Despegue

6 hours ago, mikelong said:

We had the same concerns when we first resumed cruising Oct 2021 and have done 5 cruises now and remained 100% free from SARS-Cov2 infection. 

 

Here are what we did:

 

(1) N95 mask everywhere all the time except during eating/drinking

(2) Use outdoor sitting whenever possible, on Panorama that means Lido buffet you can find outdoor sitting, same with the BBQ place, the Mexican and the burger place.. No outdoor sitting for the Italian and Asian restaurants. 

For dinner, the MDR doesn't have outdoor sitting. So we risked it, but always asked to sit away from other cruisers and always wear the N95 whenever we are waiting for the order or talking to the waiters. Only took them off when eating

(3) Wear N95 (not the KN95, which usually doesn't have a good seal) when seeing the shows and in Casinos.

(4) Always booked a balcony room with the door opened even when we were sleeping at night

(5) Brought a personal HEPA filter to put on the dining table when in the MDR with mask off

 

With those protocols, we have avoided infection with the SARS-CoV2 even with 5 cruises so far since the restart in 2021. But that was before the mask mandate was removed earlier this year.

 

After the mandate was removed, we cancelled the remaining bookings for the rest of this year, I'm not going to risk my life since now it's everyone for him/herself situation without any regard for others. I'm simply waiting for the crowd to be thinned by the virus and I'm pretty sure when 50% of the population is either dead or permanently disabled by the virus after repeated infections, they will probably re-introduce the measures to make cruising safer again and that's when I'll start booking again, hopefully with much lower rate 🙂

Enjoy your bubble life. If you are vaccinated and boostered, you should enjoy your life instead of withering in paranoia and scaremongering. Your mention of 50 percent of the population going to die/ disabled is completely out of order and ridiculous,

Risk of Covid onboard is actually lower onboard compared to on land-based restaurants/ bars, and even if you get it, if not immune compromised , a properly vaccinated person will not get very ill. The flu is more dangerous.

3 minutes ago, hurricane0226 said:

I sailed on aircraft carriers, so food on the cruise ships are what we dreamed on when we were on deployments, lol.

Strange that. I never had better food than in my time in the Belgian Navy. Steak, shrimp, even unlimited lobster from time to time, and the occasional deck BBQ! Fresh cakes in the afternoon etc etc... One of the most important factors is food to maintain crew morale. I would expect an aircraft carrier to serve VERY good  and nutricious food

One remark:

”the sick sick passengers”...

this is not correct. They were not aware of any indicators, asymptomatic and this not sick/ill at all.

yes, they tested positive, that does not mean that they had any negative experience.

Simply DISGUSTING.

The person has lost all respect from me.

15 hours ago, Himself said:

I went back to the blog tonight and clicked on to a little tour of the Rotterdam with Captain Timmons.  It was most interesting.

It is Captain Werner Timmers. 😉 ask him about the well endowed elephant in Catania 🤪

and actually, there will be 2 great Captains onboard, with Captain Kevin Beirnaert acting as Staff Captain.

Both Koningsdam and Zuiderdam are Medium sized vessels, and not at all megaliners. Let’s put this straight first.

That being said, we do love the entertainment options on Pinnacle class ships, especially the new R S  Rock room and sensational Queens Lounge with the BB Kings band.

Zuiderdam has also sufficient entertainment, and a larger main showlounge.

You can not, in any way, claim that a HAL interiour decoration is “too modern”. Even on Pinnacle class vessels, the decor is classical, restrained and far from modern clean  style interiours of for example Celebrity or EU lines like Tuicruises or Aida. But indeed, the “70’s nursing home style” decoration of some of the older vessels pre-refurb. is disappearing, Thank God. ( this does not mean that the artwork and antiques have disappeared., they are not, and are magnificent on HAL)

13 hours ago, jetsfan58 said:

Again and because we are all vaccinated Covid will not be taking a vacation. It will be with us folks.

Nope, it will not.

if there is enough immunity, the virus will die out. But for that, we need a complete population to be vaccinated, and it will take some time. In any case, when vaccinated, Covid19 is no more serious than a cold or light flue and should not be the reason anymore for big brother restrictions.

