When, If Ever, Will You Re-Book A Cruise?

[Georgia_Peaches]

Hi everyone, 

I've taken a serious break from most social media over the last several months but this morning found myself caught up in some reflective contemplation on the events of 2020.  What a ride!  My last cruise was February 29 and was the second to last before the shutdown.  Like so many others, I've had several cruises cancelled since March including one that we booked for March 2021.  When we made that booking back in July I was fairly confident that by March 2021, the pandemic woes of the cruise industry would be left in the wake of the Silhouette, my favorite cruise ship.  Many of my fellow CC members called it when they projected that cruising in 2021 was in serious jeopardy.  I'm not above admitting when I am wrong.

 

In the past it was not uncommon for me to have several cruises on the books.  Currently, we have just one and it's set for Connie in March 2022.  Will we go?  Probably not.  Even if the cruise industry is fully operational in 2022, I have no immediate interest in sailing on the Constellation.  She missed her "Edgeification" so we'll likely sit that one out.

 

So I'm just wondering how other CC folks are regarding the cruise industry these days.  Have you continued to book with Celebrity with no end in sight to the cruising hiatus?    

 

Here's hoping you and yours are safe and well!

[bouhunter]

We shifted 3 January 2021 cruises to January 2022.  Recently booked a March 2022 14 nighter at a good price with minimal refundable deposit.  I'd say there is a 50% chance we'll be on them.  IF they sail, we will cancel anyway if the ships/ports are being restricted to any degree come final payments.   The past few years we've usually had 6-8 booked at any given time.  We won't be booking any more cruises for quite a while.  If the 4 that are booked don't happen, oh well........

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We have 4 booked, one is a placeholder since it was an on board booking.  Not very hopeful that the August 2021 Alaska cruise will be a go.  Our March 2022 Apex B2B is more likely. I do want to move the place holder to a New Year's cruise in December 2022.  The way I see it we have a limited number of years to enjoy cruising so I don't want to waste them and then say "we should have ..."

[jelayne]

We have a October 2021 Europe booked that a was pre pandemic booking- time will tell if that happens.  We also have 2 we moved from February 2021 to 22, a pre pandemic booking also for February 22 and this week we booked a Azamara cruise for May 22.  

[ABoatNerd]

Have other travel plans organized that exclude cruising.

The high density of cruising no long appeals going forward and has not for some time.

 

Separate from the virus impact, the increasing fakeness of the cruise experience (incense in a lounge, really), and pricing games is a turn off. 

 

As many others have posted, there are many other methods of travel that provide a more true experience.

 

 

[ORV]

Seems like everyone posting already has cruises booked. I thought the question was when will you book? I have an answer to that. 

 

I will book another cruise when Celebrity or any other line I cruise on actually has a product they can deliver. At this point they don't, and I won't be giving them any money until they do.

 

Obviously they have the ability as they've been doing it for years, but as we all know due to events beyond their control they are not able to. I just don't know how long they can sustain that, especially with a corporate mentality that don't know how to stop spending. 

[TeeRick]

We have only one cruise left (all others were cancelled) which we booked back in January when cruising on Eclipse pre-pandemic and it is for Aug 2021.  We got it at a great deal.  It might or might not go.  We usually have at least 3 or 4 booked at any given time.  So even though we are avid cruisers and enthusiasts, we have not even been tempted to book a new cruise since that time.  We have not replaced our cancelled cruises.  We have not used the L&S option.  We are waiting it out until: 1) we can get vaccinated and travel freely and safely, 2) we can understand the cruising vacation product we are paying for and are happy with it, and 3) the insane high prices come back to earth when the expected glut of cabins happens.

[Pinboy]

14 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

We are waiting it out until: 1) we can get vaccinated and travel freely and safely, 2) we can understand the cruising vacation product we are paying for and are happy with it, and 3) the insane high prices come back to earth when the expected glut of cabins happens.

Well said !!! 

We are doing exactly the same , and besides, we don't want to book a cruise, make a deposit, then,  the cruise gets cancelled and we're stuck with more FCC's. I will bet that more than 50% of the FCC's out there never get used.

Sounds as if you are not even " depressed " over not cruising.

 

 

[4774Papa]

My view is that vaccinations should be available for most Americans by Summer 2021.

We have a Safari in East Africa booked (rescheduled from 2020) for July 2021 and a trip to Italy with Connie TA back to the USA for October. 

I believe chances are good that we should be able to do those two trips.

Not so sure about March?

[Fouremco]

We have one booking left, for March 2022. We're fairly confident that it will sail and that it won't be overly dissimilar to past cruises, but we are in no hurry to book further cruises at this time. We'll continue to reassess as vaccinations roll out globally in the months ahead and as COVID-19 numbers (hopefully) drop.

[yorky]

1 hour ago, ABoatNerd said:

Have other travel plans organized that exclude cruising.

The high density of cruising no long appeals going forward and has not for some time.

 

Separate from the virus impact, the increasing fakeness of the cruise experience (incense in a lounge, really), and pricing games is a turn off. 

 

As many others have posted, there are many other methods of travel that provide a more true experience.

 

 

Can I ask if cruising is no longer for you and has not been for some time why are you posting on a cruise forum ?

[chuckwagontrail1]

Being from the Tampa Bay of Florida we used to cruise 4 times per year.  One of my favorite things to do was drive to Tampa from Clearwater and eat at a restaurant at the port while watching the cruise ship being prepped for another cruise.  My last cruise was January 2020 on Celebrity Infinity.  We had such a great time I booked another on the Infinity for December 2020 and March 2021.  It really was upsetting that Celebrity waited until 30 days out to cancel the December 2020 cruise fully knowing that it would never sell. 

Well now the March 2021 sailing has been cancelled and I am going to take a break from sailing.   I have mentioned in the past on other posts how much we enjoy our all inclusive time share in Mexico.  We had a fantastic time this past September.  As some of you have mentioned you have cruises booked in 2022.  Being that we are retired there is no way we can wait that long to vacation.  Land vacations in the future for us, like Roatan Honduras in February 2021, Azores May 2021, Mexico September 2021.   Goodbye cruising.

[yorky]

No change for us. Our next cruise will be a lift and shift to Feb 2022 and we will probably book an Australia/New Zealand cruise next.

[helen haywood]

We used to cruise about every other month.  Had six canceled this year.  Not going to book anything until, as TeeRick says, we know what the experience will be like.  So cruising will have to resume at some unknown date in the future (we only sail from Florida) and I will need to read reviews of how those cruises went.  
 

At this point I only read Cruise Critic for the jokes and to see what others are doing while we aren’t cruising.

[STLCRUISIN]

For us, other than the 2 Celebrity cruises we did a L&S to August 2021 and February 2022 and a Princess cruise booked in August, 2021 we have no intention of booking any other ocean cruises until the industry is back to normal.

 

In the meantime, we have booked two River cruises for 2022 since they seem to be a bit more predictable and stable and deal with smaller number of guests. 

[marieps]

We have 5 booked.  A Summit in June which will be paid for with FCC, but for the $500 deposit.   It was a switch from July 2020.   An October 2021 TA on Oceania booked before COVID.  We're burning our remaining FCC with a tiny Millenium 4 nighter in February 2022, then driving to POM to board Oceania Riveria for 12 nights.  Finally, our first river cruise on AMA in July 2022, shifted from 2021.  Needless to say our fingers are crossed.  Doing national parks in the meantime.  Grand Canyon and Yellowstone done.  Zion and the Utah greats this April.  Safe travels all.

