Cruising choices with an active Pandemic

[Anna]

They ought to have insurance to cover having to pay refunds. I would be astonished if they don't have bespoke insurance policies with (at least) a primary layer, umbrella cover* and reinsurance.

*not coverage for lost or damaged umbrellas

 

[SydneySwan]

Anyone booked Sapphire Princess in the sale that started today? Mrs SS is very keen on the July 27 10 nights Fremantle Coral Coast Cruise. We have never done Princess but have 101 nights across HAL (mainly), NCL, RCI and Dream.

 

[Pushka]

Anyone booked Sapphire Princess in the sale that started today? Mrs SS is very keen on the July 27 10 nights Fremantle Coral Coast Cruise. We have never done Princess but have 101 nights across HAL (mainly), NCL, RCI and Dream.

Apparently the good cruises sold out instantly. They were also offered to the US through one of their travel agents ahead of time.

 

[SydneySwan]

Apparently the good cruises sold out instantly. They were also offered to the US through one of their travel agents ahead of time.

Not sure what you mean by the 'good' cruises. We have a reservation on the July 27 cruise which will lapse if we don't confirm by March 1. Not sure that any of the SP cruises are sold out.

 

[Pushka]

Not sure what you mean by the 'good' cruises. We have a reservation on the July 27 cruise which will lapse if we don't confirm by March 1. Not sure that any of the SP cruises are sold out.

Good = an itinerary you want and a price you are happy to pay. I understand that some of the early sell outs had a price of less than $100 a day all inclusive for a nice balcony cabin.

 

[moa999]

Cruise ship in Carribbean with potential issues

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[woodyren]

Voyager of the Seas which is currently in Noumea which was it's first port off call on this current cruise has been denied entry to all Pacific Islands due to a few crew being ill with Influenza A.

Now visiting a two NZ ports and Eden instead.

I'm not sure how they diagnosed Influenza A. Would a ships medical facility be able to test for this?

 

[k_sheep]

There are point of care devices, which are in widespread use, that detect Flu A, Flu B and RSV. Whether the ship has one I don't know - but there's robust technology in use which would make it easy.

 

[luxury-lizard]

I received an e-mail from Ponant yesterday stating that the following passengers and crew will be banned from boarding any Ponant cruise:

"Anyone who has resided or transited through China, Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong or South Korea (airport transits included) during the last 30 days before boarding"​

Further (since our cruise is Cape Town - Durban continuing to the Seychelles: the Seychelles have also banned those who have visited:-

"China (including SAR: Special Administrative Region), South Korea, Italy and Iran in the past 14 days."​

Our cruise departs March 17 and our flights to Cape Town depart March 10 on SQ via SIN - so we are concerned that the Ponant ban will be extended to include transits in SIN .... this is an award ticket so could be cancelled (even without some sort of waiver) for minimal cost - however, we also have a return on an SQ award (separate PNR). So options are either wait and see or find alternative before March 10. Options identified so far are:-

1. Cancel outbound and return SQ awards and book paid itinerary - lowest cost in J is about $5300 on VA/SA via Perth (was $4800 a few days ago) but seems this can only be booked via an OTA (our return actually starts in Mauritius).
2. Cancel outbound only and buy a one-way SYD - Cape Town - almost as expensive as the above return.
3. Cancel outbound and book via AUH on EY in J or F using AA points - a very long way to "tipperary" - no other award seats available on other airlines/programs which do not transit Asia.

Any other Ponant cruisers out there who are impacted by these new restrictions.

 

[SydneySwan]

Interesting list of countries selected by Ponant and the Seychelles - notable that neither has included Japan. With the excellent way Singapore has been managing the crisis you would very much hope that it is not added to the list.

 

[Pushka]

CDC has now placed Italy, the country not just a region, on level 3, essential travel only.

The TAs in April are looking shaky as the US headquartered cruiselines abide by CDC. It's interesting reading Cruise Critic and the inability of some to connect the dots. The TA repositions from USA to Europe start in about 6 weeks. And for the next few months cruise around the Med or UK. My bet is that the ships will stay in the US and do whatever. Those on the cruises in around August are just saying by then it will all have settled down - not even thinking that the months prior are the ones that will determine whether they get to cruise.

 

[k_sheep]

I can't figure it out sorry - what does TA stand for?

 

[zig]

I can't figure it out sorry - what does TA stand for?

TA - Transatlantic crossing

 

[k_sheep]

Ah thank you muchly!

Gee the northern Australian Princess routes are mighty tempting ....

 

[Pushka]

Ah thank you muchly!

Gee the northern Australian Princess routes are mighty tempting ....

They are great value indeed.

Post automatically merged: Feb 29, 2020

I can't figure it out sorry - what does TA stand for?

Sorry. My bad. Zig got it sorted. We need an abbreviation list for cruisers on this flyer forum

 

[Anna]

the northern Australian Princess routes are mighty tempting ....

Don't forget it will be flu season here . But I am bitter about getting sick twice on Sapphire Princess in January. I did a cruise review on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor if anyone is interested.

 

[Pushka]

Yowsers. A sign of the future maybe?

Cruise-ship hell: Kiwi tells of abuse, rocks hurled at passengers over virus fears

Ship full of Kiwis, Australians has been refused entry to Madagascar and Mauritius.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[SydneySwan]

Yowsers. A sign of the future maybe?

Cruise-ship hell: Kiwi tells of abuse, rocks hurled at passengers over virus fears

Ship full of Kiwis, Australians has been refused entry to Madagascar and Mauritius.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Isn't tourism a big part of these countries economies? Another example of the fear virus in full swing.

 

[Pushka]

Isn't tourism a big part of these countries economies? Another example of the fear virus in full swing.

I can understand it where their hospital services just couldn't cope with an epidemic of their citizens. Even a simple flu causes havoc amongst such places. Caribbean is also doing similar as are the Pacific Islands, especially Samoa who had the dreadful measles epidemic recently. And Princess Diamond has killed off any chance in reality.

 

[jakeseven7]

Yowsers. A sign of the future maybe?

Cruise-ship hell: Kiwi tells of abuse, rocks hurled at passengers over virus fears

Ship full of Kiwis, Australians has been refused entry to Madagascar and Mauritius.

www.nzherald.co.nz

They have been doing this in Venice way before Corona