2 hours ago, drsel said:

Yes, but the new HAL ships are much more expensive.

I was comparing the lower priced older HAL ships with Carnival.

At the same price range as Carnival,  you will only get older HAL ships

Actually, for a balcony cabin, the newer ships are much cheaper. Have a look...I recommend HAL 

On 1/23/2020 at 11:13 PM, drsel said:

But Carnival and Holland America are completely opposite when it comes to entertainment and activities.
Carnival is the ultimate party Cruise, while Holland America is quiet, sedate and dignified; with hardly any activities or things to do

Sent from my Lenovo K8 Note using Tapatalk
 

Sorry, but that is not correct.

Nowadays, HAL’s new vessels offers better entertainment, especially in terms of music, than Celebrity for example. 

Hello Everyone!

I am a long-time contributor to CC, and used to be involved in the cruising Industry. 😉👨‍✈️

I moved with my family to Southern Spain and  can help anyone in need of advice with some tips to make your day in the following ports more worthwile:

* Alicante

* Cartagena

* Valencia

These 3 ports are close to home and offer some of the best days out in the Mediterranean.

so don’t hesitate and contact me if needed.

ps. There is truly amazing Golf here, consider a golf day out... 

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain, the Capital of the amazing Communidad Valenciana, which includes the Famous Costa Blanca and its resorts, but also Alicante.

Valencia is a truly amazing city, well worth spending several days in. 
Do not miss the Old centre with the Mercado Central , which is MUCH more authentic than the popular mercado on the Barcelona Ramblas.

Also the Ciudad de Sciencias by Calatrava is a must is you love modern architecture.

for lunch, there is only one option: the only  AUTHENTIC Paella.

try it at Playa Malvarossa for a beach view ( La Pepica is the most famous resraurant, but is touristy), although in the centre, you have better restaurants.

Hello,

As I now live in Spain, I might give you some advice.

Skip Marbella.

it is an overhyped, overpriced resort, full of Arabs and Russian Mafia really.

when docked in Malaga, I highly recommend visiting Malaga itself, or if you can manage a long drive, visit amazing Granada.

Marbella is just for show-offs and has nothing to do with Andalucia.

Some tables are in a better location than others obviously, but it are mostly the people who make a table crap 😉

On Pinnacle Class vessels, the Milkshakes are ordered and prepared by the Gelato stand. They are normally  not covered by the SBP. ( although they can in theory put the milkshake in as a “bar drink”, but not all servers are willing to do so as it is not allowed)

On other vessels, milkshakes are ordered and prepared at Dive-in. There, they are included according to the crew I spoke to.

Confused yet? ...

On 9/13/2011 at 5:37 PM, Twibbs said:

 

2.5 lbs Spaghetti

2.5 lbs pancetta

6 onions

2 (can't read - I think it might be liters) cream

3 eggs

1.5 lbs grated parmesan

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 oz whipped butter

 

Garnish

Fried oregano

Parmesan Shaves

6 oz Grated parmesan

A CAPITAL sin! NEVER EVER put cream in a spaghetti Carbonara! *****! And Carnival claims to have an “ Italian” influence?!

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Those of us who follow the industry have all read the reports (put out by the cruise lines) of record future bookings.  But like you said, many of those are likely using generous FCCs and in most ways are a liability (in accounting terms an account payable) to the cruise industry.  I share your skepticism of some of the reports.  Yesterday I received an interesting e-mail from a major cruise line offering a 2 for 1 deal which was unlike anything I have ever seen.  Basically it said book one decent balcony or suite cabin and get a 2nd Inside cabin for free!  Really?  That sure does not sound like a promotion from a company that has record future bookings.  

