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Airehead

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I know a couple people who are taking cruises, not sure that would be my first choice.  My not wild sister was planning to go on one (using up a credit from a trip that was cancelled when this all started) but the cruise ship cancelled the cruise.  I know lots of people who are flying internationally on vacations, but cruises are a bit more contained for a longer period.

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We’ve never taken a cruise. Floating on a boat making small talk with strangers doesn’t appeal to me. I know people that have done cruises and enjoy them, but not for me. I’d stay in my cabin just to avoid people and it’s cheaper and more comfortable to just stay home. The food’s better too.

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11 minutes ago, Old No. 7 said:

We’ve never taken a cruise. Floating on a boat making small talk with strangers doesn’t appeal to me. I know people that have done cruises and enjoy them, but not for me. I’d stay in my cabin just to avoid people and it’s cheaper and more comfortable to just stay home. The food’s better too.

This is how I feel. I think people who like them really like them. 

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I have been on one cruise.  I enjoyed it.  Forced relaxation.  Find a nice place to hang out, read a book, have a drink, go play bingo, go see a show.  Food is good and plentiful.  Book a cabin with a balcony and you can sit there with a drink and a book and watch the world go by

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20 minutes ago, MoseySusan said:

Scandinavian cruise

This was by far our most favorite cruise. Wife and I when we were first testing the waters of being "travelers" choose cruises. Being in FL and near two major ports it was always easy to book inexpensive travel. We've completed to about 90% the available port destinations in the Caribbean. Done Mediterranean, Scandinavian, and UK cruises.

I will not do the Caribbean again, it served its purpose, unless it is like @jsharr describes it. Let the daughter have the run of the ship and activities, wife and I hide and relax. 
I've found the European types can be accomplished as easily on land as on water and give a greater variety of travel for Europe bouncing around.

I liked cruises back when and  still fondly remember our times on the ships. I might take a river cruise too. More initiate and a great way to see Europe internal.

 

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We were scheduled for a cruise in February but between COVID and other family matters, we decided to cancel the trip and lose some money. However Norwegian kept contacting us with better and better offers. We are now going in December and paying less than we would have in February. 

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1 hour ago, Airehead said:

It seems prices are really dropping. Are people still hesitant to travel?

Cruise ships were a petri dish of disease before covid.  Now.......what could go wrong..........cooped up in tight spaces with a common air supply with 3000 of your closest strangers.

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When my sister's family were younger, they took a cruise which was a good trip for them.  They invited my parents to they had 3 generations on one trip.  The cruise set up allowed my parents to sit on their balcony and have a quiet meal alone if they wanted to rest.  My sister (who always cooks at home) got a chance to really relax and not have any responsibility to plan meals (their stay at an Air BNB is nice, but she's still planning meals).  And the teenagers could go have fun and do activities without their parents having to worry.  They could be as together or apart as they wanted and each age group had activities that appealed to them, but my parents could relax when they wanted.

 

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Aside from the crappy food, weak drinks, lame entertainment and that annoying couple from Peoria that promises to come visit you when we get back, even without COVID those things are just big boring buckets of disease looking for victims.  I hear some people like that sort of thing.

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8 minutes ago, 12string said:

Aside from the crappy food, weak drinks, lame entertainment and that annoying couple from Peoria that promises to come visit you when we get back, even without COVID those things are just big boring buckets of disease looking for victims.  I hear some people like that sort of thing.

You and MaddMaxx should get isolation chambers next to each other.

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6 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Maxx would say, "that's too crowded" and "I prefer brunette princesses".

...in the small world department, Maxx used to work on  the sub tenders, like the one I spent my year aboard.  Nobody who has ever been to sea on a sub tender is a big fan of cruising. They are big industrial factory ships, with broad beams, and a distinct tendency to roll and pitch in heavy weather.  I'm surprised the one I was on made it to Bermuda.

The whole trip, I was expecting to end up as a character in one of those Bermuda Triangle stories.

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7 minutes ago, Page Turner said:

...in the small world department, Maxx used to work on  the sub tenders, like the one I spent my year aboard.  Nobody who has ever been to sea on a sub tender is a big fan of cruising. They are big industrial factory ships, with broad beams, and a distinct tendency to roll and pitch in heavy weather.  I'm surprised the one I was on made it to Bermuda.

The whole trip, I was expecting to end up as a character in one of those Bermuda Triangle stories.

Yep - you hear that - Army guys who will never camp again or Navy guys who won't go to sea.  To each their own.  

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4 hours ago, Airehead said:

It seems prices are really dropping. Are people still hesitant to travel?

There was a recent news item, of a small cruise near British Columbia coast, where there were several passengers with covid.

I wouldn't choose cruise vacation. Too  many enclosed spaces. After all, one doesn't sleep outside on the deck.

Since I had covid, I just think the current variants are highly contagious.  More so than the flu for myself personally.  I've been around people who clearly had colds, etc. but often I didn't get sick.

