TLCOhio

From Yahoo News and a Florida TV station yesterday, they had this headline: “‘We made it’: Passengers return to Port Canaveral after cruise ship catches fire” with these highlights: “Nearly 2,500 cruise passengers returned to Port Canaveral after a fire broke out on their ship. A cloud of smoke poured out of the Carnival Freedom while it was docked at Grand Turk on Thursday. Channel 9 spoke to some of the passengers as they disembarked the Carnival Conquest at Port Canaveral’s Terminal 6 on Monday morning. Some were ecstatic to spend two extra days on vacation while others were just happy to be back on American soil. Channel 9 found out that Carnival Freedom’s next two cruises out of Port Canaveral on June 2 and June 6 have been canceled. As for the passengers, they all received cruise cash to use while onboard and every passenger was awarded 50% off their next Carnival cruise.” Full story at: https://news.yahoo.com/passengers-return-port-canaveral-cruise-092951242.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas! Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

From CBS TV News this morning, they had this headline: “More than 7,000 flights canceled worldwide over Memorial Day weekend” with these highlights: “The Memorial Day holiday weekend is proving a messy one for many airlines, with carriers canceling thousands of flights worldwide, including hundreds in the U.S. on Monday. On Monday, 1,634 flights had been canceled as of 11:52 p.m. ET, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. That followed roughly 1,640 cancellations on Sunday, 1,500 on Saturday and 2,300 on Friday. More than 400 of Monday's cancellations involved aircraft scheduled to fly to or from U.S. cities. Delta Air Lines canceled the most flights among major U.S. airlines, scratching 133 flights on Monday, or 4% of its operations, according to FlightAware. The carrier was forced to cancel more than 400 flights on Saturday and Sunday. Delta announced on its website on Thursday that from July 1 to Aug. 7, it would reduce service by about 100 daily departures, primarily in parts of the U.S. and Latin America that Delta frequently serves.” Other news stories blame a portion of this situation on pilot and staffing shortages. Clearly this challenged solution with scrubbed flights and soaring air fares add to the challenges as cruise lines and passengers seek a return to "normal". Reactions? Full story at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flights-cancelled-memorial-day-weekend-2022-travel/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 20,845 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

From the Points Guy travel website this morning, they had this headline: “They dropped us at a hotel and left: What happened when I tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of my cruise” with these highlights: “ 'Be careful what you wish for,' said a nurse from the medical center on Discovery Princess. It was disembarkation morning, following an otherwise pleasant five-night cruise along the West Coast, and I woke up with the worst sore throat and earache I’ve had in years.The sailing concluded in Vancouver, where I was supposed to stay for three days before boarding a 10-night Alaska voyage with a different cruise line. Not wanting to spread my germs — and knowing I wouldn’t be cleared to sail on the subsequent cruise if I was sick — I wanted to know what I was dealing with just three hours before leaving the ship.” Here is more: "Long story short, my results were positive and, per Canada’s requirements, I had to isolate in a hotel room for 10 days before flying back to the U.S. But it’s an entirely different process for a passenger who tests positive on a sailing and doesn’t have enough time to complete mandatory isolation on board. What follows is an account of the problems I encountered as I struggled to obtain crucial information that should have been easier to find on the ship and at the hotel. Cruise lines have had nearly a year to perfect the procedures for handling passengers who test positive for COVID-19, but what happened after my onboard test was anything but smooth sailing." What follows was summarized as a "flurry of chaos." For us, this is one of the major "concerns" about when we will be sailing again. What happens if you test positive for Covid during and/or at the end of your cruise as you seek to return home or continue your travel adventures?? This writer gives many, many details and specifics as to how confused was this situation. Between the cruise ship and the shore officials, the process was very difficult and totally challenged. Not fun???? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/they-dropped-us-at-a-hotel-and-left-what-happened-when-i-tested-positive-for-covid-19-at-the-end-of-my-cruise/ar-AAXV6cu?ocid=BingNewsSearch THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal. Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 31,299 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

