2020 GWV cancelled

[dillpickle48]

I hope so too and then passengers could fly home.  Hope they all get home safely.

[Scrapnana]

11 hours ago, shebag said:

This perk is only for cruisers in certain caregories and also only from the US and Canada.  Doesnt apply to cruisers from other countries do not sure of the logistics in getting all that luggage all the way back to North America, some ppl bring a lot of stuff

I know one person with 13 suitcases and know of another with 17.  That is one of the problems if they send us home by plane.

[summer slope]

12 hours ago, mame42 said:

I am with you, Bob.  Makes more sense than current plan.  After all, HAL is sending the Rotterdam home, not arriving until 27 March.

We have to get off today in Puerto Vallarta. Find our own way home. 

[MAVIP]

15 minutes ago, Scrapnana said:

I know one person with 13 suitcases and know of another with 17.  That is one of the problems if they send us home by plane.

Might be a possibility to ship it back by freighter. Takes a while to arrive. HAL agent must be able to arrange something.

[3rdGenCunarder]

7 minutes ago, summer slope said:

We have to get off today in Puerto Vallarta. Find our own way home. 

 

HAL isn't helping in any way with arrangements? I know they probably won't pay for flights home, but there's nobody to help you figure this out? I hope everyone gets home quickly and in good health. 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

9 hours ago, Lady Chew said:

 

Unfortunately, this is not necessarily the case.  We were on last year's GWV and were astounded at how many elderly people were on board who were incapable of getting off the ship because of various disabilities/illnesses.  Many of them were very delightful people and we enjoyed their company at various activities, but we had to wonder why they were even on such a long journey, especially those who were unable to get home on their own if needed.   We even asked one of our favorites, and she said "so that I will be waited on all the time"

 

A cruise around the world goes to many places with substandard medical/health care & facilities … many of them are very far away from home for everyone … and there are never any guarantees on cruises that you won't have to disembark somewhere other than the original disembarkation port.

 

Based on what happened with the Diamond Princess, I'm sure that HAL does not want to have the same outcome.  There are many elderly people on board with fragile health who would be severely impacted by the coronavirus.   If there are any issues, you are better off in Australia than you would be on board a ship for an unspecified amount of time.  

 

I'm sure many of you will be unhappy with this post, but this is the reality.

 

This may have been hard to write, but you wrote it well and I agree.

 

I remember doing the first segment of QE2's world cruise 15 years ago. We wondered about the fitness of some of the older passengers for such a long trip. As long as all goes well, you are well cared for. But you have to be able to manage your situation when things go south. I want to keep traveling as long as I can. But if I reach the point where health or mental acuity make it difficult or impossible for me to manage my own needs in a changing situation, I will accept that I will have to travel with a carer or stay home. 

[summer slope]

8 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

HAL isn't helping in any way with arrangements? I know they probably won't pay for flights home, but there's nobody to help you figure this out? I hope everyone gets home quickly and in good health. 

 

We got a hotel room and flights home. It wasn’t a problem for us.

[ger_77]

3 minutes ago, summer slope said:

We got a hotel room and flights home. It wasn’t a problem for us.

Glad to hear it wasn't an issue for you - hopefully others will be as fortunate.  Stay well.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

[kazu]

21 minutes ago, summer slope said:

We got a hotel room and flights home. It wasn’t a problem for us.

 

Good to hear.  

[cat shepard]

25 minutes ago, summer slope said:

We got a hotel room and flights home. It wasn’t a problem for us.

Sorry to hear this. Another passenger said that although they made their own arrangements, HAL was reimbursing them. I wonder what they were treated differently?

[summer slope]

34 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

Sorry to hear this. Another passenger said that although they made their own arrangements, HAL was reimbursing them. I wonder what they were treated differently?

We have a form for reimbursment.  Will fill it out when we have all the receipts.

[cat shepard]

14 minutes ago, summer slope said:

We have a form for reimbursment.  Will fill it out when we have all the receipts.

Thank you for clarifying. I misunderstood your original message. Safe travels & stay healthy.

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

I know one person with 13 suitcases and know of another with 17.  That is one of the problems if they send us home by plane.

That's not an uncommon amount of luggage for World Cruisers. I watched as porter after porter loaded up the carriers in the terminal in Ft. Lauderdale after last year's World Cruise. I sat there unable to get help with my one suitcase, and there wasn't room for it on any of the ones that were already too full. 

Considering the length of this year's itinerary, which included Antarctica and ports along the equator, a large wardrobe would be expected. 

[Sea Birds]

Foreign cruise liners will also be banned from docking in Australia for 30 days.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51894322

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

This may have been hard to write, but you wrote it well and I agree.

 

I remember doing the first segment of QE2's world cruise 15 years ago. We wondered about the fitness of some of the older passengers for such a long trip. As long as all goes well, you are well cared for. But you have to be able to manage your situation when things go south. I want to keep traveling as long as I can. But if I reach the point where health or mental acuity make it difficult or impossible for me to manage my own needs in a changing situation, I will accept that I will have to travel with a carer or stay home. 

