A plane load of free Virgin Voyagers [Subsequent Issues due to Cancellation of Australian Voyages]

[tmdl]

I experienced the Virgin Voyages when they were in Melbourne and was pretty disappointed and didn't bother going on the 'gifted' cruise as a +1.

VV was very 'mardi gras/ flamboyant' which just isnt my style and much preferred Cunard.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They all still have vouchers neither you or I know when or if that voucher expires.
Now you are changing the goa[ posts. We have been talking about the fairly recent cancellations and replacement cruises which haven't occurred. As i have said I think VV have made the right decision as I doubt the red sea will be safe come December this year. Yes the ship that was to make the Australian cruises will be cruising the Med instead. I really don't see why that means the people given vouchers should get some of the proceeds. Although there are good commercial reasons for doing Northern Hemisphere cruises instead of the Australian season the prime reason is Safety and the Red Sea.

And quite frankly the statement that it would require $8000 is ridiculous to fly to the northern hemisphere is ridiculous.. That is the return business class airfare on Chinese airlines through Expedia to Rome. I picked Rome because it is frequently the start/finish port of Med cruises. Return Economy fares start at $964 on CA and $1478 on MU. You can even get QF codeshares on EK for $2354 in economy return. And this was for late June 2024.

I thought I read that the vouchers were valid for the 2024-2025 cruise season.

If the cruise ships have been redeployed and those cabins which would have otherwise gone to prize winners are now being sold then I think it is fair that that is the compensation to the prize winners?

Virgin got all of the publicity from the giveaway.

Guess you mentioned the red sea but could you have still got the ship to Australia? Yes either via the Panama canal or via the cape.

Do those options cost more? Yes but then it is a commercial decision not to bring the ship here.

 

[drron]

You still don't seem to get it. these things wouldn't have happened if the Houthis hadn't attacked shipping in the Red sea.
No cruise line is now willing to take that risk. no passenger would either even if a cruise did proceed through the Red sea as their travel insurance wouldn't cover them. the freebie passengers are unhappy I get it but thy have paid nothing and could make use of the voucher on northern hemisphere cruises if they want to.
If you pay nothing then the compensation is the same.
And although VV got all the publicity from the giveaway they are getting a lot more negative cover in the press and certainly on some Social Media sites.

 

[antycbr]

FYI my understanding is that the first three ships - Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady won't fit through the Panama Canal. Brilliant Lady is the fourth vessel in the Virgin Voyages fleet, this one can fit through the canal.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You still don't seem to get it. these things wouldn't have happened if the Houthis hadn't attacked shipping in the Red sea.
No cruise line is now willing to take that risk. no passenger would either even if a cruise did proceed through the Red sea as their travel insurance wouldn't cover them. the freebie passengers are unhappy I get it but thy have paid nothing and could make use of the voucher on northern hemisphere cruises if they want to.
If you pay nothing then the compensation is the same.
And although VV got all the publicity from the giveaway they are getting a lot more negative cover in the press and certainly on some Social Media sites.

Of course I get it! I just don't agree that this is 100% a safety related issue because there are other ways to get a cruise ship from Europe to Australia without going through the Suez canal.

That means that this is at least partly a commercial decision.

The prize winners in questions had their face splashed all over the promotional material. They deserve to be compensated for that.

Or just extend the validity of the prize to 2026 2027

 

[twinaisle]

Of course I get it! I just don't agree that this is 100% a safety related issue because there are other ways to get a cruise ship from Europe to Australia without going through the Suez canal.

That means that this is at least partly a commercial decision.

The prize winners in questions had their face splashed all over the promotional material. They deserve to be compensated for that.

Or just extend the validity of the prize to 2026 2027

It wasn't a prize though, it was a promotional gift.

 

[odysseus]

They all still have vouchers neither you or I know when or if that voucher expires.

The vouchers/prize need to be booked by 30 Jun, for sailing by March next year.

The prize winner said they were just seeking an extension, or a different option. However, Virgin offered no alternatives, despite them making the change for commercial reasons.

And yes it is commercial - they sailed back up the West coast of Africa, with passengers, this year, with no safety issues and with much less planning time. They could have chosen to do the same to meet their commitments next season but obviously felt there was a better commercial return elsewhere.

 

[N860CR]

And yes it is commercial - they sailed back up the West coast of Africa, with passengers, this year, with no safety issues and with much less planning time. They could have chosen to do the same to meet their commitments next season but obviously felt there was a better commercial return elsewhere.

