World Cruise 2020

[DCCruiser57]

Greetings from Suva, Fiji.  Decent morning and we got in a little over a 4 mile walkabout.  Return just before the skies opened up.  Tomorrow is SavuSavu.  Some pics from today.

 

 

[mysty]

6 hours ago, DCCruiser57 said:

Greetings from Suva, Fiji.  Decent morning and we got in a little over a 4 mile walkabout.  Return just before the skies opened up.  Tomorrow is SavuSavu.  Some pics from today.

Thanks for the great photos DCC!  Hope your enjoyment continues!

[Fletcher]

I've been to Savusavu and remember it not exactly fondly as my wife stumbled on the jetty and broke her wrist rather badly.  Fortunately my wife has two wrists and one of them still worked. The jetty was in two halves, floating, and one half  shifted without warning, so be careful when you land!  This accident happened after our shore excursion and it was also the last day of our cruise from Tahiti so we just flew back to the UK and got her fixed up.  

 

Savusavu is a typical Melanesian town - full of life, colourful, ramshackle, quite dirty.  We all piled into buses and drove up into the hills, stopping for scenic vistas, and ended up in a village which consisted of two tiny churches facing each other across a long grass field. The houses were very poor but the people seemed genuinely excited to see us.  The whole thing seemed authentic and not touristy at all.

 

 

[DCCruiser57]

A nice 2.25 mile walkabout mostly uphill towards the airport in SavuSavu.  Some pics from today.

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by DCCruiser57
Add words.

[mysty]

6 minutes ago, DCCruiser57 said:

A nice 2.25 mile walkabout mostly uphill towards the airport in SavuSavu.  Some pics from today.

 

 

Thanks DCC!  Looks like a lovely unspoiled spot!

[DCCruiser57]

Rumors abound that there will be an all hands meeting day after tomorrow to present a revised WC itinerary along with options for going home early.  Interesting times and we will see what happens.

[mysty]

40 minutes ago, DCCruiser57 said:

Rumors abound that there will be an all hands meeting day after tomorrow to present a revised WC itinerary along with options for going home early.  Interesting times and we will see what happens.

Thanks DCC for keeping your followers up to date with the daily challenges being faced on this journey!  Best wishes for a good outcome for all!

[turtlemichael]

Thank you DCC!  Where are your next couple of scheduled stops? 

Edited March 10, 2020 by turtlemichael

[DCCruiser57]

Today is Lautoka, sea day, Port Vila, Vanuatu and then Champagne Beach and Pentecost Island.

Edited March 10, 2020 by DCCruiser57
Spelling

[Stumblefoot]

6 hours ago, DCCruiser57 said:

Rumors abound that there will be an all hands meeting day after tomorrow to present a revised WC itinerary along with options for going home early.

That’s a super smart move.  I would imagine there are some WC passengers who would like to end their cruise in Sydney if given the opportunity, in order to return home before further travel restrictions are implemented.  
 

Everything I’ve read leads me to believe some serious debates are occurring as I write about further draconian restrictions by many governments around the world.  I would think any new itinerary presented will still be at risk of further cancelled ports, or worse, an inability to return home upon the conclusion of the WC.

 

Best wishes to you and we look forward to your daily updates.

[Silver Spectre]

4 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

That’s a super smart move.  I would imagine there are some WC passengers who would like to end their cruise in Sydney if given the opportunity, in order to return home before further travel restrictions are implemented.  
 

Everything I’ve read leads me to believe some serious debates are occurring as I write about further draconian restrictions by many governments around the world.  I would think any new itinerary presented will still be at risk of further cancelled ports, or worse, an inability to return home upon the conclusion of the WC.

 

Best wishes to you and we look forward to your daily updates.

Still no official word, but the number of WC guests leaving in Sydney is increasing daily.

[DCCruiser57]

Another wet, rainy day.  Too bad as I had a nice walk planned.  Thus, it was a lazy sea day for us.  Some pics from the ship.  Also, Oliver, F&B manager, Sid last night thy ought fresh oysters.  They are on the menu tonight.  Had a nice fresh king fish for lunch today.

 

 

 

[DCCruiser57]

Greetings from a glorious day in Port Vila, Vanuatu.  We docked early, around 6:45 vis-a-vis 7:30.  We are off for a walk about at 9 AM.  Pics to follow.  I believe we will be briefed early this evening about the rest of the cruise.

[DCCruiser57]

Captain to brief us at 6:30 PM along with a revised itinerary and options for going home.  Updates to follow.

[DCCruiser57]

Port Vila pics.

 

 

[mysty]

Thanks for the gorgeous photos DCC!  Best wishes for the future of 2020 WC!

[Stumblefoot]

Anxiously awaiting your update DCC.  Seems the noose is closing in fast on the ability of ships to travel freely.  Based on everything I’m reading today / tonight, I’d be getting off and returning home ASAP.

[DCCruiser57]

OK, got a letter from Barbara Muckerman outlying two options.  Disembark in Perth, or stay on with a revised itinerary.  After Fremantle, 8 sea days to Port Louis (overnight), 3 sea days, Maputo, Richards Bay (overnight), Durban, sea day, Port Elizabeth, Sean day, Cape Town (2overnights),  sea day, Walvis Bay (overnight), 4 sea days, Tema (overnight), 3 sea days, Banjul, Dakar, 2 sea days, Las Palmas, Funchal (overnight), sea day, Lisbon (overnight), sea day, Bilbao, Bordeaux (2 overnights), sea day, Saint Malo, Honfluer (overnight), Zeebrugge, Amsterdam (overnight), disembark. 
 

No new guests or lecturers to embark, and limit non essential crew rotations.  Compensation for disembarking in Perth or staying onboard need board approval.  These will be communicated as soon as they are approved.

 

One large caveat - if most guests elect to disembark in Australia, they might cancel the remainder of the cruise as they need a minimum of guests to be able to offer the Silversea experience we are used to.

 

Not what we signed up for.  Probably pulling the plug and going home.

 

 

 

 

 

[Stumblefoot]

Thanks DCC.  Much appreciated.  I know we’d be pulling the plug and coming home ASAP.

[turtlemichael]

DCC, we feel so badly for you two and all our other friends onboard. One has to consider how much of the revised itinerary will survive as the weeks go on. 

[DCCruiser57]

TM - we agree as we are not sure any of the revised itinerary could be done.  Learned tonight that Champagne Beach, and Pentecost’s Island are cancelled due to a tropical cyclone.   We are now headed full speed to Brisbane.

 

[mysty]

50 minutes ago, DCCruiser57 said:

TM - we agree as we are not sure any of the revised itinerary could be done.  Learned tonight that Champagne Beach, and Pentecost’s Island are cancelled due to a tropical cyclone.   We are now headed full speed to Brisbane.

 

DCC..so very sorry to hear that the second half of this cruise has a trial and error sail!  I hope you can get safely home and still manage to enjoy some of the rest of the voyage!  Best wishes all!

[CanadianKate]

While it is a lovely alternative (I've done the Western African Coast trip on the Wind with just 205 passengers) I'd be pulling the plug too because things will change. For instance, Funchal is now closed to cruise ships according to Cruise Junkie. I'd include the link to the Madeira Island Direct article except they've been overwhelmed with internet traffic! 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2020 by CanadianKate
Wrong ship named!

[Stumblefoot]

Yeah, I don't know how SS can continue the WC with so many ports in a state of flux.

I realize we are all different in our decision making, but if it were me, I'd be disembarking in Brisbane to catch the next flight to LAX, SFO, or even ORD.  There's no way we'd stay on until Perth where there are no direct flights back to the States.

[DCCruiser57]

Here’s the compensation.  Leave in Perth and get a cash refund equal to the fare paid divided by 139 days times 56 days not used.  Or you can get a future cruise credit of 125 percent of this amount to be used within 2 years and only on NEW bookings.  Or stay on and get a15 percent of the total fare paid as a future cruise credit to be used within 2 years and only on NEW bookings.  Lots of WCers upset as many of us have already booked 2021 and 2022.  More to come as Fernando and Norman along with other key staff have a call with Monaco tonight.

 

Others are unhappy with a repeat of last years Africa itinerary.