F-J's Magical Mystery Tour of Asia: a prologue

[Flamin_June]

Perhaps this should be called the Medical Misery Tour of Asia. However, I feel an obligation to try to keep things positive in the thread titles, if nowhere else.

 

And, this could well turn out to be an epilogue rather than a prologue, as there is some uncertainty as to whether or not we will set sail at all.

 

I've often thought that the planning, reserching and, putting together of travel iteneraries is almost as enjoyable as the journeys themselves, and was toying with the idea of doing a pre-blog blog before current events took over.

 

So here we are, booked on the 14th March sailing of Ovation out of Singapore, calling at Phuket, Yangon, Colombo, Mumbai, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It's our (continuing the optimistic tone) first Milestone Cruise Award, with Biz Class flights to Singapore and 5 nights pre-cruise jet lag recovery before boarding. It might be our last cruise for a while, because I've just recently retired and there is a downward adjustment of income and many plans involving property upgrades, moving, supporting grandchildren and great-grand nieces and the like. So we wanted this cruise to be a bit special.

Actualy I wanted to be on Sojourn on April 29th, Sydney to SF for 30 days, but A , quite understandably put a veto on that, as the month of May is prime gardening time where we are, and there is no way she is leaving her precious babies to fend for themselves, or worse still, suffer the inept attentions of our cat-sitter. And then we found this Ovation trip, which had its itinerary adjusted slightly, creating something quite attractive to us. Eleven sea days - we like sea days -, two overnights at Yangon, an overnight in Colombo, an overnight in Mumbai. We have had truly memorable times in all these cities; so here was a chance to revisit, perhaps for one last time, fondly remembered places and stay overnight at some of our favourite hotels.

 

Bingo: we were going to do a Farewell Tour of Asia! 

 

Well, the whole shebang took a lot of planning, corresponding, booking hotels, transfers, organising early check-ins. Things were looking good and then along came Covid-19, fear, panic, misinformation, re-jigged itineraries, cancellations, grey skies, dark clouds, a couple of storms, the normally placid river whose banks and antiquated flood-defenses lie about a 100 yards from our home transformed to a raging debris-filled torrent.

It's all cast a bit of a shadow on proceedings, I can tell you.

 

According to my sources, the current word from Seabourn is that there are no plans to cancel Ovation's February 29th and March 14th sailings out of Singapore, and that they will advise passengers of any changes as soon as they know ( let's hope they know sooner than 24 hours before sail away...). 

In the meantime, my suitcase remains less than half-packed, the cat has decided to take up permanent residence in it, I've just had to consign my two favourite pairs of chinos to the charity bag (having lost some weight, they now look like clown's baggy trousers) and our flight departs in three weeks. At least we don't have to suffer anxiety over which suite we will be assigned and when. And staying upbeat and positive, there were only three new C-19 cases reported from Singapore last time I looked, all from known clusters, and for 80% of people the bug is no worse than a seasonal cold. Ovation is in dry dock, so she'll be all spring-cleaned when we board, and we have a thermometer, so we will be packing that.

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Flamin_June

[SLSD]

38 minutes ago, Flamin_June said:

Perhaps this should be called the Medical Misery Tour of Asia. However, I feel an obligation to try to keep things positive in the thread titles, if nowhere else.

I really hope that everyone's cruises are sorted out very soon.  It is so sad to be looking so forward to something and have to deal with uncertainty at the same time.  I hate being the bearer of more bad news, but I just now read in a newspaper article that one of the passengers aboard the Westerdam (Holland America ship which sailed around looking for a port to take them--and finally one in Cambodia did) has tested positive for the dreaded Covid virus.  She has been hospitalize along with her husband who has pneumonia.  He is testing negative, but pneumonia is sometimes  a part of the virus so he is going to be retested.  The upshot is that many more of those passengers who disembarked, showing no symptoms, may yet get the virus.  It's this kind of thing that the cruise lines are struggling with--along with port closures.  

 

 

[Flamin_June]

2 hours ago, SLSD said:

hate being the bearer of more bad news, but I just now read in a newspaper article that one of the passengers aboard the Westerdam (Holland America ship which sailed around looking for a port to take them--and finally one in Cambodia did) has tested positive for the dreaded Covid virus.

And I'm sure SB are waiting to see how people ddisembarked today from Ovation are going to fare over the next 10 days or so.

 

Hmmmm. just confirmed on another thread here and on FB SS, Feb 29th sailing now cancelled. Full refund + 50% FCC, and SB will 'look at' other related expense claims on a case by case.

Maybe I should pull those chinos out of the charity bag and start some serious comfort eating.

[SLSD]

7 minutes ago, Flamin_June said:

 

Maybe I should pull those chinos out of the charity bag and start some serious comfort eating.

Laughing about pulling the chinos out of the charity bag--not about the virus and those that are ill. 

 

I also read a report from someone on Sojourn on the World Cruise that French Polynesia is accepting no cruise ships.   I also read SS on FB and will head over there for the latest.  

 

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by SLSD

[frantic36]

5 minutes ago, SLSD said:

Laughing about pulling the chinos out of the charity bag--not about the virus and those that are ill. 

 

I also read a report from someone on Sojourn on the World Cruise that French Polynesia is accepting no cruise ships.  

 

 

According to Australia Smart traveller this is the latest update for visitors to French Polynesia.

 

https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/pacific/french-polynesia

 

No mention of cruise ships being banned. 

 

I will be checking with my friends onboard Sojourn at the moment who are doing the world cruise what they have heard.  At the moment they are in South Africa so likely asleep. I am in regular contact with them and since we are due to meet up on the Sydney to SF segment they would be sure to let me know if our itinerary had changed.

 

Julie

[SLSD]

2 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

 

According to Australia Smart traveller this is the latest update for visitors to French Polynesia.

 

https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/pacific/french-polynesia

 

No mention of cruise ships being banned. 

 

I will be checking with my friends onboard Sojourn at the moment who are doing the world cruise what they have heard.  At the moment they are in South Africa so likely asleep. I am in regular contact with them and since we are due to meet up on the Sydney to SF segment they would be sure to let me know if our itinerary had changed.

 

Julie

I read about French Polynesia on FB from someone on world cruise.  Perhaps they were mistaken?  I hope so, but I can understand small islands not wanting to be inundated with cruise passengers during an epidemic.  

Edited February 16, 2020 by SLSD

[frantic36]

As I said I am in frequent communication with friends onboard. I think this is speculation from the person on Facebook. I asked my friends about the Hong Kong and Singapore ports and the response was at this point there is no changes as they are not due until end of March and early April.

 

The South Pacific is not due to be visited until May. Crystal Serenity got blocked from visiting Tonga last week but had an overnight in Fiji last week. So maybe that's why the person made the claim?

 

Maybe it will happen but at this time I have heard nothing from my travel agent or my friends onboard.

 

Julie

 

Oh and my friends have sailed every inaugural on Seabourn and when Richard Meadows is onboard he will have dinner with them so they don't know everything but they hear a lot.

Edited February 16, 2020 by frantic36

[rols]

5 hours ago, SLSD said:

Ibut I just now read in a newspaper article that one of the passengers aboard the Westerdam (Holland America ship which sailed around looking for a port to take them--and finally one in Cambodia did) has tested positive for the dreaded Covid virus.  

This story's been out a day or two. I'll admit finding this one a head scratcher. The ship left HK and didn't dock for 13 days during which everyone's temperature was checked, often. They disembarked with temperature checks and some passengers had extra screening which I believe meant some were actually tested. Everyone was negative. Three days later one tests positive. 

First impression was a false positive, however Malaysia has tested her again and found the same result.

The incubation period of the virus is often quoted at 14 days, but the median incubation is actually 3 days, 14 is closer to the 99th percentile. So to me the chances this lady picked up the virus in HK before boarding, showed no symptoms, spread it to no other passenger on board who showed any symptoms in 13 days on a ship everyone was trapped on and mingling freely is lower than her having picked it up going through an airport after she left the ship and become ill quickly. 

You have to accept the facts as they are, she has it, she was a passenger, but the odds really don't add up on this one. 

[frantic36]

Flamin-June I am looking forward too hearing about your cruise so I will keep my fingers crossed you won't have any problems. 

 

I understand that May is prime time for preparing the garden and soil in your neck of the woods but I am sad I won't get to meet you and your good wife. Enjoy retirement.

 

Julie

[Joc123]

Julie, 

Ron and I are also on Sydney - San Fransisco Cruise.

 We were originally booked Singapore - Athens but when there was trouble brewing in Iran we cancelled and booked the final leg of the WC.

Then there was the measles outbreak in Samoa but we have both been vaccinated so figured we would be okay. That seems to have settled down.

Now this, however as it is late April/May we decided to go ahead.

Please forward any information you receive from friends already on Sojourn as we would love to know if there are any changes 

 

Jocelyn

 

[frantic36]

38 minutes ago, Joc123 said:

Please forward any information you receive from friends already on Sojourn as we would love to know if there are any changes 

 

I will do Jocelyn. I am not sure if you remember but we have met before and Keith enjoyed comparing football teams with you and Ron. He & I will look forward to seeing you both again.

