Seabourn and the current issues surrounding the Corona Virus

[Astride]

5 hours ago, HappyFeet13 said:

I think their (smart!) strategy is to NOT cancel the cruises until the last minute. If Seabourn cancels the cruise, they have to refund all of our money. If WE cancel our reservations, we get their carefully-orchestrated FCC. They want as many people as possible to cancel and take an FCC before  Seabourn actually cancels the cruise. That is smart business on their part, as I'm sure they prefer issuing FCC's to sending back cash. I'm going to keep my 4-29 booking, and if Seabourn doesn't cancel the cruise, I will cancel my reservation and get an FCC on 4-24 or 4-25. 

I don't think it's a good idea to let SB know what you plan to do. They read Cruise Critic too & probably base some of their decisions on what you post on this board.

[westmount]

The day we all knew was coming came and went, and last night was the black and white ball and most passengers soldiered on and had a great time. This morning, the sun rose as it always does around here, and yes, I saw two ships out there, so we must be getting close to somewhere. 
we’re not sure at this stage what is goi g to happen now, but Broome is scheduled for tomorrow. 
there’s talk about going straight to Melbourne to make it easier to leave the country, but that is only pool talk, maybe we’ll stop in Perth and go on to Melbourne for those who can’t get flights from Perth etc. At least the Captains 12 o’clock reports come with real news on this cruise.

it doesn’t seem logical that any cruises will be going anywhere in 30 days, but it would seem likely that a new schedule will be made with a couple of ships to start up again in the summer or early fall once things settle down , a test made easy and fast, and all precautions taken to protect crew and passengers.

As I mentioned, they won’t go out with empty ships, so those looking for $1000 Seabourn  owners suite cruises to use the fcc will probably be disappointed.

 If I had a cruise booked, I would keep it, your travel agent will find you, your room is reserved, etc, and when cruises get consolidated, you’ll at least be the first one taken care of. 
 The last 14 days has been quite a challenge, and we’re not in Broome yet, but the Seabourn staff made it wonderful for all of us, even though they have no clue what their future now holds. 
there’s always an ongoing stream of tipping topics discussions, this cruise has proven that it’s Seabourn screw that’s makes it great, so if you don’t think tipping is a thing to do, then contribute to the crew welfare fund, you can’t go wrong. 
 

[Paulchili]

13 minutes ago, westmount said:

Seabourn screw that’s makes it great

Freudian slip?😃

 

Edited March 14, 2020 by Paulchili

[Swaxxy]

As to the April 29 sailing which still has not been cancelled, I am sure they will have to cancel it. New Zealand has just issued the strictest policy of all. Anyone flying in has to self quarantine for 14 days. On top of that cruise ships have been asked not to visit any  NZ port until June 30. 

Edited March 14, 2020 by Swaxxy
Misspelling

[2SailingNomads]

I suspect cruises will be stopped for much more than 30 days.  While statistically the number of infected people in China vs. total population - even if you triple the number of people they claim were infected, I'll leave it to you to do the calculations  240000 / 1.4+ billion (# reported was just over 80,000) - was low.  They did a good job of isolation to prevent a majority of the population from being infected.  On the other hand other countries have either been late to react (US in particular) or have not been as aggressive, and it took more than 30 days for China to contain it.  And that assumes it really is contained.

 

Too many countries will want to be more careful and keep their restrictions in place for more than 30 days.  I doubt very much there will be any cruises in the Med until late summer at best.  But who knows.

[rols]

4 hours ago, Swaxxy said:

As to the April 29 sailing which still has not been cancelled, I am sure they will have to cancel it. New Zealand has just issued the strictest policy of all. Anyone flying in has to self quarantine for 14 days. On top of that cruise ships have been asked not to visit any  NZ port until June 30. 

Australia just followed suit, anyone entering Australia now has to self-quarantine for 14 days. 

[teamflames]

10 minutes ago, rols said:

Australia just followed suit, anyone entering Australia now has to self-quarantine for 14 days. 

Yep and cruise ships will be banned from foreign waters

[zimflyer]

Still amazed at this company and it's absolute failure in communication.

 

It took 10 + days to get a brief reply to my queries, advising me too bad, they are too busy.... fair enough, but would it not have been easier on us and all their staff to have a policy...say:  

 

"communicate by email only, we will acknowledge and give you reference number and be back to you within x days. ONLY if urgent and if your cruise is within 7days, then phone us..."

Nope  so we all get frustrated, poor show.

 

Re the cancellations, our Sojourn March 22 is cancrlled on the website, but as passengers we have had NO EMAIL FROM SEABOURN 48 hours after announced.

 

We are now faced with cancellation fees on our "new" hotels and air bookings... not SB fault, but , gee wouldnt be nice to have someone contact us...?

 

Hopeless is no excuse when you portray a corporate image of "best of the best."

