Ships returning to Europe

[wowzz]

12 hours ago, clo said:

A couple of examples please?

Buying and selling property is a lengthy process, especially with regards to older properties, the need to get a building licence for even the smallest work is a pain, and dealing with utility companies is an absolute nightmare. Spanish bureaucracy is multi layered, still heavily dependent on physical paper work, and they love their rubber stamps!

Having said that, it's a great place to live.

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

They would probably say the same thing about the countries we are from😂. The thing about travel is you get to avoid all the annoying everyday life things that locals have to deal with. As travellers we all see countries through rose coloured glasses. 

 

Well, perhaps and perhaps not. Here's how one Italian puts it: "Organized countries like Germany or America have a modest number of -- for the most part sensible -- regulations. But they are enforced. In Italy instead, we have an almost infinite number, many dating from Roman times, some contradictory, some incomprehensible....  In the rest of the world two plus two equals four, but here in Italy it sometimes equals three and seven-eighths and sometimes four and a quarter. What keeps our wits sharp and alert is that we never know from day to day which it's going to be."  (She calls this the "flexible impossible").

 

I know from my research, for example, that there are at least three separate hoops or processes you have to go through to even be allowed to stay in Italy longer than the allotted visa time (for US that is 3 months at a pop), including a residence permit, a codice fiscale, and a residence certificate. Each of which requires going to different places, filling out massive forms, getting the right stamps, etc. And each has to be done in consecutive order -- can't start the second until you have the first, and so on....

 

 

[jocap]

I hear that 3 NCL ships are leaving the USA to dock in Portsmouth, UK. When I checked their whereabouts on AIS this afternoon, they were lined up in Norfolk, Virginia. 

[clo]

10 hours ago, wowzz said:

Buying and selling property

When we bought our Rio apt it was easy-peasy. Selling it was a mess. We had to prove that we had brought the money into the country in order to take the money out. That wasn't hard. What was was trying to explain that US banking is a tad less cumbersome. A wire transfer is a single half sheet of paper. But we get it done.

[Smurf2017]

You should try the bureaucracy in Portugal. Here, offices of the same government department in different towns, will interpret the rules in a different way. In our local office for driving licences I even got different answers to the same problem from the different employees and one of those was the manager! 

[ducklite]

On 5/2/2020 at 6:14 PM, wowzz said:

No different really to the Americans who come to Europe and will only eat in McDonald's and drink coffee in Starbucks. 

 

I've had amazing Spanish Tapas in Belfast, Chinese in Dublin, Italian in Warsaw, and Syrian in Milwaukee.  I've also had really bad Baps in Belfast, beef stew in Dublin, perogies in Warsaw, and hamburgers in Milwaukee.

I eat all sorts of food at home and abroad, except McDonalds.  I've gone there once for a cup of coffee, because they were the only place open with filter coffee.  I admit to going to Starbucks when local coffee shops aren't convenient, or if I need a rest room--not all local places offer those.  Starbucks always does, they put the code for the door at the bottom of the receipt.  🙂 

[ducklite]

On 5/3/2020 at 3:37 AM, John Bull said:

 

The package-holiday Brit goes to the Spanish costas wanting  Southend or Brighton or Blackpool but with guaranteed sunshine and cheap booze and cigarettes. Doesn't want to miss out on fish & chips or a sunday roast - but will try Spanish dishes like burgers, curries and pizzas . ............ Other northern European visitors like Germans, Dutch & Scandinavians have similar home preferences. As do many Americans worldwide

 

Back on the subject of cruise ships, whilst most have returned to their home countries Allure of the Seas has been spending the whole period mooching around the southern approaches to the Irish Sea, with the occasional foray into Southampton.

Are there no suitable anchorages on the other side of the Pond ?

Or is the fishing better in the Irish Sea?

Or is she hoping for some late-season cruise action ?

 

JB 

The cruise ports in North America are full to the brim.  And Florida is sick of them dumping their COVID-19 cases onto us.

[ducklite]

On 5/3/2020 at 3:56 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Which is why I have decided to spend only 3 months a year in Italy after I retire. After speaking to a number of ex-pats, the bureaucracy is soul-crushing...

My cousin is an America ex-pat living there.  She's been there for 14 or so years, with a three year gap where she was back in the US.  She just renewed her papers.  She says it gets easier each year.

[cruisemom42]

49 minutes ago, ducklite said:

My cousin is an America ex-pat living there.  She's been there for 14 or so years, with a three year gap where she was back in the US.  She just renewed her papers.  She says it gets easier each year.

