How long can we go with no COVID or snarky comments?

[cl.klink]

This is an experiment.

 

How long can we go before a reply mentions COVID or some related words and phrases or words / phrases of COVID downstream consequences (e.g. corona, virus, pandemic, vaccine, hand-washing, social distancing, masks, quarantine, lift and shift, FCC, cruise cancellation,  "the new normal," "in these uncertain times")?  Also, there is so much pent up frustration in our lives now, due to the virus and the domino effects that followed, and I see this spilling into so many comments here (and in my every day life) that get so snippy and snarky (along the lines of "I know best what all this means or what we should do").

 

I'm really sick of it.

 

I browse here to think about cruises and the Celebrity product.  I am sorry, but I find myself reading thread after thread here that sooner or later engorge themselves on one of the two above themes.  It's become the dominant activity on this website.  I suppose there's a place for some such discourse, but I get bombarded with enough of it every day elsewhere. 

 

I just want to focus on cruising again.

 

Please?

So, how long on this thread can we just talk about cruising stuff, or Celebrity stuff.  Only positive comments.  No sad or scary or negative things.  No mention of COVID and related.  None of the magic words.  No "it all stinks" or "I know best" bombast. No snarky comments. 

 

How long can we keep it going?

 

- Joel

Edited August 24, 2020 by cl.klink
typos

[markeb]

I'm aspirational for at least one thread, but there's so little to say that's new...

 

We did try whisky (lasted about a week) and rum (lasted about three days). Booze does seem to overcome a lot of other topics...

 

Although the subjects you wish to avoid are probably my expertise, I'll keep them out of this thread.

[cl.klink]

6 minutes ago, markeb said:

I'm aspirational for at least one thread, but there's so little to say that's new...

 

We did try whisky (lasted about a week) and rum (lasted about three days). Booze does seem to overcome a lot of other topics...

 

Although the subjects you wish to avoid are probably my expertise, I'll keep them out of this thread.

 

Thanks, Markeb.

 

One down!

 

- Joel

[jelayne]

IMHO the normal cruise topics have been exhausted.  The Roll Calls are dead, and and at this point debating the scientific points of vaccines, tests and masks are all that are left.  Until a cruise or 2,3,4 sail from the US there isn’t much to talk about other than the dreaded _____.  
 

So we are trying to replica the Edge Martini Bar menu, one drink at a time 😀 

Edited August 24, 2020 by jelayne
Typo

[PROCRUISE]

Well, let's see if this helps at least a little.

Looking forward with the usual anticipation to 2 cruises with Celebrity, 1 with Holland America and 1 with Princess throughout 2021. Then to add a bit of new spice, we added an Amtrak trip: Tucson to San Antonio for 2 days, then on to New Orleans for 3 days and then back to Tucson all on the Sunset Limited. The total cost, since we are in Amtrak bedroom cabins, nice hotels included and insurance, is about the same as a 7 day cruise with balcony and all meals on the train also included. 

So all five trips should be very pleasant.

[cgolf1]

I am most curious when we get back cruising if the Connie will still be in the fleet in 2022 when we sail. Just working lots here and trying to not sweat the big stuff. The good news is my wife and I are building up lots of vaca time for our future cruises:) I mostly gave up posting on here because as you say a bit testy and it's all just speculation and not enough facts. To be fair the testiness started with the Edge and taht was about the time I actively started looking at this board.

[Arizona Wildcat]

17 minutes ago, PROCRUISE said:

Well, let's see if this helps at least a little.

Looking forward with the usual anticipation to 2 cruises with Celebrity, 1 with Holland America and 1 with Princess throughout 2021. Then to add a bit of new spice, we added an Amtrak trip: Tucson to San Antonio for 2 days, then on to New Orleans for 3 days and then back to Tucson all on the Sunset Limited. The total cost, since we are in Amtrak bedroom cabins, nice hotels included and insurance, is about the same as a 7 day cruise with balcony and all meals on the train also included. 

So all five trips should be very pleasant.

Did your Amtrack trip Tucson to NO. A week near the Old US Mint followed by a Royal Caribbean cruise and train home.

Fantastic trip to Alpine from Tucson.  Tracks terrible to NO.  Arrived 8 hours late in NO.  Return the same.

Will go Tucson to Amount and return with a few days in Big Bend next spring but never again for the rest of the route.

