If you could never cruise again, what would you do in place of it?

[Sea Dog]

I would save more money and then spend it on a private charter. I may not be able to afford a super yacht, but you can go to Tortola and charter a decent catamaran with crew for a week for a little more than a cruise. Sure you don't have all the shows and bars but I think you could still have a great time.

[OnTheJourney]

16 hours ago, KG1924 said:

We decided to recently spend a week up in the mountains in Tennessee. We also just booked an ocean front house in North Carolina in October. We found that it was a great way to get a change of scenery and an even better way to social distance! I will say, we ventured very briefly into Gatlinburg where social distancing was pretty non-existent and mask wearing was minimal unfortunately. So we retreated back to our gorgeous cabin and stuck with hiking, golfing, and relaxing with drinks everyday. 

 

I was very surprised how much we enjoyed the slower pace of a vacation in comparison to a cruise. I expect our fall trip to the beach to be much of the same. We'll do curbside groceries on our way just like in TN and I would imagine that we will golf a few times but will spend the majority of our time back at the house. Illinois doesn't offer much in the way of great scenery, so we'll actually take the time to enjoy it. Although I do miss staring out into the middle of the ocean like we do during a cruise. Some day.....

 

BTW-these are the very first long distance trips we've done via car. It's only my husband and I, so flying just makes sense to us. But with everything going on, we've decided to bite the bullet and drive. 8 hours to TN was a little rough....not looking forward to 14+ to NC!!

 

Your plan sounds great! A few years ago we drove the entire Blue Ridge Parkway during the fall. Both Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mts. National Parks are great. I can see where Gatlinburg would not have exactly been the hub of social distancing. Many years ago we did a few beach vacations that stayed at different areas in NC - Nags Head, Ocracoke, Cape Hatteras, etc. We had to come home early due to an approaching hurricane (which turned out not to be the threat it was forecasted). Had to evacuate Ocracoke sooner than we expected. Must admit to never having rented a house anywhere. We do mostly hotels. 

 

Car traveling is still our favorite mode. Funny how you mention a slower pace. When I plan car travels, we pretty well shoot the works as far as trying to cram in as much sightseeing as we can. I book all hotels ahead of time and so I guess you could say we're sort of "locked" into an itinerary (much like a booked land tour) but I've hardly ever been disappointed or felt the need to alter plans along the way. It hasn't been unusual for us to do trips of 2-3k miles. Lately, we've gotten into more fly/drive - saves time getting across country if we plan to visit areas in the west. We have 3 weeks booked to visit Nat. Parks in the west in October - but I don't think we want to go through with it - not sure I'm ready to fly let alone do the extensive sightseeing I have planned - as well as the 4-5 different hotels I have booked. Trip ends in San Antonio - was hoping to do the Riverwalk, etc. - probably not the best idea either. I'll probably re-book it all for next October. 

 

Safe travels...

Edited August 4, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[Sunshine3601]

Prior to becoming cruise addicts we always enjoyed road trips.  Especially when the kids were younger.  When they started college and moved out we fell in love with cruising.  Neither of the boys have any interest in cruises.  Maybe someday.

We used to move from motel/hotel almost everyday on some trips.  I grew tired of living out of suitcase.  Now I enjoy to be in one location for several days to week to explore and relax.  We enjoy renting vacation homes when possible.  

There are so many beautiful places in america I want to see.  So if no cruises or we cruise alot less I think we will enjoy more of america as well as travel in europe if flying is safe option.

[jeanneful]

We Love going Rv'ing, we do that in-between cruises. Purchased a new Moter Home 4 years ago, and just paid it off!! So that is our plan!! See the USA without staying in hotels and eating out!! Yes we do love to cruise but not comfortable about doing that in the near further. At least we have 35 cruises we have enjoyed so I guess now it's time to do our second favorite thing!!! RV'ing!!

