Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How are things where YOU are?

[M&A]

32 minutes ago, gb52877 said:

I agree with you 100%.  They should have closed the state before spring breakers came down.  Our numbers would be way lower.  By the way I am not cranky.  I have plenty to do and I am blessed to be in Florida where our weather is beautiful. We can go outside for beautiful walks.  I just do not think people should say things like the numbers are actually higher in other states. They do not know that.  I may have said it in a cranky way but I am really not. HAHA!

 

Yet Florida has "only" 400 virus deaths out of a population of 21 Million.    Considering that millions visit Florida in Jan/Feb/Mar for Disney, the beaches and to the cruise ports,  and the fact that Florida has more retirees than anywhere else in North America, that's a low number.

 

As for spring breakers,  how many flew back from Mexico?   we were in Cancun a couple of years ago in March and I'm sure there were more spring breakers there than I've ever seen on any beach in Florida.   The attraction with Mexico is they can drink at any age and do whatever you want there without the police getting involved

Edited April 15, 2020 by M&A

[HxFx]

19 minutes ago, M&A said:

 

Yet Florida has "only" 400 virus deaths out of a population of 21 Million.    Considering that millions visit Florida in Jan/Feb/Mar for Disney, the beaches and to the cruise ports,  and the fact that Florida has more retirees than anywhere else in North America, that's a low number.

Yeah, I was lucky enough to be at Disney World parks their last weekend open. Consequently, I have been looking out for cases coming out of there. I have only found one. Last month a man died that had flown in/out of LAX, gone to a conference in Orlando for a couple of days, spent one day at Disney, and one day at Universal. I think he was in Orlando for about 5 days and by the time he landed he needed to go directly to the emergency room. Makes me think he had it before he left. 

 

It is interesting that the articles I read focus almost solely on the Disney/Universal visits rather than the travel and conference. If he did get the virus on the trip I think the air travel or the conference were the more likely culprits. There is a lot of grip and grinning at those indoor conferences. I do think, for the same crowd size/density, being outdoors is a mitigating factor (just my personal opinion, don’t have links to provide!) 

[pmck]

3 hours ago, gb52877 said:

I agree with you 100%.  They should have closed the state before spring breakers came down.  Our numbers would be way lower.  By the way I am not cranky.  I have plenty to do and I am blessed to be in Florida where our weather is beautiful. We can go outside for beautiful walks.  I just do not think people should say things like the numbers are actually higher in other states. They do not know that.  I may have said it in a cranky way but I am really not. HAHA!

I didn't mean you specifically. I know I'M cranky..haha.. I want to run away sometimes.. We are in NJ, which is hopefully on a plateau now and starting to go downward.  In the middle of my 4th week at home (working) with my husband and daughter.  The weather here is pretty good, maybe 4 out of 7 days (typical for NJ),so we go out for walks every day after "work".  Keep hanging in there, stay well and stay home...

[Cruise a holic]

Hopefully we will all stay home long enough so we don’t have another episode of covid.  Stay home

[OnTheJourney]

I agree, but tell it to the guy in the white house. 

[Cruise a holic]

Just heard on the news, many cruise workers still quarantined on the ship from all cruise lines.  This is horrible.  Those poor people are still confined to their cabins- haven't seen family for who knows how long- and no specific end in site- clearly we will not be cruising for many months- I hope within the next 6 months!  But who knows.

[Johnny_71]

Doing pretty well here in Ohio... Have been quarantined since our return from the Freedom of Seas March 8th sailing. 

 

I just heard the US CDC has extended the no sail order to June 26th.  Personally, I can't wait to start planning the next cruise... question for the group... Are you still going to cruise when everything opens up? or wait for a vaccine? 

[Ned11]

I’m living in the Isle of Man 🇮🇲 on my own. All my family live in Heysham (UK) where the Isle of Man boats goes in. Our boarders are closed for another month at least so I can’t see any of them apart from FaceTime.

We are on lockdown, currently on our 3rd week heading in to our 4th. We will find out next week how long further we will be in isolation. We seem to be following the UK so probably another 3 weeks on lockdown as what has happened today in the UK.

I was meant to be on the Harmony on the 19th April for my 40th so really gutted but I have rebooked for the 6th December on Allure. I do have another for the Mediterranean but I’m going with my elderly parents so I’ll probably cancel.

Hope you are all ok and stay safe.

