Cruise industry announces US sailing suspension extended until Sept. 15

[seaman11]

3 minutes ago, Cruiseboy06 said:

your August cruise will still show in your profile after it being  canceled........

where would i see crusie credit to rebook? thx 

[TNcruising02]

1 minute ago, seaman11 said:

where would i see crusie credit to rebook? thx 

When my cruise in April was cancelled, I received an email notifying me and letting me know my options.

[HaveWeMetYet]

2 minutes ago, seaman11 said:

where would i see crusie credit to rebook? thx 

[Saint Greg]

1 hour ago, joeyancho said:

All good ideas. Shows would have to be dismissed by rows to avoid a traffic jam.  I think service at bars would have to be discontinued. Table service only by servers in hazmat suit,  lol.  

I think if you have a bar seat you can be served at the bar. But the people sitting by the pool that walk up to the bar just to avoid using a server. I could see cutting that off. I’ve been to a lot of bars the past few weeks and they’re doing fine. 

[seaman11]

thanks all , very disappointing, however florida covid numbers have tripled.  

[Saint Greg]

14 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

I think if you have a bar seat you can be served at the bar. But the people sitting by the pool that walk up to the bar just to avoid using a server. I could see cutting that off. I’ve been to a lot of bars the past few weeks and they’re doing fine. 

 

 

And actually I have a story with this. 2018 on the Dream. I was sitting at the comedy club bar. Before the show a bunch of people flock to the bar to get drinks instead of using servers. I don’t know why. I don’t get it. When I sit in the regular seats I like having the drinks brought to me. But these people squeeze in between us to order drinks. A guy did that to me and while he was standing there, he sneezed in my drink. Then he tried to act like he didn’t. Fortunately I had cheers and wasn’t going to hit my limit. But this is exactly why I don’t like those people squeezing in to order drinks. I could see that being eliminated.

[MsTabbyKats]

I had a thought....about a ship without a buffet.

 

I love "embarkation day".  Once you're on the ship just about everyone heads to the buffet.  It's a zoo of happy, excited people....indulging in a massive spread of food.  And we sit, patiently, until our cabins are ready.

 

If there's no buffet...what do we do?  Head to the MDR and wait on a massive line to get in?  And then be rushed out because hundreds of people are still waiting to get it?   

[TNcruising02]

Maybe they will open up all of the restaurants for lunch service and include the buffet area, but not use it for buffet.  By opening up the other restaurants, they could help spread the crowd.  They could also seat people in the buffet area like they do restaurants so that people aren't so close to one another.  They could serve the food cafeteria style.  I think it would be so much easier if they had a rapid results test that could also detect a recent infection and use it for boarding.

Social distancing can be done with decreased capacity.  But how long can the ships sail with the added expense? I have more hope that the virus will just run its course.

[PhillyFan33579]

13 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

I think if you have a bar seat you can be served at the bar. But the people sitting by the pool that walk up to the bar just to avoid using a server. I could see cutting that off. I’ve been to a lot of bars the past few weeks and they’re doing fine. 

My wife and I have sat at several bars over the last several weeks, including the last two nights, without any issues. Every place we have been to is maintaining 6 feet between groups and we haven’t experienced any instances of people trying to stand in the gaps between people. 

[tonit964]

1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said:

Maybe they will open up all of the restaurants for lunch service and include the buffet area, but not use it for buffet.  By opening up the other restaurants, they could help spread the crowd.  They could also seat people in the buffet area like they do restaurants so that people aren't so close to one another.  They could serve the food cafeteria style.  I think it would be so much easier if they had a rapid results test that could also detect a recent infection and use it for boarding.

Social distancing can be done with decreased capacity.  But how long can the ships sail with the added expense? I have more hope that the virus will just run its course.

I read on another thread a while back about the thought of the cruise lines doing away with embarkation lunch to help mitigate the crowds. 

[TNcruising02]

2 minutes ago, tonit964 said:

I read on another thread a while back about the thought of the cruise lines doing away with embarkation lunch to help mitigate the crowds. 

That would definitely help if they delay boarding.  But if someone boards at 11:00 am, it might be hard for that person to wait until 6:00 pm to get anything to eat.  I suppose they could have some boxed lunch options.

Edited June 20, 2020 by TNcruising02

[tonit964]

1 minute ago, TNcruising02 said:

That would definitely help if they delay boarding.  But if someone boards at 11:00 am, it might be hard for that person to wait until 6:00 pm to get anything to eat.

If they did do away with lunch, they would have to delay boarding and sailing for that very reason. 

[bury me at sea]

6 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

That would definitely help if they delay boarding.  But if someone boards at 11:00 am, it might be hard for that person to wait until 6:00 pm to get anything to eat.  I suppose they could have some boxed lunch options.

 

I believe boxed options for meals is a non-starter.  There was discussion about this on another thread.

[Anyislandwilldo]

I'm really beginning to doubt that we will be able to cruise on our Jan 2021 sailing.  If the second wave does come in fall like they predict, it will take months before the numbers go down and safe to sail again.  😭

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, Anyislandwilldo said:

I'm really beginning to doubt that we will be able to cruise on our Jan 2021 sailing.  If the second wave does come in fall like they predict, it will take months before the numbers go down and safe to sail again.  😭

I'm beginning to worry about my january and February cruises as well.

 

Rumor someone heard was the cdc wanted to shut down until march, and clia voluntarily got them to agree to only sept 15, more cancellations are coming. Dont know if true.

[Anyislandwilldo]

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

I'm beginning to worry about my january and February cruises as well.

 

Rumor someone heard was the cdc wanted to shut down until march, and clia voluntarily got them to agree to only sept 15, more cancellations are coming. Dont know if true.

