Any guesses where  these were taken?

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

But now, the cruise lines might embrace less personal choice.   COVID is a very unfortunate event, but we can already see signs, around the world, of politicians and businesses finding ways to exploit the virus as an opportunity.  In most cases there is a trend of taking away personal liberties and choice (in the name of COVID) but the evidence (if one opens their eyes) is that COVID is only part of the story.  I have spent my lifetime taking advantage of personal liberty and personal choices.  Now, I see a society that seems willing to follow the leaders over a cliff and give up lots of freedoms. Tis very sad.

 

Hank

Oivay

6 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Royal Viking Line's Royal Viking Star (1974-current) She was also NCL's Westward and, since 1996, has been operating as Black Watch for Fred Olsen Cruise Line. Fred Olsen just recently announced that 2020 will be this ship's last year with the line, four years short of a 40-year career

Fond memories of this ship  Especially for my Mom. .Both times  that  cruised on the Star, her I was a young teenager and then a late teenager in winter in late 1979.. My love of cruising started pretty young for me ,at   13 and 18/19 xxxooo to this much loved cruise line and to all three of their ships(The Star, Sun , an Sky) and ship

1.A lot of people do not want to fly far or take long trans ocean crossings atm due to concerns about getting home or getting quarantined on board even after cruising is allowed  again theses days and I would speculate the  vast majority of cruisers come from Europe and the USA/Canada 

.2. even just as likely, they need to move ships around the world for the start of the summer season, most likely without passengers in 2021, 

3. those itineraries are popular with families(read more revenue for CCL) 

3 hours ago, Himself said:

Since I don't gamble I get no such offers.

That explains ,maybe, why I didn't hear of or see the offers🙂

I would love to have gotten one  of those offers!! LOL But now because of FCC's those of us who do not have those, are not finding any bargains out there. And given the companies needs for cash flow, it will be  along time until there are any..  But I have won/earned cruise by playing MyVegas on Facebook, so I will continue acccruing points  there, to earn another "free" cruise(jport taxes and aa small admin fee excluded)

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Isn't Seabourn considered luxury?

 

Anyway, I think the point of the post referenced was to show that each of the 3 major cruise lines already has a luxury brand and possibly a premium brand (not sure exactly where I would place Cunard...). And because of this they are unlikely to be in the market for yet another luxury brand.

sorry I left out Seabourn.. and I do understand what the op was saying, but the fact remains that is apples to oranges comparing the premium to luxury lines 

3 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Today's sunrise will double as a where am I.  I have been there on HAL and Crystal has been there but not me aboard.  It  was August 23 but for now I won't say what year:

 

 

Roy

I am going to zoom in on that license plate  to check that and  which side of the car the steering wheel is on(one way street could be either ) LOL

Flag looks like Canada?

To Roy, re picture #1  you   were on this cruise with me LOL--->giveaway now LOL

Another where is this post?

I hate to be the negative Nelly here but it is unlikely anyone will be cruising in 2021 an therefore an y cruise line can offer great  cruise deals because they will not be sailing!Given that not all crew have been repatriated even now from what I  have heard- and even if that is not the case,

1.How many potential and past crew members wush to risk getting COVID-19, especially given th etiny cabins they are given and with a roommate they don't know or live with shoreside

2. No guarantee there will be a vaccine in 2021 an even if there is the  first ones will be going to the first responders, then the most vulnerable (who are not likely to risk cruising, even with a vaccination as it will not be 100% effective from what the health officials warn

3.People are not keen on flying anytime soon for the same reason-re wanting a safe, proven vaccine

4.The experience itself is going to be different and no guarantee there won't be another outbreak until a vaccine is available to cruise travelers(way down the list of  people to receive the vaccine early on unless over 65 and many of us are under 60... 

's board

5. The amount of time needed to restart operations an getting crew to return to the ship , if they choose to do so at all-which is a distinct possibility  and even with the greatly reduced passenger count allowed for the indefinite future, might mean finding, hiring, and possibly training new people as many will not just transfer from another cruise line(?)

6.  When will the countries with low or at least controlled rates of  covid -19 even going to allow people from hot spots to enter their waters,at this time is very unpredictable as  there are still so many places where COVID-189 i s still out of control, with no end in sight for even  leveling or much  less decreasing the number of new cases Nor close to  what will be an acceptable level(whatever that will mean in 2021)of new cases (read the risk of catching  the disease low enough risk to be tolerated by the CDC to open up cruising again

7. Solvency of the cruise lines

8.*What about  the need to  be able to get cruise insurance to cover cruise cancellations due to the  current pandemic and in the future..and many other   reasons 

Time will tell , as they say,but it is time for people to learn  about delayed gratification, and find other things to do until this wretched virus gets under control 

On 8/21/2020 at 3:49 PM, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

If Genting were to try and spin off Crystal to a new owner who would want them?  Their ships/product are currently in direct competition with brands CCL, NCLH and RCG already own (Cunard, Seabourn, Regent, Oceania, Silversea and Azamara).  Why dilute those offerings with another Luxury brand in your portfolio?  The expedition ships might be of value to NCLH for the Regent Brand or CCL for Seabourn, but the two big ships are too dissimilar to the existing fleets of other luxury operators.  Perhaps RCG might want the two big ships for Azamara and bring them decor wise into the Azamara look, but who has $$ to spend on ship rehabs right now?  Unless Genting can raise additional capital I fear Chapter 7 in the cards for Crystal and Star both.

