Anyone else just giving up on a cruise for a while?

[K.T.B.]

"Golf is a good walk spoiled." ~ Mark Twain.

[Jim_Iain]

We have had 8 cruises cancelled now and still have a B2B out of Rio in March.  We have all but given up on  expecting that it will take place so awaiting closer to final payment to make a decision.

 

I think my strategy for now will be just wait until cruising gets back to normal and waiting until after final payment date to pick up some cruises.    Being retired we have no restrictions on work schedule.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

14 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

We have had 8 cruises cancelled now and still have a B2B out of Rio in March.  We have all but given up on  expecting that it will take place so awaiting closer to final payment to make a decision.

 

I think my strategy for now will be just wait until cruising gets back to normal and waiting until after final payment date to pick up some cruises.    Being retired we have no restrictions on work schedule.

 

I've had 6 cancelled.  I did reschedule to 2021 three that had particularly good itineraries , but now I wonder about those.  They all involve international travel.  Will take a closer look when final payment arrives, but for now, I'm not booking anything.  Way too much hassle with getting refunds.  Also retired and can pick up cruises after final.  In addition, I live in Florida, so flying for some cruises is not an issue.

[jelayne]

We have had 7  cruises cancelled.  Fortunately for the last 3 we had purposely not booked air.  Most  cancelled cruises were international, 5 Asia.  Our next international is Oct 2021 fingers crossed they sail.

We have 3 Caribbean booked 2 February & 1 in  April - not optimistic about Feb but hopeful that the April 7 N on Edge in a Suite goes.  We L & S'd  2  to 2022.

No air booked for any cruises.  Still fighting for a refund from Alitalia for a flight they cancelled in April.  

 

In the meantime we are taking 3-4 day trips to resorts within driving distance.

[OuiOnboard]

We have not cruised since early 2017. We put the money saved since then into a second home with fabulous marine vistas. We might cruise again someday. We stay positive when and where we can.

[Bo1953]

On 10/4/2020 at 12:33 PM, Duanerice1 said:

I know most of us on here are chomping at the bit to get on a cruise, otherwise we wouldn't be on Cruise Critic.  I see a lot of people willing to go ahead as soon as the lines start cruising.  But as anxious as I am to cruise and looking at some of the great deals out there (sadly not Celebrity), I still can't pull the trigger and book one.

 

I'm not cruising until things get back to "normal", whatever that is going to be.  I'm fine with lot's of disinfectants, staff serving me at a buffet, etc.  But I'm not wearing a mask on a cruise or not being able to go to a show because of social distancing,  or sit in a bar, etc.   I'm not going to take a ships excursion or not be able to walk around in port on my own.  Oh and it's not about having to wear a mask, social distancing, etc. as I abide by those protocols now.  It's not that I'm afraid to catch Covid (but don't want to, lol).  But that's not a cruise I want to be on.  

 

If other people want to cruise, more power to you and I hope you have a blessed time.  It's just not the vacation for me right now.  If the cruises were half price..... I might consider but not sure I'd even go then.  Cruises will get back to somewhat normal.  It's not if, but when.  It might be 6 months, might be 2 years.  And yea, there will probably be some protocols in place but not much.  Six months after most of the population has a vaccine, most things will be back to the old normal.  People tend to forget......

 

We are leaving next week for 8 nights in a cabin outside of Blue Ridge GA.  Lot's of hiking, sitting in front of the fireplace on the patio and just exploring the area.  

 

Be safe all with whatever you choose to do!

Duane

 

Not by MY choice!!!

 

My spouse has major input on this and currently we do not even venture inside a restaurant even though it is permissible...LOL

 

bon voyage

[nocl]

30 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

Not by MY choice!!!

 

My spouse has major input on this and currently we do not even venture inside a restaurant even though it is permissible...LOL

 

bon voyage

Smart spouse

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, nocl said:

Smart spouse

indeed. I mask up when I step outside.  Have not been inside a restaurant or market in months, no plans to do so for foreseeable future.  Everything I need/want can and has been easily delivered directly to my door.  You non-believers and conspiracy/hoax folks, will be thanking us later.  Stay safe and mask up!!  

[Bo1953]

3 hours ago, nocl said:

Smart spouse

LOL - I Am more adventurous and cautious simultaneously...

 

If it is an activity like cruising, tell me the protocols, no matter how restrictive, I will be there on-board for sure...

 

I whole-heartedly do not blame anyone who does not even remotely want to do this because of the restrictions or thoughts about the ship not being safe enough for them rather that be due to nonchalant fellow passengers or sanitizing procedures or restrictive port tours. I respect and understand their decisions fully and I would abide by all restrictions regardless.

 

bon voyage

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

indeed. I mask up when I step outside.  Have not been inside a restaurant or market in months, no plans to do so for foreseeable future.  Everything I need/want can and has been easily delivered directly to my door.  You non-believers and conspiracy/hoax folks, will be thanking us later.  Stay safe and mask up!!  

Believe me when I tell you, personally I do not think C-19 is a hoax and I do believe as we have friends who have been struck by this disease and a few friends who cannot afford to be struck by it, either.

 

I take penultimate care when in the office and out in public because there are too many people in our area who just do not care and will not wear masks and/or socially distance.

 

When I go to unknown places, I call in advance to find out what protocols are in place to shop or visit... if the response is not satisfactory I do not go. In fact I Am known in our town as the guy who will stick his head through the door and decide if it is safe enough to enter i.e. people wearing masks and in some places I want to see people having their temperatures taken, too.

