Ampurp85

@Ogilthorpe I would very much agree with you, only I think the Friday before the 1st Tuesday in November to give people hope and changes some minds. I stated this in the CDC post...... but they don't cure a lot of things because money is to be made in stabilization of a virus or disease. The vaccine may imitate the antibodies people may or may not get, 3 months or even 4, so that we would have to get the shot at least 2x a year. Also I stay away from stuff like FB, Twitter, etc but for the most part am okay with this board. Most people are respectful but some people like to be opinionated by what they read, ignore and continue to enjoy the site.

I honestly think they will start in Sept...with or without a vaccine. However we all need to prepare for period of "new normal." Even if RCCI decides to run all ships at 50% or more capacity, it will still be changes.
I also asked how many people would get the vaccine because there are a lot of anti-vaxxers. Add those into the fold of people who "don't believe in" COVID and a good chunk of the population won't get the shot. Would the cruise industry force people to have the vaccinations? I am very much sure the Chad's and Karen's are not here for that.

I want Hawaii but I can get in on that Panama Canal too........
I would also take a TA that combines two awesome itineraries like Alaska and Denmark, Iceland and Spain, or Dubai and Australia.

I want Hawaii but I can get in on that Panama Canal too........
I would also take a TA that combines two awesome itineraries like Alaska and Denmark, Iceland and Spain, or Dubai and Australia.

Im not a conspiracy theorist.....at all. Im aware the newest vaccine may not be the one we end up with as the best vaccine....but ill get whatever comes out.  Like I said, my wife is an RN,  and will have to get it, so by default....i will too.....because i do what she says. Look....if something comes out that lets everything get back to normal, sign me up. I havent seen my dad since January, am tired of working from home, I love my kids but I am a better father to them sane, and would love for them to be at summer day camp and daycare while I work.....AND I WANT TO GO ON MY CRUISE. I dont give two rats tails about politics and all that....im neither rich enough, or poor enough to ever feel the effects of that hot garbage. LETS F-ING GO!  

Must admit there are a few eu countries i wouldn't like to be stuck in but there are some it would be great ? 
What could be better than sitting outside a small cafe in Paris overlooking the seine wasting the day away?
Or A Cafe at the piazza del duomo in Milan people watching or sitting on the banks of lake como with a bottle of wine?
As for countries with huts, they only have huts because they dont have good enough roads for the trailers like other countries... ?
 

I think the major problem is most people lack patience, since everything has become so instant; people expect everything to be so fast. They live in the moment, which is why there is something now called cancel-culture( its stupid and I just learned from a 17 year old who thinks I am old). People have canceled the CDC because they think they are flexing their power with the cruise lines. COVID became known in Dec, then by late Feb the poop hit the fan. We can compare all we want but I said it and @twangster has said; we don't know enough. Add our ignorance with impatience and you have now. Every day a new article implies "this positive trait or this negative trait"....to only do a 360 a few hours or days later. HIV is a virus that affects immune systems, COVID is respiratory; you can avoid one completely. I also believe that there is so much money to be made in just alleviating something like HIV and Cancer' which is why there is no "cure." There is no "real" money to be made in prolonging an airborne and very contagious virus. I think a vaccine might be ready for testing by year's end but whether or not it will work for the 30 possible strains will be a mystery.
I also wholeheartedly believe that cruising will be back in late September or early October. I don't think it will be all the ships or ports but something to get the sea legs back. I don't think the CDC will extend the ban. I think RCCI, hopefully the other lines as well, will use these couple of months to cement everything. I honestly believe RCCI has protocol ready, I think they have been at the drawing boards. However, logistics can be a nightmare and RCCI has dropped the ball once with the whole Allure fiasco. I think the CLIA read the room and is making them come up with sound ways on who, what, where, when and why. It won't be business as usual, they need a clear directive on what ships will start from where. When and how they might get the most bang for their buck. And who will sail and what criteria they might use to satisfy the parameters and the public.

US ban is still in place.
I could see people with US passports being turned away...or forced into own-expense 14 day quarantine. I understand that most places want those tourism dollars but think the EU will only allow visitors from places with low infection rates. I read the Forbes article as well. However, I also saw on Spain's tourism board something similar. The UK may not be mentioning the US in name as a banned place but I think other countries are.

My car. The side mirror is the little silver dot in the middle of all of the white.

I wanted to report on my success with moving a casino comp cruise that was cancelled in this latest round of cancellations. 
We had a Symphony Eastern Caribbean booked for 1 August using a casino comp offer.  Of course, this cruise was a victim of the latest round of cancellations. I held out little hope of being able to move this cruise to a later date (I had heard of scarcely a few successful attempts at getting a casino comp moved) but much to my surprise, I was successful in moving this cruise to Feb 13, 2021 with full price protection on the original casino booking. I had upgraded this inside room comp to a JS for $258 PP so I was delighted that the original upgrade price was honored.
This is not a Lift & Shift, in that I could not book further out than 2-28-21 but I also was not required to maintain the same itinerary....in other words, I wasn’t required to book another Eastern Caribbean.  I booked a companion cruise to my already-booked 6 Feb cruise, turning my 6 Feb into a B2B.  Apparently they are allowing cancelled casino comp cruises to be moved to a qualifying cruise between 1 Oct 2020 and 28 Feb 2021.  I know the next question will be, what constitutes a qualifying cruise ?  I cannot answer that question as I was moving a 7 night Symphony cruise to another 7 night Symphony Cruise, but I CAN tell you that they didn’t care that I was changing from an Eastern Caribbean to a Western Caribbean, so it’s not a tradition L & S.
Maybe I just got very lucky and got a good casino CS Rep but it was very easy and handled efficiently and quickly.  I was able to get my airfare moved over from the August to the Feb itin with no problem. There was a $4.20 difference in the cruise fare due to differences in taxes/port fees and a $60 difference in airfare. All of my Cruise Planner purchases were automatically cancelled, and will be refunded.  I will have to rebook for the replacement cruise.
All-in-all, a huge surprise at how easy it was.  I am lead to believe it is a new “policy” for cancelled casino comps.  A bit of good news in an otherwise sea of bad news.

I actually like the relaxing cruise days so I would love an itinerary that is half and half. I feel like 8 days is a sweet spot: if we could do 3 long port days, like 8am to 10pm or something, then 4 cruising days, I would be in heaven.
Also I should clarify when I said going to the UK is different. I meant the UK would have direct flights back to the US. In EU I might have to fly to other EU country first, then to UK,  then get home. That is a lot of money and time.

I will tell you my reason I agree to that specific date of vaccine distribution.......COVID is no longer just a airborne virus, it is a political ploy. Just like the idea of cruising so "soon." People have turned it into something to prove their agenda.
Nonetheless, I welcome a vaccine, even if it only works for a third of the population, it would be a deterrent to infections. I just don't think it will be properly ready though before 2021. Also how many people would actually get the vaccine?

At times such as these I recall history and look for guidance, and focus on Proverbs 26:4 and 26:5. Although, I prefer Mark Twain's interpretation.  ?????

I actually like the relaxing cruise days so I would love an itinerary that is half and half. I feel like 8 days is a sweet spot: if we could do 3 long port days, like 8am to 10pm or something, then 4 cruising days, I would be in heaven.
Also I should clarify when I said going to the UK is different. I meant the UK would have direct flights back to the US. In EU I might have to fly to other EU country first, then to UK,  then get home. That is a lot of money and time.

That's ok. Just look for your cruise itinerary update from Royal............................
Day 1 Barcelona
Day 2 Cruising
Day 3 Cruising 
Day 4 CocoCay
Day 5 Labadee
Day 6 Cruising
Day 7 Cruising 
Day 8 Barcelona
I'm not gonna lie.... I would take this itinerary in a heartbeat even if it meant flying from Ohio to Spain and back. ?

Unsurprising considering how the US has handled this to be honest. America cares more about the economy than human lives. 

Absolutely disgusting is right! I would welcome the total elimination of the Windjamner and replace it with something more sanitary. There’s nothing more gross then watching people grab food with bare hands and then deciding they no longer want it and put it back for some poor unfortunate soul to eat. Pre or Post COVID19 still not a fan. 

Right now, the most exercise I have planned are upper body workouts.  Lifting forks, heavy glasses, throwing dice, pulling slot machines,  etc... Maybe I'll implement a no 2 drinks in a row from the same bar rule, so I'll have to walk more.

@Ray Yeah I wasn't for sure because I saw little of travel bans from the UK, just the quarantine. I saw Spain was hoping that visitors from China, the Middle east and a few other countries would come because they spend nice amounts. I also don't think the US is there in terms of wanting to travel. Going to the UK is different than possibly being stuck in an EU country if things get bad.

I believe in the case of a cruise cancelled by RCCI the 125% OBC would be applied to the new reservation. Since items purchased with OBC get refunded asap, it would not be a problem to switch it over to a new booking. Best bet in order to be 100% sure is to contact TA or RCCI.

US ban is still in place.
I could see people with US passports being turned away...or forced into own-expense 14 day quarantine. I understand that most places want those tourism dollars but think the EU will only allow visitors from places with low infection rates. I read the Forbes article as well. However, I also saw on Spain's tourism board something similar. The UK may not be mentioning the US in name as a banned place but I think other countries are.

US ban is still in place.
I could see people with US passports being turned away...or forced into own-expense 14 day quarantine. I understand that most places want those tourism dollars but think the EU will only allow visitors from places with low infection rates. I read the Forbes article as well. However, I also saw on Spain's tourism board something similar. The UK may not be mentioning the US in name as a banned place but I think other countries are.

You mean this thread NOT written by Ogilthorpe?  and which doesn't appear to have anything political in it?
 

I need this vacation 

@Ogilthorpe I would very much agree with you, only I think the Friday before the 1st Tuesday in November to give people hope and changes some minds. I stated this in the CDC post...... but they don't cure a lot of things because money is to be made in stabilization of a virus or disease. The vaccine may imitate the antibodies people may or may not get, 3 months or even 4, so that we would have to get the shot at least 2x a year. Also I stay away from stuff like FB, Twitter, etc but for the most part am okay with this board. Most people are respectful but some people like to be opinionated by what they read, ignore and continue to enjoy the site.