Aussies stuck on 25 cruise ships overseas

[The_Big_M]

One extreme to another!

[icat2000]

Seems sensible move considering 80% of infections coming from people returning from Overseas.

[Pushka]

2 hours ago, icat2000 said:

Seems sensible move considering 80% of infections coming from people returning from Overseas.

All but a couple on SA have come from overseas travellers. 20% from Ruby. 

[The_Big_M]

Sensible that they should have been tracking them weeks ago. As pointed out then other successful countries were doing this where we had a laissez faire approach. 

 

Now they've gone overboard and locking people up in rooms that we the taxpayer have to pay for, with the extra risk of exposing hospitality staff and extra overhead from cleaning mechanisms at 3rd properties for the majority of people who don't need it.

 

Again, other countries have successfully tracked people at home locations. Apply enforcement and it could be done much cheaper, and without the unnecessary inconvenience and cost of this approach. Just more wasted money that doesn't benefit anyone.

[LittleFish1976]

3 hours ago, icat2000 said:

Seems sensible move considering 80% of infections coming from people returning from Overseas.

 

No one has yet mentioned who is going to pay for the accommodation. Is it the Australian tax payer?

[Pushka]

6 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

No one has yet mentioned who is going to pay for the accommodation. Is it the Australian tax payer?

Yes. Paid for by the tax payer for 14 days. I'm actually ok about this. Better than spreading like Ruby Princess. That is why this is happening. Shame it can't go against NSW allocation of funds. They would be getting a reasonable deal given empty rooms and I'd hope the food was adequate but not gourmet. 

[NSWP]

I am reading that the Australian States have to foot the hotel bills independently, not the Federal Government.  The NSW Treasurer is not a happy Vegemite.

Edited March 27, 2020 by NSWP

[icat2000]

11 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

No one has yet mentioned who is going to pay for the accommodation. Is it the Australian tax payer?

Probably. However, I think we should be asking cruise passengers and cruiselines to pay something towards it. Both parties decided to go cruising at this time. 

[Pushka]

3 hours ago, NSWP said:

I am reading that the Australian States have to foot the hotel bills independently, not the Federal Government.  The NSW Treasurer is not a happy Vegemite.

Well, the Ruby fiasco kind of prompted this I think. Adelaide is fortunate in that regard. No international arrivals anymore. Have to transit via other states. 

Edited March 27, 2020 by Pushka

[NSWP]

My son hopes to have his chartered LATAM aircraft in the air from Lima - Peru and Montevideo - Uruguay  by Sunday/Monday, bringing 500 odd Aussies home from Antarctic and land travel.  They have been told they will have to quarantine in hotels here. A couple of other Tour Operators also involved in these charters.

 

Qantas were prepared to do the airlift but wanted to charge double what LATAM is charging.

Edited March 28, 2020 by NSWP

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, Pushka said:

Well, the Ruby fiasco kind of prompted this I think. Adelaide is fortunate in that regard. No international arrivals anymore. Have to transit via other states. 

Well the NSW Govt stuffed re Ruby now they have to cop the aftermath.  $$$$ galore. 5000 hotel rooms secured, minimum 4 star.  The hotels are happy.  Imagine the room service food bills too, 3 meals per diem, Lobster please.

Edited March 28, 2020 by NSWP

[possum52]

Dan Andrews said this morning that Victoria would be paying for the cost of quarantining passengers arriving in Melbourne. So I assume other states where travellers are still arrivng will be the same. They do their time in the city of arrival and then can travel to their homes. 

 

Leigh

 

 

 

[NSWP]

1 minute ago, possum52 said:

Dan Andrews said this morning that Victoria would be paying for the cost of quarantining passengers arriving in Melbourne. So I assume other states where travellers are still arrivng will be the same. They do their time in the city of arrival and then can travel to their homes. 

 

Leigh

 

 

 

Correct.   But I reckon the Federal Govt will pass $$$ under the counter to the State Premiers re the hotel bills.  We won't know about it but.

[icat2000]

18 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Well the NSW Govt stuffed re Ruby now they have to cop the aftermath.  $$$$ galore. 5000 hotel rooms secured, minimum 4 star.  The hotels are happy.  Imagine the room service food bills too, 3 meals per diem, Lobster please.

It will give staff some work who were let go during this crisis. However, taxpayers should not have to suffer this burden. Send the bill to passengers and cruiselines or airlines that still continued to fly. 

[Blackduck59]

I'm afraid there are passengers from many nations, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Most of these people were given 2 bad choices cancel their trip and lose thousands of Pounds, Euros, Dollars (of whatever country you're from) or hope the cruise is okay. That part is heavily on the Cruise companies. I doubt anyone thought that every nation that receives millions of dollars in fees and taxes from the cruise industry would just say "GO AWAY"; clearly fair weather friends and yes Canada is one of those countries (lucky for us our season wasn't underway) Now we all have citizens scattered everywhere (not just on cruise ships) trying to get home. Governments are chartering aircraft, Canada is repatriating citizens as best we can and insisting on self isolation. Some are being isolated at a Canadian Forces Base. Every country is stuck with the bill, except those that left people hung out to dry. With the deaths on Zaandam I hope that Carnival corporation decides that San Antonio Chile is a fair weather friend and perhaps they don't need to have it on any Carnival corporation itinerary.

Edited March 28, 2020 by Blackduck59
added the country Chile to San Antonio

[The_Big_M]

1 hour ago, icat2000 said:

It will give staff some work who were let go during this crisis. However, taxpayers should not have to suffer this burden. Send the bill to passengers and cruiselines or airlines that still continued to fly. 

 

They should just home quarantine and have decent tracking and enforcement like other successful jurisdictions.

 

No need to waste taxpayer's money, nor the discomfort and disruption for travellers affected.

[icat2000]

7 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

 

They should just home quarantine and have decent tracking and enforcement like other successful jurisdictions.

 

No need to waste taxpayer's money, nor the discomfort and disruption for travellers affected.

Probably dont have the man power to check on everyone. Much easier if they all group in nearby location than scattered around the country. 

[The_Big_M]

It's achievable to do so. In fact they also announced they were calling on Defence support to do similar monitoring of existing cases.

 

Much safer to reduce risk of exposure from others staff and occupants in hotels as well. Plus far more cost-effective when there are lots of more justified extra expenses at the moment.

[Aus Traveller]

3 hours ago, NSWP said:

Well the NSW Govt stuffed re Ruby now they have to cop the aftermath.  $$$$ galore. 5000 hotel rooms secured, minimum 4 star.  The hotels are happy.  Imagine the room service food bills too, 3 meals per diem, Lobster please.

I couldn't believe the young woman complaining about the Sofitel in Sydney. She was in the group brought back from the Norwegian Jewel in Hawaii. She was complaining that she "couldn't eat the breakfast" and that she was waiting for lunch. It was terrible that there are no laundry facilities and (horror of horrors) only one chair in the room. How are they supposed to eat their meals when there is only one chair???

 

She should be glad she isn't stuck on one of the many ships around the world, or stuck in a hotel in a third world country.

[ilikeanswers]

17 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

No one has yet mentioned who is going to pay for the accommodation. Is it the Australian tax payer?

 

The state governments will have worked out a package deal with hotel companies so it will be cheaper per night than the average hotel cost. Besides a conservative estimate is that the average cost hospitalising someone for a week with severe COVID 19 can run up to $70 000 per person and that is not accounting for any long term and chronic side effects that could arise from this disease. Reducing the spread will save money overall.

Edited March 28, 2020 by ilikeanswers

[nnps]

40 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I couldn't believe the young woman complaining about the Sofitel in Sydney. She was in the group brought back from the Norwegian Jewel in Hawaii. She was complaining that she "couldn't eat the breakfast" and that she was waiting for lunch. It was terrible that there are no laundry facilities and (horror of horrors) only one chair in the room. How are they supposed to eat their meals when there is only one chair???

 

She should be glad she isn't stuck on one of the many ships around the world, or stuck in a hotel in a third world country.

That was my reaction too. Not a lot of gratefulness.

[LittleFish1976]

4 hours ago, possum52 said:

Dan Andrews said this morning that Victoria would be paying for the cost of quarantining passengers arriving in Melbourne. So I assume other states where travellers are still arrivng will be the same. They do their time in the city of arrival and then can travel to their homes. 

 

Leigh

 

 

 

I think I heard that they must complete their two weeks in city of arrival and then go back to their home State and have another two weeks - whether hotel or home, I can't recall.

[Pushka]

8 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

I think I heard that they must complete their two weeks in city of arrival and then go back to their home State and have another two weeks - whether hotel or home, I can't recall.

Correct, depending on the State. SA will require another 2 weeks isolation. I wonder if they have been told that yet. 

[possum52]

11 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

I think I heard that they must complete their two weeks in city of arrival and then go back to their home State and have another two weeks - whether hotel or home, I can't recall.

Wouldn't it depend on the state where they live if that is required? 

 

Leigh

Edited March 28, 2020 by possum52

[Pushka]

1 minute ago, possum52 said:

Wouldn't it depend on the state where they live if that is required? Four weeks of quarantine seems a bit much if others are only doing 2 weeks.

 

Leigh

I think WA, Qld and SA are quarantining themselves from the other states too. So "serving time" in WA doesn't count for people going on to Qld(?) and SA. I agree. It's a very long haul for them.