When do you think Azamara will resume Cruising?

[sunlover33]

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm
 

Can anyone see any reference to the U.K. on this list? 

Edited May 5, 2020 by sunlover33

[uktog]

6 minutes ago, sunlover33 said:

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm
 

Can anyone see any reference to the U.K. on this list? 

They’ve got no restrictions currently as I understand it but they are under pressure to address this woeful gap. Even the quarantine for arrivals is not monitored 

[the mice]

This morning I just read this article that came in my email.   It is well-measured and insightful, and I think it sums up the many issues/concerns/feelings that many of us probably have.   Long, but an interesting read (lots of photos and ad links are interspersed):

 

https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/will-it-be-safe-to-travel-when-this-is-all-over-will-we-even-know

[Bloodaxe]

40 minutes ago, the mice said:

This morning I just read this article that came in my email.   It is well-measured and insightful, and I think it sums up the many issues/concerns/feelings that many of us probably have.   Long, but an interesting read (lots of photos and ad links are interspersed):

 

https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/will-it-be-safe-to-travel-when-this-is-all-over-will-we-even-know

 

Excellent article.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

At this time no one knows what will happen. I know the Top Executives are doing all they can for RCCL to remain viable. To me there is too much speculation influenced by media hype/headlines. No one wants any of the 3 brands of the RCCL family to fail and today Royal Caribbean has secured additional funding.

 

Our 1st cruise was in 1987 on RCI Song of America. Through the years we have sailed mostly on Royal Caribbean and more recently have cruised on Celebrity and Azamara with a couple of cruises on Carnival, NCL, Cundard, Princess and Viking River. I say this to give background on my cruising history and observations over the years. Count me as optimistic that all the RCCL brands will weather this storm. There will be changes to cruising for all cruise lines but I don't see major changes or the loss of Azamara as one of them. 

 

Royal Caribbean secures additional funding

Edited May 5, 2020 by suzyluvs2cruise

[Host Jazzbeau]

I don't think even the top Execs know what will happen – all companies are just trying to patch together enough cash and credit lines to scrape by until hopefully they can start cruising again.  

 

The airlines are saying that when they come back they will be smaller – I think that's a reasonable assumption for the big cruise lines too.  I don't think NCL is going bankrupt, but a short trip through Chapter 11 would allow them to get out of their shipbuilding contracts if they want [Norwegian has 6 ships on order for delivery 2022 through 2027, plus 2 for Oceania in 2022 and 2025, and 1 for Regent in 2023 – I would expect the deliveries to be pushed out at the least] and turn their outstanding debt into equity.  

 

I think RCL has been less aggressive with new ship orders, so they may be the best positioned of the big three.

[Baynanno1]

8 hours ago, the mice said:

This morning I just read this article that came in my email.   It is well-measured and insightful, and I think it sums up the many issues/concerns/feelings that many of us probably have.   Long, but an interesting read (lots of photos and ad links are interspersed):

 

https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/will-it-be-safe-to-travel-when-this-is-all-over-will-we-even-know

 

Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

[oddjob16]

Princess cancels 2020 summer and fall

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22904-princess-cancels-remaining-2020-summer-season.html?fbclid=IwAR1Fsf3q8OILHo_CuAtmyMclKJRgS1UO6V3b6atZlv_z_GXoHLtuxc3Dc1E

 

[hubofhockey]

1 hour ago, oddjob16 said:

Princess cancels 2020 summer and fall

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22904-princess-cancels-remaining-2020-summer-season.html?fbclid=IwAR1Fsf3q8OILHo_CuAtmyMclKJRgS1UO6V3b6atZlv_z_GXoHLtuxc3Dc1E

 

They didn't actually cancel summer and fall.  It's mainly summer and it looks regional.

[florisdekort]

Seabourn just cancelled all cruises into November. 

[uktog]

1 hour ago, florisdekort said:

Seabourn just cancelled all cruises into November. 

Thanks Floris, given the trends from other lines I think it is only a matter of time that that will be the decision from all lines

[snowglobe]

I think that cruising in general will resume on a regional basis, with fewer ships, and more restricted itineraries initially. Just as Azamara banned certain nationalities from boarding in the early days of Covid-19, it will have to continue doing so in the early days of resuming operations I believe.
 

Azamara knows full well who their market demographics have been (and relied on.) They will have to weigh carefully how & when to resume operations, if any of their key market segments shall be confined behind a set of travel bans - both for cruising, and for flying (with transiting en-route as well.) Different phases of “re-openening” won’t likely happen in sinc.

 

As long as the U.S. does not control its outbreak, borders will remain closed to its citizens. Ditto with anywhere else that may have active flare-ups in subsequent waves. The various travel bans and advisories will greatly affect both the movement and confidence of future travellers.

