TLCOhio

YES!! There are still major questions and uncertainties out there for the cruise lines and their potential customer customer base. Appreciate these all of these various comments and follow-ups. From the Wall Street Journal chart as you can see below, Royal Caribbean was down, down 4.99% yesterday. Also in Wednesday trading, Carnival was down 6.17% and Norweigian dropped 4.7%. Clearly, the stock market yesterday sensed something was not right or confident for these three major cruise lines. From this below-linked financial news website yesterday morning, they had this headline: “Why Norwegian Cruise Lines Fell 20.1% in May” with these highlights: “Shares of Norwegian Cruise Lines fell 20.1% in May. One might have thought Norwegian would be taking off around this time, as people get back to traveling and the cruise industry gets back to something approaching 'normal' after a two-year pandemic. However, Norwegian's recent earnings report missed expectations, and higher fuel and food costs threaten the industry's recovery. It likely wasn't the company's earnings that caused the stock to drop so much. May was a tumultuous time for the markets, leading to a 'risk-off' mentality, as investors fretted about inflation and what effect that might have on various companies. Unfortunately for cruise lines, their main input costs are food, fuel, and labor -- three of the areas seeing the worst inflation right now. Inflation also threatens consumer discretionary spending. Not only that, but all the cruise lines are more heavily indebted than pre-pandemic, and interest rates are going up, too. Norwegian has 41% of this year's fuel consumption hedged and 24% of next year's, but it's still susceptible to rising oil prices as it looks to the future. While Norwegian has thus far stuck to its guns on pricing, given its higher-end brands, its ships are not yet back to full capacity. Therefore, there may be some doubt as to when it may get there and at what prices. Meanwhile, Norwegian is still burning cash, with a near-$1 billion loss in the quarter.” Full story at: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/why-norwegian-cruise-lines-fell-20.1-in-may 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

YES! YES!!! Agree with my wise SW Ohio neighbor that this Covid crisis will be a "Full-Employment Act" for many young researchers. Lots to check out and speculate about the various theories, etc. Appreciate this great comment and follow-up. From the Bloomberg News this morning, they had this headline: “How to Minimize Covid Risk on a Cruise” with these highlights: “Cruise ships are excellent breeding grounds for viruses. 'This means to prepare for the cruise, all four of you should be fully vaccinated and boosted,” says Jessica Justman, an infectious diseases specialist and epidemiologist at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. 'I suggest completing all booster doses a few weeks, and at least one week, before the trip starts,' says Justman. She also suggests checking to see if your ship has opted into CDC’s Covid-19 Program for Cruise Ships, which lets passengers check to see if their cruise meets certain vaccination standards. 'I would also be interested in how many inpatient beds and medical personnel are on the cruise and compare that to the number of passengers,' says Justman. 'One might confirm that the cruise follows guidelines such as the cruise ship health care guidelines from the American College of Emergency Physicians.' As for how to stay safe once you’re off to sea, Justman suggests tactics such as trying to eat meals outdoors when possible. Because so many Covid cases are asymptomatic, it’s not enough to simply avoid people who seem sick.” Full story at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-06-05/coronavirus-daily-how-to-stay-safe-on-a-cruise 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

While having a college degree in business administration, I only took one accounting course. My knowledge base is very, very limited for the appropriate accounting rules. Interesting questions as to whether these FCC's should be listed as liabilities . . . OR NOT?? And, a great point/questions about how many of these outstanding FCC's will ever be used . . . OR NOT?? Excellent range of comments and follow-ups. Keep it coming!! From the Wall Street Journal, below are their charts on the three major cruise lines for this past week. Clearly, June 1 was a bad, BAD day for these three cruise stocks. Then a Thursday rise up and a Friday fallback!! Is that a "Rocky Ride" in three days?? Clearly, the stock values now are better than the 52-week lows on May 25, 2022. BUT, the questions continue as to if and when the Wall Street financial experts will signal a positive run-up in these stock values given the rising oil prices, inflation pressure and economic uncertainty about a coming recession. Predictions? 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 From the Wall Street Journal, below are their charts for Royal Caribbean and the other two major cruise lines during this past week. At the bottom, this fourth chart reflects RCL for the first five months of 2022. These stock tried to recover, but kept having ups and downs. Has it been like a roller coast ride?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

