mnocket

I had no idea this was the case. Is it true for all/most policies?

Unlikely, but not impossible. People lost megabucks on Crystal bookings.

I bought some cruise line stocks 6 months ago because I thought the worse was behind for cruise lines. Mistake. I now think one or more major cruise line bankruptcies is more likely than not in 2023. Consider this..... CCL's share price is now lower than its Covid low.

RCL seems to be in better shape than CCL & NCLH, but that's not saying much. CCL just issued a pretty dire earnings update causing all cruise line stocks to tank. Most interesting to me is that CCL is now trading below its Covid low! Imagine that... investors now think CCL is worth less than it was during the Covid shutdown. Advanced bookings are down - the reopening surge is waning. Pricing power seems to have disappeared. Labor shortages remain. Worst of all, rising interest rates along with faltering financial performance will make refinancing their huge debts much more expensive. 6 months ago I bought some cruise line stocks because I thought the worse was over. Mistake. I now feel one or more major cruise line bankruptcies is more likely than not in 2023.

It looked like they were climbing out of the weeds. They survived Covid and restrictions are becoming a thing of the past. They were able to raise enough capital to survive until things got back to "normal". Now we hear from CCL ..... "Carnival (CCL) missed EPS and EBITDA estimates with its report and the update on advance bookings for Q4 fell below the historical normal range, which was unexpected just a few weeks ago. The cumulative advance bookings for the quarter were also noted to be at lower prices." And the market responded harshly - CCL -19%, NCLH -14%, RCL -10%. For reference, CCL is now BELOW its COVID low! It seems the anticipated surge in bookings is fading. Their reopening pricing power is no more. Labor constraints persist. Perhaps most importantly, rising interest rates and poor financial progress will make refinancing their existing debt VERY expensive. Given all this, one has to ask.... SHOULD WE BE EXPECTING MAJOR CRUISE LINE REORGANIZATIONS AND BANKRUPCIES IN 2023? I'm starting to think it's more likely than not.

Thanks for posting. I was curious about what would happen if you sent an opt out email. Still not sure how they are going to insure your image will be edited out if caught on film...... facial recognition maybe?

If State laws apply when in international waters. I have no idea.

I had another thought on this. I actually don't know the legal purpose of releases. Are they to waive your right to compensation/interest in the production (seems they sometimes pay you $1) or are they a waiver to your right to privacy (i.e. not being shown on TV)? In short.... is a release required to use your image or use your image without compensation?

I don't know any law on this topic😁 nor do I know which country has jurisdiction (maybe none while in international waters?). I also find it interesting that they don't seem to require releases. I posted on the roll call asking for info from anyone who sent an email to opt out. If I get a response, I'll post it here. (perhaps @chengkp75 can chime in on jurisdiction and filming on cruise ships?)

I've seen reports that Only 15% of Americans regularly wash their reusable grocery bags. I wonder how many are meticulous about keeping their reusable straws clean?

Two thoughts.... If you send an opt out email I'm guessing they offer to book you on another sailing - those who don't (i.e everyone who sails) are fair game to be filmed without having signed a release. Is anyone else fed up with cruise lines waiting until after final payment (or worse until mid-cruise) before announcing changes (e.g. ports, et al), when these changes were known well ahead of time? It just seems like deceptive marketing.

Is this really such a common problem that it requires this type of solution? I know things can happen of cruises, but it's just never been a problem for me. I fear this cure may have unintended consequences. For example.... say some drunk guy gropes your daughter and you slap his hand away - he responds by punching you and you are both wind up on the no-cruise list for fighting (cruise line bans everyone involved in fighting). The "but he started it" defense didn't work well in grade school and it probably won't in this case either. I'm just not sure it's such a wide-spread problem that a no-cruise list is called for.

I like to visit different places, but I hate to have to pack & unpack every few days. Cruising lets me spend a few days exploring a location before/after while getting to sample other locations during the cruise itself. I also hate long international air travel unless it's business class. Transoceanic cruises are typically much cheaper than business class fares and a lot more enjoyable.

Well written review. Thanks!

I think the quotes should have been around "younger" rather than "more sensitive"😁 Nonetheless, those of us in our 60's appreciate being referred to as younger - even if it is in relation to those in their 70's!

Yeah. I'm the OP and it sure seems like the article was poorly researched and written.

So many Questions as to why a company decided this was a good idea. First off.... are there many popular ports that could accommodate a cruise ship of this size? This may be old news to many, but I was amazed when I came across this story. Would you consider sailing on a ship of this size? https://jalopnik.com/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-to-be-scrapped-before-first-1849501828

Inflation..... 5 years ago it was $30😁

I'm guessing the spa will be offering some rather "unique" treatments?🥴

It used to be that Business Class fares were often significantly cheaper than booking direct with the airlines. Is this no longer the case?

Sorry, I mistakenly credited you with the "space junk" comment. Junk implies something of no value and for someone who has suffered many years of <1MB/s internet, Starlink has been a game-changer. Yeah I live not too far west of Denver, but north of I-70 where we only had painfully slow Centurylink DSL (due to distance). Starlink changed that. Now I can actually stream. In fact, the cost savings from switching from DirecTV to YoutubeTV pretty much covers the monthly cost of Starlink.

I don't know what your actual beef is with Starlilnk, but to add to your "research" the primary reason for Starlink's use of LEO vs geosynchronous is to reduce latency. The engineering to make this happen is truly amazing. Watch this video on Starlink's technology and I think you'll agree it's quite an accomplishment. For people like me who live in an area with no options for high speed internet, Starlink has been a game changer. Many people take high speed internet for granted and were surprised to learn that even a small distance outside of Denver it was just not available. Starlink has changed that - worldwide.

OK I stand corrected. As luck would have it I came upon this article/video today. Kinda funny though🤣 https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/19677878/easyjet-passenger-baggage-guidelines/

Yes Starlink works with VPN. I suppose the cruise lines could for some reason block VPN connections, but I don't see why they would. I use it at home and it's been very reliable. The biggest reliability issue some people have is obstructions (e.g. trees). As the satellites pass overhead they can get short periods of outages. This most definitely won't be an issue in the middle of the ocean🙂

I suspect almost all cruise lines will migrate their internet to Starlink over time. Remember, all of those Starlink satellites are sitting idle while orbiting over the oceans. The incremental cost for Starlink to service cruise ships is modest and the revenue opportunity is significant. My expectation is that cruise lines that sign up will achieve much faster internet at equal or lesser cost. It's a win-win for both parties.