Edited August 4, 2020 by jeanneful

[jeanneful]

On 7/14/2020 at 12:00 AM, Etta1213 said:

I would love it! But my husband and I are so helpless when it comes to hands on, fixing anything, mechanics, etc, we could not trust to travel that way. Every person we have known who had a camper, RV, etc, has had some basic skills/talent that we just lack.

That is what we do!!!! Love going RV'ing!!

[island lady]

Doing it.  Arrived in Alaska on the 1st to spend the month of August at various cabins, taking the place of cancelled cruises.  Loving it.  😉 

[OnTheJourney]

Great time to get into RV, and I'm sure that market will do well in this environment. I must admit to have never been interested in camping, etc. Did a cross-country trip once in a new GMC motorcoach (prototype). My Dad rented it from the outfit he worked for (that repaired and sold them). It was 6 of us in there- I really did enjoy it, but the thing leaked like a sieve. Used to have assorted pots and pans setting around every time it rained. Could have made a movie out of parts of that trip. My aunt hated it and so was relegated to the back seat (that was the deal at the beginning for anyone that gets grumpy) and still wishes she had her share of the costs back. Best was when the door fell off the hinges while my grandmother was using the bathroom. The thing had air suspension though and road beautifully.

 

IF I were going to get into RVing, it would not be by towing a camper around. I'd want a self-drive (what I probably incorrectly lump under the category of "motor home"). But then, if the thing is too long - I'd have nowhere to store it at my house and also some of the roads that we like to travel on - such as mountain driving out west - I know I sure wouldn't want to be driving something 30-40 feet long. And so, the right way to do it is to tow a car behind the motor home - now we're talking about an even longer rig to handle though. Also, we really like the idea of pulling into a hotel for the night (or however long) and then moving to the next place. I always book all accommodations ahead of time. No work, no food to drag along all the time, etc. BUT, as said, in such a time as this I see the appeal of being self-contained. 

Edited August 4, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

Doing it.  Arrived in Alaska on the 1st to spend the month of August at various cabins, taking the place of cancelled cruises.  Loving it.  😉 

 

From Port Canaveral? How'd you get to Alaska?  Fly or drive? 

Edited August 4, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

4 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Prior to becoming cruise addicts we always enjoyed road trips.  Especially when the kids were younger.  When they started college and moved out we fell in love with cruising.  Neither of the boys have any interest in cruises.  Maybe someday.

We used to move from motel/hotel almost everyday on some trips.  I grew tired of living out of suitcase.  Now I enjoy to be in one location for several days to week to explore and relax.  We enjoy renting vacation homes when possible.  

There are so many beautiful places in america I want to see.  So if no cruises or we cruise alot less I think we will enjoy more of america as well as travel in europe if flying is safe option.

 

Never minded the packing and unpacking associated with our road trips. DW is the master of packing and so would figure things out that we'd hardly ever have to take in more luggage to a hotel than we really need. Half way through a trip we often either switch to luggage that hasn't been used yet or else she'd take an evening or so to switch things around. I agree, though, that cruising is great for not having to do much unpacking / repacking, etc. I just like coming into new places every night (unless we stay in one location for a few days - which is nice also. 

[AlohaLivin]

On 7/30/2020 at 9:29 PM, Etta1213 said:

The ocean, wave action fascinate and soothe me. Lakes, mountains don't do it. The only river I saw that absolutely mesmerized me was the Niagra, when years ago we visited the Falls. (I haven't seen many rivers.)

I swear that I think my DH cruises because of how well he sleeps on a cruise.

[KG1924]

On 8/4/2020 at 8:01 AM, OnTheJourney said:

 

Your plan sounds great! A few years ago we drove the entire Blue Ridge Parkway during the fall. Both Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mts. National Parks are great. I can see where Gatlinburg would not have exactly been the hub of social distancing. Many years ago we did a few beach vacations that stayed at different areas in NC - Nags Head, Ocracoke, Cape Hatteras, etc. We had to come home early due to an approaching hurricane (which turned out not to be the threat it was forecasted). Had to evacuate Ocracoke sooner than we expected. Must admit to never having rented a house anywhere. We do mostly hotels. 