Appreciate these details and the pictures from that troubled Carnival ship. WOW!! That was a sad shocker for those doing a Caribbean cruise. But, during the past week, it did not seem to affect their stock values. From the Wall Street Journal today, below are the stock charts for the three major cruise lines. Last week, these three stock all hit their lows for the most recent 52-week period. YES, later on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, these stock did rebound, somewhat. But, the Wall Street financial types still are not seeing a clear, fully-positive recovery path forward. Right? Or, wrong? Adding to the complications might be ALL of the airline flight cancellations that happened this past Memorial Day holiday weekend. Sure glad we were not flying over that challenged period. While there were some weather issues, it seems that airlines, cruise lines, dining places, etc., etc., continue to have staffing challenges in seeking to get back to "normal". THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 52,785 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337 From the Wall Street Journal Tuesday morning, below are their charts for Royal Caribbean and the other two major cruise lines during the past week. At the bottom, the chart reflect RCL for the past three years. You can see the big, BIG drop in March 2020 as the Covid shut-down hit. Then, these stock tried to recover, but kept having ups and downs. Over and over, again. To say it has been "rocky" is an understatement during the past two-plus years. Right?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Interesting comments and follow-ups about Seabourn. Our first cruise was with them in 2006, Athens to Istanbul. Super wonderful experience on one of their three "triplets". Loved it so much, I was depressed as we were nearing the end of that adventure in Greek Isles and along the Turkish Coast. Facing the reality that the sailing, food, service, etc., was going to end was very hard to accept and manage!!! From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, I wanted to share some serious "GOOD NEWS". Today the stock market signaled that the cruise companies are not going out of business. Real positive news!!!! Why? Not totally certain. As shown below, Royal Caribbean was up, UP 8.7%. Carnival rising 8.5% and Norwegian up a big 12.1%. The overall S&P 500 was up 2.0%. Clearly, these three cruise stocks were doing much better than average today. Maybe it was this Wall Street Journal story reflecting a consumer trend pattern with this headline: “American Shoppers Boost Retailers With Spending on Work Clothes, Discount Staples" with this sub-headline: "Macy’s, Dollar Tree report strong sales that bucked broader trends but warn inflation is changing consumer behavior.” Here were their story highlights: “American shoppers boosted spending at department stores and discount chains, showing resilience amid inflationary pressures that have weighed on consumers and dented results at many big retail chains. Macy’s and Dollar Tree reported strong sales increases in their most recent quarters. Those results came as shoppers spent more on clothing for work and special occasions. Another budget chain, Dollar General posted flat sales but raised its outlook for the full year, saying cash-strapped shoppers are gravitating to its stores more frequently. The results, which sent shares of all three chains higher, ran counter to the performance of other large retailers such as Walmart Inc. and Target Corp., which last week reported steep profit declines as rising supply-chain, wage and inflation-related costs ate into earnings.” Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/retailers-get-lift-from-resilient-shoppers-11653587396?mod=hp_lead_pos1 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 69,859 views: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696 From the Wall Street Journal, below is their chart for RCL and reflecting today's big jump UP!!: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Appreciate these comments and follow-up from our California friend, plus Mr. Banjo and our SW Ohio neighbor. From the Wall Street Journal Tuesday morning, they had this headline: “The No-Brainer Cruise Vacation Gets Tricky" with this sub-headline: "The major cruise lines are almost back to full service, but plenty of potential disruptions remain—even barnacles.” Here are some of their story highlights: “Cruises are back in force, but pandemic-related problems haven’t gone away. Major cruise lines either have returned their full fleets to service or are close to doing so. Most no longer require masks in public spaces, and many of the usual onshore activities are available once again. But staffing challenges have caused some cruise lines to curtail onboard offerings or reduce capacity recently. Flight delays and cancellations have made just getting to the ship a hassle. And Covid-19 remains a potential disrupter.” Here is more from this reporting: "Like airlines, the cruise industry is also grappling with staffing. Carnival Cruise Line spokesman Chris Chiames said in an email that delays in processing work visas for many members of the company’s crew were 'the primary cause of pockets of staff shortages.' Because of these shortages, Carnival temporarily suspended dinner service at two specialty dining venues located onboard some of its fleet through June 30. Covid outbreaks among crew members also remain a concern, especially as newer variants of the virus evade some protection offered by vaccines. The emergence of the Omicron variant last winter prompted multiple ports of call to turn ships away. Cruise lines can rearrange itineraries on short notice, creating problems for passengers who booked activities with third parties at the original ports. International cruises can get more complicated. Travelers must test negative to fly back to the U.S. Just a few days into a Viking River Cruises sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam, Elaine Morin tested positive for Covid. She and her husband were whisked off the ship the following day and brought to a hotel in Vienna. The couple waited as Ms. Morin’s husband tested positive a few days after her. She says the cruise line gave the couple paperwork that told them to remain isolated, but a Viking coordinator asked them to leave their hotel multiple times to get Covid tests at a pharmacy in a nearby mall. The couple returned home to Virginia 10 days following Ms. Morin’s first positive test after spending roughly $315 to get certificates of recovery from a physician." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-no-brainer-cruise-vacation-gets-tricky-11653349445?mod=life_work_lead_pos5 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 32,318 views. Many interesting pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Appreciate these great comments and follow-up from highplanesdrifters. Yes, having good discussions and excellent sharing works well, is nice, informative and helpful, etc. Keep it up!! From the below-connected financial website, they had this headline: “Cruise stocks lead S&P declines as cost increases, capacity concerns build” with these highlights: “Cruise line stocks crashed on Tuesday afternoon as resurgent travel demand failed to obscure issues related to inflation and indebtedness. While hopes of a return to pre-pandemic travel trends abounded in April, helping lift stocks like Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings , the optimism may have been overstated. All three stocks are among the top 5 largest decliners in the S&P 500 on Tuesday. Analysts have noted that trends in terms of total passengers as pandemic restrictions roll back have not met previous estimates. 'With cumulative bookings for the back half of the year still in a deep hole [versus] comparable 2019 levels, most notably for the Caribbean, it will likely take continued significant discounting/promotions to get the back half of the year anywhere close to historical load factors,' Truist analyst C. Patrick Scholes wrote in a recent note to clients. 'Unless the 2023 pace reverses trend, we believe significant price/promotional activity will be needed to fill the ships, a similar scenario to what is occurring in 2022.' He added that prices are 'nowhere near where cruise lines want them to be' in context of rising food and fuel costs.” Full story at: https://seekingalpha.com/news/3842374-cruise-lines-lead-sp-declines-as-cost-increases-capacity-concerns-build THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 95,997 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Sadly, today was another bad, BAD day for the cruise line company stocks. How negative? Double-digit drops and new lows during the most recent twelve months. Have not heard anything about RCL selling Silversea. Not sure the timing would be good right now. From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, below is their chart reflecting a 10.2% drop, going below $50 a share. Carnival dropped 10.4%. Norwegian was down 12.2%. Overall, the market dropped, but not in that high of a negative category. The previous recent RCL stock market low was $23.81 on March 18, 2020, when the cruise industry had to shut down totally. Where do they go next and what is causing this negative trend? Just debt load and/or overall negativity with the economy? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 237,489 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

