TLCOhio

YES, there is much connected/questioned with those crypto companies involving some of the banks under major market/regulator pressure. Had not previously heard about AT1s till the mention here. WOW!! Some folks are getting hit hard with financial wipe-outs when those "investors" might have assumed and hoped that such "bonds" carried more/better security and protections. Great comments and follow-up. From a key travel news website this morning, they had this headline: “Thoughts on generational change at NCLH and across the cruise industry” with these highlights: “With NCLH, all the Big Three public cruise companies will have new leaders inside an 18-month stretch emerging from the toughest period ever faced — an industrywide shutdown. Harry Sommer to replace Del Rio as president/CEO of NCLH July 1 follows Josh Weinstein taking over from Arnold Donald at Carnival Corp. & plc in August 2022 and Jason Liberty succeeding Richard Fain at Royal Caribbean Group in January 2022. What does this mean for the companies and the industry? 'All three publicly traded companies have new leadership as well as many of the individual brands ... It is a generational change,' said Alex Sharpe, president/CEO, Signature Travel Network. While these new leaders are younger, all have extensive time in the industry and their companies, although not as front guys for most of their careers, Sharpe observed. Sommer has run Norwegian Cruise Line for a relatively short period (three years), yet it was the most difficult time in industry history. At the start of the pandemic, Weinstein was called back to the corporate headquarters, first as chief operations officer, after heading Carnival UK for three years. 'Those years of experience in life and in running those companies made those men uniquely qualified during a time no one could have prepared for or predicted,' he continued. 'These new guys are incredibly smart, have sound training on the financial side and have had the benefit of watching and contributing' as Del Rio, Fain, Donald and Micky Arison worked through the pandemic.” How will these new cruise leaders balance out . . . customer service at a high/quality level . . . VERSUS . . . the needs to move towards longer-term financial stability? Reactions? Full story at: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/people-opinions/thoughts-generational-change-nclh-and-across-cruise-industry THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020, many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/

Is all settled and calm with the financial markets this morning?? Here is a view from across the Atlantic. From the London/UK Telegraph this morning, they had this headline: “Credit Suisse latest: Doubts over UBS rescue amid bond markets turmoil” with these highlights: “UBS has found itself caught up in market turmoil over a key method of bank funding after its £2.7bn takeover of Credit Suisse. Prices of its so-called AT1 bonds have plummeted amid a crisis of confidence in the debt instrument. Credit Suisse had the value of its own $17bn worth of AT1 bonds wiped out under the terms of its takeover enforced by Swiss regulators. However, now investors are demanding higher returns to take on the debt, with yields surging today from just over 11pc to nearly 17pc. It comes as markets demonstrate growing doubts over the takeover designed to avert a global banking crisis. Gold has risen above $2,000 an ounce for the first time in more than a year after the banking crises in the US and Europe triggered a return to haven buying.” Also, this was shared in this story: "Meanwhile, oil and gas prices have tumbled on fears the fallout would slow the global economy." Full story at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/03/20/credit-suisse-ubs-banking-crisis-news-ftse-100-markets-latest/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas! Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

From this travel news website yesterday, they had this headline: “More cruise lines will drop the Covid test and vaccine rules this spring” with these highlights: “Cunard Line, Lindblad Expeditions, Ponant and Windstar Cruises plan to eliminate or curtail their vaccination or testing requirements in the coming months except when sailing to destinations with Covid restrictions. The decision and timing for Windstar was influenced by the U.S. government's plan to end its declared Public Health Emergency for Covid-19 on May 11, after which it will transition to a new phase of managing the pandemic. While other major cruise lines repealed their vaccination requirements last fall, ships that travel to destinations with Covid restrictions are required to adhere to local policies.” Full story at: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/More-cruise-lines-will-drop-Covid-test THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 101,909 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Agree 100%!! That's among the many reasons that I avoided getting such so-called "Body Art". Such sagging and gravity affects are not fun and/nor pretty. Excellent funnies here today at the Cooler. Need some good news? It's at Mon, Mar 20, 2023, 5:24 pm ET. Spring starts later today. No more snow and cold?? From CNN, the cable news network, this morning, they had this headline: “Spring equinox 2023: Ancient traditions of renewal echo into the modern world” with these highlights: “Sweet spring indeed – a time to observe the growing light, listen to the birds, smell the flowers and feel the growing warmth from the sun. They’re all signs that spring equinox 2023 is arriving. This official first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere is a sign of rebirth, a time of tradition and a harmonious balance between day and night.” Are we done with this past winter? Full story at: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/spring-equinox-2023-scn/index.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 101,909 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Great updates, visuals, details from Singapore, etc. We are considering a February 2024 Mumbai to Singapore sailing/adventure and am considering the amount of time best for that staying at the end in this amazing City-State. Been doing much reading to consider the various options for Singapore. Would be our first time to visit there. Look forward to seeing more of your postings, pictures and details from Singapore. Glad you are home safe, but, yes, those were long flights back home to Albany, NY. Appreciate the excellent sharing!! Keep it coming. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

That's lots of flying. Glad that J.P. and Chris are back home. Will go over to the Ponant CC board to catch up on your nice visuals and details. Rest and relax!! What's your next great adventure planned? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Sorry, Spins, cannot get the frightening images of these three women out of my brain. Enough is enough?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate ALL of these interesting charts, comments and follow-ups. Sure glad that I have not played the "gambling games" with bitcoin, gold, etc. Super cute and fun "map to Stumbles back yard." Now, some breaking news!!! From this Wall Street Journal-related financial news website this morning, they had this headline: “Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Del Rio to Exit as Company Eyes Profitability” with these highlights: “Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said Chief Executive Frank Del Rio would retire and be succeeded by Harry Sommer, who has led the company's namesake cruise line since 2020. Del Rio has served as CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line since 2015. He is expected to step down as CEO and from the company's board on June 30. Mr. Sommer, 55, would take the helm on July 1 and join the board. Del Rio is the second longtime CEO of a cruise operator to step down in the past 12 months, as the industry looks to chart a path forward after the Covid-19 pandemic brought operations to a standstill. Arnold Donald, who served as CEO of Carnival Corp. for nearly 10 years, stepped down in 2022. Last month, Norwegian Cruise Line issued soft financial guidance for the year as it works to contain surging costs and mount a comeback from pandemic-constrained operations. At the same time, the company said it expects to be profitable this year for the first time since the pandemic halted U.S. cruising in 2020.” Will NCL really be profitable later this year? Or, is Del Rio getting out before any more "bad news" comes down? Now all three of the major cruise lines have new CEO's who must pay off the billions of dollars in debts run up during the Covid shut-down and the challenged re-starts around the world. And, navigate through uncertain future recession financial threats to consumer confidence?? Full story at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/norwegian-cruise-line-ceo-del-rio-to-exit-as-company-eyes-profitability-20e29769 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 21,675 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

Hotels?? From the London/UK Independent a week ago, they had this headline: “Best hotels in Athens 2023: Where to stay for culture, beaches and poolside luxury” with these highlights: “The city where democracy was invented back in 508BC is currently having a mega makeover, with once grubby districts such as Piraeus and Psyrri buzzing with innovative art galleries, cool new hotels, and gourmet food venues that are putting a spin on Greece’s age-old cuisine. Hardly any wonder then that this Parthenon-topped town has been described by Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte – co-founder of Beirut’s contemporary design gallery – as ‘the new Berlin’. Athens certainly is an exciting place to be right now, which is why we’ve rounded up the best places to stay. Whether you want to be in walking distance to ancient ruins or would prefer a more modern, contemporary look on Greek life, we’re sure we’ve found a hotel for everyone.” Yes, many hotel options in Athens with more variety and potentials these day. Our favorite, The AVA, has a great location and nice, person service/attention. Among their hotel potentials cited with details are: "Best for Acropolis views: Asomaton, Best for romance: St George Lycabettus, Best for luxury: Hotel Grande Bretagne, Best boutique hotel: The Foundry Suites, Best for foodies: Xenodocheio Milos." Full story at: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/greece/best-hotels-athens-culture-beaches-luxury-b2114018.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 21,675 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

Excellent follow-up and background from Randy about your long history and connections for San Francisco and the super scenic Monterey area. Lovely!! I go back to early January 1969 in first "leaving my heart" in San Francisco when flying up to the Bay area after being in Southern California for an Ohio State National Championship victory in the Rose Bowl against USC and OJ Simpson. From AARP yesterday, they had this headline: “5 Illnesses You Can Get on a Cruise Ship (Besides COVID)" and this sub-headline: "Plus, tips on how to avoid getting sick while at sea and ports of call.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “Concerns over the spread of COVID-19 have loomed over the travel industry for the last three years, but with the public health emergency coming to an end and a robust menu of preventive tools and treatments available, many of those fears are fading. A new AARP survey shows 81 percent of adults 50-plus who plan to travel in 2023 believe it’s safe to do so now, up from 77 percent in 2021. And while interest in cruising is down slightly among the 50-plus population this year compared to last, a recent AAA survey finds that, overall, the share of travelers considering a cruise vacation in 2023 is up." This story also noted: " 'Indoor densely populated places where we’re exchanging exhaled breath with one another is still going to be a concern for me,' says Wilbur Chen, M.D., adult infectious disease physician and director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore Travel Medicine Practice. That concern isn’t limited to COVID, either. Flu spreads in a similar way, Chen points out." They details protections and cruise tips for dealing with norovirus, flu, seasickness, burns and bites etc. Full story at: https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2023/common-cruise-ship-illnesses.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 242,542 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

