Talks about opening up Trans Tasman Travel

[lissie]

The radio this morning saying there are talks between Adern and Morrison about re-opening trans-Tasman travel 2 nd half of this year. This is good news - none of us want to be stuck in NZ all winter and b) starting to wonder about using my  cruise credit on a local cruise next summer 

[Pushka]

I am sure they will open up flights later this year but not sure cruise ships will be on the menu unless somehow they can ban citizens from any other country than Australia and New Zealand. 

[VK3DQ]

Hi Folks

 

Sorry but whilst we will see essential and other travel between Australia and New Zealand , its going to be a VERY long time before that includes cruise ships , there are just too many issues to be resolved , FOC crews not being the least 

 

Perhaps if P&O flag their ships in Australia and New Zealand with all that that involves then that might work  cruising will not be a cheap holiday anymore

 

Regards

 

John

Edited April 23, 2020 by VK3DQ

[Kiwi Kruzer]

1 hour ago, VK3DQ said:

Hi Folks 

cruising will not be a cheap holiday anymore

Right on . I think a lot of cruisers are waiting for cheap bargains, but as nice  as that would be .....it ain’t gonna happen.

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

The radio this morning saying there are talks between Adern and Morrison about re-opening trans-Tasman travel 2 nd half of this year. This is good news - none of us want to be stuck in NZ all winter and b) starting to wonder about using my  cruise credit on a local cruise next summer 

Flights between Aust and NZ seem feasible later this year.  However, doubt there will be any cruises in 2020. 

[Elorac123]

2 hours ago, Pushka said:

I am sure they will open up flights later this year but not sure cruise ships will be on the menu unless somehow they can ban citizens from any other country than Australia and New Zealand. 

If both countries are only open (flight wise) to each other then there would not be anyone from another country (clutching at straws here)

Cheers Carole

[Kiwi Kruzer]

2 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

If both countries are only open (flight wise) to each other then there would not be anyone from another country (clutching at straws here)

Cheers Carole

unless a citizen returned home from overseas and then went on a cruise .

Flights are still happening .There's something like 40,000 tourists in NZ trying to get home . Germany and Britain govts have been  organising charter flights .

 

[peter1956]

My first thoughts were if they only allowed Australians and New Zealanders onboard they could start up early.

 

But the crew would have to be onboard a month before any cruise started and would there be enough passengers to fill one ship let alone one from each cruise line?

[MMDown Under]

57 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Flights between Aust and NZ seem feasible later this year.  However, doubt there will be any cruises in 2020. 

In the short term, Aust and NZ could keep closed borders, except for resident Kiwis and resident Aussies.

Edited April 24, 2020 by MMDown Under

[The_Big_M]

2 hours ago, Pushka said:

I am sure they will open up flights later this year but not sure cruise ships will be on the menu unless somehow they can ban citizens from any other country than Australia and New Zealand. 

 

No difficulty there. It's the same process as flights. All passengers need to give their id verified for location already.

[OzKiwiJJ]

57 minutes ago, peter1956 said:

My first thoughts were if they only allowed Australians and New Zealanders onboard they could start up early.

 

But the crew would have to be onboard a month before any cruise started and would there be enough passengers to fill one ship let alone one from each cruise line?

If they brought the smaller ships back and limited the number of passengers on each ship then, yes, I think there would be plenty of takers although the first couple of cruises might have to be loss leaders until each cruise line proves it's ships are healthy.

[Pushka]

I'm thinking this is all clutching at straws for quite some time tbh,

[lissie]

20 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

If they brought the smaller ships back and limited the number of passengers on each ship then, yes, I think there would be plenty of takers although the first couple of cruises might have to be loss leaders until each cruise line proves it's ships are healthy.

We were on the Queen Elizabeth when Cunard cancelled her Japan season and released new cruises including a 28 day around Australia cruise. According to reports on CC - this was basically filled with NZ an Oz bookings within 24 hours - the Brits were LIVID that it was all booked out by the time they woke up the next day. 

 

So there as definitely demand - this was cruise scheduled in abut 6 weeks from the release date. 

 

I can't see an issue with the crew - they would need to be isolated 14 days before passengers boarding - but cruising back from the UK that wouldn't be hard to do.  If they are isolated   and the only people on board are citizens permanent residents of NZ/Oz and the ship only goes to Oz and NZ ports - where exactly would the virus come from? Assuming that both countries have effectively eliminated it by then? 

[lissie]

24 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

If they brought the smaller ships back and limited the number of passengers on each ship then, yes, I think there would be plenty of takers although the first couple of cruises might have to be loss leaders until each cruise line proves it's ships are healthy.

There are smaller ships in Oz and NZ waters - NZ has Hermitage expeditions that do the southern Island and Antartica - there's that Coral Expeditions boat that does  the Kimberly coast.    I totally just assumed they would start up again once  the lockdown allowed non-essential travel 

[lissie]

1 hour ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

unless a citizen returned home from overseas and then went on a cruise .