 

Your comment about breaking the cruise "habit" really hit home.  Until I read your post I never gave this any thought but you have a great point.  When DW and I had our first cruise cancelled last February (this was a 30 day Asian cruise with another 10 day on our own land trip) we were somewhat heartbroken and depressed.  Since that time we have had 4 other cruises cancelled (by the cruise lines) and each subsequent cancelation hurt a lot less.  The most recent (another long Asian trip for April 2021) generated some relief on our part rather then heartbreak.  To be very honest, all this talk about resuming short 7 day cruises does nothing for me since that is not the kind of cruise that we would normally consider.  

 

Are we totally lost to cruising?  Not yet but we are sure getting to that point.  We have previously had some fantastic trips where we rented apartments in France and we still spend 10 weeks a year in Mexico where we rent a Condo.  We love those trips and are now looking at some future options to expand those kind of trips.   A 2 month driving trip in Europe involving a few rental properties is a very attractive option.  Those kind of trip do involve some planning (finding the right rental property can be a challenge) but we are up to the task :).  I ask myself do I want to be walking through the Piazza Navona (a favorite spot in Rome) as part of a tour group or would I prefer to be sitting at one of our favorite cafes with some food, wine, and entertaining ourselves by watching the miserable looking tour groups  who are being told, "this is the Piazza Navona...but we must now move on before you get too close to a local." )?   You can guess the answer :).

 

So here is a thought.  For those of us who enjoy independent travel the post COVID world is just one more challenge.  But that independent travel means we can use some mitigation measures such as social distancing, carefully choosing our restaurants, visiting museums at quieter times, etc.  In some ways COVID mitigation favors the independent traveler while causing some very difficult problems for larger tour groups.   We just (last week) returned from a 9 day trip to Florida (Key West and Ft Myers Beach) where we had a terrific time.  By carefully choosing our hotels and restaurants we were able to social distance (most of the time) and still have a lot of fun.  In our favorite Key West piano/small group bar/restaurant we were able to be seated at a table for 2 far from any other table..where we had excellent food and some decent entertainment (the small group was on stage behind a Plexiglass shield.  At Ft Myers beach our room opened right onto the beach where we had loungers and were generally not within 50 feet of the nearest person.  

 

Once Europe reopens we will certainly return to Paris (DW's favorite city) where we can rent an apartment in a small building and eat in local restaurants without a lot of  crowding.  Instead of using trains for intercity travel we will likely opt for rental cars (a safer option in this COVID world).  While we will likely make adjustments due to the lessons of COVID, those adjustments will be relatively minimal.  But this is nothing like the latest protocols published (yesterday) by Cunard for their future cruises.   We are soon off for our winter home in Mexico where there is a major COVID problem.  But we will do our best to make COVID related adjustments.  In our Condo we will be safe (and do a lot less entertaining) and our usual spot on the beach (where we take our own loungers) will continue to be distant from other folks.  We will favor more restaurants that have outdoor dining (this is easy in Puerto Vallarta) and might even make more dinners at home.  But we will be traveling with only a few changes and trying to stay safe.  None of this is anything like the restrictions that are likely to be imposed by the cruise lines in the near future.

 

Travel will survive COVID.  But if the cruise lines do not go the mandatory vaccination route I have little hope for their future.  At one time the cruise industry was run by pioneers who truly understood the cruise industry and what made it work.  But many of these top managers are gone and some companies have been taken over by marketing folks, bean counters, and others who have spent very little time learning their own industry.  So far I have not heard a lot to give me confidence in the ability of the cruise industry to successfully navigate this COVID mess.  I sure hope I am wrong and the cruise world soon thrives, but we are not going to gamble our future on waiting for cruising to return to what we find acceptable.  My message to Mr. Fein, Mr. del Rio, and Mr. Donald is do not gamble your industry on testing and social distancing (neither of which worked in Europe).  If there is an alternative to mandatory vaccinations then we are all ears....but at the moment we can think of no other viable alternative.

 

Hank

 

 

People still think in Doomsday scenario’s where Covid19 social distancing, facemasks etc. Are permanent...they are NOT.

this is all temporary and we WILL get back to pre-Covid times, AND people are hungry for travel. Very hungry indeed.

I am planning now our son’s first vacation trip, which will be DisneyWorld and then a 7 day Disney Cruise .

I will not let Covid, China or other Criminal acts rule my future.

