Deployment 2021-22 booking season begins

[MichellePerth]

13 minutes ago, banzaii said:

If anything, the flattening of the curve in both Aust & NZ should provide an ideal platform for the return of cruising.  There have already been discussions about reopening the boarders between our 2 countries.  Win back the trust of the pacific island chiefs and cruising could be back to normal within months down here.  It has to restart somewhere!

 

However, the big issue is that after the Ruby Princess debarcle in NZ and then Aust, cruising is being demonised by politicians and other public figures with media opportunities.  So the big factor might not be the ships or ports but the staff.  A clear indication that RCI is committed to this region, is listening to our health experts and is willing to put safeguards in place, just might do the trick.

I'm an avid cruiser and live in WA.  I'd be surprised if there was free flow between us and the other states in two months.  Im now of the mind that that the virus is nowhere near as universally lethal as  previously thought, but still think there need to be a full return to businesses being open and safely before our state border is open to other Australians.  While NSW and Victoria seem to have open borders, I don't think they are going to be very welcoming to cruise ships. 

 

For all the carry on about cruise ships adding to economic output, I don't think they will add that much more than Australians forced to holiday in their own country.  I'd be shocked if the ships came back before November.  And that's if we pretty much stay  on the current trajectory. 

[MADflyer]

1 hour ago, banzaii said:

If anything, the flattening of the curve in both Aust & NZ should provide an ideal platform for the return of cruising. 

Flattening the curve would be a mitigation strategy and as an outsider interpreting the statements from the governments of Aust. & NZ, their focus seems to go much further than mitigation, but elimination of the virus. 

 

My interpretation of that would be that there would be most likely no 2020-21 NZ cruises and that it could even extend to the 2021-22 season. 

[Saab4444]

Eliminating the virus in a country would also mean no international travel including flights and business trips for the next year(s), simply not possible if economies should survive. 

[MADflyer]

7 minutes ago, Saab4444 said:

Eliminating the virus in a country would also mean no international travel including flights and business trips for the next year(s), simply not possible if economies should survive. 

That is true. Cruising would be come a very low priority in this effort. 

 

International Flights can at least be pre-screened and tested prior to leaving their origin and on arrival, where daily testing on a cruise ship would be nearly impossible and then where would you quarantine those that did not clear testing. 

[MichellePerth]

1 minute ago, MADflyer said:

Flattening the curve would be a mitigation strategy and as an outsider interpreting the statements from the governments of Aust. & NZ, their focus seems to go much further than mitigation, but elimination of the virus. 

 

My interpretation of that would be that there would be most likely no 2020-21 NZ cruises and that it could even extend to the 2021-22 season. 

I agree and continue to be confounded by the obstinate belief by most cruisers that this will end soon and bargains will be had and everything will go back to the way it was. 

 

The majority of Australians are not cruisers. A huge number of our cases are related to cruising.  After destroying our economy, ruining relationships and putting other aspects of health care on hold, I don't think that the majority of Australians are going to want to see cruise ships in our ports again for a very long time. 

 

I remember reading about someone in a tourism association in Tasmania whinging about how little cruise passengers spend when they pull into port.  In many ways I think cruise ships would be a net extraction of money from Australia, particularly if it is Australian and New Zealand passengers.   The vast majority of the money will be spent on the financing of the ship, the foreign workers and fuel.  I think food averages way less than $200 aud per week per passenger and much of it is imported so royal can keep consistency.  So that leaves very little of the cruise fare staying in Australia.   With domestic and new Zealand passengers, shore excursions won't be as widely sold as most of us have been to those places already.   So I see a possibility of financial drain from Australia compared to whatever Domestic tourism people would partake in if cruises were absent. When you factor in the perceived risk of bringing the virus back into Australia and destroying our economy again, I just don't think the majority of people are going to want cruise ships back here.  It would be better for Australias economy if Australians spent their dollars directly with tourism operators.   At least economic conditions returned to some semblance of normalcy.

 

I've not seen one person mention the availability of travel insurance going forward.  I doubt it will cover anything related to the CCP virus and will be expensive and possibly harder to obtain. 

[Saab4444]

1 hour ago, MichellePerth said:

I agree and continue to be confounded by the obstinate belief by most cruisers that this will end soon and bargains will be had and everything will go back to the way it was. 

 

The majority of Australians are not cruisers. A huge number of our cases are related to cruising.  After destroying our economy, ruining relationships and putting other aspects of health care on hold, I don't think that the majority of Australians are going to want to see cruise ships in our ports again for a very long time. 

 

I remember reading about someone in a tourism association in Tasmania whinging about how little cruise passengers spend when they pull into port.  In many ways I think cruise ships would be a net extraction of money from Australia, particularly if it is Australian and New Zealand passengers.   The vast majority of the money will be spent on the financing of the ship, the foreign workers and fuel.  I think food averages way less than $200 aud per week per passenger and much of it is imported so royal can keep consistency.  So that leaves very little of the cruise fare staying in Australia.   With domestic and new Zealand passengers, shore excursions won't be as widely sold as most of us have been to those places already.   So I see a possibility of financial drain from Australia compared to whatever Domestic tourism people would partake in if cruises were absent. When you factor in the perceived risk of bringing the virus back into Australia and destroying our economy again, I just don't think the majority of people are going to want cruise ships back here.  It would be better for Australias economy if Australians spent their dollars directly with tourism operators.   At least economic conditions returned to some semblance of normalcy.

