Will Celebrity return to Asia in Fall 2020?

[junglejane]

What are your thoughts: will Celebrity return to Asia this Fall? I know I'm asking for speculation. But since I've got a Best of Japan cruise booked on the Millenium for Oct. 11, I'm naturally curious and a bit anxious. Both Millenium and Eclipse have Asia itineraries in the Fall. Any thoughts on what will happen? Our final payment is due in July. 

[markeb]

Honestly, who knows. COVID-19 could stop circulating in the next couple of months, like SARS and MERS before. It could be that there were seasonal changes in behavior, co-infections, etc., that made it more readily transmitted in the fall and winter, and those could come back. We are still in the early, incomplete and potentially inaccurate information phase, where authorities are having to act on that incomplete and potentially inaccurate information to control the outbreak.

 

By July, there will likely be a clearer picture. Whether that picture is favorable to Asian cruises this fall won't be known until then, in all probability. 

[Northern Aurora]

In September we are scheduled for the Eclipse B2B (trans-Pacific followed by a second leg into Singapore).   While I also feel it is too early to speculate on the situation I also doubt that the ships will be deployed into the Asian market until there is some clarity and certainty that the cruises can actually occur.  I also suspect we will have greater insight in July or early August.

[junglejane]

I too expect we'll know a lot more by July. 

[chrismakris]

It is so hard to say with such a situation as COVID-19. We are scheduled to be on the Eclipse in Australia in December.
 

Her previous cruise leaves from Singapore and the one before that does SE Asia. 
 

We’ve decided that we are looking into alternatives in case we cannot board the ship because of some sort of outbreak(highly unlikely, but......)

 

My non expert/highly unlikely guess If Eclipse is redeployed from Asia is that she will do a couple of Pacific coastals followed by a cross pacific to Hawaii and then a South Pacific to Australia. 
 

my guess for you would be that if Millie is redeployed it will be to somewhere she already is or to where she is going after she is done with Asia. 

[SHIP TRAVELER]

We are on the MillieTrans Pacific from Vancouver to Yokohama in September 2020.  Our final payment date is June so hopefully the picture will be  better well before July.

Edited February 19, 2020 by SHIP TRAVELER

[little britain]

Given that they pulled the Constellation Asian 20/21itineraries months and months ago well before this flu started, it seems like they don't want to have much Asian presence.

They also pulled RCI Dubai itineraries for next year last December.

[Jim_Iain]

I'm also booked on 4 cruises on Eclipse starting in Late November and then re-positing to Australia.   I plan on playing it by ear.    IMHO what happens would be like any of us trying to figure out how severe the Flu Season will be next year.  

 

I have booked my Air via Flights by Celebrity and is fully refundable up to final payment then only $200 to cancel reservation. 

[junglejane]

We booked our airfare using points, so if the cruise ends up being cancelled we'll have to pay a fee to American to cancel our flights and restore our points.

[az_tchr]

2 hours ago, chrismakris said:

It is so hard to say with such a situation as COVID-19. We are scheduled to be on the Eclipse in Australia in December.
 

Her previous cruise leaves from Singapore and the one before that does SE Asia. 
 

We’ve decided that we are looking into alternatives in case we cannot board the ship because of some sort of outbreak(highly unlikely, but......)

 

My non expert/highly unlikely guess If Eclipse is redeployed from Asia is that she will do a couple of Pacific coastals followed by a cross pacific to Hawaii and then a South Pacific to Australia. 
 

my guess for you would be that if Millie is redeployed it will be to somewhere she already is or to where she is going after she is done with Asia. 

Millenium already deployed to Pacific Coastal and Alaska. Could certainly to a transpacific to Australia via Japan but will certainly be a wait and see.

 

[chrismakris]

1 hour ago, az_tchr said:

Millenium already deployed to Pacific Coastal and Alaska. Could certainly to a transpacific to Australia via Japan but will certainly be a wait and see.

 

I can’t really see them putting a second ship in Australia.  It looks like our cruise is having a tough time selling cabins.
 

 Who knows how many people might cancel those Australia cruises out of fear/precaution. 
 

I think they’ll send her down to the coast and do Mexico/Panama Canal cruises. 

[chrismakris]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I'm also booked on 4 cruises on Eclipse starting in Late November and then re-positing to Australia.   I plan on playing it by ear.    IMHO what happens would be like any of us trying to figure out how severe the Flu Season will be next year.  

 

I have booked my Air via Flights by Celebrity and is fully refundable up to final payment then only $200 to cancel reservation. 

Hey Jim. 

Definitely playing by ear as well but for a trip that we’re going to take maybe only once in our lifetime gotta have a backup plan just in case.
 

We’re currently slated to spend 3 days in Singapore before we head to Australia for a week before the cruise.  Would Australia ban people coming from Singapore if there’s an outbreak there?  Maybe, but I’m not waiting until 2 months before the cruise to start planning that out. 

