TLCOhio

While in Canada last week, we loved our time there last week. Below are a few more to prove and share the "Joy" of Canada, its people, history, character. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums Not one, but two Canada flags flying proudly in Quebec City. Plus, the Quebec flag with their famed hotel in the background: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Quebec City is unique with its still-standing walls surrounding its historic areas.: Here are a couple more views/angles of the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel. It was built by Canadian Pacific Railway, first opened in 1893. This most photographed hotel in the world twice hosted Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt for World War II planning.: Here is a view of Montmorency Falls, 272’ tall, 99’ higher than Niagara Falls. with tourism ship in the foreground in this part of the Saint Lawrence River.:

While in Canada last week, the Internet worked fine for us, was able to upload and post pix's to Cruise Critic, etc. Loved our time in Canada last week. Below are a few more to prove and share the "Joy" of Canada, its people, history, character. Glad to hear from Stumblefoot that my visuals come through "fine and dandy". I like that encouragement. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums Not one, but two Canada flags flying proudly in Quebec City. Plus, the Quebec flag with their famed hotel in the background: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Quebec City is unique with its still-standing walls surrounding its historic areas.: Here are a couple more views/angles of the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel. It was built by Canadian Pacific Railway, first opened in 1893. This most photographed hotel in the world twice hosted Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt for World War II planning.: Here is a view of Montmorency Falls, 272’ tall, 99’ higher than Niagara Falls. with tourism ship in the foreground in this part of the Saint Lawrence River.:

From the Miami Herald and Yahoo News this morning, they had this headline: “People are falling ill with COVID again. What to know about boosters, testing and masks” with these highlights: “COVID-19 is going around again, and hospitalizations are on the rise, though its much lower then this time last year. And while no one seems to wear masks or worries about social distancing anymore, a new COVID-19 vaccine booster is slated to roll out this fall to better protect people against new circulating strains. COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country have ticked up again, with 12,613 new admissions the week ending Aug. 12, an increase of 21.6% from the prior week, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is using COVID hospitalization admissions to determine whether a county is considered to have a low, medium or high COVID risk level.” Here is more from this detailed story: "Keep in mind that since the federal COVID emergency ended in May, insurers are no longer required to cover COVID-19 testing, including at-home test kits and PCR testing. Those who are considered to be high risk for severe disease, such as seniors and those who are immunocompromised, might want to consider wearing a mask if they live or are traveling to an area that has begun to see more COVID circulating. It depends on your risk factor and current situation." Full story at: https://news.yahoo.com/people-falling-ill-covid-again-090000085.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 72,562 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

From the Los Angeles Times this morning, they had this headline: “With coronavirus on the upswing in California, new vaccine coming sooner than expected” with these highlights: “With coronavirus cases increasingly on the upswing across California and the nation, an updated COVID-19 vaccine is expected to come out even earlier than expected. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said this year’s updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine is likely to come out by the middle of next month. The earlier-than-expected arrival became apparent after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scheduled a Sept. 12 meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a likely indication that the vaccine would become available shortly afterward.” Here is more background: "The latest version of the vaccine is designed against the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, unofficially known as Kraken. Unlike last year’s formulation, a bivalent vaccine that was designed against both the ancestral coronavirus strain and the BA.5/BA.4 Omicron subvariants that were circulating at the time, the upcoming vaccine will be monovalent, specifically designed against XBB.1.5." Yes, we are very interested in the details and timing for this next vaccine. We depart in early February 2024 to fly to India and join up with the Silver Moon for an 18-day sailing to Singapore. Clearly, Covid is not quite all done and completely over. Still hanging around?? This thread is now over 220,000 views. Appreciate those who have dropped in, posted comments, insights and questions, etc. Keep it coming!!! It seems that all of these issues and interests are not totally over and done as of right now. Full story at: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-26/with-coronavirus-on-the-upswing-in-california-new-vaccine-coming-earlier-than-expected 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 106,254 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

