Is anyone thinking of canceling due to the economy?

[mikjr]

We probably will be increasing the number of cruises we take if the prices keep decreasing.

 

It is nice to be retired and receiving multiple government retirement checks plus other government income.

 

By the way - thanks to you all for paying for our cruises.:D

 

I realize this may have been said in jest, but it's just this type of entitlement mentality that's gotten us in this trouble.

 

Most of us are not living on several "government" incomes and many still have to work for a living, even at retirement age.

 

I feel this is the wrong time to be making this kind of statement, even in jest.

[zuzucruz]

We probably will be increasing the number of cruises we take if the prices keep decreasing.

 

It is nice to be retired and receiving multiple government retirement checks plus other government income.

 

By the way - thanks to you all for paying for our cruises.:D

I think it is you that has created our current financial meltdown. Since you were once a government employee I know you never had to work a day in your life. When you die the government will undoubtedly put a flame on your grave (or maybe you'll just be living in the flames).

 

You are probably a shut-in and sit on cruise critic to upset the people that are hard working folks that are struggling to make ends meet and plan a vacation.

[JLC@SD]

While I feel that Steamboatin was trying to be funny regarding his last statement we all must remember that to get that retirement he or she had a much lower income than the private sector.

 

Larry

 

Larry, in most government jobs, that is not the case anymore.

 

and.......government pensions (city, county and state) are not that secure either.........many of them are on the verge of BK........because of the burden of those inflated pensions.......they can't go on forever.....;)

[RuthC]

Since you were once a government employee I know you never had to work a day in your life.

Obviously, you've never been a low-level government employee. Government employees who work in the trenches have been known to work very, very hard for bare-bones wages. It can be thankless.

Your statement was uncalled for.

[jrzebird]

My DBF and I have decided that, since cruise fares have decreased significantly, we are going to book a 7 day cruise, from Ft. Lauderdale for early March. As much as I love the 11 or 14 day cruises, 7 days will be fine for now. Now, if we could just find a reasonable air fare .... Although, the cost of a limo to NYC and the cost of a plane to Fort Lauderdale, are about the same!

 

In the future we'll probably look for cruises that are within reasonable driving range (Charleston, SC and north) and do away with that worry.

[Taxguy77]

We probably will be increasing the number of cruises we take if the prices keep decreasing.

 

It is nice to be retired and receiving multiple government retirement checks plus other government income.

 

By the way - thanks to you all for paying for our cruises.:D

 

You are welcome!:D:rolleyes:

Just wish we were in the same boat.:cool:

[Taxguy77]

We usually have one long cruise (21+ days) and a shorter one each winter. This year we had to cancel the long one and just took a 10 day cruise to Sea of Cortez. As for the future winter 09-10, we cancelled our fall cruise booking but are still holding on to the March 2010 33-day Rotterdam cruise booking. ----Penny

 

Just finished a TA aboard the Rotterdam. What a beautiful, comfortitable ship.:)

[OCruisers]

We're booked for April 5th on Westerdam... first HAL cruise as we usually go Celebrity or Princess. There are 6 of us going but it now looks certain that my husband's company will become yet another victim of the credit crunch and economic mess. If we have to cancel, we will- I just can't see going if he's unemployed. But it suprised me to see no discussion of the economy on the boards... Is everyone else ok or are others concerned about layoffs or company closings?:confused:

 

Good Thread! The Economy is like the ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM ....:o

 

Certainly, the economy is a concern to everyone ... and who knows how many will still be able to cruise or if cruising will continue to attact NEW cruisers? :confused:

 

We have no changes in our current cruise plans nor in what we plan to book in the future. I feel very very very fortunate and extremely lucky.

 

Let's all hope 2009/2010 will be better times!

[coho ken]

There are many reasons why people vacation. Our's is to get away from our hectic daily lives and more recently, the economic stress. I think we will appreciate this upcoming cruise in March because we feel how bad things are right now. Hind sight is 20/20....No looking back now, so everyone try and stay positive!

[DFD1]

I find Steamboatin's insensitivity astonishing.

 

JMO

[Lurker1]

We have a cruise booked to Alaska for this year, that first includes a land tour of the NW USA. We ahve gone through a well-established TA with an excellent reputation. I do have a general concern that they will continue to operate in these tough times, nothing specific about them, I would have the same worries with any TA at this point.

And yes, we gave them a deposit ($100) shortly before all this blew up.

[harkinmr]

I realize this may have been said in jest, but it's just this type of entitlement mentality that's gotten us in this trouble.

 

Most of us are not living on several "government" incomes and many still have to work for a living, even at retirement age.

 

I feel this is the wrong time to be making this kind of statement, even in jest.

 

I agree wholeheartedly! The government has not been a source of support for most of us the last several decades, and many of us have had a great deal of our hard-earned income taken from us to support inefficient and ineffective government jobs and spending. I do not wish to be "thanked" by Steamboatin for paying for his/her cruises, as I certainly did not do so freely:mad:! I do not mean to stand on a soapbox on this one, but Steamboatin's insensitivity and sense of entitlement are frightening evidence of where this Country stands today.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Camille -- so sorry to hear about the situation with your husband's work.

We have several cruises booked. Re are retired.

The only thing that would keep us from going on a cruise -- Health.

[ryndam]

We are fortunate in our financial position and are taking advantage of two very good deals on longer, exotic cruises next year that we would normally not have been able to afford. Cruise fares have been dramatically reduced, as well as certain international airfares. We're sailing for 16 nights on the Volendam in March from Sydney-Singapore and for 14 nights on the Crystal Symphony in November from Miami-Manaus.

