Any Updates on the Infinity?

[NoWhiners]

6 hours ago, gone2c said:

 If you check Celebrity's web site, they have taken this port off the itinerary.  It now has three straight sea days to Antarctica.  

 

I did go and check our itinerary. It now says we will be tendered that day (2/22/22!). Not great but better than nothing. I hope we can get off in time to meet up with our Patrick Watts tour!

[gone2c]

31 minutes ago, NoWhiners said:

 

I did go and check our itinerary. It now says we will be tendered that day (2/22/22!). Not great but better than nothing. I hope we can get off in time to meet up with our Patrick Watts tour!

When I checked yesterday Celebrity had removed Falkland.  Today it is back.  I have no idea what is going on.  If you are not Elite (they'll have the ability to be in the first group off) be sure to get downstairs early.  It will be an extremely popular port and the line will be long to get off the ship.   

[jmfdr]

21 minutes ago, gone2c said:

When I checked yesterday Celebrity had removed Falkland.  Today it is back.  I have no idea what is going on.  If you are not Elite (they'll have the ability to be in the first group off) be sure to get downstairs early.  It will be an extremely popular port and the line will be long to get off the ship.   

 

I don't think that the probable ban on large cruise ship arrivals in the Falkland Island has to do with tendering, but with Covid.. When I emailed with Patrick Watts about a tour, back in November 2020, he was not positive about it being a go in 2022.   He sited no covid cases in the Falklands, except at the Military base and two locals returning from overseas. I really can't blame the Falklands for wanting to restrict large cruise ships from docking at their homeland.

Below is a recently released notice that, from Oct,1, 2021,  no cruise ships carrying more than 530 passengers is allowed to dock at Port Stanley.  I assume that the major cruise ship dates for arrival in the Falkland's are roughly from November through March.

The highlight of any South American/Antarctica cruise we have done is our stop in the Falklands.  Stay safe! 

 

The COVID pandemic hit the cruise industry very hard. Shortly after the start of the pandemic, outbreaks of the virus began to circulate aboard the large cruise ships, causing the ships to be barely welcome at any ports. Many countries have since kept their ports closed. The Falkland Islands have also imposed heavy restrictions on cruise ships to protect their own population from the introduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Now the Executive Council, the supreme authority of the Falkland Islands has published its policy for the coming season.

In a press release, ExCo (Executive Council) announced that from October 1, 2021, only expedition vessels with less than 530 passengers on board will be allowed to call at the Falkland Islands. In addition, the existing rule that the ship must have been at sea for 14 days beforehand and that all people on board, passengers and crews, must be symptom-free in order to be allowed to go ashore still applies. “Vessels also need to agree to a set of rigorous public health conditions that will be closely monitored by the Strategic Pandemic Management Group,” is stated in the release. All vessels with more than 530 passengers on board are not on the list of permitted vessels.

Jan

[ldubs]

On 6/14/2021 at 7:48 PM, jelayne said:

When  X cancelled the infinity TA from Barcelona to FL and the airline cancelled  our flight to Portugal we cancelled our cruise.   The last I saw the Infinity has a TA from Europe to South America in December.  I’m not sure if the Infinity or Connie will go to Pullmantur.  I hope not as some our most memorable ruined have been on those ships.

 

Feel the same about Infinity.  We are booked Infinity for Spring '22.  Reading this I suppose we will hold off on booking air.  Shucks!  🙁

[NoWhiners]

2 hours ago, jmfdr said:

In a press release, ExCo (Executive Council) announced that from October 1, 2021, only expedition vessels with less than 530 passengers on board will be allowed to call at the Falkland Islands. In addition, the existing rule that the ship must have been at sea for 14 days beforehand and that all people on board, passengers and crews, must be symptom-free in order to be allowed to go ashore still applies. “Vessels also need to agree to a set of rigorous public health conditions that will be closely monitored by the Strategic Pandemic Management Group,” is stated in the release. All vessels with more than 530 passengers on board are not on the list of permitted vessels.

Jan

 

Yes, I don't think any of us thought it was a dock vs tender question, and knew it was a covid issue. That press release is the first time I've seen anything saying "allowed to call", which is different than docking. I guess we will wait and see. The way this cruise has been going, the poor Infinity will sink or something between now and then 😁😲

[firstimer2009]

6 hours ago, stickey_mouse said:

 

Not a bait and switch. I would proceed accordingly. I think odds are more likely than not the Infinity will remain with Celebrity, and your sailing will proceed as planned. Why do you have to book flights so early? 

Thank you for the positivity!  We are using miles on Delta and those always sell out quickly.  We have to book flights on the first day the flights become available.  Which is 330 days from our return flight home.  Which will be sometime in October this year.   

 

I think I will book it anyway. We were in Rome post-cruise in Oct 2019 and I came down with a horrible bug while on the cruise.   I was a good sport in Rome, but didn't get to do everything we wanted to.  It's why I love this itinerary.  I can go back to Rome and stop in Barcelona which I have never been.  The Sagrada Familia is calling.

[Stockjock]

24 minutes ago, firstimer2009 said:

Thank you for the positivity!  We are using miles on Delta and those always sell out quickly.  We have to book flights on the first day the flights become available.  Which is 330 days from our return flight home.  Which will be sometime in October this year.   

 

I think I will book it anyway. We were in Rome post-cruise in Oct 2019 and I came down with a horrible bug while on the cruise.   I was a good sport in Rome, but didn't get to do everything we wanted to.  It's why I love this itinerary.  I can go back to Rome and stop in Barcelona which I have never been.  The Sagrada Familia is calling.

I hope that Delta has customer-friendly policies regarding flights made with frequent flyer miles.  

I had booked flights to London in 2020 and American allowed me to get a full refund of all miles and fees when my cruise was cancelled.  We had a flight booked to Rome coming up this fall and we had to change the flights due to a cruise line schedule change.  There was no cost to make the change, although we were responsible for differences in taxes (about $200 more as the return flights changed from American to British Airways).

Not sure all airlines have the same policies, but it's comforting to know I'm not going to lose a lot of money and miles if things change.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Stockjock

[dszrew]

13 hours ago, Stockjock said:

I hope that Delta has customer-friendly policies regarding flights made with frequent flyer miles.  

through 2022 flights can be changed or canceled with no fees and full refund of miles. I've already rebooked several flights and gotten the difference in miles refunded--and a bonus for doing it online without calling. 

[Stockjock]

I do believe there was a plan in place to move Infinity and Constellation over to Pullmantur once it's reorganized.  Celebrity denied this, but I don't think the announcement by Pullmantur came out of thin air.  And it made sense on multiple levels.  Pullmantur needs a couple of "new" ships, they've previously received ships from Celebrity (Zenith and Horizon), Infinity and Constellation are the oldest ships in Celebrity's fleet that haven't been "revolutionized", and most cruise lines are right sizing their fleets in light of the pandemic, meaning that they're dumping off some older ships and excess capacity.

It's fair to say that the situation now looks worse for Pullmantur versus earlier this year.  It is definitely possible that they "refloat", but they are currently in a liquidation phase, got rid of their CEO, shut down their Madrid HQ for non-payment of rent, and could become extinct without a new major infusion of capital.  While Pullmantur scrapped 2 of their ships, one of them (Horizon) just seems to be hiding out there somewhere off the coast of Greece, for whatever reason, not for sale or scrap, as I understand it.

So who knows what will happen with Constellation and Infinity.  If there is no more Pullmantur, then obviously they won't be transferred there, but too soon to know for sure.  

My best advice is to assume that all currently booked cruises will sail, but try to ensure that all travel tickets are fully refundable, just in case.  Some of the airlines are still offering good cancellation policies (but not all of them), and Celebrity Air is probably worth looking at, as I think you could get a refund if the cruise is cancelled.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Stockjock

[Saab4444]

On 7/23/2021 at 12:12 AM, Stockjock said:

I do believe there was a plan in place to move Infinity and Constellation over to Pullmantur once it's reorganized.  Celebrity denied this, but I don't think the announcement by Pullmantur came out of thin air.  And it made sense on multiple levels.  Pullmantur needs a couple of "new" ships, they've previously received ships from Celebrity (Zenith and Horizon), Infinity and Constellation are the oldest ships in Celebrity's fleet that haven't been "revolutionized", and most cruise lines are right sizing their fleets in light of the pandemic, meaning that they're dumping off some older ships and excess capacity.

It's fair to say that the situation now looks worse for Pullmantur versus earlier this year.  It is definitely possible that they "refloat", but they are currently in a liquidation phase, got rid of their CEO, shut down their Madrid HQ for non-payment of rent, and could become extinct without a new major infusion of capital.  While Pullmantur scrapped 2 of their ships, one of them (Horizon) just seems to be hiding out there somewhere off the coast of Greece, for whatever reason, not for sale or scrap, as I understand it.

So who knows what will happen with Constellation and Infinity.  If there is no more Pullmantur, then obviously they won't be transferred there, but too soon to know for sure.  

My best advice is to assume that all currently booked cruises will sail, but try to ensure that all travel tickets are fully refundable, just in case.  Some of the airlines are still offering good cancellation policies (but not all of them), and Celebrity Air is probably worth looking at, as I think you could get a refund if the cruise is cancelled.

Pullmantur was history from the moment the CEO finished the restructuring and left a few months ago.

 

Horizon was already sold by Pullmantur to Peace Boat earlier. Zenith was the last former Celebrity ship with Pullmantur. Horizon and Zenith are still laid up in the Piraeus area. I don't understand why Celestial Cruises did not choose them but the rubish and ugly rebuilt former Costa Neoromantica..

[Spif Barwunkel]

Infinity seems to have been a "mystery ship." She is still on the books for cruise bookings, but personally I don't have much faith in those sailings. We are booked on the 2/13/22 Antarctica sailing. I got a peaceful, easy feelinn' that won't go. She will remain a mystery through March 2022, during which time a refurb or a sale is in order. Speculation, of course.   

[cricketts]

1 hour ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Infinity seems to have been a "mystery ship." She is still on the books for cruise bookings, but personally I don't have much faith in those sailings. We are booked on the 2/13/22 Antarctica sailing. I got a peaceful, easy feelinn' that won't go. She will remain a mystery through March 2022, during which time a refurb or a sale is in order. Speculation, of course.   

 

My speculation as well 🙂

However, I don't think Celebrity is likely to pull out of the South American market.  So, what ship will be the next to go there for 2023?? Hmmm...

[Stockjock]

9 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

Pullmantur was history from the moment the CEO finished the restructuring and left a few months ago.

 

Horizon was already sold by Pullmantur to Peace Boat earlier. Zenith was the last former Celebrity ship with Pullmantur. Horizon and Zenith are still laid up in the Piraeus area. I don't understand why Celestial Cruises did not choose them but the rubish and ugly rebuilt former Costa Neoromantica..

I believe that's incorrect.  To the best of my knowledge, Zenith was sold to Peace Boat, but not Horizon.
https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/21221-zenith-will-sail-for-peace-boat.html

[Saab4444]

5 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

I believe that's incorrect.  To the best of my knowledge, Zenith was sold to Peace Boat, but not Horizon.
https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/21221-zenith-will-sail-for-peace-boat.html

Sorry, my mistake!