Appreciate this follow-up, including the appropriate focus on the bureaucratic slowness with the CDC, FDA, etc. When leadership is needed, do not expect bureaucrats to be strong and aggressive. Slowness tends to be their pattern. Cover their you know what is their game? Sad, but true!!?? From the Wall Street Journal last month, they had this headline: “The 10 Busiest Airports in the World: Atlanta Tops the List" with this sub-headline: "Global travel continues to improve but still hasn’t returned to prepandemic levels; here’s the list of the busiest airports globally.” Why is this of interest and related to getting the cruise industry back into a full-speed resuming of "normal"? Without international flights being back, reasonably priced, etc., cruising will continue to be challenged. Right or wrong? Here are some of their story highlights: “Atlanta is back on top as the busiest airport in the world after dropping one spot last year as global air travel continues its rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic. There were nearly 4.5 billion global flight passengers in 2021, an increase of nearly 25% from the prior year, according to figures released Monday by Airports Council International World, an industry group. However, that is still down about 50% from 2019. The world’s 10 busiest airports, which represent about 10% of all global traffic, transported 463 million passengers in 2021, a 52% increase from 2020, according to ACI World. That is a 29% drop off from 2019.” Here is more from their reporting: "None of the top 10 airports last year have returned to prepandemic levels. Flight traffic has improved as nations around the world have relaxed Covid-19 travel restrictions such as testing and vaccination rules. Australia began allowing fully vaccinated visitors into the country without quarantining in February. Dubai International Airport remained the top destination for global travelers in 2021. The airport has 29 million international passengers in 2021, a 13% increase from the year before, but is still down 66% from 2019." Here was the world's 2021 top ten airport rankings with the passenger totals in millions listed second. Next is the % change in numbers versus 2019 levels: Atlanta, Ga., 75.7 million, -32%; Dallas/Forth Worth, TX 62.5 million, -17%; Denver, Co., 58.8 million, -15%; Chicago, Il., 54.0 million, -36%; Los Angeles, 48.0 million, -46%; Charlotte, 43.3 million, -13%; Orlando, 40.4 million, -20%; Guangzhou, China, 40.3 million, -45%; Chengdu, China, 40.1 million, -28%; Las Vegas, 39.8 million, -23%. Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-10-busiest-airports-in-the-world-atlanta-tops-the-list-11649716699?mod=hp_user_preferences_pos1#cxrecs_s THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details from two visits in a city with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 44,549 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

