Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[Host Hattie]

Not normally but that's the plan for 2022 now the World Cruise has been cancelled.

[Kynance]

I’d love to be back on board next year but there is absolutely no way I am cruising again whilst there remains the possibility of having to wear a mask. I know I could book and probably move the reservation to another sailing before payment date but that feels like a lot of hassle and I am not sure I want to start looking forward to something I might end up shifting back or even cancelling. We took a refund for our cancelled 2019 fjords cruise and lost a shed-load of OBC as well as the future cruise deposit, so I think ideally I would prefer to book a short trip first and purchase some FCDs and then use those for a longer voyage. 
 

My other half & I do have a further week in Cornwall to look forward to in September but one of the things I love about cruising is not having to do any cooking, cleaning, laundry or shopping for a week or two - and being able to have a lie-in and still get breakfast at 11am!  
 

I don’t know what everyone else is especially missing right now about cruising, but for me it’s morning coffee at sea sitting by the window &  cocktails & canapés in the Commodore Club pre-dinner…

 

We’re off this week but it looks like we will have very disappointing weather, so our staycation week might be a stay-indoors-at home week.  Time for plenty of reading! 

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Not normally but that's the plan for 2022 now the World Cruise has been cancelled.

Well -- thanks for the tip -- I'll have to check those sailings out.  Living less than an hour from Brooklyn makes it an easy itinerary to join -- and QM2 is the only desirable ship sailing to the Caribbean from New York since Holland America  (before they got Carnivalized) gave up the market to the floating clown cars of Carnival, NCL and Royal Caribbean.

[Colin_Cameron]

Apart from my MIL’s funeral, when we stayed at her house, we had our first night away from home in a year last night. We went for dinner and overnight stay for my birthday, yesterday, to a hotel about 15 miles away. Compulsory masks outside your own room, unless eating or drinking, and hand sanitising each time you moved from one.room to another, eg. From bar to restaurant or restaurant to lounge. Aside from all that it was an excellent meal and evening.

 

The celebrations continued when we got home today to find a jury service citation waiting for me. Oh Joy!

[oskidunker]

San Francisco. Masks no  longer required most anywhere, gyms, theaters, grocery stores, home improvement centers . As speedy Alcaseltzer  used to say, what a relief it is. Hoping GB opens soon so we can make October Cruise. 
 

many people still  preferring Lone Ranger attire. 

[Host Hattie]

Belated Happy Birthday @Colin_Cameron

 

 

[Lanky Lad]

Belated birthday wishes @Colin_Cameron

 

I have been busy re-arranging plans for September as my two week cruise has turned into one week. We are going to travel down on Wednesday ans stay near Birmingham, then continue down to Southampton and stay at the Dolphin on Thursday night ready to board QE on Friday.  Coming back we are going to stay in Stratford on Avon which breaks the trip up nicely.

[Tonopah]

I’ve been in Miami for several days. It is a world unto its own. The COVID rules are different to anyplace else we’ve been in the state this year.  In the area I’m staying (Coconut Grove) nearly everyone continues wearing masks and social distancing inside shops. Our hotel stopped an unmasked family from entering. Elevators are limited to two passengers or members of the same group only, even while masked. There is hand sanitizer everywhere. 
 

Outside, however, is a different story. Outside dining is popular. Tables span sidewalks where unmasked people stroll by within inches of the diners. The (outside) pool deck at my hotel has no enforced rules for masks or social distancing. A local outside pop-up market was crowded with unmasked sellers and shoppers.

 

Not sure if this is all of Miami-Dade or just this little area, and I am not judging or advocating for more strict or loosened protocols. Just noting the dichotomies. When cruising opens back up, who knows what the rules will/won’t be? Miami always does just what it wants. It is as crowded, colorful, busy, and alive as ever. 

 

[neeuqdrazil]

Toronto, Ontario here. Masks are still required everywhere indoors, and recommended any time you're outside your home, unless you're eating. (I'm seeing about 50/50 masked/unmasked when I'm walking around my neighbourhood.) 

 

But camping is opening up (finally!) and I'm looking forward to a week at a cottage with my parents in early August. I'm not planning any other trips, other than my week in London + Westbound TA next April, although I may give up and get an AirBnB for a long weekend this fall - I love my partner, but we've spent all of our time together since January, and almost all of our time together since last March, and sometimes, a girl just needs her space! 

[LewiLewi]

On 6/22/2021 at 9:18 AM, Tonopah said:

I’ve been in Miami for several days. It is a world unto its own. The COVID rules are different to anyplace else we’ve been in the state this year.  In the area I’m staying (Coconut Grove) nearly everyone continues wearing masks and social distancing inside shops. Our hotel stopped an unmasked family from entering. Elevators are limited to two passengers or members of the same group only, even while masked. There is hand sanitizer everywhere. 
 

Outside, however, is a different story. Outside dining is popular. Tables span sidewalks where unmasked people stroll by within inches of the diners. The (outside) pool deck at my hotel has no enforced rules for masks or social distancing. A local outside pop-up market was crowded with unmasked sellers and shoppers.

 

Not sure if this is all of Miami-Dade or just this little area, and I am not judging or advocating for more strict or loosened protocols. Just noting the dichotomies. When cruising opens back up, who knows what the rules will/won’t be? Miami always does just what it wants. It is as crowded, colorful, busy, and alive as ever. 

 

And so is most of Southeast Florida. Hardly any masks seen anywhere including supermarkets, stores, etc. Everyone is dining indoors at restaurants. Gathering with large groups of people indoors and out. 

