Predict when cruising will start again post-Coronavirus

[Cruisers47]

Hi

 

i booked the RCL. Christmas cruise from Syd to Eden and  back.to Sydney.

 

not really expecting it to happen .   Our final payment is due November,

 

have not heard anything from RCL so far.

 

eileen

[woodscruise]

19 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

@woodscruise 

did you get a email about your Christmas cruise?

Not yet. Have you heard anything yet?

[Chiliburn]

5 minutes ago, woodscruise said:

Not yet. Have you heard anything yet?

We have a February 5 cruise and RC wants final payment in 4 weeks.

I don’t care about the money and I would prefer a cruise.

 

Edited October 8, 2021 by Chiliburn

[woodscruise]

I was using our Marriott vacation club points (which were expiring) for the cruise and had to pay the taxes etc in full when I made the booking. 

Like you I would prefer the cruise also.

Edited October 8, 2021 by woodscruise
additional comment

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

As you would know, Asians are right into Gambling, walk into any Casino.  Few years ago in HK we went over to Macau, I kid you not 46 Casinos there. The big ferries from HK to Macau are Choc a Bloc with gamblers.

 

Essentially Macau is China's loophole for casinos. Macau was granted a special exemption on China's gambling bans after the Portuguese gave it back to China. It means Chinese can enjoy gambling with leaving China while the Chinese government can continue to take the moral high ground and ban gambling in mainland China. 

Edited October 8, 2021 by ilikeanswers

[Chiliburn]

16 minutes ago, woodscruise said:

I was using our Marriott vacation club points (which were expiring) for the cruise and had to pay the taxes etc in full when I made the booking. 

Like you I would prefer the cruise also.

Just walking up that gangway would be like winning the lottery.

 

[woodscruise]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

Just walking up that gangway would be like winning the lottery.

 

I totally agree!

[NSWP]

15 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Essentially Macau is China's loophole for casinos. Macau was granted a special exemption on China's gambling bans after the Portuguese gave it back to China. It means Chinese can enjoy gambling with leaving China while the Chinese government can continue to take the moral high ground and ban gambling in mainland China. 

They still have the gambling ships anchored in HK harbour I think. We were last there in 2017, 4 nights post QM2 and did the day trip to Macau.

[ilikeanswers]

3 hours ago, NSWP said:

They still have the gambling ships anchored in HK harbour I think. We were last there in 2017, 4 nights post QM2 and did the day trip to Macau.

 

Another loop hole using international waters😄. People will do anything to gamble. Though I read Winnie Jinpooh is making it more difficult for these ships to operate and their numbers have been declining. Now fully in control of HK they might completely disappear. Apparently Jinpooh's issue was mainland party officials were using the ships for red envelope exchanges🤑🧧. 

[MelbTone]

Hadn't realised that cruising supports pineapple farmers:

 

Australian pineapple growers are experiencing a bumper season, but a third of their usual customers aren't buying the tropical fruit due to COVID-19.

"The cruise ships leaving Melbourne and Sydney used to take truckloads of our pineapples," says Queensland pineapple grower Trudy Morgan, who works in the heat and dust, harvesting fruit in the Glasshouse Mountains, an hour's drive north of Brisbane.

"But they're not sailing. The airline industry would take our pineapples and serve them in meals or offer juice, as would restaurants, hotels and bars … but those businesses aren't fully back up and running and we're left with a glut of fruit."

 

https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/the-best-value-australian-produce-for-your-shopping-basket-this-spring-20211007-h1z1y1

 

(might be paywalled)

[OzKiwiJJ]

The cruise lines probably source a lot of other fresh fruit and vegetable locally as well. Hard times for the growers. 😪

[SinbadThePorter]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The cruise lines probably source a lot of other fresh fruit and vegetable locally as well. Hard times for the growers. 😪

 

Growers loss ought to be buyers gain. Glut = low prices, but somehow I don't think it will work out that way in the supermarkets.

[By The Bay]

3 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The cruise lines probably source a lot of other fresh fruit and vegetable locally as well. Hard times for the growers. 😪

Hard times for cruises too. 😁 I feel for the farmers.

[MelbTone]

9 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

Growers loss ought to be buyers gain. Glut = low prices, but somehow I don't think it will work out that way in the supermarkets.

A few weeks back my Woolies had lovely strawberries for $1 a box - farmers must have been making all but nothing. Back to $3 yesterday.

