To sail or not to sail: that is the question?

[Pinboy]

15 hours ago, cachouonacruise said:

Based on your evaluation

Very difficult for any of us to answer what you should do.

We all have different priorities, and situations depending on " issues " ( family, health, work, financial, etc ).

For us re cruising, we have a few cruises planned in the winter and to ensure we don't have travel problems ( snow storms, flight cancellations, etc ) we always go to our cruise destination a few days ahead of time.

LOL-- Years ago I heard about a motel in Ft Lauderdale---they even discount the room by 50% if you stay the whole night.  So, I suggested it to " You know who " ---- any guesses where we didn't stay ?

Châteauguay, Qc---- I think I played golf there " years " ago---Is that great chip wagon close by still there ? ( Burgers, fries, poutine , hot dogs -- better than the Mast Grill )

 

 

[Spif Barwunkel]

We can choose to venture no further than right outside our front door, although that safe space is no longer guaranteed. Any farther out and the variables become greater which can add trepidation to our comfort zone. If allowed, we have got some lengthy travel plans over the next several years. I will remain keen on caution and awareness, rather than be intimidated by fear and uncertainty.         

[kywildcatfanone]

If you are that concerned, do not sail.

[NMTraveller]

13 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

FWIW, we are more concerned about lack of reliability of air to and from the ship than any other factor. In the past year, we have been stranded three times with a United connection in Denver and had uncompensated forced overnights there. On one occasion, it was going to take three day for it to get us to Boston. All we could get was a flight home the next day, and refund of ticket price — but we still didn’t get to Boston. Not bashing the airlines, as I know they have problems. Just questioning whether they have recovered from the pandemic and following labor shortage to provide reliable service to and from a cruise.  But if a cruise line cancels your cruise, all but one I know of gave a cash refund (that one was not Celebrity).

Hmmm.  We had the same thing happen in Denver on a Southwest flight.  We could not get another flight out for a day and ending up driving to Albuquerque.

[chemmo]

7 hours ago, emmas gran said:

I don't really understand your concern. There are thousands of us about to board Edge going through the Suez Canal to get the ship to Australia. None of us seem to have the deep rooted concern you do so maybe it is best you don't make final payment, find a "local" cruise 

Like emmas gram I have some concerns about you embarking on a cruise on the other side of the world at present.

 

Nothing to do with viruses or politics or war…more just how much anxiety/stress it may cause you.

 

All of us as we pass through life have times of confidence and times of doubt. Times where we feel no matter what went wrong with our holiday arrangements we would cope and then times where we feel that going away could be very stressful and all those worries and doubts creep into our minds.

 

I agree with others that Australia and New Zealand are safe destinations, I also agree with others that one thing the last few years have taught us is life is for living while we can…However, your level of concern of ‘what could go wrong’ is really high…Do you think after not travelling for some time you may feel better doing a cruise more ‘local’ this year may suit you better? You may feel less stressed doing a Caribbean cruise or an Alaskan first where your travel arrangements would be much easier and home not so far away….Just a thought…..

[mom says]

I would suggest that your apparently overwhelming anxiety is more reason for cancelling your plans than any real danger.  Who knows what will be happening by February. If the current Israeli/Gaza war extends to Australia, we'll  be in WWIII, and flights/cruises will be cancelled anyway. It's far more likely that, living where you do, you might have cancelled or delayed flights due to snow storms. But I'm sure you are already experienced enough to have booked them several days before embarkation day.

 

Citing 9/11 as a reason not to fly- sorry but that is not worthy of consideration. How many times, in the years before or since, has such a thing happened? I'm afraid you are catastrophizing.  In which case, perhaps for your own peace of mind, you should stay home. By the way- what is your spouse''s  opinion about all this?

[Lastdance]

Think of the memories that you will miss if you cancel, not to mention a trip of a lifetime.  My DH and I canceled our two b2b cruises in AUS/NZ because of the airfare, but we have been to NZ, loving every minute of our trip.  List your own pros and cons of this trip and see where you have the most listed.  Maybe, like someone mentioned above, you have a deep-down reason that you have not fully realized.  No one can tell you what to do.  You have to step up and make that final decision.   I am sending you positive vibes to make the right decision for you😍.