 

Someone in charge of communication and customer care policy planning in time of extreme events should be shown the door...

[Joc123]

Surely they will let Sojourn dock in Broome - it must be the safest place on the planet right now!

After that, who knows. Broome has a reasonable airport considering where it is and the size of community if you want to give up and get home via Perth as soon as possible.

[zimflyer]

4 minutes ago, Joc123 said:

Surely they will let Sojourn dock in Broome - it must be the safest place on the planet right now!

After that, who knows. Broome has a reasonable airport considering where it is and the size of community if you want to give up and get home via Perth as soon as possible.

If 14 days self-quarantine for overseas arrivals into Australia from midnight is not an issue... 

 

I hope and pray that is not the case, but fear it may start at midnight tonite.

This has been an awful period for travellers and suppliers but in comparison to future issues and difficulties  likely to be caused by covid19, I think we may be getting off lightly at moment.

Edited March 15, 2020 by zimflyer
Missed text

[teamflames]

18 minutes ago, zimflyer said:

If 14 days self-quarantine for overseas arrivals into Australia from midnight is not an issue... 

 

I hope and pray that is not the case, but fear it may start at midnight tonite.

This has been an awful period for travellers and suppliers but in comparison to future issues and difficulties  likely to be caused by covid19, I think we may be getting off lightly at moment.

The PM said cruise ships and banned from docking didn’t he?

[Catlover54]

Pardon the cross-posting of this link from my Encore thread.  It is not entirely clear what this announcement means in the short run for people and ships who have not been to the four key hot zones within the last 14 days, as there is a specific discussion about them.

We will know soon.  

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0315/1123334-coronavirus-world/

[tv24]

2 hours ago, rols said:

Australia just followed suit, anyone entering Australia now has to self-quarantine for 14 days. 

Yes we have 2 friends from Sydney who are returning on a Silver Seas cruise and they have been told they have to self-quarantine.  Inconvenient, and I guess they just hit a bad time to cruise.

[florisdekort]

Was told on Encore just now that upon arrival and disembarkation in Sydney March 22, she will depart straight for Athens, 22 sea days, where she will then go into dry dock, to make the most of this period of unexpected downtime. 

[rols]

44 minutes ago, florisdekort said:

Was told on Encore just now that upon arrival and disembarkation in Sydney March 22, she will depart straight for Athens, 22 sea days, where she will then go into dry dock, to make the most of this period of unexpected downtime. 

How are they going to disembark in Sydney at all when Australia just banned all cruise ships from docking for the next 30 days? 

[teamflames]

7 minutes ago, rols said:

How are they going to disembark in Sydney at all when Australia just banned all cruise ships from docking for the next 30 days? 

I read somewhere else that ships that embarked and end in Australia are allowed to return. I was under the impression that ships were returning immediately and not completing itineraries which is different to what the op mentioned.

[Two4Sea]

The phrase in the press was "ban cruise ships from foreign ports".

Bill

[westmount]

Hi everyone.  14 days ago, we changed course for Australia and could almost see Broome 200 miles away when we heard the news that The government. Decided no cruise ships for 30 days. We have 45 Aussies on board ( passengers) plus us Canadians , Americans etc, who are in great health so far while all around us burns. 
 I don’t believe it was proper for the Aussies to ban cruise ships who they knew were coming a long way from troubled ports and waters to keep everyone safe. 
  Let’s hope somewhere in the next 24 hours they figure out something, as I doubt they really want Healthy passengers waiving flags from decks looking for a way home. Of course, once we get off, we need to find flights home, as it’s rather difficult making flight changes while locked at sea, so if anyone at Seabourn happens to read my plea for a little help, we could use it about now. 
everyone has been wonderful on board, and no one really wanted to get off in Broome, thinking we don’t want their germs, they don’t want ours, we want to keep our distance, stay healthy and move on. 
   I don’t really know how many people are still on cruise ships , especially around Australia, New Zealand, but it would be nice if someone thought through their plan of banning cruise ships 6000 miles from any port that could take us. 
onto other subjects, we seem to be pretty low in potatoe chips, so the crowd is starting to get restless. If the Grey Goose does the same, then the fights begin, and we hope that doesn’t occur. 
tonight is Patio night for dinner, and now that we’ve changed course on our way to Perth, the sun now set on the front right of the ship for the first time in two weeks, progress is being made. 
let’s hope rational, practical people can get something done, we are not the health issue. 
good luck to all, and to Seabourn, please send in the A Team, we could use them right about now. 
 

[Isklaar]

32 minutes ago, westmount said:

Hi everyone.  14 days ago, we changed course for Australia and could almost see Broome 200 miles away when we heard the news that The government. Decided no cruise ships for 30 days. We have 45 Aussies on board ( passengers) plus us Canadians , Americans etc, who are in great health so far while all around us burns. 
 I don’t believe it was proper for the Aussies to ban cruise ships who they knew were coming a long way from troubled ports and waters to keep everyone safe. 
  Let’s hope somewhere in the next 24 hours they figure out something, as I doubt they really want Healthy passengers waiving flags from decks looking for a way home. Of course, once we get off, we need to find flights home, as it’s rather difficult making flight changes while locked at sea, so if anyone at Seabourn happens to read my plea for a little help, we could use it about now. 
everyone has been wonderful on board, and no one really wanted to get off in Broome, thinking we don’t want their germs, they don’t want ours, we want to keep our distance, stay healthy and move on. 
   I don’t really know how many people are still on cruise ships , especially around Australia, New Zealand, but it would be nice if someone thought through their plan of banning cruise ships 6000 miles from any port that could take us. 
onto other subjects, we seem to be pretty low in potatoe chips, so the crowd is starting to get restless. If the Grey Goose does the same, then the fights begin, and we hope that doesn’t occur. 
tonight is Patio night for dinner, and now that we’ve changed course on our way to Perth, the sun now set on the front right of the ship for the first time in two weeks, progress is being made. 
let’s hope rational, practical people can get something done, we are not the health issue. 
good luck to all, and to Seabourn, please send in the A Team, we could use them right about now. 
 

 

Best wishes to you all westmount. 

[SLSD]

44 minutes ago, westmount said:

 
  Let’s hope somewhere in the next 24 hours they figure out something, as I doubt they really want Healthy passengers waiving flags from decks looking for a way home. Of course, once we get off, we need to find flights home, as it’s rather difficult making flight changes while locked at sea, so if anyone at Seabourn happens to read my plea for a little help, we could use it about now. 

Thank you for the on the scene report Westmount.  I do hope accommodations are made for the passengers and you all receive help getting home.  I did read that U. S. airports are a madhouse and I assume that Canadians airports are much the same.  There is no one untouched by this public health catastrophe.

[teamflames]

Has there been any announcement onboard Westmount?

are the Australian authorities going to let you dock? Not sure where they expect you to go.

Will be interesting if they let you fly straight out or impose the new 14 day isolation policy

[westmount]

We do hope to get more information tomorrow, and given our what will be 17 day quarantine by the ti e we get to Perth, there is no reason not to let us off nor additional quarantine, 

 I gather if other ships came from somewhere else that took on people, I get it they might want 14 days until docking, but we have earned our stripes. 
as far as bedlam is concerned, let’s say in places like Chicago, one would presume that no thought was put into the announced 24 hours of notice travel ban to America, enhanced controls etc without bringing in additional staff etc. I believe the wisdom of Yoda that The US President attempts to emulate does not always work in practical terms, but at least he got rid of the foreigners bringing in the virus , save for those stuck in an eight hour line breathing onto each other, but then this was about health and safety and not politics. 
  Lastly, giant prawns tonight on the patio, with a little spicy rigatoni azurro to go with the 12 hour braised short rib. 
the show must go on as they say, but we would all like to go home, home wants us, Australia doesn’t , I gather a prisoner swap between nations is what’s going on now, but it’s getting ugly as it’s every man for himself. 
  I’m not a doctor, nor scientist, but there seems to be a lot of panic going on when it would seem that protection of our seniors is most important, so why not isolate for a couple of weeks those at risk and maybe allow life to return  and the virus to spread its natural course, 

  Has anyone considered what everyone is supposed to do when the 14 days is up? 
 We are experts in 14 days of quarantine, and our situation does not seemed to have improved that greatly. 
the real funny thing is most on the ship could get $100000 FCC about now, not sure we plan to use it so quickly. 
good luck with those guys trying out Virgin Galactica 

[Chairsin]

Westmount I really feel for you and the latest unfortunate turn of events. You have done an amazing job of keeping up a good attitude in circumstances that would get to even the most optimistic person. And now, just when you had the end in sight this is a cruel blow.  Being a bit cheeky I think Sojourn should be renamed the Flying Dutchman. 

[germanshep]

Dear Westmont:
 
No, Sojourn cannot land anywhere in Australia, Foreign cruise liners will also be banned from docking in Australia for 30 days. Also, Australia's prime minister has ordered a 14-day self-isolation for anyone arriving in the country to try to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
 
Read this:
Coronavirus: Australia orders all arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51894322
 
Where is the Sojourn going to land next?
 

 

[NoVa Mimi]

We just returned from the Odyssey. Our cruise was cut short by one week. All passengers had to disembark in Barbados. Many of the crew are being sent  home as well. Not certain where the ship will go from Barbados but it will not be staying in the Caribbean to finish the last weeks of the season. It was handled very poorly onboard from a passenger stand point. Notified at 9:30 pm that we had to disembark the following morning.