Will the current lockdowns impact the restart of cruising here?

[OzKiwiJJ]

Keeping track of the daily numbers makes me wonder if cruising will restart later this year. There have been some indications that progress was being made in that respect. I guess it will just be a numbers game until then. 🤔

[Snoopkat]

Not sure about this year but we're keeping our fingers crossed that our March 2022 cruise will go ahead. 

[ilikeanswers]

My prediction🔮, I'm thinking international flights will start before cruising does. I just don't think the government is going to let cruise ships in till the public can freely leave the country ✈️. 

[SinbadThePorter]

41 minutes ago, Snoopkat said:

Not sure about this year but we're keeping our fingers crossed that our March 2022 cruise will go ahead. 

 

I can't see the Federal government allowing cruise ships in until after the next Federal election, due before the middle of 2022. I think Morrison will hold off calling the election for as long as possible to get past any lingering resentments over his handling of the pandemic as well as not risking anything that reminds people of the Ruby Princess debacle.☹️

 

At the moment I am working on the assumption that 2022/2023 will be a (relatively) normal cruise season. Even then I have doubts about PNG and the South Pacific being accessible.

Edited August 10, 2021 by SinbadThePorter

[MMDown Under]

4 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

I can't see the Federal government allowing cruise ships in until after the next Federal election, due before the middle of 2022. I think Morrison will hold off calling the election for as long as possible to get past any lingering resentments over his handling of the pandemic as well as not risking anything that reminds people of the Ruby Princess debacle.☹️

 

At the moment I am working on the assumption that 2022/2023 will be a (relatively) normal cruise season. Even then I have doubts about PNG and the South Pacific being accessible.

I think that is a reasonable assumption.  In the meantime the Federal Govt can observe what is happening with the resumption of cruising overseas. In addition WA and Qld Govts have a stake in this with both Govts dealing with cargo ships with crews positive with Delta variant.  Seriously sick crew are admitted to WA and Qld hospital covid wards.

[onlyslightlymad]

From a NZ perspective, there's no way there will be any cruising here til 22/23 summer season.  Even then, with the latest news coming our from govt advisors, I think the most we can hope for is NZ/Aus cruises or at a stretch the Pac Islands or Singapore?  I believe there is an announcement coming Thursday but I am not feeling as confident as I was about our Dec 22 cruise.  Still six months is an eternity in pandemic land.  Any prediction beyond that time are very speculative.

[lissie]

3 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said:

From a NZ perspective, there's no way there will be any cruising here til 22/23 summer season.  Even then, with the latest news coming our from govt advisors, I think the most we can hope for is NZ/Aus cruises or at a stretch the Pac Islands or Singapore?  I believe there is an announcement coming Thursday but I am not feeling as confident as I was about our Dec 22 cruise.  Still six months is an eternity in pandemic land.  Any prediction beyond that time are very speculative.

I agree - I'm starting to wonder whether we're get to Europe next August (cruise ex US and cruise back to Singapore  from Barcelona).  That's just because I'm not sure whether we're going to be able to get flights and MIQ bookings, and internationally recognized vaccine passport. And insurance. 

[onlyslightlymad]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

I agree - I'm starting to wonder whether we're get to Europe next August (cruise ex US and cruise back to Singapore  from Barcelona).  That's just because I'm not sure whether we're going to be able to get flights and MIQ bookings, and internationally recognized vaccine passport. And insurance. 

Yes, the MIQ bookings are impossible to make far in advance.  It's makes it very hard to plan.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

It's been interesting to see what the cruise lines have been doing leading up to the coming season.

 

For the previous season most cruise lines cancelled the whole season.

 

This year some have cancelled the early part of the season through to 19th December. Cunard and Celebrity have cancelled the full season though.

 

Princess cancelled all Emerald's itineraries citing redeployment as the reason.

 

But then it started to get a little bit different:

- Princess changed all itineraries involving South Pacific ports, including the March Round Australia one. The changed cruises only go to Australian ports now.

- then Royal Caribbean cancelled all their remaining cruises for the 21/22 season and released new itineraries from mid- December onwards.

These cruise lines know something we don't - presumably they have had some serious indications from the governments that there is a likelihood of cruising restarting before Christmas.

 

Or maybe that should be "was" given the current outbreaks. 

 

So we need to keep on tracking those numbers, especially for NSW, VIC, and QLD, just like we were doing before. 😉

[OzKiwiJJ]

Victoria has 20 locally transmitted cases with only 6 in the wild while infectious. It looks likely the lockdown will be extended though.

 

Queensland had 4 cases, all safely in quarantine while infectious. Well done, Queensland.

[OzKiwiJJ]

NSW had 344 cases yesterday. 42% were in isolation during their infectious period which is an improvement on yesterday. Still too many out in the wild though. 🙁

Edited August 11, 2021 by OzKiwiJJ

[Aus Traveller]

19 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Victoria has 20 locally transmitted cases with only 6 in the wild while infectious. It looks likely the lockdown will be extended though.

 

Queensland had 4 cases, all safely in quarantine while infectious. Well done, Queensland.

Queensland has been going into lockdown early - as soon as infections become known. Gladys criticized Anna and also Dan Andrews for their quick response of a lockdown, but her  method has proven to be a disaster, a disaster that is growing.☹️

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

Queensland has been going into lockdown early - as soon as infections become known. Gladys criticized Anna and also Dan Andrews for their quick response of a lockdown, but her  method has proven to be a disaster, a disaster that is growing.☹️

Exactly! Gladys and Brad Hazzard were firmly toeing the PM's original line about lockdowns - of course, Scomo has done a back-flip on that now.

 

There are still too many Sydney people taking the lockdown too lightly. It's noticeable just in the amount of traffic on the roads compared with last years' lockdown. Too many people are using loopholes in the restrictions to get out and about. After the furore on our local community FB page over the weekend a police team did a friendly wander through Lane Cove and, among other things, reminding people that the seating was for "respite not for consuming food and drink".

[NSWP]

After the Melbourne thread went overnight, the one where we posted covid numbers etc, I don't think we are permitted to post covid numbers on here anymore? Right or wrong?

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just now, NSWP said:

After the Melbourne thread went overnight, the one where we posted covid numbers etc, I don't think we are permitted to post covid numbers on here anymore? Right or wrong?

Let's try just posting numbers instead of the screenshots, along with plenty of discussion on whether it will affect that possible restart. 😉😋

[Docker123]

9 minutes ago, NSWP said:

After the Melbourne thread went overnight, the one where we posted covid numbers etc, I don't think we are permitted to post covid numbers on here anymore? Right or wrong?

 

To the letter of the big red banner, this is probably correct.

 

However, in our region this is the reason why cruising is not happening, and most likely will not until second half of 2022.

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just now, Docker123 said:

 

 

However, in our region this is the reason why cruising is not happening, and most likely will not until second half of 2022.

 

Exactly, so discussions on the effect Covid is having on the possibility of cruising restarting here are important to us. 

 

I would like to think you are wrong, for reasons I cited in post #9, but so much is going to depend on the number of cases, especially in NSW, and the number of vaccinations. I feel like the likelihood of that December restart is teetering on a knife edge! 😥

[gogo65]

We have booked a cruise to Antarctica from Dunedin following our cancelled Kimberley cruise.

While it is unlikely to go, I wonder whether a cruise like this where we dont stop at any ports (although we do stop at a few of the sub Antartic islands which aren’t populated), may be one of the first to go.

I’m sure someone here has done a sub Antarctic cruise from NZ in the least 12 months, albeit with only NZ people onboard.

Maybe an expedition cruise with no ports, with fully vaccinated OZ and NZ citizens on board, may just have a chance (pending the bubble reopening by then!)

 

[possum52]

33 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Let's try just posting numbers instead of the screenshots, along with plenty of discussion on whether it will affect that possible restart. 😉😋

Yep, lets do that on this thread. I saw earlier this morning our original thread had disappeared, but didn't come back until now. Just post the relevant numbers and continue the discussion about re starting cruising. 

 

Julie, you are correct, Victoria's lockdown has been extended for another week.

Edited August 11, 2021 by possum52

[By The Bay]

It is evening time on the other side. Let's see if this thread is still here tomorrow morning. 🤔

[lissie]

2 hours ago, gogo65 said:

We have booked a cruise to Antarctica from Dunedin following our cancelled Kimberley cruise.

While it is unlikely to go, I wonder whether a cruise like this where we dont stop at any ports (although we do stop at a few of the sub Antartic islands which aren’t populated), may be one of the first to go.

I’m sure someone here has done a sub Antarctic cruise from NZ in the least 12 months, albeit with only NZ people onboard.

Maybe an expedition cruise with no ports, with fully vaccinated OZ and NZ citizens on board, may just have a chance (pending the bubble reopening by then!)

 

Yes that was me - did the Heritage Expeditions cruise to Steward Isl, Snares and Fiordland back in January. 

 

They ran the whole season from Nov-March - but was only NZ residents and they only went to NZ territories IF the bubble is open again -  I see no reason why Ozzies wouldn't be allowed on board.   But call Heritage and talk to them -  they are small company - real people answer the phone not a call centre 

 

They were NOT allowed to go to Antarctica last season though - for reasons that were never explained.  Here are some pics 

 

[onlyslightlymad]

3 hours ago, gogo65 said:

We have booked a cruise to Antarctica from Dunedin following our cancelled Kimberley cruise.

While it is unlikely to go, I wonder whether a cruise like this where we dont stop at any ports (although we do stop at a few of the sub Antartic islands which aren’t populated), may be one of the first to go.

I’m sure someone here has done a sub Antarctic cruise from NZ in the least 12 months, albeit with only NZ people onboard.

Maybe an expedition cruise with no ports, with fully vaccinated OZ and NZ citizens on board, may just have a chance (pending the bubble reopening by then!)

 

What date is your cruise?

[Snoopkat]

16 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

I can't see the Federal government allowing cruise ships in until after the next Federal election, due before the middle of 2022. I think Morrison will hold off calling the election for as long as possible to get past any lingering resentments over his handling of the pandemic as well as not risking anything that reminds people of the Ruby Princess debacle.☹️

 

At the moment I am working on the assumption that 2022/2023 will be a (relatively) normal cruise season. Even then I have doubts about PNG and the South Pacific being accessible.

Thanks, good point. Hoping to book another cruise in Oct 2022 but will wait and see if things go back to normal. My prediction is the borders won't reopen for overseas travel until 2023.

[getting older slowly]

Well if lockdown doesn't impact cruising.... if they build a wall across the Heads that will....

 

And I doubt there will be a consensus, between States about A Vaccination passport, to allow fully vaccinated persons to move somewhat freely between states ... without doing double somersaults with a half twist, and all the paperwork in triplicate sent to all states involved..

 

Just a thought...... Don

[stki]

8 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It's been interesting to see what the cruise lines have been doing leading up to the coming season.

 

For the previous season most cruise lines cancelled the whole season.

 

This year some have cancelled the early part of the season through to 19th December. Cunard and Celebrity have cancelled the full season though.

 

Princess cancelled all Emerald's itineraries citing redeployment as the reason.

 

But then it started to get a little bit different:

- Princess changed all itineraries involving South Pacific ports, including the March Round Australia one. The changed cruises only go to Australian ports now.

- then Royal Caribbean cancelled all their remaining cruises for the 21/22 season and released new itineraries from mid- December onwards.

These cruise lines know something we don't - presumably they have had some serious indications from the governments that there is a likelihood of cruising restarting before Christmas.

 

 P & O and Carnival Australia have cruises from December too. 

We have done several P&O short cruises with friends over the years. Got a call today from a P & O cruise planner. (Ist time ever), and told us about the $1.00 pp deposits.

 

We thought, what the heck, and booked a Xmas cruise from Sydney leaving on the 18th December, on the Pacific Adventure (which is the old Golden princess. Got on our favorite Caribe balcony (Deck 10) Final payment is 4th October, so if we cancel, we loose $2.00. I know I am dreaming BUT.........

 

Cheers

 

Tanya