 

Nice to hear it. Just in case 3 months turns out to not be enough. 

[clo]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Nice to hear it. Just in case 3 months turns out to not be enough. 

We spent over three months in Rio once and it was great. Always people and things and places to see.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, clo said:

We spent over three months in Rio once and it was great. Always people and things and places to see.

Whereabouts in Spain is Rio? Seems a pretty generic name for a town.

[clo]

8 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Whereabouts in Spain is Rio? Seems a pretty generic name for a town.

Rio de Janeiro in letting her know that staying longer really is different than a couple of weeks. Lots of merchants and neighbors actually get to know you.

 

[davecttr]

Flying into the UK will soon be a pretty pointless exercise if you want to go on a cruise. A 14 day isolation for air, sea and rail passengers!.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52594023

[Charles4515]

Flying into the UK will soon be a pretty pointless exercise if you want to go on a cruise. A 14 day isolation for air, sea and rail passengers!.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52594023

I think the article indicates it is a proposal. It is not implemented. Really though the U.K. would be wise to prohibit cruises into the country for the rest of the year.


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[cruisemom42]

Holland America this week canceled all of their European cruises through the end of 2020.

 

[ducklite]

8 hours ago, davecttr said:

Flying into the UK will soon be a pretty pointless exercise if you want to go on a cruise. A 14 day isolation for air, sea and rail passengers!.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52594023

The worst part is all the people who have flights booked to LGW that have onward connections through LHR.   I'm not sure how they'll handle that, but I imagine many will just lie about their intentions.  

[VMax1700]

8 hours ago, davecttr said:

Flying into the UK will soon be a pretty pointless exercise if you want to go on a cruise. A 14 day isolation for air, sea and rail passengers!.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52594023

Most European countries already have this requirement in place.  Also USA, Canada, etc etc

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, ducklite said:

The worst part is all the people who have flights booked to LGW that have onward connections through LHR.   I'm not sure how they'll handle that, but I imagine many will just lie about their intentions.  

LGW is currently closed for passenger traffic, no flights.

[crazyank]

12 hours ago, davecttr said:

Flying into the UK will soon be a pretty pointless exercise if you want to go on a cruise. A 14 day isolation for air, sea and rail passengers!.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52594023

Nope,  it's a proposal,  that's all

[crazyank]

4 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Most European countries already have this requirement in place.  Also USA, Canada, etc etc

Please state which countries.  As far as we know either borders are closed or borders are open (France, Netherlands)

But no 14 day quarantines that we know of.

 

[Roger88]

These ships are returning back to their mother-docks. It doesnt mean that they will start operations soon as many of the major European docks are closed. I think they have gone through a total check and desinfection and now they can safely return back home. Its not about ships really by about people on board those ships who were sailing for the last 1,5 months. Hope the crews are doing alright and they will get back home safely

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Roger88 said:

These ships are returning back to their mother-docks. It doesnt mean that they will start operations soon as many of the major European docks are closed. I think they have gone through a total check and desinfection and now they can safely return back home. Its not about ships really by about people on board those ships who were sailing for the last 1,5 months. Hope the crews are doing alright and they will get back home safely

A truly unhelpful post.

[GrJ Berkshire]

On ‎4‎/‎22‎/‎2020 at 1:14 PM, Sancho_proudfoot said:

 

Added the missing punctuation for you.

Today's news of a 14 day quarantine on arrival in UK for Brits and visitors , as is in place in much of Europe will end European cruises for 2020. You were incorrect to change the punctuation on my earlier post !! This will make crew or passengers unable to reach the ships and no excursions possible, without working out how the ship will adapt to the 'new normal'

One day we will cruise again but not in Europe 2020 !!

[John Bull]

11 hours ago, davecttr said:

LGW is currently closed for passenger traffic, no flights.

 

 

Are you sure about that, Dave? 

Their website says that because of seriously-reduced flights they closed the North Terminal to operate all flights from South Terminal, but no mention of a complete passenger shut-down.

 

BTW, Both Virgin and BA have said that it's likely that even after the pandemic they'll cease operations out of LGW & consolidate at LHR because they expect much lower demand for future air travel.

Good news for those who live under the flight-path, bad news for everyone else.

 

JB   

[crazyank]

5 hours ago, GrJ Berkshire said:

Today's news of a 14 day quarantine on arrival in UK for Brits and visitors , as is in place in much of Europe will end European cruises for 2020.

Where else in Europe is this quarantine in place?  What specific countries?