Anyone else reevaluating?

[DCGuy64]

14 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

The only second thoughts I would have sailing right now would be with NCL. They were my go to line the last few years but I'm very weary of them right now and their position in restarts and financially. Its not the covid that makes me reevaluate as I'm sailing in a few weeks. It's NCL sitting  idle still . 

Weary or wary? Wasn't sure, it could be either you're tired of them or hesitant/cautious.

I didn't think NCL was idle, isn't the Jade sailing right now?

[BermudaBound2014]

6 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Weary or wary? Wasn't sure, it could be either you're tired of them or hesitant/cautious.

I didn't think NCL was idle, isn't the Jade sailing right now?

 

LOL... I'm calling you out on this one (In our friendly banter sort of way). I suspect  Tall knows the Jade is sailing right now. Important to note this is NCL's very FIRST sailing since the pandemic. The point being made was that of the big three, NCL is sitting idle in the USA and barely moving in Europe. And stock keeps falling. Weary, wary... both apply in my case. If I could sell my next cruise I would.

 

August 6th financial report will be very interesting.

 

 

[DCGuy64]

It could be either, or both (weary and wary). Personally, I'm weary of not getting to sail. It's been too long. Yes, it's unfortunate that NCL hasn't sailed from the US yet, but the Jade IS sailing in Europe and, to be fair, NCL is on track to resume sailing when it said it would. My fingers are crossed for the Gem sailing on 8/15 because we're booked on 9/19, and, oh, Club Balcony suites are getting cheaper every day. 😊

[MsTabbyKats]

So, I just canceled my 11/21 and 2/22 cruises.  It has nothing to do with "fear of getting infected".

We all have our "happy places" and for me, putting on that mask is going back in time.  And paying double of what I paid in the past...nope.

 

I'm gonna sit it out for now......life is too short to put myself in what I consider, an uncomfortable situation and "should I or shouldn't I".

 

I support those of you who don't have issues...and will sail as planned.  I'll be reading all the reviews.

 

[BermudaBound2014]

12 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

 Personally, I'm weary of not getting to sail. It's been too long. Yes, it's unfortunate that NCL hasn't sailed from the US yet, but the Jade IS sailing in Europe and, to be fair, NCL is on track to resume sailing when it said it would. My fingers are crossed for the Gem sailing on 8/15 because we're booked on 9/19, and, oh, Club Balcony suites are getting cheaper every day. 😊

 

I absolutely hear you about missing cruising. I miss it too, but I've found other avenues of travel. Four months in Maui helped lol, but we just booked a 3 week trip to Yellowstone and GTNP this fall. We also have a cabin in the Upper Pennisula. We are keeping busy with travel just not on ships yet. I will say this, cruising is still one of the most cost effective way to travel. My 4 months in Maui next winter will cost significantly more than the world cruise I had planned for the same amount of days. I too am longing for the return to sailing and navigating our new normal. 

 

Great about pricing. Keep monitoring prices and inventory. I would guess the sweet spot for you is going to be following release of the bids. Second/third week of August, but if the Gem sailings don't pick up it could be later. Aren't you getting on a MSC cruise shortly? I am looking forward to your reviews.

[DCGuy64]

FYI I just asked our TA to upgrade us to a Club Balcony suite, the cost for the cabin was only $117pp more than the Oceanview we had before ($1000 vs $883). He told me that 7 cabins in that category had been snapped up over the course of a few minutes when he and I were emailing. The price has dropped from $1,599 to $1,000 since last week. 😊 Prices could drop even more, but I wanted to lock in the price and get the cabin we wanted.

[JC5240]

That's a good plan. Everyone's comfort levels are different. I also support those that do have the concerns that you do. If only everyone could be so understanding of other's feelings!

 

I agree with the mask mandate - it will be unfortunate, but I truly NEED this vacation. After not being able to sail since Feb 2020 (I know...boo hoo, right? lol), along with breaking off my engagement, this is a necessity for me. It'll be my first solo vacation ever, so what better way to do it than on a cruise... my (extremely) happy place.

