Rare MMDown Under Posted October 21, 2020 #2751 Share Posted October 21, 2020 1 hour ago, NSWP said: I have been speaking to my son today, who as you know is in the industry. They are considering chartering one of the Ponant luxury expedition ships, i.e. Le Boreal and operating it from Hobart, Aussies and Kiwis only on board and going down south in Australian waters, getting into the Australian Antarctic areas. I think there will be quite a bit of interest in such cruises for those who can afford them. Similar setup to the NZ ones. Sounds like a winner for destination cruisers. Ponant has done some cruises in the region. One saving towards the cruise fare would be no overseas business class air fares. Hobart would be a perfect departure port as it is well set up with Antarctica Museums. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Kruzer Posted October 21, 2020 #2752 Share Posted October 21, 2020 51 minutes ago, MMDown Under said: Sounds like a winner for destination cruisers. Ponant has done some cruises in the region. One saving towards the cruise fare would be no overseas business class air fares. Hobart would be a perfect departure port as it is well set up with Antarctica Museums. Destination cruisers would enjoy a pre/post stay in Hobart. ⛴ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted October 21, 2020 #2753 Share Posted October 21, 2020 On 10/20/2020 at 11:35 AM, NSWP said: Makes sense, the Coral is a great ship with plenty of open space, aft viewing areas and a real promenade deck. We did Panama Canal on her, a few years ago. You must have a very benevolent hubby, travelling solo. Uncle Les shut your mouth before you get in trouble again.🤐 He doesn't have to be benevolent to stay home instead of going on a cruise. It is joint money anyway. Instead of spending the money to go, he prefers that I pay (almost) double and he stays at home. I went on a 21 night Antarctic cruise a couple of years ago and he stayed at home. I would prefer it if he came with me, but I don't make a point of it. If he wants to stay home, that is his choice, just as it is my choice to travel. 🙂 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSWP Posted October 21, 2020 #2754 Share Posted October 21, 2020 2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said: He doesn't have to be benevolent to stay home instead of going on a cruise. It is joint money anyway. Instead of spending the money to go, he prefers that I pay (almost) double and he stays at home. I went on a 21 night Antarctic cruise a couple of years ago and he stayed at home. I would prefer it if he came with me, but I don't make a point of it. If he wants to stay home, that is his choice, just as it is my choice to travel. 🙂 You are lucky being able to do that. In 48 yrs of marriage we never went away individually, never wanted to and did not think it right. If the plane crashed or sank we wanted to both go to gowings together. Such is life. I know many women travel on their own, leaving husbands behind, met many on the ships like that, but most seem happy to leave their husbands, i suppose they must have the money to do it. Anyway end of sermon, each to their own. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MMDown Under Posted October 21, 2020 #2755 Share Posted October 21, 2020 3 hours ago, Aus Traveller said: He doesn't have to be benevolent to stay home instead of going on a cruise. It is joint money anyway. Instead of spending the money to go, he prefers that I pay (almost) double and he stays at home. I went on a 21 night Antarctic cruise a couple of years ago and he stayed at home. I would prefer it if he came with me, but I don't make a point of it. If he wants to stay home, that is his choice, just as it is my choice to travel. 🙂 When I cruised to Antarctica, I met a lady who was travelling to Antarctica twice in one year. She was making a return visit with a relative, when her husband didn't want to travel to Antarctica again. Everyone was happy with that arrangement. On my first overseas cruise, I shared a cabin with three other ladies. One cleaned houses so she could pay to travel overseas every year, whilst her husband went trout fishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted October 21, 2020 #2756 Share Posted October 21, 2020 28 minutes ago, MMDown Under said: When I cruised to Antarctica, I met a lady who was travelling to Antarctica twice in one year. She was making a return visit with a relative, when her husband didn't want to travel to Antarctica again. Everyone was happy with that arrangement. On my first overseas cruise, I shared a cabin with three other ladies. One cleaned houses so she could pay to travel overseas every year, whilst her husband went trout fishing. In my many years of cruising (since 1983) I have met other married women who cruise either alone or with a friend. For probably twenty years I occasionally mentioned that I would like to go on a cruise to Antarctica. My husband always said that he wasn't interested and that anyway, I would get seasick! A couple of years ago I looked at it seriously and once again, he wasn't interested, but I was surprised when he said "Why don't you go." I didn't need his 'permission', but I hadn't thought about going without him. I went and really enjoyed the trip. Last year my husband said he had decided he wouldn't do any more cruising, except maybe an occasional seven-day cruise to Vila. This was stated as a fact - no discussion or asking my feelings about it. I commented that I still want to go to more interesting destinations and that I am not prepared to give up travelling. Of course, we all know what happened to cruising this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pully8 Posted October 21, 2020 #2757 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Some positive ideas around sailing from Australian ports with locals. There would be a market and a lot of pent up demand. No issue with excursions built into the fare, albeit cost, crowding if all travel to the same place at the same time? Plus sometimes the ship and service is the attraction rather than seeking port intensive cruises. Some cruises like river cruises and regent already have included excursions in the fares. Some do prefer to do their own thing at their pace but a compromise would be possible. We dislike being herded about but some organised excursions are done well without that happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MMDown Under Posted October 21, 2020 #2758 Share Posted October 21, 2020 4 hours ago, pully8 said: We dislike being herded about but some organised excursions are done well without that happening. As an independent traveller, I've always avoided organised excursions of any kind. However, on my last cruise, I learnt well done organised excursions could really enhance a cruise. One advantage of small ship cruising, you don't feel like you are being herded around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisegroover Posted October 22, 2020 #2759 Share Posted October 22, 2020 A few announcements this morning https://www.pocruises.com.au/news-centre/notices-advisories At P&O Cruises Australia the health, safety and well-being of our guests, our loyal crew and the communities we visit is our top priority. As we continue to take guidance from international & local government authorities, public health experts and the broader community, we have extended our temporary pause in operations to 8 January 2021. P&O Cruises Australia has also announced that Pacific Adventure™ is scheduled to join the fleet on 30 April 2021. In addition, we are thrilled that the planned arrival of Pacific Encounter has been brought forward to 7 May 2021, however additional voyages may be added even earlier, depending on the timing of the return of cruising in Australia. Unfortunately, with the delay in arrival of Pacific Adventure and the departure of Pacific Aria and Pacific Dawn from the P&O Cruises Australia fleet, the following departures are impacted. And from Royal Caribbean a change in ship homeports Australia 2021/22 https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/plan-a-cruise/itinerary-updates?fbclid=IwAR2NfWxDkFWD-nKuhhBN4Ld-GqfJ9Wo28z9acJh3CJmuPVeWA5n8o1gZVo4 Get ready for our boldest line-up ever. From October 2021 not one, but two state-of-the-art Quantum Class ships make Australia their summer home. Action-packed Ovation of the Seas sails from Sydney whilst sister-ship Quantum of the Seas sails out of Brisbane, offering jaw-dropping holidays from Queensland for the first time ever. And rounding off our bold summer line-up, sun-filled favourite Serenade of the Seas sails from Sydney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By The Bay Posted October 22, 2020 #2760 Share Posted October 22, 2020 The cruise lines are very keen to restart services. The same cannot be said for the Australian Federal and State Governments. 😒 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted October 22, 2020 #2761 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Just cannot see anyone except P&O sailing here prior to summer cruise season next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackduck59 Posted October 22, 2020 #2762 Share Posted October 22, 2020 25 minutes ago, MicCanberra said: Just cannot see anyone except P&O sailing here prior to summer cruise season next year I tend to agree with you Mic. As an outsider looking in I don't think the cruise lines that don't maintain a presence in Oz (pretty much everyone but P&O Australia will be sending ships down there. Celebrity has already cancelled the whole spring/summer 2020-2021 season. I think the ships will start showing up about this time next year. That is assuming fortress Australia lowers the draw bridge. 