Live from the 2020 Grand World Voyage

[drsel]

In that case they should refund at least half The Cruise fare if not the entire Cruise fare

[Alberta Quilter]

16 minutes ago, drsel said:

Also, which ports were missed and how did they compensate you for the missed ports

 

You might want to read this thread:  

 

[StLouisCruisers]

11 hours ago, cruiserchuck said:

It is being reported that Princess will allow passengers who cannot fly for medical reasons to stay on the Pacific Princess as it returns from Fremantle to Los Angeles.  The ship is scheduled to arrive in Fremantle on March 21, the day before the Amsterdam.  Since HAL and Princess are both owned by Carnival Corp., I wonder if any consideration is being given to allowing passengers from the Amsterdam who cannot fly for medical reasons to travel back to Los Angeles on the Princess ship.  

 

I can confirm that the Pacific Princess World Cruise has passengers on board who are being told they can stay on the ship until it reaches LA.  Above I see the end port is FLL but my friend who emailed me last night says LA.  They flew to Sydney to join the ship in February and were staying on 42 days ending their journey in Cape Town.  So now they have somehow gotten a medical OK to stay on the ship and not get off in Fremantle with the other passengers due to his diabetes and heart issue.  Shocked, to say the least.

.

 

[boards]

Sounds like a great idea, but why would they not allow able bodied passengers to stay also if they wanted too?

[T8NCruise]

6 hours ago, Roger88 said:

I surfed through various cruising websites and to be honest I dont see an increase in prices. Its the other way around. The prices are going down because there is no demand at the moment. People either canceling or simply not booking cruises at the moment. Maybe those big world-cruises are safe at this point, but if you take the small ones - the situation has been drastically changing towards decreasing in prices

 

You should share your info source because it has been all over the news how the prices have shot up.

[bay guy]

I didn't check airline specific sites but did check Kayak last night and fares from Perth to Dallas were averaging about $700 for coach. That is more than reasonable for that length of trip.

[Scrapnana]

March 19

 

At Sea (not Komodo Island where we would have been)

 

Despite the well wishes from my Cruise Critic friends, I woke up very early and could not get back to sleep (I did get 6 hours of sleep, however).  I did some more packing and emptied out some closets and drawers.

 

Since I was up, I went to the Coffee Chat with Hamish.  He was interviewing the “Shamrock Tenors”, the Irish group that performed on St. Patrick’s Day.  At 10, I left so I could talk with Wendy and Steve.  They had not heard anything about a flight home for me yet.

 

We had a small group for Sit and Stitch.  Sherita and I left for trivia about 11:30 and I checked one more time with Wendy and Steve (no luck).

 

We had 12 out of 15 in morning trivia.  The winners had 14.

1.What Greek letter is used for summation?

2.What is the name of an eagle’s nest?

3.What are Hawaii’s two most valuable crops?

4.What are affected by Phylloxera?

5.What was Billy Joel’s first top 40 hit?

 

We had another update from the captain.  We have sped up so we can get to Fremantle on Saturday instead of Sunday.  The ship will leave on Monday but we can stay on until the morning of our flight home.  If the flight is after the ship leaves, we can claim the money for a hotel from HAL.

 

Before I left this morning, I asked my room steward if he would use his vacuum on my large compression bag that had about 20 of my shawls in it.  When I came back, he had done a great job on it so I decided to take everything out of that suitcase and put the bag on the bottom.  Suitcase number 2 is packed and number 3 is about ¾ full.

 

Today was our final arts and crafts and we made a tropical charm bracelet.

 

I sat out by the pool and finished a book before dropping my knitting bag in my cabin and going to afternoon trivia.  It had a movie theme and we did much better than any of us expected with 14 out of 20.  The winners had 17.

1.Who played Bonnie & Clyde?

2.Tom Hanks won his first Academy Award nomination for what movie?

3.Who played Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate?

4.Who played Molly Brown in Titanic?

5.Who wrote the scary theme music of Halloween?

