Cruising choices with an active Pandemic

[VPS]

Was going to ask for Vancouver suggestions, but did not want to hog the thread.

Butchart Gardens are spectacular but they aren't huge. I also stayed on Vancouver Island for a couple of days and really enjoyed it. Vancouver is a nice city

 

[Anna]

Whistler in summer is a lovely day trip from Vancouver too. Beautiful scenery.

I wish I felt like I could ever cruise again, but the rampant infection rates onboard and the games the cruise lines have been playing about refunds really have me thinking that cruising is not something I'm going to risk doing again. Sad, as someone awful would say.

 

[Bindibuys]

Meant to be booking our return flight from Vancouver this week, now I have to keep adding days to stay LOL. Keep them coming, I have until Wednesday.

 

[Pushka]

Whistler in summer is a lovely day trip from Vancouver too. Beautiful scenery.

I wish I felt like I could ever cruise again, but the rampant infection rates onboard and the games the cruise lines have been playing about refunds really have me thinking that cruising is not something I'm going to risk doing again. Sad, as someone awful would say.

I know. But I do just love cruises. Maybe try the smaller ships?

 

[tgh]

Butchart was the area highlight for us, a magic place for garden lovers, we also drove up to whistler.
We found Victoria ok but not a huge fan of Vancouver although we have only been twice so perhaps we were not looking hard enough

 

[drron]

Well I don't think we are the experts on Vancouver.Only been twice and only once on a ship.
The first time we very nearly got mugged.A local intervened and guided us out of danger.We cut short our visit and left the next morning.
Arriving on the Silver Explorer we went straight to the airport and flew to Vancouver Island then after our visit flew from victoria to SFO.

But the Butchart Gardens are magnificent.Best hint get there just before opening time-they let us in early any way - But the first 45-60 minutes hardly any one else there.Certainly no busses in that first hour.
Naturally I did a TR.Not all the photos are showing but left click and view brings them out.Though I suspect it is just my internet connection as if you go back to a page different photos are missing.The Butchart Gardens starts here.

The Drrons shoot a killer and other delights.

We stopped for a coffee break.Weather still perfect. . But there had been no mention of the progress of the orcas and we had gone past 3 areas where humpbacks had been seen in the morning.I was putting money on our driver's first whale free cruise. Whilst we were there this eagle caught a large...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[tgh]

The Exec summary here seems to be that refunds will continue to be processed for the next little while so that's nice for me.
The recommencement schedule remains unknown, but there seems a fair argument that Fcc redemptions will be "load managed" as they have to sell enough cabins for cash to function.
I guess it's also a fair guess that (for Silversea) Venetian status will be rewarded , the Drron's , at mid level will probably receive better scheduling than a first time cruiser.
I remain of the opinion that sooner or later they will have to fold , shed the debt and re float as the cost of the debt is unsustainable (imo)

Behind Royal Caribbean’s Lifeline, a Shrewd Bond Maneuver

 

[Pushka]

The Exec summary here seems to be that refunds will continue to be processed for the next little while so that's nice for me.
The recommencement schedule remains unknown, but there seems a fair argument that Fcc redemptions will be "load managed" as they have to sell enough cabins for cash to function.
I guess it's also a fair guess that (for Silversea) Venetian status will be rewarded , the Drron's , at mid level will probably receive better scheduling than a first time cruiser.
I remain of the opinion that sooner or later they will have to fold , shed the debt and re float as the cost of the debt is unsustainable (imo)

Behind Royal Caribbean’s Lifeline, a Shrewd Bond Maneuver

I'm wondering if they are even factoring into that the costs to change their model of cruising to accomodate for the requirements presented by Covid. But in reading the CDC document I don't think any cruise line can manage that. They must all be hanging out for the vaccine and I'm wondering if that will almost become a requirement in the future. But it's a goddam mess.

 

[p--and--t]

Anyone else still getting constant emails from Princess even though you've pressed the "don't contact me for 30 days" button

 

[drron]

We are booked on the Silver Moon on a TA cruise beginning October 30th.Now the ship was scheduled to have it's maiden voyage in august but it is now October 16th.I can't see our voyage going ahead.I am waiting though until Silversea cancels it so get the Venetian credits and hopefully the 125% FCC.We would then book the Silver Dawn's maiden TA cruise at the same time 2021.
It is actually a more interesting cruise sailing from Barcelona and then via Morocco and Lisbon before crossing the Atlantic.