 

I think that we’ll be playing whack-a mole with flare-ups of this virus for a long while yet, and I believe that public health systems with have to develop robust testing/tracing/isolating strategies to get really good at it. Personally, I’m not sure that enough is yet known about this virus to quickly develop an effective vaccine quickly - it’s too much of a moving target right now and may behave on the immune system in ways that more closely resembles the common cold or HIV. I’d have better confidence in having solid treatment options in place to turn around the severe outcomes, and to deal with the residual symptoms.

 

I was browsing different future itineraries for 2021, and I’m not sure that when cruising resumes, that Azamara will be able to keep many of their booked cruises’ itineraries as they have been initially offered. Some ports may be off-limits for far longer than others. Some regions may now be ‘unsellable’ for the foreseeable future.

 

These are random thoughts that I’m spending more time than usual pondering...

[oddjob16]

4 hours ago, snowglobe said:

I think that cruising in general will resume on a regional basis, with fewer ships, and more restricted itineraries initially. Just as Azamara banned certain nationalities from boarding in the early days of Covid-19, it will have to continue doing so in the early days of resuming operations I believe.
 

Azamara knows full well who their market demographics have been (and relied on.) They will have to weigh carefully how & when to resume operations, if any of their key market segments shall be confined behind a set of travel bans - both for cruising, and for flying (with transiting en-route as well.) Different phases of “re-openening” won’t likely happen in sinc.

 

As long as the U.S. does not control its outbreak, borders will remain closed to its citizens. Ditto with anywhere else that may have active flare-ups in subsequent waves. The various travel bans and advisories will greatly affect both the movement and confidence of future travellers.

 

I think that we’ll be playing whack-a mole with flare-ups of this virus for a long while yet, and I believe that public health systems with have to develop robust testing/tracing/isolating strategies to get really good at it. Personally, I’m not sure that enough is yet known about this virus to quickly develop an effective vaccine quickly - it’s too much of a moving target right now and may behave on the immune system in ways that more closely resembles the common cold or HIV. I’d have better confidence in having solid treatment options in place to turn around the severe outcomes, and to deal with the residual symptoms.

 

I was browsing different future itineraries for 2021, and I’m not sure that when cruising resumes, that Azamara will be able to keep many of their booked cruises’ itineraries as they have been initially offered. Some ports may be off-limits for far longer than others. Some regions may now be ‘unsellable’ for the foreseeable future.

 

These are random thoughts that I’m spending more time than usual pondering...

Well said, Diane. IMO cruising will open restrictively in different parts of the world. Here in Norway we hope to be able to get on the Hurtigruten in late summer, but I suppose they will not operate all ships and maybe just for norwegians or scandinavians to start with.

Btw did all work out for you getting home from NZ and AU in march?

[the mice]

Agree that cruising wil open slowly and selectively as countries decide when and how to lift international travel restrictions.

 

I just came across this article today on travel from the US to Europe.   While Azamara has yet to cancel our June 20 cruise out of Barcelona, getting a flight there would be a real issue.  (not to mention the fact that we were flying into Nice for the now cancelled June 11 cruise out of Monaco, and that flight is off the schedule now .... and we aren't planning to take any cruise in the near future.)

 

https://www.afar.com/magazine/when-will-we-be-able-to-travel-to-europe?

[snowglobe]

14 hours ago, oddjob16 said:

Btw did all work out for you getting home from NZ and AU in march?

We had a great trip in Australia post-cruise (had the pleasure of spending time in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale 🍷regions + lots of wacky animal encounters). By mid-March we had arrived in the Northern Territory and decided to cancel the rest of our planned itinerary. We had quite a bit of difficulty with several cancelled & repurchased flights, but finally arrived home on April 1st.
 

During the 4 days that it took us to get from Darwin to Ottawa, I somehow got infected despite taking all possible precautions (except for the one that we could not control: social distancing.) I first starting showing symptoms on April 4th, without fever. Luckily, I only had a mild case of Covid-19 and it did not go down into my lungs. A full month later and I still have residual symptoms; which seems to be quite common with its course. Even more lucky, I did not pass it on to Bill - he tested negative a week ago. My Hematologist quipped: “Diane, your next cruise will be on a boat in the Rideau Canal”...

 

I’ll be following that directive as a Sicilian follows the rules of the road... I’m interpreting it  as a “suggestion”. 😂  However, we did cancel all of our other future travel plans until Fall 2021. We had a multi-generational family cruise planned for this December, and were able to use the “Lift and Shift” option to move it to Dec. 2021.

 

The “Lift and Shift” is one smart marketing move on RCI’s part - having retained my deposit $$, plus now showing a set of reservations on their books for 2021 that otherwise I would not have made. It was a very shrewd corporate move - better than FCC - for them to help secure further financing to stay afloat, IMO. It’s just unfortunate that it’s not as easily applicable to most non-standardized Azamara itineraries, as it is for the Royal and Celebrity brands.

