I'll Never Take Cruising For Granted Again.

[Joebucks]

Great topic. Past all of the complaints about chair hogs, cutbacks, food quality, and all of the other nonsense, there is a reason we cruise. Once you step on that ship, it is an experience. As with most things in life, many don't truly appreciate them until they are gone. Life comes at you fast. You never know when will be the last day you can enjoy the things you love or even when your life will end. There are many that will never cruise again now.

 

This is a big part of why I don't agree with the current state of things. Maybe my view is skewed because I've grown up around quite a few people who have always lived in fear. Always highlighting the dangers of everything and eating up the fear in the news. Yet,ironically, they are usually the ones in the worst health. Nor is that the way you want to live life. Many of us don't fear the odds of all of the things that have a .002% chance of killing us, no matter what the threat of the week is. Exercising reasonable caution and living our lives to the fullest is the best we can do.

[navybankerteacher]

29 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

...

 

This is a big part of why I don't agree with the current state of things. Maybe my view is skewed because I've grown up around quite a few people who have always lived in fear. Always highlighting the dangers of everything and eating up the fear in the news. Yet,ironically, they are usually the ones in the worst health. Nor is that the way you want to live life. Many of us don't fear the odds of all of the things that have a .002% chance of killing us, no matter what the threat of the week is. Exercising reasonable caution and living our lives to the fullest is the best we can do.

Sounds manly  - but the intelligent person assesses risk and acts accordingly.  Being gutsy is not automatically best in all cases.   The “ I’m not going to let COVID scare me folks” are a large part of the reason it is still spreading.,  still disrupting our economy, and still postponing cruising.   Until a significant proportion of our population wises up, those who haven’t the sense to show some intelligent fear will continue to screw things up for everyone.

 

There seems to be some promise about a vaccine coming along in a few months - and I am sure there will be some yahoos who will change their tune to “get a vaccine if you want to, but don’t take away my rights and make me get one” — much the same way they resist wearing masks now.

 

P.S. I don’t “...agree with the current state of things.” either — that is why I am not inclined to agree with those whose arrogance has largely contributed to “...the current state of things.”

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

Great topic. Past all of the complaints about chair hogs, cutbacks, food quality, and all of the other nonsense, there is a reason we cruise. Once you step on that ship, it is an experience. As with most things in life, many don't truly appreciate them until they are gone. Life comes at you fast. You never know when will be the last day you can enjoy the things you love or even when your life will end. There are many that will never cruise again now.

 

This is a big part of why I don't agree with the current state of things. Maybe my view is skewed because I've grown up around quite a few people who have always lived in fear. Always highlighting the dangers of everything and eating up the fear in the news. Yet,ironically, they are usually the ones in the worst health. Nor is that the way you want to live life. Many of us don't fear the odds of all of the things that have a .002% chance of killing us, no matter what the threat of the week is. Exercising reasonable caution and living our lives to the fullest is the best we can do.

 

Perhaps they are two very different camps of people, but I find it very odd that cruisers on these boards were terrified a few years ago by random terrorist acts in various foreign countries (e.g., France, Belgium, Turkey) and swore they would not travel to these countries because they did not want to take the almost infinitesimal risk that they might be in just the right place on just the right day at just the right time to be impacted by one of these (rare) attacks.

 

Yet now, when the actual risk is hundreds of times greater that their cruise could be impacted by COVID-19, people are champing at the bit to get going again.

 

I am not one with irrational fears. I'm not terribly afraid I'd get COVID and die from it. However, I'd view it as a waste of my money and time to take a cruise that (a) wasn't allowed to carry out the planned itinerary due to one or even a suspected case of COVID onboard, (b) having to undergo a quarantine somewhere other than at home, and (c) be faced with possibly large expenses to get myself home due to gaps in current insurance coverages.  Not to mention that US residents are not welcome in most other countries that I'd want to visit right now.

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by cruisemom42

[ilikeanswers]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

Perhaps they are two very different camps of people, but I find it very odd that cruisers on these boards were terrified a few years ago by random terrorist acts in various foreign countries (e.g., France, Belgium, Turkey) and swore they would not travel to these countries because they did not want to take the almost infinitesimal risk that they might be in just the right place on just the right day at just the right time to be impacted by one of these (rare) attacks.

 

It is interesting that the risk of terrorism is so tiny yet people were willing to put up with all the uncomfortable and tedious new procedures and systems to prevent this small risk but everyone complains about any proposed changes for the purpose preventing COVID19🙄. 

[Joebucks]

4 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Sounds manly  - but the intelligent person assesses risk and acts accordingly.  Being gutsy is not automatically best in all cases.   The “ I’m not going to let COVID scare me folks” are a large part of the reason it is still spreading.,  still disrupting our economy, and still postponing cruising.   Until a significant proportion of our population wises up, those who haven’t the sense to show some intelligent fear will continue to screw things up for everyone.

 

There seems to be some promise about a vaccine coming along in a few months - and I am sure there will be some yahoos who will change their tune to “get a vaccine if you want to, but don’t take away my rights and make me get one” — much the same way they resist wearing masks now.

 

P.S. I don’t “...agree with the current state of things.” either — that is why I am not inclined to agree with those whose arrogance has largely contributed to “...the current state of things.”

 

Hence my post when I said "exercising reasonable caution". I didn't say the world should be without restriction. However, I am not convinced that cruise ships need to be grounded and people need to be in lockdown.