4 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

It was swiss cheese for us. Along with the olives it also came with mixed nuts. 😎

There are HUNDREDS of Swiss cheeses.

It is probably an Emmental cheese. 

Not sure if this has been posted already, but anyhow...

below are some renderings of the MS. Rotterdam interiours.

As you can see, the main design is the same as her sisters, but with a different colour palette.

What do you think?

also note the Club Orange (??) restaurant rendering and the bar that seems to he occupying the space of the wine-tasting venue on her sisters.

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

No, most were married with children.  It's just that to provide the lifestyle that they want (perhaps home ownership, or support for extended family), they make the sacrifice that all mariners make.  If you take the life, you will lose out on many of "normal" life's milestones.  I missed the deaths of both of my parents, and both of my wife's parents, and some of the kid's graduations and such.

Another thing to consider is the fact that most Mariners, both Engine as Deck, have a relatively short career at sea. Of my Class of 20 Cadets at Maritime Academy Antwerp, none are still “at Sea” after 24 years, most became Master of a vessel in their late 20’s early 30’s and after a couple of years focus on their family.

Most find a shoreside employment, or become a pilot.
A notable exception is the Cruise Industry though, as this tends to be more of a long-term career option with ( often much) slower progress through the ranks. 
Personally, Now that I have an infant son, I would not be able to be away from home for 3 months ( If you are a Captain, otherwise it is more). I am now doing a month on/ off rotation where I work, and that is already heavy for the family.

Your Cruise ship Crew makes a lot of sacrifices to he able to give you a dream vacation. That is hard, but they all do it because of  a Passion for the job and the calling of the Sea.

23 hours ago, Cruising_Addict said:

Um, it’s not true. You can’t stay 6 feet away from other people on a plane. And airlines are not testing everyone immediately before boarding. If you are not hearing about outbreaks on planes it’s only because by the time people get diagnosed, they have been in public in so many places that it’s impossible to ascertain exactly when or where they got infected. But I guarantee it is definitely happening. If cruise ships can’t sail than all planes should have been grounded for this whole time as well.

Get your bloody facts right please.

Air Travel, does NOT pose a risk of contracting Covid19 if all required mitigation procedures onboard are followed. FACT.

HEPA filters combined with the specific ventilation and mask wearing make contamination nearly impossible, asmproved by many demonstrations over the last months. Those “simulations “ on where you see a mass spread when coughing are completely ignoring the ventilation systems and mask wearing.

On 10/26/2020 at 9:17 PM, Cruising_Addict said:

Because someone is more likely to catch the virus on a cruise ship, where they can socially distance from other people, than on a plane where they can’t?  Riiiiiiight. 

With all respect,

it is nearly impossible to catch Covid19 onboard an aircraft if you follow mask wearing rules and disinfect your hands.

there have ONLY BEEN 4  reported CASES Worldwide of infection onboard an aircraft. 

Ships are renamed all the time.

Now a black cat or a woman on a ship, THAT is another, more serious issue!.

Where are my bloody Royalties 🤪

4 hours ago, nocl said:

we used refrigerated air cargo containers. They were self contained units the size of a standard cargo container. Used them in conjunction with both commercial and military air craft. They are commercially available. The ones we used we good down to -30 f.

 

 

Yes, but these containers are in short supply already .

One of the major hurdles is the transportation of the vaccines.

As I am currently involved in the Worldwide distribution of medical equipment and medication to counter Covid19, and at the same time keeping the Worldwide economy alive via Airfreight, I am in a position to see the logistical challenges ahead.

At this moment, even without a need to transport millions of vaccine doses, Air Cargo is at its limit, with long delays in shipments ( causing backlogs and resulting economic damage in companies) due to the fact that well over 50% of the cargo space onboard aircraft is not available as passenger aircraft are grounded. ( a lot of air cargo is shipped onboard passenger aircraft normally).

The Airforce has capacity obviously HOWEVER: those aircraft have typically no Temperature controlled cargo areas/holds, meaning that they  potentially are simply not suitable for vaccine transportation.