 

I am just waiting for a good time to email as I know what it is like if anyone talks to me in the morning before my first coffee.

 

Julie

[Joc123]

I certainly do remember - Go Crows!

 

See you again soon 

 

Jocelyn

[tv24]

June:  Comfort eating is always a good idea.

[Flamin_June]

Woke this morning to a lull in the weather - patches of blue skies and sunlight, a stiff breeze rather than gusts and gales. We were let off lightly by Storm Dennis, unlike other parts of the country - the Welsh Borders, where we have family and friends was badly hit: Crickhowel, where a friend of A's lives, cut off by flood waters; fallen trees and surface floods around Abergavenny, where our daughter works. After the unremitting dark grey skies of the last 10 days or so it was a blessed relief and uplifting, like sailing out of choppy, churning seas and into calm water.

A new daily morning ritual: check for emails from SB, check Straits Times for C-19 updates, check BBC news for anything elsethat might be arriving to darken our doorstep in the next few days.

No new cases in Singapore at present 🙂, no emails from SB 🙃.

 

The news from Westerdam is depressing, and as rols states elsewhere, puzzling, but with speculation that the incubation period may be as long as 24 days, HAL/Seabourn have to be cautious and have take a risk-averse approach, thus the extended cancellation for Ovation. We can speculate about other factors that my be informing their decision making, but SB aint saying, so who knows.

 

The fact that they haven't also cancelled our 14th March sailing leaves a glimmer of hope and we all have to wait and see.

In the context of people who have caught the virus, or who are known contactees, or the people whose jobs and livliehoods are at risk as the Asian tourist industry withers on the vine, our trials and tribulations are kind of trivial.

But it is so frustrating - do we pack? Unpack? Do I go ahead and purchase ( sorry, long list alert) sun lotion, Voltarol, Immodium, razor blades, extra toothpaste and a new toothbrush, shirts, chinos, flip-flops for the pool? We are caught in a web of indecision. Well, I am, A is going shopping for her 'bits and pieces'. Normally, three weeks short of going to the airport, we would be focussed, with a clear agenda, upbeat and ticking things off on the to do list, at home and at work. Now I am rehearsing the cancellation emails I might have to send , and still wondering whether to take the Tux for one last hurrah.

I do feel sympathy for SB management, having to wrestle with logistics, crew movements, potential quarantine arrangements, costs, losses, and the unpredicabilityof everything, but I do wish they could communicate more effectively with those of uswho still have a stake on this.

 

[Fletcher]

On a parallel Seabourn  thread, Germanshep reports that Ovation's 29 Feb sailing has been cancelled.  As that cruise was to have been a circular SE Asia itinerary I can well understand that.  But FlaminJune's cruise is from Singapore to Dubai which is quite different and might stand a fair chance of sailing.  

Edited February 17, 2020 by Fletcher

[rols]

FJ

 

It's a bad situation for sure but I think you need to resign yourself you're not going to know what happens until .. it happens. 

My mum woke this morning to her cat paddling in water in the kitchen forced in by the rain, no damage that a few towels couldn't fix and the cat appears to have enjoyed it, but it was certainly one heck of a storm. And we sit here every day in Singapore wondering what happens next. It will be what it will be. 

I check ChannelNewsAsia about 20 times a day to see the latest and today more people left hospital than entered it and we've had 3 days of new cases related to known clusters and nothing else. I'd be naive if I thought this was all over but it's not getting as bad as I thought last week it might and, biased a I am, I'm happier to be in Singapore than anywhere else in Asia right now. 

Perhaps hope that Seabourn's delay is because this situation developed in a month and what it will look like a month from now could be entirely different. I leave for NY to train for a new job in 3 weeks, I have no idea if they are going to let me on the plane, but I'll figure it out at the time.

I suggest closing the half-full case to prevent any more cat fur ingress, we have two, I know what it's like, and embracing the unknown. I also hope that Seabourn will be more decisive and a little more helpful than they have been thus far. 

 

[oceanviewer21]

Hope they give us a couple of weeks notice so I don’t have to struggle trying to get the Indian Visa on the internet and possibly be able to extend our break in Dubai on the way out.

[Chairsin]

Flamin June 

Dont relish being in your predicament. I am glad the flooding rains did not affect you  directly - from the photos I’ve seen it seems catastrophic. A similar situation is playing out currently in Ohio. Between floods, wildfires first in California and then Australia,, plagues of locusts in West Africa, massive avalanches in Europe, high temps and melting ice sheets in Antarctica and of course Covid-19  it all seems as though our planet  is rather out of control. 
 

