GrJ Berkshire

On RSSC Facebook that these are waitlisted prior to cancelling all Oct and Nov cruises.

Now think our Jan cruise on Voyager must be at risk. (BA to Lima)

4 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

IMO the CDC requirements for cruise lines to repatriate healthy crew using only non-commercial transport was OTT, impractical and simply served to leave thousands of crew members stranded on board ships for many months.

If they insist on a similar requirement for passengers & crew going forward I cannot see how the cruise industry will remain viable.

Totally agree

3 hours ago, flossie009 said:

You appear to be correct. All Regent cruises are now "waitlisted" through till end of November. 

First cruises "available" on Regent website are:

Mariner - Dec 05, 2020

Splendor - Dec 07, 2020

Navigator - Dec 10, 2020

Voyager - Jan 19, 2021

 

Are these onerous requirements imposed on any other companies in the US travel & hospitality sectors?

 

The problem is that you could argue that they are not in the US domain? 

The problem with so much of this is the basis of the cruise lines. Out of US ports the rules of the CDC will be applied, but the ships once out of US ports and water are then able to apply their own protocol as all are registered/ flagged offshore and any port will apply it's own national criteria and protocol.  US .laws will not apply.

As stated here could you put off a passenger for not following covid protocols in another Country, would they accept? Although they are US holding companies they are not really under the jurisdiction of that Country or any other, this is how they get round the laws re the casino and gambling, which are curtailed in ports or coastal waters and tax free shopping as well

The issue is not the CDC or USA law: makes it harder?

5 hours ago, drsel said:

I hope that those 20 sailings in October are really sold out and not cancelled.

if so, that is great news !

it just shows the pent up demand for cruising

 

Surely its transferred FCC from cancelled cruises and sold out at new max passenger numbers - maybe 60% of previous capacity?

On 7/5/2020 at 3:00 PM, evandbob said:

I've heard that NCL is the line most susceptible to "reorganization".  Other lines may survive by selling off or scrapping the oldest ships in their fleets and operating with reduced fixed overhead.

 

In any case, the longer the pandemic lasts, the harder it will be for cruise lines to re-open. And, as cruising is just a slice of the overall tourism dollar, some ports and countries may find themselves limiting access to ships from lines that do survive the effects of this virus.

 

Future cruising may evolve into a form none of us would have imagined pre-pandemic.  Remember that it is a voluntary leisure activity and therefore non-essential to the economic health of a country.  Tourism accounts for about 15% of a Caribbean Island's GDP, and cruising is a smaller % of that figure.

Who would buy a cruise ship in this climate? Only option will be breakers yard?

4 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

NCL comes close - passengers can only opt out in writing - after returning home.

As a Brit I find this tipping idea so 19th century Master & servant , why not pay everything up front in a higher fare so the staff are not on slave wages and there is no need to pay them to do their job. This approach as Regent use is so much easier. Tipping is simply a way to top up substandard wages and often is bribery. In UK law both of Costa and NCL is not legal ( Its what Ryanair so often fall foul of adding in costs to a published fare which is compulsory ).

1 hour ago, pappy1022 said:

I'm beginning to think that it will be 2021 before cruising begins other than for a few short test runs not far from the embarkation port. That prediction assumes that we don't have a significant fall/winter return of COVID-19.

Sadly I fear pappy is correct, even though we are booked on the Voyager from Buenos Aires to Lima in January 2021. Hard to see the ports opening up before this, how are the airlines going to work, few are now contracting fast. Equally how they will get the crew to the embarkation point. Cruises will not be multi-national, US citizens are not going to be allowed into Europe for a while, NZ and Aussies are not allowed to travel and the states is out for most Europeans

4 minutes ago, mrlevin said:

Mariner much better ship than splendor (based on my experience on explorer).  Outdoor viewing area outside of Observation Lounge.  Garden Promenade with much nicer coffee connection.  Compass Rose with much better sound so you can actually hear your dinner companions.  It has Stars Lounge as a nightclub so that Mariner Lounge is nice and relaxing.  Horizon Lounge is absolutely fantastic with stern seating looking at the ocean comfy and bar service.  No competition, Mariner is much better ship.

