S&B

I have not seen any cruise line talk about a fully vaccinated crew and passengers.  I am still waiting to see that because I am not sure we will cruise without it but maybe that will come in time.

We could have gone to Ft. Myers, Publix, but we felt that was a little too far.  The Publix pharmacy told me it is just luck who gets on their website.  More hope with Publix tomorrow  at 7 am or waiting for that phone call from the county.  

My next concern is will HAL make the vaccine a mandate.   But I don't want to open up a can of worms.

RedneckBob, I don't know where you got this 40 percent that had received the vaccine because I looked it up and it says 10.4 percent for first dose and 4.5% for second.  We are in Pinellas County and the problem in the beginning was that the sites were crashing and neither did the phone lines work.

I have spent 14 hours on the computer trying to get vaccines for hubby and me.  Finally got mine but because we only have one email address I was not able to get his.  My second is Feb 25.  Tried 4 times with Publix and will try again tomorrow morning at 7 am.  One time I was up at 5:30 am.

It is not all rosy as some might think in Florida.  Publix is the only pharmacy in our area that is giving the vaccine.  The other is the county health department.

Really, really sorry for venting.  Will let you know what happens next.

Happy Valentine's Day

Go down a few threads to  "Canada and Greenland 2022" and you will see they are talking about the Nieuw Statendam for August 2022.

Please correct me if I am wrong.  The CDC report says that at any time they may shorten or lengthen the 7 day cruise.  (page 32)   Might this be the reason HAL has used the word temporary.   However, I do not expect this to happen until fall or when we have vaccines to cover the U.S. population and the ports being used.  For those of us wanting to cruise in the fall it is going to take time and patience.

This also came through for those of us that use Facebook.  It was  HAL notice to everyone.

There is nothing in there about the VOV.  I looked several times hoping that maybe I missed it but it is not there.  Hopefully we are still on that cruise.  As far as the catalog goes, I was just happy to get something from HAL.   I don't really care if it is out of date they are at least sending something.  That should give us all a small bit of hope.

Sylvia

Kazu,  I know but it is just fun and relaxing to look at it.   😁   Even though we know things will change I am just enjoying the pictures.  It brings back memories.  Funny how a magazine will pick you up for the day!

Surprise!!  Today we received the HAL 2021 Europe Voyages Limited Private Sale catalog. Take advantage of these offers when you book by Dec. 15, 2020.  Did any one else get this?  We are not going to Europe in 2021 but I was just excited to get it.  I have looked at it from cover to cover.  Now, if we can just get back to normal so we can cruise again.

I don't think that HAL will get rid of the last two smaller ships right away but IF and when they do in the future what will happen to the Grand and World Cruises?  I cannot see those cruises  sailing on the Oosterdam or any other mid size ship.  When this happens is when you will see the "wailing" really go wild.   For now they will keep the World and Grand cruises because they are good sellers and people are willing to pay the price.  IMHO

I think that we are all reading this differently.  The South America Jan 2021 was cancelled, which we mostly thought it would be, and that same cruise is being changed to the Volendam, South America, January 2022.  Any cruise that was previously scheduled for February 2022 on the Volendam would obviously need to be on another ship.  We can't have one ship in two different oceans.  I do not see the Volendam as being sold, at least not right now.

This is the way that I am reading this.  Does anyone else see it this way?  We can all speculate but no one really has the answer.

Happy Sailing whenever it will be.

We hopefully will have a vaccine by the end of the year or the beginning of 2021 but as I understand it 30 percent of the US population will refuse to accept it.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  Will the cruise industry make it mandatory?   Will the vaccine be 100 percent effective.   There are so many questions and we all try to be patient.

 We have cruises booked in July and October 2021 but waiting to see how the cruise lines deal with anyone not willing to take the vaccine if it becomes available.  

In the mean time we are still hunkering down, going only to the bank and the grocery store so far.  

Stay healthy every one!!!

Oh, this is bad!!!  I was on the Amsterdam for 56 days and I don't remember any clock.    Tampa Girl, you were on the 2018 Grand Asia as we were also.  Some days you had to pick and choose what to do because it was so busy.   But everybody to their own liking.  That is what makes the world go around!!

Thank you for posting that picture.  There is NO clock.  It is the organ.  Sorry for the mistake but you know, I can't remember everything because I am one of those senior citizens who loves my HAL ships and itineraries.  

So, for now are we still safe with the Zaandam?   We plan on embarking on that ship next year in July in Boston!!

Oh this is sad!!   Ruth, we were just on the Zaandam and are booked for the Voyage of the Viking in 2021 but as I look at the pictures I do not see the picture of the beautiful clock in the atrium.  I do not recognize that picture they show.   Could this be the Volendam instead?  I am hoping so as we loved going to watch the clock every noon.  

Maybe someone that has been on the Volendam could give us their opinions and if I knew how to link a picture I would do so.  Such a beautiful and unusual atrium on the Zaandam.

I don't post much on the HAL Cruise Critic board but I have to say that I am getting offended by the comments made about the Crow's Nest.   And there have been several lately.   Who cares if I or anybody else wants to go to the Crow's Nest and relax and watch the ocean.  And who knows maybe I will fall asleep.   There is a whole ship to explore if you don't like it.

We do not like sea days as we are very active senior citizens, on our port days we are out early and are one of the last ones to re-board the ship.   After walking for 6 hours or so in a port we need to chill out and maybe it will be in the Crow's Nest.  (The last two cruises we have had an inside cabin, one cruise was 56 days)

Oh, by the way, the younger generation might become older some day and want to have a nice place to enjoy themselves.

And, yes, we are one of those 4 star people.  

The Amsterdam is doing the Amazon in October 2021 and the Rotterdam is going to Africa in October 2021.  For those of us who are booked on the Amsterdam Grand Africa 2020 we are thrilled as we question whether it will ever happen in six months. The Amsterdam has been planned for several months to go to the Amazon in 2021 and I don't think they wanted to change that itinerary.

I would think the Amsterdam would go back to Asia in 2022.

Well, I think it is time that I chime in here a little bit.  We are very fit senior citizens but all of a sudden things can happen and did.  We were on the 2018 Grand Asia ready to depart in Sydney and all of a sudden two days before departure my DH had to go to medical.   The lady Dr. on the ship was excellent and after a few tests very quickly determined what was the problem.   We were transferred to a beautiful, new university hospital and had a wonderful Dr. from Sri Lanka.   The problem:  He suddenly needed a pace maker.  (Two days prior he was doing the "twist" in the Crow's Nest).  Absolutely no warning!!

While in the ER I received this call from someone that I did not recognize.  It was HAL calling us from Seattle.  Wanting to know if we were o'k and if we wanted HAL to notify our children.  The next day they called again and then the day we were discharged they called my DH and told him they would keep track of us until we left the country.  

HAL and the port authority took very good care of us.  The medical team on the ship called our insurance company to make sure everything was in order.  The hospital Dr. talked to Travel Guard so the insurance company would know every procedure.   Travel Guard paid every penny of the $16,000.00 bill.  

Sorry this is so long but I wanted to relay our experience.  Oh, and by the way, he is doing excellent and just went on a 22 day cruise to South America.  However, me lugging around two 29" suitcases and 4 carry-ons to get home from Australia was no picnic and therefore he has limited me greatly!!!

I just received a Facebook message from HAL and it said the Zaandam would be disembarking passengers at Punta Arenas.  We were on the Dec. 18 cruise to Antarctica and I am glad they got to see that part of the world.  Just amazing!!

A questions for the professionals out there even though I know no one can predict what will happen.

Will there be a place where CCL will stop and cease all trading for the stock.  Maybe at 20?  I don't know but was wondering for those that might want to wait for it to go lower.  Is there that chance that could happen?   I know anything can happen.  Just picking your brains!!   Thanks to those that have been contributing to this CCL market slide.  I have found it helpful.

Kazu,  Thank you for your answers.  It was very helpful and as always we appreciate your input on Cruise Critic.

Cheers and Happy Cruising!!

Sorry, I am still a little bit confused when you can and can not receive the OBC from your CCL.  We just took a cruise to South America on HAL but booked it 6 weeks before departure.  (We had already been there but wanted a Christmas cruise).  Would we have qualified for the OBC or would the last minute booking disqualify us?  What is this "special price" that you have that sometimes disqualifies you, other than the "casino cruise" which I fully understand.  Does it qualify for a "grand" cruise if you have already booked?  Does the OBC depend on the cabin you have purchased?  Can you book with a big box TA?

Sorry for all the questions.  

We are thinking about buying the 100 shares because the stock is sinking and after this is all over the stock will eventually rise again.

Thanks for any help.

Thank you, Scubadawg,

We have also been to this port in Cambodia and had a very enjoyable private all day tour.  This is a third world country and would you want to go through the things they  have had to endure  during the last decade.  I think not.  These people are trying to pick themselves up after some terrible times.  We admired them for the work they were doing and making a better country for themselves.  Instead of calling a place a "dump" be thankful for where you live.  

Thanks for the previous blog.  We looked at pictures that we took several years ago on our tour but did not know how to put them on CC.

Floridiana, we were on the 2018 Grand Asia together.  That was a great cruise with many happy memories.

Any future cruises planned?

I just received a notice on my Facebook about 2021 New England cruises that has some exciting ports in Greenland.  Also, it seems that the Amsterdam is doing New England in the fall of 2021 according to what I was reading.  That might mean that the Amsterdam will not be doing the Grand Asia again.  We were on the Grand Asia 2018 and the ship was never near capacity.   The Grand Africa sells out so quickly I do not understand why they don't do that itinerary more.  Maybe someone else got that Facebook notice?   

I thought he said Amsterdam but I think you are correct and it would be on the Nieuw Amsterdam.   Actually, I like playing some  of those games so we would have a good time being  a "kid" again but I don't think we would qualify going to Club HAL!   On our Grand Asia we brought some of our own travel board games.