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted October 22, 2020 Author #2763 Share Posted October 22, 2020 (edited) Princess and Carnival also had ships all year round in Australia, although in recent years there was only one Princess ship, Sea Princess, and she did the big cruises - the two Hawaii/Tahiti cruises with the world cruise sandwiched in between. Edited October 22, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Big_M Posted October 22, 2020 #2764 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Speculated but disappointing that Queensland gets Quantum instead of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiliburn Posted October 22, 2020 #2765 Share Posted October 22, 2020 9 minutes ago, The_Big_M said: Speculated but disappointing that Queensland gets Quantum instead of us. We still got Ovation,same girl just a different name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted October 22, 2020 #2766 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Used a cruise credit to have a cruise on Quantum out of Sydney, now I don't know what will happen to it. transferred to serenade, refunded, extra credit, having to do the cruise out of Brisbane, who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiliburn Posted October 22, 2020 #2767 Share Posted October 22, 2020 27 minutes ago, MicCanberra said: Used a cruise credit to have a cruise on Quantum out of Sydney, now I don't know what will happen to it. transferred to serenade, refunded, extra credit, having to do the cruise out of Brisbane, who knows? I think you will get a email that it will be transfered to serenade or you have the option to cancel. But if you cancel you’ll find everything else has gone up heaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted October 22, 2020 #2768 Share Posted October 22, 2020 18 minutes ago, Chiliburn said: I think you will get a email that it will be transfered to serenade or you have the option to cancel. But if you cancel you’ll find everything else has gone up heaps. I may well take the money in full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiliburn Posted October 22, 2020 #2769 Share Posted October 22, 2020 2 hours ago, MicCanberra said: I may well take the money in full. Wasn’t there a song take the money and run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getting older slowly Posted October 22, 2020 #2770 Share Posted October 22, 2020 As is the norm.... if any ships are left... we may see them in Melbourne..... It will be interesting to see if P&O starts mid 2021........ Still waiting to get out of Melbourne.....lol Cheers Don 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oulton Jim Posted October 22, 2020 #2771 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Hate to be a party-pooper but I cannot foresee any kind of normality in the cruising industry before mid-year 2021. I give two reasons- - if anything the world-wide Covid19 virus is breaking new records for numbers right now -this will take months before the numbers go down significantly. - assuming the current front-runner vaccines are pushed out internationally I cannot see prospects of this until earliest the first quarter of next year. Even then I would say we will not be visiting all of the ports that are currently being offered in itineraries until those countries deem it safe to allow access to cruise ships. Any thoughts....? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSWP Posted October 22, 2020 #2772 Share Posted October 22, 2020 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Oulton Jim said: Hate to be a party-pooper but I cannot foresee any kind of normality in the cruising industry before mid-year 2021. I give two reasons- - if anything the world-wide Covid19 virus is breaking new records for numbers right now -this will take months before the numbers go down significantly. - assuming the current front-runner vaccines are pushed out internationally I cannot see prospects of this until earliest the first quarter of next year. Even then I would say we will not be visiting all of the ports that are currently being offered in itineraries until those countries deem it safe to allow access to cruise ships. Any thoughts....? More like mid 2022, without being called a drama queen. Out of control in uk, europe, usa, like 26,000 positives in uk yesterday. Horrific. Edited October 22, 2020 by NSWP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oulton Jim Posted October 22, 2020 #2773 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Is that because you have no faith in a vaccine programme being up and running in the first half of 2021? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted October 22, 2020 Author #2774 Share Posted October 22, 2020 I still think there is a possibility of some cruises starting up late 2021 but only in the Aus/NZ/South Pacific region and restricted to locals only. A vaacine would help facilitate this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Big_M Posted October 22, 2020 #2775 Share Posted October 22, 2020 10 hours ago, Chiliburn said: We still got Ovation,same girl just a different name. Yeah, not really. They're the same class but there are subtle differences onboard - more extras on Quantum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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