[OceanCruise]

I am a proponent of just living one's life. If you think of all the "what ifs" you will never go anywhere. Just use common sense, turn off the TV (main stream media tends to foster a lot of hype, fear and division), take information with a grain of salt and use discernment--- realize that most fear-mongering events never come to fruition (remember Y2K?) plus 50% of "the science" generally ends up being wrong at a later date (for example, lobotomies, FDA-approved drugs later recalled due to dangerous side effects, smoking previously advertised as being good for one's health, Oxycontin supposedly not addictive, catastrophic sea levels slated to occur 20 years ago, etc., etc.). If you keep ruminating on all the negatives and fear, you will not be able to relax and enjoy your vacation. I do not remember who said, "anxiety is not facts but just thoughts in your head" but I think that is a wise statement. 

[daydreamer16]

15 hours ago, emmas gran said:

I don't really understand your concern. There are thousands of us about to board Edge going through the Suez Canal to get the ship to Australia. None of us seem to have the deep rooted concern you do so maybe it is best you don't make final payment, find a "local" cruise 

Have a safe & great trip! We'll be waiting for the Edge in Sydney! 😃

[cachouonacruise]

13 hours ago, Pinboy said:

13 hours ago, Pinboy said:

Châteauguay, Qc---- I think I played golf there " years " ago---Is that great chip wagon close by still there ? ( Burgers, fries, poutine , hot dogs -- better than the Mast Grill )

 

 

I am not sure which chip wagon you are referring to, but if it's Laberge's, sadly it closed a few years ago. This said, Châteauguay, as you know, is neither big nor fancy, and despite the arrival of multiple restaurants from asian, east-asian food culture, we still have quite a few good spots for hamburgers, hot-dogs, fries and poutines...better than the Mast Grill. Lol! 

[cachouonacruise]

11 hours ago, mom says said:

 By the way- what is your spouse''s  opinion about all this?

That's an excellent question! 
 

DW is a home body, she just loves to be home near her children and grand-children. 
 

I am the family explorer. I was and am still hoping, in my retirement years, to take 2-3 weeks a year, to discover a new world. DW agrees to come with me ... to some destinations, while I agree to focus on children, grand-children and other home projects the rest of the year. Lol.

[cachouonacruise]

Thank-you, again all for your insight! 
 

Australia/New-Zealand is indeed a trip of a lifetime, and I really doubt, that if I cancel it, I will ever have an opportunity to re-do it.

 

Of course, world events and the recent warning issued by the American government, raised concerns for me.

 

To add to these concerns, were personal ones: So far, our flights, for that trip, were cancelled twice...and we're still months away from our trip. ( This never, ever, happened to me before,....and I have flown quite a bit in my life). More significantly, my BIL, who planned this trip with us and was supposed to be on board with us, recently passed away, suddenly and tragically. 
 

But, the argument some of you raised regarding having only one life to live rings a bell. And, it brings me to the conclusion, that living in fear...is not living, really.

 

So, I will continue to keep an eye on world events, as a precaution and continue to plan ahead for this trip. In a way, in this dark period, it gives me something positive to dream about and to look forward to.

 

Thanks again for your thoughts! 
 

 

 

 

[gcornell]

Scientifically, if you had to evaluate the risk of the most common things most people do every day, you're upcoming trip wouldn't even make the Top 10.  Life is short, don't let fear stop you from enjoying life's pleasures.

[Pinboy]

8 hours ago, cachouonacruise said:

I am not sure which chip wagon you are referring to, but if it's Laberge's, sadly it closed a few years ago. This said, Châteauguay, as you know, is neither big nor fancy, and despite the arrival of multiple restaurants from asian, east-asian food culture, we still have quite a few good spots for hamburgers, hot-dogs, fries and poutines...better than the Mast Grill. Lol! 

LOL-- I can't remember the name, but ,I do remember a Madame Chartrand at a chip wagon-- 

Let me tell all of our CC friends---- She was the "Best "-- never measured anything ( the size of her burgers, the amount of fries or chou ( coleslaw), always in a good mood --- Unless it was taking too long to decide what you wanted. Ok, so she had a bit (??) of trouble with her English---as an example--she couldn't say " Coffee Crisp " ( chocolate bar )---- always said " Coffee CRIPS "----no big deal. What a great memory !!

 

 

 

 

[LeeW]

On 10/21/2023 at 8:32 PM, mrgabriel said:

My opinion … if this is weighing on you then you may prefer a vacation in a place that is driveable. Why book something that might cause you anxiety?

 

None of us know what may happen in the future. Would any of us predicted the current wars? Or anything else that can happen like civil uprisings, strikes, tsunamis, etc. 

 

 

Agree.  Just got back from 23rd cruise since shutdown, all but 9 without mask requirements.  Cruising is pretty much back to normal, but if that bothers you then you might not enjoy it. 

 

We had friends on Holland America world cruise when it was cancelled in Australia for covid.  Took them a few days to get back home but things worked out.

 

The couple we ate with at dinner on this cruise were from Israel, and attack occurred on day we sailed.  Their flight home was cancelled and a grandson was called up.  They will stay with relatives in the US until they can get back home.

Edited October 23, 2023 by LeeW
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[seekatz]

Enjoy your cruise. For me I have worn a mask indoors at times during shows or crowded events and on the plane and busses as I have to be careful due to a medical condition. Everyone is understanding if you choose to have a mask on. On our 8 cruises since the re start I have not had COVID, but did get some sort of flu that was not serious. Our position is we need to get out and do the things we want. We were locked down in California and helped our grandchildren in remote learning, and they stayed with us for weeks at a time as my wife just retired before the pandemic. Have a great time.

[budmeister]

We sailed last month and would next week  ( and the week after, and after...) if we could.

[Dolebludger]

If the routes of the flights to your embarkation don’t take you near Russia, Ukraine, Israel, or Gaza, there should not be a problem visiting Oz and NZ and cruising there. The real problem with your cruise plans MIGHT be the unreliability of the airline travel these days. Ensure that you have travel insurance that covers forced overnights caused by airline delays and cancellations, and schedule flights to the embarkation port to arrive at least a day before ship departure. If it is a very long international flight with several connections, perhaps schedule two or three days early. As we are both quite old, we keep our vaccinations for Covid and flu very current, wear masks in crowded airports, and on planes during boarding. On ships (and other places) we avoid crowds. We would like an Oz and NZ cruise except for one thing. We live in the middle of the USA, and friends that have flown from here to OZ  (even before current air travel problems) have reported 30 hours of airlines and airports each way. We know we are too old for that stuff! If we weren’t, we’d go and just take care as I’ve described above

[1Virgo]

i do understand your concerns re wars, aviation shutdowns and Covid.   Wars. you are far enough away so shouldnt impact aviation/relocating. 

 

Covid. I wish people would stop minimizing this. It is here, and will be ongoing…. We ve cruised 2x this year.  . We mask up except to eat.  And before anyone jumps and says paranoia, try having an adult child, healthy marathon runner get covid and spend 10 days in ICU and 5 hours in surgery.   …...   So, be your own best advocate for staying healthy.   Mask, and please not cloth ones but good medical masks, hand sanitizer.    we have to accept this is the new norm, like flu.   

 

Relax. Enjoy a beverage on your balcony and watch the ocean go by and the sun set

[broadwaybaby123]

COVID and wars will always be with us. 

 

For COVID, don't let the virus control how you live your life. Certainly be cautious about it, but don't let the fear get the best of you. 

 

For the wars, nobody can predict the future. If we could, we'd all pick the winning lottery numbers! 

 

Do not let the fear of what could happen cheat you out of an otherwise fabulous experience. Be cautious, but not fearful.

[cachouonacruise]

Regarding Covid, DW and I have received each, the original dose and five additional boosters, including one this month tentatively protecting against the new variant.

This said, this week alone, two of my co-workers tested positive for Covid as well as my cousin's family... So, we are not out of the woods yet...

 

We're just trying to continue taking sensible measures to protect ourselves, and people around us the best way we can.

[Dolebludger]

Tony

On 10/16/2023 at 1:05 PM, phoenix_dream said:

On Eclipse now, in two different sky suites on a b2b. On each segment the head butler arranged to have our minibar cleared out and stocked with the soft drinks and water we like. I know it's not an official perk but in sky suites we've always had butlers willing to do it. Can't say they all will, but pleasantly surprised this trip after all the cuts.

k the hsvebr=the new vivid vac for the expected new dyraim

[Dolebludger]

To my observation is that all of those who have gotten the current Coved vac, and all prior suggested vacs, are very unlikely to either get it or transmit it to others. That is highly recommended before travel. E 95  masks do a moderate job of preventing the wearer from getting it, and a much better job at preventing infections from the wearer to spread. First defense is from the vac. If you are so fully vaxed and wear a mask only when in a crowd, all should be fine. This may be unneeded  advice, but Cary your Covid vax record with you, in case there are new rules in some ports that pop,up. Other than that, worry only about booking flights to the embarkation port that allow you to get to the embarkation, even if there are some airline foul ups — because these seem to be happening all the time. There is no reason for the cruise onboard experience to be less than seamless.

[binro01]

I will never let the world dictate to me how I wish to spend my time. I will adapt and adjust if and when Mr. Murphy shows up with his book of laws.  

[Dolebludger]

I think my post #47 above was an error on my part. Not on topic, and makes no sense. Oh, well, I’ll be 80 in four weeks. That is my excuse!