 

I've not seen one person mention the availability of travel insurance going forward.  I doubt it will cover anything related to the CCP virus and will be expensive and possibly harder to obtain. 

But opposite to this the critical situation in Europe and places like New York is not related to cruises but to international air travel. It started by people flying from China to Italy, Austria, New York and other places and continued by people flying or driving from there to Spain and Germany and other places all over the world. 

[banzaii]

14 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

The majority of Australians are not cruisers. A huge number of our cases are related to cruising.  After destroying our economy, ruining relationships and putting other aspects of health care on hold, I don't think that the majority of Australians are going to want to see cruise ships in our ports again for a very long time. 

As an Australian cruiser, I believe it is our responsibility to counter the rubbish coming from certain sections of the government and media; not regurgitating those baseless claims.

 

It is almost certain that the virus cane onboard the ships via passengers bringing it in on air travel.  As an isolated region, local cruising is possible or would be if cruise lines and goverments are willing and as long as we prevent the virus from returning from outside that region.  

 

You may say I'm a dreamer, I hope I'm not the only one!

[bigeck]

11 minutes ago, banzaii said:

 

You may say I'm a dreamer, I hope I'm not the only one!

 

As long as yous are all singing from the same hymn sheet.

Sorry, had to be said

[banzaii]

16 hours ago, MADflyer said:

Flattening the curve would be a mitigation strategy and as an outsider interpreting the statements from the governments of Aust. & NZ, their focus seems to go much further than mitigation, but elimination of the virus. 

 

My interpretation of that would be that there would be most likely no 2020-21 NZ cruises and that it could even extend to the 2021-22 season. 

I think too many are assuming that travel, including cruising, will return exactly as it once was.  I don't believe that will happen.

 

You speak if mitigation strategies and that is exactly what will need to happen across every travel sector and every country.  It is unlikely that there will ever be a cure but there will be treatments, there may be vaccinations and there are plenty of ways to boost immunity and reduce the spread of the virus.

 

Mitigation is the key!

Edited April 25, 2020 by banzaii

[banzaii]

3 minutes ago, bigeck said:

 

As long as yous are all singing from the same hymn sheet.

Sorry, had to be said

A choir starts with one voice!

[Jack McGowan]

So it looks like, according to RCL Blog, Anthem OTS could be heading to Galveston. This would be due to the delay in the new terminal. Interesting what the knock on effects could be for Anthem/Allure or any other ships they could move as a result. 

[Plum Happy]

If Anthem moves to Galveston, what would they place in Bayonne as a replacement other than the Oasis ship in the summer?

[Jack McGowan]

1 minute ago, Plum Happy said:

If Anthem moves to Galveston, what would they place in Bayonne as a replacement other than the Oasis ship in the summer?

They don’t have to move anything there. Look at what they did with moving Independence to FL from SOU in summer 20. They said they didn’t want to redeploy another ship to disturb itineraries on another ship. 
 

Was Allure due to sail from Galveston in summer 22 aswell??

[Plum Happy]

2 minutes ago, Jack McGowan said:

They don’t have to move anything there. Look at what they did with moving Independence to FL from SOU in summer 20. They said they didn’t want to redeploy another ship to disturb itineraries on another ship. 
 

Was Allure due to sail from Galveston in summer 22 aswell??

Oasis was to going up to NJ when Anthem was heading to Europe then return in November.

[Jack McGowan]

1 minute ago, Plum Happy said:

Oasis was to going up to NJ when Anthem was heading to Europe then return in November.

Yes, what I’m saying is they might not move another ship up there in winter and just take anthem away. They will be trying to limit the amount of ships they have to move about I suspect. That’s what they said about deploying another ship to Southampton anyway

[Plum Happy]

I seriously doubt that Royal would not send another ship up there for the winter months.  That's a key market for them.

4 minutes ago, Jack McGowan said:

Yes, what I’m saying is they might not move another ship up there in winter and just take anthem away. They will be trying to limit the amount of ships they have to move about I suspect. That’s what they said about deploying another ship to Southampton anyway

I seriously doubt that Royal would just abandon the winter months in the NY area by not sending another ship there.  

[Jack McGowan]

1 minute ago, Plum Happy said:

I seriously doubt that Royal would not send another ship up there for the winter months.  That's a key market for them.

I seriously doubt that Royal would just abandon the winter months in the NY area by not sending another ship there.  

Just an idea

 

I wonder why they didn’t just put Liberty back in Galveston for a straight swap with Allure?

[ssb]

On 4/27/2020 at 2:17 PM, Jack McGowan said:

Just an idea

 

I wonder why they didn’t just put Liberty back in Galveston for a straight swap with Allure?

Marketing is the answer with the appeal of the larger grander Oasis Class ship . 

[springaussie]

Wonder of the Seas would be built for serve Winter conditions in n China. 
It certainly must be considered as a option for Bayonne if Anthem goes to Galveston.