[TorontoSailor]

2 minutes ago, cgolf1 said:

I am most curious when we get back cruising if the Connie will still be in the fleet in 2022 when we sail. Just working lots here and trying to not sweat the big stuff. The good news is my wife and I are building up lots of vaca time for our future cruises:) I mostly gave up posting on here because as you say a bit testy and it's all just speculation and not enough facts. To be fair the testiness started with the Edge and taht was about the time I actively started looking at this board.

Yes. Will be interesting to see. She has intineraries listed. Hope so! I just did a Lift and Shift onto the Connie. Been on her two or three (can’t remember, must look), so it will be interesting to see if she gets that scheduled refurb now on hold! 

[jelayne]

Unless you are cruising in 2023 I doubt you will see the updates.  We have 4 cruises booked on the Infinity and the longer sailings  are delayed the longer delayed any updating of the ships will be.

[chemmo]

4 hours ago, cl.klink said:

 

 

 

I just want to focus on cruising again.

 

 

- Joel

 

I, for one, have been wondering what the management team have been up to. Lots of time to review responses to questionnaires, lots of time to reflect on the Revolution changes and decide what has and has not been successful...

 

Much as I do love the Celebrity product I hope that the Management team will have come up with a few new changes/ideas...

 

For example,

 

A bigger menu in Luminae 

A refreshed menu in the speciality restaurants (keeping old favourites but replacing the rarely ordered items with something new).

Working out a consistent way to monitor chair hogs.....

 

 

Joel, like you I like to see CC as an escape sometimes too, looking forward to our next cruise September 2021 is keeping me going! 

Edited August 24, 2020 by chemmo

[Bo1953]

9 hours ago, cgolf1 said:

I am most curious when we get back cruising if the Connie will still be in the fleet in 2022 when we sail. Just working lots here and trying to not sweat the big stuff. The good news is my wife and I are building up lots of vaca time for our future cruises:) I mostly gave up posting on here because as you say a bit testy and it's all just speculation and not enough facts. To be fair the testiness started with the Edge and taht was about the time I actively started looking at this board.

Yes, was that not a hot topic! LOL

 

Then the ship sailed and almost always full, with many of us really loving it!

 

bon voyage

[ipeeinthepool]

10 hours ago, cl.klink said:

This is an experiment.

 

How long can we go before a reply mentions COVID or some related words and phrases or words / phrases of COVID downstream consequences (e.g. corona, virus, pandemic, vaccine, hand-washing, social distancing, masks, quarantine, lift and shift, FCC, cruise cancellation,  "the new normal," "in these uncertain times")?  Also, there is so much pent up frustration in our lives now, due to the virus and the domino effects that followed, and I see this spilling into so many comments here (and in my every day life) that get so snippy and snarky (along the lines of "I know best what all this means or what we should do").

 

I'm really sick of it.

 

I browse here to think about cruises and the Celebrity product.  I am sorry, but I find myself reading thread after thread here that sooner or later engorge themselves on one of the two above themes.  It's become the dominant activity on this website.  I suppose there's a place for some such discourse, but I get bombarded with enough of it every day elsewhere. 

 

I just want to focus on cruising again.

 

Please?

So, how long on this thread can we just talk about cruising stuff, or Celebrity stuff.  Only positive comments.  No sad or scary or negative things.  No mention of COVID and related.  None of the magic words.  No "it all stinks" or "I know best" bombast. No snarky comments. 

 

How long can we keep it going?

 

- Joel

 

As your friend would say "I know nothing, I see nothing"

[Ken the cruiser]

10 hours ago, cl.klink said:

So, how long on this thread can we just talk about cruising stuff, or Celebrity stuff.  Only positive comments.  No sad or scary or negative things.  No mention of COVID and related.  None of the magic words.  No "it all stinks" or "I know best" bombast. No snarky comments. 

 

How long can we keep it going?

 

- Joel

One positive thing that happened this past Spring was the big RCL stock price drop, at least for those of us that didn't want to pay $100+ per share to reap their newly enhanced shareholder benefits expanded in 2019.

[TeeRick]

Joel,

There are a few things that generally in normal times get people going here.  Let's recap:

-Smoking, smoking on balconies, smoking areas

-Loud music

-Infinite Verandas

-Taking "perks" away.