 

Stay safe, and I hope everyone does what THEY feel comfortable doing, and not judge those who differ in their decisions. 

 

 

12 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

So, I just canceled my 11/21 and 2/22 cruises.  It has nothing to do with "fear of getting infected".

We all have our "happy places" and for me, putting on that mask is going back in time.  And paying double of what I paid in the past...nope.

 

I'm gonna sit it out for now......life is too short to put myself in what I consider, an uncomfortable situation and "should I or shouldn't I".

 

I support those of you who don't have issues...and will sail as planned.  I'll be reading all the reviews.

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

Just now, DCGuy64 said:

FYI I just asked our TA to upgrade us to a Club Balcony suite, the cost for the cabin was only $117pp more than the Oceanview we had before ($1000 vs $883). He told me that 7 cabins in that category had been snapped up over the course of a few minutes when he and I were emailing. The price has dropped from $1,599 to $1,000 since last week. 😊 Prices could drop even more, but I wanted to lock in the price and get the cabin we wanted.

 

So, I know your TA is a  friend of yours, but your TA should know that 'snapping' up of cabins is not the same as the cabins being booked. When people click on a cabin to price, the cabin is removed from inventory for 15 minutes. It was likely I was one of the 7 because I was checking pricing for you lol.

 

In other words,  I will bet the entire farm that 7 cabins were not  booked within a few minutes. I'm not calling your TA a moron, but I've been doing this a long long long time. Have I steered you wrong yet? lol

[BermudaBound2014]

2 minutes ago, JC5240 said:

That's a good plan. Everyone's comfort levels are different. I also support those that do have the concerns that you do. If only everyone could be so understanding of other's feelings!

 

I agree with the mask mandate - it will be unfortunate, but I truly NEED this vacation. After not being able to sail since Feb 2020 (I know...boo hoo, right? lol), along with breaking off my engagement, this is a necessity for me. It'll be my first solo vacation ever, so what better way to do it than on a cruise... my (extremely) happy place.

 

Stay safe, and I hope everyone does what THEY feel comfortable doing, and not judge those who differ in their decisions. 

 

 

 

What a nice post. I'm wishing you a wonderful cruise!!!!

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Great about pricing. Keep monitoring prices and inventory. I would guess the sweet spot for you is going to be following release of the bids. Second/third week of August, but if the Gem sailings don't pick up it could be later. Aren't you getting on a MSC cruise shortly? I am looking forward to your reviews.

Yes, we are booked on the MSC Splendida for 8/28. Keeping our fingers crossed that it sails, with us aboard, LOL. Anything could happen between now and then. Our backup plan is a land-based trip to Italy just in case the cruise gets cancelled for whatever reason. (not that we think it will, but you know what I mean.)

I will definitely plan on doing a review of it. I am so glad you were able to stay in Maui earlier this year. Hawai'i is such a wonderful place to visit. We hope to go back one day in the not too distant future. Since we both still work, 4 months away isn't possible right now. National parks are also an excellent vacation idea, but my wife has issues that keep her from walking long distances and over rough terrain, so with us it's carpet and elevators for now. 😁We love cruising for many reasons, but one of them is being on a floating hotel and seeing multiple countries over the course of a week.

I saw the great deal on the Club Balcony this morning  and pulled the trigger. The price hit the point where I was comfortable. Now we're just hoping there are no hiccups between now and Sept 19!

 

 

[DCGuy64]

5 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

So, I know your TA is a  friend of yours, but your TA should know that 'snapping' up of cabins is not the same as the cabins being booked. When people click on a cabin to price, the cabin is removed from inventory for 15 minutes. It was likely I was one of the 7 because I was checking pricing for you lol.

 

In other words,  I will bet the entire farm that 7 cabins were not  booked within a few minutes. I'm not calling your TA a moron, but I've been doing this a long long long time. Have I steered you wrong yet? lol

Haha, it's OK. I did some searching the other day on another site that I won't mention, but I *did* notice that when I clicked on a cabin, it quit flashing red, indicating that it was no longer available. I've been saying that $999 or below was my trigger point, so when I saw $1,000 this morning, that did it for me.