They did. And it was a pretty miserable cruise from what I saw. 6 days straight from Perth to Port Louis. Quick stops at Durban, Cape Town and walvis bay then a long haul up to Europe. Virgin didn’t even sell seats on it themselves and just used it to reposition (with a small number of rebooked passengers who accepted the coughpy routing and some seat dumps via travel agents).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They did. And it was a pretty miserable cruise from what I saw. 6 days straight from Perth to Port Louis. Quick stops at Durban, Cape Town and walvis bay then a long haul up to Europe. Virgin didn’t even sell seats on it themselves and just used it to reposition (with a small number of rebooked passengers who accepted the coughpy routing and some seat dumps via travel agents).

It can't have been 'that' bad? Cunard offers that as a standard itinerary as part of some of their cruises. It takes Cunard 19 days or something, including 6 full days in a row at sea, as they travel UK to cape town via Namibia.

 

[N860CR]

It can't have been 'that' bad? Cunard offers that as a standard itinerary as part of some of their cruises. It takes Cunard 19 days or something, including 6 full days in a row at sea, as they travel UK to cape town via Namibia.

It would want to be cheap.

 

[drron]

And most cruise lines sailed up the West African coast empty and some have already sailed down that coast empty. Because there is little tourist infrastructure.

 

[drron]

It can't have been 'that' bad? Cunard offers that as a standard itinerary as part of some of their cruises. It takes Cunard 19 days or something, including 6 full days in a row at sea, as they travel UK to cape town via Namibia.

But the resilient Lady took 43 days to travel Sydney to Athens.
The Silver Moon took ~30 days to sail empty from Athens to Mumbai.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But the resilient Lady took 43 days to travel Sydney to Athens.
The Silver Moon took ~30 days to sail empty from Athens to Mumbai.

So, getting a ship to Australia is not a safety issue. There are available routes. Companies have decided, on a commercial basis, to cancel the cruises.

That's perfectly ok, I'm just questioning the spin to try and make this all about safety.

And if it is commercial, extend the validity of the prize, or offer an alternative like cash for those who want it.

 

[antycbr]

I experienced the Virgin Voyages when they were in Melbourne and was pretty disappointed and didn't bother going on the 'gifted' cruise as a +1.

VV was very 'mardi gras/ flamboyant' which just isnt my style and much preferred Cunard.

Research required. VV is different to other lines and proudly so.

 

[N860CR]

So, getting a ship to Australia is not a safety issue. There are available routes. Companies have decided, on a commercial basis, to cancel the cruises.

Yes, but… commercial and safety do go hand in hand. Airlines routinely cancel routes due to safety concerns which are also of a commercial nature.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes, but… commercial and safety do go hand in hand. Airlines routinely cancel routes due to safety concerns which are also of a commercial nature.

For sure, but I’d see it in this case as ‘can’ go hand in hand.

in the article the quote allegedly assigned to the VA-group rep is that ‘they’re grateful virgin voyages has offered alternative cruises’. Err.. ‘grateful’? But too much ‘spin’.

All they needed to say was ‘soz, we cancelled our cruises to Australia because of trouble in the red sea, you can take a cruise somewhere else on our network, or keep your voucher for the next time we get to Australia’. Why is that so hard?

 

[drron]

VV 3 current ships can't fit through the Panama. Alaska is a no go as winter. Can't go through the Suez for SAFETY reasons. And the west Coast of Africa could not support the number of ships that want to get to the Indian Ocean, Asia and Oceania if they had passengers. It is not a viable option.
Cruise lines are not like Airlines. You can' get a cruise liner from one hemisphere to the other quickly. And it's not just the voyage. They would have to organise bunkering, supplies and equipment are not common in Africa so the supply lines have to be organised. Have to book docking and tugs. there ain't many spare ones in Africa. Both tugs and docks.

So if VV did send a ship via Africa it would likely have to sail empty so no profit on those so called replacement cruises. You are under the misapprehension that VV could organise a cruise up the west coast of Africa quickly and at a profit because they did it in March. Basically the only passengers were those who mostly opted to cruise to Capetown as that is what was offered to those who only booked 1 of the 3 segments. Only those that booked 2 or 3 segments got the whole voyage. And that was definitely a commercial decision as it meant they didn't have to refund the fares of those who accepted.

Now that first segment to Capetown only stopped at ports which are regularly used by cruise ships. After that it stopped at Wavis bay another common port for cruise liners but mostly for Capetown to Capetown cruises. It then steamed non stop to the Cape Verde Islands which are regularly visited by cruise ships. Which shows west Africa is not set up for regular cruising.
The distance from Walvis Bay to the cape Verses is 4214 nautical miles. which at her cruising speed of 20 knots would take 9 days at sea. Wonder if the passengers were happy with the fresh fruit and veggies by the end.

 

[jakeseven7]

Seems the prize has caused more issues for some of the winners than it was worth:

Virgin passengers were told they'd won a free cruise, but some can't redeem the prize

Virgin staff dancing at the boarding gate, a call from Richard Branson announcing they'd all won a free cruise, passengers wearing hats and filmed celebrating — but this winner says due to a change in itinerary, to claim her prize will cost her thousands.

www.abc.net.au

Oh dear what a mess

 

[MEL_Traveller]

VV 3 current ships can't fit through the Panama. Alaska is a no go as winter. Can't go through the Suez for SAFETY reasons. And the west Coast of Africa could not support the number of ships that want to get to the Indian Ocean, Asia and Oceania if they had passengers. It is not a viable option.
Cruise lines are not like Airlines. You can' get a cruise liner from one hemisphere to the other quickly. And it's not just the voyage. They would have to organise bunkering, supplies and equipment are not common in Africa so the supply lines have to be organised. Have to book docking and tugs. there ain't many spare ones in Africa. Both tugs and docks.

So if VV did send a ship via Africa it would likely have to sail empty so no profit on those so called replacement cruises. You are under the misapprehension that VV could organise a cruise up the west coast of Africa quickly and at a profit because they did it in March. Basically the only passengers were those who mostly opted to cruise to Capetown as that is what was offered to those who only booked 1 of the 3 segments. Only those that booked 2 or 3 segments got the whole voyage. And that was definitely a commercial decision as it meant they didn't have to refund the fares of those who accepted.

Now that first segment to Capetown only stopped at ports which are regularly used by cruise ships. After that it stopped at Wavis bay another common port for cruise liners but mostly for Capetown to Capetown cruises. It then steamed non stop to the Cape Verde Islands which are regularly visited by cruise ships. Which shows west Africa is not set up for regular cruising.
The distance from Walvis Bay to the cape Verses is 4214 nautical miles. which at her cruising speed of 20 knots would take 9 days at sea. Wonder if the passengers were happy with the fresh fruit and veggies by the end.

cancelling the cruise through Suez is a safety issue.

Not bringing the ship in via Cape Town is a commercial issue.

Cunard pax do the exact itinerary you mention via Cape Verde and Namibia. They go for 9 days between Cape Verde Islands and Namibia with the food they have on board. I’m sure if it’s good for Queens Grill it’s ok for VV pax

To not extend the validity of the prize voucher beyond 2024-25 is not a safety issue, it’s a commercial issue. Seems disappointing.

 

[drron]

Cunard have been planning that cruise for 3 years at least. VV had 6 months to plan a September repositioning. again cruise lines are not airlines.

And the last word here is the VV statement. as you are not going to change my mind. My experience cruising tells me what you think is possible is in fact nearly impossible.

The safety of our passengers and crew is our number one priority. Like many other cruise brands, we have been watching the current conflict in the Middle East closely, connecting regularly with global security experts to consider the impacts to the repositioning voyages planned for Resilient Lady in 2024. We remain concerned about potential escalations in this part of the world over the next 12 months and the risk that this presents for safe passage through the region. As a result, we have been left with no choice but to make changes to Resilient Lady's repositioning voyage taking place on March 27.

In place of her former repositioning voyage, the award-winning Resilient Lady will now be departing from Sydney, embarking on an iconic, once-in-a-lifetime sailing around the coast of Africa with a brand new route stopping in Eden and Fremantle (Perth) in Australia, Port Louis (Mauritius Islands), Durban and Cape Town (South Africa), Walvis Bay (Namibia), Praia (Cape Verde), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain), Casablanca (Morocco), Barcelona (Spain), Valletta (Malta), as well as Santorini and Piraeus (Athens) in Greece — all with extended time at sea. All passengers on these former three legs of the repositioning voyages will have guaranteed spots on these sailings at no additional cost and a price protection commitment in place. If these dates are not convenient they can receive a Future voyage Credit based on their paid balance or a full refund. We know that based on our conversations with passengers and travel partners, they understand the complex geopolitical challenges that have arisen making this change necessary. In addition to this, we are committed to remaining a good partner to our First Mates (travel advisors) and will be protecting their commissions.

With the very likely continuation of this escalated regional conflict top-of-mind, and in an effort to minimize further disruptions to our passengers’ future vacation plans, Virgin Voyages is now conducting a full review of other geographically similar repositioning voyages and linked sailings. We will provide an update before the end of February on any further changes we will need to make.