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2 hours ago, Kirby said:

When my sister's family were younger, they took a cruise which was a good trip for them.  They invited my parents to they had 3 generations on one trip.  The cruise set up allowed my parents to sit on their balcony and have a quiet meal alone if they wanted to rest.  My sister (who always cooks at home) got a chance to really relax and not have any responsibility to plan meals (their stay at an Air BNB is nice, but she's still planning meals).  And the teenagers could go have fun and do activities without their parents having to worry.  They could be as together or apart as they wanted and each age group had activities that appealed to them, but my parents could relax when they wanted.

 

Glad that they could do it back then and enjoyed themselves.

1 of my sisters, her in-laws' large family (from all over the U.S.), did go on some cruises together..about 15 years ago. Memorable times, since some people have died since then.

I haven't gone on a true cruise vacation, I've just been on multi-hr. long ferry rides to go from 1 island to another destination with only 1 overnight.

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9 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Since you obviously didn't get COVID on a cruise, where do you think you got it?  

About 5 days  before I had symptoms I was In a large space restaurant with 2 storey high ceilings and adequate spacing.  I had lunch with a friend. She never got sick.

I can't think where else, unless it was from a cafe 1 day later. 

That's it for  "public spaces".  Other than friend, I had no other personal interaction.

In the past 4 months, I personally know 5 other people who got mild covid also  --4 were work colleagues (different depts.) mostly working from home since they have similar jobs like mine, 1 a close friend in another province.  It is really more contagious than the flu   --to me.  I am aware these other folks declared they were at least double, while others triple vaxxed.  These are people approx.  in their 40's and up in age group.

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4 hours ago, Page Turner said:

...in the small world department, Maxx used to work on  the sub tenders, like the one I spent my year aboard.  Nobody who has ever been to sea on a sub tender is a big fan of cruising. They are big industrial factory ships, with broad beams, and a distinct tendency to roll and pitch in heavy weather.  I'm surprised the one I was on made it to Bermuda.

The whole trip, I was expecting to end up as a character in one of those Bermuda Triangle stories.

 

3 hours ago, Page Turner said:

...how big was the biggest wave you've ever experienced ?

 

I went to sea on that tender a couple of times before I learned that I could invoke "the needs of the Navy" to stay ashore in my shack office so I was close to the submarines.  Once I wanted to go because was to Ft. Lauderdale.  That trip was interesting because we took two of our diesel subs along with us and they practiced shooting torpedoes at us.  Then we would have to stop and lower a boat to recover the fish.  They are supposed to be set deep enough to pass under us easily.  Scary is seeing one coming skipping along on the surface at about 40 knots and capable of making a hole in your hull.

Another trip was in impending poor weather and we were caught off the coast of North Carolina heading in an unable to turn that tall a ship around for fear of rolling over.  When we ran out of room they rigged charges on all of our topside cranes to jettison many tons of weight if we went over.  Being stupid I decides to view the coming about from an open deck under the helo deck all the way aft.  We were crossing one wave larger than the one in the pics above and it hit us at about a 45 deg angle.  First the bow went up and as we went over the top the stern rose rapidly.  I had my arms wrapped around one of the round beams holding up the helo deck and I got squashed to the deck from the acceleration up.  Then the stern went over the top of the wave and I began to slide up the pole holding on only with my arms that were wrapped around it.  At one time I was unable to see anything other than the wall of water that was the wave.  We didn't capsize and the cranes were not jettisoned.  Chalk it up to a hold my beer moment.  Nobody would have come to same me if i had ever lost my grip.  Sub tenders are big and they are tall like cruise liners but they are also top heavy and they have no roll stabilization systems.  They are meant to be anchored or tied up somewhere where they serve as a portable factory for submarines.  They used to dredge around us at the pier before we attempted to go to sea.

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No way in hell I would go on a cruise now.  Lots of covid still out there, and while you don't have to worry so much about it if you are not cram-packed on board with a bunch of people (many would not be protected at all), you ARE cram packed among them, and many are unprotected.  Foolish to go on a cruise now, the height of foolishness.

Hard no. 

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2 hours ago, Page Turner said:

...I still have nightmares about the cruise I took through  the Bermuda triangle in February of 1970, aboard the USS Fulton (AS-11).  Bermuda was nice, though. If I go again, I'll fly.

I really enjoy Bermuda. 

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2 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

many are unprotected. 

???  Tough to beat a cruise with ~100% vaxxed, boosted, and pre-tested.  Flying, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to a movie, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to an office, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to a grocery store, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Sitting in your living room with the GF and RO, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  :D

I remember flying back from France last summer knowing that pretty much all on-board were vaxxed and tested in last 48 hrs.  It was certainly "safer" than heading to most public places in the US.