 

We are sailing out of Galveston and Tx is really on the rise for new cases.  😭

[firefly333]

17 minutes ago, Anyislandwilldo said:

 

We are sailing out of Galveston and Tx is really on the rise for new cases.  😭

Me too. I didnt realize that the obc depended on the length of the cancelled cruise, thought was the length of the cruise booked. My august cruise going to get cancelled is a 5 day, also have a oct 4th 7 day, the other 5 are all with rcl.

 

In all honesty, rcl has been giving better deals. I get free drinks. Better shows. The 5 bookings I have on rcl including taxes run from 675 to 1000. The 1000 is a corner aft facing balcony on liberty OTS. Was a lift and shift but still allowing them until August 1st. 

 

The cheapest 1A with taxes I can book for next year is 900 on carnival (I'm only looking at Galveston)

 

Sorry, I'll take the better deals rcl offering over $300 obc, and wait for my 7 day oct 7th carnival to get cancelled for the $600 obc. I'm just getting cheaper prices from rcl, and now that I read only $300 obc no matter what I book, I'll wait for next cancellation. I wrongly assumed I'd get $600. It's not worth it for me to rebook for $300 obc. 

Edited June 20, 2020 by firefly333

[Djptcp]

I wonder if our Breeze Sept. 19 cruise will go. Not sure we want to be on the first cruise out after the long suspension. Darn, I made the final payment the other day. We are also booked on the Legend for Nov. 22 - wonder if that will go? We may not be able to go until our Holland America cruise in late Feb......or not.

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, Djptcp said:

I wonder if our Breeze Sept. 19 cruise will go. Not sure we want to be on the first cruise out after the long suspension. Darn, I made the final payment the other day. We are also booked on the Legend for Nov. 22 - wonder if that will go? We may not be able to go until our Holland America cruise in late Feb......or not.

I strongly suspect another round of cancellations... but you and I probably have to wait another month.

[TNcruising02]

12 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I strongly suspect another round of cancellations... but you and I probably have to wait another month.

I think so too.  My cruise is at the end of September and I have a feeling Carnival will just cancel cruises through September 15th. Oh, well.  I've just got to roll with it.  If they end up cancelling my September cruise, it's a lot more expensive than the cruise I have a deposit on in January.  If I rolled over the money I paid, I will have a very large credit amount.

[ninjacat123]

31 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Sorry, I'll take the better deals rcl offering over $300 obc, and wait for my 7 day oct 7th carnival to get cancelled for the $600 obc. I'm just getting cheaper prices from rcl, and now that I read only $300 obc no matter what I book, I'll wait for next cancellation. I wrongly assumed I'd get $600. It's not worth it for me to rebook for $300 obc. 

Where did you read this?  On Carnival's site?  TIA!

[embarkation75]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

I'm beginning to worry about my january and February cruises as well.

 

Rumor someone heard was the cdc wanted to shut down until march, and clia voluntarily got them to agree to only sept 15, more cancellations are coming. Dont know if true.

 

If Carnival or NCL/RCL aren't cruising in some manner by Nov/Dec of this year, you won't need to worry about anything in Jan/Feb of 2021 or for that matter several years later as the cruise industry as we know it will collapse under bankruptcy. Good luck getting a future cruise when they've used most of their ships as collateral for loans they won't be able to pay! I don't have a crystal ball for predicting where the covid-19 trends head, but if CCL/NCL/RCL are not back in some manner by late 2020, the number of options for ships/ports/destinations/prices in future years will  be dramatically different and limited. I can see the industry becoming some combo of a same day booze cruise or a very limited elite "once in a lifetime" trip as the days of taking multiple cruises over a year(s) where you take the grandkids, will be over.

Edited June 20, 2020 by embarkation75

[Saint Greg]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

My wife and I have sat at several bars over the last several weeks, including the last two nights, without any issues. Every place we have been to is maintaining 6 feet between groups and we haven’t experienced any instances of people trying to stand in the gaps between people. 

 

Oh yeah that's not usually a problem at land bars but on the ship it happens all the time.

[Chief93]

40 minutes ago, embarkation75 said:

 

If Carnival or NCL/RCL aren't cruising in some manner by Nov/Dec of this year, you won't need to worry about anything in Jan/Feb of 2021 or for that matter several years later as the cruise industry as we know it will collapse under bankruptcy.

I hope you're wrong, but I have a sinking feeling you might be right.  If you are, it will devastate the economies of places like Roatan, Cozumel, Grand Turk etc.

[bury me at sea]

33 minutes ago, embarkation75 said:

 

If Carnival or NCL/RCL aren't cruising in some manner by Nov/Dec of this year, you won't need to worry about anything in Jan/Feb of 2021 or for that matter several years later as the cruise industry as we know it will collapse under bankruptcy. Good luck getting a future cruise when they've used most of their ships as collateral for loans they won't be able to pay! I don't have a crystal ball for predicting where the covid-19 trends head, but if CCL/NCL/RCL are not back in some manner by late 2020, the number of options for ships/ports/destinations/prices in future years will  be dramatically different and limited. I can see the industry becoming some combo of a same day booze cruise or a very limited elite "once in a lifetime" trip as the days of taking multiple cruises over a year(s) where you take the grandkids, will be over.

 

That is a bleak outlook.  I had gone so far mentally as thinking reorganization might not be entirely out of the question.  That is why I didn't buy stock when it bottomed.

 

Right now I'm just trying to get over the disappointment of having a September cruise cancelled and wondering if there is a reasonable chance we can sail in October.

 

I'm not in the income group that would ever consider an "elite once in a lifetime cruise".