I beg to differ but only a couple of    he lines you mentioned are luxury lines-only Regent and Sivereas.The others are considered premium  mass market due to their size,  passenger capacity, amenities(or lack thereof).  And unlike the days when my grandmother sailed with HAL,(the 1960's to possibly early 70's) HAL is no longer considered a luxury line, an has en away with many if not most of the things she loved about it😞

Royal Viking Star in  summer of1974. I was 13 ,and loved it!!!  Second cruise  I  went on was in late 1979, again on Royal Viking Star, to Mexico, Both  out of my homeport of Los Angeles 🙂

2 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Didn't know it was in the state of Washington?

 

🙂

 

 meant that to be Western Australia as it is abbreviated down under but I had forgotten it is actually part of SA-south Australia

6 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

That would have been a tad too easy to guess! LOL Plus I ont have a picture taken from that area of Cook 🙂

47 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

 

You had me confused - it's not Cooktown (thats in North Queensland) - you mean Cook on the Nullarbor

 

My recollection of Cook is that it's a lot more deserted than the photos shows - I think Roy's probably got it with Alice Springs (but I'm not 100% on that)

 

You are right-it is Cook, Australia , o

. I took the train straight across Australia to Perth, where I met up with some old friends    of my parents  🙂

Itis  simply just Cook,WA  🙂..Known for the Australian wave lol

Todays pictures 🙂 Where is this?  

Well done Jayayeff! 

And yes, Stickman, that is the famous Tokyo Spaceboat, as it is affectionately called  by many of us  who follow John Daub on his you tube channel .I rode on it with a fellow follower of the Only in Japan  channel on You Tube, and it was cool. Quite a rainy day though as you can see in the picture. But I was in Japan so who cares ? LOL We boarded in Asakusa ended  in Odaiba, where the famous fish market is held now.

https://www.gotokyo.org/shuun/en/course/051.html

The remaining picture of the river , is in my favorite place to stay now whe nin th eKyoto area, an that is in Arashiyama, a bit west of Kyoto proper..

10 minutes ago, BWIVince said:

 

Apologies for the prefecture rounding.  🙂  The only random reason I knew that one was because I've been to both, though I haven't visited Uji since I was 7 years old.  I still remember though!

 

Vince

I love Uji ,and as a Matcha lover, have been there a number of times and stayed there,   It is my Mecca so to speak now everytime I go to Japan now, since my first trip to Japan in the Fall of 2016.My new  Matcha  business is called aptly enough, Uji Kyoto Matcha..though I have some from Shizuoka as well.. My point just being I am a stickler just because I know it is a trains ride from Kyoto station and far enough  away  that I  no longer consider it part of Kyoto proper  . And if we want to get even more picky ,much of the famous "Uji " Matcha, is actually grown in Wazuka, south of Uji and north of Nara  🙂 It's all good   though you still got it  LOL

Just now, BWIVince said:

 

It's the one in Kyoto, isn't it?  The one on Oahu has a bit different setting and landscaping:

 

 

Vince

Well done, more specifically though, Uji, south of Kyoto city, but in Kyoto prefecture.  It is also on the Japanese 100 yen coin 🙂

2 hours ago, SusieQft said:

The first one is at the marina in Cabo San Lucas.

The third one is the Byodo-In Temple on Oahu.

The others, ???  🙂

1.Correct!---1 I loved that  shark ,so  I had to get a picture of it LOL

2. Temple name right, wrong state and or country <--I don't want to give the location away it 🙂🙂

Lots of pictures here, but I have not "played" this game for a while.Where were these photos taken? 🙂

I looked at HAL "deals" on their  website and why in the world would  I pay cash for a deposit/cruise, and accept  FCC in lieu of cash if I need  to cancel?  I don't think so! With the trouble people a re having getting refunds, I am not going to "loan" HAL or any cruise line, money to  be used  now and not be available  if I needed to cancel. I  carry independent travel insurance(being lost not cruise line issued), but who knows what events they are going to cover in the next  couple of years, so any deposits paid would be at risk of losing

On 8/1/2020 at 6:45 PM, rafinmd said:

You bet!

 

Roy

I just saw this-now I don't have to wait  another day for the answer on the other board LOL