[GmaPajama]

This thread sure has given me a lot to think about. We are not wealthy by any means, but a lifetime of conservative choices has left us in a position to do some nice traveling. We're retired now, and have watched our investments diminish to about half of what they were. Since a good chunk of our income comes from those investments, we look to the future more cautiously than we did a year ago.

 

Because my mama raised me on "guilt" that's the first thing I have to fight when booking a cruise in today's economy. As with so many folks here, my heart breaks for those who struggle to keep a job and make a house payment, and even to buy groceries. We try to be generous with our church support and charitable giving - never less than a tithe - but that doesn't go as far as it used to. We won't give up cruising till either WE or the MONEY are gone. We can cut back on lot of life's expenses, but won't cut back on our giving. For me, it's the only guilt-free way to cruise.

 

[Commieri]

I find Steamboatin's insensitivity astonishing.

 

JMO

 

I have to agree.. I am the original poster asking whether the economy was concerning to others. As I said, my husband's company is falling victime to this. Steamboatin... you should count your blessings and actually I resent that I have worked since age 5 ( in a family business) got a Master's degree in Social Work and have worked in health care for 20 odd years. We just got told our raises are deferred due to decreased volume at the hospital... so many people lost health care coverage that only the most urgent cases come in. My husband wakes up at 3am and comes home at 7p- working 16 hours days for years to make his company a success. My 403 b is decimated, our house value is nil and now he will be unemployed at 57.

 

We are not the only ones in this mess and we have been careful not to live far beyond our means.

 

The one good thing about your comment is that it made me think if all HAL cruisers are like you, maybe it's not that bad that I won't be sailing the line. You really made me angry with that snarky remark.

[MadManOfBethesda]

I find Steamboatin's insensitivity astonishing.

 

JMO

 

And I find it astonishing that everyone is jumping on steamboatin for a comment that was meant in jest, but that no one except Ruth has uttered one word about zuzucruz's intentional and utterly despicable remark that all government employees should end up in Hell.

 

JMO:rolleyes:

[Commieri]

I don't think Steamboatin comment was made in jest and if it was, then he needs a bit of sensitivity training.

[harkinmr]

And I find it astonishing that everyone is jumping on steamboatin for a comment that was meant in jest, but that no one except Ruth has uttered one word about zuzucruz's intentional and utterly despicable remark that all government employees should end up in Hell.

 

JMO:rolleyes:

 

And how do you know it was meant in jest? Given that Steamboatin has not replied further, I think it was meant just how it appears...insensitive! While Zuzucruz's reply may have been a bit extreme, those of us who have had our salaries reduced and have seen our 401K balances decimated and live with the realities of what is happening in today's economy, but do not get to hide under a government blanket, are justifiably dismayed at the insensitivity of others. On another note, I am very happy to see that others are so willing to share their circumstances, thoughts and hopes in these tough times, and that most of us look forward to continuing to do one of our favorite things in life...Cruising:D...if not in the near future, when things turn around (and they will folks, you can count on that:)).

[Steamboatin]

One of our government retirements is from a military retirement check each month.

 

I spent over 20 plus years defending this nation and you.

 

I earned that government retirement check.

 

Did you do your military service to protect your country?

[our turn]

We, along with most Americans, are truly frightened about our future. We have seen our retirement accounts plummet and our plans for early retirement in a couple of years vanish. We will hopefully continue to cruise but will spend less money. We are looking at Celebrity embarking from Charleston because it is a 4 hour drive from our home. That would eliminate a significant amount of travel expense pre & post cruise.

 

I think whatever our situation is, we need to be sensitive to the plight of others. Now is really not the time for insensitive remarks that rub salt in the wounds of so many.

 

Kim

[BalconyBumz]

Uhhhh dude, quit tootin your horn. You don't have to work in the military and protect our country to be the big only hero and deserve a pension check from the gov. There are many others out there that have done things in this world with work and have worked just as hard, if not harder than you, so chill out.

[MadManOfBethesda]

And how do you know it was meant in jest?

 

For one thing, it is an old, OLD, OLD joke. It is a takeoff on the comment federal employees hear from members of the public when they have something to complain about: "I PAY YOUR SALARY!!"

 

Secondly, that big green grinning emoticon at the end of steamboatin's post should have given you a clue.

[Commieri]

One of our government retirements is from a military retirement check each month.

 

I spent over 20 plus years defending this nation and you.

 

I earned that government retirement check.

 

Did you do your military service to protect your country?

 

No one is questioning your service to this country and I'm certainly not implying that you don't deserve a nice retirement. My problem with you is that you are rubbing it in my face... you're ok and that's all that matters... All of us work hard, even if not for the government yet we may not be as fortunate as you to have a carefree future. That's why I am beginning to feel relieved not to be on HAL if many passengers share your "Let them eat cake " attitude.

 

I appreciate all the other posters who feel for me and the others who are scared and wondering what will happen. We all want to work but this economy is such a mess... who knows how long it will take. I'm grateful we have our health, our smarts and our drive ...and I will survive without a 7 day cruise to the Carribean. But man, you gotta get an attitude check.

[MadManOfBethesda]

While Zuzucruz's reply may have been a bit extreme....

 

Oh, so stating that federal employees deserve to go to Hell is "a bit extreme," but your ire is reserved for someone who jokes that taxpayers are paying his pensions.

 

Okay. Got it. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: