Island Princess heading to Asia

[busterfla]

Princess spent the day transferring crew members between various ships to the Crown and Island ships. The Island is going on a 39 day trip starting tomorrow, around the South African Cape and on towards Asia, with the Philippines as the final port. One of the crew members that we have sailed with came off the Regal and got a nice balcony cabin for the trip. Because he is a transfer between ships, he goes into 14 day quarantine for now. After that he will be assigned duties and get back to work. No idea of any port stops for fuel & provisions along the way.

 

Not 100% certain if it is the Crown, but one ship is taking crew back to Europe, final port uncertain.

 

I'm going to try and stay in touch via Messenger and I'll post anything else that comes up. Not sure if their WiFi will work well away from the States and the Caribbean areas.

[AF-1]

Thanks for the update on Island Princess.  Did your friend say when they were leaving?  Marine traffic shows Island in the Bahamas just sitting around.  Maybe they are waiting on their departure order

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

Princess Cruises and Holland America Line are organizing similar repatriation voyages to repatriate crew members to their home countries.

In all, eight ships from Princess, Holland America Line and Seabourn will sail as follows:

• Regal Princess will sail to Southampton and Rotterdam to repatriate European crew from all Holland America Group ships
• Crown Princess, Island Princess, Veendam, Volendam, and Nieuw Amsterdam will sail to Asia to return Filipino, Indonesian, Indian and South African crew members to their homes
• Caribbean Princess will sail to the Caribbean and South America to return crew from those regions to their home country
• Seabourn Quest will sail to Europe to repatriate Europeans from that ship and Seabourn Odyssey

https://cruiseradio.net/carnival-cruise-ships-take-on-a-new-mission/

[oskidunker]

I heard the Philippines wont let them dock 

[AF-1]

GoofyontheHighSeas;  thanks for the update.  

[caribill]

14 hours ago, oskidunker said:

I heard the Philippines wont let them dock 

 

They have to spend two weeks in quarantine in the bay before they can dock.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Singapore won’t let them dock.

 

 ‘Short answer, they refused us entry.  We will never know why, however they had an enormous spike in C-19 cases prior to our intended arrival, which may have some bearing on the matter,’

[Roberto256]

20 hours ago, GoofyontheHiSeas said:

Princess Cruises and Holland America Line are organizing similar repatriation voyages to repatriate crew members to their home countries.

In all, eight ships from Princess, Holland America Line and Seabourn will sail as follows:

• Regal Princess will sail to Southampton and Rotterdam to repatriate European crew from all Holland America Group ships
• Crown Princess, Island Princess, Veendam, Volendam, and Nieuw Amsterdam will sail to Asia to return Filipino, Indonesian, Indian and South African crew members to their homes
• Caribbean Princess will sail to the Caribbean and South America to return crew from those regions to their home country
• Seabourn Quest will sail to Europe to repatriate Europeans from that ship and Seabourn Odyssey

https://cruiseradio.net/carnival-cruise-ships-take-on-a-new-mission/

 

Ruby Princess enroute Phillipines.

 

AIS says Manilla, but maybe Subic Bay.

 

 

[AF-1]

Roberto256;  thanks for the update.  It will take a few days to get up to Manilla.

[Gimer]

Just received email from wife of crew member onboard Island Princess,  They just left the Bahamas on April 24 and heading for Manila and expecting to take 39 days transit home.     

[Shaver John]

Wow, if Princess is still trying to return crew members to their home countries it would appear that Cruising will not take place for a very long time. We have a cruise planned for November and it is beginning to seem like it will be a big stretch for any cursing this year. Just my thoughts, I may be wrong, but seems like it is taking Princess a long time to be able to get the ships cleared of all passengers and crew.

[Gimer]

Not only Princess is returning all it's crew.  Right now in the Manila Bay, there are a total of ten Cruise Ships anchoring and waiting their 14 days quarantine period to end.  Princess has the Sun, Sea, Sapphire and Majestic.  RCCL has Voyager of the Sea and Spectrum of the Sea.  Carnival's Spirit.  Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and two more which are Pacific Dawn and Pacific Explorer.  Heading for the Philippines from the west coast is the Princess Royal, HAL's Eurodam and Carnival's Panorama, who left LA area last week.  

