Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
FGITD wrote:ArchGuy1 wrote:na wrote:
I thought of it the other day. Not surprising in the current climate.
Be it as it is, the Queen Mary is the world´s sole survivor of an era. And it significantly contributed to winning WWII by transporting a large part of the US troops to Europe which together with the British liberated France and conquered Nazi Germany. Churchill once said, she and near sistership Queen Elizabeth shortened the war by a year. Therefore, historically, its a much more important vessel than any battleship or aircraft carrier that did survive.
Btw I spend two nights on QM two years ago. Got to love that Grand Old Lady.
The Queen Mary certainly sees about 1.5 million paying visitors a year, which is about the same as the Seattle Space Needle and the observation deck of the Sears Tower.
And yet somehow seemingly every company that touches Queen Mary ends up bankrupt. What does that tell you?
Drafran wrote:FGITD wrote:ArchGuy1 wrote:The Queen Mary certainly sees about 1.5 million paying visitors a year, which is about the same as the Seattle Space Needle and the observation deck of the Sears Tower.
And yet somehow seemingly every company that touches Queen Mary ends up bankrupt. What does that tell you?
Allow me to remind you of a little company called Disney that ran the attraction at one time. Rumor has it, it's still around.
FGITD wrote:Drafran wrote:FGITD wrote:
And yet somehow seemingly every company that touches Queen Mary ends up bankrupt. What does that tell you?
Allow me to remind you of a little company called Disney that ran the attraction at one time. Rumor has it, it's still around.
I think that might prove my point in a more solid way. If a company with pockets as deep as Disney gets out of the lease as quickly as they did, it’s not a good sign. Granted, they had much more ambitious plans than just running it as a hotel. But all the same, they realized this ship wasn't going to make them money
CRJ200flyer wrote:My wife and I are of similar mindset... We've decided to wait until 2022 to cruise again... We just don't feel confident that the mask mandates and restrictions on shore visits will be dropped this summer/fall when we could get time to go... We've already booked in June 2022 and thats that.I really want to go on a cruise, but am holding off to see what becomes of mask mandates. I saw a Celebrity itinerary I was very interested in, and spoke via chat with a Celebrity representative last night regarding if masks would be required. He said Celebrity would let me know once the date got closer; however if all passengers and crew are vaccinated, I don’t see the point of masks, and feel it would significantly degrade the cruise experience. Hopefully the industry can issue some clarification on this in the future as several friends and family I know are waiting it out on this question.
I was fortunate enough to go on three cruises in the beginning of 2020. I finally got around to creating a video of my last one, and also the last sailing for the Celebrity Summit before the industry came to a halt. We ended up diverting to Fort Lauderdale after San Juan refused our entry.
https://youtu.be/YJacgqd1UlY
northstardc4m wrote:CRJ200flyer wrote:My wife and I are of similar mindset... We've decided to wait until 2022 to cruise again... We just don't feel confident that the mask mandates and restrictions on shore visits will be dropped this summer/fall when we could get time to go... We've already booked in June 2022 and thats that.I really want to go on a cruise, but am holding off to see what becomes of mask mandates. I saw a Celebrity itinerary I was very interested in, and spoke via chat with a Celebrity representative last night regarding if masks would be required. He said Celebrity would let me know once the date got closer; however if all passengers and crew are vaccinated, I don’t see the point of masks, and feel it would significantly degrade the cruise experience. Hopefully the industry can issue some clarification on this in the future as several friends and family I know are waiting it out on this question.
I was fortunate enough to go on three cruises in the beginning of 2020. I finally got around to creating a video of my last one, and also the last sailing for the Celebrity Summit before the industry came to a halt. We ended up diverting to Fort Lauderdale after San Juan refused our entry.
https://youtu.be/YJacgqd1UlY
CRJ200flyer wrote:Carnival Magic out of NYC to San Juan , StThomas, Grand Turk... It was a good deal when we booked and it's a driving distance which is so much more convenient than flying.northstardc4m wrote:CRJ200flyer wrote:My wife and I are of similar mindset... We've decided to wait until 2022 to cruise again... We just don't feel confident that the mask mandates and restrictions on shore visits will be dropped this summer/fall when we could get time to go... We've already booked in June 2022 and thats that.I really want to go on a cruise, but am holding off to see what becomes of mask mandates. I saw a Celebrity itinerary I was very interested in, and spoke via chat with a Celebrity representative last night regarding if masks would be required. He said Celebrity would let me know once the date got closer; however if all passengers and crew are vaccinated, I don’t see the point of masks, and feel it would significantly degrade the cruise experience. Hopefully the industry can issue some clarification on this in the future as several friends and family I know are waiting it out on this question.
