Cruising choices with an active Pandemic

[Port Power]

So the new Crystal cruises is in trouble already. Their Senior VP in charge of sales and guest relations is accused and has admitted to stealing documents from Silversea where he worked for 8 years.

Court blocks Crystal/A&K from employing Lira, using Silversea info

Silversea Cruises temporary injunction Matias Lira, who went to work for Crystal, breached non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality provisions

www.seatrade-cruise.com

Several other interesting articles if you scroll down.

I had already read that article, but didn’t realise there were more further down. Thanks for pointing this out. An interesting read about the Giant Phantom Jellyfish.

 

[VPS]

I always find these articles annoying. I'm not convinced they can do it on $150 a day although it is $300 per couple

Retiring On A Cruise Ship For $150 A Day? - Cruise Passenger

Retiring on a cruise ship can seem like a far-off dream. With Gayle and Vic cruising near full-time they share their secrets on how to do it.

cruisepassenger.com.au

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I always find these articles annoying. I'm not convinced they can do it on $150 a day although it is $300 per couple

Retiring On A Cruise Ship For $150 A Day? - Cruise Passenger

Retiring on a cruise ship can seem like a far-off dream. With Gayle and Vic cruising near full-time they share their secrets on how to do it.

cruisepassenger.com.au

Skeptikal indeed.

I got caught up in a Youtube loop a couple months ago while researching my upcoming cruise… eventually finding and watching several videos of people who live on cruise ships. It’s not as easy as it seems!

One thing the couple say is that they rely on their credit card insurance… I’d be surprised if that actually covers emergency evacuation at sea by helicopter!

The one guy who did seem to pull it off tells a very different story to the article above… to get anywhere close to the $150 a day he spends 95% of his time in the caribbean where cruise ships abound and competition is fierce. He books inside cabins and has to change ships or cruise lines every 7 days in order to get the best deals and keep costs down.

He was young enough to make it work but said there were difficulties in getting medical care (never in a place long enough for anything if you had something serious), no where to pick up mail, get parcels delivered or pick up medication, missing out on celebrations such as birthdays or dinners with friends.

Plus, as you get older… cruise ships don’t want you living on board! They don’t have the staff or infrastructure to take care of additional needs. Cruise ships are designed for short, sharp periods, not long term care.

 

[zig]

I always find these articles annoying. I'm not convinced they can do it on $150 a day although it is $300 per couple

Retiring On A Cruise Ship For $150 A Day? - Cruise Passenger

Retiring on a cruise ship can seem like a far-off dream. With Gayle and Vic cruising near full-time they share their secrets on how to do it.

cruisepassenger.com.au

I met an American retiree on a Seabourn cruise many years ago. She cruised most of the year and went ashore between thanksgiving and new year to catch up with medical appointments, see family etc. The ship stored all her belongings when she went ashore. Of course this would have cost more than $150 per day, but she seemed happy with the costs.

 

[Flashback]

Insurance (annual policy and such) tends to be limited to 30 days, sometimes 60. It wouldn't cover something like that. So ...... you'd need a longer policy, at minimum.

 

[VPS]

Skeptikal indeed.

I got caught up in a Youtube loop a couple months ago while researching my upcoming cruise… eventually finding and watching several videos of people who live on cruise ships. It’s not as easy as it seems!

One thing the couple say is that they rely on their credit card insurance… I’d be surprised if that actually covers emergency evacuation at sea by helicopter!

The one guy who did seem to pull it off tells a very different story to the article above… to get anywhere close to the $150 a day he spends 95% of his time in the caribbean where cruise ships abound and competition is fierce. He books inside cabins and has to change ships or cruise lines every 7 days in order to get the best deals and keep costs down.

He was young enough to make it work but said there were difficulties in getting medical care (never in a place long enough for anything if you had something serious), no where to pick up mail, get parcels delivered or pick up medication, missing out on celebrations such as birthdays or dinners with friends.

Plus, as you get older… cruise ships don’t want you living on board! They don’t have the staff or infrastructure to take care of additional needs. Cruise ships are designed for short, sharp periods, not long term care.

And who wants an inside cabin. Certainly not me

 

[Port Power]

Several years ago I came across an elderly lady who lived permanently on Queen Victoria. Although old, she must have been in basically good health to live on the ship. She was well looked after by staff and even had a bit of a “hand waving” dance at sail away. She probably did as much as my 93 year old mother does in her aged care residence. Cunard put her up in a hotel during dry dock. Who knows how much it cost, but it obviously suited her.

However, spending six months every year cruising isn’t “retiring on a cruise ship”. They still have a house, rates, upkeep, etc, when they are not at home.

 

[tgh]

All not as silly as it sounds..if money is not an issue.
Very secure and stable accom with good staff who form a relationship and take care, new places , new folks to eat with….compared to ?????

 

[odysseus]

I always find these articles annoying. I'm not convinced they can do it on $150 a day although it is $300 per couple

Retiring On A Cruise Ship For $150 A Day? - Cruise Passenger

Retiring on a cruise ship can seem like a far-off dream. With Gayle and Vic cruising near full-time they share their secrets on how to do it.

cruisepassenger.com.au

Yeah, it and others like it are a bit misleading as a financial comparison.

While getting it for $300/day is potentially feasible, it doesn't mention the trade-offs, nor the requirements and limitations of doing it for post-retirement/elderly. It also disregards that they still have fixed expenses back home, so it's not as though it's literally cheaper or even the same, it's an extra cost. Leaving aside they compared a per person twin share price to that of a single person in Sydney - when it's pretty well known that the bulk of costs are for the first person, and the second only adds a smaller share.

Just clickbait to try to make their business more attractive, rather than a genuine, useful comparison.

 

[Pushka]

Yeah, it and others like it are a bit misleading as a financial comparison.

While getting it for $300/day is potentially feasible, it doesn't mention the trade-offs, nor the requirements and limitations of doing it for post-retirement/elderly. It also disregards that they still have fixed expenses back home, so it's not as though it's literally cheaper or even the same, it's an extra cost. Leaving aside they compared a per person twin share price to that of a single person in Sydney - when it's pretty well known that the bulk of costs are for the first person, and the second only adds a smaller share.

Just clickbait to try to make their business more attractive, rather than a genuine, useful comparison.

Would be rather nice though.

 

[RooFlyer]

Apple AirTags during a cruise

Why Apple AirTags Are This Year's Must-Have Cruise Gadget

Apple AirTags are this year's must-have gadget for any cruiser. Find out why Cruise Critic's editors will never cruise without these luggage tracing devices

www.cruisecritic.com.au

 

[Pushka]

Apple AirTags during a cruise

Why Apple AirTags Are This Year's Must-Have Cruise Gadget

Apple AirTags are this year's must-have gadget for any cruiser. Find out why Cruise Critic's editors will never cruise without these luggage tracing devices

www.cruisecritic.com.au

At Christmas time we are doing a river cruise on the Rhine. At Düsseldorf we plan to take the train to Cologne on our own. During that day the boat will move from Düsseldorf to an unknown berth in Cologne. We plan on using the tags to take us back to the boat!

 

[tgh]

Coral Adventurer is pedal to the Metal escaping ex au tc freddie just north of Reunion… fun fun….

 

[Pushka]

So I mentioned a fan boy who hosts a Viking FB page. I reckon he and his wife are in their 70's. She has mobility issues.

Fan boy is a stickler for rules unless they are applied to him. But he has had a bit of a wake up call this month.

He was in a panic last week when someone suggested it would be fairer if two cruises were cut short by a day instead of the one cruise being cut by two days. He was indignant. He was on the second cruise.

Musters. He's always defending musters which of course is what needs to happen. One FB member was banned because he was on the same cruise as fan boy and posted a photo to his Viking FB page of he and his wife absolutely out to it during their muster.

He's always defended Viking Air where Viking book the flights for you. Panic this week. Viking air had failed to rebook his flight that had been cancelled and its next week. All hell broke loose.

More personally, he and his wife are doing an ocean cruise and a river cruise pretty much adjoining. Ocean cruise is fine. Their River cruise is - Egypt - which even the most robust person says is extremely challenging. Exhausting. Lots of early morning rises, packing as you move from Cairo to Luxor on a small plane that is cramped. The luggage they take - why do older people take their households. But worse, the river ships are subject to tides and other boats. This means that sometimes there is just a plank structure to get off the ship. Sometimes No guide ropes just a hand to help. It can be very angled. So this week, completely oblivious despite multiple reviews of the challenging trip, hes asked if his wife would be able to use a walker to get off the boat. Or failing that, two walking sticks. Can you imagine the disaster of a poorly placed walking stick on the plank? Everyone is tip toeing around the elephant in the room. Your wife is not able to do this cruise. So all people are mentioning is her shoes etc.

So one brave Soul has made a separate post entitled something like the Perils of Egypt River cruises. And posted pictures of all the uneven, steep, rocky terrain, the stairs, the low hung ceiling where you have to walk 15 minutes bent over double, the gangplanks amd pretty much everyone has commented how people totally underestimate the challenges of this trip even for an able bodied person. She only posted pictures of all the dangers. Nothing else. (She did love the cruise but the post was clearly directed at fan boy)

Fan boy leaves next week for first cruise. He always does elaborate reports. If he cares for his wife he should cancel. Even if she stays on the boat, meaning she won't see a thing, the multiple Early starts, multiple packing up and moving, cramped plane will be more than enough. Time will tell.

 

[p--and--t]

Under $150 day is certainly feasible but that is only for the cruising bit and only on certain itineraries usually repositioning or with high status (discounted fares) or very lengthy cruises with no guarantee you would be able to hook them up B2B and doesn't include airfares to get from the end of one to the start of another.

I start a 14 day cruise this week in a balcony by myself for $113 a day all up including cc fees and no tips (aussie ship). If I was sharing then it would be $57pp.

I have simple tastes, only very occasionally have an alcoholic drink and they have self serve laundries on board. The only time I will be outlaying more is to have a decent coffee instead of the free slop they tend to serve.

The sting in the tail is I need to get to the start of the cruise port which adds $480 to the overall cost or $34pd given the current high international airfares (and I refused to travel on a budget airline which would have only been about $300)

Yeah, it and others like it are a bit misleading as a financial comparison.

While getting it for $300/day is potentially feasible, it doesn't mention the trade-offs, nor the requirements and limitations of doing it for post-retirement/elderly. It also disregards that they still have fixed expenses back home, so it's not as though it's literally cheaper or even the same, it's an extra cost. Leaving aside they compared a per person twin share price to that of a single person in Sydney - when it's pretty well known that the bulk of costs are for the first person, and the second only adds a smaller share.

Just clickbait to try to make their business more attractive, rather than a genuine, useful comparison.

e

 

[VPS]

Under $150 day is certainly feasible but that is only for the cruising bit and only on certain itineraries usually repositioning or with high status (discounted fares) or very lengthy cruises with no guarantee you would be able to hook them up B2B and doesn't include airfares to get from the end of one to the start of another.

I start a 14 day cruise this week in a balcony by myself for $113 a day all up including cc fees and no tips (aussie ship). If I was sharing then it would be $57pp.

I have simple tastes, only very occasionally have an alcoholic drink and they have self serve laundries on board. The only time I will be outlaying more is to have a decent coffee instead of the free slop they tend to serve.

The sting in the tail is I need to get to the start of the cruise port which adds $480 to the overall cost or $34pd given the current high international airfares (and I refused to travel on a budget airline which would have only been about $300)


e

Can you give details of the cruise and is it an inside cabin? Thanks

 

[Pushka]

Apparently QM2 is in Australia soon?

 

[Port Power]

Apparently QM2 is in Australia soon?

And I’ll be on it! (SYD-PER, just to experience this ship.)

 

[Pushka]

And I’ll be on it! (SYD-PER, just to experience this ship.)

Fabulous. It's strange to have two Cunards here and this is QM's only visit this time?

 

[Port Power]

Fabulous. It's strange to have two Cunards here and this is QM's only visit this time?

QM2 is doing an around the world, whereas QE did a season in Australia.