YES!! Very good WSJ story/link from R&T about "duration risk" as relates to banks, how they have been managed and the "sleepy" lack of proper oversight by the lazy/weak Feds who are supposed to be acting as "watch-dogs". Listening to the Treasury Secretary (and former Federal Reserve Chair) on TV has not been confidence-building, nor reassuring. Sorry!! Cannot see a solid, forward-focused plan of tangible, future action. From the New York Times this morning, they had this headline: “Why People Are Worried About Banks” with these highlights: “Banks are teetering as customers yank their deposits. Markets are seesawing as investors scurry toward safety. Regulators are scrambling after years of complacency. Fifteen years ago, the world careened into a devastating financial crisis, precipitated by the collapse of the American housing market. Today, a different culprit is stressing the financial system: rapidly rising interest rates. The sudden collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank — the biggest bank failures since the Great Recession — have put the precariousness of lenders in stark relief.” A key take-away from this analysis and excellent NYT backgrounder was "the storm had been quietly building for months." Plus, they key summary: "The problem for SVB was that it held many bonds that were bought back when interest rates were low. Over the past year, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates eight times to combat the highest inflation in generations. As rates went up, newer versions of bonds became more valuable to investors than those SVB was holding." Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/18/business/why-people-are-worried-about-banks.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal. Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 31,843 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

Great comments and follow-up about not relying too much days on financial advisor advice. BUT, "enjoying the show" does sound a little challenging as the markets these days are very uncertain and totally cloudy. From the Wall Street Journal earlier this month, they had this headline: “This Cruise Line Can’t Turn You Down" with this sub-headline: "Norwegian is lowering investors’ expectations about the ‘great cruise comeback.’ ” Here are some of their story highlights: “The 'Great Cruise Comeback' is complete, Norwegian Cruise Line Chief Executive Frank Del Rio declared. Yet, his business still hasn’t arrived at the destination that matters most to investors: a positive bottom line. In December, Norwegian said in a filing it would be undergoing a broad and continuing effort to improve operating efficiencies to attain sustained profitable growth. That initiative started with big-ticket items like a 9% head-count reduction in current and planned shoreside roles. Now they are getting a lot more granular. UBS analyst Robin Farley called Norwegian’s cost savings 'a work in progress.' She wrote that Norwegian believes itself to be still in early innings with regard to identifying areas of cost savings. Examples given include swapping out 9-ounce burgers for 7-ounce burgers and a reduction in turndown service for non-premium cabins. Ticket prices for Norwegian cruises were running around 40% higher last month on average than those for Carnival Corp. cruises. This is a premium that Norwegian investors expect it to continue to earn in order to meet profit goals.” Profits, paying down big debts . . . versus . . . higher cruise prices/fees, service cuts?? Interesting questions and challenges for BOTH the cruise company executives and us as customers. Also shared was: "Norwegian said it achieved industry-leading yields last year. Rather than discounting, Norwegian said it got there by investing in marketing. With the industry 'on its knees,' Mr. Del Rio said heightened marketing spending was necessary, an investment he has said 'was well worth it.' " Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/this-cruise-line-cant-turn-you-down-5672d9c9 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 33,235 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Great, Randy, that you are planning a full transit of the Panama Canal. As detailed below, we did that FLL to SF sailing in 2017. It was not on a Silversea ship, but we found the Panama Canal "adventure" to be very fascinating. In preparation for this journey, I did a significant amount of prior history research and reading. Happy to share more if that background for how it "ALL" happen with this canal building would be of interest to you. Of importance, the Panama Canal was built under the supervision of the United States War Department at that time. During that period, building the Panama Canal was considered a "Wonder of the World". Not an easy project then in our construction history, plus with the challenges of that terrain and the health issues in those days for that swampy region. We also loved San Francisco at the end of our cruise and spent three extra days there. Now, however, I am not sure how enjoyable time will be there in the Golden Gate City. Things keep changing in the world. Right? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal. Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 31,843 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

