When, where and under what conditions will you make another cruise reservation?

[sanger727]

I was lucky enough to have nothing booked when COVID hit. We intended to book our next big trip (feb 2021) in May but clearly, we didn't book anything. Glad we didn't because while we had no idea how things would look back May, I'm now of the belief that the Feb 2021 trip wouldn't have happened anyway. Our trip is going to be in Southeast Asia so the requirements that I set for myself to book were 1. able to get tourists visas to all countries visited and 2. were able to visit all the countries without taking a covid test mid trip (and get stuck quarantining in cambodia or vietnam - no thanks). So that's where we are.

 

If we wanted to book a US based caribbean cruise that didn't share those same issues - I would need the cruise line to restart and be successful for 2-3 months. Do I think cruising will be relatively normal in 2022, yes, but in March I also thought there would be cruising by the end of 2020; so that shows how much I know. This is an unpredictable situation and I'm not interested in betting money one way or another on an unpredictable timeline or outcome. When the cruise lines prove to me they can restart and be successful I will begin looking. 

 

I think your fears on pricing will not be an issue. Right now they have a surge of bookings with FCC that has been and will continue to raise prices. Once we get past this phase of the pandemic and most of the FCC people have had to rebook, I expect prices to drop. 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

If somehow I recover from 2 of my 13  medical problems and I will be able to function I will be so happy that I will go on any cruise going anywhere.However,since my doctors all believe that I will never be able to achieve that my cruising days may be over.

 

Prayers for you, Lenny. Cure them one at a time.

[ontheweb]

We're not going anywhere until next summer at the earliest since DW did not want her teaching career to end as a virtual teacher and decided not to retire. But there is nothing we are really looking at at the moment. We lost time in London and a Norwegian fjords cruise this year, so maybe we would look at that. But maybe not.

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

Adding to the points already mentioned I would also wait till COVID 19 is covered by travel insurance. I would want be covered medically and it would be nice to have some cover if you are pontentially trapped in a country due to a sudden lock down. Those hotel bill can really add up😳.

Good point, and one that I have not seen anyone else bring up. I have a feeling that the insurance companies are not in a big race to cover covid 19.

[ldubs]

7 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

It goes beyond just being certain of a refund if a cruise is cancelled:  I am not interested in just being on a ship, hitting the ports for which I booked the cruise in the first place and enjoying the on board experience as well.  

 

It means waiting to see to see how the first few cruises to actually sail work out.  Fortunately, there are enough other things to do meanwhile.

 

It does go beyond that and I couldn't agree more.   I have this thing about paying for or doing things I won't enjoy!  

[clo]

5 hours ago, Tapi said:

I humbly believe that MSC is the best positioned to weather the pandemic. Because the majority of MSC’s operation is cargo, they are not being hit nearly as hard as the others. That was one of the things that I considered when I placed my deposit. Time will tell!

If for some reason I did end up losing my money, it’s only $165pp. I mean, it will suck, but at least I won’t be out thousands and thousands of dollars. 

 

I just had a thought. Is MSC unusual that they mostly do cargo? Or do most of the cruise lines do that? What if MSC said "screw it" we're tired of these headaches and are just going to do cargo going forward?

[SelectSys]

1 hour ago, clo said:

I just had a thought. Is MSC unusual that they mostly do cargo? Or do most of the cruise lines do that? What if MSC said "screw it" we're tired of these headaches and are just going to do cargo going forward?

 

MSC is a private company and they can afford being patient with cruising as they don't need to answer to investors on a quarterly basis.  I think MSC is in for the long haul and will continue to take market share from the other mass market lines.

 

What will be really interesting to me is if they introduce a separate, upscale line like the other big companies have.

[BlueRiband]

I'll book if and when I can be reasonable certain that cruising can return to what it had been pre-covid.  If things have changed forever then I'm done.  

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, SelectSys said:

 

Good luck to you!  Hopefully you'll make it back on board sometime.

I try to think positive but it is not easy.

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Prayers for you, Lenny. Cure them one at a time.