[Tall-Cruiser]

15 minutes ago, springaussie said:

Wonder of the Seas would be built for serve Winter conditions in n China. 
It certainly must be considered as a option for Bayonne if Anthem goes to Galveston.

Didn't consider that but an interesting idea.

[BaikG]

35 minutes ago, springaussie said:

Wonder of the Seas would be built for serve Winter conditions in n China. 
It certainly must be considered as a option for Bayonne if Anthem goes to Galveston.

There is no indication that Wonder would be a cold weather ship as it was intended to move to Hong Kong and/or Singapore from China during colder months.

[Chiliburn]

40 minutes ago, BaikG said:

There is no indication that Wonder would be a cold weather ship as it was intended to move to Hong Kong and/or Singapore from China during colder months.

I was told by senior officers of voyager at the suite party and also Ovation that wonder is  destined for Brisbane in the  future to go with the private island Lelepa.Thats during our season.

But that was a few months ago before the world got turned upside down.

Edited April 29, 2020 by Chiliburn

[BaikG]

Just now, Chiliburn said:

I was told by senior officers of voyager at the suite party and also Ovation that wonder is  destined for Brisbane in the  future to go with the private island Lelepa.That during our season.

But that was a few months ago before the world got turned upside down.

Either way, I don't think Royal intended for Wonder to be in China year-round which suggests that she might not be a cold weather ship.

[MichellePerth]

A tangential issue is crew.  The Bali crew that were sent home on spectrum are still in their 14 day quarantine.  They get out on 2 May I believe.  The spectrum is sitting off the coast of Manila while the Philippines decides whether to allow the Filipino crew off and whether they will undergo further quarantine on shore.  
 

I debarked radiance on 14 March and she has not carried passengers since, so most of those crew members have been unproductive for nearly two months.  While they will almost all be eager to crew again as they are desperate for money,it will be a tremendous effort to get them and the ships in one place quickly.  Quite possibly the ships will pick them up and they will quarantine at sea if there are no acceptable immunity tests or vaccines available by the time cruising limps to a restart. 
 

Avid cruisers with regular and beloved crew members may wish to reach out to them individually and offer financial assistance.  My favourite Balinese crew member was grateful for the offer and declined.  Upon return to Bali, he discovered for himself how very dire the situation is.  (Some of the westerners who run restaurants have started giving out free food for locals. It was reported that one local rode 4 hours on a scooter as he had not eaten for days.  They sent him off with 9 meals.). My crew member had a change of heart and accepted my cash offer and I think is quite relieved to have that extra cushion.  There have been various ***** pages and the like set up, so if you’d consider that, the people would be most grateful.  A lot of West Australians go to Bali several times a year and it is maddening that many are reserving their “support” for spending  on holiday once both countries allow travel.  The countries where most of the crew members are from are in a very hard position and I do believe there will be starvation.  If not starvation, many children will not be getting sufficient nutrition to support brain development.  Of the countries where our crew members hail from, I think Indonesia (Bali) will be the absolute hardest hit.  Sorry for the sermon.  It is very worrying to think of the people who have been so kind and loving towards us are suffering.  💐🤗🙏🇦🇺

[Chiliburn]

3 hours ago, MichellePerth said:

A tangential issue is crew.  The Bali crew that were sent home on spectrum are still in their 14 day quarantine.  They get out on 2 May I believe.  The spectrum is sitting off the coast of Manila while the Philippines decides whether to allow the Filipino crew off and whether they will undergo further quarantine on shore.  
 

I debarked radiance on 14 March and she has not carried passengers since, so most of those crew members have been unproductive for nearly two months.  While they will almost all be eager to crew again as they are desperate for money,it will be a tremendous effort to get them and the ships in one place quickly.  Quite possibly the ships will pick them up and they will quarantine at sea if there are no acceptable immunity tests or vaccines available by the time cruising limps to a restart. 
 

Avid cruisers with regular and beloved crew members may wish to reach out to them individually and offer financial assistance.  My favourite Balinese crew member was grateful for the offer and declined.  Upon return to Bali, he discovered for himself how very dire the situation is.  (Some of the westerners who run restaurants have started giving out free food for locals. It was reported that one local rode 4 hours on a scooter as he had not eaten for days.  They sent him off with 9 meals.). My crew member had a change of heart and accepted my cash offer and I think is quite relieved to have that extra cushion.  There have been various ***** pages and the like set up, so if you’d consider that, the people would be most grateful.  A lot of West Australians go to Bali several times a year and it is maddening that many are reserving their “support” for spending  on holiday once both countries allow travel.  The countries where most of the crew members are from are in a very hard position and I do believe there will be starvation.  If not starvation, many children will not be getting sufficient nutrition to support brain development.  Of the countries where our crew members hail from, I think Indonesia (Bali) will be the absolute hardest hit.  Sorry for the sermon.  It is very worrying to think of the people who have been so kind and loving towards us are suffering.  💐🤗🙏🇦🇺

I can feel your feelings Michelle.
I have a wife stuck in the Philippines and it’s basically in marshal law .She is on a mission and won’t come home.