Excellent question and point above about testing!! When is enough and how to be consistent? Not easy to fix, adjust and shift gears in moving forward as people are "learning to live with it". Clearly, one size does not fit all. From MSN News and a financial website, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean Makes a Huge Future Cruise Credit Change” with these highlights: “The pandemic has forced a level of fluidity on Royal Caribbean's decision-making process that once seemed impossible. As the cruise line was dealing with this challenging environment, it had to reassure its customers that booking was a safe option -- 'Cruise With Confidence.' Royal Caribbean quietly ended Cruise With Confidence earlier this year, but many passengers were left with FCCs. Those cruise certificates had expiration dates. That meant that some people held FCCs that might expire before they could use them. Now, Royal Caribbean has made a change to the program that many people holding credits will be thrilled with. The company has seen the bigger picture and (likely) decided that goodwill mattered more than having to deal with not knowing when people would use their credits to book a cruise. The cruise line has decided to have all FCCs issued between the start of the pandemic in 2020 and early 2022 not expire. 'As of June 1, 2022, Royal Caribbean announced that all unredeemed future cruise credits (FCC) offered under the Cruise with Confidence program will no longer expire.' Prior to today's announcement, each credit had an expiration date when it had to be redeemed by, which gave some guests concern that they would lose out on the value of their money paid because they are unable or unwilling to cruise before the end of this year. Royal Caribbean has not extended the redemption period for the extra 25% credit issued to people who had their cruises cancelled by the cruise line. Those credits will still expire at the original date.” Very good PR and customer-friendly decision!! Does this apply for all Silversea FCC's? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/royal-caribbean-makes-a-change-passengers-will-love/ar-AAXYJgD?ocid=BingNewsSearch 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

Great above comments and follow-up from our travel friend as to how the airlines (which got billions of dollars in Covid Federal recovery payments), have recovered back closer to "normal" and are now rolling up profits. But, the cruise lines?? When and how? From MSN News and a financial website, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean Makes a Huge Future Cruise Credit Change” with these highlights: “The pandemic has forced a level of fluidity on Royal Caribbean's decision-making process that once seemed impossible. As the cruise line was dealing with this challenging environment, it had to reassure its customers that booking was a safe option -- 'Cruise With Confidence.' Royal Caribbean quietly ended Cruise With Confidence earlier this year, but many passengers were left with FCCs. Those cruise certificates had expiration dates. That meant that some people held FCCs that might expire before they could use them. Now, Royal Caribbean has made a change to the program that many people holding credits will be thrilled with. The company has seen the bigger picture and (likely) decided that goodwill mattered more than having to deal with not knowing when people would use their credits to book a cruise. The cruise line has decided to have all FCCs issued between the start of the pandemic in 2020 and early 2022 not expire. 'As of June 1, 2022, Royal Caribbean announced that all unredeemed future cruise credits (FCC) offered under the Cruise with Confidence program will no longer expire.' Prior to today's announcement, each credit had an expiration date when it had to be redeemed by, which gave some guests concern that they would lose out on the value of their money paid because they are unable or unwilling to cruise before the end of this year. Royal Caribbean has not extended the redemption period for the extra 25% credit issued to people who had their cruises cancelled by the cruise line. Those credits will still expire at the original date.” Very good PR and customer-friendly decision!! Does this apply for all Silversea FCC's? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/royal-caribbean-makes-a-change-passengers-will-love/ar-AAXYJgD?ocid=BingNewsSearch 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

