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As we're always remote/home-based, that part isn't too different here. Most just worried about friends and family, and wishing we could take a vacation! For us, and many others I suspect, the weird part of this is the global nature of things. When a hurricane is coming we think, "oh, we could go to North Carolina." When tourist season makes things too busy for us to want to venture out, we think, "let's book a cruise" - but in this case, there isn't the same escape mechansim. On the upside, we're getting SO many home project done!

We're doing OK here in northern NJ as well. I've already been working home for 5 months because of a slow-healing wound I'm dealing with, and my wife just got work-from-home setup with her employer. Both kids (one HS, one college) had their schools closed last week and are now on distance learning for the rest of the school year / semester. Actually took advantage of some people canceling their booking on my August 2 cruise to upgrade from a pair of inside cabins to a pair of OV cabins. Summit's OV have good-sized windows, about 4 feet across in the rooms we booked, so that will be a nice step up; keeping an eye for an adjoining pair of the aft deck 3 OVs to open up, will move there if possible for the 6-foot windows they have. And being on deck 3 should feel more stable than up on deck 7 if we run into any rough waters in the north Atlantic.

Line? For me, I’m going to be selfish and suggest Celebrity. Selfish because I have been primarily Royal but am planning to check out X anyways. And a big part of me selecting X is the coverage by Bill and Cruise Habit. Where? I vote Caribbean. Done it enough that I know how to enjoy but feel free to spend more time with the group activities. Activities? Maybe group takeovers of ship specific venues, like the Lawn Club or Sunset Bar. Opportunities to mingle and meet and talk ship. That’s what Cruise Habiteers do, right? How different? I think skip some of the more traditional group activities like pub/cabin crawl, maybe arrange a session with performers or other staff/crew. Just my random thoughts as I flatten the curve. BobJ

I'd be most interested in a Celebrity cruise. They tend to offer a little more variety of ports and length of cruises than the big 3 lines. I would be open to trying a new line as well. I don't have anything on the books yet for 2021 just saying.

I have to speak selfishly on this one -- Would love a group cruise that leaves out of NJ or NYC. I'm not really able to cruise from anywhere else for the time being, just because flights to FL are so darn expensive that they can easily equal the cruise fare and I'd rather have that money for a better cruise. And of course, that also means more limited choice of lines and itineraries. Between those two ports, I think we've got Royal, NCL, Celebrity, maybe HAL and I know MSC does one or two sailings a year for fall foliage. One thought I had that would distinguish a Billy Group's (gruff!) Cruise could be a deliberate focus on smaller ships and more "boutique" itineraries that go to less-frequented ports. Prime example would be the Empress open-jaw sailing from NJ to Montreal or back (and yes, that's Royal but we all know that's a ship Matt's never gonna book a GC on). I'm thinking here Billy of your lifelong experience with cruising and experience with all the various levels of service over the years, on board and maybe on excursions. Maybe the way you distinguish from Matt or other GC organizers is by finding ways to "bring back" some of the (more desirable) classic cruising elements that seem to have gone out of favor; ideally without the expense of booking a super-luxury line! ? Not really sure how something like that would be done, or if it's even feasible on today's cruise lines. But you asked, so I'm answering. ?

I think for me, just trying a new cruise line with friends makes it appealing. It's like the first time you visit a faraway place, it's better to go with someone who's been there, to show you where to go - or not to go. Since we've been pretty much Royal only for so long, I don't even know what other lines have to offer, or what they do different. Summit was such fun experience, to learn the Celebrity way - but it would have been more fun with friends. We found plenty of people to hang out with, but it's not the same as having a group to be with all the time.

hmmm hypothetically means something brewing to do a group cruise. no way on Carnival that is for sure. maybe go outside of the box and choose a MSC cruise as group cruise. its a cruise line many of us havent sailed but wanted so what a better way with friends to all take the plunge.................. group cruises are great ways to meet people but events create a different type of vibe too. the ship has its own vibe but a group cruise carries its own tune. everyone can pick and choose what they want to do among events offered. sure Billy can be creative and think of some unique different activities that are not boring besides the same things offered on other group cruises. only time will tell.