Appreciate this potential as to what drove the sale of the Seabourn ship. On the CC Seabourn board, one of their cruise veterans suggested that parent Carnival, needing funds to pay down their huge debts, grabbed this chance to pick up some CASH. Rocky! Is that the famous movie about the Philadelphia boxer? Or, how this past week happened with cruise ship stocks? Maybe, both?? From the Wall Street Journal below are the charts showing how very challenged it was for the three major cruise ship companies. Several days of big, big drops and negative movements. Why and how? What will be next? From the New York Times late this afternoon as the lead story on their website, they had this headline: “Banking Crisis Hangs Over Economy, Rekindling Recession Fear" with this sub-headline: "Borrowing could become tougher, a particular blow to small businesses — and a threat to the recovery’s staying power.” Here are some of the top highlights from this Times reporting and analysis: “The U.S. economic recovery has repeatedly defied predictions of an impending recession, withstanding supply-chain backlogs, labor shortages, global conflicts and the fastest increase in interest rates in decades. That resilience now faces a new test: a banking crisis that, at times over the past week, seemed poised to turn into a full-blown financial meltdown as oil prices plunged and investors poured money into U.S. government debt and other assets perceived as safe. Markets calmed somewhat by the end of the week. But even if that happened, economists said the episode would inevitably take a toll on hiring and investments as banks pulled back on lending, and businesses struggled to borrow money as a result. Some forecasters said the turmoil had already made a recession more likely.” Yes, lots of questions as to the upcoming economic trends and as to how they impact consumer confidence and spending that could affect the cruise lines. Here is more from this NYT story: "The turmoil in the financial world comes just as the economic recovery, at least in the United States, seemed to be gaining momentum. Consumer spending, which fell in late 2022, rebounded early this year. The housing market, which slumped in 2022 as mortgage rates rose, had shown signs of stabilizing. By early March, forecasters were raising their estimates of economic growth and marking down the risks of a recession, at least this year. Now, many of them are reversing course. Mr. Bryson, of Wells Fargo, said he now put the probability of a recession this year at about 65 percent, up from about 55 percent before the recent bank failures." Anyone owning a good Crystal Ball to predict accurately what happens next with our challenged economy? Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/business/economy/economy-banks-recession.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Dubrovnik! Visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 49,456 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227 From the Wall Street Journal, here are their charts of the three major cruise line for the close of trading late Friday/today. Why are not things moving in the right/best direction? Today/Friday was not a positive day of trading. Cruise stocks down much, much more than what happened with the overall market.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) But, it was not a just a wild week for the cruise stocks. Below shows the rocky week for the overall S&P 500 Index. Clearly the bank stock stirred the "pot" and made things very difficult. Right?:

Interesting thread, comments and follow-ups. From travel guru Gene Sloan yesterday, they had this headline: “The coolest rooms at sea? This cruise line is converting a helicopter hangar into super suites” with these highlights: “They will be suites with such commanding views that being in one will feel like being in a helicopter. Which is fitting, since the space they will occupy originally was designed for a helicopter. Luxury line Silversea Cruises on Thursday announced that it would add six super suites to the top of its new luxury expedition ship, Silver Endeavour, in a soaring space with a prime location that until now has housed a helicopter hangar. Facing the ship's wake with views in several directions, the two new master suites will measure a whopping 1,163 square feet. This doesn't include the massive balconies that measure 312 square feet.” No mention on pricing? Will I need to win the Lottery to afford these new luxury suites? Here more from his report: "With the Antarctica season now winding down, the line is moving forward with a significant overhaul of the vessel designed to make it even more luxurious than it was before." Full story at: https://thepointsguy.com/news/silversea-endeavour-cruise-ship-master-suite/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 246,501 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

Appreciate all of these great comments and follow-ups. Keep it coming! From Time magazine yesterday, they had this headline: “Cruise Industry Is Back—and Breaking Pre-Pandemic Travel Records” with these highlights: “The pandemic sent the cruise industry into a 15-month shutdown. But it has gradually recovered in the time since—now ships are fully back in business, with new protocols in place. The Cruise Lines International Association forecasts that the number of passengers this year will surpass 2019 numbers—with an anticipated 31.5 million passengers embarking on cruises in 2023. For those still hesitant, Richard Simms, staff writer for Cruise Radio, notes that many lines are investing in a 'ship within a ship' concept, like 'The Haven' from Norwegian, where travelers can pay a premium for more secluded amenities like a pool, bar, and dining area. 'Those were always popular before the pandemic, but I think they might be even more popular now because you’re removed from the rest of the ship,' he says.” Here is more: "Simms says cruise lines have returned all ships to service, and many have plans to expand to attract younger customers and first-time cruisers. 'A good sign for the future of the industry is how many new ships are in the works,' says Simms. 'The industry knows it can recover.' " Full story at: https://time.com/6263225/cruise-covid-19-protocols/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 246,501 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