[navybankerteacher]

I can’t help wondering if some (particularly low-vaccination) areas in the US, which have largely abandoned all precautions, will experience the new Delta variant surge now hitting the UK.

[Host Hattie]

I would think it's likely, we have high vaccination rates in Wales and we seem to be a few weeks behind the rest of the UK at the moment. Initially the Delta variant was in individual clusters but now it's widespread. 

There's been a slowdown in opening up to allow more people to be vaccinated. My office sharer turns 30 on Saturday and she's been hopeful that she'd be able to go abroad, I think she's finally given up hope.

Wales are playing Denmark in a European football competition at the weekend. The match is in Amsterdam, fans from Denmark can go if they are there less than 12 hours, Welsh fans aren't allowed to travel at all.

One of my colleagues is on an English road trip, he had some photos of Queen Victoria off the coast of Devon.

[navybankerteacher]

6 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

I would think it's likely, we have high vaccination rates in Wales and we seem to be a few weeks behind the rest of the UK at the moment. Initially the Delta variant was in individual clusters but now it's widespread. 

There's been a slowdown in opening up to allow more people to be vaccinated. My office sharer turns 30 on Saturday and she's been hopeful that she'd be able to go abroad, I think she's finally given up hope.

Wales are playing Denmark in a European football competition at the weekend. The match is in Amsterdam, fans from Denmark can go if they are there less than 12 hours, Welsh fans aren't allowed to travel at all.

One of my colleagues is on an English road trip, he had some photos of Queen Victoria off the coast of Devon.

It's too bad that the US does not seem willing/able to learn from the UK's experience.

[Underwatr]

Back in Feb/March I mentioned fighting a bout of pneumonia. Turns out the infection camped out in one of my vertebral disks (T6-T7) and by the time the infection was diagnosed and treated that disk was destroyed as well as much of the two adjacent vertebrae.

I had spinal fusion surgery (T4-T9) last week and I'm now I'm home recovering from that. I have some weird phantom nerve pain but I'm told that's normal and will go away as I heal. Since the spine in one's trunk doesn't flex as much as in one's lumbar or cervical region there isn't expected to be a significant impact to my daily activities. I should still be able to cycle, hike, kayak, etc.  Hoping to make a trip by car (as a passenger) in mid-July.

 

I booked Christmas 2022 aboard QM2 with a friend this week. 2021 is still booked as a solo trip so I have some decisions to make by August. My TA says that since there would be a fare impact to adding a second passenger to that booking, the entire booking would be repriced at current fares and I'd (most likely) lose the generous onboard booking perks 

[alc13]

11 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

It's too bad that the US does not seem willing/able to learn from the UK's experience.

Story of mankind, I think.

[Jim9310]

Outer Cape Cod is entering its peak summer vacation season.  Most visitors come from five New England states having the highest percentages of fully vaccinated Americans, i.e., averaging over 60%.  Masks are not required, but are often seen in crowded areas.

Summer workers, such as food servers, bartenders, cleaners, store clerks, lifeguards, health care and public safety personnel, are in short supply and high demand.  Foreign student workers won’t be coming this year.

Today’s weather is marvelous, so I took another photo of Cape Cod Bay from Lookout Bluff, North Truro..   The Mayflower’s first landing occurred on the distant shoreline in 1620 (center of horizon).

 

 

[Host Hattie]

@Underwatr that sounds nasty, I hope you have a smooth recovery.

[Essiesmom]

Things are getting back to normal here.  But Georgia isn’t one of the heavily vaccinated states.  When I go out, I don’t war a Masai unless there is still a sign on the door, or I am asked to.  Most employees do continue to wear them, and there are still a whole lot of folks wearing them, including children.  Which means there must be a lot still not vaccinated.  There is lots of availability, no waiting, no appt. needed.  EM

[rakkor]

On 6/24/2021 at 2:43 AM, navybankerteacher said:

It's too bad that the US does not seem willing/able to learn from the UK's experience.

Unfortunately the UK doesn't seem to be able to learn from the UK's experience.

[Lanky Lad]

I am watching a repeat of the cruise on BBC4 filmed on Celebrity Galaxy, but the social hostess is none other than Amanda Reid so there is a Cunard link.

[Underwatr]

On 6/24/2021 at 1:16 PM, Host Hattie said:

@Underwatr that sounds nasty, I hope you have a smooth recovery.

On the plus side I booked Christmas 2022-23 on QM2 this week. Still holding a solo  booking for 2021 but that all depends on several factors.

[Host Hattie]

17 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

I am watching a repeat of the cruise on BBC4 filmed on Celebrity Galaxy, but the social hostess is none other than Amanda Reid so there is a Cunard link.

Thanks @Lanky Lad, I watched it at the time but I have just started watching it again. That & watching QM2 and Marella Explorer sail from Southampton is helping my cruise withdrawal.

[LewiLewi]

We have finally booked a cruise that will actually happen. The American Queen Steamboat Company’s newest boat, the American Countess, from New Orleans to Memphis on the Mississippi River. 8 days the beginning of August. This will be our first cruise in over a year and a half. We will also be celebrating our 60th Wedding Anniversary. So looking forward to this.

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Congratulations, sounds like a great trip

[Chart Room Princess]

2 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

We have finally booked a cruise that will actually happen. The American Queen Steamboat Company’s newest boat, the American Countess, from New Orleans to Memphis on the Mississippi River. 8 days the beginning of August. This will be our first cruise in over a year and a half. We will also be celebrating our 60th Wedding Anniversary. So looking forward to this.

 

 

Congrats on your upcoming 60th Wedding anniversary! My parents will also be celebrating 60 years this August.