But if I were you I would keep marching steadfast through your usual pre cruise to do list. I know I’m a cockeyed optimist but I look at Seabourn’s cancelation of the Feb 14 and 29th cruises and parking the ship in a “safe harbor”  as an attempt at sacrificing in the short term (and I am sorry for those on those two voyages wholes cruises were canceled) to secure the rest of the season when they can hopefully safely sail from Singapore west out of South East Asia and our of harms way. My  thought being countries on the March 14 itinerary would have less reason to bar the ship from docking since the ship had been “clean” for a month. And selfishly I do want to keep reading your blog hoping the prologue is followed by a middle and end. I’m currently drydocked myself as a result of upcoming major surgery so blogs like yours will be a major source of distraction for me as I plow through the long recovery phase and look forward to the time when I’ll be back on board. 

[Flamin_June]

Thanks to one and all for the good vibes and positive messages. Chairsin, major surgery sounds daunting, but you come across as an indomitable spirit in you posts, so I will wish you a speedy recovery. As you note, it's probably a good time to have a pause in your travels. Likewise Julie, I hope your Keith is now well on his way to a full recovery. And dear rols. What a shame you are off to NY in three weeks. If things work out that's when we will be arriving in Singapore. You have been the voice of sanity, reason and useful information over these jast few weeks and it would have been great if we could have organised meeting up for dinner one evening with you and your partner.

 

More optimism; I read that there are only two new cases in Singapore today, both warded individuals from known clusters.Like rols i am still expecting a few more downs to temper the ups, but this is an encouraging trend. In futher developments on the home front, A took matters in hand this afternoon and frogmarched me to one of the better menswear shops in town ( we call them 'the gentlemen's outfitters') and proceeded to spend the best part of some consultancy fees I'd just recieved on making me 'look presentable'.

[Chairsin]

 Good for A! I like her positive outlook. It seems like a great trip to commemorate launching the next phase of your life.  And if for some reason the cruise does not come to pass you will certainly be the most dapper fellow in all of Lancashire. 
 

And thank you for the kind thoughts! All I have to do now if figure out what my DH will eat while I’m recovering as his culinary skills are pretty much limited to the coffee maker and microwave. Then again it could be a good time for fasting to prepare for when we do cruise again. 
 

Back to the cruise, in your shoes (new ones?) I would be feeling pretty optimistic about the cruise. As you said there have been some encouraging developments and it seems some countries, such as a Singapore, seem to be getting a handle on containment and tracking the origin of new cases. I’ll stay tuned.

[Flamin_June]

8 minutes ago, Chairsin said:

Back to the cruise, in your shoes (new ones?)

No - A got the shoes !

[frantic36]

Flamin-June that is good news you frogmarched yourself off to get some new clothes with the spirit of optimism.

 

Thanks for asking re Keith. Keith is recovering well and has been given a letter clearing him for travel in March and our insurance will still cover us so we are good to go. 

 

Chairsin I hope your surgery goes well and you recover quickly.

 

Rols and June that is good news about the apparent stabilising of cases in Singapore. I appreciate the updated information. I try to read the various papers but it does get confusing and overwhelming sometimes.

 

Julie

[frantic36]

16 hours ago, Joc123 said:

Please forward any information you receive from friends already on Sojourn as we would love to know if there are any changes 

 

Jocelyn

 

Joc so I don't hijack Flamin-June's thread anymore I will post what I was told on Seabourn and corona virus thread.

 

Julie

[koalapanda]

"Flamin June" thank you for your new thread. It is much appreciated by many  in a quandry for our 2020 Seabourn Cruise plans . 

As "Rols" said or similar the world situation presently "is what it is." 

Never the less having a booking , the usual anticipated excitement dampened by being in limbo at wether you will sail away is very stressful.

We certainly feel for you all.

I sincerely hope you this awful period will pass quickly. It is especially scary for all affected by all kinds of disasters and unsettling phenomonen who have to re adjust their lives.

 

"Chairsin" We wish you well for your surgery and a speedy recovery. Your posts are always informative , I have not forgotten your kindness thank you.

"Frantic36" glad to hear " Keith" is doing well, I can imagine how much you are looking forward to the cruise post recovery. I too am looking forward to that day and estimate I am approximately half way to being able to travel . The Seabourn CC threads have been a daily go to these last three months . You all give me the inspiration to heal as I yearn to Cruise again as you all do.

 

Looking forward to reading more ,love your tongue in cheek humour, thanks, Flamin Jo.

 

 

 

[frantic36]

40 minutes ago, koalapanda said:

I am approximately half way to being able to travel .

 

Koala I hope you heal even quicker so you can get back to cruising and just feeling normal, so I can maybe meet you and panda on a ship someday.

 

Julie