Predict when cruising will start again post-Coronavirus

[Chiliburn]

51 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

Looking like I will have to move my 2021-22 booking to the 2022-23 cruise season.🤬😒

I think our best hope is to get a couple of ships after Christmas for short domestic cruises.

I think the season as it’s sold definitely won’t go ahead mainly because they have been sold at full capacity .There’s no way they will let ships sail full.

 

And won’t they be ripping into us to get some money.

[OzKiwiJJ]

5 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Looks like we may never get to Oz because I won't be re-scheduling. Each country to their own, sit around in your "fortress" while the rest of the world moves forward. Wait for the "miracle" and covid just goes away.

Action is required and your "leader" is absent.

Look at your local own governments for the reasons why a country that has only a few cases per day, most of which are detected in quarantine, isn't keen to allow visitors from countries recording thousands of cases per day in to mingle with locals. From what I've just read on the Canadian forum your leadership is worse than ours.

[Chiliburn]

9 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Looks like we may never get to Oz because I won't be re-scheduling. Each country to their own, sit around in your "fortress" while the rest of the world moves forward. Wait for the "miracle" and covid just goes away.

Action is required and your "leader" is absent.

I did make you an offer?

 

[frantic36]

32 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Looks like we may never get to Oz because I won't be re-scheduling. Each country to their own, sit around in your "fortress" while the rest of the world moves forward. Wait for the "miracle" and covid just goes away.

Action is required and your "leader" is absent.

 

I understand Lyle. I think the problem is the poor messaging with things being announced and then no substantial follow up and changes occurring without proper planning. My husband are long term Liberal supporters and some of the ministers are fine but Leadership in the party has been frustrating.

 

Some people seem to keep focussing only on what is happening now in the world without forward thinking to next year. For example if we get awash with vaccine supply by October and the delivery hastens with people getting over their hesitancy we can get a large percentage vaccinated by December/January we could start opening up to countries who also have a high vaccination rate surely?

 

[LittleFish1976]

51 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Looks like we may never get to Oz because I won't be re-scheduling. Each country to their own, sit around in your "fortress" while the rest of the world moves forward. Wait for the "miracle" and covid just goes away.

Action is required and your "leader" is absent.

 

The most effective and important action that is required to defeat covid is to minimise movement of people!

 

If your country were in a similar position to ours then I guess there would be a very good chance that you could be allowed to travel here (for reference the travel bubble Australia has with New Zealand). It's not just what's happening here, in our country, the problem is (also) what's happening in the rest of the world.

 

Vaccination isn't a universal panacea although it's a very modern way to think about huge problems - that there must be an easy solution that won't cost any of us any inconvenience.

 

The truth of the covid pandemic is that it absolutely s*cks and it's a tragedy for the whole world. Most of us are going to have to put up with inconvenience (such as disruption to our travel plans). Some of us have been separated from close family members living overseas (I won't have seen one of my children for a year and a half by the time I - hopefully - see her in a few months. And most of the world is suffering a much worse fate than those of us in wealthy, western countries, be they northern or southern hemispheres.

 

I've already accepted I'll almost certainly never get back to Europe as it will be risky for many years to come, let alone travel to Antarctica via South America which I had hoped to do one day.

 

I can be sympathetic to someone's disappointment but I think you should turn your sour grapes into something more appetising than coming at our country's policies which are keeping us very safe and with a brilliant quality of life.

 

[Blackduck59]

17 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Look at your local own governments for the reasons why a country that has only a few cases per day, most of which are detected in quarantine, isn't keen to allow visitors from countries recording thousands of cases per day in to mingle with locals. From what I've just read on the Canadian forum your leadership is worse than ours.

 

I really don't want to get in a fight with you Julie or a back and forth for that matter. I have said many times I understand why the border is closed now and support it. Just as our border is closed to the US but it's a little harder to make that stick. I am talking about the thought process that says we'll lock our people up perhaps another year or 2 rather than make the virus less of a threat by using whatever we can to get our people vaccinated in a timely fashion.

So far there have been 2.6 million doses of vaccine administered in all of Australia and we passed 2 million doses in our province (population 4.7 million) on Thursday. Have we made mistakes? Absolutely. Were we able to keep the virus out? No, we share the longest undefended border in the world with a country which until recently had little interest in addressing covid 19. Has the Canadian population embraced the restrictions and protocols like you have in Oz? unfortunately not even close. Have we researched and approved several different Vaccines? Yes 4. Have some of our "pop up" vaccination clinics been a cluster F**k most definitely. They were set up in high incidence area and people came from miles away in numbers that far exceeded the available supply. That was a simple case of "me first" mentality. In BC there is a system, register by age group so as to not crash the system and they get back to you so you can make an appointment. It works until the same people who have flaunted the rules and helped the spread decide they are "entitled" to a shot out of turn.

Have we had screw ups? The list is endless. Has our Prime Minister failed at times? Yes. Has he been absent? no.

[possum52]

10 minutes ago, frantic36 said:

 

I understand Lyle. I think the problem is the poor messaging with things being announced and then no substantial follow up and changes occurring without proper planning. My husband are long term Liberal supporters and some of the ministers are fine but Leadership in the party has been frustrating.

 

Some people seem to keep focussing only on what is happening now in the world without forward thinking to next year. For example if we get awash with vaccine supply by October and the delivery hastens with people getting over their hesitancy we can get a large percentage vaccinated by December/January we could start opening up to countries who also have a high vaccination rate surely?

 

Just because we could be awash with vaccines, doesn't mean everyone will want to be vaccinated. The media coverage of Covid and the vaccines need to be more positive. At the moment, everyone is hearing negative stories and some (many according to some reports) are not prepared to have the vaccination at this time. Just because you and others want to cruise, is not a reason the general population will decide to have the vaccination. And yes I have a cruise booked for November which if it doesn't go ahead, which seems vey likely, we will spend the money on a holiday in Australia. Perhaps a Murray River Cruise or even a trip to Sydney and go on a Parramatta River cruise and a ferry ride to Manly or even a Yarra River cruise here in Melbourne.

 

Leigh

[Blackduck59]

Thanks Leigh, I'm really not sure I care anymore. Your government and many of your people have posted "closed for visitors" loud and clear as well as making it clear that it will be years perhaps never before anyone with a strange accent will be welcome there.

[LittleFish1976]

2 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Thanks Leigh, I'm really not sure I care anymore. Your government and many of your people have posted "closed for visitors" loud and clear as well as making it clear that it will be years perhaps never before anyone with a strange accent will be welcome there.

Please don't make this an issue of zenophobia and racism.

[Chiliburn]

20 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Thanks Leigh, I'm really not sure I care anymore. Your government and many of your people have posted "closed for visitors" loud and clear as well as making it clear that it will be years perhaps never before anyone with a strange accent will be welcome there.

Do blame us Lyle, we are in the same position as you.

I have lost a lot of money but what can you do.

How much can a black duck take?

[Blackduck59]

4 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Please don't make this an issue of zenophobia and racism.

Really??? you saw my picture. I am a white Canadian and to Australians I have a strange accent. And if you want to use big words like xenophobia...

It seems to me the mindset is if you aren't already in Oz don't bother, unless of course you are a star athlete or actor or celebrity then come on down.

You are sending charter flights to India (largest hot spot in the world) next week apparently to bring Australians home, meanwhile many Australians have been waiting for months to get home and no such luck for them.

[LittleFish1976]

2 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Really??? you saw my picture. I am a white Canadian and to Australians I have a strange accent. And if you want to use big words like xenophobia...

It seems to me the mindset is if you aren't already in Oz don't bother, unless of course you are a star athlete or actor or celebrity then come on down.

You are sending charter flights to India (largest hot spot in the world) next week apparently to bring Australians home, meanwhile many Australians have been waiting for months to get home and no such luck for them.

I do see you are a white Canadian, Lyle. A position of great privilege. #nocomplaints

[Blackduck59]

11 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

I do see you are a white Canadian, Lyle. A position of great privilege. #nocomplaints

 

Privilege? In that I had the good fortune to be born in Canada? Yes a fortunate circumstance. That I'm almost 62 years old and still plying my craft in a career that spans almost 40 years? I still have all my digits and I still work 45 hours a week and have a comfortable home. We are fortunate to be able to save money to travel to far of places every couple years. I guess it depends on your concept of privilege.

[MMDown Under]

I think our Federal Government should have listened to the health experts here and overseas.  They don't all agree.  Then the Govt should have announced a reasonable date in the future which they thought would be the earliest date they would allow Australians to travel overseas, as well as consider opening our borders to some overseas visitors.  People are being driven mad by unrealistic dates, which keep being pushed out.  No-one can make plans!  People understand borders have to be kept closed for our safety, but they don't understand constant changes.  2022 sounds realistic!

[possum52]

43 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Really??? you saw my picture. I am a white Canadian and to Australians I have a strange accent. And if you want to use big words like xenophobia...

It seems to me the mindset is if you aren't already in Oz don't bother, unless of course you are a star athlete or actor or celebrity then come on down.

You are sending charter flights to India (largest hot spot in the world) next week apparently to bring Australians home, meanwhile many Australians have been waiting for months to get home and no such luck for them.

Many of the Australian citizens in India may have been waiting many months to come home too. And there have been charter flights from other parts of the world in the year to bring Australians home so I am not sure what your statement means.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

Thanks Leigh, I'm really not sure I care anymore. Your government and many of your people have posted "closed for visitors" loud and clear as well as making it clear that it will be years perhaps never before anyone with a strange accent will be welcome there.

It might be a year, or even more, but it will depend on how other countries are controlling the virus. At the moment many are experiencing third or fourth waves and it will be a long time before the world stabilizes. But your assumption is wrong, there are rumours of a possible bubble opening with Singapore, and more countries will be added to the bubble list if they appear to have the virus under control. 

 

I do understand your disappointment but you will probably have plenty of opportunity to visit here in the future if you wish. We lost a major cruise in Europe last year, encompassing many bucket list ports. The chances of us being able to do a trip like that in the future, even if we could find a similar itinerary at a similar price, are very, very slim.

[Russell21]

7 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I think our Federal Government should have listened to the health experts here and overseas.  They don't all agree.  Then the Govt should have announced a reasonable date in the future which they thought would be the earliest date they would allow Australians to travel overseas, as well as consider opening our borders to some overseas visitors.  People are being driven mad by unrealistic dates, which keep being pushed out.  No-one can make plans!  People understand borders have to be kept closed for our safety, but they don't understand constant changes.  2022 sounds realistic!

The changes are happening because the problem has no precedent from which to extract "Rules" to follow. I'm as disappointed as anyone about no cruises, and I'm rapidly approaching a situation where I will no longer be physically able to partake in them. However I don't have the omniscient powers that some here seem to think they have, so I don't have any valid reason to point the finger of blame at quite a few people who are doing their bloody best to keep us healthy. 

[Blackduck59]

Just now, possum52 said:

Many of the Australian citizens in India may have been waiting many months to come home too. And there have been charter flights from other parts of the world in the year to bring Australians home so I am not sure what your statement means.

 

Thank you Leigh. What I mean is that perhaps during this time of extreme outbreak in India the "fortress" mentality is being suspended to bring in people from the worst outbreak in the world seems counter productive. 

[possum52]

2 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

Thank you Leigh. What I mean is that perhaps during this time of extreme outbreak in India the "fortress" mentality is being suspended to bring in people from the worst outbreak in the world seems counter productive. 