[blag]

7 minutes ago, snowglobe said:

The “Lift and Shift” is one smart marketing move on RCI’s part - having retained my deposit $$, plus now showing a set of reservations on their books for 2021 that otherwise I would not have made. It was a very shrewd corporate move - better than FCC - for them to help secure further financing to stay afloat, IMO. It’s just unfortunate that it’s not as easily applicable to most non-standardized Azamara itineraries, as it is for the Royal and Celebrity brands.

It may well be a shrewd marketing move, but there are loose ends. I don't think it has been well-thought-out.

Let's cite a few examples:

What happens if you have post- or pre-cruise extensions? Or Choice Air (if that's what flights booked through Azamara are called)? Or insurance though Azamara? And what about any other package: excursions, specialty dining and so on?

Maybe the details of these are undisclosed in the promotional stuff and RCL have actually got a solution. But what is that solution?

 

So, I thought I'd just see how the Lift and Shift might work for me. For my next cruise, in two months from now, I had the choice of only one stateroom on only one cruise for a 'Lift and Shift'. On that basis, if you're going to opt for the Lift and Shift, you'll need to get a 'shift on'! 

[snowglobe]

I did say that it was a shrewd corporate move for RCI.

And I agree that “Lift and Shift” is likely not a good fit for Azamara.

 

I was very sad to lose all of the excursions and onboard packages that I had bought for our Dec. 20 cruise. They will be refunded in full to my CC, and I fully expect to not get the same “deals” that I had been able to score, for the 2021 cruise (especially during the Black Friday sale.)

 

There is no way that I expect any cruise in 2021-2022 to be like what we have known - especially when it comes to flights and shore experiences.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2020 by snowglobe
Typo

[Roger88]

I think 2021 sounds most promising. By the end of the year they will have their plans ready for the next fiscal year and also we should not forget about the increase in demand for 2021 cruises. There are not too many people willing to travel this year, but as far as next year go - it should be very popular in demand

[snowglobe]

8 minutes ago, MakingUpForLostTime said:

At this point in time, 2021 sounds promising for the demand mainly because of the amount of FCC's being issued.

I agree with that statement.

The more that can be transferred through FCC and “Lift and Shift” into 2021 bookings, the better for them to seek additional financing.

[uktog]

With enforced and monitored 14 day quarantine now looking like being mandatory for all arrivals in the UK from next week, that’s killed off any inclination to cruise for many for some time.  If it’s what it takes to get us back, so be it.  

[Coquitlam Cruiser]

it is amazing that the UK didn't institute  this requirement some time ago with the rest of Europe and other countries around the world.  I wish you well in Scotland and so sorry for the Tattoo cancellation.  We had tickets for this summer's event along with our Scotland Intensive cruise which we cancelled in early March.  So disappointed.  

 

[oddjob16]

On 5/8/2020 at 9:58 AM, snowglobe said:

During the 4 days that it took us to get from Darwin to Ottawa, I somehow got infected despite taking all possible precautions (except for the one that we could not control: social distancing.) I first starting showing symptoms on April 4th, without fever. Luckily, I only had a mild case of Covid-19 and it did not go down into my lungs. A full month later and I still have residual symptoms; which seems to be quite common with its course. Even more lucky, I did not pass it on to Bill - he tested negative a week ago. My Hematologist quipped: “Diane, your next cruise will be on a boat in the Rideau Canal”...

OMG, Diane. One explicit thing you said to me during the cruise was:  "If I get this(corona virus), I will probably die." I am so glad it hit you lightly and that you will recover. You must have been terrified when you got the test result. 
Well, travel is really not important compared to staying healthy....

Many hugs to you and Bill. See you somewhere...🥰

[snowglobe]

31 minutes ago, oddjob16 said:

You must have been terrified

I was. I first went to a local Assessment Center, then was transferred over to Emergency for a further scan of my lungs. That night in the hospital was horrible. I was placed in a section that had 5 other Covid-19 patients. I was the oldest person there by at least a decade, with most in their 30s - and I was the least sick. I was sent home with the warning that it can suddenly progress downward very quickly, so for the next 10 days we were *very* afraid. I honestly don’t know how I got so lucky.

Edited May 9, 2020 by snowglobe

[oddjob16]

We have sent some thoughts your ways in this period, wondering how it would play out. 

You are blessed with the oportunity to overcome. You won. Have some bubbles. ♥️♥️♥️

 

 

[blag]

By my quick calculation we now have nearly 100 responses to the Poll! 

It's a sad indictment of Azamara that only one person believes that Azamara will actually resume cruising on the date they currently state.

I appreciate that there are probably many reasons why Azamara may be sticking with that date. They are part of Royal Caribbean, and maybe RCI will resume some cruises in the Caribbean next month, and maybe it's prudent (for Azamara) not to announce a further postponement so as to control the volume of claims etc. Of course, there are also many factors out of Azamara's control affecting the resumption. 

But I feel that, in order to retain some semblance of credibility, it's time for Azamara to come clean.