 

Yours in health and bon voyage

[d9704011]

9 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

penultimate care

Hmmmm.....

[canoncruiser]

Well, I’ll tell y’all-I’m booked to Bermuda in May 2021 and Cunard in August. I’m champing at the bit!😄

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, d9704011 said:

Hmmmm.....

you took two words and emphasized them with Hmmmm....what is your point?

[d9704011]

7 hours ago, LGW59 said:

you took two words and emphasized them with Hmmmm....what is your point?

Do you know the meaning of penultimate?  If so, explain what is meant by taking ‘...penultimate care’.

 

Has the expression ‘abysmal ignorance’ ever been mentioned to you?

[Cruise a holic]

On 10/4/2020 at 4:44 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I agree.  If taking a covid vaccine is a requirement to cruise, I'm out.  They have been trying to come up with a vaccine for corona viruses for years with no success.  Don't see how they can now suddenly succeed.

They haven't been working on a covid virus for years as far as I have read.  Science can succeed.  Did it with DPT, Polio, smallpox to name a few-  We will have sucess in the future.

 

I have faith in science-  I will plan to cruise again- perhaps not in the near future, but we can plan for 2022 and grab a great deal.

 

 

[sandancer]

I think for us it’s more like cruising is giving up on us for a while. We still have the travel advisory in place by the British government preventing us Brits cruising. The fact that Cunard have cancelled everything until April 2021 makes me think that the ban won’t be lifted before that. Given that our our next cruise is the Reflection TA in April is worrying. We have lost 2 holidays this year, the Glacier Express train in Switzerland and in September we were meant to make our annual visit to Lake Garda. January in Madeira has now been cancelled also. It’s hard to stay upbeat but given what other people have gone through what’s a few cancelled trips?

[Doubt It]

I am one of the many giving up on cruising for 2 reasons; the virus and its impact on air travel and cruising. But also, I was very put off cruising well before the virus due to the constant downgrading and up charging and hyperclass dividing and loss of public space like the Sky Lounge - this on all the cruise lines. I have no reason not to believe that the downgrading will continue given the financial circumstances of the cruise lines.

 

No, it will take much change in the cruise industry to get me to book a cruise.

[nocl]

4 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

They haven't been working on a covid virus for years as far as I have read.  Science can succeed.  Did it with DPT, Polio, smallpox to name a few-  We will have sucess in the future.

 

I have faith in science-  I will plan to cruise again- perhaps not in the near future, but we can plan for 2022 and grab a great deal.

 

 

Actually there has been quite a bit of work on Corona viruses of which COVID-19 is one.  MERS and SARS were also Corona viruses.  In the case of SARS the disease died out before the vaccine candidates could be tested. In the case of MERS there are existing vaccine candidates, but they have also not been tested due to the rarity of the disease and the high cost of conducting a trial that would need tens of thousands of the people most likely to catch the disease (camel herders).

 

There are also several successful Corona virus vaccines for animals.

 

Most Corona viruses are mild (common cold) and it is not worthwhile to pursue a vaccine there.  After all there are several different viruses, both Corona viruses and Rhino viruses, that cause what is called the common cold.  So to vaccinate against it, you would need dozens of vaccines. Considering that most would not take one vaccine for something as minor as the common cold I doubt they would take dozens.  Thus not worth pursuing.

[LGW59]

5 hours ago, d9704011 said:

Do you know the meaning of penultimate?  If so, explain what is meant by taking ‘...penultimate care’.

 

Has the expression ‘abysmal ignorance’ ever been mentioned to you?

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today.  Have you ever heard of anger management techniques?

[d9704011]

10 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today.  Have you ever heard of anger management techniques?

Excellent rejoinder although it doesn’t much respond to the question(s) at hand.

[FlorenceItaly]

I cancelled our 12/2021 Celebrity cruise today to obtain a refund of $900 deposit to my credit card.  I am trying to minimize my loss should the cruise lines not survive.  I still have 2(one HAL, one Celebrity) booked for 10/2021 and a Celebrity 3/2022.  I am contemplating canceling the other 10/2021 Celebrity cruise for a refund of $500 deposit to my credit card.  I am double booked with the HAL and Celebrity and AT THIS MOMENT the HAL cruise(29 days) is my preference.  Still contemplating.

[nocl]

When it becomes time to start cruising again I plan to look at each line as if I have never cruised before.  The reason is because cruising after COVID might be substantially different than cruising before COVID and past experience may not apply to futrue cruises.

[LGW59]

3 minutes ago, nocl said:

When it becomes time to start cruising again I plan to look at each line as if I have never cruised before.  The reason is because cruising after COVID might be substantially different than cruising before COVID and past experience may not apply to futrue cruises.

It will indeed, and most likely for the foreseeable future.  If one sees what the new restrictions will be and are comfortable following...jump on board, I think I will be.  But if not, totally understandable, all need to make the best decision we are comfortable with.  Good luck to all.

[Jim_Iain]

On 10/12/2020 at 2:21 PM, Bo1953 said:

Not by MY choice!!!

 

My spouse has major input on this and currently we do not even venture inside a restaurant even though it is permissible...LOL

 

bon voyage

We are much the same.    We have had a number of dinners delivered to our home but I just don't feel safe dining indoor or outdoor during these times.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

I pulled the plug on our March 2021 Rio / Buenos Aires B2B last night and did a Lift and Shift.   It says that I will receive a confirmation within 72 hours.  

 

We had also booked an Eastbound TA but so far can't do a Lift and Shift as they haven't released the 2022 TA's yet.