Is anyone thinking of canceling due to the economy?

[SAYHEYRENEE]

Thankfully, my job (fire protection company-law mandates our services even for building owners when the business shuts down) and my husbands (high school teacher) are very stable. My husband does have a permanent part time job for the city that get us nervous when there are budget issues. Fortunatly for us this is our extra money for trips, gifts, house fixes (non emergency) and a rainy day. We are very fortunate during these hard times when others are struggling.

 

We have something booked for 2010 but nothing for 2009 yet. My son starts college next fall and we are waiting to see the bill before we book.

[MadManOfBethesda]

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...

 

Nobody is rubbing it in your face.

 

Have you forgotten how you titled this thread. Have you forgotten the question that you asked at the end of your first post?

 

You specifically asked if everyone else was okay or were they worried about the economy.

 

So you got a response from someone stating that he was okay. And now you're complaining about it.

 

Go back and read you first post again.

 

If you had titled this thread something along the lines of "We had to cancel our cruise because of the econonmy," and then posted what had happened to your husband, all the posts would have been by people offering their condolences and best wishes.

 

I guarantee that no one would have posted to the thread stating that they were okay and would be continuing to book cruises.

 

Steamboatin did so because you specifically asked the question!

[BalconyBumz]

Thankfully, my job (fire protection company-law mandates our services even for building owners when the business shuts down) and my husbands (high school teacher) are very stable. My husband does have a permanent part time job for the city that get us nervous when there are budget issues. Fortunatly for us this is our extra money for trips, gifts, house fixes (non emergency) and a rainy day. We are very fortunate during these hard times when others are struggling.

 

We have something booked for 2010 but nothing for 2009 yet. My son starts college next fall and we are waiting to see the bill before we book.

 

Well at least you are gracious and acknowledge others. ;)

[harkinmr]

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.

 

I see we have a government employee in hiding here. And, by the way, we DO pay their salaries! It apparently is not a joke (big green grinning emoticon or not) because Steamboatin has reappeared in defense of his government service, but no mea culpa for the initial post (which should have given YOU a clue!). By the way Steamboatin, those of us who have "served" this country in the private sector deserve no less reward for our efforts than you do.

[Commieri]

Nobody is rubbing it in your face.

 

Have you forgotten how you titled this thread. Have you forgotten the question that you asked at the end of your first post?

 

You specifically asked if everyone else was okay or were they worried about the economy.

 

So you got a response from someone stating that he was okay. And now you're complaining about it.

 

Go back and read you first post again.

 

If you had titled this thread something along the lines of "We had to cancel our cruise because of the econonmy," and then posted what had happened to your husband, all the posts would have been by people offering their condolences and best wishes.

 

I guarantee that no one would have posted to the thread stating that they were okay and would be continuing to book cruises.

 

Steamboatin did so because you specifically asked the question!

 

YOu're kidding me, right? Now you've made me out to be a whining villan? I wasn't the first one to comment on Steamboatin's comment... others did and rightly so... No matter how the question is phrased, it's insensitive to joke about us paying for his trips.

 

Hope you and Steamboatin continue your romance on the high seas... I'm done.

[MadManOfBethesda]

By the way Steamboatin, those of us who have "served" this country in the private sector deserve no less reward for our efforts than you do.

 

Yeah, I'm sure that your private sector work is just as significant as the 20+ years Steamboatin has given to the defense of our country.

 

I salute you!

[MadManOfBethesda]

YOu're kidding me, right? Now you've made me out to be a whining villan? I wasn't the first one to comment on Steamboatin's comment... others did and rightly so... No matter how the question is phrased, it's insensitive to joke about us paying for his trips.

 

Hope you and Steamboatin continue your romance on the high seas... I'm done.

 

Wow. Where did you get that from?

 

I didn't say that you were whining and I didn't call you a villian. I'm truly sorry for the situation tht you find yourself in because of the economy. I merely pointed out that you specifically asked if others were okay and that Steamboatin replied that he was. If you hadn't done so, he wouldn't have posted that he was. It's really that simple.

 

And I'm still amazed that you and others are so exorcised about Steamboatin's comment, but haven't said nary a word about zuzucruz's comment that government employees deserve to rot in Hell.

 

I guess that is not insensitive enough to warrant any criticism.

[harkinmr]

Yeah, I'm sure that your private sector work is just as significant as the 20+ years Steamboatin has given to the defense of our country.

 

I salute you!

 

My private sector work created the capital that created the jobs that paid the taxes that paid the salaries of those defending this country...so, yes, it IS just as significant as Steamboatin's work! The problem here, MadManOfBethesda, is that people like you and Steamboatin feel entitled and believe that we all owe you. It is the sense of entitlement and the insensitivity that goes along with it that has made your responses to the OP and others on this board so disturbing.

[callmedeb]

Seriously people? Get over yourselves and stop stirring up trouble (MMOB & SB). Agree to dissagree and move on. Leben und leben lassen (Live and let Live).

 

The economy sucks for everyone, worldwide. I'm lucky I have a, fairly, stable job - but I am helping out my father who has lost most of his investments and even a portion of his pension. It sucks.

 

But when he said to me that he wanted to find a way to take the trip he'd always wanted to take, we found a way.

 

My personal feeling is if you want something bad enough you can find a way. If you don't then you didn't really need it to begin with.

 

And OP? Don't judge all HAL cruisers by two provocateurs, I've found more lovely people on this board than idiots (although I am a lurker).

 

Cheers!

[MadManOfBethesda]

And OP? Don't judge all HAL cruisers by two provocateurs, I've found more lovely people on this board than idiots (although I am a lurker).

 

How did I become a provocateur by defending one poster when another poster told him he deserved to be in Hell??

 

Okay. Now, I'm done.

[SAYHEYRENEE]

decided to stay out of this one.

[kryos]

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.

I agree, the comment he made sounds like one where he didn't think before hitting the "send" button ... but I doubt it was made to be malicious.

 

These times are definitely hitting some of us worse than others. I have friends who are retired now ... getting government and private industry pensions, as well as Social Security checks. They were in the workforce long before the switch from fixed pensions to 401K's and IRA's ... so their monthly income is pretty much "locked in." They can't lose. We can.

 

It's just unfortunate circumstances in our cases, very fortunate ones in theirs. Just like everything else in life. If the economy was booming, chances are we would be ahead because our retirement savings fluctuate because of the economy. While people living on fixed pensions would get some sort of an increase, we would make much more. The sad thing is, that is not the way the economy has gone ... so it has been us, the working people, who are taking the hit ... with the loss of our jobs, or at least our raises that we've come to expect each year. I don't think very many companies at all are giving raises these days ... even scheduled ones ... and some are, in fact, asking their employees to take pay cuts, as my company has done last year when they asked all employees to start contributing toward their health care and pensions, and then got us to "give back" a scheduled $25 raise that was supposed to go entirely into our health and welfare fund. When we didn't get the raise, and balked to our union about having to make a bigger contribution to the health care program, the union was able to avoid that and keep us happy, but now our health care is not what it was. We now have bigger co-pays and more of them. So, that has translated into a pay cut in the end anyway.

 

So, I guess Steamboating is just in a good position right now, and hopefully he is counting his blessings. Not everyone else is as fortunate, but that's just the way the ball bounces sometimes.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

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

It's funny ... I've held down several jobs thus far in my working career ... since I tend to work second jobs on occasion ... but the one job where I worked harder than absolutely any other was with the federal government ... the IRS. I also have several friends ... and family members ... who've worked for the Postal Service ... and I know they never had it easy.

 

So, I tend to think that some government jobs can actually be more high stress than those in the private sector. So, I wouldn't say a government worker never had to work a day in his life. Believe me, he may have actually had to work a lot harder. The days of the government giving out free rides to its employees ended a long, long time ago.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[babyher]

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?

 

I do respect and thank you for your service to our country.

 

My Mom also gets a big (municipal) government retiremnet check every month.

 

My dad was a firefighter for 34 years .

Nights , weekends, holidays, birthdays anniversarys he was on the job.

 

He was on the job during a time when like most large cities, every night a different square block burned to the ground in the name of civil rights. And he was thanked by the public by getting rocked and bottled.

 

And then just as he was looking forward to retirement , he died suddenly at 58.

 

So yeah my mom has a really great pension , so she will never be one of those old ladies out on a park bench eating cat food , but she lost a whole lot more than she gained

[Commieri]

Babyher, sorry about your Dad. That is just not fair at all but as we all know life isn't always fair. I hope you and your mother will always have wonderful memories of your Dad. Your post illustrates that everything is relative. While Steamboatin got me and lots of others "steamed" at what sounded like his callous attitude towards those of us not sitting pretty financially, your post reminded me that a month ago I was worried that my husband was seriously ill. He was not and I am going into this unemployment crisis determined to survive and grateful I am not dealing with a life-threatening illness.

 

Thank you for your post .

[sail7seas]

I also thank you for your post, Babyher. Sure puts some things in perspective. I lost my dad when I was 18 so fully understand the loss. My Mom is now late 80's and has been alone many years.