 

[tgh]

Interesting…….

Silversea Poised To Sail The "travel Bubble" To New Zealand - Cruise Passenger

Silversea’s outgoing managing director Australasia, Adam Armstrong voiced his “quiet optimism” that the governments of Australia and New Zealand will include

cruisepassenger.com.au

 

[drron]

Bad timing as this was announced today.

Australia extends cruise ship ban to mid-September

The ban on cruise ships entering Australian waters has been extended for a further three months until 17 September.

www.sbs.com.au

 

[luxury-lizard]

Bad timing as this was announced today.

Australia extends cruise ship ban to mid-September

The ban on cruise ships entering Australian waters has been extended for a further three months until 17 September.

www.sbs.com.au

Yes - hardly surprising that the cruise ship ban was extended given that many/some state borders are/will be still closed and the trans-Tasman bubble is probably some months away. But the Australian cruise season really only gets ramped up in October - so still might be possible - and why not?? If the only passengers are Aussies and Kiwis it should be very safe (or as safe as it's going to be for many more months).

 

[zig]

Bad timing as this was announced today.

Australia extends cruise ship ban to mid-September

The ban on cruise ships entering Australian waters has been extended for a further three months until 17 September.

www.sbs.com.au

It could still happen as the ships aren't due to arrive until well after this date. I think this approach will be the way forward for cruising as it restarts - ships home ported in travel bubbles around the world and cruising to ports within the bubble.

 

[Anna]

If the only passengers are Aussies and Kiwis

But who are the crew going to be? Not Aussies or Kiwis except maybe in officer-level roles, they wouldn't put up with the exploitation that the cabin attendants, waiters etc from third world countries put up with. And it only takes one infected crew member to have another Ruby Princess tragedy.

 

[zig]

But who are the crew going to be? Not Aussies or Kiwis except maybe in officer-level roles, they wouldn't put up with the exploitation that the cabin attendants, waiters etc from third world countries put up with. And it only takes one infected crew member to have another Ruby Princess tragedy.

Crew /Staff can quarantine on arrival into Australia at the start of the cruise season as well as undergoing testing.

 

[luxury-lizard]

But who are the crew going to be? Not Aussies or Kiwis except maybe in officer-level roles, they wouldn't put up with the exploitation that the cabin attendants, waiters etc from third world countries put up with. And it only takes one infected crew member to have another Ruby Princess tragedy.

Hum, good point - the only solution would be for the crew members to quarantine for 14 days then do a CV-19 test I guess (all at cruise lines' expense) - but firstly the Australian / NZ government would need to allow them into the country in the first place.

Oops - @zag - you beat me to it.

 

[Anna]

Cruising and coronavirus: Ten steps the cruise industry needs to take to recover

Here are 10 things that the cruise industry should consider as it embarks on a path to recovery.

www.traveller.com.au

I didn't agree with a lot in this article, and I think the cruise lines will agree with even less

 

[Anna]

Crew /Staff can quarantine on arrival into Australia at the start of the cruise season as well as undergoing testing.

True, but unless the virus is at zero all over Australia and NZ by then the crew are going to need to be tested again every time they go ashore (which isn't even realistic, feasible or going to detect the virus straightaway) or they're going to have to be banned from going ashore at all, anywhere, even just for a few minutes, which is cruel. (Although 18 hour work days 7 days per week and living 4 people to an inside crew cabin below the waterline is already pretty cruel).

 

[tgh]

Coral Expeditions are 100% au crewed , so they should be sailing soon.
A major challenge for them is to expand the bubble for variety, filling the ships will be easy.
Some of the near Pacific Islands may decide to buy in (to the bubble) but all CE's Northern Itineraries touch on Indonesian ports.
True North should also be sailing again , but as a top shelf operation, they probably rely on hnw's from all over the world.

There is a great pr opportunity to be the first big name adventure operator back in business.
If Silver Explorer relocates to Au soon and starts a bubble season, it may not be very profitable but the press spotlights would be on and the exposure invaluable.

Of course there are others. Greg Mortimer is enroute to Montevideo and poorly located , Scenic Eclipse is in the med and both have International crews.

Interesting times