Appreciate these excellent insights and varied follow-ups regarding the financial markets. Sadly, some in the field want people to keep buying, selling, panicking, etc. The more trading, over and over, then . . . the more money is made via commissions and fees. Long-term focus can and should be more reasonable as an objective, maybe? From a national financial news website this morning, they had this headline: “Why This Cruise Stock Analyst Is Cutting Price Targets Following Carnival Debt Offering” with these highlights: “Carnival Corp completed a much-needed $1 billion debt offering last week, and one Wall Street analyst said Monday that shareholders of Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises should take notice. The Cruise Stock Analyst: Bank of America analyst Andrew Didora issued the following changes to his price targets for cruise stocks: Reiterated Neutral rating for Carnival, cut price target from $22 to $18. Reiterated Neutral rating for Norwegian, cut price target from $25 to $20. Reiterated Underperform rating for Royal Caribbean, cut price target from $70 to $57. The Cruise Stock Takeaways: After an extremely difficult few years, Didora said the cruise stocks now have a different set of financial challenges coming ahead in the form of debt maturities. Carnival has $1.6 billion of maturities in 2022 and $2.9 billion in 2023. Royal Caribbean has $8.1 billion of principal payments due with $3.7 billion of notes, term loans and revolvers maturing in 2022 and 2023.” Here is more: "Norwegian has $861 million in maturities through the end of 2022 and another $934 million in 2023. Didora said the fact that Carnival completed its offering even though it has $7.2 billion in total liquidity is telling. 'We think this debt issuance at these levels of liquidity shows the refi needs of the cruise industry in the face of rising interest rates plus concerns around a spike in COVID cases (cruises still test),' Didora said. Investors are still waiting to see when or if the cruise industry returns to its pre-pandemic levels. There may be significant long-term upside among cruise stocks, but at this point there is simply too much financial risk and business uncertainty for investors to feel confident about near-term upside." Full story at: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/why-this-cruise-stock-analyst-is-cutting-price-targets-following-carnival-debt-offering-1031482285 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 244,326 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Sorry (or good news) as Terry does not have a "bad list". Appreciate these various comments and follow-ups. It is very challenging to figure out the market and value during these uncertain and very challenging times. Whether for cruise stocks and/or others, these times are very uncertain. Agree 100% that those pesky "derivates" were very risky and bad. It was a huge governmental and financial market failure to allow such "vehicles" to be driving dangerously on the public roads. From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they had this major headline: “Stock Market Bottom Remains Elusive Despite Deepening Decline" with this sub-headline: " ‘Things are going to keep getting worse before they get better,’ one portfolio manager says.” Here are some of their story highlights: “U.S. stocks are in the midst of their longest selloff in decades. Whether they are close to bottoming is anyone’s guess. Market selloffs have long stumped strategists trying to predict when they were close to done. Some have concluded with bursts of panicked selling. Others, such as the one lasting from 1973 to 1974, ground to an end after days of subdued trading volumes. Many investors and analysts looking back at historic pullbacks believe that the current slump that has put the S&P 500 on the cusp of a bear market still has a way to go. Investors continue to have a hefty chunk of their portfolios in the stock market. Bank of America Corp. said this month that its private clients have an average of 63% of their portfolios dedicated to stocks—far more than after the 2008 financial crisis, when they had just 39% of their portfolios in stocks.” Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/stock-market-bottom-remains-elusive-despite-deepening-decline-11653141699?mod=hp_lead_pos1 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 254,877 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

From the New York Times Travel Section yesterday, they had this headline: “What’s Going on With the Testing Requirement for Travel?" with this sub-headline: "The requirement to test for Covid before flying to the United States is hated by many travelers and the U.S. travel industry. But the government shows no sign of getting rid of it.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “As countries, including Canada and Britain, have lifted their Covid testing requirements for vaccinated visitors in recent months, some Americans are irate that they still have to show a negative test to board a flight back to the United States. Jason Miller, a 37-year-old software engineer who lives in Texas, is so frustrated with the rule that he recently sent letters to the White House and several lawmakers and began encouraging others to do the same. 'I support the C.D.C., still wear a N95 mask when in crowds and when I travel,' he said. But, he no longer feels that the rule provides value, in large part because 'the testing has not stopped variants from entering the country.' Other travelers have posted similar comments on social media, and a good portion of the travel industry in the United States has made clear it feels the same way. But they have gotten little satisfaction from the Biden administration and public health officials. On May 6, Jen Psaki, then the White House press secretary, said she was 'not aware of a timeline' for ending the testing requirement and that the administration would base its decision on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation. As to what, specifically, the C.D.C. is using to determine whether testing is still necessary, an agency spokeswoman offered the vague explanation that it 'is looking at different indicators' and 'evaluating all guidance and orders based on the latest science and state of the pandemic.' ” Here was a key bottom-line summary in this comprehensive NY Times story: "The obligatory test has not just created logistical hassles, it has fundamentally shifted the experience of traveling internationally, travelers say." YES, sadly, this story sums up so much of our frustrations with CDC, etc. Keeping this testing requirement before being able to return home serves as a huge "hang up" on our part in being shy for wanting to book and travel overseas, especially on a cruise. Who wants to get "stuck" for ten days or two weeks in a foreign country thousands of miles from home because you get an unfavorable test? Am I being unfair and/or missing something major? Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/19/travel/testing-requirement-flying-us-cdc.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Dubrovnik! Nice visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 48,701 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

