Start of cruising from Sydney & Brisbane?

[ilikeanswers]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

However Barbados obviously doesn't have any border restrictions on who can come there from overseas

 

They do have a requirement that you need to have a negative PCR test before entry:

Barbados Travel Protocols

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Pure stupidity! 

 

The Seadream cruise embarked in Barbados not a US port. However Barbados obviously doesn't have any border restrictions on who can come there from overseas, which made it just as stupid as trying to cruise from Florida.

But the ship had come tranatlantic from Oslo, God only knows if the virus was on board.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

No confusion on my part. Dream is owned by Genting, who also own Crystal, and one other Asian cruise line I think.

 

I'd never heard of Seadream Yacht Club.

Quite expensive, the Americans like the line.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

They do have a requirement that you need to have a negative PCR test before entry:

Barbados Travel Protocols

But that means nothing. Negative one day, positive the next. The virus can only be detected in a test when it has replicated in sufficient quantity, meanwhile that person is already starting to shed the virus.

[OzKiwiJJ]

36 minutes ago, NSWP said:

But the ship had come tranatlantic from Oslo, God only knows if the virus was on board.

Unlikely if it was a passenger that was first to test positive.

[NSWP]

16 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Unlikely if it was a passenger that was first to test positive.

More like crew or the virus was still on board from Europe, a blow to the industry anyway.

[Aus Traveller]

8 minutes ago, NSWP said:

More like crew or the virus was still on board from Europe, a blow to the industry anyway.

In the video, I think the two 'reporters' said that all the crew tested negative, but five passengers who were travelling in a group of six, tested positive. They also said that none of the pax from the UK were in a group of six.

[NSWP]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

In the video, I think the two 'reporters' said that all the crew tested negative, but five passengers who were travelling in a group of six, tested positive. They also said that none of the pax from the UK were in a group of six.

Team DT then, land of tipping.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, NSWP said:

Team DT then, land of tipping.

Yes. That was the implication.🙂 Won't be the land of DT for long.

[eamondzhang]

4 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

No confusion on my part. Dream is owned by Genting, who also own Crystal, and one other Asian cruise line I think.

 

I'd never heard of Seadream Yacht Club.

Star Cruises, and you'd see them sharing back office function with Genting (but Crystal has its own)

 

Michael

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, eamondzhang said:

Star Cruises, and you'd see them sharing back office function with Genting (but Crystal has its own)

 

Michael

Yes, that's the one.

[The_Big_M]

10 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

But aren't the Taiwan cruises only for Taiwanese and only around Taiwan? 

 

Yes, not sure the relevance? Just because they don't take foreigners at this time doesn't mean their procedures are lesser. It's the same as speculated here, that most likely only locals will be able to travel first, not that we have to open the borders to everyone.

[The_Big_M]

7 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

They do have a requirement that you need to have a negative PCR test before entry:

Barbados Travel Protocols

 

Which is pretty pointless.

 

It can be taken 3 days before you get there, so you can get it in between is one issue, but in any case that single test is not definitive. For example, if you had only caught it a day or so before the test then it wouldn't show in any case. 

 

That's why we have 14 day quarantine here for arrivals, with multiple tests. It's the only way it can be done.

[The_Big_M]

5 hours ago, NSWP said:

More like crew or the virus was still on board from Europe, a blow to the industry anyway.

 

Given crew go through quarantine, and pax don't , and also that pax come from higher risk locations than crew do, it's more likely it came from a passenger.

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, The_Big_M said:

Yes, not sure the relevance? Just because they don't take foreigners at this time doesn't mean their procedures are lesser. It's the same as speculated here, that most likely only locals will be able to travel first, not that we have to open the borders to everyone.

 

I got the impression you were comparing Taiwan's restart to cruising with Barbados which I think is not a fair comparison since Taiwan is keeping it within a very tight bubble that Barbados cannot. After all Barbados has a tiny population compared to Taiwan. There is no way Barbados could sustain a cruise industry using their population alone so Barbados unlike Taiwan doesn't have the luxury of being in a domestic travel bubble. 