For those seeking "food porn", below are some examples from last week in wonderful and historic Quebec City. Plus, a link below to a wider range of the excellent history, architecture and charm available in and around Quebec City. Had five days there and really enjoyed its great charm and character. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums At Quebec City's La Buche, they had a charming Canada-style interior and vibe that was super fun. Plus, the food was wonderful, including an amazing French Onion soup and bison main entree. Then, the dessert was from heaven!!: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Across from the QC City Hall at Alphonse, here was a wonderful seafood dish that I enjoyed outside on a nice sunny day lunch.:

For those seeking "food porn", below are some examples from last week in wonderful and historic Quebec City. Plus, a link below to a wider range of the excellent history, architecture and charm available in and around Quebec City. Had five days there and really enjoyed its great charm and character. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums At Quebec City's La Buche, they had a charming Canada-style interior and vibe that was super fun. Plus, the food was wonderful, including an amazing French Onion soup and bison main entree. Then, the dessert was from heaven!!: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Across from the QC City Hall at Alphonse, here was a wonderful seafood dish that I enjoyed outside on a nice sunny day lunch.:

For those seeking "food porn", below are some examples from last week in wonderful and historic Quebec City. Plus, a link below to a wider range of the excellent history, architecture and charm available in and around Quebec City. Had five days there and really enjoyed its great charm and character. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums At Quebec City's La Buche, they had a charming Canada-style interior and vibe that was super fun. Plus, the food was wonderful, including an amazing French Onion soup and bison main entree. Then, the dessert was from heaven!!: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) At the D'Orsay next to the their historic Cathedral in Quebec City, here was my excellent seafood dish.: Across from the QC City Hall at Alphonse, here was a wonderful seafood dish that I enjoyed outside on a nice sunny day lunch.:

Am using my MacBook Pro and could not see the pix's from Dr. Ron that seemed to be wonderful. Was using Safari. Also tried Firefox browser and that would not allow me to see, either. Good luck in figuring out!! Technology?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From this financial news website this morning, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean cruise line has bad pricing news for passengers" with this sub-headline: "Royal Caribbean has fixed a problem that's good news for shareholders and maybe Walt Disney. But the cruise line's customers won't be happy.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “When the cruise industry came back from its roughly 15-month covid-related shutdown, ships were sailing at very low passenger loads. That was a necessity due to social-distancing requirements, but prices remained low because demand simply wasn't there. Over the course of multiple quarterly-earnings calls, Royal Caribbean Group Chief Executive Jason Liberty talked about the price gap between a cruise and a comparable land-based vacation.” This story details that the price gap for ship versus land vacations has largely gone away for the newest ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet. Are we seeing that with Silversea for some of the newest ships and/or with the highest-level suites? This story noted: "While the days of the cheap cruise have not ended, finding a low-cost cruise on a newer ship is hard. Booking Wonder of the Seas generally costs much more (often twice as much, if not higher) than booking a similar itinerary on older Oasis-class ships." In summary, this analysis noted: "Every business wants to maximize revenue. Disney has mastered that effort, using demand-based pricing at its theme parks to balance crowds and income. Royal Caribbean has gotten better at doing the same thing, according to Liberty." What will we see for Silversea (under control from the RCL "bean-counters") balancing out these customer-demand versus maximizing-revenue questions? Full story at: https://www.thestreet.com/travel/royal-caribbean-has-bad-pricing-news-for-passengers 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 33,774 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Appreciate this background and follow-up from highplanesdrifters as we try to figure out what the Federal Reserve will do next and how the economy will evolve during the coming months and for next year. These are unusual and challenging times for our worldwide economy. From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they had this headline: “Consumers Are Spending Like It’s 2019" with this sub-headline: "Pandemic-driven binges recede as expenses mount and customers value experiences over goods.” Here were some of their reporting highlights: “Shoppers have shifted their spending habits in a postpandemic world, leaving retailers in the lurch. The stocks of major retailers have tumbled as stores including Macy’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker posted slowing sales, weakening profits and tepid forecasts. Their lackluster results offer more evidence that strained consumers feeling the weight of higher debt and increased prices are redirecting their discretionary spending away from certain products and goods.” For the cruise lines, they like to see "customers value experiences over goods", but will that continue full-speed-ahead if the economy goes into a recession? This WSJ analysis also noted: "Early in the pandemic, shoppers started pouring money into the homes they were spending more time in. Now that lockdowns are in the rearview mirror, the spending on renovation projects, workout equipment and home goods has cooled." Keep up the great sharing and comments. Most of our Crystal Balls are still a little cloudy and confused. Maybe? Your best guesses and predictions? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/consumers-are-spending-like-its-2019-dff7b8bc?mod=hp_lead_pos2 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 54,740 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 late Friday afternoon, below are their charts for the three major cruise ship lines during this past week. Lots of UP and DOWN movements!! How to explain it? At the bottom is the overall S&P 500 chart for this past week. The cruise ship stock roughly tracked with those varied larger market movements. Ant guesses for where these stocks are headed during the upcoming week?? Talking with a key financial expert recently, he made the point to me that historically the month of September has been most negative period during a yearly period. Will that happen in 2023 and what will that month establish as a pattern for the rest of this year? How's your Chrystal Ball? Predictions?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums From the Wall Street Journal, here are the stock charts for the past five trading days. Each of these companies moved up, UP nice on Wednesday and then things went "rocky!". It seems that the trends for Norwegian were most negative during this past week. The fourth chart shows the overall market S&P 500 trends for this past week. Lots of ups and downs? Reasonable summary?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

From Yahoo News and This Week publication, they had this headline: “Is it time to mask up again?” with these highlights: “Are mask mandates making a comeback? A 'growing number of experts' say it's time to pull those leftover N95 masks out of the junk drawer to protect against a rising tide of Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations, CNN reported. 'If you're trying to be careful, it's time to whip out the mask again,' said Dr. Robert Wachter of the University of San Francisco. The big question, the news network asked, is this: 'Are Americans in the mood for masks?' ” Here is more from their reporting "Deadline reported that Lionsgate, the movie studio, has brought back masking requirements for many of the employees at its flagship office in Santa Monica, California. The Press Democrat, up the coast in Santa Rosa, reported that Kaiser Permanente, the country's 'largest primary care provider' has begun mandating masks for staff, patients and visitors at its facilities there. Similarly, Morris Brown College in Atlanta said this week it would require masks at 'all classes and functions.' Even with the recent rise in cases, the "number of people severely ill from Covid is much lower than a year ago," Dr. Leana S. Wen wrote in The Washington Post." As we head into the fall flu season, it is totally unclear as to what and when for the next version of the Covid vaccine. Plus, there does seem to be a rise up with Covid case reporting. How will this affect cruise lines later this year and into 2024?? Full story at: https://news.yahoo.com/time-mask-again-174330998.html?src=rss&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHmjHeMFDDtGtse5aPVGXx5Yb1yeS4aSrOSs5vZ1v3AYuPnq_sMSlRA6eKoqEKJ6guv2zeZJJ858P_QSKTNIxCWze45X7Z5S8gZ9H1dbIoLBVaK0nNWgQ-4IAFRMYhr7rFLwVcpE8aVglM-ePAehKimq4Gh0s0gNxOSpXwEHxkw3 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

Love the James Bond 007 music, especially those songs by Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, Sheena Easton and Tina Turner. Sounds exciting and fun. Keep it coming with these types of details. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

Tell us more!!! Love to read specifics, details. What are they doing, how is it different, what types of music, entertainment? Any visuals to share? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Got back late last week from five wonderful days in Quebec City. First time there and enjoyed it so very much. Below are some added visuals from that first day. More to be posted. Plus, below is the Flickr link for many more visuals from Quebec City, plus a link for late last summer doing the wonderful Canada Maritimes. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums This Quebec City Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel is the most photographed in the world and is exciting to experience from many different angles. It was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway and first opened in 1893. It twice hosted Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt for World War II planning. Second is part of the nearby Place d'Armes.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Quebec City is the Capital of this key Canada Province and their Parliament Building is most impressive with its classic architecture.: The flowers are amazing in Quebec City, including in front of this classic building that is part of their art museum complex and near a park with its Joan of Arc statute. Third is our first meal there, including a wonderful Alaska Salmon Chowder. Love seafood!!:

