Coral Princess Around Australia March 2022

[Reina del Mar]

I have just read on Princess Facebook page, a discussion about whether the Around Australia Cruise on Coral Princess, in March 2022 has been cancelled.  Several people have stated they have received cancellation notices, but others are saying the cruise is showing ‘currently not available’ which some think means it is fully booked.

 

Our booking has not changed and speaking to Princess UK, the cruise is still scheduled to sail.

 

I am enquiring whether anyone has any additional information as Princess UK has occasionally been a few days behind Princess Australia and Princess US with their information.

( When we actually booked this cruise, we only just managed to get a cabin as bookings had opened in Oz and US a few days earlier.)

 

Thanks for any helpful information.

[franktown]

Have no info about your specific cruise but whenever my cruise showed currently not available it was cancelled shortly after.  There is no info about this cruise on the US Princess site except to say Currently Not Available.

Edited April 2, 2021 by franktown
add

[Reina del Mar]

Thanks for that information. The ‘Currently not available’ has been showing on UK site since before Christmas...shortly after bookings opened.

[capriccio]

Is the cruise also available in 2 legs like the Around Australia 2023 cruise?  If so, check and see if they the website displays the "currently not available" for those legs.

 

We have reservations on the Around Australia 2023 cruise and the US website shows "currently not available" whenever all the cabins set aside for the 28 day cruise are booked even if there are cabins available for the Northern and/or Southern legs. When cabins in any category become available for the 28 day cruise, the "currently not available" no longer appears and bookings can be made for cabins in whichever category(ies) have availability.  The status can change at least a few times a week (and sometimes daily) with, at this point in time, a very limited number of cabins becoming available.  They are quickly snapped up.

[casofilia]

In New Zealand (Australian Website) the Round Australia 28 day (Syd-Syd) and 26 Day (Bri-Syd) are both showing "Currently Not Available" and there are no half way cruises even mentioned.

 

Having done the full cruise a couple of years ago I will agree that this cruise books out very quickly.   On the one we did there were Australians looking to book for the following year as soon as it appeared and some had done the cruise for a number of years.

No international flights to worry about!!!  Australians are quite happy to do the half way cruises too, visit relatives at one end and then fly home, at most a 6 hour flight.

Edited April 3, 2021 by casofilia

[Reina del Mar]

Cruise is only available Sydney to Sydney or Brisbane to Sydney on UK website...but has been showing ‘Currently Unavailable’ since a few days after booking opened. We have a cabin booked (not our first choice as seemed to be offered in Australia and USA few days before UK)

 

Have been keeping a close watch on posts about it as we will obviously need to fly in Internationally and not yet sure if Australia will open her borders in time.

 

Would be grateful for any information as and when t becomes available.

[heddyjan]

“Currently not available” is usually because it has booked out and a full compliment of people on a waiting list.

These circumnavigation cruises always book out really really quickly.

Princess may be holding back on a few staterooms in case they are obliged to have fewer passengers on the cruise.

As for international flights ..... good luck with that !!

The main reason we can book Australian and NZ cruises in the creation of the “travel bubble”.

[casofilia]

@heddyjan

 

The main reason we can book Australian and NZ cruises in the creation of the “travel bubble”.

 

Just because we can BOOK cruises now does not mean there is any certainty of them going ahead.    At present the only possible bubble is a one way bubble.

 

I imagine the initial cruises will be Australia only and for Australians only.   Later in may be increased to include New Zealand and New Zealanders.   It may well be quite a long time before other nationalities are included.

[heddyjan]

There are quite a few Australia/NZ cruises this Oct, Nov, December and beyond.

Fingers crossed we can all get back to sea (safely) again.

[Cruisen Elf]

12 hours ago, heddyjan said:

There are quite a few Australia/NZ cruises this Oct, Nov, December and beyond.

Fingers crossed we can all get back to sea (safely) again.

 

We have a cruisetour booked beginning this November, 2021.  We would be travelling from the US.  What are the chances that this cruise will actually be available to us?  Does anyone have current information regarding travel to and within Australia and New Zealand from the US?

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but it seemed pertinent to the topic.  Thanks in advance for any info anyone can provide!

[casofilia]

@Cruisen Elf

 

As to New Zealand, the talk is still that the only people allowed in will be people from "Bubble Countries".   Anyone else will still have to pay for Managed Isolation for 14 days at quite a sum.   We have no bubbles yet but there is an indication that information about one could change in the next 24 hours

 

Anyone coming will also need a clear Covid test no earlier than 72 hours before boarding a plane.  There is no indication what a vaccination will do to affect incoming travelers yet.

 

I have a thread that I update periodically as the border information changes  https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/2760660-new-zealand-border/

 

 

 

[Cruisen Elf]

1 minute ago, casofilia said:

@Cruisen Elf

 

As to New Zealand, the talk is still that the only people allowed in will be people from "Bubble Countries".   Anyone else will still have to pay for Managed Isolation for 14 days at quite a sum.   We have no bubbles yet but there is an indication that information about one could change in the next 24 hours

 

Anyone coming will also need a clear Covid test no earlier than 72 hours before boarding a plane.  There is no indication what a vaccination will do to affect incoming travelers yet.

 

I have a thread that I update periodically as the border information changes  https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/2760660-new-zealand-border/

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for the info and link!  I have been suspecting for months that the cruise won't take place, but I keep hoping for the best!

