SaltyCroc

I suspect that Carnival is working on a plan that also involves the HAL Zuiderdam, which is slated to be in Columbo Sri Lanka on 28 March (right around the time of the QV and QM2). The Zuiderdam and QM2 are supposed to head to the Persian Gulf area and then around the Red Sea together for Suez transits on 17/18 April. In a revised plan all 3 ships (QV, QM2, and Zuiderdam) would likely depart Columbo together or in close proximity and then head for the Cape of Good Hope to refuel/reprovision at Port Elizabeth South Africa. Carnival is under some pressure to deal with the Island Princess, which will be here in Sydney in 2 weeks (14 Feb) and is slated to head to Perth-Singapore-Dubai and transit the Suez in mid-March. If they are going to route around Southern Africa, then the departure point off their scheduled voyage is from Perth. They really need to advise people who would like to bail out at Sydney, which is a major embarkation point. The US DOT Maritime Administration advisory for the Red Sea is due to be updated on 30 Jan (Washington time). This will likely seal our fates.

Thank you autumnriver! So Carnival has cancelled the voyages that haven’t started on Aida and Costa. Now that leaves the three that are currently under way: Island Princess, QM2, and Hal Zuiderdam. Island Princess and QM2 are due in Sydney starting in mid February. I expect some sort of plan is in the works to advise passengers and those who have booked subsequent segments (yours truly) of the revised itineraries so that people can bail out or adjust accordingly. It would be very poor form to allow these ships to get to Singapore and then make an announcement just before they were due to depart on a radically revised journey. I feel particularly sorry for the island princess passengers who will likely lose their very extensive Mediterranean itinerary (I wish I could do that one.)

Thank you for this posting. Let's see when Carnival Corp cancels the Costa Toscana passage through the Red Sea. It is scheduled to transit the southern Red Sea on 16-17 March. Aida and Costa were scheduled to go through this region about a month before the QM2 and the HAL Zuiderdam in mid-April.

The US Dept of Transportation has modified their no sail warning for the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden. There is now an explicit statement that the order is 'until further notice' and that it will 'not automatically expire'

AuthBen3, that sounds about right. the ship is due here in Sydney on 27 Feb, from which it begins its trip home through Asia first. Both the QV and QM2 are due to return to Southhampton from their world voyages on 28 April. The idea that they could meet in Columbo Sri Lanka on or around 30/31 March and then make their way back together (or in close proximity) has a great deal of merit and would be the most likely outcome. The US Dept of Transportation advisory against maritime travel by US owned ships is due to be updated on 5 Feb, and if it is renewed (I would bet on this even though I am not a gambling man), then Carnival Corp will act accordingly for all their ships. They have a Princess and Costa ship slated to go through the Red Sea in mid-March well before the QM2 in mid-April. I have reposted the link to the US Dept of Transportation. I am watching that space: https://www.maritime.dot.gov/msci/2024-001b-red-sea-and-gulf-aden-potential-retaliatory-attacks-houthi-forces

Hey Folks, Just to show you that the computers at Cunard are all 'at sea', so to speak, I have uploaded a message received yesterday from Cunard marketing. We are scheduled for the Dubai to Southhampton to NYC leg of the cruise on the QM2 with boarding in on 7 April 2024. It is very unlikely to proceed, but that didn't stop us from getting an automated email (see below) asking if we wished to bid for an upgraded room! Clearly, there are a lot of rooms opening up, and some of the deals are pretty good. Too bad the ship will not be stopping there in all likelihood. I had a laugh over this.

Here is an article describing how Marsh insurance brokers, one of the world’s largest brokers, has moved to exclude US and UK owner ships for Red Sea insurance coverage. (I work in the finance industry and Marsh is an industry giant.). Carnival Corp has a real problem with at least 8 ships from their subsidiary lines (Princess, Aida, HAL, Cunard, Costa, Regent) slated to traverse the Red Sea in March to May. i am sure the accountants in Miami are working overtime to figure out how they want to play this as what they do for one line, they will do for all lines. We can only wait to see what they decided. https://gcaptain.com/ship-insurers-seeking-exclusions-for-us-and-uk-vessels-from-red-sea-coverage/

I am not particularly disappointed because this will be the third cruise that Cunard has cancelled on me (3 strikes and you are out as it goes in baseball). But everyone on that cruise leaving Singapore should be aware that Cunard WILL change the trip, it is just a matter of when we all get told.

Here is the notice from the US Dept of Transportation which will stop Cunard (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US-based Carnival Corporation) from sailing the QM2 into the Red Sea. This notice has NO expiry date. No US-owned ship (which is what the QM2 is) will break this. It will be replaced by a subsequent warning by 5 Feb 2024 My wife and I are booked on QM2 from Dubai to New York. It isn't going to happen. https://www.maritime.dot.gov/msci/2024-001b-red-sea-and-gulf-aden-potential-retaliatory-attacks-houthi-forces

I note with interest that the Silver Moon is this morning (my time) head back north to most likely exit the Red Sea entirely through the Suez Canal. Discretion is indeed the better part of valour when it comes to dueling and sailing through a de-facto war zone. My wife and I are scheduled to board the QM2 in Dubai in early-April and the sail around through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. There seems little chance that hostilities will be resolved by then. The Spring 2024 passenger ship season through the Red Sea begins in earnest in mid-March and ends in late-April. I doubt very much that much sailing will actually occur this year. However, most cruise lines will do exactly what the accountants at Royal Caribbean have done with the Silver Moon, and that is cancel the trip at the last minute. This is an exercise in revenue maximisation. And the minute you make major changes, passengers will cancel. So the cruise lines wait until the very last minute. I expect us to be sitting in a hotel room in Dubai when we get an email telling us the QM2 will not be arriving in Dubai (the Strait of Hormuz is too close to Iran for a ship owned by a US Corporation). This episode has been very poorly handled by Silver Sea who could have and should have cancelled this cruise before it left Athens. It has set a poor precedent for the industry, but it is a precedent nonetheless. My heart goes out to all the inconvenienced people out there.