TLCOhio

Appreciate this interesting speculation and guessing about such potential "pump and dump" games that some might be playing. What's really true? Hard to know!! From a company media release this morning, there was this headline: “Royal Caribbean Group announces proposed note offerings to refinance its senior guaranteed notes and senior secured notes due 2023” with these highlights: “Royal Caribbean Cruises today announced that it has commenced a private offering of senior guaranteed notes due 2029 for an aggregate principal amount of $1.0 billion and a concurrent private offering of senior secured notes due 2029, for an aggregate principal amount of $1.0 billion. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Senior Guaranteed Notes and the Senior Secured Notes, together with cash on hand, to redeem all its outstanding 9.125% Priority Guaranteed Notes due 2023 and 10.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2023” Reducing interest rate costs makes sense. BUT, this makes the point that there is billions and billions of dollars of debt out there for the cruise lines that must be rolled over and ultimately paid off. Unlike the Federal government, the cruise lines do not have printing presses to keep floating more debt that our grandchildren must pay off, etc. In the release details, it is noted that these new RCL notes will be "unsecured". Does that aspect provide an added, interesting twist/angle as people consider their "investments" and advanced deposits/payments? How much risk can be managed? Full story at: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/royal-caribbean-group-announces-proposed-note-offerings-to-refinance-its-senior-guaranteed-notes-and-senior-secured-notes-due-2023-1031758939 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 238,459 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

From CBS TV News in Miami earlier this month, they had this headline: “With new ships in 2022, cruise industry shows recovery after pandemic” with these highlights: “The cruise industry is recovering after the pandemic, rolling out a couple of dozen new ships this year. The president and CEO of Celebrity, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, says, 'It's time to transition into the next phase and that's what the world is doing and that's what we're finally doing.' Cruise companies hemorrhaged tens of billions of dollars during the pandemic and now industry trade groups see the tides shifting. Cruise Lines International Association predicts passenger numbers will exceed pre-pandemic levels next year. Disney Cruise Lines added its fifth and largest ship, Disney Wish, to the fleet this summer and the biggest ship in the world, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas began sailing in March.” Will this prediction for next year come true? How much are all of those new ships helping the overall recovery process? Good questions? Full story at: https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/with-new-ships-in-2022-cruise-industry-shows-recovery-after-pandemic/ 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 244,829 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Appreciate these comments and follow-ups about polio and other related aspects that impact travel and public health. . From the Royal Gazette, founded in 1828, Bermuda's only daily newspaper, this morning they had this headline: “Government defends cruise ship Covid policy in wake of cancellations” with these highlights: “The Government has defended its controversial Covid testing policy for visitors in the wake of criticism from cruise ship operators. Two cruise lines had cancelled seven transatlantic cruises scheduled visits to the island by the end of the year. Operators blamed 'Bermuda’s testing requirements' for the cancellations. The news prompted outrage from west end retailers who called for the testing policy, in which visitors must pay $40 to take a Covid test just prior to arrival, to be scrapped. Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said testing was still necessary on cruise ships because of the greater risk of infection compared with aircraft. Ms Wilson said: 'If cruises take more than four days to arrive to Bermuda, passengers wishing to get off the ship in Bermuda must take another supervised Covid-19 test on board, no more than two days before arrival to Bermuda.' 'On a cruise ship, it is hard to avoid the three Cs – closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings. These precautions allow everyone to ‘know their status’ as, unfortunately, the coronavirus is still with us.' ” Have never visited Bermuda, but it sounds a little risky as to what will happen for cruise ship visitors hoping to go there. Or, not? Overall, these "local policies" are part of my "concern" as cruise ships seek to return to some form of "normal". And, it looks as if in Bermuda, those arriving by airlines have an easier time arriving there versus those on cruise ships. For us, it is about the itinerary, especially to explore, see and experience unique areas of the world. This reporting also shared that earlier this year, there were 180 cruise ship calls scheduled for 2022. But with the adding and cancelling of calls, Bermuda is currently at 175 calls projected as of September 15. Will these new local rules be a big deal or not? Full story at: https://www.royalgazette.com/tourism/news/article/20220917/government-defends-cruise-ship-covid-policy-in-wake-of-cancellations/ 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 255,189 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, below are the charts for the stocks of the three major cruise ship lines. Does this look like a roller coaster? Clearly, it was a bad week, overall, for the NYSE stocks, including one day featuring the biggest drop in values during the past two years. From this below-connected financial website on Tuesday, they had details and speculation about Royal Caribbean, etc. True or not? Here was their headline: “Stock Market Sell-Off: Is Royal Caribbean Cruises a Buy?” with these highlights: “Let's take a look at Royal Caribbean Cruises, the cruise ship operator whose stock has been in Davy Jones' locker since the COVID-19 pandemic started and has had difficulty building steam since. In the 10-year period before the global crisis, Royal Caribbean stock returned more than 420% compared to 190% gain by the S&P 500, an amazing run-up during a big bull market. Since then, though, it lost two-thirds of its value and is down almost 40% this year alone. Let's see if investors will remain lost at sea with this stock, or if this one-time travel and tourism star can go full steam ahead once more.” Here is their answer: "Getting back into open waters hasn't been enough to lift cruise ship stocks. The rising tide of a reopened economy still finds Royal Caribbean and the others stranded on the shores of missed opportunity. That's partly a result of cruise operators still not operating at full capacity. Royal Caribbean's second-quarter load factor, or its passenger occupancy rate, stood at 82% overall as the company suffered setbacks first from the omicron variant outbreak and then Russia's invasion of Ukraine, since one-third of its capacity is for European itineraries. The others aren't doing any better. Carnival's occupancy rate was 69% in the quarter while Norwegian's stood at 65%." This analysis goes into detail about "laboring under a heavy debt load." But, this report finishes on a fairly positive tone and might have helped pump up the Thursday upswing for RCL, etc Maybe? Not? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/stock-market-sell-off-is-royal-caribbean-cruises-a-buy/ar-AA11LI65 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 244,829 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923 From the Wall Street Journal, below are their charts for the three major cruise lines and their stock performance during the past five trading days. Good nor bad news?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

YES, the correct questions are "who knows?" and "what has changed?"!! From the Wall Street Journal this morning, these charts below show a sharp contrast for what has happened today with the three cruise ship stocks . . . versus . . . the overall S&P 500 index. Both Carnival and Norwegian were up, UP by similar levels this morning. What has happened, why and how? Clearly, today, those trading stocks have a new optimism about the future for cruise lines. Will this trend last and continue? 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 255,189 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474 From the Wall Street Journal this morning, these two charts show an interesting contrast for the downward moves by the overall stock market versus the sharp jump up, UP for Royal Caribbean. Why and what's next?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

Yes, great comments and follow-ups regarding the changing and somewhat crazy variety of rules and requirements for those needing to navigate as they do upcoming travels and cruising, etc. From the Wall Street Journal this past weekend, they had this headline: “Cruises’ Covid-19 Rules Are All Over the Place" with this sub-headline: "As more travelers sign up for vacations at sea, vaccination and testing policies vary from company to company.” Here are some of their some story highlights: “Figuring out the rules for boarding a cruise ship requires serious navigation these days. Many major cruise lines recently loosened their pandemic rules around testing and vaccination requirements in a bid to get more passengers aboard. Travel advisers say the policies are moving closer to prepandemic norms, and some voyagers are pouncing on the opportunity to once again set sail. Yet, the rules still vary widely depending on the cruise line and destination. Before passengers embark, they need to wade through the fine print to book the trip that best fits their comfort levels and appetite for predeparture hurdles.” Here is a key point from their reporting: "The biggest change is that more cruise lines are allowing greater numbers of unvaccinated travelers. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Group are among those that permit unvaccinated travelers to board." Is it good or bad that the cruise lines are being "looser" in allowing more unvaccinated passengers on the ship? Does that increase the risks for us older travelers who want protection and less dangers for catching Covid? Then, there are still the questions as to any requirements to take Covid-19 tests before departure? Things are better, but still confusing and changing? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cruises-covid-19-rules-are-all-over-the-place-11662890825?mod=hp_featst_pos4 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020, 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 additional comments and follow-ups about the changing nature for the various rules and regulations. It's changing and evolving!! Hopefully for the better? Sorry for being absent for the past week or so. Just back home earlier this week after our eleven-day adventure in the Canada Maritime Provinces. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, etc. Great weather, nice people, wonderful history and sights, excellent seafood, etc., etc. Will share more later. Good questions to consider for doing such a Tauck/bus tour . . . versus . . . covering these areas via a cruise ship such as with Silversea. After air flights through the sprawling and confusing Toronto airport, plus 1600 miles on a bus with 24 people on board, we seem to have avoid any Covid entanglements. Hopefully!!?? From the New York Times Travel Section this weekend, they had this headline: “Traveling This Fall? Expect Cheaper Prices, ‘Seasonal Drift’ and, Yes, Chaos” with this sub-headline: "After a haywire summer of flight cancellations and delays, travelers remain eager to roam, returning to familiar hot spots like New York, Europe and the Caribbean." Here are a few of their reporting highlights: “Flying has been maddeningly unpredictable. Airline and hotel prices remain high. And inflation has forced many people to cut back. Delayed vacations, conventions and weddings have led to booked resorts and hotels. Still, more than 60 percent of Americans said they plan to travel this fall, compared with 54 percent of respondents last year, according to TripAdvisor.” About cruising? Here is what was mentioned in this NYT story: "Cruise deals are still plentiful, but hotel prices are stubbornly expensive. Airline tickets, while cheaper than this summer, are still higher than they were before the pandemic. And don’t expect the cancellations and delays that infuriated travelers in recent months to stop anytime soon. Major cruise lines like Carnival, Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line have dropped their vaccine requirements. As of Sept. 5, passengers leaving on Royal Caribbean International from the United States on certain cruises were allowed to provide their own Covid test results, instead of one from a health professional, according to the company, which has also dropped its vaccine requirements." Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/09/travel/fall-travel-plans.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/

