Promising outlook finally

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, possum52 said:

I wonder if the reason for this statement is that more younger people are contracting the virus who are less likely to have underlying medical conditions than in the first wave.

 

Leigh

The age of the people infected is one factor in the lower death rate, but I have read a lot about the different treatments and drugs that are now being used. It has been a steep learning curve.

[OzKiwiJJ]

14 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Here’s another article about a possible start to the season.

It says Royal Caribbean’s selling 2 night cruise 13 March from Brisbane but I can’t find anything?
 

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/dec/06/australias-cruise-ship-ban-is-set-to-expire-but-it-wont-all-be-smooth-sailing

For some strange reason that article only mentions very short cruises but Princess has a 6 night Tassie cruise on offer departing 17 October which is followed by the 2 night Sydney to Melbourne repo cruise that they mentioned. It's a fairly negative article but not a cruise-bashing one.

[Chiliburn]

9 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

For some strange reason that article only mentions very short cruises but Princess has a 6 night Tassie cruise on offer departing 17 October which is followed by the 2 night Sydney to Melbourne repo cruise that they mentioned. It's a fairly negative article but not a cruise-bashing one.

That sydney to Melbourne doesn’t really add up and there’s a Bali Cruise.

 

A few short trial cruises like the Brisbane one is a possibility, cruises that would be contained in the state.Hopefully we may get a Christmas present, hopefully.

 

 I emailed Royals loyalty ambassador for some information on test cruises. .I don’t like my chances , I will get a reply but probably a lot of nothing.

[possum52]

31 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

The age of the people infected is one factor in the lower death rate, but I have read a lot about the different treatments and drugs that are now being used. It has been a steep learning curve.

I do wonder how many of those infected will have ongoing medical problems. 

 

Leigh

[OzKiwiJJ]

15 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

That sydney to Melbourne doesn’t really add up and there’s a Bali Cruise.

 

 

Nothing unusual about it. Sapphire Princess arrives in Australia mid-October, does a Sydney to Tassie return cruise, then the ship repositions to Melbourne which is her homeport for the season. That's not uncommon for Princess. They often have a ship doing one or two cruises out of Sydney before or after homeporting in Melbourne.

 

I very much doubt that Viking cruise to Bali will go ahead.

Edited December 6, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[OzKiwiJJ]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Coral Princess turn up here ahead of her currently scheduled itineraries, to do some trial cruises out of Brisbane and/or Sydney. She's the smallest in the Princess fleet now, other than Pacific, and she's going to be based here for a good year or so, replacing Sea Princess to do the big run -   Round Australia, Hawaii/Tahiti, and the World Cruise - assuming the world is in a fit state for some or all of those cruises to happen.

[NSWP]

25 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I wouldn't be surprised to see Coral Princess turn up here ahead of her currently scheduled itineraries, to do some trial cruises out of Brisbane and/or Sydney. She's the smallest in the Princess fleet now, other than Pacific, and she's going to be based here for a good year or so, replacing Sea Princess to do the big run -   Round Australia, Hawaii/Tahiti, and the World Cruise - assuming the world is in a fit state for some or all of those cruises to happen.

Having been on Coral twice, Panama Canal and Alaska, she is my favourite Princess ship, the right size and plenty of public space.  They saved her from the butcher that wrecked her sister ship Island. My current avatar is the Coral.

 

Coral Princess will be very popular in this Region.

Edited December 6, 2020 by NSWP

[Chiliburn]

Majestic has left the Philippines early and is on the way to LA for the season over there . I can’t see that happening .

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

7 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Having been on Coral twice, Panama Canal and Alaska, she is my favourite Princess ship, the right size and plenty of public space.  They saved her from the butcher that wrecked her sister ship Island. My current avatar is the Coral.

 

Coral Princess will be very popular in this Region.

I think she might end up being my favourite ship too, since Sea Princess has been sold.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 minute ago, Chiliburn said:

Majestic has left the Philippines early and is on the way to LA for the season over there . I can’t see that happening .

 

Me neither, but she can stay there as far as I'm concerned. My least favourite Princess ship!

[NSWP]

2 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Me neither, but she can stay there as far as I'm concerned. My least favourite Princess ship!

Me too, not a lover of the Princess Royal Class, having been on Royal Princess.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Me too, not a lover of the Princess Royal Class, having been on Royal Princess.

Unfortunately Princess is basing Royal class ships out of Sydney in 21/22 so limited options unless we go to Brisbane.

[NSWP]

4 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Unfortunately Princess is basing Royal class ships out of Sydney in 21/22 so limited options unless we go to Brisbane.

Smart thinking by Princess, Royal Class are their biggest as you know. They can cram 3500 souls on them. No thanks, we did British Isles on Royal Princess in 2018, tendering was a nightmare in the Channel Islands for Guernsey and Queensferry for Edinburgh.

[OzKiwiJJ]

16 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Smart thinking by Princess, Royal Class are their biggest as you know. They can cram 3500 souls on them. No thanks, we did British Isles on Royal Princess in 2018, tendering was a nightmare in the Channel Islands for Guernsey and Queensferry for Edinburgh.

Smart pre-Covid thinking maybe. We did a Med cruise on Royal in 2017. Only a couple of tender ports on that itinerary and tendering was efficient. We enjoyed the cruise but hated the small, crowded bars in the evenings. Royal does have a nice Sanctuary, unlike Majestic, and we managed to book really good sunloungers for the sea days, looking straight over the bow. Fantastic for going through the Messina Strait. I didn't like the Retreat Pool though, it seemed badly designed. Deeper than expected and the steps down went right into the middle so people either sat on the steps or floundered their way to the sides.

[NSWP]

2 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Smart pre-Covid thinking maybe. We did a Med cruise on Royal in 2017. Only a couple of tender ports on that itinerary and tendering was efficient. We enjoyed the cruise but hated the small, crowded bars in the evenings. Royal does have a nice Sanctuary, unlike Majestic, and we managed to book really good sunloungers for the sea days, looking straight over the bow. Fantastic for going through the Messina Strait. I didn't like the Retreat Pool though, it seemed badly designed. Deeper than expected and the steps down went right into the middle so people either sat on the steps or floundered their way to the sides.

Re tendering in the Med. At several Med ports the local seaman's union insist that they use their ferry boats to supplement ship's tendering, of course they get paid for it. Greek Islands in particular. It is a rule not an option for the Captain of the cruise ship.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 minute ago, NSWP said:

Re tendering in the Med. At several Med ports the local seaman's union insist that they use their ferry boats to supplement ship's tendering, of course they get paid for it. Greek Islands in particular. It is a rule not an option for the Captain of the cruise ship.

Yes, we had local tenders at Santorini. We were lucky to get the dock at Messina, a Costa ship had to tender there. The Kotor tendering was quickly, especially the first time we stopped there, our anchorage was so close we could almost swim ashore.

[NSWP]

25 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, we had local tenders at Santorini. We were lucky to get the dock at Messina, a Costa ship had to tender there. The Kotor tendering was quickly, especially the first time we stopped there, our anchorage was so close we could almost swim ashore.

I would think the cruise ship tender business is quite lucrative for the seamen in the Greek Isles and other places. But then Greece was/is in a massive recession, has been for year, so the poor souls need the money to feed their families.

 

And of course whilst the cruise line pays the seamen, the pax pays it really, all costed out and included in the various Port charges one gets hit with on the cruise fare.

Edited December 6, 2020 by NSWP

[NeilonBoard]

6 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I wouldn't be surprised to see Coral Princess turn up here ahead of her currently scheduled itineraries, to do some trial cruises out of Brisbane and/or Sydney. She's the smallest in the Princess fleet now, other than Pacific, and she's going to be based here for a good year or so, replacing Sea Princess to do the big run -   Round Australia, Hawaii/Tahiti, and the World Cruise - assuming the world is in a fit state for some or all of those cruises to happen.