Thanks,Woodstock

[clo]

9 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

If somehow I recover from 2 of my 13  medical problems and I will be able to function I will be so happy that I will go on any cruise going anywhere.However,since my doctors all believe that I will never be able to achieve that my cruising days may be over.

 

So you can ride to ports to cruise. Is there a limit to the time you can this?

[Tapi]

10 hours ago, clo said:

I just had a thought. Is MSC unusual that they mostly do cargo? Or do most of the cruise lines do that? What if MSC said "screw it" we're tired of these headaches and are just going to do cargo going forward?

Yes. MSC was a cargo company first. When they started passenger cruising, they did so very modestly, with second hand, smaller ships, “testing the waters”. But since then, they have invested billions to their passenger operations, and it has grown faster than any other cruise line. At this point in time, I don’t think they would  simply say “screw it” because they have invested so much in it, and the ships and infrastructure are there. If they were still considered a small “startup”, I could see them abandoning their passenger division. 

[lenquixote66]

13 hours ago, clo said:

So you can ride to ports to cruise. Is there a limit to the time you can this?

The longest I have been in a car since I have been in excrutiating pain is 30 minutes.I have a doctors appointment in 3 weeks that will be at last one hour in the car.

[clo]

19 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

The longest I have been in a car since I have been in excrutiating pain is 30 minutes.I have a doctors appointment in 3 weeks that will be at last one hour in the car.

So you live within 30 minutes of a cruise port. That is so wonderful.

[lenquixote66]

4 minutes ago, clo said:

So you live within 30 minutes of a cruise port. That is so wonderful.

No.My excrutiating pain began in January 2020.I was still disabled but I could tolerate the pain .I am approximately 90 minutes from the closest cruise port.

Prior to 2019 the majority of our cruises was a 5 hour drive for Mrs.66.

[iancal]

I would only make a future cruise reservation today if the price was right AND I did not have have to make a deposit. 

 

No interest  whatsoever in giving any cruise line, airline, etc. a dime of our money in advance.

[grozzy1]

I've booked a trans Tasman cruise for Christmas/ NYE 2021. I am optimistic, but I  know there's no guarantees. It may even be restricted to Aus and NZ citizens.

I won't pay any more than the deposit until there's more certainty about the situation. Hopefully that's mid next year.

[cruisemom42]

23 hours ago, iancal said:

I would only make a future cruise reservation today if the price was right AND I did not have have to make a deposit. 

 

No interest  whatsoever in giving any cruise line, airline, etc. a dime of our money in advance.

 

I am not entirely risk-averse. I would not mind putting down a low deposit ($100 or less) on an outstanding itinerary at a great price, should such an opportunity arise. I have a feeling cruise prices are going to be (somewhat artificially) high for a while post-COVID.  I am willing to risk losing the small amount of money should it come to pass on the chance of a good pay-off in terms of value.

 

Of course I am not talking about a cruise in early 2021, but possibly if there was something in 2022 that fit my criteria, I'd consider it.

 

[sail7seas]

I will rush to make a cruise reservation, the day it becomes possible.

ASAP

 

 

[ColeThornton]

3 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

I will rush to make a cruise reservation, the day it becomes possible.

ASAP

 

 

 

 

FYI...your font is tiny, almost unreadable.

[Aquahound]

50 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

I will rush to make a cruise reservation, the day it becomes possible.

ASAP

 

You do know it's possible now, and has been all along, right? 

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

 

You do know it's possible now, and has been all along, right? 

And the great thing is that you can keep making them - because for the time being you can count on them being cancelled as soon as you get to a month or so before embarkation date.

[simplelife]

I have two cruises booked for 2022 (March and July).  I may book another one sooner, once things open up again. I will not be first in line to rebook. but one there are a couple of runs without major incidents, I will be ready!

 

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

 

 

FYI...your font is tiny, almost unreadable.

Maybe he made it that small on purpose as he would only put down an extremely small deposit.😃

[Toofarfromthesea]

I'm looking at a fall, 2021 river cruise and a 1/22 Caribbean cruise.  I haven't booked yet, but not because of covid.  My wife has knee problems and we want to see how she does on our 11/7/2020 cruise, if it sails, and our 1/21 Cancun all-inclusive week before booking more cruises.