Curt From Canada

I agree. Actually, that is the main reason that I called the Del Rio quotes a little bit of "theatre". They: Are good sound bites ... "I'd like to hear an argument why we couldn't sail" would make a great T-Shirt. Make me want to break into song ... which happens on literally every cruise I have been on (ask me, sometime, about an electric rendition of "Mack the Knife" at the Chef's Table). Feed the soul ... not quite "When the beating of your heart, echoes the beating of the drum", but good enough to take to the barricades. Better days are coming ... Curt fr

I was looking for Del Rio quotes specifically. Not because I think it will make a difference, but because of the "theatre" (not something I can go to these days). Here are a few of my favourites from the article: “This impasse has got to stop,” Del Rio said. “The cruise industry must participate in the great national reopening. Every other hospitality travel and tourism sector has been allowed to operate and we have not.” “We were disappointed,” Del Rio said. “We thought it was a step backward, quite frankly.” Del Rio called the combination of safety p

Article in the Washington Post April 5, 2021 (I do not think it is April 1st anymore). Del Rio issues the Cruise Ship equivalent of a "Shot Across the Bow". Can't get the article link on here due to a paywall ... not sure how I was able to read it. Calling all techies! Curt from Canada

@Matt Doing his best "Devil on my Shoulder" impersonation. Curt from Canada

My favourite tracking graph is below. A few observations/questions (all cruising related): 1) Why is Australia not cruising? Their control is world class (even without wide spread vaccine rollout ... using Israel as the gold standard). 2) Given the phenomenal results out of Israel, it is not a random selection to home port Odyssey there. Israel is still the "canary in the cave" and their results mean Cruising may return sooner than even the most pessimistic among us. 3) UK & US vaccination rates are very encouraging. Vaccination rates approaching Israel will result in a

Sometimes I think I am on Candid Camera (young people ... look this up). Two images from the identical cruise. Same price ... but missing "Pre-Paid Gratuities" option. Now I am certain it is IT gremlins or someone pressing the wrong button: Always Included "Discount" shows on both. However, "Always Included" is not indicated on first. Not a big deal ... I am sure my TA would fix. Below is the "new" options screen. Darn, I can not longer pay "pre-paid Gratuities" that I "paid' in my AI rate: As before I get NRD and Pre-Paid Gratuities. But pre-paying for s

Thanks to you and @twangster for trying to solve my "Cruising Mystery". To be more direct with my questions: 1). Celebrity ALWAYS INCLUDED [AI] has Drinks, WIFI and Gratuities included. There is no option to book a Celebrity Cruise (unless the cruise is very, very close in) without Gratuities being included in the booking rate. Why, then, does the website have the option to "pre-pay Gratuities"? Why would anyone do that? 2). I understand that all AI bookings are NRD. It is nice that you have the option at the end to make them refundable. My process is to "ALWAYS" book Refund

That makes a lot of sense. One twist is the for an AI rate they asked to Pre-Pay Gratuities (or "Maybe Later": It also skips the Two Upgrade Option Page. Website gremlins??? Curt from Canada

I just looked up my May 2022 Silhouette Cruise (where we got a great "pre-AI" price). There were no options for AI "upgrades", AND a choice for pre-paying gratuities was required. I choose to not pre-pay gratuities and this was the summary I got: I will not go on a rant about how AI puts Celebrity out of reach for me (virtual non-drinker, "always" wanting to disconnect and someone who enjoys paying gratuities with on board credit ... OK that was a small rant). My question is ... "What is a credit of $368 for ALWAYS INC NRD?" This is definitely new. Curt from Canada

I am afraid like @Lovetocruise2002 and other Canadians, this is the only cruise ship I will be on this coming summer: Stay Safe, Stay Apart, Stay Connected, Curt from Canada

My guess is December 1, 2020. I am not 100% certain, but I think a Quantum Class ship sailing from a part of the world that is impossible for me to get to. Sorry, I know everyone is upset (me too), but it is Friday afternoon and I am feeling "punchy". 90 minutes to Martini Time! Curt from Canada

No doubt the vaccines need to take hold, and that does not happen the second you get your first jab ... there will be a lag. The UK was ahead of the US by about a month, so I look to them to be the leader (of the only two countries that affect my cruising) ... it is really all about me. Still, all I need is between 2,792 to 8,878 passengers and crew (vessel dependant) to be fully vaccinated to join my soulmate and I on a cruise ... I am still packing (and I am not packing light). Stay Safe, Stay Apart, Stay Connected, Curt from Canada

This is the biggest reason I am encouraged, happy, exhilarated, and putting on my dancing shoes as I write this: As the two most important cruising countries in the world (to me) continue to crush the virus, I get closer to the 5 cruises we have booked (all five sailing from US or UK). Keep rolling up your sleeves so you can pack and dream (not necessarily in that order). Curt from Canada

Darn ... now I am constantly checking. I have a bad case of "Lovetocruise2002itis". There is no known cure. Curt from Canada

We did this about 3 years ago: 1). Fly to Vancouver and take Radiance to Seward. 2). On the way we visited the Hubbard Glacier (it is far north, so there are not many "return trip" sailings ... you need to take a one way to Seward, or the southbound to see Hubbard). It is spectacular. 3). We did a land tour (self directed) up to Anchorage, Talkeetna and Denali. I am certain there are other tours, but we liked the flexibility of doing it ourselves. We took the train mostly, but saw Denali from Talkeetna and on a 13 hour tour through Denali National Park. 4). Took the tr