From the New York Times Travel Section last week, they had this headline: “Testing Positive and Using the ‘Backdoor’ to Get Into the U.S." with this sub-headline: "Entering the United States by air requires a negative coronavirus test. Some people who can’t provide one are using a workaround: flying to Canada or Mexico, then entering via a land border.” Here are some of their story highlights: “Michelle Fishman calls it the 'worst-case scenario that you don’t really think through.' After a three-week vacation in Greece, the 52-year-old hotel art consultant from Miami and her husband took pre-departure coronavirus tests required to fly home from overseas. She tested positive, he did not. Although coronavirus travel restrictions have eased across many parts of the world, the United States still requires all international air passengers to present a negative test taken within one day of departure. Instead, she took advantage of a quirk in the rules to head home after five days (the mandatory self-isolation period required by the Greek government) via a 'backdoor' — crossing into the United States by land, which does not require a coronavirus test, rather than by air. Because Canada does not require a test for entry, the couple first flew to Toronto and, after spending a night there, Ms. Fishman and her husband drove across the border into Buffalo and caught a flight home. (There is no testing requirement for flying domestically.) The C.D.C. did not say why it has different policies in place for Americans who test positive at home and abroad, but a spokeswoman for the agency reiterated that travelers should follow the 10-day guidance to not travel before boarding a flight to the United States, even if they test negative. The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the possibility of travelers using land borders to circumvent the testing requirement for air travel.” Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/28/travel/us-travel-covid-test.html 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

From this financial website in late May, they had this headline: “Carnival Cruise Lines Presents Investors With a Clear Risk/Reward Scenario” with these highlights: “Investors in Carnival Cruise Lines must be wondering what they need to do to catch a break. A halting recovery in the cruise line industry is keeping CCL stock trading at 25-year lows. That’s not a misprint. Carnival hasn’t consistently traded at its current levels since 1996. Carnival, along with the other major cruise lines were forecast to be slam dunk recovery stocks. No matter how individuals personally feel about cruising, there’s no doubt that’s it a popular vacation option. And the belief was that cruise lines would be major beneficiaries of pent-up demand for travel. It hasn’t worked out that way. Like inflation expectations, the slump in cruise line business was expected to be transitory. The reality is that, like inflation, transitory is taking a lot longer than many people expect. That presents investors with an uncertain outlook and makes CCL stock a buy for only the most risk-tolerant investors.” Here are some more important details: "Every major cruise line took on debt during the pandemic. None more than Carnival, which added $20 billion to its balance sheet. The cruise line reported $7.2 billion in liquidity when it reported earnings in March. That was down from $9.4 billion in the prior quarter. Carnival now is expecting to have its full fleet back in operation this summer. It’s the only cruise line that can make that claim. However, I can’t help but look at the company’s last earnings report in which the company posted a disappointing $1.6 billion in revenue. Not only did this miss analysts’ expectations for revenue of $2.3 billion, but it was a fraction of the $4.79 billion that the company posted in its last pre-pandemic quarter." Full story at: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/carnival-cruise-lines-presents-investors-with-a-clear-risk-reward-scenario THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Dubrovnik! Nice visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 48,724 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

Appreciate this additional perspective and follow-up from Stumblefoot. This helps clarify significantly. Great, important question on "hardship" versus "inconvenience"??!! From CNN Cable News and MSN this morning, they had this headline: “Airlines, travel industry push White House to end testing requirements” with these highlights: “White House officials met Tuesday with travel industry leaders who pressed the Biden administration to end its requirements that vaccinated international travelers take a coronavirus test before flying to the United States. Airlines for America, representing major US air carriers, and the US Travel Association, representing the broad travel and tourism industry, said they argued the requirement does not match the current threat from Covid-19. They also say the requirement is harming the US economy. 'Quite frankly, the only impact the pre-departure testing requirement is having is a chilling effect on an already fragile economy here in the U.S.,' Airlines for America chief Nick Calio said in a statement after the meeting.” Here is more from this reporting: "Roger Dow of the US Travel Association said in a separate statement that while restrictions on many other businesses have been lifted, "the travel industry remains disproportionately harmed by this requirement.' 'Other countries with whom we directly compete for global travelers have removed their pre-departure testing requirements and reopened their tourism economies, putting the U.S. at a serious competitive disadvantage for export dollars,' Dow said. The industry has criticized the policy as out of date for months." CNN sought, but did not gain a response from the White House. Full story at: https://www.waow.com/coronavirus/airlines-travel-industry-push-white-house-to-end-testing-requirements/article_877b0dd7-dd5a-506a-a3cb-dbdeec4b20e9.html 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

With all due respect to Stumblefoot saying "with all due respect", there is more to this question than just looking the other way and hoping the government is always right with whatever they say and dream up. Yes, there are legitimate questions and doubts as to what science says is best for dealing with these challenges. Much has happened in the past two years and we are still trying to learn more, figure out the best strategies, etc. My view is that what seemed smart and best six months ago, might not be working that well right now. Where is the cost-benefit analysis for some of these policies today? Great point and question of "We can enter the USA by road, rail by sea or on foot without a test. Why do we need one to fly?" by our South Carolina neighbor. From my experiences both being in and dealing with government officials over the decades is that sometimes they are unwilling to adjust, be flexible and acknowledge that there might be new information and/or better, more effective alternatives to consider. In general, governments and businesses need to be more open, honest and candid in sharing information, discussing trade-offs, shifting gears, etc. AND, different people, depending on their age and health conditions, have varied risk levels. In my view, one size does not and should not fit all. 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/

Super appreciate ALL of these great posts and follow-ups from wineasmusic of Texas. Great info and background!! Yes, lots of pictures and continued great details are very much of interest. We had this cruise booked for late January 2021, but then Covid shut things down. Had good friends who did this cruise in August 2021 on the Silver Origin and enjoyed it so much. This sailing is still on our future, to-do list. 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

Below is a little more as to what happened with the passengers on that Carnival cruise having a fire challenge. Some were happy, others not as quite as much. 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 Kotor/Montenegro: Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 49,248 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

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!)

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.

On aother board, I posted some of my earlier Venice pictures and I got lots of nice comments. I thought I would share some of those visuals here and invite other comments on what you loved most in Venice. What was the "magic" for you? I first visited Venice, twice, in December of 1970, seeing a city without the summer mobs. In some ways, it was then even more of the "real thing" as you were better experiencing it as to how residents live, work and walk around there. We were back in May 1999 and hope to be there again in June 2011 as a cruise stop. This is the website for the official Venice tourism office: http://www.turismovenezia.it/venezia/eng/default.asp?lingua=en THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923 Nothing says Venice better than Piazza San Marco, the "living room" of this great city. Unlike most cities in Europe, this square has people prevailing over the sounds of cars, trucks and motor scooters. The Piazza has it all, the Basilica of San Marco at its eastern end, the Campanile Tower, other historic buildings and the walkway to where Marco Polo boarded ships to discover China and the East. Plus, in the evenings, there are the "battle of the bands" with music playing and people enjoying this area without the middle of the day tourist mobs.: This picture shows San Giorgio Maggiore, a 16th century Benedictine church built between 1566 and 1610. The gondolas are docked in the foreground in the main part of Venice. There were eight to ten thousand gondolas during the 17th and 18th century with only about four hundred in active service today.: This Venice picture gives a sample of different roof designs/decorations, the church dome and the famed Campanile. This bell tower of St Mark's Basilica is 323 feet tall and is a plain brick square shaft, 39 feet wide on each side. This tower reached its present form in 1514, but was reconstructed in 1912 after the 1902 collapse.: Along a canal, this is Da Raffaelle where we had an outdoor table right next to the waterway. Wonderful food and spectacular setting. It is located at Ponte delle Ostreghe 2347. It is west of San Marco Square and south of La Fenice Opera House.: Here is a sampling of more great architecture details in Venice on the historic building and stone columns. In the background is Santa Maria della Salute. There are over one million timber piles supporting the vast weight of this Baroque church's large dome.: