twangster

Finally we arrived in Seward.


I never realized how much I would miss this sign.

Halfway to Seward.

Alaska is beautiful just in case you didn't know.





Social distancing from the people in the other train...
"Can I have your number?"  Drat.  I don't think she heard me.

Bar service in Gold Star:

In my made up trip it's 5 o'clock everywhere all the time!

Smooth flight, meal service was typical airline food so, meh.  The plane had really fast WiFi though so that was nice.   
I jumped in an Uber to the train terminal and boarded the train from Anchorage to Seward.

@Matt 's "perfect" MDR menu:
 

IT'S CRUISE DAY!!!

My made up cruise will start on Radiance of the Seas.  

All aboard!

I have a fever but it isn't from COVID-19.  I have cruise fever and an itch I can't scratch.   
So why not join me for a wild and impossible cruise itinerary involving teleporting between cabins, ships and continents? 
The Captains have gone crazy and with the newly installed warp drives I'll be having dinner in the Northern hemisphere and eating breakfast in the Southern hemisphere.   From the Oasis Lagoon at CocoCay to an Alaskan glacier the next day.  From the zip line at Labadee through the Panama Canal down under to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the blink of an eye, this is going to be a wild ride.  
Cruise Itinerary:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Cruise Length:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Leaving from:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
 
With a special waiver from the CDC (Cruise Denying Consulate) no ships or crew will be harmed or exposed in the making up of this fake cruise.   
Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride.  ?
Time to spin the hand sanitizer bottle and see where to begin this journey...

Bar service in Gold Star:

In my made up trip it's 5 o'clock everywhere all the time!

Smooth flight, meal service was typical airline food so, meh.  The plane had really fast WiFi though so that was nice.   
I jumped in an Uber to the train terminal and boarded the train from Anchorage to Seward.

It was a great day for flying and while my airplane cabin had windows on both sides the best views were on the right side of plane as we approached Anchorage.


It's so nice flying private without the hassle of the TSA or waiting for luggage.  I'll have to book this class more often from now on.

I have a fever but it isn't from COVID-19.  I have cruise fever and an itch I can't scratch.   
So why not join me for a wild and impossible cruise itinerary involving teleporting between cabins, ships and continents? 
The Captains have gone crazy and with the newly installed warp drives I'll be having dinner in the Northern hemisphere and eating breakfast in the Southern hemisphere.   From the Oasis Lagoon at CocoCay to an Alaskan glacier the next day.  From the zip line at Labadee through the Panama Canal down under to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the blink of an eye, this is going to be a wild ride.  
Cruise Itinerary:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Cruise Length:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Leaving from:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
 
With a special waiver from the CDC (Cruise Denying Consulate) no ships or crew will be harmed or exposed in the making up of this fake cruise.   
Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride.  ?
Time to spin the hand sanitizer bottle and see where to begin this journey...

A new Twangster blog!! A new Twangster blog!!!
I don't care if it's completely fake and all the pictures have been seen before, IT'S A FREAKING NEW TWANGSTER BLOG!!!!!

I have a fever but it isn't from COVID-19.  I have cruise fever and an itch I can't scratch.   
So why not join me for a wild and impossible cruise itinerary involving teleporting between cabins, ships and continents? 
The Captains have gone crazy and with the newly installed warp drives I'll be having dinner in the Northern hemisphere and eating breakfast in the Southern hemisphere.   From the Oasis Lagoon at CocoCay to an Alaskan glacier the next day.  From the zip line at Labadee through the Panama Canal down under to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the blink of an eye, this is going to be a wild ride.  
Cruise Itinerary:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Cruise Length:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Leaving from:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
 
With a special waiver from the CDC (Cruise Denying Consulate) no ships or crew will be harmed or exposed in the making up of this fake cruise.   
Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride.  ?
Time to spin the hand sanitizer bottle and see where to begin this journey...

It was a great day for flying and while my airplane cabin had windows on both sides the best views were on the right side of plane as we approached Anchorage.


It's so nice flying private without the hassle of the TSA or waiting for luggage.  I'll have to book this class more often from now on.

It was a great day for flying and while my airplane cabin had windows on both sides the best views were on the right side of plane as we approached Anchorage.


It's so nice flying private without the hassle of the TSA or waiting for luggage.  I'll have to book this class more often from now on.

I have a fever but it isn't from COVID-19.  I have cruise fever and an itch I can't scratch.   
So why not join me for a wild and impossible cruise itinerary involving teleporting between cabins, ships and continents? 
The Captains have gone crazy and with the newly installed warp drives I'll be having dinner in the Northern hemisphere and eating breakfast in the Southern hemisphere.   From the Oasis Lagoon at CocoCay to an Alaskan glacier the next day.  From the zip line at Labadee through the Panama Canal down under to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the blink of an eye, this is going to be a wild ride.  
Cruise Itinerary:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Cruise Length:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Leaving from:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
 
With a special waiver from the CDC (Cruise Denying Consulate) no ships or crew will be harmed or exposed in the making up of this fake cruise.   
Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride.  ?
Time to spin the hand sanitizer bottle and see where to begin this journey...

Since it's August as I write this I've decided to start this cruise in Alaska.  I'll be flying to Anchorage and taking the train to Seward.  
Fortunately the flights are near empty and I scored an upgrade to Presidential Class.

The Cruise Denying Consulate (CDC) initially denied the plan I submitted but after the 443rd revision they not only approved my plan but they were so impressed with my protocols they offered to fly me to Anchorage and they came to the airport to see me off:

Apparently the plane was available briefly between jaunts to the golf course so I jumped at the chance to fly this beauty.

I have a fever but it isn't from COVID-19.  I have cruise fever and an itch I can't scratch.   
So why not join me for a wild and impossible cruise itinerary involving teleporting between cabins, ships and continents? 
The Captains have gone crazy and with the newly installed warp drives I'll be having dinner in the Northern hemisphere and eating breakfast in the Southern hemisphere.   From the Oasis Lagoon at CocoCay to an Alaskan glacier the next day.  From the zip line at Labadee through the Panama Canal down under to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the blink of an eye, this is going to be a wild ride.  
Cruise Itinerary:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Cruise Length:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Leaving from:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
 
With a special waiver from the CDC (Cruise Denying Consulate) no ships or crew will be harmed or exposed in the making up of this fake cruise.   
Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride.  ?
Time to spin the hand sanitizer bottle and see where to begin this journey...

It was a great day for flying and while my airplane cabin had windows on both sides the best views were on the right side of plane as we approached Anchorage.


It's so nice flying private without the hassle of the TSA or waiting for luggage.  I'll have to book this class more often from now on.

Since it's August as I write this I've decided to start this cruise in Alaska.  I'll be flying to Anchorage and taking the train to Seward.  
Fortunately the flights are near empty and I scored an upgrade to Presidential Class.

The Cruise Denying Consulate (CDC) initially denied the plan I submitted but after the 443rd revision they not only approved my plan but they were so impressed with my protocols they offered to fly me to Anchorage and they came to the airport to see me off:

Apparently the plane was available briefly between jaunts to the golf course so I jumped at the chance to fly this beauty.

I have a fever but it isn't from COVID-19.  I have cruise fever and an itch I can't scratch.   
So why not join me for a wild and impossible cruise itinerary involving teleporting between cabins, ships and continents? 
The Captains have gone crazy and with the newly installed warp drives I'll be having dinner in the Northern hemisphere and eating breakfast in the Southern hemisphere.   From the Oasis Lagoon at CocoCay to an Alaskan glacier the next day.  From the zip line at Labadee through the Panama Canal down under to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the blink of an eye, this is going to be a wild ride.  
Cruise Itinerary:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Cruise Length:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
Leaving from:  Haven't decided yet, we'll see how this plays out.
 
With a special waiver from the CDC (Cruise Denying Consulate) no ships or crew will be harmed or exposed in the making up of this fake cruise.   
Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride.  ?
Time to spin the hand sanitizer bottle and see where to begin this journey...

Plane travel is far more risky than cruise ship travel.
On a ship there are activities that are more risky such as sitting at a bar (no different risk than on land).  If you don't participate in higher risk activities and maintain distancing then it doesn't matter if you are on a ship for days and days, you have greatly reduced the risk much like working in a grocery store every day week after week.  
One theory of COVID-19 transmission involves the length of time one is near or in contact with an infected subject.  Simply walking past an infected person is less likely to cause infection.  Standing next to an infected person at a party or sitting at a bar next to an infected person is more likely to cause an infection.  
The viral loading obtained by walking past someone in a grocery store for example is low even if that person is breathing heavy.  The theory is you don't get enough viral load in that brief exposure to allow your system to become infected.  It's not like one particle of virus will cause an infection, it takes many particles in your system before it takes hold and you become infected.  
This is how grocery store and other retail workers are not incurring mass infections.  They work every day week after week yet don't become infected.  With distancing and masks in retail stores we aren't experiencing mass infections compared to bars where people sit in place for periods of time.
Sitting at a bar for 15 minutes next to an infected person very well can lead to infection because you intake enough viral load in that time.  Walking past that same person and sitting on the other side of the room is less likely to see infection, or so the theory goes.
Even a short airplane ride is long enough to become infected if you are unlucky enough to sit near someone who is infected.  Distancing guidelines work but become less effective if the subjects are fixed and inside for long periods of time such as on an airplane or at a bar.  The time on board any plane trip involves boarding, taxiing, flight, taxiing and deplaning.  The shortest flights in the world still have around one hour of sitting time.  The plane boards 30 minutes before flight, taxi is 5 to 10 minutes average, flight time of 5 minutes followed by 5-10 minute taxi to the gate and 10 minutes to offload.  If you do the shortest flight in the world next to an infected person you are now most likely infected.
On a large ship you can go the entire cruise and not see the same person twice.   I'm not saying there is zero opportunity on a ship, just that it's much less risky compared to planes.
You are correct though in that cruising is non-essential beyond the economic impact of the cruise industry.  The CDC is getting away with a cruise ship ban because it's non-essential.  It's not clear if the CDC has the authority to regulate or ban domestic travel between states.  Interstate commerce and travel has some level of control by the U.S. Congress but perhaps not by individual federal agencies.  I suspect the CDC can't ban flights and are limited to making recommendations that can be ignored even if they are the right thing to do.  
Airline bailout money from the federal government required them to continue operations so there is that as well.  The bailout money stops in October which is why the airlines are warning of mass layoffs in the fall.   The airline bailout wasn't well thought out, it forced them to fly empty planes around or else they'd lose the bailout money.  Imagine if some agency then said you can't fly?  

Plane travel is far more risky than cruise ship travel.
On a ship there are activities that are more risky such as sitting at a bar (no different risk than on land).  If you don't participate in higher risk activities and maintain distancing then it doesn't matter if you are on a ship for days and days, you have greatly reduced the risk much like working in a grocery store every day week after week.  
One theory of COVID-19 transmission involves the length of time one is near or in contact with an infected subject.  Simply walking past an infected person is less likely to cause infection.  Standing next to an infected person at a party or sitting at a bar next to an infected person is more likely to cause an infection.  
The viral loading obtained by walking past someone in a grocery store for example is low even if that person is breathing heavy.  The theory is you don't get enough viral load in that brief exposure to allow your system to become infected.  It's not like one particle of virus will cause an infection, it takes many particles in your system before it takes hold and you become infected.  
This is how grocery store and other retail workers are not incurring mass infections.  They work every day week after week yet don't become infected.  With distancing and masks in retail stores we aren't experiencing mass infections compared to bars where people sit in place for periods of time.
Sitting at a bar for 15 minutes next to an infected person very well can lead to infection because you intake enough viral load in that time.  Walking past that same person and sitting on the other side of the room is less likely to see infection, or so the theory goes.
Even a short airplane ride is long enough to become infected if you are unlucky enough to sit near someone who is infected.  Distancing guidelines work but become less effective if the subjects are fixed and inside for long periods of time such as on an airplane or at a bar.  The time on board any plane trip involves boarding, taxiing, flight, taxiing and deplaning.  The shortest flights in the world still have around one hour of sitting time.  The plane boards 30 minutes before flight, taxi is 5 to 10 minutes average, flight time of 5 minutes followed by 5-10 minute taxi to the gate and 10 minutes to offload.  If you do the shortest flight in the world next to an infected person you are now most likely infected.
On a large ship you can go the entire cruise and not see the same person twice.   I'm not saying there is zero opportunity on a ship, just that it's much less risky compared to planes.
You are correct though in that cruising is non-essential beyond the economic impact of the cruise industry.  The CDC is getting away with a cruise ship ban because it's non-essential.  It's not clear if the CDC has the authority to regulate or ban domestic travel between states.  Interstate commerce and travel has some level of control by the U.S. Congress but perhaps not by individual federal agencies.  I suspect the CDC can't ban flights and are limited to making recommendations that can be ignored even if they are the right thing to do.  
Airline bailout money from the federal government required them to continue operations so there is that as well.  The bailout money stops in October which is why the airlines are warning of mass layoffs in the fall.   The airline bailout wasn't well thought out, it forced them to fly empty planes around or else they'd lose the bailout money.  Imagine if some agency then said you can't fly?  

The CDC doesn't have the authority to dictate to individual states what to do.  The federal government can't mandate shut downs, that power rests with individual states and governors or down to the city and county level.  In theory that should work better as it allows more localized decision making.  
Given the current pandemic trends and numbers it appears that many states or areas are getting it wrong.  No one is blaming the CDC for that, that's on the state, county or city government who formulated the response for that area.
If the CDC had more power they would be more involved in areas beyond the cruise industry.  It's not a double standard being implemented by the CDC, they simply are powerless to do anything but sit back and watch some states doing it differently compared to how the CDC would do it.