Do you still miss cruising?

[navybankerteacher]

17 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

This probably most closely sums up how I feel. Cruising isn't necessarily my favorite form of travel, but there is certainly something very enjoyable about having it in the mix.

The special “something” that attracts me to cruising is the composite sensation - the sound, the smell, the motion of being at sea - and the endless horizon, particularly when you catch the sun just clearing it.  The rest of cruising is largely transportation - which planes, trains and cars also provide, frequently better;  meals prepared (and cleared) by others - which land based restaurants can do a whole lot better; and “entertainment” which, while convenient, does not approach that available elsewhere.

[getting older slowly]

One other thing is you really do not have to plan what you are doing on the ship....

 

Thing can do done at the last moment... lets go and see some music, how about a dessert, see a movie, go dancing... then ashow.... Cheers Don

[Joebucks]

I miss it more than ever. Memories for previous cruises come up, and it makes us want to go asap. 

[ontheweb]

One of the things I really enjoy about cruising is DW and I spend a lot of quality time together especially in the ports while at the same time we each get to do our own thing separately for instance I am into trivia she is not while she spends a lot of time swimming laps while this is not my thing.

[lenquixote66]

6 hours ago, ontheweb said:

One of the things I really enjoy about cruising is DW and I spend a lot of quality time together especially in the ports while at the same time we each get to do our own thing separately for instance I am into trivia she is not while she spends a lot of time swimming laps while this is not my thing.

One of my nicknames is “Mr.Trivia” .I always try to get into a trivia competition on a cruise.My strong points are classic rock music  and baseball.

[cruizergal70]

20 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

"I  put up with being on the ship just to get to the ports."

 

Huh, I tend to avoid doing things that I don't enjoy.   Especially if they are voluntary.  I'm thinking we can focus on itinerary as a priority but still enjoy the on-board experience.   

I'm a port person. A cruise ship is a more efficient way of hitting the most countries over a short period of time.  Nothing on a ship compares to what I've had on land. I can get great food and shows on my annual trip to NYC. Play one trivia game, you've played them all. I don't lounge out poolside. I don't need to play dress up during formal nights. If I want to gamble, I'll go to Vegas.

 

I don't hate the on-board experience. It's an okay time. I'm just not that impressed with it. It's a means to an end.

[Keksie]

I miss traveling.  I miss planning a trip, packing for a trip and going on the trip.  I miss being on a cruise, the ship, the water, the ports, the not having to find a restaurant, not having to find a bar, not having to find entertainment, sitting by the pool, listening to the music, having a drink (knowing I don't have to drive home), the ports, snorkeling, lazy days, busy port days and everything that is not being home.  We are busy here again with a lot of activities but it is just different then being on vacation and I really miss that.  Our last trip was in the spring of 2019 and seems a long time ago.  Sigh.

[Husky61]

As far as cruising, we can take it or leave it.

[Northumberland]

We absolutely love cruising and now that we're retired, we like to incorporate road trips along with each cruise.

Our last cruise was March 2019.

We've had 2 cruises cancelled since and our next cruise is scheduled for April 2022.

Right now road trips aren't considered safe and if you do go on one, you are required to self isolate for 14 days upon return. 

So, we will do what we have to do to maintain our health and will enjoy getting back to cruising when it's safe to do so.

 

[c-boy]

aww the psychological  benefits of / of not cruising 

[ldubs]

On 10/3/2020 at 10:45 AM, cruizergal70 said:

I'm a port person. A cruise ship is a more efficient way of hitting the most countries over a short period of time.  Nothing on a ship compares to what I've had on land. I can get great food and shows on my annual trip to NYC. Play one trivia game, you've played them all. I don't lounge out poolside. I don't need to play dress up during formal nights. If I want to gamble, I'll go to Vegas.

 

I don't hate the on-board experience. It's an okay time. I'm just not that impressed with it. It's a means to an end.

 

Well, I'm glad you enjoy a meal at least once a year!  😋😋😋

[pris993]

Luckily I was on the last Grand  Princess cruise this year that was no quarantined.  I have cruised most years sometimes 2-3 times since l982.  I had a plan to fly to the middle east this year, so waiting to see if  I can do that in 2021; with objective to go back to cruising in 2022.  So for the moment I don't miss cruising.  I do miss not being able to do much else while waiting.  Retired for the 2nd time in Feb of this year, so did not expect to be hanging around home so much.  Look forward to getting our country up and going again.  Would love to be able go to museums, the beach, out for lunch and not sitting on the curb, LOL.  So cruising is the least of my concerns personally.  But I am concerned for all the travel workers who are out of work, not a good thing.  

[poffles]

I miss it a lot which is why I am still here lurking and posting even though I have no cruising to plan for right now 😞

 

I love cruising for the freedom to roam the ship and have amenities at my fingertips all the time.  The freedom to sail with my cabin mate and not be tied to planning the day moment to moment with that person, we can each do what interests us which may be at opposite ends of the ship.  Sailing into port, I absolutely love being up first thing in the morning to take in the 'show' of arriving to a port, it's like therapy for me.  The sound of the waves as the ship travels along.  On a sea day, the freedom of never being too far from my stateroom and being able to come and go freely without lugging anything but my ship card.

 

That said, I have no eagerness to cruise again until this virus is 'under control'.  I have no desire to be on a cruise having to wear a mask as I move around the ship or always be thinking how close I am to others for fear of the virus, or even having to fly out of country unnecessarily. 

 

Let us hope that we see a tested, effective and readily available vaccine soon!

[Slugsta]

I find sitting for more than short periods very painful, so travelling is difficult for me. Usually it works OK because we are less than an hour from our nearest cruise port, then the world comes to me. I miss it very much - we should have done the Baltics again this year - but simply have to wait it out . . . 

[jtwind]

Land based trips are way more immersive.  But the port intensive itineraries would be impossible to duplicate without a floating hotel. 

[mek]

I just miss traveling.  

[cruisemom42]

6 minutes ago, mek said:

I just miss traveling.  

 

I second that!

 

Just read a depressing article in Fodor's travel newsletter that international travel without mandatory quarantine periods may not restart in many countries --- at least for US citizens -- until 2022. 

[dogs4fun]

8 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Just read a depressing article in Fodor's travel newsletter that international travel without mandatory quarantine periods may not restart in many countries --- at least for US citizens -- until 2022. 

Yes, depressing but hardly surprising. 

[cruisemom42]

1 minute ago, dogs4fun said:

Yes, depressing but hardly surprising. 

 

Guess I was thinking more mid-2021, assuming vaccination occurs.

 

I really don't want to miss the Torlonia marbles exhibit at the Capitoline museum in Rome!

 

http://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node/1006712

[dogs4fun]

19 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Guess I was thinking more mid-2021, assuming vaccination occurs.

 

I really don't want to miss the Torlonia marbles exhibit at the Capitoline museum in Rome!

 

http://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node/1006712

We will hope that this remains a possibility.  I assume that the best we can hope for is a vaccine requirement in order to travel internationally. I have another Baltic cruise booked for August, 2021 (a lift and shift from 2020).  I am hoping to spend some time in Italy after the cruise - want to attend Turandot at the Verona amphitheater & also visit Rome & Pompeii. Time will tell ...

[ontheweb]

55 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I second that!

 

Just read a depressing article in Fodor's travel newsletter that international travel without mandatory quarantine periods may not restart in many countries --- at least for US citizens -- until 2022. 

And to think, Carnival was ready to cruise in August and had people lined up to book the cruises.🤦‍♂️

[SelectSys]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Just read a depressing article in Fodor's travel newsletter that international travel without mandatory quarantine periods may not restart in many countries --- at least for US citizens -- until 2022. 

 

That has been my working assumption for a while and is the major reason I plan to keep working full time in 2021.

 

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

And to think, Carnival was ready to cruise in August and had people lined up to book the cruises.🤦‍♂️

 

As Alexander Pope famously wrote, "Hope springs eternal from the human breast."

 

Note the from the article below that people can also have false hopes as well -

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/our-emotional-footprint/201604/hope-springs-eternal

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Just read a depressing article in Fodor's travel newsletter that international travel without mandatory quarantine periods may not restart in many countries --- at least for US citizens -- until 2022. 

 

Australia just had our yearly budget announcement and one of things mentioned was that international travel is not expected to restart till middle of 2021 and it will probably be restricted to a few countries. We were planning another European trip next year but it looks like we are going to have to shelve it and bring out our closer to home plans 🙄

[SelectSys]

15 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Australia just had our yearly budget announcement and one of things mentioned was that international travel is not expected to restart till middle of 2021 and it will probably be restricted to a few countries. We were planning another European trip next year but it looks like we are going to have to shelve it and bring out our closer to home plans 🙄

 

Not a big surprise.  This story suggests late 2021 although I am not sure they are talking about inbound rather than outbound travel. https://www.traveller.com.au/australia-travel-ban-likely-to-remain-until-late-2021-tourism-industry-calls-for-talks-h1raqp

 

"International travel, including by tourists and international students, is assumed to remain largely closed off until late next year and then gradually return over time, and a vaccine to be available around the end of 2021 is one of the assumptions in the budget," Mr Frydenberg said.

 

Seems like the travel industry wants to push back on this like Disney is trying to do in California with reopening its park.

 

[clo]

On 10/5/2020 at 6:54 PM, jtwind said:

Land based trips are way more immersive.  But the port intensive itineraries would be impossible to duplicate without a floating hotel. 

Last year we cruised from Rio to Buenos Aires, hitting a few beach ports and Montevideo. We commented afterwards that we would have enjoy it more and saved money if we had spent a week or so in Rio, then flown to BA for another week or so.