You better believe the admiralty is licking its chops at that very prospect.

Shocked by the vitriol for the cruise industry.

I have only been on one cruise. I honestly never had any desire to go on a cruise. Zero desire. That said it worked out in a way that I found myself on a cruise.

I didn’t have the highest expectations but I can say I genuinely enjoyed myself. It wouldn’t be my first choice for another vacation, but I wouldn’t be opposed to going on another one.

Also, just a note of reminder for the cruise industry, and all other industries. If you take joy in an industry or a company failing, it isn’t the “company” that is hurt, to the execs. The secretaries, mechanics, marketing department employees, etc. are the people who bear essentially all of the pain. So when a company fails, or a whole industry fails, it is really thousands of families that are failing.

I don’t pretend to think that the cruise industry was a fast growing industry that was the future of the economy, but that said, it was a robust industry that allowed many families to earn an honest buck and support their family. The maids didn’t chose to flag the ship in Panama, but they are going to pay the price.

Only cruise I've been on was to Alaska as a yute. Best part was entering fjords and glaciers. Other than that it's a complete waste of going to Alaska.

Alaska has so much natural beauty to explore and you're stuck on a fucking boat.

They flag in other countries to avoid a lot of workers rights, taxes, and laws. But yes ultimately I'd agree people will be a lot worse off.

This industry reaps massive environmental damage and pays no taxes. It just doesn't deserve to exist.

The crews will find jobs in shipping.

Yeah this is a problem for Panama, Bermuda etc. There is very little value to the US from the cruise ship industry.

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Outside of the shitty experience they provide...they most likely are responsible for launching the pandemic in this Country. The workers will find other jobs.

Point taken.

I've boated to the Bahamas...what a blast. The best was renting a power catamaran and cruising the Exumas. Total of six of us. Wife, myself, 2 kids, my cousin to help with the kids and a buddy who was a capt.

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This is likely the end of the age of mass consumer tourism, and that age's mascot was the cruise ship.

MANY people will still do the cruises. Was talking to some folks the other day who were planning a Disney cruise. They love the idea of pawning the kids off onto the crew for all the kid related activities.

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Oh, ok, sounds very easy and not disruptive at all.

Bob will be the first guy on here crying if he gets axed.

I pretty much have been the champion from day 1 of the "reopen the economy ASAP" angle, so don't know where you are going with this.

My family really enjoyed the Disney cruise when they were little. When you’re at the Magic Kingdom, you can wait an hour to see a character. They were everywhere on the cruise. Kids even got to do a play with Mickey on the auditorium stage on the last day. The evening shows were all great. Food was great. Fireworks one night. Disney just does everything top notch.

For me, the best part of the cruise is that cell phones don’t work and internet is cost prohibitive. I get a true break from work. Everything is planned, so I don’t have to rent a car, plan activities, schedule dinners, etc. very relaxing way to travel.

Not sure if you remember the make up of your ship's staff, but the majority of ship staff are foreign nationals they can pay pennies. Somewhat similar to ski resorts, they abuse the shit out hiring foreign nationals.

Without cruises people will still take vacations; they'll just choose different types.

I wouldn't go that far.

Many folks 45-55 with disposable income but kids to put through college have a bucket list of trips to take in their 60s and early 70s. They are still going to want to take them. A friend of mine has waited all of her adult life to put three kids through college (3 years to go) and for her husband to retire from his defense contractor job with a clearance (about the same) so she can spend a couple of weeks in France. This isn't going to stop her.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

The theme parks will be popping this summer. You will see probably Purrell stations every 10 feet and ride wipe downs every few minutes.

Do you think they'll open by Memorial Day? I have my doubts.

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If not by, pretty close.

It might stop France, though.

For how long? She is likely targeting 2024. The French government isn't going to just decide they don't want Americans visiting any more. And most of the Normandy coast would go apeshit.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

I too was a big doubter for all the reasons stated previously. Then I actually went on one. Now I've been on 5: Alaska, Mediterranean, and 3 Caribbean. Loved them all.

But also agree, they should not be bailed out.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Wonder if Europe or US changes their view on Chinese tourism dollars. They're consensus the worst tourists in the world but they're really stupid with their money.

They're not my favorite vacations, but they serve a purpose. I also enjoyed them all.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

denishockley

Its just a matter of how committed you are to making the trip. Of course they are not going to wall themselves off and ban tourists, but some of those old headaches from the past are going to return. I doubt we'll ever see $100 flights to Europe from North America again, probably back to looking at about a grand on the low-end.

If they want to go and they committed to going they will go. But that's not mass tourism. Mass tourism is people traveling for the sake of it, for instagram or whatever. The age is probably over.


Certainly, how much that will manifest itself in actual changes for Chinese people specifically is yet to seen. Not outside the realm of possibility for a country to institute a non-essential travel ban from China indefinitely.

Another question will be the Chinese college students. The way those kids were living and eating in condos by IIT was repulsive when I saw it first hand 5-6 years ago.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

I hope the public will demand an end to the game flagship state universities play where they turn away qualified in-staters and give those spots to Chinese kids who pay full tuition. Can't imagine there will be much tolerance for Seattle kids with 4.0s getting turned away from the University of Washington so some chain-smoking bat eater can have that spot instead.

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They’re throwing off the grading curve.

But in all seriousness, it just illustrates the fact that universities are short on funding and someone has to pay. As states give less and less to public universities, these places are desperate for full tuition paying students.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

I was working with a RE investor who had 15-20 condos in the newer development on 35th and State, almost exclusively renting to wealthy Chinese students. Hopefully he has gotten out of that business. You have to believe that a lot of those kids bought the virus back with them after the Christmas break. Probably at campuses all around the world.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Northwestern has at least one Master's program that is totally set up to appeal to Chinese and Middle Eastern fathers whose kids are fuckups and need an advanced degree to save face. Last I talked to anybody teaching in it, it was a little over $60k for nine months and the university pays the adjuncts about $10k/quarter to teach classes for which nobody is paying attention.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal