What Does HAL know that we Aussies don't

[NSWP]

8 minutes ago, possum52 said:

It was today announced by the Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt that the ban on cruise ships by the Australian government has been extended for another three months to September 17th.  It appears the journalist's sources were incorrect.

Cruise Ship Ban to be Continued until September 17th

 

Leigh

And so it goes on. The cruise ship armada will not arrive for some time yet.

Edited June 10, 2021 by NSWP

[possum52]

4 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Not necessarily, Leigh. The cruise seasons normally don't start until October which is outside the new ban limit. There could still be a slight possibility of it happening. I imagine the powers that be will be taking a close look at what is happening in Europe, the UK, plus the US if they ever get things restarted.

 

I refuse to give up hope until they cancel my cruises. 😋

But Julie according to the NZ cruise rep in the article above, the cruise companies need to know by the end of this month to have the ships ready for an October start to cruising. If the ban is not reviewed for another 3 months, that is December or even January before they could commence cruising.

Leigh

[OzKiwiJJ]

7 minutes ago, possum52 said:

But Julie according to the NZ cruise rep in the article above, the cruise companies need to know by the end of this month to have the ships ready for an October start to cruising. If the ban is not reviewed for another 3 months, that is December or even January before they could commence cruising.

Leigh

That's skewed logic, Leigh.

 

The fact that the ban has been extended until mid-September does not automatically follow that it will be extended again. Plus the ban can be rescinded at any time. And even if there was a new ban it may not include cruise ships operating domestic cruising.

 

I do agree that a decision will need to be made by the end of this month as to whether ships are allowed back here. We'll just have to keep on hoping. 

 

 

[Russell21]

Well it looks like our October 30th Princess cruise to NZ will not happen. I just wish they cancel it because I'm damned if I will pay the final amount in August.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, Russell21 said:

Well it looks like our October 30th Princess cruise to NZ will not happen. I just wish they cancel it because I'm damned if I will pay the final amount in August.

If it is going to happen they'll have to decide by the end of this month so the ships can be made ready and crewed. So you should know well in advance of your final payment date. We have an October 17th Tasmania cruise booked but I'm not panicking yet. 

[By The Bay]

There are a lot of players that need to be convinced that it would be safe for cruising to re-start. Frankly, I am not at all optimistic. ☹️ From the Media release.

 

"The Government also continues to consult with the States and Territories and the maritime industry on options for the staged resumption of cruising when the medical advice is that it is safe to do so."

[gogo65]

My final payment for our August Kimberley cruise is fast approaching. I’m not sure that announcement provided any clarity as to whether it will go.

We have a plan B ready to go, think I may start to book (fully refundable of course)

[By The Bay]

1 minute ago, gogo65 said:

My final payment for our August Kimberley cruise is fast approaching. I’m not sure that announcement provided any clarity as to whether it will go.

We have a plan B ready to go, think I may start to book (fully refundable of course)

My friend rang the agent yesterday, and was told that the Ponant ship was denied entry into Oz. Now he has to try and retrieve his money. Good Luck.

[gogo65]

28 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

My friend rang the agent yesterday, and was told that the Ponant ship was denied entry into Oz. Now he has to try and retrieve his money. Good Luck.

Do you know when they were cruising? Seems they’ve cancelled end of July.

Ive no concerns in getting our money back.

[gogo65]

36 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

My friend rang the agent yesterday, and was told that the Ponant ship was denied entry into Oz. Now he has to try and retrieve his money. Good Luck.

Just spoke to Ponant, they advised they’ve cancelled up to 8th Aug but they are still negotiating with the government for the last 8 sailings..

[onlyslightlymad]

1 hour ago, By The Bay said:

My friend rang the agent yesterday, and was told that the Ponant ship was denied entry into Oz. Now he has to try and retrieve his money. Good Luck.

That is similar to what happened in NZ.  They began selling tickets for a cruise that was yet to be approved.

[pully8]

So disappointing for many who want to travel.

People want to know the exit plan, pathway out.

Endless emergency announcements with no clarity around the why/how they are making these decisions does not bode well.

 

[gogo65]

1 hour ago, onlyslightlymad said:

That is similar to what happened in NZ.  They began selling tickets for a cruise that was yet to be approved.

No not the case with these cruises, we booked this back in 2019, prior to Covid, they have remained the same throughout, except a change of ship. They have sailed in the Kimberleys every year for a few years.

I believe the NZ cruises were a charter cruise, and the charter company sold the tickets not Ponant.

[onlyslightlymad]

2 minutes ago, gogo65 said:

No not the case with these cruises, we booked this back in 2019, prior to Covid, they have remained the same throughout, except a change of ship. They have sailed in the Kimberleys every year for a few years.

I believe the NZ cruises were a charter cruise, and the charter company sold the tickets not Ponant.

Ah, okay.  I understand.  That is very disappointing for you then.

[gogo65]

43 minutes ago, pully8 said:

So disappointing for many who want to travel.

People want to know the exit plan, pathway out.

Endless emergency announcements with no clarity around the why/how they are making these decisions does not bode well.

 

Yes exactly.

We are happy for our cruise to be cancelled, we just want to know.

The wording of the announcement “restrictions on the entry of cruise vessel’s’, doesn’t really provide clarity.

Ponant told me today they would advise no more than 45 days before the cruise if it is cancelled, with final payment due 30 days prior to cruise, so at least we aren’t tying up lots of $$$ like some, although our deposit is more than most cruises.

[gogo65]

1 minute ago, onlyslightlymad said:

Ah, okay.  I understand.  That is very disappointing for you then.

We can do it another time, I just want to know if I can spend the money!

[GOTTODOIT]

Yes, we just wake every morning  and get on with life the best we can and be patient, patient,
I just get so annoyed that the Anti-vaccinators may hold back the majority who are responsible citizens, protecting themselves and others, from going about business as normal. (whatever normal might be now)

 

[Elorac123]

On 6/8/2021 at 7:01 PM, GOTTODOIT said:

 

No vaccination, no cruising

 

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have reversed their mandatory policy and announced cruises out of Florida and Texas will no longer require proof of vaccination.  Celebrity Cruises will also no longer be asking for proof of vaccine in Florida.

Source

 

https://cruisepassenger.com.au/aussie-cruise-lines-wait-and-see-over-vaccines-while-us-operators-are-forced-to-change-tack/

A change of heart it seems 

Cheers Carole 

[GOTTODOIT]

35 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

 

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have reversed their mandatory policy and announced cruises out of Florida and Texas will no longer require proof of vaccination.  Celebrity Cruises will also no longer be asking for proof of vaccine in Florida.

Source

 

https://cruisepassenger.com.au/aussie-cruise-lines-wait-and-see-over-vaccines-while-us-operators-are-forced-to-change-tack/

A change of heart it seems 

Cheers Carole 

I am pleased to see that NCL are sticking to the policy of passengers and crew being vaccinated and are prepared to bypass sailing from Florida.  

Would you like to be on a cruise where there are potential unvaccinated passengers?

I will have had my injections so I won't get very ill if the virus is passed on to me but what a potential disastrous cruise if some passengers test positive.  

I don't see the Australian government allowing cruise ships into australian ports without vaccinated crew and letting cruising restart without having passengers vaccinated.  It just won't happen.

 

 

 

 

 

[Elorac123]

6 minutes ago, GOTTODOIT said:

I am pleased to see that NCL are sticking to the policy of passengers and crew being vaccinated and are prepared to bypass sailing from Florida.  

Would you like to be on a cruise where there are potential unvaccinated passengers?

I will have had my injections so I won't get very ill if the virus is passed on to me but what a potential disastrous cruise if some passengers test positive.  

I don't see the Australian government allowing cruise ships into australian ports without vaccinated crew and letting cruising restart without having passengers vaccinated.  It just won't happen.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope your right, there is no way I am going if it is not mandatory.

Wonder how we would stand if after payment of getting a full refund if they changed tack ?

Cheers Carole 

[OzKiwiJJ]

38 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

 

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have reversed their mandatory policy and announced cruises out of Florida and Texas will no longer require proof of vaccination.  Celebrity Cruises will also no longer be asking for proof of vaccine in Florida.

Source

 

https://cruisepassenger.com.au/aussie-cruise-lines-wait-and-see-over-vaccines-while-us-operators-are-forced-to-change-tack/

A change of heart it seems 

Cheers Carole 

Celebrity have already had two passengers test positive on a Caribbean cruise. They were vaccinated and asymptomatic but were picked up in a pre-end-of-cruise screening. Imagine what the scenario would have been if those two hadn't been vaccinated with other unvaccinated passengers on the same cruise. Celebrity need to think again.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I have cruises booked with Princess and Cunard this summer. If cruising did go ahead and those cruise lines did not make it mandatory for the majority of passengers and crew to be vaccinated I would have no hesitation in cancelling those cruises even though I really, really want to cruise again and would be fully vaccinated by then. 

 

Note: I say majority vaccinated as children and some adults can't have the vaccine.

[GOTTODOIT]

15 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

Hope your right, there is no way I am going if it is not mandatory.

Wonder how we would stand if after payment of getting a full refund if they changed tack ?

Cheers Carole 

It really doesn't matter if the Cruise lines change tack as the Australian government won't change tack,

The cruise lines will not be sailing in Australia if they don't want to abide with the governments' policy.

I will  not be paying any final payments for any of our cruises until our international borders are open.

 

 

[Elorac123]

1 minute ago, GOTTODOIT said:

It really doesn't matter if the Cruise lines change tack as the Australian government won't change tack,

The cruise lines will not be sailing in Australia if they don't want to abide with the governments' policy.

I will  not be paying any final payments for any of our cruises until our international borders are open.

 

 

My concern is I have a few thousand dollars worth of FCC I will lose if I don’t make final payment but I’m sure your right in what your saying.

Cheers Carole

[GOTTODOIT]

I still have a cruise booked for November, Athens to Dubai, but I know I will have to cancel before final payment because our borders will not be open for us to fly out.  Our friends from the US, our cruising friends,  are able to do the cruise because they can fly out of the US to Athens.  We have 3 cruises booked for March, from Bangkok, b2b2b2, through to Tokyo but I am thinking that these have only a 50/50 chance of going ahead.