PhillyLady

Just another event in the ongoing cold war between NY and Florida. People have been fleeing NY in droves to escape oppressive taxes. Many go to Florida yet maintain property in NY for the summer months. Seems like retaliation  to me.

In a joint telecast, the Governor's from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have announced that there is a 14-day MANDATORY Quarantine for anyone flying in from States with high Coronavirus case rates, which include but not limited to Florida, Texas, California, Arizona. No end date was proposed nor stated.
So, in sum, if you have a cruise out of AND/OR travel to/from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, re-think it.

Good news for us ?. We keep our fingers crossed that our Trans Atlantic Anthem sailing from Southampton to New York on November 1st takes place and Bermuda is open for cruise ships on November 10-11.

We were supposed to be in Bermuda on Thursday. Sob, sob.

We love Bermuda, hopefully back in april.

And so I have advised multiple people on multiple websites, that there is no need to rush to rebook ANY travel until we see exactly how the industry is recovering!
It is always easier to get a last-minute bargain instead of waiting months and months for a refund...

And so I have advised multiple people on multiple websites, that there is no need to rush to rebook ANY travel until we see exactly how the industry is recovering!
It is always easier to get a last-minute bargain instead of waiting months and months for a refund...

And so I have advised multiple people on multiple websites, that there is no need to rush to rebook ANY travel until we see exactly how the industry is recovering!
It is always easier to get a last-minute bargain instead of waiting months and months for a refund...

And so I have advised multiple people on multiple websites, that there is no need to rush to rebook ANY travel until we see exactly how the industry is recovering!
It is always easier to get a last-minute bargain instead of waiting months and months for a refund...

Given all the cruise cancelations, I think prudence dictates that I don't pay anything more than the absolute minimal deposit on a cruise right up to the last possible day. During "normal" times, there is no motivation from the cruise lines to pay in full in advance other than the personal satisfaction of having the cruise paid for. Actually, you might be denying yourself the benefit of a price reduction. Now, if you pay in full in advance, you don't know if you're going to get a refund, a future cruise credit or maybe, nothing at all. I know all about the current "Cruise with Confidence" program, but that could change tomorrow.

My deepest sympathy.  The cruise line should provide mental health supports to all staff who are far from home, lonely, worried, without work or activities and potentially without pay or benefits.  These crew members are very young and I am so sorry they are in such despair that they take their own lives.  On my next cruise I will be thinking about the crew much more than ever, and observing how they are treated. It is our responsibility to speak up if we think that crew members are not treated appropriately.

Back to the main topic, to start up again in the Caribbean, perhaps cruise lines could begin by just offering shorter cruises and featuring mainly their private islands.  That way all of the discussions about government permission would not be as crucial. There would also be no exposure to people other than those already pre-screened by the ship. My RC cruise that was cancelled this April featured a day at CocoCay, and I was really looking forward to visiting and seeing all the updates from my last visit.  I also have heard that there are recommendations that cruise lines improve their medical facilities and create more comprehensive plans on how to deal with medical emergencies, which I believe are valid actions to take.  I am quite interested in cruising again, but I would not really look forward to wearing a mask around all day.  Let's hope a potential vaccine is developed soon!

RC would have to pay me to participate in an escape room!  I guess I am just a bit older--I go on a cruise to sit in the sun and listen to the waves.

RC would have to pay me to participate in an escape room!  I guess I am just a bit older--I go on a cruise to sit in the sun and listen to the waves.

Did you receive a FCC for the $1300.00?
I think RC is saying you can only have 125% on the $2.00, because that was really all the "cash" you paid, but you still have the original 1300.00 FCC to use.
I agree with WAAAYTOOO that you should not expect 125% on the original fare as that was a different scenario.
Therefore, you really have no loss except for the $177.00 credit which was never used.
So, plan another cruise with your 1300.00, and negotiate, and maybe you can get an upgraded cabin or some other additional freebie since you lost out on the $177.00.
You had some bad luck with your two planned cruises, but the third time is the charm.
We cruisers love the experience and many of us are happy addicts, and we want you to have a joyful experience as well!

Well, I was supposed to cruise RC Easter week back in April and my air prices were sky high like that, almost $1000.00 a person, for a simple Philly to Florida RT flight.
I ended up booking in and out of different cities on different airlines, but it was still quite costly.  Thank goodness the cruise was cancelled and I received a full refund on the air (Still waiting for my RC refund).
I have done Amtrak down to Florida and the only good part was the dining room--which may no longer exist.  Lots of screaming children for hours on end, and the bathrooms get messy.
Before booking your air, ask the cruise line what it can offer you.
Maybe you should book something fully refundable and then wait to see if traffic increases and prices go down.

How romantic to plan your 4th wedding anniversary!
I have been "dating" my DH for 40 years with 35 years of wedded bliss.
If you are truly that young, then life is a great adventure, and you can travel anywhere and everywhere and just enjoy the ride.
When I was young I went on some ancient cruise ships/liners, made completely of metal inside and out, with hardly any of the activities that one finds today.  But it was the cruise experience itself that was so memorable, not all the ship bells and whistles.
I am not sure that all of the schedules for next year have been firmed up, so you can have a little bit of patience and flexibility before booking.  If you can tweak your driving to potentially include Jacksonville, Port Canaveral and Tampa, you will have a wealth of additional options to choose from.
Happy planning!

My mother smoked when I was a child and my brothers and I have never touched a cigarette. The smell makes me cough and sneeze, and my eyes water.  The stale odor stays in my hair and my clothes much too long.  I always try to avoid any venue with smoke and/or smokers.  I am all for non-smoking cruises!

On a frequent basis I have worked while cruising.  Ships that use O3b satellite technology work much better for the applications you suggest.  These ships include Freedom, Oasis and Quantum class plus Enchantment and Majesty.  Other ships use legacy satellite technology that has more latency (delay) and these types of applications may work but not always as well.  
Ships position in a factor.  In places like Alaska, parts of Northern Europe, around the bottom of New Zealand, etc. Voom can experience throughput issues so these applications more frequently struggle there.  
Weather is a factor for satellite internet so when the ship is under rainy skies there can be times of slowdown.  What goes up must come down so when the ship is under sunny skies but the satellite earth station where signals comes down to earth is under rainy skies the internet can be slow. 
For non-O3b ships the ships change satellites at times in places like the Western or Southern Caribbean.  Different satellites are used in Europe versus the Caribbean yielding different user experiences.
For O3b ships the satellites are in orbit around the earth.  The ship will need to switch from one satellite to another when necessary and during the period of switch over Voom performance can be suspect.   
Given the ship heading and position on the earth, sometimes the antenna on the ship must "look" through the exhaust coming out the stack to see the satellite which can cause internet issues until the ship turns.  The result is poor performance for a brief time like an hour or two.
Sometimes your cabin may be in between access points located in the hall.  With so much metal in your cabin (that's why people bring magnets) the WiFi signal deep in your cabin may be weak yielding slow spots.  At times when the pub or promenade is packed for an event there can be so many people connected to one access point WiFi performance is impacted.  
Given all of the above there is frequent opportunity for Voom to not operate perfectly and the user experience can be less than ideal.  With home internet becoming faster and faster while ship internet being relatively unchanged for several years people have grown accustomed to their fantastic home internet experience and the bar is set very high.  People often complain about Voom because it isn't the same as at home.  
As I have worked from ships I always remain aware that the internet could be flaky at any time and unlike land internet Voom performance can be inconsistent.  Most of the time it works fine understanding all the things that set it apart from internet at home and all the things that can slow it down. 
If you have fiber based gigabit internet at home you may find Voom to be lacking but with patience and understanding it will get the job done most of the time. 

My mother smoked when I was a child and my brothers and I have never touched a cigarette. The smell makes me cough and sneeze, and my eyes water.  The stale odor stays in my hair and my clothes much too long.  I always try to avoid any venue with smoke and/or smokers.  I am all for non-smoking cruises!

I need a cruise!

Let's get back to cruising!

I understand the frustration that is being caused by all of this but I'm not sure how much action you'll get seeking governments to look into it.  
Tens of millions unemployed, 100k dead so far.  Companies are disappearing and others filing for bankruptcy.  "I didn't get my refund in a timely manner and I don't like how they handled the situation" during the worst event in modern time on a global scale that impacts the entire world's population may not yield a quick response from your government. 

I am very impressed and pleased with all of those safeguards that AQSC is proposing.  I know that many of the guests are elderly, and therefore, potentially higher-risk.  I have been considering taking my mother on this cruise line for a relaxing experience, so I am very happy that they are being so proactive.