Princess halts global operations for 60 days

[Aus Traveller]

20 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I checked this morning, not that I am going, but the 12 May Worldie is not sold out now.  But no price reductions !!  A lot of CC'ers on here booked on it.  Time will tell if it is a goer or a whoa.🤨

 

I am booked on a segment of the WC, but have reluctantly decided I have to cancel. I estimate that more than a hundred members of CC were booked on it, but the last list of cancellations as at a few days ago had more than 40 people on it. That didn't include me at this stage. 

 

Because the segment I have booked (from 2nd July) isn't included in the generous cancellation policy announced by Princess, my TA suggested I wait a bit longer before cancelling. As she said, things are changing every day.

 

The WC has gone from sold out many months ago, to now having a lot of vacant cabins. Yesterday I received an emailed offer of the cruise segment from New York to Sydney with flights and hotel in NYC at a great price. But, who would book this? It would mean sitting in an economy seat on flights to NYC, then spending days in the city that is nearly in lock-down before boarding a ship that has been to many countries that have a much higher rate of infection than Australia.

 

With several countries now closed to cruise ships and Princess probably very wary of having another ship going into quarantine, they may decide to cancel the WC entirely.

[SinbadThePorter]

So am I right in thinking that while Princess has shut down for 60 days, all other cruise lines have shut down for 30 days?

 

No more cruising anywhere until the middle of April.

[MMDown Under]

4 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I can't see how the World Cruise can go ahead. Several countries have closed their ports to cruise ships including Asian ports, Italy and Norway. USA is closed temporarily to visitors from Europe: that would include the WC. Canada is closed to cruise ship visits until 1st July. If this is extended it would prevent the Sea Princess visiting Halifax in late July.

 

I feel the international situation with the spread of the virus and countries restricting visits, is going to get worse before it gets better (I know, a cliche).

I agree, commencing a World Cruise in the current environment is irresponsible.  MSG Magnifica currently on a World Cruise is in Hobart.  Passengers are not allowed to reboard the ship, if they get off in Hobart.  The whole of Tasmania has only five cases of positive tested cases of the virus!  This is not the time to be possibly quarantined on a ship overseas.  Countries like Denmark, Norway and Canada are requesting their people return home from overseas!  

[dillpickle48]

Holland America is cancelling all cruises for 30 days.  Amsterdam ends its world cruise in Fremantle, Maasdam ends its cruise in Hawaii and Noordam will not begin its next cruise in NewZealand.

 

Royal has cancelled all US based cruises.

[MMDown Under]

9 minutes ago, dillpickle48 said:

Holland America is cancelling all cruises for 30 days.  Amsterdam ends its world cruise in Fremantle, Maasdam ends its cruise in Hawaii and Noordam will not begin its next cruise in NewZealand.

 

Royal has cancelled all US based cruises.

All good reasons why a World Cruise shouldn't commence from Australia on 12/5.  Maybe it could be postponed until later in the year, when passengers will be in a better informed position to made decisions re committing to a world cruise. 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

8 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

All good reasons why a World Cruise shouldn't commence from Australia on 12/5.  Maybe it could be postponed until later in the year, when passengers will be in a better informed position to made decisions re committing to a world cruise. 

That would be difficult. Planning re supplies and provisioning would be well underway if not finalised....

[MMDown Under]

2 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

That would be difficult. Planning re supplies and provisioning would be well underway if not finalised....

FWIW I don't think the World Cruise will go ahead.

I just heard the NZ PM announcing no cruise ships to NZ until 30/6.  She also announced all returning Kiwis to NZ will have to self isolate for a fortnight. 

[boeckli]

39 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

FWIW I don't think the World Cruise will go ahead.

I just heard the NZ PM announcing no cruise ships to NZ until 30/6.  She also announced all returning Kiwis to NZ will have to self isolate for a fortnight. 

 

Not only returning Kiwis by all arrivals to NZ.

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, boeckli said:

 

Not only returning Kiwis by all arrivals to NZ.

Yeah, My son has a wedding in April which now will have to be canned as well.

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, boeckli said:

 

Not only returning Kiwis by all arrivals to NZ.

Yes, I understood that would be the case.  However, the NZ Prime Minister's announcement, which I watched live just talked about Kiwis, excluding people from South Pacific Islands, returning to NZ.  I guess self isolation for visitors for a fortnight will reduce the number of visitors, unless they have friends in NZ.

[NSWP]

On 3/14/2020 at 3:08 PM, MMDown Under said:

All good reasons why a World Cruise shouldn't commence from Australia on 12/5.  Maybe it could be postponed until later in the year, when passengers will be in a better informed position to made decisions re committing to a world cruise. 

Not practical to reschedule the Sea Princess Worldie until later in the year, that would have them in the northern winter which is not nice for sea travel, big seas, winds, cold temperatures, many attractions shut down for the winter etc.

 

[MMDown Under]

8 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Not practical to reschedule the Sea Princess Worldie until later in the year, that would have them in the northern winter which is not nice for sea travel, big seas, winds, cold temperatures, many attractions shut down for the winter etc.

 

Would a Southern Hemisphere World Cruise be a possibility later in the year?

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, MMDown Under said:

Would a Southern Hemisphere World Cruise be a possibility later in the year?

From Australia to South America and then South Africa? A novel idea. However, the ships all have itineraries already planned and bookings in place for the rest of the year.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

From Australia to South America and then South Africa? A novel idea. However, the ships all have itineraries already planned and bookings in place for the rest of the year.

Sea Princess in lieu of 12/5 WC.

Edited March 15, 2020 by MMDown Under