 

My travel agency had its final cocktail party in The Mainstage from 4:30-5:30, so I went there after trivia.  I talked with Sherita and two of her friends until they left for dinner.  I then took my finished book to the book exchange in the library and then sat by the pool and worked on my knitting before returning to my cabin.

 

Tonight was Indonesian night and it was nice to see the MDR staff dressed in their native garb.  I had a delicious but spicy meal.  I did not go to the show (a repeat performance by the singers and dancers).

 

Morning trivia

1.Sigma

2.aerie

3.pineapples and sugar cane

4.grapes

5.Piano Man

 

Afternoon trivia

1.Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway

2.Big

3.Anne Bancroft

4.Kathy Bates

5.John Carpenter

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

[bcnvcanada]

Safe travels.

[NotLikeBelleRosen,IHope]

You probably know this but please make sure you walk around on plane. These flights are too long to sit all 

of the time.

[Wehwalt]

That Hawaii question may be out of date. A lot of the sugar cane acreage was abandoned in 2017 as uncompetitive, and much of the pineapple acreage is gone.

 

Good luck on your voyage home, Kathi!

[Scrapnana]

I have a flight!

 

I leave Perth Sunday night, change planes in Sydney, fly to Dallas, change planes and on to Richmond.  I am scheduled to arrive in Richmond late on Monday.

[MamaFej]

I’m glad for you, Kathi! 
 

I heard from my aunt (in-law). She and Uncle J have a hotel for two nights in Perth, then a flight to Honolulu. She did not mention if they had a flight to the Big Island. 
 

Here’s hoping that you, they, and everyone else get home safely. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

3 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

I have a flight!

 

I leave Perth Sunday night, change planes in Sydney, fly to Dallas, change planes and on to Richmond.  I am scheduled to arrive in Richmond late on Monday.

 

Excellent!!

 

Wishing you safe travels home.

 

Loved your report -- saving trivia for later today.

[puppycanducruise]

Good news!

Have a safe flight home.

[Stratheden]

6 hours ago, MamaFej said:

I’m glad for you, Kathi! 
 

I heard from my aunt (in-law). She and Uncle J have a hotel for two nights in Perth, then a flight to Honolulu. She did not mention if they had a flight to the Big Island. 
 

Here’s hoping that you, they, and everyone else get home safely. 

I doubt they will be in a hotel.  I believe it will be ship to airport.  Nobody can stay anywhere else but the ship.  This was announced today by the Premier of Western Australia.

 

[Happily@Sea]

7 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

I have a flight!

 

I leave Perth Sunday night, change planes in Sydney, fly to Dallas, change planes and on to Richmond.  I am scheduled to arrive in Richmond late on Monday.

Kathi, 

 Best wishes on a smooth journey and connections, plus a healthy journey for all leaving the ships.

Carole

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Great news, Kathi. Safe flights home!!

[cat shepard]

Kathi, I am so glad this part of the stress is over for you! Hope everything goes smoothly & you can enjoy at least some of the next few days.

 

Ann

[RuthC]

Good news on the flights. Grueling flights, to be sure, but you will be home. 
Wishing you safe, germ-free, travels. 

[Scrapnana]

22 hours ago, bay guy said:

I didn't check airline specific sites but did check Kayak last night and fares from Perth to Dallas were averaging about $700 for coach. That is more than reasonable for that length of trip.

Plus I have to go from Dallas to Richmond which adds to the cost.  My flight in coach ended up at about $1225.

[Scrapnana]

2 hours ago, Stratheden said:

I doubt they will be in a hotel.  I believe it will be ship to airport.  Nobody can stay anywhere else but the ship.  This was announced today by the Premier of Western Australia.

 

They are allowing you to stay in a hotel if your flight time does not coordinate with the time that the immigration officials will be on duty.  See my next update.

[Scrapnana]

March 20, 2020

 

At Sea

 

Today was a “feast or famine” day.  At midnight I had no flight home and by 6:30 pm, I had two!  Once again, I woke up early – just after 4 am.  I had left my computer on when I went to bed, so I logged in to see if I had received an e-mail from my travel agent.  Two had come in.  In the first she was still looking and in the second she had a confirmed and paid for flight.  I take the red-eye from Perth to Sydney on Sunday night, then fly to Dallas mid-day on Monday arriving mid-day Monday in Dallas.  Then from Dallas to Richmond arriving just after 10 pm.

 

I went by Guest Services just after lunch to let them know I had a flight.  However, I did not do it fast enough because when I returned from dinner, HAL had arranged a flight for me.  It was very similar (the Sydney-Dallas and Dallas-Richmond parts were the same but the flight to Sydney was early in the morning with only an hour between arrival and departure in Sydney). 

 

Once I had confirmation at 4:30 I still could not get back to sleep so I took half an Ambien and slept until just after 9.

 

We only had a handful for Sit and Stitch. 

 

In our last morning trivia we had 9 out of 15.  The winners had 11.

 

1.What creature has its heart in its head?

2.What band had members Roger, Andy, and John Taylor?

3.How many digits in 10 to the 100^th power?

4.Where in Scotland would you find the ship Discovery?

5.Burning potassium produces what color flame?

 

I did some more packing before lunch.  I went to lunch early because there was no Arts & Crafts today.  Sherita sat with me and later Janet and Judy (Margaret) came by and we talked for a while.  As we were leaving the Lido a medical emergency announcement was made.

 

Sherita and I then went to see the crew show.  Because of the abbreviated cruise, the Filipino and Indonesian shows were combined.  As usual, the crew did a fantastic job.

 

Captain Mercer made an announcement that we had changed course because the person with the medical emergency had to be airlifted to a hospital.

 

Back for more packing and then changed for dinner because I was eating early with my other table.   Then up to the Crow’s Nest for trivia.  We had 18 out of 23 and the winners had 21.

1.What city in the Bible is known as the city of David?

2.What does a lungless salamander keep moist so it can breathe?

3.What company made the first Jeep in 1943?

4.What was the name of Hitler’s dog?

5.What was the first international airline to fly to New Zealand?

We watched for the helicopter in the Crow’s Nest after trivia but it did not come before I had to leave for dinner.

 

With the help of a dinner companion, we emptied my last bottle of wine in my package.  During dinner there was a nice tribute to Captain Mercer (this is his last cruise before retirement – what a way to go).  One of the passengers, Jeri, put new lyrics to a couple of songs for the captain.  Everyone toasted Captain Mercer with wine provided by the ship (I used my Muscato).

 

Shortly afterwards the announcement was made that there could be no people out on an open deck, on their balconies, or even in the Crow’s Nest while the helicopter was near the ship.  We saw it fly by a couple of times while in the dining room.

 

When I returned to my cabin before heading to The Mainstage, I found the information for the second flight.  I took it with me so I could go to Guest Services (along with half the ship) after the show.  Tonight was a variety show with the Shamrock Tenors and Chantelle Delaney.

 

Sherita had finally gotten her flight but had a problem with it so we stood in line together.  The line went fairly quickly because besides the people behind the desk they also had some of the exc people helping out.  I was able to have my second flight cancelled easily but when I returned to my cabin, I found another letter saying that a room had been reserved for me at a hotel because of the 5 am flight they had booked.  So, back to Guest Services to get that cancelled.

 

We were supposed to get into Fremantle early tomorrow but not sure if our medical detour may make that a little later.

 

Morning trivia

1.shrimp

2.Duran Duran (thanks, Betsy!)

3.101

4.Dundee

5.purple

 

Afternoon trivia

1.Jerusalem

2.its skin

3.Willis

4.Blondie

5.PanAm

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sure hope there are not going to be any more changes in your flights.

 

Saving the last trivia questions for this afternoon.

[puppycanducruise]

Hope those flights work out and don't get changed again.

 

[AncientWanderer]

Gosh...so much commotion for guests, crew, staff!  This is really one for the record books.

I can't wait till we start hearing that people are home safe and sound.

Safe travels!