Flights are still happening .There's something like 40,000 tourists in NZ trying to get home . Germany and Britain govts have been  organising charter flights .

 

In NZ that citizen would be doing 14 days in quarantine on arrival - so that 's  not a possible scenario 

[lissie]

3 hours ago, VK3DQ said:

Hi Folks

 

Sorry but whilst we will see essential and other travel between Australia and New Zealand , its going to be a VERY long time before that includes cruise ships , there are just too many issues to be resolved , FOC crews not being the least 

 

Perhaps if P&O flag their ships in Australia and New Zealand with all that that involves then that might work  cruising will not be a cheap holiday anymore

 

Regards

 

John

There are foreign airlines flying in though - I  know China Southern, Hainan and I think American Airlines still fly to NZ - they have foreign crew - they have an exemption from the 14 day quarantine. Ironically the only airline we've had issues with crew is Air NZ 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

My feeling is that any cruising will start with just Australian Coastal cruises and they will only be out of Sydney .

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Pushka said:

I'm thinking this is all clutching at straws for quite some time tbh,

It doesn't hurt to dream, Pushka. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

48 minutes ago, lissie said:

There are smaller ships in Oz and NZ waters - NZ has Hermitage expeditions that do the southern Island and Antartica - there's that Coral Expeditions boat that does  the Kimberly coast.    I totally just assumed they would start up again once  the lockdown allowed non-essential travel 

Yes, but those ships are too small and too expensive for the majority of cruisers. I was thinking more of the P&O ships which are mostly fairly small, Sea and Sun Princess (or even Pacific Princess, please) instead of the Grand and Royal class ships, Carnival Legend instead of Splendour, Rhapsody of the Seas instead of Ovation, Celebrity Solstice is probably just OK as are the Queens. Then cut passenger numbers by about 1/3 to reduce crowding in public areas.

[OzKiwiJJ]

One thing they'd need to do is limit numbers at any time in the buffet, and escort passengers to tables to ensure they have time to clean them thoroughly between passengers. Usually as soon as a table comes free it is immediately nabbed by someone else and, therefore, doesn't always get properly cleaned until the buffet quietens down or closes.

[sewgood]

16 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

One thing they'd need to do is limit numbers at any time in the buffet, and escort passengers to tables to ensure they have time to clean them thoroughly between passengers. Usually as soon as a table comes free it is immediately nabbed by someone else and, therefore, doesn't always get properly cleaned until the buffet quietens down or closes.

Good ideas OzKiwiJJ the cruise industry in Australia needs to start slowly on uncrowded ships and build up confidence in the industry again. They can't afford to have any incidents on the first cruises back.

[lissie]

33 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, but those ships are too small and too expensive for the majority of cruisers. I was thinking more of the P&O ships which are mostly fairly small, Sea and Sun Princess (or even Pacific Princess, please) instead of the Grand and Royal class ships, Carnival Legend instead of Splendour, Rhapsody of the Seas instead of Ovation, Celebrity Solstice is probably just OK as are the Queens. Then cut passenger numbers by about 1/3 to reduce crowding in public areas.

 

Are the Queens less crowded than other brands? I've only cruised on QE - and after all the talk about being crowded on board thtat wasn't our experience. We had late seating dining and went to late shows and there was always plenty of seats. We at the buffet a number of times and never noticed  that it was hard to get a table - though sometimes we shared. The only time I saw a line it was to do afternoon tea in the queens room - so we never got to that (and discovered the scones in the buffet) 

[Chiliburn]

I can’t see a problem with our regular cruise season.

Both countries will have the infection rate to zero by then and there’s a lot more understanding of the nature of the virus.

If Australia and New Zealand have a clean zone ,the ships have been quarantined and crew have spent a quarantine in their home country and with a extra extra 2 weeks here , I can’t see a problem.

Also anyone coming from overseas would have to do a quarantine , so I don’t think we will have many foreign visitors.

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It doesn't hurt to dream, Pushka. 

I hate being disappointed. I'd rather expect the worst then delighted to find I'm wrong. Besides my super has fallen that cruising and holidays are pretty much on the back burner now and the costs of implementing social distancing on a cruise ship will completely change their game plan. 
 

Muster, embarkation and disembarkation at ports and social distancing just aren't compatible. Even lifts can't operate effectively. 

Edited April 24, 2020 by Pushka

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

 

Are the Queens less crowded than other brands? I've only cruised on QE - and after all the talk about being crowded on board thtat wasn't our experience. We had late seating dining and went to late shows and there was always plenty of seats. We at the buffet a number of times and never noticed  that it was hard to get a table - though sometimes we shared. The only time I saw a line it was to do afternoon tea in the queens room - so we never got to that (and discovered the scones in the buffet) 

I can't comment on the Queens. Certainly Sea Princess is less crowded than Ruby Princess or Royal Princess - the bars, lounges and theatres are bigger, the promenade deck is bigger, and there are less shops. However they are still too crowded to minimize the spread of infections so reducing the number of passengers would help.

Edited April 24, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