 

Car traveling is still our favorite mode. Funny how you mention a slower pace. When I plan car travels, we pretty well shoot the works as far as trying to cram in as much sightseeing as we can. I book all hotels ahead of time and so I guess you could say we're sort of "locked" into an itinerary (much like a booked land tour) but I've hardly ever been disappointed or felt the need to alter plans along the way. It hasn't been unusual for us to do trips of 2-3k miles. Lately, we've gotten into more fly/drive - saves time getting across country if we plan to visit areas in the west. We have 3 weeks booked to visit Nat. Parks in the west in October - but I don't think we want to go through with it - not sure I'm ready to fly let alone do the extensive sightseeing I have planned - as well as the 4-5 different hotels I have booked. Trip ends in San Antonio - was hoping to do the Riverwalk, etc. - probably not the best idea either. I'll probably re-book it all for next October. 

 

Safe travels...

We both said while we were in TN that we would LOVE to come back in the fall. It has to be absolutely gorgeous! It felt so good to just be outside in the fresh air (although 90+ temps and humidity made it a little steamy lol!) We would hike and talk and take it all in. Sounds odd, but it felt good to feel "normal" for a minute, meaning we weren't wearing masks since it was just us two hiking, we weren't watching the news, and we almost forgot what was really going on in the world. It was a great mental break.

 

I think that if we keep doing the car travel, we will start doing/seeing more along the way. The way things are going, I guess I'm hesitant to plan a bunch just to have the plans go awry due to covid restrictions (not complaining about them...I'm happy to go along with any safety measures) So for NC we're driving straight through with my Mother in Law tagging along and my husband and I will switch driving every gas fill up and get out to stretch our legs a bit. Getting there is never as bad as you know you've got vacation ahead. As we get closer, we may opt to stop overnight on the way home and hopefully squeeze in some sight seeing on the way. I like the flexibility of it all.

 

I'm envious of your travel plans and I hope you get to go! 2020 for me has just become a year of waking up and saying "Who knows what today will bring" 😄

 

ETA: Gatlinburg is a beautiful town by the way. I don't want to deter people from visiting. It was just too crowded for us on that particular evening. My sister and her family went there the next evening to go to Anikeesta (not sure I'm spelling that correctly) and said it was about a 1/3 of the crowds that were there the night before. 

Edited August 6, 2020 by KG1924

[OnTheJourney]

KG....I'm not hopeful for our October trip. I think it's a bit too extensive for our comfort level - especially with flying. I've been looking into a much simpler, local option. I believe the Western trip will have to be rebooked for next year. As you say, it's a one-day-at-a-time situation at present. 

[chipmaster]

We'd just take more short flying vacations to places, just change the logistics.  Alaska and the glaciers would be the only thing that is really unreplaceable.

[BND]

As I posted previously we went to OC MD 19-26 July and we're going back in Nov. Hey, the beach is the beach, well kind of.

[lovelife]

On 7/4/2020 at 10:41 PM, Jimbo said:

If you could never cruise again, what would you do in place of it?

Another kind of vacation, take up a hobby, volunteer with some organization, work more or another idea??

 

Move to Maui.

[island lady]

On 8/4/2020 at 2:03 PM, OnTheJourney said:

 

From Port Canaveral? How'd you get to Alaska?  Fly or drive? 

 

Magic carpet ride on Delta.  😉 

[FlorenceItaly]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Magic carpet ride on Delta.  😉 

Sounds fabulous.  IMO, this is the perfect time to be in Alaska without the cruise ships.  Unfortunately, due to a medical crisis it is not an option for us, but, if it was, this is where we would be!  ENJOY!

[LMaxwell]

What I spend a year on cruising will easily cover the cost of joining and maintaining membership in a boat club with reciprocity at multiple locations; so maybe look into smaller mini-vacations in those various shoreside areas. 