In Central Ohio right now, the gas prices are roughly running around $3.43 to $3.59. Sounds much better than in California?? Got back late last week from five wonderful days in Quebec City. First time there and enjoyed it so very much. Below are some added visuals from that first day. More to be posted on the Week 33 thread. Plus, below is the Flickr link for many more visuals from Quebec City, plus a link for late last summer doing the wonderful Canada Maritimes. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums This Quebec City Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel is the most photographed in the world and is exciting to experience from many different angles. It was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway and first opened in 1893. It twice hosted Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt for World War II planning. Second is part of the nearby Place d'Armes.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Quebec City is the Capital of this key Canada Province and their Parliament Building is most impressive with its classic architecture.: The flowers are amazing in Quebec City, including in front of this classic building that is part of their art museum complex and near a park with its Joan of Arc statute. Third is our first meal there, including a wonderful Alaska Salmon Chowder. Love seafood!!:

Great to read, Keith, that you are home, safe, somewhat physically sound, recovering with your leg, etc. Glad to hear that things went well. Look forward to learning more in the future. Excellent reporting, even with the auto-correct challenges. Yes, parts of the USA have been very HOT! It's summer. Especially in Texas. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From the Wall Street Journal mid-day, today, below is the chart for Royal Caribbean's stock. Up, UP!! Same for Carnival. Not sure why and what is driving this positive value trend that reversed recent downward slides. Carnival is up mid-day by a similar margin. Not as big upward for Norwegian. Any good guesses for what is happening now with the stock market, longer-term financial trends, etc.?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From CNBC cable financial news this morning, they had this headline: “Top Wall Street analysts pound the table on these 5 stocks” with these highlights/specifics about Royal Caribbean which recently raised its full-year outlook and reported blockbuster second-quarter earnings: "The company is enjoying strong business due to pent-up travel demand. This week, Tigress Financial analyst Ivan Feinseth reiterated a buy rating on RCL and raised his price target to $139 from $102, citing stellar demand for cruise vacations, the company’s industry-leading position and its solid value proposition. The analyst thinks that the company is well-positioned to gain from the reprioritization of consumer spending toward travel and experiences following the pandemic. He said that demand in North America remains strong. In particular, Feinseth expects RCL’s “Perfect Day at CocoCay” private island resort to be a key growth driver and industry differentiator, which could fuel significant incremental revenue growth and yields.” That analyst also offered this background: “RCL’s current liquidity and ramp-up in cash flow will enable the ongoing funding of its fleet expansion and upgrades, growth initiatives, and balance sheet optimization.” Full story at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/20/top-wall-street-analysts-pound-the-table-on-stocks-like-amazon.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Visuals, details from two visits in a city and nearby with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 57,130 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

For Sunday after we arrive by air mid-day, we did a combination driving and walking "introductory orientation" through ToursByLocals with excellent private tour guide Djany P. Her knowledge and flexibility were excellent. This allowed us in just a short period to learn the basics for Quebec City’s amazing history/lay-out, understand the roles for the French versus British history/interests/battles, how that all fit with our America's Revolution, the later French Revolution, etc. After her great, "overview/background", it made the rest of our visit an understandable JOY! On Monday through mid-day Thursday, we did the walking around and travel on our own. We knew the city by that point and it all came together very well. Staying handy and central in the Old Town was also helpful and convenient. Below is Djany with my wife at one of their many parks with so many great floral displays. If on a cruise, it is hard to do it "ALL" in just one day. Many options for exploring in and around Quebec City. Plan and research accordingly. OC is not just a "one-trick pony" type of port stop that can be done with a three-hour walk-around. More pictures and details later. Have loads of interesting visuals still to share. 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 72,388 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

From our 2019 Silver Muse sailing up to Alaska, we super enjoyed Indochine a couple of times. Wonderful!! What was one of the secrets from our waiter for our group of five to maximize the experience for that dining venue? Don't worry about how to pick among many potential dining treats. Order them ALL and share, family-style! It was great and offered an excellent range of dining delights, varied tastes, etc. Need proof? Below are a couple of my visuals to prove the variety of tastes and styles. More on my full live-blog from this sailing. We have also done the Silver Spirit, but that was in 2017 before its "stretching". For Silver Moon, we are scheduled on that ship in February 2024 doing Mumbai to Singapore. Any secrets, tips, suggestions to maximize the Silver Moon experience during our eighteen days scheduled on that relatively new ship?? 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, Our firsts in these scenic areas! Now at 19,638 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/ Here are just two of the eight items we order for our group to share "family-style" when doing Indochine. Loved the variety and varied dishes.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Great you are booked for that Jetboat adventure through the NZ rocky mountain canyons. Let me know if you need more ideas and info, especially as to the Queenstown overnight option through Celebrity cruise. More in Sydney, etc.?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Greetings and a warm welcome to this USC fan as the Trojans join the BIG "Ten" and will be better connected with those of us in the Midwest. Having done cruises with both Seabourn and Crystal, plus six with Silversea, the broad generalization is there are more similarities than differences in comparing these three lines. Yes, things change and evolve. The various ships can be a little different, depending on their age, size, etc. Little differences do exist, maybe. For us, much is about, first and foremost, the destination and ports. Silversea has more ships than either Seabourn and Crystal. Therefore SS can offer a wider variety of different ports, timings, etc. Plus, requiring "serious shopping" to compare for the "best value" in pricing, when you are booking, specials for singles costs, etc. To give an answer that lawyers often offer, they will say: "It depends". Also, once on board with each of these luxury lines, it is important as a customer is to simply . . . "ASK". Don't be shy once on board. If wanting a special meal, service, etc., just inquire to the staff. Most crew like creative customers with interests that challenge them to provide better and higher levels of service. Hope this background helps. Keep researching and planning. Good luck!! 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, Our firsts in these scenic areas! Now at 19,638 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

From Forbes Magazine yesterday, they had this headline: “Inside The Challenges Of The Post-Covid Travel Industry’s Soaring Demand” with these highlights: “Demand for travel is high and rates are even higher. Happy (but stressed) travel advisors and suppliers are delighted to see you swarming back, often in record numbers. The only challenge is meeting your expectations, something that has never been more difficult. Fifty-seven percent of you say, 'Creating a travel experience that best fits my expectations is more important than price.' Making sure you have a bon voyage these days takes more time and creativity, even if it’s often hidden behind those smiles. Welcome to the post-Covid travel industry.” Here are more detailed specifics from this report: "According to Virtuoso, a network of travel agencies that cater to HNWs and UHWNs and sell around $30 billion in luxury travel annually, its members have seen a 69% jump in sales versus 2019 numbers. Hotel and cruise segments are up 173% and 122%, respectively. Despite wavering forecasts about the economy and world disorder, future sales, compared to 2019, the previous high-water mark, are tracking 107% higher." As background HNW means "High Net Worth" individuals. This story also details challenges in lining up local tour guides, staffing hotels and dining spots, supply chain issues, etc. Clearly, demand and prices are up, but places, especially in Europe, are crowded and all is not perfectly normal. Full story at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2023/08/18/inside-the-challenges-of-the-post-covid-travel-industrys-soaring-demand/?sh=67981a293fd0 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 244,893 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

From the Wall Street Journal late Friday afternoon, below are their charts for the three major cruise lines. Down, down, DOWN!! Not a positive, upbeat week for these stocks and the overall market. Do investors sense something negative is coming in September or October? The drops have been most sharply down affecting Norwegian. How do you "bet" as to the market potentials during the four months? 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 72,388 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/ From the Wall Street Journal, here are the stock charts for the past five trading days. Each of these companies moved down. Why? At the bottom is the overall, broader-market S&P 500 chart for the past month. It seems to be a larger stock market challenge. What is coming next?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)