S.Marie

The UDP went from $118 to $132 and the water park went from $79 to $94 on the July 20th Indy cruise and I told my husband that I think it is a sign that it may still be a go. I know I’m delusional but those little price increases made me excited. ??‍♀️

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I present a piece of credible evidence that my 1 August Symphony cruise MAY be sailing :
Today, the cost of the day pass at Coco Cay nearly doubled !!  Yesterday, it was $79 and today it is $149.
Of course, there are other reasons for this price jump - it could be selling out...but I choose to see it as being evidence that we are going !!
This cruise goes to both Labadee and Coco Cay, which would make it, seemingly, a top candidate for a "go" if ANY of the ships are going.
Fingers crossed....

And let me also add to that, I can't stand finding out the hard way just how bad my breath really gets.
At least it means I'm brushing my teeth even more than before! ?

... and I cannot stand when my eyeglasses fog up when I exhale!
 

I gave a bit of a glib, silly answer yesterday after I made my vote. In all seriousness, yes, I would go if RCCL is allowed to sail. Sailing means that they've submitted a plan to the CDC -- or at the very least, have a very strong one internally. None of the cruise lines are going to sail before they're certain they're doing all they can. They are under such a microscope now, I can't even imagine. They've become one of this pandemic's whipping boys. Nobody wants to get back to doing what they do -- and doing it right -- more than the cruise lines. Of this, I have no doubt. And I'd like to think that cruisers who decide to cruise (who, let's face it, are not as likely to be brand-new to cruising) will do what they need to do in order to get to enjoy their vacation. On 2 of my 3 upcoming cruises, I have a balcony. I'm hoping to upgrade the third (on which I at least have an ocean view) to that option, too, so if we're required to isolate at certain times, then it won't be so bad.
I need this vacation. Yes, I know there are alternatives to cruising, but honestly, nothing for me packs a value quite like cruising. I don't drive...I travel solo. And bam -- I get outstanding culinary choices, changes in scenery every day, and a chance to meet new folks and unwind. All while letting someone else do the driving...er...sailing. But truthfully, I need this. I know there may be a potential risk to my physical health, but real talk here...my mental health is already taking a beating. My life's been turned upside down and inside out in the last 8 months by medical things, and I've seen much-needed breaks and breathers evaporate, first because of pain and infection, and now because of this virus threat.
I am fully prepared to accept any requirement to self-isolate for 14 days after a cruise as mandated by my state. I live a thousand miles away from my family -- I've always kinda done my own thing and been in my own place in the world. So it's reassuring to know I wouldn't run the risk of infecting them if I were to get sick. I have friends I've talked to about this eventuality, and they are more than willing to pick up groceries or other things for me if it comes to this, and I'd be able to continue to work from home without any real interruption to my schedule. I can also safely isolate from my roommate without much trouble, made even easier when my roommate's schedule goes back to normal, too, and they're able to go to their office.
I just want to feel normal again -- even in a new normal. I wanna be able to put the world on hold for 7-8 days and just explore and recharge. I promised myself 2020 would be the year I'd be better to myself and start seeing the world. And if there's any way possible at all, I wanna keep that promise, even if I have to do it with a mask at times.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 

This is exactly where my thinking is at.  I'm fine with going, we need to be cautious but cannot live our lives in fear.  And it just make spending more time in my cabin the cool thing to do.  We normally hang out in there a lot anyway.  We cruise for relaxation, we don't need to do much.  I need the borders to open though.

The following is a bit of an over simplification for the accountants out there but here is the "explain like I'm 5" explanation ?
RCCL amended the agreements it has made with banks on 3 loans
A $1.55 billion revolving credit facility 
A $1.925 billion unsecured revolving credit facility
A $1.0 billion unsecured 3 year loan
A revolving credit facility you can think of as similar to a home equity line of credit.  The second loan is the same but  "Unsecured" means the loan has no collateral.  It is typical for businesses to have lines of credit like this for additional liquidity in times of a cash crunch or to finance larger projects or initiatives.
"Quarterly tested fixed charged coverage" means that every quarter the banks evaluate RCCL's ability to pay its debts in order to determine if it wants to continue to provide the line of credit to the company based upon an agreed set of metrics.  What they have done is agreed to change what these metrics are, most likely in a way that makes it easier for RCCL to meet the requirements in the short term while still protecting the banks during this time when accounts payable vs accounts receivable is way out of wack.  It's possible RCCL made some kind of concession for this, such as agreeing to a higher interest rate, but the article does not say if it did.  The article goes on to say this is temporary and in effect through Q1 of 2021.  It will revert back to the old metrics after that time.
They've also amended the loans used to finance Ovation and Harmony to take advantage of a debt holiday being offered by a German credit agency.
Finally RCCL is delaying it's quarterly report as allowed by the SEC as part of the easing of rules due to COVID-19.
Hope this helps.  There's no big news here, it's just RCCL doing whatever it can with outstanding loan agreements to help get the company through this time of no revenue.  Just like student loans and auto loan lenders are offering people forbearance and other concessions, banks are doing similar actions with large companies as well.

The NCL article shocks the system, how very very sad. BUT, your loyal patrons are here standing by waiting to sail again. Speaking for my family we found ourselves comparing our land vacations to sailing every time and each and every time sailing came out on top. 
We know you are looking outside the box for ways to get us sailing again for everyones safety BUT glance back and look within also. Our TA family is working so hard and partnering with your patrons for an amazing sailing future. Concentrate on accuracy + speed. Raise the bar and pay attention to the details of our refunds and FCC 's. Please take a look and be as transparent as possible, maybe add one more step to make sure your loyal customers are made whole, the first time. There is a lot of confusion on this end. Re: monies out vs monies refunded.
We want you to succeed, we enjoy so much and choose to spend our very hard earned monies with YOU. Please remember we will be at embarkation on the other side of this awful situation. Every aspect of our interactions matter, everyone needs to be important no matter what the exchange. Please don't relax to soon pertaining to your customers at this time, we do our best to advocate for you and cruising at every nasty insult, looking forward to sailing again soon, 12 June 2020 would be great! Don't let this NCL news bring us down! 
Thanks for reading RCCL rep, we know you are here somewhere!
 

124 days since our Kid free anniversary/holiday cruise on the Mariner 
82 days until our 5 day family cruise on the Independence to Labadee and CoCoCay. Hoping that things will be sorted out by then! 
 

124 days since our Kid free anniversary/holiday cruise on the Mariner 
82 days until our 5 day family cruise on the Independence to Labadee and CoCoCay. Hoping that things will be sorted out by then! 
 

124 days since our Kid free anniversary/holiday cruise on the Mariner 
82 days until our 5 day family cruise on the Independence to Labadee and CoCoCay. Hoping that things will be sorted out by then! 
 

124 days since our Kid free anniversary/holiday cruise on the Mariner 
82 days until our 5 day family cruise on the Independence to Labadee and CoCoCay. Hoping that things will be sorted out by then! 
 

124 days since our Kid free anniversary/holiday cruise on the Mariner 
82 days until our 5 day family cruise on the Independence to Labadee and CoCoCay. Hoping that things will be sorted out by then! 
 

124 days since our Kid free anniversary/holiday cruise on the Mariner 
82 days until our 5 day family cruise on the Independence to Labadee and CoCoCay. Hoping that things will be sorted out by then! 
 

I had to use HOWLONGAGO.com to figure out that it has been 5,463 days since my last cruise.  A few kids, 4 degrees and a couple of jobs fell in between. ?
It was supposed to be 109 days until my next cruise, but it looks like 473 may be more realistic.  After 5,400 days, what's another 300 or so?

I know others are fans of Nellie's Beach but with your age kids, I'd highly suggest the beach bungalows on Columbus Beach.  The bungalow area is blocked off from the public so it is very easy to keep an eye on the kids, the sand is great for playing in and the water is calm.  Plus, the bungalows are cheaper.
 

This was our set up.  We had 7 people and some wanted more sun so the attendant dragged 2 chairs next to the other 2.  Later we took the 2 beach chairs to the water's edge.

View from the bungalow to the water.  

We were on Harmony.  The really crowded section is the public area on Columbus Beach.  Where the line of chairs stop is the bungalow section.  As you can see less, less crowded and some with bungalows  just pulled chairs down to the water.  

I'm very concerned about this at my workplace.

One of my biggest concerns is the potential for a societal prejudice against cruises as a result of the media campaign to demonize cruise lines that results in employers and organizations subjecting employees and members to a 2 week imposed quarantine after taking a cruise. I may be way ahead of myself here, but uninformed employers could prevent even the most dedicated cruise afficianados from enjoying their vacation of choice. This could truly be negative for the cruise industry.

We are in the single digits!! T-minus 9 days until we leave for Miami!! Luckily, we are so busy the next few days that I’m hoping time will fly by: Kindergarten Orientation, basketball and dance lessons, early birthday parties and celebrations for my son, and of course last minute shopping and packing!
Speaking of packing, I started about a week ago, pulled out all the kids’ summer clothes, made them try stuff on to see how many new outfits I need to buy, set aside my kids’ formal night wear, started folding and organizing my clothes, and organized all the little “extras” we need for the cabin:
 


 
And here is my husband’s packing progress:

It just remind me of this funny meme ? How true it is!!! 

Welcome! 

Good Point! I almost felt compelled to start a new thread  .... then I realized the title  alone might be NSFW!  ????
 

81 days until Explorer.    
Green with envy  - all you lurkers with multiple cruise countdowns....  The increase in airfare took a chunk out of our vaca budget. ?