Interesting talk on another platform

[boeckli]

20 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

Here's what has happened - https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/130847298/cruise-ship-too-dirty-for-milford-sound-after-sea-snails-found

 

That would be extremely disappointing. They're effectively missing 3 ports.. as dropping them in Christchurch on X-mas day is daft.. everything is shut. 

 

Thanks for providing the link.

From what I can see visiting Lyttelton/Christchurch on Dec 25 is as per the original itinerary.

[Over from NZ]

1 minute ago, boeckli said:

 

Thanks for providing the link.

From what I can see visiting Lyttelton/Christchurch on Dec 25 is as per the original itinerary.

Oh ok. Well that's just stupid.. why would they have scheduled that. What a let-down.

 

[NSWP]

6 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

Oh ok. Well that's just stupid.. why would they have scheduled that. What a let-down.

 

Indeed, the pax will not be happy when they find ChCh is closed.

Edited December 22, 2022 by NSWP

[boeckli]

Just now, NSWP said:

Indeed, the pax will not be happy when they find CC is closed.

 

It's the original itinerary, so no surprise there. And "everything shut" on the public holiday(s) would apply at any other port as well ...

[NSWP]

1 minute ago, boeckli said:

 

It's the original itinerary, so no surprise there. And "everything shut" on the public holiday(s) would apply at any other port as well ...

Indeed, even Sydney would be 90% closed.

[Over from NZ]

8 minutes ago, boeckli said:

 

It's the original itinerary, so no surprise there. And "everything shut" on the public holiday(s) would apply at any other port as well ...

Which makes it daft to schedule. An alternative, if they can't schedule it to be a sea day.. would be to have that as an overnight port. But scheduling a day in port on christmas day is just stupid. What are the people going to do.. make a run on the pie-warmers at the petrol stations? lol. 

[NSWP]

1 minute ago, Over from NZ said:

Which makes it daft to schedule. An alternative, if they can't schedule it to be a sea day.. would be to have that as an overnight port. But scheduling a day in port on christmas day is just stupid. What are the people going to do.. make a run on the pie-warmers at the petrol stations? lol. 

As long as they are Dad’s Pies lol

[arxcards]

4 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Here's what has happened - https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/130847298/cruise-ship-too-dirty-for-milford-sound-after-sea-snails-found

 

That would be extremely disappointing. They're effectively missing 3 ports.. as dropping them in Christchurch on X-mas day is daft.. everything is shut. 

I thought so too. 

Princess sense of humour had us visiting CHRISTchurch on CHRISTmas day some years ago. Turns out the city was nowhere near as dead as we thought it would be, and all the touristy stuff was available to book via the ship or independently.

[arxcards]

On 12/21/2022 at 4:46 PM, Cootakid said:

Well that will be interesting….   200 pax boarded in Auckland last cruise expecting a 14 night round cruise.  

 

A big Uturn coming up somewhere along the way….

The Auckland passengers will still get their round cruise, albeit altered.

 

Coral hasn't called anywhere yet, and first port will be Christchurch on Christmas Day and the rest of the original schedule will follow. In the end, it appears the place they could get this done was near Tauranga and that is what took them over to the East Coast. That leaves them missing the Fiords and Dunedin but the rest of the itinerary will remain in order including Auckland on 29th December.

[Pushka]

Passenger on Viking Orion has just announced exactly the same thing. I wonder if NZ is playing games. 

[Over from NZ]

1 hour ago, Pushka said:

Passenger on Viking Orion has just announced exactly the same thing. I wonder if NZ is playing games. 

Yeah because that would be logical.. not. 

[Aussieflyer]

I wouldn't be too concerned with a port on Christmas Day - too much income at stake. Better than one cruise we had where we were in Tunis on the end of Ramadan - most of the places we were booked to visit on a ship excursion were cancelled/not open. There was a very small part of the Medina and also Sidi Bou Said (Blue and White). 

[Over from NZ]

3 minutes ago, Aussieflyer said:

I wouldn't be too concerned with a port on Christmas Day - too much income at stake. Better than one cruise we had where we were in Tunis on the end of Ramadan - most of the places we were booked to visit on a ship excursion were cancelled/not open. There was a very small part of the Medina and also Sidi Bou Said (Blue and White). 

How do you mean - "too much income at stake"? Christchurch isn't going to open up or skip x-mas just for a cruise-ship hahaha

 

[MMDown Under]

4 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

How do you mean - "too much income at stake"? Christchurch isn't going to open up or skip x-mas just for a cruise-ship hahaha

 

There is only one Christmas per year.  There are lots of cruise ships per peak season.  I remember when the Govt changed working conditions over the Holidays  They said no-one would be forced to work.  I worked with a girl who said they'd loose their jobs if they chose not to work, so that didn't last!  

Now I see a trend by young people valuing quality of life.  

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, Aussieflyer said:

I wouldn't be too concerned with a port on Christmas Day - too much income at stake. Better than one cruise we had where we were in Tunis on the end of Ramadan - most of the places we were booked to visit on a ship excursion were cancelled/not open. There was a very small part of the Medina and also Sidi Bou Said (Blue and White). 

Orion is diverting from NZ to Adelaide 😳

[arxcards]

3 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

How do you mean - "too much income at stake"? Christchurch isn't going to open up or skip x-mas just for a cruise-ship hahaha

 

Some of the touristy stuff is open. Bound to be plenty of punting on the Avon. 

[MMDown Under]

4 hours ago, arxcards said:

Some of the touristy stuff is open. Bound to be plenty of punting on the Avon. 

Could attend Church, preferably with a Pacific Islander congregation.  My church attendances on the Cook Islands were the highlight of my holiday.  Cook Islanders sing like angels.  

 

[Over from NZ]

9 hours ago, arxcards said:

Some of the touristy stuff is open. Bound to be plenty of punting on the Avon. 

Haha. Wishful thinking. 

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Haha. Wishful thinking. 

Been there.

We arrived on Diamond Princess thinking Christchurch would be closed. There was a full book of the usual tours, including kayaking and punting, and we had an awesome drive through the country to Waimakariri Gorge for a spot of jet boating on the river. Combined with the usual cruise day of not cooking or cleaning, drinks in Crooners and great food, it was a memorable day.

 

https://www.alpinejetthrills.com/ is open again today.

[NeilonBoard]

On 12/22/2022 at 6:09 PM, NSWP said:

Indeed, the pax will not be happy when they find ChCh is closed.

It was always going to be Christchurch on Christmas Day. Everyone would have known that when they booked the cruise.

[NeilonBoard]

On 12/23/2022 at 11:49 PM, arxcards said:

The Auckland passengers will still get their round cruise, albeit altered.

 

Coral hasn't called anywhere yet, and first port will be Christchurch on Christmas Day and the rest of the original schedule will follow. In the end, it appears the place they could get this done was near Tauranga and that is what took them over to the East Coast. That leaves them missing the Fiords and Dunedin but the rest of the itinerary will remain in order including Auckland on 29th December.

The second half of the cruise starting today is identical to the original itinerary. You only miss Fiordland and Dunedin in the first half which become sea days. Wouldn't worry me in the slightest given the circumstances.

[Aussieflyer]

21 hours ago, arxcards said:

Some of the touristy stuff is open. Bound to be plenty of punting on the Avon. 

And it is the touristy stuff that I meant would be open. Businesses that rely on tourists will usually be open. And yes, cruise ships are only one source of income but also an important source for many local businesses.

[subaru94]

Can anyone confirm that 2 other ships have been refused entry to the Sounds as well, Queen Elizabeth and I believe a P&O ship??

[Over from NZ]

20 hours ago, NeilonBoard said:

It was always going to be Christchurch on Christmas Day. Everyone would have known that when they booked the cruise.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/130861265/why-are-they-dropping-us-here-coral-princess-passengers-spend-christmas-in-ghost-town

 

Seems the silly buggers didn't think it through lol. What were they expecting - it's x'mas! haha

[arxcards]

5 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/130861265/why-are-they-dropping-us-here-coral-princess-passengers-spend-christmas-in-ghost-town

 

Seems the silly buggers didn't think it through lol. What were they expecting - it's x'mas! haha

The silly buggers should have booked a tour.