Appreciate, J.P., you sharing ALL of these amazing details about your sailing from Bali to Singapore. Love the food, wine, adventure, etc., details and visuals. Clearly, you are "suffering" so very, very much. Such challenges?? Will you survive? Look forward to any and all details from your visit to Singapore, what you loved most there, etc. Keep up the great sharing!! THANKS! Enjoying! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate, J.P., you pointing me in the right direction to access your amazing collection of world-wide visuals, plus your latest updates for this adventure in an amazing part of the world, including Bali, Indonesia, etc. Look forward to any and all details from your visit to Singapore, what you loved most there, etc. Keep up the great sharing!! THANKS! Enjoying! Terry in Ohio

What is really happening with one of Silversea's top luxury competitors? It's shrinking Seabourn!! From MSN News and key travel website writer Gene Sloan this afternoon, they had this headline: “One of the world’s best-known luxury cruise brands to shrink in size with ship sale” with these highlights: “Another major cruise line is downsizing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Luxury line Seabourn on Thursday announced it had sold one of its six vessels — the 458-passenger Seabourn Odyssey — to a Japanese company that offers cruises aimed at the Japanese market. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines will charter the vessel back to Seabourn for the next 17 months. Seabourn can continue offering all the departures that are currently on Seabourn Odyssey’s schedule. No sailings will be canceled. Seabourn Odyssey’s last voyage for Seabourn is now Aug. 22, 2024. First unveiled in 2009, Seabourn Odyssey is the oldest of Seabourn’s six vessels. It has sailed for the line for all its 14 years in service.” Surprising? Seabourn is owned by Carnival, the biggest of the BIG. But, do they have too many ships and/or do they see competition getting tighter with several new luxury lines starting up, plus Silversea adding more new ship, etc.? Any speculation? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/one-of-the-world-s-best-known-luxury-cruise-brands-to-shrink-in-size-with-ship-sale/ar-AA18Izfa THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Various visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 50,448 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

As detailed earlier this morning, today ended up being a very negative day for the cruise ship companies from Wall Street's perspective. From the chart below for Royal Caribbean, it shows their stock was down nearly 4% today. As one point today, RCL dropped down to only about $60 a share. Carnival finished down 3.8% and Norwegian dropped negative 3.3%. Yes, the overall market was down today, but it was not nearly as big of a drop as hit the cruise stocks. Then, most surprising to me, the overall travel/leisure/hospitality group of stocks were down -6.1%. Ouch!! Investors see things over the horizon that they do not like?? Right or wrong? But, maybe, here's good news from this web financial website analysis with this headline: "Royal Caribbean Upgraded to Buy: Here's What You Should Know." Here are some of their highlights for why: "Investors might want to bet on Royal Caribbean, as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This rating change essentially reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates. The Zacks rating relies solely on a company's changing earnings picture. This cruise operator is expected to earn $3.30 per share for the fiscal year ending December 2023, which represents a year-over-year change of 144%. Analysts have been steadily raising their estimates for Royal Caribbean. Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has increased 13.7%." Is this good speculation? Or, not? Full report at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/royal-caribbean-rcl-upgraded-buy-160004360.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Visuals, details from two visits in a city and nearby with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 50,769 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008 From the Wall Street Journal, here is their RCL chart for the close of trading late Wednesday/today. Are things moving in the right direction?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