[ilikeanswers]

15 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

Growers loss ought to be buyers gain. Glut = low prices, but somehow I don't think it will work out that way in the supermarkets.

 

I heard farmers were having trouble getting pickers so might not be as much glut as expected. 

 

Edited October 9, 2021 by ilikeanswers

[ilikeanswers]

42 minutes ago, MelbTone said:

Hadn't realised that cruising supports pineapple farmers:

 

Australian pineapple growers are experiencing a bumper season, but a third of their usual customers aren't buying the tropical fruit due to COVID-19.

"The cruise ships leaving Melbourne and Sydney used to take truckloads of our pineapples," says Queensland pineapple grower Trudy Morgan, who works in the heat and dust, harvesting fruit in the Glasshouse Mountains, an hour's drive north of Brisbane.

"But they're not sailing. The airline industry would take our pineapples and serve them in meals or offer juice, as would restaurants, hotels and bars … but those businesses aren't fully back up and running and we're left with a glut of fruit."

 

https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/the-best-value-australian-produce-for-your-shopping-basket-this-spring-20211007-h1z1y1

 

(might be paywalled)

 

I have never been on an airline that served pineapple juice🤔. Is it a business class thing? I only get offered apple or orange sometimes tomato juice. 

[NSWP]

Next time you buy a can of pineapple,, check where it comes from...China in many cases, same with other pre packed fruits.  Ohau in Hawaii used to be the pineapple capital of the world, no it is nothing, save for the Dole plantation which is a tourist resort selling pineapple products, when we were there 2 years ago it was a popular tourist haunt the Dole plantation.🍍

 

Pineapple Plantation - Best Attractions in Oahu - Dole Plantation.html

Edited October 9, 2021 by NSWP

[OzKiwiJJ]

28 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Growers loss ought to be buyers gain. Glut = low prices, but somehow I don't think it will work out that way in the supermarkets.

There are other issues like a shortage of seasonal workers to harvest the produce, and possibly transportation issues as well.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just now, NSWP said:

Next time you buy a can of pineapple,, check where it comes from...China in many cases, same with other pre packed fruits.  Ohau in Hawaii used to be the pineapple capital of the world, no it is nothing, save for the Dole plantation which is a tourist resort selling pineapple products, when we were there 2 years ago it was a popular tourist haunt the Dole plantation.🍍

Why buy canned pineapple when you can buy fresh? 

[NSWP]

Just now, OzKiwiJJ said:

Why buy canned pineapple when you can buy fresh? 

What would I do with a whole pineapple on my own? It would be chucked out half rotten like much of the other fruit and veg I buy.

[OzKiwiJJ]

8 minutes ago, NSWP said:

What would I do with a whole pineapple on my own? It would be chucked out half rotten like much of the other fruit and veg I buy.

My greengrocer makes up packs of fresh cut pineapple, about 6-7 half slices in a pack, so there isn't as much wastage. Plus you can probably freeze it.

[OzKiwiJJ]

One thing I've learnt over this lockdown, where we've only been shopping once a week, is what veges keep best in the fridge. Cabbage, cauli, broccolini, broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, carrots, sweetcorn, asparagus, butternut, even lettuce, all keep well for a couple of weeks or more. Sometimes a little trimming is required to remove the old cut surfaces. Green beans and snow peas can be a bit variable. Zucchini, eggplant, cucumber, capsicums go off the quickest. 

 

But you need to buy them from a good greengrocer. Some supermarket produce goes off very quickly.

[icat2000]

12 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

But you need to buy them from a good greengrocer. Some supermarket produce goes off very quickly.

That because they have cold stored them prior to putting them out for the consumer to buy for months prior. 

 

The other thing I have learnt during this period is to check the price of Organic vegetables against normal ones in supermarkets as sometimes they are cheaper. 

Edited October 9, 2021 by icat2000

[MicCanberra]

I prefer to buy canned pineapple as it supports our farmers and the cannery and I don't have to worry about the fruit spoiling.

[OzKiwiJJ]

15 minutes ago, icat2000 said:

That because they have cold stored them prior to putting them out for the consumer to buy for months prior. 

 

The other thing I have learnt during this period is to check the price of Organic vegetables against normal ones in supermarkets as sometimes they are cheaper. 

Sometimes the supermarket organic ones are the only ones that look fresh enough to buy!