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Cunard's Coronavirus Cancellations/Refunds (Merged threads)


LittleFish1976
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Thanks for posting the information.  As of right now (11:30 a.m in Port Kelang), Cunard has not advised us about any of this.  Guess they are too busy trying to assist the 116 passengers who have chosen to disembark here!

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I’m pleased to say we are now off QM2 and on our way to KLIA. Immigration and other checks took longer than originally anticipated and it was clear on that our originally advised departure time of 9am was going to be missed. We should get to the airport within the next hour. There were a number of very upset people around the ship last night, notably at the pursuer’s desk. Hope they get home ok. 

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58 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

@BulldustHHH you sound like a proud local 🙂 . Perth and surrounds are wonderful. Would it also be possible for passengers to visit Margaret River from Fremantle? That's also a wonderful place to visit with wineries and so on as well as being stunningly beautiful.

 

Ironically I am a born-again Aussie. I was actually born in Geelong, but only stayed a couple years (Dad was ex-pat). Came back to WA in 1992. Within a couple weeks I realised the locals (in Kalgoorlie) were my kind of crazy. Perth's good too, but country folk are more fun generally 😄

 

Googling (because I have never gone to Margaret River as such - not a wine drinker), I find the following:

 

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Fremantle/Margaret-River

 

Car is probably the most convenient if you don't mind driving on the left. You can Google Margaret River tours and I am sure there's plenty, but I have no idea which are better than others. I would check the reviews.

Edited by BulldustHHH
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24 minutes ago, BulldustHHH said:

Looks like the QMII is coming in a day earlier than originally anticipated (the news articles said 18/2/20):

 

https://www3.fremantleports.com.au/VTMIS/dashb.ashx?db=fmp.public&btn=CruiseShips

 

Freo ports is now showing afternoon of the 17th. 

 

I saw that too and posted about it post #25 above. On the other hand, the AIS information for QM2 that's now being reported by marinetraffic states "Fremantle ETA: 2020-02-18 07:00 LT (UTC +8)". So a bit of a disconnect there.

Edited by bluemarble
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Here's hoping that passengers aren't too put off by Fremantle's poor cruse terminal ... once you get out of that area downtown Freo and Perth are great. It's a bit of a catch 22 ... the terminal doesn't get much love because we don't get a lot of cruise ships ... possibly because our cruise terminal sucks. It's more to do with geography, of course, because we are several days cruise from anywhere of size. 

 

I just realised I forgot to mention Rottnest /doh! The Rottnest ferries take off multiple times a day (about 30mins to island) from near the cruise terminal berth (you may have to walk out and about a bit to get to them) and they take you to lovely Rotto (as we call it) which is where you'll find the much hyped quokkas who like taking selfies with celebrities. Lovely beaches readily accessible on bike (rented on the ferries), but the roads are hilly.

 

Rottnest pictures

 

 

Edited by BulldustHHH
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6 hours ago, AspirationalFlyer said:

I’m pleased to say we are now off QM2 and on our way to KLIA. Immigration and other checks took longer than originally anticipated and it was clear on that our originally advised departure time of 9am was going to be missed. We should get to the airport within the next hour. There were a number of very upset people around the ship last night, notably at the pursuer’s desk. Hope they get home ok. 

What do you mean immigration checks? Did immigration officers come on board the ship or did passengers leave the ship in the port and pass through immigration and return home. And if as has been said passengers were not allowed to disembark in that port why bother with immigration checks for people who are not leaving a ship?

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2 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

What do you mean immigration checks? Did immigration officers come on board the ship or did passengers leave the ship in the port and pass through immigration and return home. And if as has been said passengers were not allowed to disembark in that port why bother with immigration checks for people who are not leaving a ship?

Presumably for those that WERE leaving the ship to fly home.

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7 minutes ago, AspirationalFlyer said:

As far as I’m aware, the immigration checks related to those of us that were permanently leaving the ship only. Our passports were reviewed and checked and then handed back to us. There were no further immigration checks once we arrived in the terminal. 

Were passengers able to board in KL or was it for disembarkation, only?

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8 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

@BulldustHHH you sound like a proud local 🙂 . Perth and surrounds are wonderful. Would it also be possible for passengers to visit Margaret River from Fremantle? That's also a wonderful place to visit with wineries and so on as well as being stunningly beautiful.

 

LittleFish I hope you don't mind if I jump in. As QM2 hasn't updated their itinerary  they may well choose to sail around the southern area of the West Coast Past South Australia maybe Tasmania, Melbourne up to Sydney. Where they stop is conjecture but hopefully Busselton or Bunbury so a visit to Margaret River could be on the cards. I have a great guide for that region who we are using in March to show friends the region one day when we all to relax and have a wine.

 

Julie

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1 hour ago, frantic36 said:

... As QM2 hasn't updated their itinerary ...

 

Cunard has announced the updated itinerary for QM2. It's going to be a full circumnavigation of Australia in a clockwise direction, beginning and ending with Fremantle. Then on to complete the rest of her world voyage as originally scheduled.

 

February 18 - Fremantle

February 19 - Fremantle

February 24 - Darwin

February 25 - Darwin

February 28 - Yorkeys Knob

March 1 - Airlie Beach (as originally scheduled)

March 3 - Brisbane (as originally scheduled)

March 5 - Sydney (as originally scheduled)

March 6 - Sydney (as originally scheduled)

March 8 - Melbourne (as originally scheduled)

March 10 - Adelaide (as originally scheduled)

March 13 - Busselton (as originally scheduled)

March 14 - Fremantle (as originally scheduled)

 

One remaining question is whether she will actually be arriving in Fremantle on the afternoon of February 17 (as shown on the port of Fremantle website) rather than the morning of February 18.

Edited by bluemarble
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13 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

Cunard has announced the updated itinerary. It's going to be a full circumnavigation of Australia in a clockwise direction, beginning and ending with Fremantle. Then on to complete the rest of her world voyage as originally scheduled.

 

February 18 - Fremantle

February 19 - Fremantle

February 24 - Darwin

February 25 - Darwin

February 28 - Yorkeys Knob

March 1 - Airlie Beach (as originally scheduled)

March 3 - Brisbane (as originally scheduled)

March 5 - Sydney (as originally scheduled)

March 6 - Sydney (as originally scheduled)

March 8 - Melbourne (as originally scheduled)

March 10 - Adelaide (as originally scheduled)

March 13 - Busselton (as originally scheduled)

March 14 - Fremantle (as originally scheduled)

 

One remaining question is whether she will actually be arriving in Fremantle on the afternoon of February 17 (as shown on the port of Fremantle website) rather than the morning of February 18.

 

 

Interesting schedule. They are going over the top other than the southern coast. We have just had a big cyclone/hurricane hit the northern part of WA so hopefully that will be it for awhile. Which can be the case.

 

Darwin has some interesting tunnels just near the port and the hop on hop off has good reports. We went with some friends to the army museum a few years ago which is accessible in the afternoon hop on hop off. It was very interesting to hear the voices of those who experienced Australia's "Pearl Harbour" when the Japanese bombed Darwin in WW2. Our American friends were fascinated as it was something they weren't aware of.

 

Julie

Edited by frantic36
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Unfortunately QM2 is currently getting bad press 'It's the honeymoon from hell!' Benidorm actress Crissy Rock 'terrified' as she is quarantined on month-long Queen Mary 2 cruise amid coronavirus fears” Apparently passengers are in panic, according to a ‘friend’ of hers with one passenger fainting yesterday as they don’t know what’s happening or where they are going! I can appreciate the frustration at the change in itinerary and the fact that you will be having no port stops between Dubai and Fremantle, however, the change is in order to avoid coronavirus and is hardly a quarantine situation. Cunard have taken appropriate action in very difficult circumstances and should be commended rather than criticised. Being aboard the QM2 is often holiday enough for me! 

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13 hours ago, AspirationalFlyer said:

I’m pleased to say we are now off QM2 and on our way to KLIA. Immigration and other checks took longer than originally anticipated and it was clear on that our originally advised departure time of 9am was going to be missed. We should get to the airport within the next hour. There were a number of very upset people around the ship last night, notably at the pursuer’s desk. Hope they get home ok. 

Thanks for the update, have a good journey home.

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Just wondering.  QM2 was offering segments from Singapore to Fremantle and (originally) Hong Kong to Fremantle.  Those segments would now be boarding in Fremantle and circumnavigating the country without visiting any foreign ports.  Could Australia have cabotage laws which could prevent that?

 

Roy

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10 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Just wondering.  QM2 was offering segments from Singapore to Fremantle and (originally) Hong Kong to Fremantle.  Those segments would now be boarding in Fremantle and circumnavigating the country without visiting any foreign ports.  Could Australia have cabotage laws which could prevent that?

 

Roy

 

I'm certainly no legal expert on Australian maritime regulations. But I wouldn't think that would be an issue since Cunard has for many years been selling voyage segments between Australian ports with no intervening foreign ports. In other words, they've been sailing many Australian itineraries over the years that wouldn't be allowed if those were US itineraries.

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1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

Just wondering.  QM2 was offering segments from Singapore to Fremantle and (originally) Hong Kong to Fremantle.  Those segments would now be boarding in Fremantle and circumnavigating the country without visiting any foreign ports.  Could Australia have cabotage laws which could prevent that?

 

Roy

Why?  There are plenty of Australian only port schedules e.g. QE Melbourne-Sydney sometimes via Tassie.  I think they do a "fake" port of Willis Isl in Qlds if they want to open duty free. The WA cruise segment may not be allowed to operate the casino though WA has quite restrictive gambling laws 

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7 minutes ago, lissie said:

Why?  There are plenty of Australian only port schedules e.g. QE Melbourne-Sydney sometimes via Tassie.  I think they do a "fake" port of Willis Isl in Qlds if they want to open duty free. The WA cruise segment may not be allowed to operate the casino though WA has quite restrictive gambling laws 

 

Nothing to do with gambling or duty free sales in the US. It has everything to do with something called the "Passenger Vessel Services Act", sometimes inaccurately referred to as the "Jones Act". This act prohibits non-US vessels from transporting passengers between two different US ports without visiting a distant foreign port in between. So you'll see Cunard selling a world voyage segment for Southampton-New York and a longer segment for Southampton-New York-Fort Lauderdale. But they are not allowed to sell the segment for New York-Fort Lauderdale.

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2 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Just wondering.  QM2 was offering segments from Singapore to Fremantle and (originally) Hong Kong to Fremantle.  Those segments would now be boarding in Fremantle and circumnavigating the country without visiting any foreign ports.  Could Australia have cabotage laws which could prevent that?

 

Roy

 

 

Roy there is no cabotage law similar to the Jones Act here in Australia that I have heard off. We did a cruise December 2018 that basically circumnavigated Australia as we boarded in Sydney and it went around the southern, western and northern coast before departing Australia from Darwin. People got on and off in various segments sold by the cruise line.

 

Julie

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Gambling in Western Australia is limited to the Burswood Casino just outside the Perth CBD. It's worth a visit if you like that type of thing. The Perth Hop On Hop Off bus goes to the casino at one end of town and King's Park at the other:

 

https://www.getyourguide.com/perth-l385/perth-hop-on-hop-off-open-top-double-decker-bus-tour-t69451/

 

Seems a tad pricey if you ask me, seeing as you can get to most of the sights free of charge on the CAT and Transperth buses (free in the CBD area - see earlier post). The Casino is outside the free zone, however, and would cost a couple bucks to get to by bus. You can als make a short walk from a Red or Yellow CAT bus stop across the new bridge to see the new stadium (Optus) and 10 mins walk to the Casino. At the other end of the bridge is the largest pub in the southern hemisphere - The Camfield.

 

But I digress... the only other gambling in the state is the blind eye turned to "Two up" played on ANZAC Day and year-round at the ramshackle shed outside Kalgoorlie (600km inland).

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39 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

Nothing to do with gambling or duty free sales in the US. It has everything to do with something called the "Passenger Vessel Services Act", sometimes inaccurately referred to as the "Jones Act". This act prohibits non-US vessels from transporting passengers between two different US ports without visiting a distant foreign port in between. So you'll see Cunard selling a world voyage segment for Southampton-New York and a longer segment for Southampton-New York-Fort Lauderdale. But they are not allowed to sell the segment for New York-Fort Lauderdale.

Australia wants foreign cruise lines to cruise segments around Australia.  Unlike the US, Australia doesn't have a local cruise ship industry to protect.  

 

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19 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Australia wants foreign cruise lines to cruise segments around Australia.  Unlike the US, Australia doesn't have a local cruise ship industry to protect.

 

Truth-be-told, the US doesn't really have much of a local cruise ship industry to protect either. As far as I know, NCL's Pride of America operating between the Hawaiian Islands is the only large cruise ship left that's allowed to carry passengers between different US ports.

Edited by bluemarble
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