2020 GWV cancelled

[puppycanducruise]

So sorry to hear this.

Thank you for sharing your adventure with us.  It's sad it ended this way.

Safe home.

[kazu]

Oh dear Kathy & Bob, so sorry to here this.

This is horrific.  Flying from Australia is one long flight.  I did it when I was younger.

 

I think the agreement to suspend cruising for 30 days may be what is preventing you from staying on board and just sailing to FLL but that would certainly make sense if it’s possible.

 

What a nightmare for you all.  I hope things go as smoothly as possible for you all.  Stay safe and healthy and remember all the good times and memories that you have to cherish.

 

 

[Kindergirl]

Please keep fighting! Elderly passengers’ safety is at risk. I’ve spent a lot of time researching covid from a lay person’s perspective and I am sure people are getting sick from airports and airplanes. If HAL really cares about its passengers, a 14 day cruise with no stops is the way to go. That way everyone would at least have a chance to get home and get in isolation. Let me know if I can help from a distance by calling or writing to someone. Anyone know Orlando Ashford’s cell number?

[1ANGELCAT]

Kathi, Sherita and Snort and the rest of the lovely people onboard that I’ve had the privilege of following on this voyage I wish you all safe and speedy travel home. Stay well.

[Roz]

I am so sorry your World cruise was interrupted.  What a disappointment.  For a lot of people this is a once in a lifetime experience that they won't have the opportunity to do again.  

 

From a health standpoint, I don't get the logic behind debarking passengers and forcing them into crowded metal tubes with recirculated air for flights that are 20+ hrs. for most people.  But logic isn't factoring into a lot of these decisions.

 

Safe travels.

[richwmn]

Unfortunately we have no way of knowing the negotiations that took place to get all the cruise lines to take a 30 day pause. It may be, as Kazu stated, that all the cruise lines had to get passengers off as quickly as possible. However, Rotterdam is not discharging passengers until the 27th, and that would have given Amsterdam time to get a lot closer to the USA.

 

[cat shepard]

Kathi, I add my sympathies. Hope the trip home is as painless as possible. 
 

 

[Kindergirl]

I tweeted Orlando Ashford. 

[Wehwalt]

18 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Unfortunately we have no way of knowing the negotiations that took place to get all the cruise lines to take a 30 day pause. It may be, as Kazu stated, that all the cruise lines had to get passengers off as quickly as possible. However, Rotterdam is not discharging passengers until the 27th, and that would have given Amsterdam time to get a lot closer to the USA.

 

Perhaps they considered that but no place with sufficient facilities would guarantee permission so far in advance in these times. 

[richwmn]

9 minutes ago, Wehwalt said:

Perhaps they considered that but no place with sufficient facilities would guarantee permission so far in advance in these times. 

I've been thinking about that since I last posted. Lots of things to consider that we can't even conceive of.

[Scrapnana]

Lots of talk onboard.  Quite a few signatures on the petition to stay onboard with no ports (my #1 choice).  Also there has been a lot of speculation about HAL chartering a few planes to get us back home.

 

We received this notice this evening.

w

 

Many of you know Dolly who lives onboard virtually all the time.  No idea what they will do with her and the others in their 80s and 90s who don't usually fly. 

[puppycanducruise]

Good luck to everyone.

Safe home.

[3rdGenCunarder]

53 minutes ago, richwmn said:

I've been thinking about that since I last posted. Lots of things to consider that we can't even conceive of.

 

It's possible HAL doesn't intend to sail the ship back to the US right away, so staying on wouldn't be an option. If they can find a place to dock or anchor in/near Australia, they will save all that fuel.

 

Good luck and safe travels home to all!

[richwmn]

5 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

It's possible HAL doesn't intend to sail the ship back to the US right away, so staying on wouldn't be an option. If they can find a place to dock or anchor in/near Australia, they will save all that fuel.

 

Good luck and safe travels home to all!

It will be interesting to see where Amsterdam goes. The World Cruise wasn't expected to end until May 12th in Fort Lauderdale. Holland may try to set up an additional itinerary or itineraries between April 14th and then, or may leave the ship idle until the next scheduled cruise. Who knows?

 

[Scrapnana]

6 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

It's possible HAL doesn't intend to sail the ship back to the US right away, so staying on wouldn't be an option. If they can find a place to dock or anchor in/near Australia, they will save all that fuel.

 

Good luck and safe travels home to all!

She is due in drydock in Freeport on May 12 and will be doing (hopefully) New England/Canada this summer so she will have to come back at some point.

[Happily@Sea]

Kathi, Best wishes for whatever happens. Hopefully you can cruise home - if possible. 

 

Carole

 

I agree with others about the airplanes - it seems to be where most people are getting sick. Or maybe they are the only ones giving reports and the news is focussing on them. 

[Kindergirl]

Covid 19 is so new we know little about it, but researchers in China have discovered that it can live aerosolized for three hours and can live on surfaces for days. Planes and airports with international travel then, make total sense as spreading points. 

[cunnorl]

So disappointing! I have really enjoyed following you along. Safe travels and we all look forward to the next one!

[Tampa Girl]

8 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Thank you for sharing your WC adventure.  I hope you enjoy the rest of your voyage to Fremantle and you have a safe journey home. 

What an end to the Captain's last cruise.  I enjoy his blog also, which gives a different perspective of behind the scenes of a WC.

 

Can you give us the site for the Captain's blog, please?

 

Kathi, I am so very sorry for this outcome.  Obviously we had all hoped that the ship would at least sail to FLL, thus avoiding the long plane flight home.  We can hope that HAL adequately compensates you for this unfortunate ending of most of the passengers have considered to be their "one-time cruise."

[Kindergirl]

If passengers really want to cruise home, have your friends and family post on social media tagging HAL and demand it. They are putting you at a massively increased risk. You are about as safe as you can be right now, and will be at about as most at risk as possible by making you fly home. 
Post on their Facebook page, tweet them, you definitely have the ability to make it happen. I’m trying to help from here. 

[Kindergirl]

@Tampa Girl the link to the blog is http://captainjonathan.com

[Kindergirl]

There is another good blog here https://www.theinsidecabin.com

that has links to other GWV blogs. 

[SumoCitrus]

2 hours ago, Kindergirl said:

I tweeted Orlando Ashford. 

 

I'm sure he'll drop everything and give your tweet the careful consideration it deserves... 

 

They are dealing with an industry-changing disaster. Give them room to work.

[Kindergirl]

@SumoCitrus we are all dealing with a disaster far bigger than the cruise industry. And I know my problem isn’t the biggest, but I love my parents and want them to get home safely. 
I think we all need to pressure HAL to return the guests to Florida, and we can’t really wait until the cruise industry gets sorted out to do so. 
Having said all that, he hasn’t tweeted on the account I used for years, so our conversation is really moot. 

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

It's possible HAL doesn't intend to sail the ship back to the US right away, so staying on wouldn't be an option. If they can find a place to dock or anchor in/near Australia, they will save all that fuel.

 

Good luck and safe travels home to all!

 

 

Agreed! HAL is not necessarily going to sail Amsterdam back to FLL/Port Everglades. First of all, think of all the cruise ships in their various positions around the world at this time. First order of business, actually second order of business after disembarking their pax, is to find a location to "hang out" and then "ride out" this COVID-19 storm/wait for it to subside. That means not all cruise ships will go back to their embarkation/winter home ports. Those ports are still active ports where life continues for commercial and private traffic. Empty cruise ships will not necessarily be allowed to take up valuable (and costly) berth space. It will be interesting to see where the cruise ships will go - Nieuw A in FLL today will give us some idea - Stay safe out there!