[ddled]

In deep south Texas- Cameron county we are in deep lockdown and they mean it. No more than 2 to a car or you get a ticket. Checkpoints. Roving patrols. Tickets to golf course managers of 500.00. Nothing open except a few small restaurants with take out and grocery-pharmacy. Liquor stores are essential and are open! I cannot go fishing by myself even. Local judge(think county commissioner) scared to death and who can blame him. Testing is a joke-turned down twice as many as they gave tests to, and half the tests are bad. No end in sight. 

[Cruise a holic]

18 hours ago, Johnny_71 said:

Doing pretty well here in Ohio... Have been quarantined since our return from the Freedom of Seas March 8th sailing. 

 

I just heard the US CDC has extended the no sail order to June 26th.  Personally, I can't wait to start planning the next cruise... question for the group... Are you still going to cruise when everything opens up? or wait for a vaccine? 

I am a senior citizen.  When you are 65 years old, even in excellent health you need to be careful.  Thus far, we have a b2b booked for jan 2021.  I hope that we can sail then, but who knows.  

[Agavegirl1]

I am in rural NW WI in a county with a single case of the virus and no deaths.  Our governor has extended the stay at home order and joined a coalition of other Midwest states to establish re-opening guidelines.  He has had over 30 days to come up with something and did not.  The state is closed because of 3 southern counties.  My hubby had surgery scheduled for 4/15.  He cannot work until his arm and shoulder problems are repaired.  It was postponed indefinitely.  His Doctor just called in a refill for his pain medication because of the stay at home order until May 26.  It is scary he has to keep taking that stuff.

 

Each day I become more and more pessimistic.  Siblings have lost jobs, closed their businesses and are living off of savings, unemployment and whatever they can scrape together.  We live in areas almost completely unaffected by the virus.

[OnTheJourney]

On 4/16/2020 at 12:26 PM, Johnny_71 said:

Are you still going to cruise when everything opens up? or wait for a vaccine? 

 

That is probably one of the biggest questions on most CC members' minds. Much depends on how the situation is going overall, especially relative to the number of new cases and also any possible drug treatments that might come along (this is likely to happen before a vaccine I'm betting).

 

Right now, if things were reopened, including cruise lines, I wouldn't even consider going. As I believe I mentioned on another thread, somehow the idea of getting on a ship - having to wear a mask - constantly worried about how close you are to other people, etc. - just almost doesn't seem even worth it. Yeah, could spend most of the time in your room and on a balcony (for those folks that have them) and not even do any excursions but...what's the point? I think I'd have to say that unless I get to the point where I feel reasonably comfortable out in public - back to doing shopping and restaurants, etc. - I could then maybe consider cruising.

 

But, again, travel is supposed to be enjoyable and relaxing. If I'm going to be worried about catching the virus the entire time, really, why bother going? I think some sort of paradigm shift is going to be in order for all of us, and none of us has any idea what that yet might be. Even though it is months since this all started, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the overall scope and impact of it, probably still in sort of a 'denial' stage - typical of any grieving-type situation. Right now I should be eagerly looking at airfare and making all sorts of other arrangements with the usual feelings of great anticipation - pleasantly looking forward to the next trip. Instead, thinking about what I already have booked just sort of leaves me feeling the exact opposite - something none of us has experienced. I'm in front of the computer lately researching masks and filters instead of continuing trip planning details. A reality NONE of us would have foreseen when 2020 rolled around. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, Agavegirl1 said:

I am in rural NW WI in a county with a single case of the virus and no deaths.  Our governor has extended the stay at home order and joined a coalition of other Midwest states to establish re-opening guidelines.  He has had over 30 days to come up with something and did not.  The state is closed because of 3 southern counties.  My hubby had surgery scheduled for 4/15.  He cannot work until his arm and shoulder problems are repaired.  It was postponed indefinitely.  His Doctor just called in a refill for his pain medication because of the stay at home order until May 26.  It is scary he has to keep taking that stuff.

 

Each day I become more and more pessimistic.  Siblings have lost jobs, closed their businesses and are living off of savings, unemployment and whatever they can scrape together.  We live in areas almost completely unaffected by the virus.

 

 

 So sorry to hear all this. I know where you're coming from. There are medical situations within my family and friends that really should be dealt with, but, as you say, it is turning into many treatments being discontinued and instead virtual visits with the doctor taking their place. 