[busterfla]

I misread my friend's message, the Crown is also going to Asia. They had more Asian crew members than just one ship could handle. It looks like they are just now coming out of the Bahamian Channel and their next "port of call" will be St Maarten. He also said they had a bit of trouble on the transfers between ships due to "ocean currents and winds".

 

I wish both ships Godspeed on their voyage

[caribill]

8 hours ago, Shaver John said:

Wow, if Princess is still trying to return crew members to their home countries it would appear that Cruising will not take place for a very long time.

 

By the time these crew members leave the Princess ships and the ships reposition to where they are supposed to resume itineraries in July, it will time to staff them again (at least the ones that are supposed to resuming crusing).

 

This really makes a July resume sound unlikely.

[Cash123]

So around 10-12 cruise ships sailing from America to Asia, surely it would have been cheaper for the cruise lines to send their crews home by flying them, I realise there are travel band still in place but as far as I'm aware countries are allowing repatriating flights to take off and land.

 

Would be interesting to know how much the fuel would cost for a ship to sail these distances plus the cost of food, cleaning etc.

[Gimer]

Maybe cheaper, but guessing with 5000 crew members from ten plus ships, where will you house them for their 14 days quarantine?  Tarlac/Clarks Housing they use for Grand's quarantine held 446 members.

[AF-1]

I think the travel industry will be back this year.  Maybe later like Oct; but it will be back.  The CEO of Carnival said they have funds to keep ships, crews, and employees paid thru Dec without any revenue coming in;  after that they would look to borrow more money.  

[voljeep]

42 minutes ago, Gimer said:

Maybe cheaper, but guessing with 5000 crew members from ten plus ships, where will you house them for their 14 days quarantine?  Tarlac/Clarks Housing they use for Grand's quarantine held 446 members.

so, when the ship(s) get 'there' … are all crew then (re)tested and that's when a new 14 day cornteen ( really like that profile name ) starts anew ?

[Ken the cruiser]

8 hours ago, caribill said:

 

By the time these crew members leave the Princess ships and the ships reposition to where they are supposed to resume itineraries in July, it will time to staff them again (at least the ones that are supposed to resuming crusing).

 

This really makes a July resume sound unlikely.

One alternative scenario I read here on CC is Princess might use the Island's sister ship, the Coral, to take over the Island's current Jul/Aug itineraries as she is now scheduled to be idle until September since her Alaska cruises have been cancelled. As we are booked on two of those July/August northern Europe and TA itineraries, we definitely wouldn't mind that switch.

[AF-1]

I suspect there will be itinerary and ship changes when cruising gets back to running.  I am scheduled for Island Princess out of Southampton on 27 Oct.  If Princess swaps ship;  no problem.  I am on this trip for the port stops. 

Edited April 26, 2020 by AF-1

[Paula_MacFan]

1 hour ago, AF-1 said:

I suspect there will be itinerary and ship changes when cruising gets back to running.  I am scheduled for Island Princess out of Southampton on 27 Oct.  If Princess swaps ship;  no problem.  I am on this trip for the port stops. 

 

We are scheduled on the Island from Southampton in Sept.  It seems very doubtful our cruise will happen as the countries we are scheduled to visit have already cancelled public events for that time frame.  Also since the Island had the additional cabins added that the Coral didn't, even if they swapped ships, a couple hundred people would still likely get bumped.  

[caribill]

1 hour ago, Paula_MacFan said:

 

 Also since the Island had the additional cabins added that the Coral didn't, even if they swapped ships, a couple hundred people would still likely get bumped.  

 

Based on what I see for my July Island cruise, there are enough cancellations that the Coral would have room to spare if it was used instead of the Island.

[AF-1]

Well let's remain positive and everyone gets to sail on their selected itineraries.  Have a wonderful and positive Monday

[Centsless_Cruiser]

I know there is a Virtual Regal TA thread https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2746501-live-virtual-transatlantic-on-the-regal/ right now but looking at Bridge Cams and AIS Vessel tracking she is actually on the way now currently ENE of Bermuda!

 

Additionally, Crown is a St Maarten now and Island is also bound there.

 

Anyone on this all knowing board have any details?

 

 

[CineGraphic]

I have a friend on the Regal.....they have 3000 European crew members on board, and they are trying to get them all home.