-Oh those horrible suite passengers taking away prime ship space

-Oh those horrible suite passengers daring to dine in Blu

-Food in the MDR is inedible

-The Eden show on E-Class

-E-Class vs S-Class vs M-Class

-Kelly Hoppen and Hoppenization of Celebrity ships

-Footstools or lack thereof

-Gratuities

-Price of drink packages and specialty restaurants, price of WiFi

-Chair Hogs

-Art Auctions

-Scooters

-Cleanliness of the buffet

-Lisa Lutoff-Perlo (LLP)

-Saint Captain Kate

 

Of course people can come up with others I'm sure.  But none of these things seem as important to us right now as before when we were free to plan, book and take cruises.😀

 

 

[PTC DAWG]

Booked on the Edge in March...Sunset Veranda...I’m ready to go..

[Pinboy]

10 hours ago, cl.klink said:

How long can we keep it going?

Only positive comments

cruises and the Celebrity product.

Oh Boy-- I'll make it short.

Avoiding talk of Covid-19----- pretty good chance on this thread.

" No snarky comments---Only positive comments "----- Impossible on any thread because social media attracts those who will oppose everything to get a " reaction ".  Saying  "I'm really sick of it " might only add " fuel to the fire " for these folks. 

" cruises and the Celebrity product "---  Never had a bad experience on any of our many Celebrity cruises. When the time is right ( for us ) we will be back.

 

 

 

[sanger727]

Covid

 

 

 

Really though, the thread was doomed from the start since the OP mentioned covid....

[Ken the cruiser]

34 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Joel,

There are a few things that generally in normal times get people going here.  Let's recap:

-Smoking, smoking on balconies, smoking areas

-Loud music

-Infinite Verandas

-Taking "perks" away.

-Oh those horrible suite passengers taking away prime ship space

-Oh those horrible suite passengers daring to dine in Blu

-Food in the MDR is inedible

-The Eden show on E-Class

-E-Class vs S-Class vs M-Class

-Kelly Hoppen and Hoppenization of Celebrity ships

-Footstools or lack thereof

-Gratuities

-Price of drink packages and specialty restaurants, price of WiFi

-Chair Hogs

-Art Auctions

-Scooters

-Cleanliness of the buffet

-Lisa Lutoff-Perlo (LLP)

-Saint Captain Kate

 

Of course people can come up with others I'm sure.  But none of these things seem as important to us right now as before when we were free to plan, book and take cruises.😀

 

I have found with cruise critic forums, there are informative threads, venting threads and every once in awhile "just for the fun of it" threads. However, sometimes threads I'm following can go a little sideways and when that happens, I usually click the "Unfollow" button. OTOH sometimes a venting thread can help folks relieve some of their pent-up frustrations triggered by events, similar to the ones you referenced, before, during or after the cruise. But, on occasion, there are those few that just like to stir things up just to get a rise out of someone. When that happens I've heard there is now an Ignore button you can use on Cruise Critic.

 

For me I keep coming back to CC because the knowledge I've gained over the years from some of the many very wise folks that post here totally outweighs some of the off-the-wall comments that pop up periodically.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Ken the cruiser

[downsmead]

I would suggest a topic on alternative uses for Sushi on 5! I feel it is a very underused venue and could offer more! 
Apologies for the ‘critical’ start but looking for positive suggestions 😂

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by downsmead

[Life Buoy]

I just keep repeating the Serenity Prayer.

[marieps]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

One positive thing that happened this past Spring was the big RCL stock price drop, at least for those of us that didn't want to pay $100+ per share to reap their newly enhanced shareholder benefits expanded in 2019.

Could you explain the enhancement to the SHB?  New holder of 100 shares asking.

[Pinboy]

56 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

There are a few things that generally in normal times get people going here. 

LOL--- You forgot the " Who's on board " thread that someone ( ??? ) replied to and had his head knocked off within 23 seconds of the posting.

[Ken the cruiser]

20 minutes ago, marieps said:

Could you explain the enhancement to the SHB?  New holder of 100 shares asking.

From my device I can't seem to post a link. So, do an internet search on "RCL shareholder benefits", and check out those with a Royal Caribbean link.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Ken the cruiser

[marieps]

15 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

From my device I can't seem to post a link. So, do an internet search on "RCL shareholder benefits", and check out those with a Royal Caribbean link.

Is the enhancement the fact they bumped it to $250 on 14 day+ cruises?

[Ken the cruiser]

4 minutes ago, marieps said:

Is the enhancement the fact they bumped it to $250 on 14 day+ cruises?

Actually, in June 2019 RCG changed the benefits to more coincide with what you get when cruising on either a Carnival or Norwegian-owned cruise line. Prior to that I believe you only got the benefits if you're booking didn't have any promotions attached to it. But, maybe someone else who had RCG SHBs back then might be able to shed more light on the previous perks, which weren't many.