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2 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

???  Tough to beat a cruise with ~100% vaxxed, boosted, and pre-tested.  Flying, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to a movie, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to an office, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to a grocery store, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Sitting in your living room with the GF and RO, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  :D

I remember flying back from France last summer knowing that pretty much all on-board were vaxxed and tested in last 48 hrs.  It was certainly "safer" than heading to most public places in the US.

I seriously doubt that the ship has 100% vaxxed, boosted and pre tested.  The same doubts exist about anyplace requiring the same.  The world has too many liars and too many militantly opposed and there is a booming market in fake documents all around us.

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5 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

???  Tough to beat a cruise with ~100% vaxxed, boosted, and pre-tested.  Flying, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to a movie, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to an office, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to a grocery store, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Sitting in your living room with the GF and RO, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  :D

I remember flying back from France last summer knowing that pretty much all on-board were vaxxed and tested in last 48 hrs.  It was certainly "safer" than heading to most public places in the US.

Do you remember how lots of folks in the idiot states got fake vaccine cards?   Near as I can tell, most people who go on cruises (not all) come from the states where you should doubt the validity of at least some of those.  Still a hard no from me.

I agree with the flying, but then again, your exposure is limited in time.  I have a couple of flights in the next couple of months.  Jam packed and going to ports during the day while on a cruise, somebody is coming back with PRI and they will be happy to share.

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4 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

I seriously doubt that the ship has 100% vaxxed, boosted and pre tested.  The same doubts exist about anyplace requiring the same.  The world has too many liars and too many militantly opposed and there is a booming market in fake documents all around us.

Boosting would obviously depend upon time since full vaccination, so can't be required.  But full vaxxed and tested is pretty much the rule of the seas.  Not sure how Disney would do it, though, with plenty of kids on board.  I'd avoid Disney, simply to avoid kids :D (Sorry @Page Turner).

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12 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

???  Tough to beat a cruise with ~100% vaxxed, boosted, and pre-tested.  Flying, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to a movie, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to an office, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Going to a grocery store, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  Sitting in your living room with the GF and RO, you'd be nowhere near that stat.  :D

I remember flying back from France last summer knowing that pretty much all on-board were vaxxed and tested in last 48 hrs.  It was certainly "safer" than heading to most public places in the US.

Wait a second, you were bouncing about in the bowels of the covid capitals of Europe, but felt safe on the flight because people had been vaxed?  My gf got covid after being vaxed and boosted, but the stinky frenchies can't get or transmit?

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Just now, Randomguy said:

Do you remember how lots of folks in the idiot states got fake vaccine cards?   Near as I can tell, most people who go on cruises (not all) come from the states where you should doubt the validity of at least some of those.  Still a hard no from me.

I agree with the flying, but then again, your exposure is limited in time.  I have a couple of flights in the next couple of months.  Jam packed and going to ports during the day while on a cruise, somebody is coming back with PRI and they will be happy to share.

Trust me, on a plane, you sit INCHES from unvaxxed and untested folks for HOURS at a time with just a N-95 to protect you (lots of fun, eh?).  And on a cruise, that's not the case (unless you're in a conspiracy spiral).  But facts have never been the core decision point with COVID and eventual post-COVID behavior :(  

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Just now, Randomguy said:

Wait a second, you were bouncing about in the bowels of the covid capitals of Europe, but felt safe on the flight because people had been vaxed?  My gf got covid after being vaxed and boosted, but the stinky frenchies can't get or transmit?

FWIW, I'm still - luckily? skillfully? - COVID-free.  And I felt (was) "safe" on that 7 hr flight because all passengers were vaxxed and all were tested at least 48 hours prior to flight.  I can GUARANTEE that can't be said about the gym you swim at, the Trader Joes you shop at, and the school RO attends. 

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2 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

Yep - you hear that - Army guys who will never camp again or Navy guys who won't go to sea.  To each their own.  

Took a looong time and the promise of a premium bed roll from my sister to get me to camp again. Sleeping in the elements isn’t all that it’s made out to be when you are forced to do it…

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Frommers - the travel folks - had their "back to cruising" article in their e-mail blast today.

For others, they also had their psychologists sharing tips for actually getting out and traveling again. Some folks are "stuck" but with baby steps, they can get moving again.

If you’re anxious about getting sick…

Resist fortune-telling. 

Or at least be balanced about it.

Start by admitting that just because you can imagine things going wrong doesn’t mean you’re right: “Thoughts are just thoughts,” says Hirsch. “They’re not always predictive of the actual outcome.”

To get some perspective, Hirsch suggests listing all of your “what ifs” on paper and looking for trends. If you’re only anticipating negative outcomes (“What if I get sick?”), see if you can list some alternative possibilities (“What if it’s wonderful to see my mom?”) to balance them out.

You can also ground yourself in the latest facts. For U.S. travel, head to CDC.gov to find your destination’s Covid-19 numbers and vaccination rate. For global travel, get some statistical perspective by checking out the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Dashboard.

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