 

We all need to be thankful for the good in our lives and always cognizant some have it far worse then we do. There is always someone in more pain; more need.

 

No matter our struggles in today's economy, most of us will do fine in the end. It may not be easy but we will find a means.

 

I wish good will, peace and security to all in this season.

 

[czechred]

We've already booked our airfare for Alaska cruise May 10, 2009 out of Seattle. Airfare was over $1000 for 2 of us. If we cancel air we lose $150/per ticket plus a $30 each charge because we booked through ORBITZ. We would then have the balance to use on another airfare which must be used by Sept. 9/09 (I orginally booked airfare 9/9/08). So where else to we go in order to use the airfare? It would still cost us money to go somewhere else. We have not yet paid final balance on Alaska cruise so we can still get out of that portion. I also booked travel insurance separately and called the insurer and that can be tranferred to another trip as long as we call before our embarkation day of 5/10. We're hanging in there until I have to pay Holland for the balance of trip in Feb.09 to see how things go.

[CowPrincess]

We would then have the balance to use on another airfare which must be used by Sept. 9/09 (I orginally booked airfare 9/9/08).

 

We did not book through Orbitz. We did have to cancel a flight we'd booked thru an airline, and during the process found out that for $10 each we could extend the useable period of the credit for another year. I'd check with Orbitz and see if they have something similar. (We'd cancelled other flights before with this particular airline, and had NO idea we could extend the "credit" period.) Worth checking, anyway.

[GeriatricNurse]

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:

 

 

Yes, we're okay! DW & I are both retired with NO children, NO pets & No debts! We plan on cruising until we are no longer able to either 1. Ambulate 2. Dress ourselves 3. Feed Ourselves

[cruisecrasy]

Yes, we're okay! DW & I are both retired with NO children, NO pets & No debts! We plan on cruising until we are no longer able to either 1. Ambulate 2. Dress ourselves 3. Feed Ourselves

 

Just what is needed now, thanks for sharing a 'giggle of the day'!!

 

Merry Xmas/Happy Holidays :)

[mariner]

If anything, the economic crisis teaches us that nothing lasts forever. After the UAW is revamped, the last vestige is government service. And I'm guessing there will be a huge number of very unsympathetic taxpayers.

 

Count our blessings now and hope for a recovery sooner rather than later. What was past certainly won't be future.

[rxralph]

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?

 

 

Yes to your question, but I don't see it as a road to entitlements.

 

ralph

[CalGal777]

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:

I didnt say anything because I probably would have been banned from here for life.My husband spent 20 years in the military defending your country NOT sitting on his A-- doing nothing. He deserves his retirement.

[Commieri]

As you can see from the time of this post, I have insomnia on Christmas Mroning. Yesterday, my husband's cmpany decided to close at the end of the month due to the insurmountable financial issues they're facing. I am trying to keep a stiff upper lip but it got to me today. He has worked so hard to make this company successufl. As the previous poster said her husband "deserved" his retirement. - I think that the point is most people deserve a decent retirement, decent living arrangements, decent health care etc but many don't have it and in this economy more and more will not and through NO FAULT of their own.

 

At this point, I can't see us being able to go in April, especially since we have to make final payment Jan 20th. I doubt he will find a job in that short a time. I have insurance but we will need all our money to manage and meet our normal obligations.

 

I think this post struck a cord with many others who are struggling as well as those who realize that they are fortunate to be able to continue to travel . Let's all hope that things will start to turn around soon but as someone else said upthread... we may all be living differently from now on.

[Jade13]

As you can see from the time of this post, I have insomnia on Christmas Mroning. Yesterday, my husband's cmpany decided to close at the end of the month due to the insurmountable financial issues they're facing. I am trying to keep a stiff upper lip but it got to me today. He has worked so hard to make this company successufl. As the previous poster said her husband "deserved" his retirement. - I think that the point is most people deserve a decent retirement, decent living arrangements, decent health care etc but many don't have it and in this economy more and more will not and through NO FAULT of their own.

 

At this point, I can't see us being able to go in April, especially since we have to make final payment Jan 20th. I doubt he will find a job in that short a time. I have insurance but we will need all our money to manage and meet our normal obligations.

 

I think this post struck a cord with many others who are struggling as well as those who realize that they are fortunate to be able to continue to travel . Let's all hope that things will start to turn around soon but as someone else said upthread... we may all be living differently from now on.

 

Sorry to hear this. I sure hope you can find a way to go (we loved the Westerdam) and maybe save money by cutting down on the excursions (we can spend almost as much on excursions - especially in the Med - as we do on the cruise costs).

 

The ironic thing is that when one is out of work they actually have the time to vacation that they may not have otherwise.