Appreciate these kind comments. Pictures and added details coming soon. From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, below are their charts for the three major cruise lines. Up, UP!! Higher and HIGHER!! WOW! Good news? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020, 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/ From the Wall Street Journal, below are their charts for the three major cruise lines and their stock performance during the past five trading days. This past week was only four days as Monday, the market was closed for Labor Day here.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

YES, very sad news! She was a total "class act" who was so hard-working, wise and dedicated to her country, people and family. THANKS! Terry in Ohio

Hi, Missy! Appreciate the follow-up and mention. Yes, happy to be helpful. Per Ron/RLK on a Cruise Critic posting, we worked with and used “Love Egypt Tours”. You can see their website at: www.loveegypttours.net Or, when we made our late 2018 arrangements, we contact them at: loveegypttours@hotmail.com They still get high ratings on TripAdvisor and our experience was very good. Things worked super well for us at Luxor, staying overnight at the Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor. Many, many pictures and added details can be seen below through my live/blog from that wonderful trip. Agree that security is an interesting and changing challenge in this part of the world. It is a long distance from the port to Luxor and back. To do it "ALL" in just one day is nearly "Mission: Impossible". Staying overnight in Luxor allowed us to do it well and maximize our amazing experiences. Need more info, background? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio PS: Get packing for Alaska!! Lots to enjoy there. What are doing either pre- and/or post-cruise? 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 21,165 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

Back home last night after our eleven-day adventure in the Canada Maritime Provinces. Love Canada (except for Toronto's sprawling/confusing airport). Explored Halifax (wonderful city!), Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, etc. Great weather, nice people, wonderful history and sights, excellent seafood, dramatic shorelines, etc., etc. Will share more later in the week, including some visuals. Good questions to consider for doing a Tauck/bus tour as we did versus covering these wonderful areas via a cruise ship. Trade-offs!!?? There were only 22 of us in this group tour which was by design and fortunately compared to being in a group of 35-45 people. With this type of coach travel, however, you can go much more in-depth with cities such as Halifax and on Cape Breton, etc. But, the on-and-off of a coach and multiple un-packs and pack-ups gets tiring/challenging. Good news? Nobody had Covid during our travels and we arrived back home with no medical issues. Like on a cruise ship, our coach tour had vaccinated people in close contact over many days. Happy to answer any questions and share more about the highly-enjoyable Canada Maritimes. 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 244,829 views. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Appreciate these nice comments and follow-ups. YES!! Back home last night after our eleven-day adventure in the Canada Maritime Provinces. Great weather, nice people, wonderful history and sights, excellent seafood, etc., etc. Will share more later in the week. Good questions to consider for doing a Tauck/bus tour versus covering these areas via a cruise ship. Below are the charts for last week's performance on Wall Street by the three major cruise lines. Clearly the overall stock market has been challenged and cruise stocks are not getting "serious love". Where will the trend go for the next and final four months of 2022? Good questions? Any future predictions? And insights as to why and how? How much impacted by inflation at record recent levels, higher interest rates, a looming recession, massive cruise line debts, etc.? 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, below are their charts for the three major cruise line companies for last week's up and down activities. Rocky??: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) During the past month of 2022, here has been the downward side for the overall S&P 500 Index. Also, this Wall Street Journal chart shows the 52-week trading range for this key indicator.: Since the start of 2022, here has been the pattern of performance for Royal Caribbean during the most recent eight months. Recovery is happening, but Wall Street traders are not that confident. Right or wrong?:

Just started Thursday our Canada Maritimes adventures!! In Halifax right now. Yesterday was a brutal day for the stock market given the comments on inflation-fighting by the Federal Reserved Board Chairman. . From the Wall Street Journal yesterday, below is the chart for Royal Caribbean reflecting this past week. Up, up, then down significantly on Friday. Both Carnival and Norwegian were down more than 5%. Cruise stocks dropped much more than the overall market shift downward on Friday. Where are things headed for the rest of August and September?? More details and charts later when I have additional free time. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Bad day for the stock market today!! Big overall slide. But, for the three major cruises lines, their negative slides were twice what happened overall for the S&P500 stocks. Both Carnival and Norwegian were down 4.8% today. From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, they had this headline: “Dow Falls More Than 600 Points on Worries Over Fed, Economy" with this sub-headline: "Investors turn jittery ahead of Fed Chairman Powell’s planned speech in Jackson Hole.” What is next?? NBC News polling over the weekend shows that most in the U.S. believe we are now in a recession. Right or wrong? How does this affect cruise bookings and future spending? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-markets-dow-update-08-22-2022-11661164955 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 21,165 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/ From the Wall Street Journal later this afternoon, here is their chart showing the downward slide.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Sorry about my "fat fingers" typo goof in saying "SE Ohio". Of course, Dayton has not moved and is still in SW Ohio. Know Montgomery well and it has not been moved. Yes, re-districting has been happening and makes things a little more complicated. Where you live, all of Montgomery and Greene Counties are in the new 10th district with your current Congressman, plus a little of nearby Clark County, including Springfield. Fairly simple and easy to understand for your part of Ohio on this map. From Forbes Magazine this morning, they had this headline: “61% of Summer Travelers Had Flight Delayed or Canceled, 83% Lost Money” with these highlights: “This summer was poised to be a season of “revenge travel.” But spiking demand, understaffed airlines and severe storms flipped the script on many folks who were determined to travel like it was 2019. A recent Forbes Advisor survey of 2,000 travelers revealed that 61% of respondents experienced flight delays or cancellations this summer. And 83% lost money as a result of travel issues, adding another painful layer to what many hoped would be a “normal” summer travel season.” Clearly to do a cruise these days, getting there via air flights is not as easy and simple as back in the "Good Old Days" prior to Covid hitting us in March, 2020. Full story at: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-insurance/summer-travel-problems/ 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 21,165 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

Appreciate these follow-ups from our SE Ohio neighbor. Yes, the definition of "comedy" has been changing and evolving. Maybe for good? Maybe not as much??. From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they had this headline: “Variant-Targeted Covid-19 Boosters Test the Promise of mRNA Technology" with this sub-headline: "Moderna, Pfizer are racing to make different boosters for U.S. than the Omicron-specific shots rolling out for other countries.” Here are a few of their reporting highlights: “The U.K. last week became the first country to clear a modified Covid-19 vaccine targeting the Omicron variant, and other countries including Canada and Australia might soon follow. But in the U.S., modified Covid-19 booster shots are unlikely to be cleared for several more weeks because health authorities decided in late June they wanted modified vaccines to target different Omicron subvariants than those rolling out in other countries. As a result, the makers of the leading Covid-19 vaccines—Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. with its partner BioNTech SE—got a later start producing the new shots that are planned for the U.S.” Also detailed in this story, they shared the various production challenges in seeking to manufacture tens of millions of of this new vaccine. The White House Covid coordination indicated that they are aiming for a modified vaccines to be available by mid-September. It's coming and getting closer!! Good news? But, the cruise lines will need to figure out when and if this fifth shot will become required and administered for passengers and staff. Right? Also outlined in this report is how this mRNA vaccine technology is designed for quick changes and large-scale manufacturing of doses in response to the emergence of new virus strains. Sounds good??!! Soon, we will see how it all works and plays out. Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/variant-targeted-covid-19-boosters-test-the-promise-of-mrna-technology-11661030696?mod=hp_lead_pos4 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 31,477 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

Appreciate this follow-up and glad to hear your charity event with a Saturday Night Live worked well. During the past few years, in my opinion, however, the quality of humor on SNL has slid downhill. We have super loved key recent cast members such as Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson and Cecily Strong. But, certain stars such as Kate are leaving and the overall writing, skits, guests hosts, etc., are not always as fun and entertaining. Challenging??!! Or, am I just getting too old and not as "hip" to be getting "it" these days? Love such SNL hits from the "good old days" such as Eddie Murphy doing Mr. Robinson's Neighbor, NPR's Delicious Dish (Schweddy Balls) parody, Wayne's World take-off, the Celebrity Jeopardy episodes, etc. From the Wall Street Journal this past week, they had this headline: “You Paid for Extra Legroom. Do You Get Anything Else?" with this sub-headline: "Economy Plus, Comfort+, Main Cabin Extra and other premium coach seating sections sound the same—but not all of them offer extra benefits.” Here were a few of their story highlights: “Many of us wonder whether we should splurge on one of those cushier economy seats near the front of the plane. The extra legroom will be the envy of passengers heading back to their ordinary coach seats. But what does the seat fee buy beyond that seat? The answer varies widely by airline. On some you get free alcoholic beverages, dedicated overhead bin space and boarding ahead of other economy passengers. On others, you get nothing beyond that breathing room for your knees.” When going on that cruise, especially for those more "international", those long air flights can be difficult. But, how much do you pay and what do you get? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/extra-legroom-flight-other-perks-11660664574?mod=wsjhp_columnists_pos3 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Been seeing lots of TV commercials on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, etc., lately by Silversea featuring their photographer writing a note and urging people to travel. Clearly Silversea and others are ramping up, UP their advertising budgets to attract more future business. Plus, our mailbox continues to get lots and lots of cruise brochures from a wide range of companies. And, the many different emails, too!!!! Day after day!! Needed or not? Right? From the New York Times Travel Section for this weekend, they had this interesting headline: “Help! I’m 93, My Postponed Cruise Has Been Postponed Again, and I’d Like My Money Back" with this sub-headline: "A cruise company keeps pushing back its planned journeys, offering credits instead of a refund, and a passenger feels like the ship has sailed on her ability to enjoy a boat trip.” Here are a couple of story highlights: “My travel companion and I booked a river cruise and tour to Portugal and Spain for this past July with Vantage Deluxe World Travel. We paid in full, and bought insurance against trip interruption or cancellation through Vantage from TripMate.” This is not about Silversea or Royal Caribbean. But, there are many "twists and turns" that illustrate the "complications" in the fine print as to how the rules might be applied. These legal details apply with both the tour company and how insurance might be applied, work, etc. Vantage is Boston-based that received Federal PPP funds during the Covid bail-out. There are complications as to where to file a complaint with your state's Attorney General office, etc. Even the NY Times with its major name and clout could not unclog it all. This Times writer also reached out to senior cruise writer for The Points Guy to gain additional perspectives for this complicated case and situation. Makes a clear point to research, prepare and plan accordingly!! Do not just assume and hope. Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/19/travel/cruise-credit-refund.html 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 32,492 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Appreciate these various comments and follow-ups. Yes, the stock market has had its challenges, etc. Agree with RetiredandTravel that lots of debt can create serious issues in making a recovery work. From the Wall Street Journal late Friday afternoon, they had this headline: “Techs Lead Slide in Stocks as Dow Falls Nearly 300 Points" with this sub-headline: "Stocks closed lower, with all three indexes finishing the week in the red.” Below are the charts for the three major cruise lines during this past week. The last three days were not good. Am I missing anything with that summary? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com 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 31,477 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580 From the Wall Street Journal, below are the charts for the three major cruise lines for the past five trading days. Mostly downward? What's next?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here is a look at Royal Caribbean since the start of this year, 2022. Overall, is it fair to say it has been a steady downward trend, despite most ships returning and passengers filling up many of the various sailings? Should the stock have been moving upward? Why not?:

This morning at 9:43 am EDT, Royal Caribbean was down, down to $39.92. Wednesday am, the stock started at $44. More later today for the look of the full week for the three major cruise companies. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate this great article, sharing and follow-up from our travel friend in Canada. It had this summary headline: “Why Royal Caribbean and All Other Cruise Stocks Just Crashed” with this important bottom-line: “If debt costs eat up all of cruise companies' profits, is there any reason to buy cruise stocks?” The author was not shy in making his sharp points: "Remember how I warned, back in July, that in light of its continued losses, Carnival had decided to raise more than $1 billion in new cash through a stock offering? Remember how I warned, just two weeks ago, that Royal Caribbean was raising close to $1 billion itself through a debt offering, and using the money to roll over old debt?" Author Rich Smith noted how much higher Royal Caribbean and others will need to pay with these rising interest rates. This impacts significantly when you consider that RCL has to service its $23.8 billion debt load in future years. That borrowing and all of those new ships affects the costs for the future of Silversea, etc. Right or wrong? Full story at: https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/08/17/why-royal-caribbean-and-cruise-stocks-just-crashed/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article 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 32,483 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Glad that our travel friend from Holland is an optimist!! You will be ultimately totally correct!! It is just a matter for "WHEN"?? We are headed towards a recovery and many people (at the higher end) have money. Many will spend. But, "details" such as future interest rates will affect this timing. Maybe? Reactions? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Great comments and follow-ups, but I am not sure today reflects a "bullish" outlook for the cruise stocks. Right or wrong? From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, their chart below reflects how negative was the trading today for Royal Caribbean. Down 5%+!! The other two cruise lines were down near 4.5%. Rocky??? Why? Here was a key Wall Street Journal headline this afternoon: “Fed Officials See Need for Continued Interest-Rate Increases, but Less Certainty Over Destination" with this sub-headline: "Officials at last month’s meeting acknowledged risks from raising rates too little and too much.” Here were a couple of their reporting/analysis highlights: “Federal Reserve officials agreed at their meeting last month they needed to keep raising interest rates enough to slow the economy and likely would need to hold rates at that level until it was clear inflation was decelerating. Officials voted to raise their benchmark rate by 0.75 percentage point in July, following an increase of the same size in June. Those were the largest rate increases since 1994. Several officials have indicated since the meeting that they would support lifting rates by at least a half percentage point at their next meeting in September.” Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-officials-see-need-for-continued-interest-rate-increases-but-less-certainty-over-destination-11660760110?mod=hp_lead_pos2 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 46,489 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008 From the Wall Street late this afternoon, here is a look at how totally "ROCKY" was the stock market for Royal Caribbean. Similar for the other two major companies.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Yes, those two SNL programs in NYC were very fun and highly interesting. First was with Joan Rivers as the guest host. Remember Eddie Murphy as a cast members moving around, etc. Second was May 23, 1987, with guest host Dennis Hopper and musical guest Roy Orbison. Amazing evening, especially when the Church Lady (Dana Carvey) welcomed Dennis Hopper to talk about his sinful past, the naughtiest thing he's ever done and his new film Blue Velvet. After saying "Isn't that special", the Church Lady asked about the causes of his problems. As I recall, Dana Carvey probed by asking "Was it drugs?" Great question to Dennis Hopper? See SNL video highlight on YouTube at: Yes, hearing Roy Orbison in person was an amazing memory. The audience adored him and he responded to their warmth with their loving so much his great songs. This included “Crying” and “Oh, Pretty Woman”. 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 46,489 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

Agree strongly that there is lots of real money out there and waiting for the right timing to jump back into the mix with their previous spending and investing patterns. But, when and how? From Bloomberg and MSN News today, they had this headline: “Carnival Cruise Bookings Nearly Double After Covid Curbs Eased” with these highlights: “Carnival Corp. shares rose as much as 4.1% after the cruise company’s flagship division reported a surge in bookings following the lifting of some Covid-19 restrictions." At 3:29 pm this afternoon, Royal Caribbean is up nearly 4% to nearly $44 a share. The other two major cruise stocks were up today by similar percentages. Is this the start of the longer-term recovery for cruise stocks? Here is more from their story: "Carnival Cruise Line said bookings on Monday were 'nearly double' the level for the same day in 2019 after management eliminated pre-cruise testing requirements. 'Our guests are booking the remaining 2022 inventory, and getting a head start planning for 2023,' Carnival President Christine Duffy said in a statement. 'Mid-August is typically not a busy month for cruise bookings, but it’s clear that pent-up demand for Carnival has not been satisfied and guests are responding very favorably to our updated protocols.' ” Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/carnival-cruise-bookings-nearly-double-after-covid-curbs-eased/ar-AA10JqTU THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Dubrovnik! Visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 48,941 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227