Edited December 20, 2020 by marieps

[STLCRUISIN]

6 minutes ago, marieps said:

Finally, our first river cruise on AMA in July 2022, shifted from 2021.  Needless to say our fingers are crossed.  Doing national parks in the meantime.  Grand Canyon and Yellowstone done.  Zion and the Utah greats this April.  Safe travels all.

marieps - I hope you enjoy AMA cruises. This will be our 2nd and 3rd river cruise with them. It's a totally different experience from ocean cruising but very nice. And since you'll be on the Magna I'm assuming you'll be sailing the Danube which has such beautiful scenery. 

 

Covid and its effects on ocean sailing (as well as all travel) had us looking at other alternatives to see the world and for us in 2022 river cruising will satisfy that need.

[PTC DAWG]

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

We have one booking left, for March 2022. We're fairly confident that it will sail and that it won't be overly dissimilar to past cruises, but we are in no hurry to book further cruises at this time. We'll continue to reassess as vaccinations roll out globally in the months ahead and as COVID-19 numbers (hopefully) drop.

I sincerely hope you are correct about the 22 cruise, if not, things will be bleak in a lot of ways..

 

That said, Happy Holidays to you an yours...

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, marieps said:

We have 5 booked.  A Summit in June which will be paid for with FCC, but for the $500 deposit.   It was a switch from July 2020.   An October 2021 TA on Oceania booked before COVID.  We're burning our remaining FCC with a tiny Millenium 4 nighter in February 2022, then driving to POM to board Oceania Riveria for 12 nights.  Finally, our first river cruise on AMA in July 2022, shifted from 2021.  Needless to say our fingers are crossed.  Doing national parks in the meantime.  Grand Canyon and Yellowstone done.  Zion and the Utah greats this April.  Safe travels all.

Two booked here, Aug 28, 2021 from a L&S and April 22, 2022, just recently made booking.  I still feel very iffy on the 2021 but by 2022...will keep fingers crossed not just for cruising but more importantly for all of our safety and sanity!

[cruisequeen4ever]

As time has gone on, I have taken a conservative approach of waiting to pour a lot of money into vacation until I know that it’s likely it will actually occur. I’m fine putting down a small deposit that’s refundable but nothing more. Once things look like cruising is really going to resume, then I will start planning my 2021 cruises. We know which ones we want to do, and I just hope they happen. My interest in cruising has not diminished at all. I’m just waiting to make the financial investment.

[Travelexpert35]

My last cruise was on the Edge on Feb 9th and I’m sure I am one of a few that had no future cruises booked. I can’t see my husband and I cruising until late 2022 or even into 2023. We would not book in advance. Our favourite place to visit is Hawaii so hopefully we can visit there on a land vacation in 2022. 

[mac_tlc]

I probably have more booked than I will actually take. Have four that were booked Pre-COVID, two others that are L&S’s from 2020 or 2021. 
 

Have booked three others for mid-late 2022 in the past month, although none of those are on X. 
 

mac_tlc

[fluffybunny22]

I booked a really good casino rate for Christmas 2021 yesterday. I didn't book it for the ports. If it sails we probably won't even get off in port. I have a Baltic that was cancelled this year that I moved to June 2022. I'm really hopeful that the Baltic will take place as planned. We've usually cruise every other year and on the off years do Disney. We did Disney twice this year and have it booked for twice next year since it would normally be a Disney year.

[Redtravel]

I was dead set against booking until ships sailed again. However, had fcc from a March 2020 cruise when we got caught at sea.  After that awful trip, I didn’t think that I would ever travel again.  The fcc expired in March 2021.  Use it or lose it?  We booked a  raise for August 2021.  We used the fcc toward the deposit. No money changed hands.  We were told that if we changed our minds, our fcc would be reinstated with a one year extension.  Will we sail?  Not betting on it.  Since it didn’t cost me anything, I will keep the reservation and rethink I. Amaya when final payment is due.

[George C]

We have sky suite on edge April 2021, also our rock and romance charter has been moved from February 2021 to 2022 in a royal suite.