 

9 minutes ago, JC5240 said:

That's a good plan. Everyone's comfort levels are different. I also support those that do have the concerns that you do. If only everyone could be so understanding of other's feelings!

 

I agree with the mask mandate - it will be unfortunate, but I truly NEED this vacation. After not being able to sail since Feb 2020 (I know...boo hoo, right? lol), along with breaking off my engagement, this is a necessity for me. It'll be my first solo vacation ever, so what better way to do it than on a cruise... my (extremely) happy place.

 

Stay safe, and I hope everyone does what THEY feel comfortable doing, and not judge those who differ in their decisions. 

 

 

 

Well said! Sorry to hear about the engagement ☹️(I've been there myself, buddy). You DO deserve a vacation. 😃It would be a great help if, as you said, people could just be comfortable in their decisions and not judge others who make different ones. FWIW I'm sure @MsTabbyKats wasn't doing that. I respect the fact that she isn't comfortable sailing right now for a host of reasons, BUT I AM. 100%. Let's go! 🚢

 

[BermudaBound2014]

12 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

 

I saw the great deal on the Club Balcony this morning  and pulled the trigger. The price hit the point where I was comfortable. Now we're just hoping there are no hiccups between now and Sept 19!

 

 

 

So my next piece of non-solicated advice (which I'm sure you already know) is to never look at prices on this trip again :). I am totally rooting for both cruises for you!!! They will be here before you know it 🙂

[DCGuy64]

Just now, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

So my next piece of non-solicated advice (which I'm sure you already know) is to never look at prices on this trip again :). I am totally rooting for both cruises for you!!! They will be here before you know it 🙂

Haha, good luck, I probably will. BUT: if you're afraid that I'll have "buyer's remorse" if/when prices decline even further, that's a slight possibility, but the way I look at it, I am comfortable/happy with the price I paid. If someone else snags the same category for less, good for that person. I just know I think I got a good deal. Somebody else could score a cheaper cabin but it might be in a location I deem undesirable. I also did some comparisons on earlier sailings to see how low MA and MB cabins were going for. Lastly, I don't know what NCL would do if our rebooked cabin were LESS than we'd paid previously, but again, I don't care. I'm happy paying what we paid.

[BermudaBound2014]

2 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I'm happy paying what we paid.

 

That is a great attitude to have. So many price watchers get upset if they don't hit the button at rock bottom. I'm not that way. Like you, I decide the price I'm willing to pay and book when prices hit that point. My prices are less than yours because I'm cheap hahahah.  There is a saying for those of us who trade stocks.... "don't try to catch a falling knife" and I think that applies to all purchases :).

[MichiganBound]

Another reason to re-evaluate cruises...at least out of Florida.  A new COVID variant that came from Colombia has turned up in Florida.  

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/another-coronavirus-variant-reached-florida-192854583.html

[ew101]

23 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

That is a great attitude to have. So many price watchers get upset if they don't hit the button at rock bottom. I'm not that way. Like you, I decide the price I'm willing to pay and book when prices hit that point. 

This is a good time for "chill" cruise buyers.  If you are an obsessive and detailed advance planner you may be disappointed.  I am poking at some deals on a transatlantic (i.e. cross the ocean but not fussy after that) next year.  I may put in a modest deposit.  Make a pencil calendar entry.  Then wait and see.  

 

As several have pointed out, we know a lot more about the public health situation then we did a year ago and have effective if wildly unpopular management steps.  I don't see a "return to 2019" in our future for some time yet.  

[saltsandknit]

3 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

So, I know your TA is a  friend of yours, but your TA should know that 'snapping' up of cabins is not the same as the cabins being booked. When people click on a cabin to price, the cabin is removed from inventory for 15 minutes. It was likely I was one of the 7 because I was checking pricing for you lol.

 

In other words,  I will bet the entire farm that 7 cabins were not  booked within a few minutes. I'm not calling your TA a moron, but I've been doing this a long long long time. Have I steered you wrong yet? lol

Club balconies are sold out I tried to upgrade this morning. I missed out

[DCGuy64]

5 minutes ago, saltsandknit said:

Club balconies are sold out I tried to upgrade this morning. I missed out

Seriously? For which sailing? Is this the Gem on 9/19? I just checked again and saw 40 available cabins. Or our friend @BermudaBound2014 is having some fun, LOL.

[BermudaBound2014]

8 minutes ago, saltsandknit said:

Club balconies are sold out I tried to upgrade this morning. I missed out

 

They are no where near being sold out for the September 19th sailing. 

 

There are MULTIPLE cabins still available in MA category

 

 

 

 

 

And there are MANY more than this list available.

 

You have not lost out on anything. If your TA is telling you that let me know and I'll try to help you.

 

[saltsandknit]

3 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

So, I know your TA is a  friend of yours, but your TA should know that 'snapping' up of cabins is not the same as the cabins being booked. When people click on a cabin to price, the cabin is removed from inventory for 15 minutes. It was likely I was one of the 7 because I was checking pricing for you lol.

 

In other words,  I will bet the entire farm that 7 cabins were not  booked within a few minutes. I'm not calling your TA a moron, but I've been doing this a long long long time. Have I steered you wrong yet? lol

Club balconies are sold out I tried to upgrade this morni

 

6 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Seriously? For which sailing? Is this the Gem on 9/19? I just checked again and saw 40 available cabins. Or our friend @BermudaBound2014 is having some fun, LOL.

For Sept 19. I just got off the phone my PCC was unable to book. He is going to watch and snag one if it opens up. I have no idea why it also now says sold out on the website. It could be a glitch I will let you know 

[DCGuy64]

NCL site is showing 15 available, also known as the maximum they'll display. 😉😄The only sold out category was Aft-facing Club Balconies.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, saltsandknit said:

Club balconies are sold out I tried to upgrade this morni

 

For Sept 19. I just got off the phone my PCC was unable to book. He is going to watch and snag one if it opens up. I have no idea why it also now says sold out on the website. It could be a glitch I will let you know 

 

Your PCC is wrong. Period. Pick a room number from the list I just provided for you and call him back to book it. 

Edited July 29, 2021 by BermudaBound2014

[Gen X Life]

5 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

They are no where near being sold out for the September 19th sailing. 

 

There are MULTIPLE cabins still available in MA category

 

 

 

 

 

And there are MANY more than this list available.

 

You have not lost out on anything. If your TA is telling you that let me know and I'll try to help you.

 

I know you can't say exactly, but could you hint at the website your using--  I just want to check cabins

 

[Gen X Life]

3 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yes, we are booked on the MSC Splendida for 8/28. Keeping our fingers crossed that it sails, with us aboard, LOL. Anything could happen between now and then. Our backup plan is a land-based trip to Italy just in case the cruise gets cancelled for whatever reason. (not that we think it will, but you know what I mean.)

I will definitely plan on doing a review of it. I am so glad you were able to stay in Maui earlier this year. Hawai'i is such a wonderful place to visit. We hope to go back one day in the not too distant future. Since we both still work, 4 months away isn't possible right now. National parks are also an excellent vacation idea, but my wife has issues that keep her from walking long distances and over rough terrain, so with us it's carpet and elevators for now. 😁We love cruising for many reasons, but one of them is being on a floating hotel and seeing multiple countries over the course of a week.

I saw the great deal on the Club Balcony this morning  and pulled the trigger. The price hit the point where I was comfortable. Now we're just hoping there are no hiccups between now and Sept 19!

 

 

do you speak Italian??  Please give us a full review of Spendida when you return , I loved Grandiosa

 

[BermudaBound2014]

I use several. Almost every single TA site will show cabin availabilty.  Most show only 15 available in each category at time, but the sites are updated in real time.