[Cruise a holic]

On 4/17/2020 at 6:35 PM, Agavegirl1 said:

I am in rural NW WI in a county with a single case of the virus and no deaths.  Our governor has extended the stay at home order and joined a coalition of other Midwest states to establish re-opening guidelines.  He has had over 30 days to come up with something and did not.  The state is closed because of 3 southern counties.  My hubby had surgery scheduled for 4/15.  He cannot work until his arm and shoulder problems are repaired.  It was postponed indefinitely.  His Doctor just called in a refill for his pain medication because of the stay at home order until May 26.  It is scary he has to keep taking that stuff.

 

Each day I become more and more pessimistic.  Siblings have lost jobs, closed their businesses and are living off of savings, unemployment and whatever they can scrape together.  We live in areas almost completely unaffected by the virus.

While you think that NW WI county only has a single case- I doubt it.  Has everyone been tested?  It is like somebody said it is like peeing in one end of a pool.  Our entire country needs to cooperate and be locked down-  Very sad- but necessary.  Good luck.

[OnTheJourney]

5 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

 Our entire country needs to cooperate and be locked down-  Very sad- but necessary. 

 

I agree, but can also see the point of all the small business people who really feel the need to reopen. It puts so many people between a rock and hard place. What I DO NOT agree with is encouraging people to protest the shutdowns. This does no-one any good and merely incites some folks to violence. Let's stop politicizing this virus. We don't need to start another mini civil war of sorts within our society while also battling CV.  I won't go any farther than that since it leads too much into the political arena. 

Edited April 20, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[SilkySal]

DH and I are fine on our 300-acre lake here in Indy! Most people here are week-enders; not many full-timers, like us, so it's great for social distancing! DH has been making our grocery runs about every 3-weeks; then, sanitizes everything once he gets home. We are both between 65-70 years of age, so are complying with CDC guidelines. We have 9 future cruises scheduled from mid-September of this year to April, 2022, and fully intend to go on each of them, unless RCCL cancels (hoping they are all a go)!

 

May God bless and watch over all of our healthcare and safety workers! Stay safe and healthy fellow cruisers! Cheers!

 

[Cruise a holic]

3 hours ago, SilkySal said:

DH and I are fine on our 300-acre lake here in Indy! Most people here are week-enders; not many full-timers, like us, so it's great for social distancing! DH has been making our grocery runs about every 3-weeks; then, sanitizes everything once he gets home. We are both between 65-70 years of age, so are complying with CDC guidelines. We have 9 future cruises scheduled from mid-September of this year to April, 2022, and fully intend to go on each of them, unless RCCL cancels (hoping they are all a go)!

 

May God bless and watch over all of our healthcare and safety workers! Stay safe and healthy fellow cruisers! Cheers!

 

You two might be fine- but remember crew, other staff and guests might be carrying the virus and not have symptoms-yet.  Would you go on the ship?  You both are Senior citizens and vulnerable.  Look what is happening in Nursing homes and around the country.  Good luck to you both- hope we all can cruise soon.

[SilkySal]

4 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

You two might be fine- but remember crew, other staff and guests might be carrying the virus and not have symptoms-yet.  Would you go on the ship?  You both are Senior citizens and vulnerable.  Look what is happening in Nursing homes and around the country.  Good luck to you both- hope we all can cruise soon.

We are just hoping to be able to cruise relatively safely again at some point. There can be no guarantees. Do you have any idea of the timeline? Does anybody? Should I quit cruising in fear of someone carrying a virus on board? Might as well never leave my house. Nope, that's not living for me. I'm ready to go home whenever He calls. In the meantime, I want to keep cruising as long as I can! Thanks for your well wishes and maybe we'll meet on a ship some day! Cheers!

[OnTheJourney]

13 hours ago, SilkySal said:

 Might as well never leave my house. Nope, that's not living for me. 

 

The same might be said of all the people who have joined the growing protest movement to reopen the economy. I say that only as a corollary to your thoughts - not intended at all to gainsay what you express regarding future travel being that I, too, share a good many of your thoughts. While I've been more than willing to adhere to social distancing, stay-at-home,  masking guidelines, etc. since I think it's the right thing to do for the greater good, I find myself also leaning towards the side of this not being a terribly fulfilling lifestyle in the long run. I retired early to be able to travel, among other pursuits. So...yeah...how long do we let the fear and paranoia prevent one from wanting to go virtually anywhere - save to the grocery store with a mask on once a week. Even once a vaccine and/or drug treatment is developed, there are still no guarantees. Various mutating strains of COVID-19 could (and likely will) emerge anyway. It happens with the flu. So - in some ways it's a bit of tussle between diametrically opposed extremes.... 'live free or die' taken as literally as you possibly can, or practice the most stringent possible level of prevention attainable and continue to hole up for....how long?  Another half-year?  Several years?  Never venture forth in large groups again? Do I really want to go on a vacation - cruise or otherwise - wearing a mask most of the time - concerned about who might be within a few feet of me? As I've mentioned in a CC thread before - if someone would have described this current scenario to me back in December - and the whole idea of this isolationist, scared lifestyle et al and the possible prospects of not being able to continue travel free of paranoia for contracting a deadly virus, I'd probably have responded that I really wouldn't even care to continue life under such conditions. Of course, talk is always cheap. Now that such a scenario is here, it's not quite as easy to throw caution to the wind. We all cling rather tenaciously to life in the final analysis. Somewhere in the middle of both extremes is a balance that works for all of us. 