Appreciate this great follow-up from Mr. Banjo. To add to the story about my wife's brother and the Covid challenges from their Ireland trip, here is more. My brother-in-law's wife has now picked up Covid, too. At least they are home in Kansas, but, clearly it is not fun having these challenges from international travel and adventure. From this below-connected financial website this morning, they had this headline: “When Will Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Drop Vaccines, Testing?" with this sub-headline: "One of the big three cruise lines just extended its covid-related protocols in the United States until the end of September.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “For an industry vulnerable to storms in general, it was a terrible combination of events that left the industry shuttered, while hotels, theme parks, arenas, and other venues all remained closed for much less time. That's because the United States government only has limited control over how private industry operates. A local municipality may shutdown industries like the way New York closed Broadway or California shut down its theme parks — but the federal government only has limited power for certain things. When it comes to cruise lines, however, the federal government has an incredible amount of power.” Here is more: "Royal Caribbean recently told its booked passengers that it plans to keep its current covid protocols in place through the end of September. Many passengers and future passengers want to know how long these protocols will be in place. It's possible the CDC changes these requirements, but probably not any time soon, according to former Food and Drug Administration chief Scott Gottlieb, a physician who serves as chairman of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ SailSafe Council. 'I think that it’s likely to be a requirement that is in place through this fall and winter,' Gottlieb said. 'I’m talking more about CDC and the policy environment. I think that the public health officials, CDC, is going to want to see what the epidemiology of this disease is when it gets to a quote, unquote, ‘normal’ state.' Gottlieb said he does not expect the CDC to make any changes until it sees a period of time where no new variants flare up. He said he thinks the federal agency will wait until 2023 and not even first thing next year." Full story at: https://www.thestreet.com/investing/when-will-royal-caribbean-carnival-norwegian-drop-vaccines-testing THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 49,210 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

Interesting perspective and follow-up from our friend, Stumblefoot. Personally, I am not a player in the stock market and do not own any cruise stocks. The waters are far too "choppy" and uncharted for my risk level/interest at my age and position in life. From this below-connected financial website late yesterday afternoon, they had this headline: “Why Cruise Stocks Keep Going Down” with these highlights: “Cruise line stocks number among the bigger decliners today. What's behind today's cruise stock pessimism? From a big picture perspective, financial news websites are full of headlines warning of recession risk, and reporting that the S&P 500 just officially crossed the line into bear market territory -- down 20% from its high point hit on Dec. 27, 2021. That's certainly not helping cruise stocks go up today. We're also probably seeing the tail end effect of Truist bank cutting its price targets on each of Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line stocks yesterday. According to the banker, cruise companies may be enjoying some success in attracting customers with discounted rates and special offers -- but the rising cost of food, fuel, and other inflation-sensitive input costs means that the prices on offer may not be high enough to earn the companies any profit.” But wait, here's more background: "And now here's the kicker: Food and fuel aren't the only things getting more expensive for cruise lines. Debt is getting more expensive, too. In case you missed it, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates by half a percentage point earlier this month -- its biggest hike in two decades -- and strongly hinted at plans to hike rates at least that much twice more before the year is out. This should concern cruise stock investors because, as I pointed out earlier this week, since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago, Carnival has had to load up its balance sheet with $20 billion in new debt, Royal Caribbean with $11 billion, and Norwegian Cruise with $6.5 billion. The higher interest rates go, the more it's going to cost these companies to service their debt." Full story at: https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/05/20/why-cruise-stocks-keep-going-down/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020 (right before Covid shut-down), many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/

Appreciate these great comments and follow-up regarding investing, the stock market and the negative slide facing the three major cruise lines. From the New York Times this afternoon, they had this top headline: “S&P 500 is down for seventh week in a row” with these highlights: “The index ended the week with a loss of 3 percent, its seventh straight weekly decline. That’s its longest stretch of losses since 2001.” For the three major cruise lines, you can see below that all three companies today hit their 52-week LOWS today. There was a slight rally late in the afternoon, but today and this week reflected continued pessimism about the overall economic trends. Higher interest rates, rising fuel prices, etc., make for a less than positive environment. Right or wrong? But at these prices, do cruise stocks have no where to go but up?? How would you like to roll the gambling dice? Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/20/business/stocks-bear-market#stock-market-inflation THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas! Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/ From the Wall Street Journal, the below charts reflect how the stock market valued (or sunk) the three major cruise lines during the past week. It was a bad, BAD week!! Sorry to be so blunt. At the bottom is the chart for Royal Caribbean during the past three months. Continued rocky, roller-coast, downward movements?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

YES!!! Very interested as to any recent updates as to how the sailings on the Silver Origin are going in the Galapagos Islands. We had friends there in August of 2021 and they enjoyed it very much on that new ship and with Silversea. We had booked this cruise for early 2021, but had to scrub due to Covid. Would like to do, soon, maybe, if and if . . . . But like our friends, one of our concerns and questions, would be the worry about testing positive for Covid and being forced to quarantine for ten days or so in the Galapagos or Ecuador. Interested how full things have been with passengers on the ship and the levels of staffing on these cruises in the Galapagos. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 244,276 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

