All four remaining March/April Tahiti cruises cancelled

[Clutj]

14 minutes ago, susiesan said:

Alaska is out now since Canada is banning ships with more than 500 pax from their ports through June. All Alaska cruises either begin and end in Vancouver or stop somewhere in Canada.

Is it capacity of 500 or actual number on board?  Anyone know?

[LHT28]

12 minutes ago, Clutj said:

Is it capacity of 500 or actual number on board?  Anyone know?

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/gvha-estimates-multimillion-dollar-loss-due-to-federal-cruise-ship-ban-1.4851940

[LHT28]

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2020/03/government-of-canada-announces-intention-to-defer-the-start-of-cruise-ship-season-in-canada-as-covid-19-response-measure.html

[susiesan]

10 hours ago, Clutj said:

Is it capacity of 500 or actual number on board?  Anyone know?

Per the Canadian decree. Depending on how many pax might be on a given sailing on Windstar, it could be a go or no go. Definitely the O ships will be barred.

 

The federal government has temporarily barred all cruise ships and ferries that carry more than 500 people, including crew, from docking in Canada until July to protect against the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

Edited March 14, 2020 by susiesan

[Paulchili]

2 hours ago, susiesan said:

Per the Canadian decree. Depending on how many pax might be on a given sailing on Windstar, it could be a go or no go. Definitely the O ships will be barred.

 

The federal government has temporarily barred all cruise ships and ferries that carry more than 500 people, including crew, from docking in Canada until July to protect against the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

I think it's a silly decision anyway - might as well just close the ports for 30 days (to start with) as nobody else is cruising.

What guarantee do you have that nobody of those 500 people will not be sick - all you need is one or two people - you don't need more people to be sick to cause harm to the other cruisers or the communities they visit..

[Mura]

Just what I've been thinking.  A small ship isn't much safer than a big one.  Okay, more passengers means more can be ill, but all you need these days is ONE.

 

Mura

[MightyQuinn]

1 hour ago, Paulchili said:

I think it's a silly decision anyway - might as well just close the ports for 30 days (to start with) as nobody else is cruising.

 

Done and done, at least in Victoria.  The Greater Victoria Port Authority (GVHA) expanded the directive to ban all cruise ships and ferries of ANY size from entering the Victoria Cruise Terminal and Inner Harbour until July 1, 2020.

 

https://gvha.ca/about-gvha/newsroom/the-health-and-safety-of-everyone-is-always-our-top-concern/

[Paulchili]

52 minutes ago, MightyQuinn said:

 

Done and done, at least in Victoria.  The Greater Victoria Port Authority (GVHA) expanded the directive to ban all cruise ships and ferries of ANY size from entering the Victoria Cruise Terminal and Inner Harbour until July 1, 2020.

 

https://gvha.ca/about-gvha/newsroom/the-health-and-safety-of-everyone-is-always-our-top-concern/

Good move.

After all, was it not just a single passenger that tested positive after disembarking the Diamond in Hong Kong and we all know what happened the the Diamond Princess on the next segment to Yokohama.

[eng58]

On 3/13/2020 at 3:09 PM, susiesan said:

Did you see that Windstar has cancelled all savings until June including Tahiti? I just got the flights home from PPT with UA award miles for a good discount off of what they had been going for, 45K each.

 

I wonder where Regatta will go now? Surely the ship has to come back to the US at some time. 

Regatta is heading to Hawaii, we were on the March 5 cruise, and staff had just been told.

[SimonaD]

On 3/12/2020 at 12:47 PM, Petoonya said:

Does anyone have this letter?  What is the original date on it please?

We received cancellation of the April 14 sailing from Oceania on March 18, and they insist we're only entitled to 100% FCC, not 125 or 150, and no refund.

 

Including mine. April 14 Papeete-Hawaii-San Francisco. Brokenhearted.

Tahiti closed to cruise tourism.

125% FCC or refund. Hard choice as we've already booked same for next year.

 

IMPORTANT ITINERARY UPDATE 

FOR FRENCH POLYNESIA CRUISES

 

Dear Valued Guests and Travel Advisors,

 

We would like to provide you with an important update to your scheduled voyage to French Polynesia aboard the Regatta. Earlier this morning, we were notified by the government of French Polynesia that the islands are closed to cruise tourism. Regatta will conclude her current voyage in Papeete tomorrow and all further sailings are cancelled.

 

The voyages being cancelled are: 

 March 15 roundtrip Papeete

 March 25 roundtrip Papeete

 April 4 roundtrip Papeete

 April 14 Papeete to San Francisco

 All guests booked on the cancelled voyages will receive a Future Cruise Credit equal to 125% of the cruise fare paid. Alternately, if guests prefer a refund, Oceania Cruises will refund 100% of the fare paid.  Guests should notify their travel advisor or Oceania Cruises of their choice no later than by March 20, 2020.

 Guests on the Extended Journey cruise from April 4 through May 2, 2020 will receive the same offer as listed.

 Ancillary items including shore excursions, transfers, air fees, and travel insurance, purchased through Oceania Cruises, will be refunded.  Hotel and land programs, purchased through Oceania Cruises, will be included in the Future Cruise Credit.  

 The Future Cruise Credit will be added to your Oceania Club profile.  It may be applied towards any reservation booked by March 23, 2021 and sailing by March 23, 2022.

 Guests with independent air arrangements will be refunded up to US$300 per guest for airline change fees with proper documentation. Please forward your request to OCIconcierge@oceaniacruises.com.

 We are truly saddened to have to cancel your Oceania Cruises experience in Tahiti and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you aboard one of our ships in the very near future. 

 Warmest regards,

 Carlos Ortega

Vice President, Guest Services

Oceania Cruises

 

[Petoonya]

26 minutes ago, SimonaD said:

 

The letter was sent to me by my TA on March 12, and the deadline for replying with a choice was March 20. Did you book with a TA?

Edited March 23, 2020 by Petoonya

[SimonaD]

2 minutes ago, Petoonya said:

The letter was sent to me by my TA on March 12.

Thank you so much.  Would you be willing to share the letter with me by email?  I won't use your name of course.  But Oceania somehow left me off that mailing list.....

simonadedek at gmail dot com.

[Petoonya]

1 minute ago, SimonaD said:

Thank you so much.  Would you be willing to share the letter with me by email?  I won't use your name of course.  But Oceania somehow left me off that mailing list.....

simonadedek at gmail dot com.

On it's way.