Edited November 13, 2020 by ilikeanswers

[drsel]

On 11/12/2020 at 6:37 AM, Aus Traveller said:

I agree that we don't know what Carnival will offer on a cruise they cancel. It may not be as generous as in the past. For example, I think Princess' later offers weren't as generous as those in the first six months of the COVID pause.

Princess is extremely generous right now.

they gave me double of my deposit back as FCC for the cancelled Sea Princess and Sapphire Princess Cruises

[drsel]

On 11/12/2020 at 10:58 AM, NSWP said:

Even if drsel uses 'quote 'Fresh Cash.'  Not heard that one before.🤐 Using an off line and on line agent? Uh?

"Fresh cash" is in contrast to recycled deposits and FCCs, which are transferred many times from one cancelled Cruise to to the next.

 

And online and offline agent is one who has a direct booking engine (website), as well as live Cruise consultants, who do bookings on the phone.

 

While direct online booking (on the website), is available to everyone, the live agents give extra OBC based on competitive offers on the bidding site.

 

This extra OBC  can be as much as 8 to 10% of the basic Cruise fare and is a deal clincher.

Edited November 13, 2020 by drsel

[By The Bay]

2 hours ago, fyree39 said:

Pardon me for interrupting, but I was curious to see thoughts on cruising during Covid from a non-American point of view. It is so heartening to see how serious non-Americans are taking this virus. The number of Americans who think it's their God-given right to fly anywhere and do anything they please is disgusting and shameful. I hope you can keep the numbers small down there as we fight politics and Q-anon up here in ex-DT country.

This was reported after our National Cabinet meeting yesterday:

 

"People may have to show proof they've received a COVID-19 vaccination if they wish to enter Australia." SMH

[lyndarra]

15 hours ago, NSWP said:

More like crew or the virus was still on board from Europe, a blow to the industry anyway.

I've just come from reading up on this event on the HAL board which had an update from CC personnel. IIRC the Oslo passenger was a false positive, and the infections were among an American family group.

[NSWP]

2 hours ago, By The Bay said:

This was reported after our National Cabinet meeting yesterday:

 

"People may have to show proof they've received a COVID-19 vaccination if they wish to enter Australia." SMH

Vaccination should be compulsory for oversea visitors wanting to enter Australia. May is good enough. No vaccination certificate, no entry.  Them's the rules, well they should be. Now allegedly fake negative screening documents are for sale, I knew that would happen. The authorities need to get onto that one, quick smart.

Edited November 14, 2020 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

11 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Vaccination should be compulsory for oversea visitors wanting to enter Australia. May is good enough. No vaccination certificate, no entry.  Them's the rules, well they should be. Now allegedly fake negative screening documents are for sale, I knew that would happen. The authorities need to get onto that one, quick smart.

Fake University degree certificates and service-dog certificates are available on the internet, so I am not surprised that fake 'negative' documents are available. However, we know that a negative test taken a few days ago, does not mean the person does not have COVID.

 

Les, I agree with your comment that vaccination should be a requirement before people can enter Australia.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I also agree that vaccination should be a requirement for people entering Australia from most countries. However I hope a full NZ / Australia bubble won't rely on a vaccine being available.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Vaccination should be compulsory for oversea visitors wanting to enter Australia. May is good enough. No vaccination certificate, no entry.  Them's the rules, well they should be. Now allegedly fake negative screening documents are for sale, I knew that would happen. The authorities need to get onto that one, quick smart.

I meant to say...May is NOT good enough !! Apologies.

[OzKiwiJJ]

22 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I meant to say...May is NOT good enough !! Apologies.

We knew what you meant! 🤣

[OzKiwiJJ]

Oops, I posted in the wrong thread.

Edited November 14, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