Anyone still booking cruises, or have we all given up?

[davekathy]

6 minutes ago, orville99 said:

We have no choice. Once i reached 72, i have to take an RMD every year.

Plus your monthly retirement annuity. 

[orville99]

16 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Plus your monthly retirement annuity. 

Monthly Social Security check, but then i will never recoup what i donated over my career to them. Wouldn’t ever purchase a retirement annuity.  Wouldn’t touch one with a 10-foot pole.

[Ashland]

26 minutes ago, orville99 said:

We have no choice. Once i reached 72, i have to take an RMD every year.

Roll over for 2020 

Prior years into stock portfolio.

[TMLAalum]

Vacillating about our September Millennium cruise if it will even proceed. If we book any future cruises it won’t be till after final payment when the odds of the ship sailing are strong. Pre-COVID I planned cruises and land trips around them @18 months or more in advance.

[orville99]

 

5 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Roll over for 2020 

Prior years into stock portfolio.

Not having to take an RMD in 2020 was a nice gift. Ours usually goes into a brokerage account that pays really good interest.

Edited January 16, 2021 by orville99

[sfaaa]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

Not everyone retired needs to draw on retirement funds 

No but retirement and cruise reserve fund are the same to some.

[grandgeezer]

I had to start taking mine at 69 1/2. I started out, in 1987, in a 401k plan through my employer. It’s been 100% in stocks even though my brother, a certified financial planner, has been after me to diversify into safer investments for years. It was up 28% in 2020 so now my withdrawal is almost $10,000 more than my social security, my wife’s social, and my generous pension combined. No matter what happens now, smartest move we ever made.

[C_hasRedBottoms]

We absolutely won’t be giving any cruise line a dime and thankfully, we don’t have any money locked into the abyss of cancellations. We went to Mexico in July and returned for Christmas. We are headed to the Maldives in May. 

[dswallow]

I have 12 sailings booked between late May 2021 and February 2022.

[island lady]

I am waiting to book westbound TA late 2022...and try again for Aussie adventure early 2023 after scrapped plans I had made for this year (which I should have been packing for now 😞 ).  

 

Not even thinking of booking anything further for 2021...with what I have right  now just waiting for the chopping block....which will happen of course just after final payments.  😣

[Travelling2Some]

I succumbed, even though I had no intention of booking anything again for a long time.  Baltic cruise in spring of 2022 with a refundable deposit.  The price was normal, in fact a bit less than we were paying for our cancelled one.  But what totally hooked me is that it is not a round trip but a one-time sailing that starts in Stockholm and ends in Copenhagen - might be the other way around, but the point is that we can spend extra time in both and don't have to choose or take an extra flight or train ride. 

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, Ashland said:

Not everyone retired needs to draw on retirement funds 

 

3 hours ago, davekathy said:

Agree. Not everyone. 😉

 

Eventually you have to.  😉

 

Well, hopefully. 😇

[KristiandEvan]

I broke down and booked one for July. If it works out, great. If not, we will push it. Hoping to be vaccinated by then.

[davekathy]

4 hours ago, orville99 said:

Monthly Social Security check, but then i will never recoup what i donated over my career to them. Wouldn’t ever purchase a retirement annuity.  Wouldn’t touch one with a 10-foot pole.

Wasn't talking about a purchased retirement annuity. Only talking about SS or some other type of retirement from a where you retired from. My retirement is CSRS. 

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

 

Eventually you have to.  😉

 

Well, hopefully. 😇

Couple more years before I see that money but I don't consider that money my retirement. Not sure what we'll do with that money. CSRS for me. 

Edited January 17, 2021 by davekathy

[John&LaLa]

15 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Couple more years before I see that money but I don't consider that money my retirement. Not sure what we'll do with that money. CSRS for me. 

 

Lucky, Laura was FERS

[davekathy]

40 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Lucky, Laura was FERS

But I'm old. 🤣 FERS is OK coupled with SS and TSP compared to some (not all) private retirement systems. 

Edited January 17, 2021 by davekathy

[Tree_skier]

10 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I've never been to Bermuda 

Looking forward to a few days there

Just booked the the 10/16/22 one today.  I've been humming and hawing for since mid November.   I looks like a great itinerary.  

[Sunshine3601]

25 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Just booked the the 10/16/22 one today.  I've been humming and hawing for since mid November.   I looks like a great itinerary.  

Bermuda is nice in october.  Not too hot.  temp usually 75 to 80f range.

[voyager70]

Glad I don't have to worry about retirement yet. Once I sell my properties I'll be sitting pretty, much like many of you 😜. Hopefully by 2035 cruising will be back to normal, assuming it still exists

 

[smokeybandit]

I just booked for late July to replace my March cruise. I don't even give that one 50/50 odds to happen but it's something to look forward to.

[Ashland]

45 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Just booked the the 10/16/22 one today.  I've been humming and hawing for since mid November.   I looks like a great itinerary.  

Some great pricing...the Panoramic Oceanview ...hmmm....tempting for two.

[firefly333]

11 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Some great pricing...the Panoramic Oceanview ...hmmm....tempting for two.

Odd pricing. 96 sf studio ov costs more than a regular ov. Didnt see panoramic ov. 

[Tree_skier]

16 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Some great pricing...the Panoramic Oceanview ...hmmm....tempting for two.

Are you meaning the suite or the regular Panoramic OV.  I had my great TA check on the price for the suite but it was a little rich for me. I've got to save my shekels for March 2023 30th anniversary.

[CanadaRob]

Haven’t given up. Booked Greek Isles in 22, Princess for Feb 22 and Harmony for Dec this year.  I will book as far out as I can, knowing that when cruising resumes the pent up demand will keep prices high.