From the Miami Herald and MSN News yesterday, they had this headline: “Cruise bookings smash records. And passengers are accepting COVID-19 likely will be aboard” with these highlights: “Nearly a year since cruising restarted in North American waters following a 15-month pandemic hiatus, many cruise vacation travelers appear willing to accept the risk of getting the infectious disease that’s gripped the world for two years. Two of the global cruise line leaders based in Miami — Carnival and Royal Caribbean — are reporting record reservations for voyages, despite COVID-19 infecting the large majority of ships now sailing. Of 92 cruise ships in U.S. waters on Thursday, 70 of them are under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for coronavirus outbreaks. The CDC investigates outbreaks when at least 0.3% of a ship’s passengers and crew members test positive for the virus. The federal health agency data shows the outbreaks are nowhere near as widespread as in December 2021 and January when the omicron variant emerged, and eventually all 92 ships sailing in the U.S. early this year were being scrutinized for onboard virus cases. In late December, the CDC had suggested all travelers, even those vaccinated, should avoid cruising.” Here is more from this reporting: "Cruise industry leaders have acknowledged that having coronavirus cases on ships is the new normal, but say the infection rates are less than in the general population and the industry’s public health safety protocols are more stringent than most public settings. 'Yes, there will be COVID on the ships, but there’s COVID everywhere in society,' said Arnold Donald, the soon-departing CEO of Carnival Corporation, at the Seatrade global cruise conference in April in Miami Beach. 'Because people are vaccinated, the chances of them having a serious outcome from COVID is reduced. We have protocols to mitigate risk on ships.' Cruise Lines International Association, the cruise industry trade and lobbying group in Washington, D.C., said in April its global market research found that 84% of people who had cruised in March said they would cruise again, and that 69% of people who never cruised are open to it." Good, realistic news and information? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/cruise-bookings-smash-records-and-passengers-are-accepting-covid-19-likely-will-be-aboard/ar-AAXjzmG?ocid=BingNewsSearch THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 52,727 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Appreciate these kind comments and follow-up from Mr. Banjo. Congrats for your upcoming 42nd anniversary. You are getting close to your magic 50th!! On your mention of "many stumbling blocks", let me give you a personal example that came up this week. My wife's brother lives in Kansas and just got back Sunday from nearly two weeks touring Ireland, much of it by bus in a group of 25 people. It worked well and was fun for them. BUT, during and/or at the end of this travel, a total of eight participants tested positive for Covid. Ouch!! That triggered complications, especially if you are needing to be quarantined so very far from home. Everyone had the shots and boosters, etc., on their Ireland tour. That fear of needing to do added testing and potentially getting locked down so far away does raise questions . . . and risks!! As first mentioned many months ago, the variants continue to mutate and add to ALL of the uncertainties. Am I missing something and/or being unfair? From CNBC cable financial news Sunday, they had this headline: “A severe pilot shortage in the U.S. leaves airlines scrambling for solutions” with these highlights: “The pandemic exacerbated a pilot shortage by slowing down training, hiring and a creating a wave of early retirements. Airlines offered pilots early retirements to cut labor bills during the depths of the pandemic. The process to become airline-qualified in the U.S. is lengthy and expensive, making the barrier to entry high.” Here is more: "The United States is facing its worst pilot shortage in recent memory, forcing airlines to cut flights just as travelers are returning after more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. The crisis has the industry scrambling for solutions. At least one lawmaker is said to be considering legislation that could raise the federally-mandated retirement age for airline pilots from 65 to 67 or higher to extend aviators’ time in the skies. The Covid pandemic halted pilot hiring as training and licensing slowed. Major U.S. airlines are trying to hire more than 12,000 pilots combined this year alone, more than double the previous record in annual hiring. The shortage is particularly acute at regional carriers that feed major airlines’ hubs from smaller cities." As the cruise lines seek to return to some form of "normal", the airline flights, costs and avails are a part of that overall, long-term solution. For most people, including us, you cannot cruise unless you first can get to the departure port and know your way back home works, too! Full story at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/15/us-pilot-shortage-forces-airlines-to-cut-flights-scramble-for-solutions.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 69,821 views: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Cute catch and sharp-eyed follow-up from our travel friend. Could a fiction writer come up with a better, more interesting script? What will next week bring? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate these kind wishes from Lois. Actually, our official anniversary date is on June 17. We did the Disney/Florida family celebration in early May hoping to avoid the bigger summer crowds and high humidity in Orlando. It was still very, very busy at Disney and Universal Studios. And, hot! But, fun!! Great family memories. Keep it coming with the other great comments and follow-ups on these various cruise financial issues. Friday the 13th was very, very GOOD NEWS for the stockholders of the three major cruise lines. Really? Yes!! See below from the Wall Street Journal. Is this a long-term trend? Hard to know as the past week or so has been challenging for most stocks, especially those in the tech fields. Glad that I am not a stockholder with these firms as the worries and tensions during the past two years have been very difficult to manage and ride. It looks as if the two top CEO's of Royal Caribbean and Carnival were smart in deciding to move on/retire. Lots of difficult decisions have been made in the past two years with much more hard choices to be made in the next few years. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 20,819 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/ From the Wall Street Journal, the below charts reflect how the stock market valued the three major cruise lines during the past week. It was four straight negative days, but then Friday, the 13th, it was a big, positive jump back UP!! At the bottom is the chart for Royal Caribbean since the first of this year. Lots of rocky, roller-coast movements?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

Sounds like a great, exciting cruise and wonderful travels for our California friend. Hopefully when returning, you will share some of the highlights and experience details. Appreciate all of these various comments and helpful follow-ups. Keep it coming!! Sadly, this whole situation is not totally behind us and over. For me, sorry I have not posted most lately as we were busy last week doing seven days at Disney World and Universal Studios with our two grandsons, ages nine and eleven, plus family celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary. Great time and wonderful experiences!! From a newspaper story and a Wall Street-related website yesterday, they had this headline: “Carnival Cruise line cuts passenger capacity as COVID cases increase” with these highlights: “The cruise line industry has been working overtime to ensure safety and health, spending millions on updating their ships. When the pandemic hit, the cruise line industry was hit especially hard Because cruise lines nearly always flag their ships outside of the U.S. in order to work around American labor laws, 'this gives the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more sway over the cruise industry than it has over perhaps any other form of travel.' ” Here is more from their reporting: "While we’d all love for the pandemic to be over, it’s not, and health officials recently identified the ultra contagious Omicron Subvariant BA.2.12.1. The new subvariant is set to become dominant in the United States soon, but new infections are already starting to cause headaches for everyone, the cruise industry very much included. Already, Carnival Cruises has announced that it’s begun limiting passenger capacity on several sailings on its U.K.-based Cunard Line, canceling several bookings in the process. Carnival has revealed that ongoing travel difficulties across international borders are causing challenges for the company. That is making it difficult to fully staff its ships, owing to difficulties with testing requirements, quarantine periods, and other health and safety protocols. Rather than cut back on the quality of service, which would result in longer lines and waits and reduced amenities, they’ve opted to reduce guest capacity for the Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2." Full story at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article261379282.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 95,845 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

For many of us waiting weeks and weeks for refunds from cancelled cruises, we have watched and worried about the longer-term financial health/stability of the three major cruise lines. These cruise lines are heavy with debt and major future capital/operating obligations. From the respected Barron's business publication associated with the Wall Street Journal, they had yesterday this interesting headline: “Royal Caribbean Is the Best in Class and Its Stock Is a Buy, Say Analysts” with these story highlights: “Royal Caribbean Cruises is in the best position among its peers to 'navigate through this unprecedented operating environment,' concludes Stifel research. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the cruise operators as hard, if not harder, than just about any industry save for hotels, restaurants, and airlines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month extended its No Sail Order , possibly into mid-July. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean and the other two large publicly traded U.S. cruise companies— Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line—are burning through millions of dollars of cash as their ships sit idle.” This report yesterday helped push up the value of the RCL stock from about $34 to $37. Since Jan. 17, 2020, RCL stock has gone down $135 a share to as low as $22 a month ago, Among the other key Barron's story highlights: "The Stifel analysts rate Royal Caribbean stock at Buy. They maintain that the company is in the best shape in terms of liquidity, with the ability to keep things going for about 10 months. Bloomberg reported that Royal Caribbean is looking to raise more capital. A Wells Fargo research report Thursday notes that any additional capital raise would likely be limited secured bonds or convertible bonds. 'We continue to view RCL as best in class and needing the least amount of capital, within an industry that admittedly will likely see an elongated recovery to pre-Covid-19 levels,' according to Timothy Conder of Wells Fargo. The Stifel analysts maintain that Royal Caribbean is best positioned when cruising does resume, partly owing to its 'brand quality.' The company’s Silversea brand, which caters to ultraluxury customers who tend to skew older, may have a challenging time initially, they observe. But that brand accounts for less than 2% of Royal Caribbean’s capacity, they note." This info is somewhat encouraging for those debating whether to take future cruise credits (FCC) or grab the promise of cash being returned in one to two months. But, if planning 2021 cruises, how much do you pay down now and how well do you have your risks covered from a worst-case financial situation affecting the cruise lines? There are two large variables/questions: How long does the shut-down take before resuming service? AND, how quickly will the cruise customers (many older and more vulnerable to health risks) re-gain confidence and be willing to travel on tightly-pack airlines and cruise ships filled with a diverse, international groups of passengers and staff? Am I missing anything major or being unfair with this background and questions? Full story at: https://www.barrons.com/articles/royal-caribbean-is-the-best-in-class-and-its-stock-is-a-buy-51587653461?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D20035585715925339982782966094942319618|MCORGID%3DCB68E4BA55144CAA0A4C98A5%40AdobeOrg|TS%3D1587658128 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 49,228 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