 

Agree -- that was very well put by Lady Chew. 

 

My own elderly parents cruised with HAL for years (never a world voyage, but they did do some segments through the years). However, after my mom was ill aboard a TA returning from Europe a few years back, they realized that they were getting beyond being able to manage for themselves IF life threw them a curve.  (Helped along in their decision by HAL's decision to ban smoking from balconies.)

 

I'm relieved that -- at ages 89 and 83 -- they decided to stop traveling on their own. Five years on, they are increasingly frail but still miss cruising terribly.

[3rdGenCunarder]

25 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Agree -- that was very well put by Lady Chew. 

 

My own elderly parents cruised with HAL for years (never a world voyage, but they did do some segments through the years). However, after my mom was ill aboard a TA returning from Europe a few years back, they realized that they were getting beyond being able to manage for themselves IF life threw them a curve.  (Helped along in their decision by HAL's decision to ban smoking from balconies.)

 

I'm relieved that -- at ages 89 and 83 -- they decided to stop traveling on their own. Five years on, they are increasingly frail but still miss cruising terribly.

 

It's a difficult too admit and accept that you're too old for something. People reach an age where they keep having to give up things they like to do. What a gift your parents gave you by accepting this!

 

[cruisemom42]

I just read on the Princess board that their world cruise is (or was) also planning to end at Fremantle. Interesting planning....

 

I wonder if there have been any changes to that plan announced?

 

[Rowsby]

On 3/13/2020 at 7:43 PM, Scrapnana said:

It's official.  We will be leaving the ship in Freemantle.  No word yet on the logistics.

 

Roy is in Perth on the Queen Mary 2....and it sounds like it is the end of their cruise too...........

[Tampa Girl]

18 hours ago, prescottbob said:

Since we’re dealing with ‘theoretical’ alternatives we should kick in a reverse trip back.

Fill ‘er up in Fremantle, top off in Auckland, perhaps make it to Honolulu for a refill(& drop some pax off: bigger airport), top off at San Diego (and again drop some folks off) and the thru the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale.

Just a wild thought.

Be well.

Bob

 

 

Assuming, one, that FLL and the other ports de not close not close to cruise ships who have traveled to X, Y, and Z.  It also does not assume that even if the ports remain open, that a 14-day quarantine will not be imposed.  I think, perhaps, being  on the ship, has protected the passengers from the constant media blitz of hourly closings and the general fear that presently prevails in the U.S.  At present, we cannot depend upon anything being open, and that includes airports and cruise ports.

[Woofbite]

4 hours ago, MAVIP said:

Might be a possibility to ship it back by freighter. Takes a while to arrive. HAL agent must be able to arrange something.

 

If they are young enough.

Most freighters won't accept passengers over 77 or 80 and I'm pretty sure

none of them have medical personnel on board as well as not having

elevators between decks.

[3rdGenCunarder]

16 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

 

Assuming, one, that FLL and the other ports de not close not close to cruise ships who have traveled to X, Y, and Z.  It also does not assume that even if the ports remain open, that a 14-day quarantine will not be imposed.  I think, perhaps, being  on the ship, has protected the passengers from the constant media blitz of hourly closings and the general fear that presently prevails in the U.S.  At present, we cannot depend upon anything being open, and that includes airports and cruise ports.

 

I hate this post because it's true. 

 

A friend who did the WC on QE2 said that passengers get sort of institutionalized. For three months, you're fed, your cabin is cleaned, you go to your favorite bar or to the show. It's all there and you don't have to think. You sort of turn off the part of your brain that deals with everyday life.

 

And when you consider the terrible choices for TV news--could they offer more polarized channels than Fox and MSNBC? True, there's BBC, but there's something odd about the selection of coverage on the ship's BBC, and I suspect that a lot of Americans don't think "English news" will apply to them. 

[Vict0riann]

Fremantle is in Australia... Australia has banned all cruise ships...ergo Fremantle has banned all cruise ships...

[Copper10-8]

34 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

 

Assuming, one, that FLL and the other ports de not close not close to cruise ships who have traveled to X, Y, and Z.  It also does not assume that even if the ports remain open, that a 14-day quarantine will not be imposed.  I think, perhaps, being  on the ship, has protected the passengers from the constant media blitz of hourly closings and the general fear that presently prevails in the U.S.  At present, we cannot depend upon anything being open, and that includes airports and cruise ports.

 

 

Agree with that 100% HAL, and I'm sure other cruise lines, want their pax off ASAP in ports with (still) reliable airline travel options to get them home. What happens if the U.S., like Canada, Oz and several smaller island nations, closes its ports to cruise ships while Amsterdam is on her potential way to the Hawaiian Islands, let alone Ft. Lauderdale. What happens if Mexico does the same? Where are you gonna go with your ship and pax?  

[Vict0riann]

Would the Netherlands have to take them?

Edited March 15, 2020 by Vict0riann

[Sea Birds]

23 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

Fremantle is in Australia... Australia has banned all cruise ships...ergo Fremantle has banned all cruise ships...

See my post #114