I believe Princess are expecting Coral to complete her Alaskan season in 2021 albeit with revised itineraries of 7 nites or less in keeping with American regulations. That season terminates in Los Angeles on 29 September. Even with the cancellation of the trans Pacific re location cruise I couldn't see Coral getting here much earlier than her scheduled arrival of 29 October. Not much of a window for trial cruises or even quarantine.

[OzKiwiJJ]

11 minutes ago, NeilonBoard said:

I believe Princess are expecting Coral to complete her Alaskan season in 2021 albeit with revised itineraries of 7 nites or less in keeping with American regulations. That season terminates in Los Angeles on 29 September. Even with the cancellation of the trans Pacific re location cruise I couldn't see Coral getting here much earlier than her scheduled arrival of 29 October. Not much of a window for trial cruises or even quarantine.

Do you think cruising out of the US will be feasible by the start of the Alaska season? I'm not so sure it will be. My previous comment was made with the thought that Coral won't do a US season but will head down here earlier than expected. Of course, I could be totally wrong but I doubt cruising will just restart without some trials and time for a quarantine before embarking any passengers. And the fact that Princess have cancelled the trans-Pacific leads me to think they have something else in mind for her. I might be just wishful thinking but .... dreams are free.😊

[Chiliburn]

8 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Do you think cruising out of the US will be feasible by the start of the Alaska season? I'm not so sure it will be. My previous comment was made with the thought that Coral won't do a US season but will head down here earlier than expected. Of course, I could be totally wrong but I doubt cruising will just restart without some trials and time for a quarantine before embarking any passengers. And the fact that Princess have cancelled the trans-Pacific leads me to think they have something else in mind for her. I might be just wishful thinking but .... dreams are free.😊

The America’s have a real dilemma  with trials, Having cruises to nowhere are illegal under the PVSA and jones act.

Not sure if they can do short cruises to the private islands and back other than that they have to go to a distant port.

Then who would want them at the moment?

A real problem when they have to prove to their government.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, Chiliburn said:

The America’s have a real dilemma  with trials, Having cruises to nowhere are illegal under the PVSA and jones act.

Not sure if they can do short cruises to the private islands and back other than that they have to go to a distant port.

Then who would want them at the moment?

A real problem when they have to prove to their government.

Under the American PVSA Act, a ship can do cruises to nowhere, but it has to return to its originating port. They are not permitted to cruise from one US port to another (unless the ship complies with rules regarding US ownership and crew).

[Chiliburn]

14 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Under the American PVSA Act, a ship can do cruises to nowhere, but it has to return to its originating port. They are not permitted to cruise from one US port to another (unless the ship complies with rules regarding US ownership and crew).

OK ,from what the Americans are saying on the RCL forum, not.

They where saying the Singapore cruises can’t happen in the US.

But maybe I wasn’t getting it right.

Edited December 6, 2020 by Chiliburn

[OzKiwiJJ]

One of the issues is that the whole world is carefully watching any restarts, especially our governments. Any slip-ups resulting in Covid cases onboard will set back cruising restarts in other parts of the world. 

 

I think it will be a very brave (and possibly very stupid) cruise line that attempts a restart in the US. Our region is probably the safest for a controlled restart to happen once our governments give the green light. Otherwise more restarts will happen in Asia before they happen in the US, I suspect.

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

OK ,from what the Americans are saying on the RCL forum, not.

But maybe I wasn’t getting it right.

I think they have to include a foreign port regardless. What that entails exactly I'm not sure. Can they just go there and anchor but not allow any passengers ashore?

[Aus Traveller]

25 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I think they have to include a foreign port regardless. What that entails exactly I'm not sure. Can they just go there and anchor but not allow any passengers ashore?

Cruises from US ports have to include a foreign port unless they return to their port of departure. The point of this law is to stop ships operating a domestic passenger service (from one port to another) unless they meet the requirements mentioned previously. Cruise ships would not qualify.