[OnTheJourney]

On 8/7/2020 at 12:53 PM, island lady said:

 

Magic carpet ride on Delta.  😉 

 

How was flying..the airports, etc. Assuming masked during the flight?  You're far braver than we are at this point. We'll probably cancel our trip out west in October since it involves flying and several different hotels - lots of sightseeing in the National Parks. Will probably substitute something much simpler, shorter, and less peopled. 

Edited August 9, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[kathy884]

On 7/6/2020 at 9:56 PM, Clancy14 said:

Buy a condo on Mackinac Island! 

I've been reading this thread for inspiration and travel ideas.  Wasn't expecting to see Mackinac Island listed.  We are going to Mackinac Island for the first time next week (I've never been) and am really  looking forward to this.  With all this COVID-19 stuff, I have mixed emotions about traveling, but decided to do some vs. none, but have cut way back.  This will be our first trip since our cruise last February.  

[kathy884]

On 7/12/2020 at 7:53 PM, SherriZ366 said:

Is there a good website for looking at timeshare being rented by owners?  

We've use Redweek.com (timeshare rental site) and TUG2.net (TUG is a timeshare users group) for timeshare rentals.  I've probably done about a dozen rentals.  On Redweek, we look as guests and just join for the nominal $10 or $15 (don't remember the fee) if we find something we want to rent.  We don't own a timeshare and don't intend buy one (even on the resale market) - doesn't make sense for us (cash is king), but we love staying at these.  Like another owner mentioned IMHO, rentals are a great value too.  We've mostly rented in Orlando (but have done rentals in three other area too (Orlando is an area that is way overbuildt, so tons of really great deals (quality for price is great) there).  We like timeshare rentals way more than home rentals and condo rentals on sites like VRBO because of the great resort feel and amenities the timeshares have (better landscaping, pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, great patio or balcony, consistent tasteful furniture and decor, nice grounds).  When I was doing a lot of these rentals, I even joined TUG to be able to read all the reviews to help me do good rental picks that I knew my family would love. 

 

One tip, though, always say no to the resort tour which is a timeshare presentation, and we never pickup the coupon book at the welcome desk they tell you about at check in, which is a chance for someone to talk you into attending a high pressure presentation.  If people ask me if I'd like to do a timeshare presentation, I just say, "No thanks.  I'd rather have a root canal." and they clearly understand that I don't want to do one and don't ask me again.

Edited August 9, 2020 by kathy884

[cruiselvr04]

We have no interest in time shares.  I don’t like the idea of being locked into a certain time or place.  Not going to buy a cabin on a lake as we like variety.  Maybe we’ll buy a used RV in 2-3 years when things go back to normal and all of those who did it while being locked down have moved on to something else....

 

Actually we just want to cruise, both ocean and river and see more of the world.  The best part of it was unpacking once and not driving or flying from place to place.  Doing that requires so many logistics even though you see more by spending more time in a place. I’d also do more organized land tours where they basically take care of the details.  

 

For this fall it’s a flying/driving trip which we will enjoy but it won’t be the same as a cruise.  I foresee some evenings sitting in a hotel room watching TV,  not what we like to do on vacation. TBD.

[Vacationdreamer<><]

Used RV and lots of beach trips.  
We'd keep up our road trips (assuming those become less restrictive).

[4774Papa]

Travel, travel, travel, sometimes on a tour, sometimes renting a car, sometimes taking the train.

[island lady]

17 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

 

How was flying..the airports, etc. Assuming masked during the flight?  You're far braver than we are at this point. We'll probably cancel our trip out west in October since it involves flying and several different hotels - lots of sightseeing in the National Parks. Will probably substitute something much simpler, shorter, and less peopled. 

 

Was definitely different!  We arrived at Orlando airport for our outbound flight, and was amazed!  Have never seen it so empty!  Yes, masks during the whole flight, only to remove if drinking or eating in your seat.  Then had to put them right back on.  

 

Long line for Covid health check in at Anchorage...but kept moving.  

 

Since we are booked to stay up here for the whole month...just braved the flight...which was worth it as we are enjoying the wilderness and remote cabins to stay at.  Not staying in hotels.