From the Travel Section of the London/UK Independent in the middle of last month, they had this headline: “CAPE TOWN CITY GUIDE: WHERE TO EAT, DRINK, SHOP AND STAY” with these story highlights: “Originally a replenishing point for ships en route between Europe and Asia, Cape Town is the city from which the nation of South Africa grew. Most of its key attractions lie in the City Bowl and adjacent districts set scenically between the waterfront and Table Mountain. Summer (December to March) sees the city in full stride, but off-season (June to September) comes with the promise of watching whales and great white sharks. Cape Town is also synonymous with the late, great Nelson Mandela, whose presidential inauguration took place here 25 years ago this month.” The pictures and highlights from this media profile bring back nice memories. More can be seen below on my live/blog from our visit there in early 2016. Great city and area. Here are a couple of their top insights: "Best view: Hit the V&A Waterfront to see Table Mountain looming above the city and docks. Insider tip: Head to colourful Bo-Kaap for koeksisters, daaltjies and other hard-to-pronounce street food." Full story at: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in/cape-town-things-to-do-south-africa-city-guide-best-hotels-restaurants-a8913716.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 45,725 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337 Here are two of the visuals used to illustrate this profile. The second picture is from Boulders Beach that is home to hundreds of penguins and where we visited. Fun sights there!!: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

From the Sidney Morning Herald and other Fairfax newspapers of Australia in mid June, they had this headline: “Which Portuguese City Is Best?” with these highlights: “Portugal’s two biggest cities have a rivalry to match Sydney versus Melbourne with passionate locals who glow with pride about their hometown. Is it better in the north? Or do they have it all in the south? Here’s your form guide.”. Personally from visiting both, we found lots to LOVE in Porto and Lisbon. Both wonderful!!! Here are more story highlights: "PORTO: Grittier, cloudier, and teeming with street art, Portugal’s second-largest city has long been overlooked but now it’s nipping at the heels of its more-famous southern sister as travellers discover its affordable, down-to-earth charms. Known as the holy grail for port wine aficionados, Porto might have roots as a sailing port but its modern-day vibe is an unpretentious blend of history, tile-cloaked beauty." However, there is more to consider: "LISBON: In comparison to Porto, Lisbon is a spring chicken. The city was completely rebuilt in a wide-boulevard, grid style after being flattened by the mother of all earthquakes in 1755. The historic Alfama district, which managed to escape serious damage in the quake, is experiencing the curse of its own historic beauty. Residents are being squeezed out as Airbnb moves in and throngs of tour groups pound its cobblestone streets. Lisbon’s status as one of Europe’s sunniest capitals may just seal the deal. Many fall for the city’s magical afternoon glow as light bounces off the pastel-facades, and sunsets paint the sky candy floss pink." Lots of added details, visuals, options, etc., to consider in this profile/article. Brings back lots of nice memories from being in both cities last June. More below on my live/blog. Full story at: https://www.escape.com.au/world/europe/porto-v-lisbon-which-portuguese-city-is-best/news-story/d1b813dc662655d5928a29e8a1368abb THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Finished June 2017 sailing on the Silver Spirit from Portugal to France along the scenic Atlantic Coast, plus great pre- and post-cruise experiences. Now at 20,656 views. Many interesting pictures and details on history, food, culture, etc., from my live/blog at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Getting ready for a mid-November, 2018, Athens to Dubai, 20-day cruise with Oceania. This will include our first visits to the Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan/Petra, Middle East, etc. This includes two stops in Oman (Salalah and Muscat) before arriving in Dubai at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 5. We get off of the ship the next morning. Two key questions! 1. AIRPORT FOR FLYING OUT?: With American Airlines (or their partner), we could fly back to Heathrow via either Abu Dhabi or Dubai. What are the pro/con factors as to which one of these airport would be better to use? That leads to the question of how time to spend for our first time in this region and which options/priorities are best to see and do for this general area. 2. TIME IN TWO CITIES?: We will have the afternoon and evening in Dubai when our ship arrives. Then, we get off the ship the next morning and would have all day and that evening available before our flight to London would depart around 2 am on Friday, Dec. 7. Would that be enough time? How much more time do we really need between these two cities and other nearby options? Since we will need to get back home fo the holidays, our time options are not unlimited for exploring this fast-growing area. As I understand from a posting by the smart/savvy Keith, Abu Dhabi has more cultural/historic options (including the soon-to-open Louvre), while Dubai might be best with the newer, more commercial sites and spectacular architectural structures. TRADE-OFFS??!! What background and details am I missing and should consider? What do you suggest or has been your experiences with these areas for their highest/best priorities? Most important uses for our limited time? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139 for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 198,838 views for this posting.