[c130]

We are on the Coral Princess 'round Australia March 2022. We have received NOTHING to indicate that the cruise is being canceled.  Live in the USA. See you next sping/fall.

 

[casofilia]

@c130

 

We are on the Coral Princess 'round Australia March 2022. We have received NOTHING to indicate that the cruise is being canceled.

 

I cannot see Princess cancelling, it they do, any cruises for March 2022 till November 2021 at the earliest.   I am hopeful that, as a New Zealander, we will be able to travel, at least in our region, by October/November.   I don't think that others will be cruising in this part of the word till the end of 2021; at the earliest.

[casofilia]

I have been trying to get, from the Covid Minister, information regarding Cruise ships,   No response so far!!!

[Reina del Mar]

To update on my original post...

 

The lady who posted on Facebook said she would speak to her travel agent and return to update, on the Tuesday after Easter.

 

 Sadly some of the comments to her post were not very pleasant and it appears she has chosen not to return.

 

There may of course be cabins available closer to the sail date if Australia does not open her borders to those of us having to fly in internationally...

[SinbadThePorter]

On 4/6/2021 at 7:29 AM, Cruisen Elf said:

What are the chances that this cruise will actually be available to us?  Does anyone have current information regarding travel to and within Australia and New Zealand from the US?

 

The really isn't any information as the powers that be, at both the state and federal level, just don't know what they want to do about cruising as yet. It's possible that they may spring into action at any moment and set a start date for cruises, but given the calibre of our politicians I seriously doubt it. I would say it's probably at the bottom of their to-do list.

 

At the moment we only have guesses. My guess is that there will be no cruising this year. 😪

 

My other guess is that international flights from the US, without quarantine, won't start before the middle of next year.

[Reina del Mar]

55 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

At the moment we only have guesses. My guess is that there will be no cruising this year. 😪

 

My other guess is that international flights from the US, without quarantine, won't start before the middle of next year.

I am afraid you may be right.  

 

We need to fly in from UK which also might still require quarantine. Our final payment is due in December so lots of time to ponder.

[mimbecky]

I am reading this forum with interest as we are on a cruise (with another line) in Feb 2022 with a follow up trip in NZ.  So many different thoughts from conversations elsewhere.  An Australian on another board said there is no way everyone there will be vaccinated by end of year which is not good news. On the other hand, speaking to an Air NZ rep, he said they anticipate full vaccination by end of July and are hopeful to open by year end. Who knows...

My only additional thought is that maybe ships are listed "currently unavailable" in order to keep ships below full capacity in anticipation that they won't be allowed to sail at 100 percent?

[casofilia]

@mimbecky

 

On the other hand, speaking to an Air NZ rep, he said they anticipate full vaccination by end of July 

 

I presume he meant that all Air New Zealand staff would be vaccinated by the end of July.   At the rate that we have vaccinations being done here in New Zealand he might be right for the whole population by July 2022.

 

Also the New Zealand government, like the Australian, won't make any announcement that they are even in talks about allowing the major cruise lines to return.

 

For my updates on New Zealand's Borders there is a thread https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/2760660-new-zealand-border/

 

Mike

 

[icat2000]

Borders in Oz are closed. Prime Minister said unlikely to open in 2021 (except for bubble areas)

 

There issues with the vaccine. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9449677/Australians-hopes-overseas-holiday-year-dashed-AstraZeneca-Covid-vaccine.html

 

Hardly anyone has had COVID19 here and there is no herd immunity.

 

So interesting times ahead. I would suspect Morrision will keep the borders closed until the Australian population is vaccinated before opening them up. So that might creep into 2022.

[trbarton]

I have a cruise in February 2022 from Sydney around New Zealand. I’m waiting to see what happens. Hopefully there will be no restrictions then. 
 

Tom😀

[OzKiwiJJ]

On 4/9/2021 at 2:12 PM, trbarton said:

I have a cruise in February 2022 from Sydney around New Zealand. I’m waiting to see what happens. Hopefully there will be no restrictions then. 
 

Tom😀

If the 21/22 cruise season down here doesn't start as it usually did in October then it is unlikely there will be ships doing cruises in February 22. The season finishes late March/early April so it is unlikely the cruise lines will bring the ships here unless it is for a full season. The one possible exception would be Coral Princess which is scheduled to operate all year round from Australia although I doubt the 2022 world cruise and Hawaii/Tahiti cruises will go ahead. But Top End cruises between Sydney and Fremantle are a possibility to replace those international itineraries.

[casofilia]

Two pieces of information from the last 24 hours.

 

1)  Cruise ships are specifically excluded from the Australia/New Zealand bubble.

2)  Australia's Prime Minister has scrapped their Vaccination Schedule.

 

Neither is good news for getting cruise ships back to this part of the world.

 

Mike

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

14 minutes ago, casofilia said:

Two pieces of information from the last 24 hours.

 

1)  Cruise ships are specifically excluded from the Australia/New Zealand bubble.

2)  Australia's Prime Minister has scrapped their Vaccination Schedule.

 

Neither is good news for getting cruise ships back to this part of the world.

 

Mike

 

The PM scrapping the vaccination schedule doesn't mean vaccinations won't still be taking place it just means he's finally admitted he can't do it to the original plan.

 

The real concern is the cruise ship ban. The majority of Aus/NZ cruises are to NZ and if the ships can't go to NZ the majority of them won't come to Australia either. 😥