But Lyle the charter flights have been coming in regularly from India, so there is not a difference at all. They were suspended for a few weeks to ensure our quarantine system was not overwhelmed by the number of returning Australian citizens who may become ill with Covid either in transit, on the flight or in quarantine. Thousands of returning Australians from all over the world have been returning each week either on charter flights or commercial flights since early last year.

 

Leigh

[Blackduck59]

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It might be a year, or even more, but it will depend on how other countries are controlling the virus. At the moment many are experiencing third or fourth waves and it will be a long time before the world stabilizes. But your assumption is wrong, there are rumours of a possible bubble opening with Singapore, and more countries will be added to the bubble list if they appear to have the virus under control. 

 

I do understand your disappointment but you will probably have plenty of opportunity to visit here in the future if you wish. We lost a major cruise in Europe last year, encompassing many bucket list ports. The chances of us being able to do a trip like that in the future, even if we could find a similar itinerary at a similar price, are very, very slim.

 

Thanks Julie, but I'm rapidly losing interest. If your Government does not want cruise ships then grow a pair and close the ports like our Government did. Make a call and stick with it. We'll make other plans and think of what might have been. 

Even your own citizens can't plan a vacation farther than 100 kms without fear they may cross an imaginary line and have to quarantine somewhere.

[Blackduck59]

Be well everyone, I'm about ready to give up.

[ilikeanswers]

1 hour ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Please don't make this an issue of zenophobia and racism.

 

I think you may have misunderstood. My reading was he meant no international tourism. 

[LittleFish1976]

Just now, ilikeanswers said:

 

I think you may have misunderstood. My reading was he meant no international tourism. 

 

I was responding to what he said which was the accusation that Australians will not 'welcome... anyone with a strange accent' into our country. I find that offensive. There are many ways he might have phrased what you take to be his meaning but the fact that he chose to phrase it as he did is an underhand accusation of racism and xenophobia, in my opinion (and our own opinion being all that any of us is qualified to speak about).

 

Previously, I've resisted the temptation to be drawn into answering this poster's criticisms of Australian policy and management of the covid pandemic on a number of occasions but am up to pussy's bow with it.

[Blackduck59]

1 minute ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

I was responding to what he said which was the accusation that Australians will not 'welcome... anyone with a strange accent' into our country. I find that offensive. There are many ways he might have phrased what you take to be his meaning but the fact that he chose to phrase it as he did is an underhand accusation of racism and xenophobia, in my opinion (and our own opinion being all that any of us is qualified to speak about).

 

Previously, I've resisted the temptation to be drawn into answering this poster's criticisms of Australian policy and management of the covid pandemic on a number of occasions but am up to pussy's bow with it.

Sorry to offend, I'll be quiet now.

[onlyslightlymad]

17 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Sorry to offend, I'll be quiet now.

Lyle, these message boards are a wonderful opportunity to reach out and communicate with others from around the world.  Only those of us old enough to remember pre-internet days, can remember the expense and excitement of long distance calls and that was mostly to people we knew.  The disadvantage of these message boards is that they lack the nuance of speech, expression and intonation - all of which are a big part of communication.  Add to that, cultural differences, and tired people dashing off a quick reply and it is easy to misinterpret messages.

I do not think the Australia/NZ 21-22 cruise season will go ahead but I've really enjoyed chatting with you about your trip.  I don't think it's xenophobia that will make borders slow to reopen, just that our freedom is hard won, and in a strange way shutting our borders has given us more freedom than we see in the Northern Hemisphere.  There will be an abundance of caution in reopening.  Nothing you have said has offended me (but then I'm not Australian 😉.) 

In my long winded way I am trying to say - don't disappear.  One day you will make it to TGA and I will pick you up and take you out for a decent coffee (even our flat whites are different).  Also, I could be wrong about the reopening (I'm fairly certain people will be happy to tell me that I am).  

Misunderstandings happen all the time, you said sorry, don't worry about it.