Do you feel cruising right now is worth it?!

[Bizmark'sMom]

The answer is; it depends.

 

While my expedition cruise to Antarctica was magical. Getting to and through Chile to embark was a nightmare. My normal travel style is to fly to a country, explore it, then get on a cruise. I won't do that again until things settle down a bit or at least the precautions are more solidified.  I have an upcoming cruise planned out of Barcelona this summer I'm having second thoughts about.

 

I would absolutely cruise out of the US. 

 

I'm normally a solo traveler, and while I'm flexible there is an element of risk I won't exceed when I'm alone. I know the US pretty well and could confidently pivot and do something else with my vacation time. That's harder to do in a country where I may speak the language but find the accident impenetrable, or may not speak the language at all beyond the very basic words.

[pseudoware]

On 12/28/2021 at 11:25 AM, bthomas67wagon said:

Do you feel cruising right now is worth it?!

 

 

 

 

No. I've gone on four trips involving air travel, hotels, etc. in the past 12 months but ain't setting foot on any cruise ship anytime soon. Doesn't make any sense to me, on several levels. 

[iancal]

No, because we do not know what we are buying.

 

  Don't know what the on board environment will be, zero knowledge of any entertainment, activities, or freedom to take private tours.  Don't know if any, and how many, port stops will be cancelled.  

 

We feel that we have far more control with land travel.  

[Markanddonna]

33 minutes ago, iancal said:

No, because we do not know what we are buying.

 

  Don't know what the on board environment will be, zero knowledge of any entertainment, activities, or freedom to take private tours.  Don't know if any, and how many, port stops will be cancelled.  

 

We feel that we have far more control with land travel.  

Your perception is very accurate. I suppose those who feel okay about just lounging around the pool with their drink glasses full don't care about these sorts of issues. That is why it is hard to take some people's advice when they don't seem to be bothered by all the changes...not the ship's fault, but still...

[Mary229]

@cruisemom42  

 

Perhaps we are focusing on different posts but I come here daily I see people citing "worry, nervous, anxious".  Their words, not mine.   There is nothing wrong with being nervous but telling people to not cruise without consideration to their circumstances or their carefully thought out plans is nagging.   How can you plan:  choose locations that are open and have adequate medical and travel facilities in place, get all the vaccines you qualify for, get your physician to prescribe the new Pfizer or Merck pill (that won't help those immediately cruising but for those going in 2022).  Make sure you are financially able.

 

I assume those who are nervous have a valid reason to be so.  Those reasons could be their age, their responsibilities or their medical conditions.  I am not questioning their reasons.  

Edited December 30, 2021 by Mary229

[iancal]

IF we were cruising, and we are not, we would be approaching a cruise with very low expectations.  Anything can happen at the moment and it is not all about us.  

 

No doubt the cruise lines are doing there very best however some things are beyond their control. Including staffing issues.  

 

If you sail with high expectations and truly believe and act as if you are entitled then be prepared for some disappointment. 

 

Be very, very thankful if you have the wonderful, uneventful cruise that we wish on everyone who decides to cruise.

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, iancal said:

No, because we do not know what we are buying.

 

  Don't know what the on board environment will be, zero knowledge of any entertainment, activities, or freedom to take private tours.  Don't know if any, and how many, port stops will be cancelled.  

 

We feel that we have far more control with land travel.  

Seconded - we are not so much concerned about our own safety, being fully vaccinated and boosted and enjoying good health.  The impact(s) on the overall cruise itself, , the hassles involved, etc. simply downgrade the whole experience.

 

[CruisingAlong4Now]

On 12/29/2021 at 3:04 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Want a safe land trip? Island of Kauai (stay at the Grand Hyatt- Poipu) + fly United. We were there in September - extreme pre-trip requirements and restrictions while there. But mere inconveniences when faced with the alternative of yet another staycation.

TICK TICK TICK.....

Mark Zuckerberg agrees with you about Kauai.

"Property records show Zuckerberg’s Kaloko LLC bought a 110-acre site on Kauai last month for $17 million from a company owned by the Pflueger family, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.  They already had 1,300 acres (526 hectares) on the island."

 

The Zuckerbergs just bought more land on Kauai, including the site of a deadly dam failure (hawaiinewsnow.com)

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Perhaps we are focusing on different posts but I come here daily I see people citing "worry, nervous, anxious".  Their words, not mine.

 

You may be right. 

 

Yes, I see folks citing they are anxious or nervous -- but a self-report is different from the badgering/borderline bullying tone from some posters who keep urging everyone to suck it up and start cruising again. Some have suggested that exercising caution is akin to "waiting for Godot" or "hiding in the basement".  I don't see the same level of belittling from those who are expressing that they are not ready to cruise just yet or who anticipate that the hassles involved in travel at the moment may outweigh the pleasures.

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, CruisingAlong4Now said:

Mark Zuckerberg agrees with you about Kauai.

"Property records show Zuckerberg’s Kaloko LLC bought a 110-acre site on Kauai last month for $17 million from a company owned by the Pflueger family, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.  They already had 1,300 acres (526 hectares) on the island."

 

The Zuckerbergs just bought more land on Kauai, including the site of a deadly dam failure (hawaiinewsnow.com)

Kauai - the long remembered last holdout to Hawaiian Islands unification - is a very special place.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

You may be right. 

 

Yes, I see folks citing they are anxious or nervous -- but a self-report is different from the badgering/borderline bullying tone from some posters who keep urging everyone to suck it up and start cruising again. Some have suggested that exercising caution is akin to "waiting for Godot" or "hiding in the basement".  I don't see the same level of belittling from those who are expressing that they are not ready to cruise just yet or who anticipate that the hassles involved in travel at the moment may outweigh the pleasures.

 

Spot on!  I am "nervous" about the possibility of having a cruise terminated or redirected, and "anxious" about the possibility being confined to a quarantine space  -- I really am not any more concerned about health matters than on any trip.  I am fully vaccinated and boosted, I have a reasonable level of confidence in our health professionals who make recommendations.

 

The bottom line: I am not interested in getting on a ship which will (necessarily) impose strictures on the entire experience which will make that entire experience not particularly enjoyable.  I am also fed up with the macho posters who flaunt their determination to carry on as usual - suggesting that my interest in other travel/recreation options is comparable to hiding in the cellar.

[ldubs]

I guess "worth it" can mean many different things.   On top of it all,  because of the current surge in cases, the CDC strongly warns against taking a cruise regardless of Vax status.  

 

 

[CPT Trips]

On 12/30/2021 at 8:55 AM, Markanddonna said:

 

I want to thank those of you who are currently on the ships letting us know what is going on. YOUR info is crucial for those of us with a cruise coming up in the next few weeks.

On the ground intel is helpful. But keep in mind that some informants are more accurate than others. Social media reports of our cruise, just ended a week ago, have been overly positive and not factually complete or accurate. 

[slidergirl]

17 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Spot on!  I am "nervous" about the possibility of having a cruise terminated or redirected, and "anxious" about the possibility being confined to a quarantine space  -- I really am not any more concerned about health matters than on any trip.  I am fully vaccinated and boosted, I have a reasonable level of confidence in our health professionals who make recommendations.

 

The bottom line: I am not interested in getting on a ship which will (necessarily) impose strictures on the entire experience which will make that entire experience not particularly enjoyable.  I am also fed up with the macho posters who flaunt their determination to carry on as usual - suggesting that my interest in other travel/recreation options is comparable to hiding in the cellar.

Yep.

 

I do want to say that choosing a winter land vacation comes with it's own challenges.  I work in a winter resort town.  We were as full as I've ever seen the town the past 2 weeks.  My condo project was totally full.  We have been doing our best to require our guests to mask up when in our public areas - it's a challenge with some from certain geographic/demographic areas.  A bunch of people from my company, which manages houses and condos all over town, have come down with COVID.  I'm sitting at home, waiting for my PCR test results.  I'm vaxed & boosted, always masked. My hands are a mess from all the washing and sanitizing I do.  Yet, here I am, headache, nauseus, sore throat, aches, low grade fever.   

 

Just sayin' - do what you want, but know that sometimes, with your best mitigation, you may still end up sick.  I still love my camping trips and am looking to my small-group barge trip and solo wandering around France and Italy in the summer.  

[evandbob]

The virus situation is so fluid right now as we start 2022.  We cruised under different circumstances thie past September, October & November and felt quite safe both virus and trip interruption wise.

 

However, as omicron explodes almost exponentially, our January sailing is now up in the air.  We may cancel or reschedule, and wait until the end of March before stepping on board a ship again.  More will be revealed.

[Joebucks]

On 12/30/2021 at 12:34 PM, iancal said:

No, because we do not know what we are buying.

 

  Don't know what the on board environment will be, zero knowledge of any entertainment, activities, or freedom to take private tours.  Don't know if any, and how many, port stops will be cancelled.  

 

We feel that we have far more control with land travel.  

 

While I get that to a degree, I believe there is a big fear of FOMO (fear of missing out). People are panicking because a few ships have missed a few stage shows. When in reality, how many land vacations do we go to that even offer this at all? For those that do, what's to stop COVID from getting to those? Why would you worry about a cruise private tour when it is on land, yet if you were in a hotel, you wouldn't have the same fear? Cruises get so much of a bad rap because of the closed loop nature that is easy to track from all angles. We all know we hear it about noro, COVID, etc. What if you heard the report of 2-4k people doing the same land trip and heard about closed restaurants and entertainment venues?

 

I've done a ton of land travel over the past year and a half. Not everything I wanted to do has been available. COVID isn't some cruise ship exclusive virus like the internet makes you believe. Omicron is contagious everywhere. I will agree however, that you will have more flexibility on land.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

Of course there is alot of anxiety about cruising not knowing what might happen.

 

Of course my anxiety would be minimized if I know the ship was only 40% vs 80% full but you can never find out this information until you’re onboard.

 

Its a shame the cruise lines don’t take more precautions to limit booking on their accord so everyone would know what they’re getting into

[ontheweb]

On 12/29/2021 at 4:53 PM, lenquixote66 said:

So sorry to read this.Wishing your BIL a complete recovery.

Just want to give everyone an update. EXTREMELY GOOD NEWS!

 

The doctor said his recovery is a miracle. They do not see people recover who had Covid this bad. It is why they are pushing the vaccine. 

 

He is being moved out of ICU  and will probably be going home soon, with oxygen.

 

Thank you to everyone for their will wishes and/or prayers.

 

[navybankerteacher]

While I have no intention of cruising under present conditions, having other (preferable) options, I am delighted that there are people willing to take their chances - they help the industry stay alive for the future.

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Just want to give everyone an update. EXTREMELY GOOD NEWS!

 

The doctor said his recovery is a miracle. They do not see people recover who had Covid this bad. It is why they are pushing the vaccine. 

 

He is being moved out of ICU  and will probably be going home soon, with oxygen.

 

Thank you to everyone for their will wishes and/or prayers.

 

That is wonderful to hear.Prayers do work.I am sure he had many from friends and relatives .

[ilikeanswers]

5 hours ago, Joebucks said:

While I get that to a degree, I believe there is a big fear of FOMO (fear of missing out). People are panicking because a few ships have missed a few stage shows. When in reality, how many land vacations do we go to that even offer this at all? For those that do, what's to stop COVID from getting to those? Why would you worry about a cruise private tour when it is on land, yet if you were in a hotel, you wouldn't have the same fear? Cruises get so much of a bad rap because of the closed loop nature that is easy to track from all angles. We all know we hear it about noro, COVID, etc. What if you heard the report of 2-4k people doing the same land trip and heard about closed restaurants and entertainment venues?

 

I think the big difference between cruise and a land vacation is priorities. When people pick cruises they do so on the basis of the ports or the ship amenities like the restaurants and entertainment. So if that stuff is unavailable the whole reason for the cruise has been taken away. Whereas with a land vacation people don't usually travel to be at a certain entertainment venue or eat at certain restaurants, they are usually more interested in visiting places and seeing sites so they would be more upset about a tourist attraction being closed than a restaurant. 

[cruisingguy007]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Just want to give everyone an update. EXTREMELY GOOD NEWS!

 

The doctor said his recovery is a miracle. They do not see people recover who had Covid this bad. It is why they are pushing the vaccine. 

 

He is being moved out of ICU  and will probably be going home soon, with oxygen.

 

Thank you to everyone for their will wishes and/or prayers.

 

 

Great news! A friend of my wife's, her husband is anti-vax and got it bad. Ended up on a vent for months, even to the highest setting, things were looking bad and everyone thought he was a goner. He ended up coming around and improving and was moved to rehab to learn do things again and eventually released. Sadly, still antivax and the friend still isn't vaxed even after all that. Actually, his mother was taken by covid at the same time he was ill. Early 40's too. Nuts. Glad things worked out in your BIL's case and things are looking up!   

Edited January 3, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[ontheweb]

11 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Great news! A friend of my wife's, her husband is anti-vax and got it bad. Ended up on a vent for months, even to the highest setting, things were looking bad and everyone thought he was a goner. He ended up coming around and improving and was moved to rehab to learn do things again and eventually released. Sadly, still antivax and the friend still isn't vaxed even after all that. Actually, his mother was taken by covid at the same time he was ill. Early 40's too. Nuts. Glad things worked out in your BIL's case and things are looking up!   

Thank you for the well wishes. As for the other part of your post, it reminds me of the line "When will they ever learn?" from the Peter, Paul and Mary song (actually I believe Pete Seeger wrote the song) Where Have All the Flowers Gone.

[cruisemom42]

As the week unfolds, I feel more and more that cruising isn't worth the hassles at this moment. That doesn't necessarily mean it is unsafe (as asked in a separate question on this forum), it's more that I don't feel the onboard experience would be worth the hassles and uncertainty associated with travel right now. 

 

As the number of COVID cases have increased on ships over the last few weeks, there have been posts from CC members who've had less than optimal experiences. Particularly interesting have been those posting from quarantine on various lines who feel the number of quarantined passengers at the moment is too much for crew to deal with (especially given the fact that many crew are also out of service due to COVID).

 

I am vaxxed and boostered, so I don't feel omicron is especially dangerous to me.  That said, even before COVID I wouldn't have opted to cruise knowing the likelihood of contracting something akin to the flu was high and that I'd spend my vacation in (albeit somewhat luxurious) quarantine....!

 

Add to that the testing requirements, the hassles associated with flying (necessary for me to reach a port) with so many canceled flights, and the onboard experience (masking, potentially diminished offerings) and it will be a big NO THANKS from me.

 

 

[taglovestocruise]

YEP, tested today drive to the port and  get on Navigator Monday. Last report from Navigator yesterday said all venues were open, Windjammer is open for dinner,  only line was on the flowrider. Ensenada open with no masking requirements, Catalina open with no masking outside on the island.  Passenger count was 1100.  4 nights and 16 points, sets us up at D+  for the next three cruises, 24 nights, at the end of the year. Got a great deal, under $ 800 for two in a JS + two specialty dinning from TA + $50 OBC from TA + $45 shop card from TA + $600 of payment came from FCC issued from Royals cancelled cruise in 2019.         

                                                     Things are getting back to normal