 

Marc

Agree , as long as you choose a cabin with the shower not bath/ shower. Also the PH suites on the Mariner are great. Don't worry re the spa as post covid it may be irrelevant. Theatre in Mariner is great , if the Splendour has not improved the Explorer then the theatre was very poorly designed- not yet been in the Splendour.

There is an amazing press release from Emerson Barnes of this organisation on safe Countries to visit by USA citizens in the light of the EU not accepting Americans at present. He lists the Countries which include 4 European ones, none in the EU. However these are all Micro states, none with its own airport, in 3 cases the only way to get there apart from parachuting in or maybe a helicopter- but their range is such that you would need to start from an EU country.

The 4 are San Marino and Vatican - both enclaves in Italy

Andorra - in the Pyrenees between Spain and France

Monaco - you could arrive by sea, but otherwise have to go through France

The lack of knowledge of European Geography is staggering. Hopefully he and the Organisation are not linked to renewing Cruises or we will have Ports in Hungary, Czech Republic and Moldova on routes. And Us Cruises to North Dakota , Idaho and Vermont

WORRYING !!!!!!!!!!!!

Taking it back to borders closing and loss of international tourism , this will have an existential affect on the cruise industry and indeed airlines, many will not survive this?

Boeing is already in trouble following the 737max issues, who is going to buy new planes in this economic climate?

I can see many cruise ships going to the breakers yards, especially the mega 4000/ 5000 passenger ships.

Equally with reduced flights globally getting crew to the ships will be challenging, few are from developed western countries.

W

13 minutes ago, mrlevin said:

50 million are an easy drive to Port Canaveral, at least 20 million easy drive to Galveston, at least 30 million an easy drive to San Pedro; why should Regent care about air travel or whether international borders are open.  Distancing for port terminals and crew are being addressed.  There are plenty of us that can drive and enjoy a wonderful Regent cruise.

 

Richard have you even bothered to read Regent's Health Protocols?

 

Marc

Where they will staff the ship's from? It will not be USA. So how they will get there to the ship?

Half baked ideas.

First 24 hours on the ship, Mariner, when we really saw how much of an upgrade this was to our previous ships and cruises, with no extras, no nickel & diming, fell in love with the PH-C suite, pre butlers at that level , so much so we have returned 3 times to the same suite.

The first dinner in Compass rose a 2 top by the window was the icing on the cake, never wanted to look beyond Regent again, in early 60's now , then mid 40's: this is what we had worked hard to achieve, wanted more........... never gone elsewhere.............missing it in the pandemic.........but will be back!!

Our best memory of Venice is staying there for 4 days at the end of a Tauck tour. We stayed at the Hilton Stucky on Guidecca island and had to get the complimentary boat back from St Marks square, we got the last one back at midnight, St Marks with just a few people at 11-30ish watching the clock, hearing the bells, was magical. The city early morning , late on after the tourist hoarders is very different and after dark the back streets have a haunted quality like in "Don't look now"

The last time we were there on a B2B with Navigator and Venice the middle change over we went out into the city it was like fighting your way with a crowd after a major sporting event, we cut short our walk and returned to the ship-it was very warm and uncomfortable, people everywhere. If it was our first or only trip to Venice we would have hated it. Had similar experience with Dubrovnik the last time there on Regent, just too crowded.

3 hours ago, Kate-AHF said:

I had an interesting conversation with the owner of the Venice hotel I was staying at in 2019.  We discussed daytrippers vs. cruise pax.  It was his strongly held opinion that cruise ships should continue to use Venice as a turnaround port because, as he said "cruise ship passengers spend a lot of money in Venice, daytrippers just leave trash and make us miserable".  It was hard to argue the point with him, as we were spending four nights at his hotel prior to a cruise.  

Yes but the writing has been on the wall after accidents in the Guidecca Canal in the past 18months . The mega ships going in and out must cause major damage. We stayed at the Hilton Stucky and the ships going by even at 1/2 knots were creating a wash. The only thought is Regent's much smaller ships may still be allowed.

Almost certainly will be pulled.

We are due on Voyager on Jan 28th 2021 from Buenos Aires to Lima, must now be in doubt?

17 hours ago, GlamorousGirl said:

The problem is we have a lot more testing - which inevitably means more cases. We did the right thing offering testing to anyone who wants it, symptoms or not, and other countries are punishing us for it. What’s really mind-blowing is that they’re closing the border to the US but not China! I guess we should have done a lot less testing like almost everyone else.

Sorry but this is rubbish ,fuelled by the US right wing press. Look at the figures of covid cases in the South and Southwest of the states after opening up with no mitigation. The testing regime is not the issue!

Very simple, you lose your money. As all cruise lines are registered and flagged off shore. So unless you a millionaire who could afford expensive offshore lawyers you will get nothing. That is why Govt has not supported cruising as it pays no taxes and is registered in the e.g. Marshall islands, so little chance of...……...

1 minute ago, Guerncruising said:

In reply to pappy1022 and GrJBerkshire I would like to say that here on Guernsey we have had no new cases for 47 days and as from this Saturday we are all able to return to ‘normal’. That means all shops, bars and restaurants open with no need for social distancing. However, travel is restricted to within the Bailiwick and those who do go to the UK must self isolate on return for 14 days. One person who broke this rule was fined £6000!

So the price that we pay for our new found ‘freedom’ is no cruises for the immediate future 😢. 

You could add to no cruises: no travel, especially international travel .

Hard to see how airlines who are 'ramping up ' schedules now can be seen to be anything else than irresponsible!!

The news today from NZ is very relevant . There are 2 new cases after 24 days covid free. Both are Brits who were given special compensation to travel to NZ for a dying parent. They came in via Doha and Brisbane to Auckland, where they were self isolated in a hotel for 7 days , then Travelex by car to Wellington, saw parent who subsequently died. Now tested positive. The moral being that we are a long way off covid free and despite care and isolation it is still popping up, NZ has such a good record on lockdown etc unlike UK and USA where we are miles behind.

August and September cruises are waitlisted. So about to go !!

2 hours ago, FrequentFloater333 said:

I'll only speak for myself, but one of the reasons my wife and I prefer Regent is the all inclusive nature of their offerings, including many wonderful shore excursions.  And for the record, sailing with Regent does not imply every passenger has the wherewithal, or even the desire, to opt for private excursions.   

100% agree

Included excursions are a major positive for Regent

Just made our TA's day with a new booking for the first 2 legs of the Mariner world cruise, from SF to Auckland in  Jan 2022

Would have liked to go on but 34 days is by far our longest trip so far plus 3 days ground trip post cruise in Auckland, not sure with everything else in life can do more than this at present

Plus finances would be seriously hit by longer, but looking forward to after the Lockdown. It will get us to Tahiti and the South Pacific we missed out on with a Papeete- Lima cancellation in April owing to covid-19. Back on the Mariner , I think our favourite ship and love the PH's (with shower, no bath thankfully). Now just got to hope the Jan 21 South America trip BA - Lima happens?

31 minutes ago, eliana said:

We seem to be going off subject which is asking will there be future Regent cruises in 2020. I fear the answer still seems to be no or unlikely, which is bad news for those of us who have FCCs. But if cruises  started again would any of you fly to them?

 

 

How?

Not sure how many airlines are flying much of a timetable. Also 14 day quarantine rules and how are the crew going to get to the ships as well? 

Lack of airlines will be the main negative to easy starting up again.

More of a problem is the US withdrawal from the WHO . This will put US citizens in a difficult position re arrivals in other Countries. Also the backing out of the WHO will make a global vaccine harder to share. Not everybody are dual nationals and so able to go to other countries to be vaccinated as Travelcat2 has said she will do. This is going to make recovery of the cruise industry much harder as the USA and others Countries could be on different paths.