From the Arizona Republic newspaper this morning, they had this headline: “St. Barts: Idyllic Caribbean hideaway isn't just for the rich and famous.” with these highlights: “This chic and sophisticated French island in the Caribbean 110 miles east of Puerto Rico isn’t just a playground for the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeff Bezos, Paul McCartney and the Kardashians. It’s also emerged as a travel destination where the not-so-rich and famous can experience a little taste of French joie de vivre without crossing the Atlantic. Nothing matched the charisma of St. Barts. The island offers some of the best white-sand beaches in the Caribbean, gourmet dining, a downtown full of luxury boutiques and upmarket jewelry stores and dozens of multimillion-dollar superyachts anchored in its harbor — evocative of the French Riviera.” Here is more from this story: "St. Barts doesn’t attract hordes of tourists like some of its neighboring islands. There are no direct flights from the United States or Europe, no high-rise hotels and its harbor is too small for mega-cruise ships. Just how small? St. Barts is only 8.5 square miles. It takes just over an hour — without stops — to circle the entire island via car. " Full story at: https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/destinations/2023/03/15/st-barts-oceania-cruises/69994469007/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 53,792 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Yes, the NE got hit hard with the snow this week. Below is a picture from yesterday morning here in Central Ohio for what I observed from our family room door. We had the "snow look", but it was only, fortunately, a "frosting" so we did not have the more serious challenges that happen with inches and inches of the white stuff. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate the great funnies and follow-ups this week at the Cooler. Keep it coming! Great posts, pix's and details from Chris and JP from your exciting Asian sailing. Seems exciting. Look forward to see more, including about the food on your ship, details for Ponant, etc. Yes, the NE got hit hard with the snow this week. Below is a picture from yesterday here in Central Ohio. We had the nice "snow look", but it was only, fortunately, a "frosting" so we did not have the more serious challenges that happen with inches and inches of the white stuff. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate the kind follow-ups from R&T, etc. From the Wall Street Journal in the first hour+ of stock trading this morning, the three cruise line companies are all down 3-4%. Lots of other questions and challenges with stocks this week, especially focused on the banking sector. Right now, the lead headline at the Wall Street Journal is: "Market Stress Snarls Treasury Trading" with this sub-headline: "Traders say it is as hard to make a deal as it was in the early stages of Covid." Here are some of their reporting highlights: "The markets for the world’s safest and most liquid assets, the government bonds issued by the U.S. and other rich countries, are coming under immense stress on Wednesday following a week of worries about the health of global banks. Liquidity, the capacity to trade quickly at quoted prices, has fallen sharply in two of the keystone markets, those for U.S. Treasurys and German bunds, traders said." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/market-stress-snarls-treasury-trading-a84a5417 This thread is now over 100,000 views. Glad there is interest for keeping an eye on these various issues and questions related to the major cruise line operators. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 71,109 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

Appreciate ALL of these various comments and follow-ups. Agree with highplanesdrifters about the lack of these areas having no-one in charge of and responsible for watching "RISK MANAGEMENT"! Huge failures!! In the first 90 minutes of trading today, the three cruise stocks have rebounded a little. But, the markets are still trying to figure out of these challenged economic factors. Who knows what is next??? From the New York Times this morning, they had this headline from a media source that is not considered as very conservative: “Was This a Bailout? Skeptics Descend on Silicon Valley Bank Response." with this sub-headline: "The government took drastic action to shore up the banking system and make depositors of two failed banks whole. It quickly drew blowback.” Here are a few of their analysis/reporting highlights: “A sweeping package aimed at containing damage to the financial system in the wake of high-profile failures has prompted questions about whether the federal government is again bailing out Wall Street. And while many economists and analysts agreed that the government’s response should not be considered a “bailout” in key ways, many said it should lead to scrutiny of how the banking system is regulated and supervised.The reckoning came after the Federal Reserve, Treasury and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announced Sunday that they would make sure that all depositors in two large failed banks, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, were repaid in full.” Yes, as an editorial today in the Wall Street Journal details, former Congressman Barney Frank is on the board and highly paid by the failed Signature Bank. He was the co-author of the Dodd-Frank Bill that was supposed to stop these abuses, etc. Also in this NY Times analysis, they detailed: "While the definition of 'bailout' is ill defined, it is typically applied when an institution or investor is saved by government intervention from the consequences of reckless risk-taking. The term became a swear word in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, after the government engineered a rescue of big banks and other financial firms using taxpayer money, with little to no consequences for the executives who made bad bets that brought the financial system close to the abyss. Monday’s action by the government was a clear rescue of a range of financial players. Banks that took on interest-rate risk, and potentially their big depositors, were being protected against losses — which some observers said constituted a bailout." There is one absolute fact for sure: The cruise lines will not get bailed out by the Federal government and/or the banking system. They have their billions of dollars in high-interest debt and will have to dig out slowly. And, hope any future, upcoming recession is not too deep or long. Having big deposits and advanced payments with cruise companies carries certain risks and questions. We all have to be our own "risk managers". No Federal bail-outs for us as the "little people". Remember what happened with certain Crystal customers? Right or wrong? Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/13/business/economy/svb-bailout-questions.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 101,759 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226