I was fortunate enough to go on three cruises in the beginning of 2020. I finally got around to creating a video of my last one, and also the last sailing for the Celebrity Summit before the industry came to a halt. We ended up diverting to Fort Lauderdale after San Juan refused our entry.
https://youtu.be/YJacgqd1UlY
Thanks for sharing. We might do the same, or make some pretty last minute plans if things change significantly this summer. Which ship and destination next for you in 2022?
northstardc4m wrote:CRJ200flyer wrote:My wife and I are of similar mindset... We've decided to wait until 2022 to cruise again... We just don't feel confident that the mask mandates and restrictions on shore visits will be dropped this summer/fall when we could get time to go... We've already booked in June 2022 and thats that.I really want to go on a cruise, but am holding off to see what becomes of mask mandates. I saw a Celebrity itinerary I was very interested in, and spoke via chat with a Celebrity representative last night regarding if masks would be required. He said Celebrity would let me know once the date got closer; however if all passengers and crew are vaccinated, I don’t see the point of masks, and feel it would significantly degrade the cruise experience. Hopefully the industry can issue some clarification on this in the future as several friends and family I know are waiting it out on this question.
I was fortunate enough to go on three cruises in the beginning of 2020. I finally got around to creating a video of my last one, and also the last sailing for the Celebrity Summit before the industry came to a halt. We ended up diverting to Fort Lauderdale after San Juan refused our entry.
https://youtu.be/YJacgqd1UlY
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Dano1977 wrote:Third time lucky....
Booked a cruise for 2022 from a cancelled trip in 2021 and 2020.
On the good ship Iona with P&O Cruises, Southampton-Madeira-Lanzarote-Tenerife-Gran Canaria-Cadiz-Lisbon-Southampton
Fully utilised our cancelled cruise credit, booked a deluxe balcony room, and got £500 on board spend.
CRJ200flyer wrote:https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-line-removes-most-cruises-until-september/50631
Looks like Carnival has now canceled much of August too. I recently cracked and booked a September cruise on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas thinking the summer would iron out most of the issues and get things back to normal. I’m now guessing that wasn’t enough of a buffer...
OA260 wrote:CRJ200flyer wrote:https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-line-removes-most-cruises-until-september/50631
Looks like Carnival has now canceled much of August too. I recently cracked and booked a September cruise on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas thinking the summer would iron out most of the issues and get things back to normal. I’m now guessing that wasn’t enough of a buffer...
Very hard to tell what the Summer will bring. The UK are doing cruise staycations for fully vaccinated guests which the majority of reputable cruise lines are not allowing unvaccinated guests onboard . Those will be a good test to see what issues if any arise and if any C-19 outbreaks happen onboard.
bananaboy wrote:OA260 wrote:CRJ200flyer wrote:https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-line-removes-most-cruises-until-september/50631
Looks like Carnival has now canceled much of August too. I recently cracked and booked a September cruise on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas thinking the summer would iron out most of the issues and get things back to normal. I’m now guessing that wasn’t enough of a buffer...
Very hard to tell what the Summer will bring. The UK are doing cruise staycations for fully vaccinated guests which the majority of reputable cruise lines are not allowing unvaccinated guests onboard . Those will be a good test to see what issues if any arise and if any C-19 outbreaks happen onboard.
Do you think MSC are "disreputable" then? They've got a good track record in the Med - clearly their COVID-19 protocols worked there. I think they had 2 seperate cases since they restarted, none of which made the news as they were handled well. Guests were isolated, as were guest and crew contacts. All were tested and the guests who had tested positive were off-loaded for treatment.
Personally, I think MSC will eventually move to vaccination as a mandatory requirement but as their source markets are so diverse, I think they'll be the last of the big companies given the different speeds of vaccination programs across those countries.
bananaboy wrote:NCL has announced 3 new itineraries for summer 2021: Norwegian Gem will be based in Punta Cana offering 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailings, Norwegian Jade will sail from Athens to the Greek Islands and Norwegian Joy from Montego Bay to the Western Caribbean. Sailings start 15th Aug, 25th July and 7th Aug respectively. Vaccinations mandatory for all crew and guests.
https://www.ncl.com/return-to-service
ArchGuy1 wrote:The Boudicca has been beached at Aliaga for scrapping and the Black Watch will soon follow. These ships sailed close to 50 years and I personally think they would have been great for use as a hotel or museum ship like Hikawa Maru.
https://cruisemarsh.wordpress.com/2021/ ... in-aliaga/
northstardc4m wrote:Ok folks...
Have a decision to make...
14 night transatlantic fall 2022...
Anthem of the Seas (Barcelona-Galveston) vs Carnival Celebration inaugural (Southampton-Miami)
What does everyone think?
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EIBPI wrote:I used to very much enjoying cruising so was wondering what to do for my first proper holiday since the start of COVID. Looked at booking a cruise:
- COVID-19 testing and mask wearing (makes sense);
- Reduced services including no live shows (understandable);
- Fewer dining options (suppose I can live with that);
- No parties (not a big dancer anyway);
- Many itineraries cancelled at the last minute (starts to be annoying);
- Cannot leave the ship without an excursion. If you leave a booked excursion, you are kicked off the ship (= a prisoner of the cruise line. No way).
I think my next few trips will be land based.
FGITD wrote:It would appear the Queen Mary is once again in more trouble than previously thought.
I just don’t see a way back for her. $23 million, basically just to keep her afloat. Remove the oceanliner-nostalgia glasses, and imagine the proposal of trying to sell a hotel that never makes money, has higher than usual maintenance costs, and right from the outset needs at least $23mil in repairs.
Good luck with that...
https://abc7.com/business/queen-mary-in ... /10661953/
It’s very difficult to drum up business for these types of places, and in my opinion it's because people are too far removed from them and their history. Big passenger ships are for fun trips these days. There's a waning number of people who traveled on the ocean liners and have those memories. For everyone else, it's just an old ship
ArchGuy1 wrote:In addition to ship and liner enthusiasts, the Queen Mary is well known by people interested in Art Deco, military history, World War 2, history in general, transportation, architecture, all things haunted, and the average person aged at least 50 years old. Also known by just about anyone in the Long Beach area.
FGITD wrote:ArchGuy1 wrote:In addition to ship and liner enthusiasts, the Queen Mary is well known by people interested in Art Deco, military history, World War 2, history in general, transportation, architecture, all things haunted, and the average person aged at least 50 years old. Also known by just about anyone in the Long Beach area.
And once again for all that purported interest, her she rests; burned through multiple owners, hardly, if ever making a profit, with minimal interest, and a massive pile of necessary repairs that no one wants to make.
ArchGuy1 wrote:The Statue of Liberty was restored before her Centennial in the 1980's after decades of neglect and the structure was in bad shape at the time. There were in fact design defects with the torch.
petertenthije wrote:ArchGuy1 wrote:The Statue of Liberty was restored before her Centennial in the 1980's after decades of neglect and the structure was in bad shape at the time. There were in fact design defects with the torch.
The statue of liberty is a global icon recognised the world over. An icon that not just NYC, but the whole of the USA identify with.
The QM is just a ship. Nothing more, nothing less.
The only one that cares about it are fans of ships like yourself. That is not even remotely enough, as can be easily demonstrated by numerous companies loosing big money on the QM and ships like her. Not to mention the countless ships like her that were sent to the breaker.
FGITD wrote:petertenthije wrote:ArchGuy1 wrote:The Statue of Liberty was restored before her Centennial in the 1980's after decades of neglect and the structure was in bad shape at the time. There were in fact design defects with the torch.
The statue of liberty is a global icon recognised the world over. An icon that not just NYC, but the whole of the USA identify with.
The QM is just a ship. Nothing more, nothing less.
The only one that cares about it are fans of ships like yourself. That is not even remotely enough, as can be easily demonstrated by numerous companies loosing big money on the QM and ships like her. Not to mention the countless ships like her that were sent to the breaker.
Terrible comparison. The Statue of Liberty is an icon of Americana.
Queen Mary was a commercial ship, owned by a foreign company, and primarily operated between 2 cities, neither of which she is currently berthed in.
Best thing Queen Mary could do for Long Beach these days is be broken up on site, to provide jobs and scrap metal. (Actual question...surely ships like the QM or SSUS wouldn’t be able to stand a voyage to the traditional breakers, so how would they be scrapped?)
ArchGuy1 wrote:FGITD wrote:petertenthije wrote:The statue of liberty is a global icon recognised the world over. An icon that not just NYC, but the whole of the USA identify with.
The QM is just a ship. Nothing more, nothing less.
The only one that cares about it are fans of ships like yourself. That is not even remotely enough, as can be easily demonstrated by numerous companies loosing big money on the QM and ships like her. Not to mention the countless ships like her that were sent to the breaker.
Terrible comparison. The Statue of Liberty is an icon of Americana.
Queen Mary was a commercial ship, owned by a foreign company, and primarily operated between 2 cities, neither of which she is currently berthed in.
Best thing Queen Mary could do for Long Beach these days is be broken up on site, to provide jobs and scrap metal. (Actual question...surely ships like the QM or SSUS wouldn’t be able to stand a voyage to the traditional breakers, so how would they be scrapped?)
The USS Lexington is an icon for Corpus Christi, self sufficient and in good shape structurally despite having no real connection for Corpus.
FGITD wrote:ArchGuy1 wrote:FGITD wrote:
Terrible comparison. The Statue of Liberty is an icon of Americana.
Queen Mary was a commercial ship, owned by a foreign company, and primarily operated between 2 cities, neither of which she is currently berthed in.
Best thing Queen Mary could do for Long Beach these days is be broken up on site, to provide jobs and scrap metal. (Actual question...surely ships like the QM or SSUS wouldn’t be able to stand a voyage to the traditional breakers, so how would they be scrapped?)
The USS Lexington is an icon for Corpus Christi, self sufficient and in good shape structurally despite having no real connection for Corpus.
No real connection to Corpus Christi, aside from the frequent visits to the area, and the decades spent as a training carrier for naval aviators based in Corpus Christi...
ArchGuy1 wrote:FGITD wrote:ArchGuy1 wrote:The USS Lexington is an icon for Corpus Christi, self sufficient and in good shape structurally despite having no real connection for Corpus.
No real connection to Corpus Christi, aside from the frequent visits to the area, and the decades spent as a training carrier for naval aviators based in Corpus Christi...
Does the USS Lexington have more of a connection with Corpus Christi than the Queen Mary does for Long Beach?