 

I’m sure the Australia cruise will go ahead. 
 

I’m guessing they let those Asian cruises know by mid/late July.  I’m guessing they’re going to need at least 2 months to try and sell as many cabins as possible. 

[junglejane]

18 hours ago, chrismakris said:

I’m guessing they let those Asian cruises know by mid/late July.  I’m guessing they’re going to need at least 2 months to try and sell as many cabins as possible. 

This makes sense, although I'm hoping we get some clarity by June, at least as to the Millenium.

23 hours ago, SHIP TRAVELER said:

We are on the MillieTrans Pacific from Vancouver to Yokohama in September 2020.  Our final payment date is June so hopefully the picture will be  better well before July.

I'm not sure what outcome to wish for at this point (cancellation by X or not). It certainly seems like this virus will get a lot worse before it gets better. And people from all over the world will descend upon Tokyo for the Olympics.

[GeorgesGal]

On 2/19/2020 at 10:17 AM, SHIP TRAVELER said:

We are on the MillieTrans Pacific from Vancouver to Yokohama in September 2020.  Our final payment date is June so hopefully the picture will be  better well before July.

 

Ditto!  I'll be following worldometer.info which is tracking the virus in all countries reporting, Japan among them.  Currently there have been 94 cases reported with two deaths.  (their site was updated today, and does so daily.

[Jim_Iain]

20 hours ago, chrismakris said:

I can’t really see them putting a second ship in Australia.  It looks like our cruise is having a tough time selling cabins.
 

 Who knows how many people might cancel those Australia cruises out of fear/precaution. 
 

I think they’ll send her down to the coast and do Mexico/Panama Canal cruises. 

They already have 2 ships deployed to Australia through 2021 -  Solstice and Eclipse.    They may have to discount if fears cause cancellations and low bookings.   

[Jim_Iain]

20 hours ago, chrismakris said:

Hey Jim. 

Definitely playing by ear as well but for a trip that we’re going to take maybe only once in our lifetime gotta have a backup plan just in case.
 

We’re currently slated to spend 3 days in Singapore before we head to Australia for a week before the cruise.  Would Australia ban people coming from Singapore if there’s an outbreak there?  Maybe, but I’m not waiting until 2 months before the cruise to start planning that out. 

 

I’m sure the Australia cruise will go ahead. 
 

I’m guessing they let those Asian cruises know by mid/late July.  I’m guessing they’re going to need at least 2 months to try and sell as many cabins as possible. 

I'm not really that worried and always have backup plans in place.   We just have to keep our ears and mind open.

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, junglejane said:

This makes sense, although I'm hoping we get some clarity by June, at least as to the Millenium.

I'm not sure what outcome to wish for at this point (cancellation by X or not). It certainly seems like this virus will get a lot worse before it gets better. And people from all over the world will descend upon Tokyo for the Olympics.

We were talking about that last night.    The Olympics could be really interesting.    I'm sure they are working on it but could be messy if they were to ban Chinese Athletes. 

[XLVIII]

We have a Millennium cruise to Japan and China booked for November 2020. While that's still our preferred trip, we have just booked a back up trip to the Mediterranean just in case. I have no issue going to Asia if Celebrity returns this year, but I would also have to think that they will probably err on the side of caution when it comes to booking ports and deciding if people will return to the area so soon. My guess is that they will cancel the Asia itineraries by July, if not sooner. 

[GeorgesGal]

13 hours ago, XLVIII said:

  My guess is that they will cancel the Asia itineraries by July, if not sooner. 

 

I, for one, hope that it comes sometime in early June if they decide to cancel.  My final payment on the TP sailing - Vancouver to Tokyo - is due about June 13!  If I can't do that one, I won't be going to Asia, and ~X~ will most likely be offering substitute cruises to that area.

 

I am keeping an eye on new corona virus in Japan on a site called worldometer.info, and logging the numbers on a weekly basis.

 

Donna

 

[XLVIII]

57 minutes ago, GeorgesGal said:

 

I, for one, hope that it comes sometime in early June if they decide to cancel.  My final payment on the TP sailing - Vancouver to Tokyo - is due about June 13!  If I can't do that one, I won't be going to Asia, and ~X~ will most likely be offering substitute cruises to that area.

 

 

 

Yes, I would hope they would cancel before final payments become due on any of the cruises that are changed. We'll see.

[Baron Barracuda]

Cruise lines currently taking a big financial hit on cancelled Asia sailings.  Even if Covid-19 calms down fears will linger for both passengers and crew.  It only takes one sick passenger to put ship in Diamond Princess style quarantine.  Far safer to keep ships out of harms way for remainder of '20 and then reassess in '21.

[Cruise a holic]

We will not travel to Asia until the corona virus is better understood and under control. In fact we will stay on this side “of the pond”