Edited April 21, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[Cruise a holic]

I recommend that people see documentaries on the flu of 1918 to understand how bad this is and will be.  Time to worry about saving lives- if you aren't necessary interested in your own- think of the others you might kill if you do not adhere to the "paranoia".  

 

We must learn for the past- if not we will repeat the same mistakes.

[Tom47]

My mom told me that a baby brother died during 1918 pandemic.

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

I recommend that people see documentaries on the flu of 1918 to understand how bad this is and will be.  

 

I don't think you can draw much of a  comparison. The world of 1918 was a very different place, even without the disruptive influence of WWI. Doctors knew viruses existed but had never seen one - there were no electron microscopes, and the genetic material of viruses had not yet been discovered. Today, however, researchers not only know how to isolate a virus but can sequence it genetically, test antiviral drugs, and develop a vaccine. In 1918, it was impossible to test people with mild symptoms so they could self-quarantine. And it was nearly impossible to do contact tracing because the flu seemed to infect -and panic - entire cities and communities all at once. Moreover, there was little "PPE" for health care workers, and the supportive care with respirators that can be provided to people very ill with CV did not exist. So, no, I don't see that things could possibly even approach the levels of death encountered back then. One reason the Spanish flu was so lethal was that there were no antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infection. Thus, control efforts, globally, were limited to non-pharmaceutical responses like isolation, quarantine, disinfectants and limited public gatherings (sound familiar?) although then, as now, they were applied erratically. The first flu vaccine didn't come along until the 40s. 

 

Additionally, COVID-19 is not influenza, it is more like a chronic acute pneumonia. They are both caused by novel viruses, but different types of viruses with different methods of action and infectiousness. One of the main "pharmaceutical" treatments for SF was aspirin, which had been trademarked in 1899, but whose patent expired in 1917, allowing companies to manufacture it during the pandemic. Have to consider also that global communication and sharing of info is significantly (to say the least) better than in 1918. Researchers can share data.  

 

I'm hanging in there for hopefully good news on remdesivir- should know more within the next few weeks. 

Edited April 22, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[Cruise a holic]

However after viewing the documentary you will see many similarities.  Bottom line until we have a cure, or vaccination social distancing is our only option 

[Chadr135]

On 4/16/2020 at 12:26 PM, Johnny_71 said:

Doing pretty well here in Ohio... Have been quarantined since our return from the Freedom of Seas March 8th sailing. 

 

I just heard the US CDC has extended the no sail order to June 26th.  Personally, I can't wait to start planning the next cruise... question for the group... Are you still going to cruise when everything opens up? or wait for a vaccine? 

We have had our late-August 2020 cruise booked for quite some time and have been hoping that things would get better. But, I don't see any kind of big changes, specifically in regards to widespread testing, happening anytime soon. I'll leave politics out of this as the admin. asked and leave it there.  I just don't see us able to go on a cruise a few months from now in a way that is "safe" and fun.

 

This is my DREAM cruise, a great itinerary and an aft-facing corner balcony (bucket list), so I'm pretty bummed.  😔

[Cruise a holic]

12 hours ago, Chadr135 said:

We have had our late-August 2020 cruise booked for quite some time and have been hoping that things would get better. But, I don't see any kind of big changes, specifically in regards to widespread testing, happening anytime soon. I'll leave politics out of this as the admin. asked and leave it there.  I just don't see us able to go on a cruise a few months from now in a way that is "safe" and fun.

 

This is my DREAM cruise, a great itinerary and an aft-facing corner balcony (bucket list), so I'm pretty bummed.  😔

Do not be bummed you will cruise again- perhaps next August. 

Edited April 23, 2020 by Cruise a holic