are fully vaccinated, but to so would only draw more attention to the massive failure of the EU's own vaccination program.  

 

We continue to closely watch Greece as their government may ultimately be the key to Europe reopening to vaccinated folks.  Their Minister of Tourism is the leading European cheerleader for opening up (only to those fully vaccinated) and perhaps he will be able to force the issue.  If Greece were to go it alone and open up it would put a lot of pressure on other EU countries.

 

Hank

[irvington]

I'm curious about how to play these odds with what is posted on the website. I'd really like to book at HAL cruise for Greece (or somewhere in the vicinity) for late August/early September. Right now as I look the similar cruises are multi-country and I'm not sure they will end up taking place as planned. Do I book one and just hope, instead of cancelling, it will morph into something that covers open countries? or do I look at other cruise lines that are showing Greece only cruises? Would appreciate any advice since I don't have anyone IRL to obsess with this about. 

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, irvington said:

I'm curious about how to play these odds with what is posted on the website. I'd really like to book at HAL cruise for Greece (or somewhere in the vicinity) for late August/early September. Right now as I look the similar cruises are multi-country and I'm not sure they will end up taking place as planned. Do I book one and just hope, instead of cancelling, it will morph into something that covers open countries? or do I look at other cruise lines that are showing Greece only cruises? Would appreciate any advice since I don't have anyone IRL to obsess with this about. 

Good thoughts :).  We have already booked a Seabourn cruise which is essentially "Greek Only" with a Cypriot port.  I think that Greece will be mostly open for the summer and their government has been supportive of the cruise lines that want to call at Greek ports.  Outside of Greece things are much more "iffy."  Consider that as of this past Monday, Greece is open to Americans (and will soon be open to just about every country) who have proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test.   I do not have a lot of faith in most other EU countries where there does not seem to be a similar commitment to getting open to tourism.  

 

Hank

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

16 hours ago, irvington said:

I'm curious about how to play these odds with what is posted on the website. I'd really like to book at HAL cruise for Greece (or somewhere in the vicinity) for late August/early September. Right now as I look the similar cruises are multi-country and I'm not sure they will end up taking place as planned. Do I book one and just hope, instead of cancelling, it will morph into something that covers open countries? or do I look at other cruise lines that are showing Greece only cruises? Would appreciate any advice since I don't have anyone IRL to obsess with this about. 

That is a great question ...

[iancal]

We want to travel to Greece and Cyprus in the fall/late fall.    

 

Neither of us are physicians, pandemic experts, scientists, or even proven crystal ball gazers. 

 

We are not smart enough to predict what the situation will be like in Sept-Nov based on the numbers we see today or indeed the words of politicians or industry folk.

 

Absolutely no idea what will happen, what will be open,etc or what extent of 'open' will be.

 

So if we go, it will be last minute, late booking...whatever.  We simply do not know.

Edited April 25, 2021 by iancal

[wesport]

I think US citizens have only two options. Caribbean in the middle of the summer and Hurricane season, and Greece. 

[Red Haired Lady]

I have a 24 day cruise on Volendam booked for Sept 11th out of Venice that includes Greece and Turkey, etc.  When I booked it I had no doubt that it would certainly go.  After all, I thought, we would be a year and a half into Covid and surely the world would be open by then.  Ya, right!  

 

This is an article from "The Points Guy" that is telling about the situation for travel to Greece.  Click on the link below.

 

 

Greece says it’s reopened -- but here’s why you may want to wait to go (thepointsguy.com)

 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2021 by Red Haired Lady

[cruisemom42]

19 hours ago, irvington said:

I'm curious about how to play these odds with what is posted on the website. I'd really like to book at HAL cruise for Greece (or somewhere in the vicinity) for late August/early September. Right now as I look the similar cruises are multi-country and I'm not sure they will end up taking place as planned. Do I book one and just hope, instead of cancelling, it will morph into something that covers open countries? or do I look at other cruise lines that are showing Greece only cruises? Would appreciate any advice since I don't have anyone IRL to obsess with this about. 

 

Just to toss another thought into your mix....

 

HAL and Princess booked some slots in Piraeus recently for one week cruises starting (I think?) in mid- to late-July. For HAL, the ship listed is Eurodam. I suspect the powers that be at HAL are busily trying to read the tea-leaves -- if it seems like the Med season is not going to be a "go" for multi-country cruises, they will probably do as Seabourn has done and cancel the multi-country itineraries entirely, setting up new ones for 7 day cruises out of Piraeus just as the other lines are doing. It's really the only option AT THIS POINT.

 

I wouldn't waste the time and energy on booking one of the existing itineraries, at least not until well into the fall. For those who've already booked, it may be worth holding on to see what happens.

 

It's all just a big roller coaster ride. 

 

 

[iancal]

The last thing that we want  is to be stuck with having our money committed to an FCC that has more strings than a violin.

 

Or...having the conditions, port stops, etc. changed drastically thirty days or less prior blast off when we have no option other than to  loose our fare or go forward with something that we would otherwise never choose to buy.

 

We are willing to pay more, have fewer options, for the convenience of late booking and getting as close to our expectations and certainties as possible.  Cruise, air, or land.

Edited April 25, 2021 by iancal

[mame42]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

The last thing that we want  is to be stuck with having our money committed to an FCC that has more strings than a violin.

 

Or...having the conditions, port stops, etc. changed drastically thirty days or less prior blast off when we have no option other than to  loose our fare or go forward with something that we would otherwise never choose to buy.

 

We are willing to pay more, have fewer options, for the convenience of late booking and getting as close to our expectations and certainties as possible.  Cruise, air, or land.

For the same reason I will most likely cancel the 2022 GWV before paying the second deposit.  I refuse to give HAL another 7K towards a "Grand" experience which may be anything but. 

[mwpyle]

For my CRUISE on July 1, GREECE is open--and the EU is moving that way. At THIS time, the issue is the stop in Ephesus--Turkey....   We are doing the HAL Greek Odyssey

 

[terrydtx]

Surely HAL has some idea about how they will do Europe this summer and fall. We are booked on a September Westerdam cruise from Athens to Venice and our FP is due mid June. I will never accept a FCC and will not make the FP unless HAL tells me the cruise for 12 days will happen.

[VMax1700]

I just received an email from NCL offering reduced fares on 10day and 11day cruises in September/October calling to Italy, Greece and Croatia.

Vaccination is required for all guests and crew.

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

4 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

I just received an email from NCL offering reduced fares on 10day and 11day cruises in September/October calling to Italy, Greece and Croatia.

Vaccination is required for all guests and crew.

 

That sounds like good news   Holland America  please do the same ...