SS Future Re-Open Plan: Timing, Testing Needs??!!

[cool cruiser 14107]

thanks everyone; all makes sense  ⚓

[Lois R]

5 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Good points, Lois. Have done a few of those trips to/from New York. The Manhattan pier is so simple - just drive down the West Side Highway, park on the pier, and walk to your ship. Brooklyn isn't so nice, and the parking lot looked sketchy the last time we were there (2008 or 2009?) but easy enough to drive there. Haven't tried Bayonne yet. 

Hi JP, I have sailed from Bayonne with Celebrity at least twice.   I know they have re-done the port area since the last

time I sailed from there (quite a few years ago).  Never sailed from Brooklyn but my Azamara cruise sailed from 

Manhattan. 

[TLCOhio]

23 hours ago, Bucephalus53 said:

TLC, your posts the last few months have been "must reads" for me. Thank you for doing the research and taking the time to post.

 

Appreciate ALL of these great comments, info sharing and smart follow-ups.  Very insightful and giving us a number of items to consider for the future.  

 

From the upscale Town and County magazine yesterday, they had this headline: “What Will It Take to Get You Back on a Cruise Ship?” with this sub-head: "Covid-19 hit the cruise industry hard, but they’re fighting for a comeback. When you step off the gangway in the future, you’ll find a new (super-sanitized, socially distanced) world. But it will still be as transporting as ever."

 

Here are some of their story/column highlights: “Even as countries in Europe are slowly easing out of lockdowns, Europe's cruise ports appear in a state of suspended animation. There are no tourists in Venice's Piazza San Marco, a flurry of pigeons the only movement. A lone runner jogs along the polished flagstones of Dubrovnik’s elegant Stradun boulevard.  The year had started full of promise for the cruise industry. Some 30 million passengers were expected to sail and 22 new ships were due to launch.  The virus took the cruise industry by surprise. When word came in early January, the cases of illness seemed a distant and irrelevant matter. Many ships were already under sail. Some were headed on three-month round-the-world journeys, while others were taking that trip-of-a-lifetime to Antarctica.”

 

On the question of ...where do we go from here?, the author continued: "Some have speculated that cruising won't be able to mount a comeback, but the industry has an ace in the hole: A passionate community of dedicated cruisers. There is a core group of travelers who have an unshakable passion for life afloat, be it adventure cruising, the ultra-luxury ships, or the large floating resorts.  Cruising is without a doubt bruised, and the three biggest lines will not qualify for U.S. government aid, as they are all registered offshore. What’s more, drastic new protocols will be needed to restore confidence, as well as an extensive public relations campaign to communicate the details of those protocols to prospective passengers.The CDC wants cruise lines to demonstrate that, should an outbreak occur, they would not be over-reliant on government resources and local shoreside hospitals. Adding to the confusion, individual countries apply their own rules to port closings, as they do with border closings generally. Cruise lines might adopt a strategy similar to that of Emirates airline, which already conducts rapid-result Covid-19 tests on embarking passengers. Say farewell to the self-service buffet; from now on, all food will be waiter served and tables in restaurants will be arranged much further apart. Outdoor dining on deck, always appealing, will be even more so now." 

 

This is a long, comprehensive media posting with many viewpoints from the perspective of the cruise line industry.  But it has interesting background and serious predictions/analysis.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/travel-guide/a32453169/when-will-cruise-ship-travel-resume-after-coronavirus/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 66,336 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[TLCOhio]

In addition to what I posted above about that lengthy and detailed writing in Town and Country, I forgot to mention that the author is Sue Bryant.  She is an award-winning writer and editor. She is cruise editor of The Sunday Times and also contributes to Cruise Critic; Sunday Times Travel Magazine; Cruise Passenger; Saga Magazine; The Robb Report; and World of Cruising magazine.  For three years, she was editor of Journeys magazine, the UK’s first glossy magazine dedicated to experiential travel.  She has also written or edited more than 25 travel books, from guidebooks about the Costa del Sol, Barcelona, Ibiza, Cyprus and Tel Aviv to Insight Guides’ Great River Cruises (Europe and the Nile). She has edited coffee table books for cruise lines and recently  produced An Italian Culinary Journey for Silversea Cruises.  She lives in west London.  

 

Any from the UK familiar with her?  As mentioned, her article for T&C covers a wide range of the many, many issues involved that the cruise lines, airlines, countries and consumers must face.  There are many questions ahead in returning to the new version of "normal" and she details most of the key issues. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 49,372 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

[TLCOhio]

Here is just another example below with interesting details for the challenges facing Silversea and other cruise lines in putting back together their "puzzle" for future scheduling options.  

 

From this trade publication, Maritime Executive, yesterday, they had this headline: “Australia and Spain Extend Ban on Cruise Ships” with these highlights: “In the latest blow to the cruise industry, Australia announced that it is extending its ban on cruise ships, while other countries around the world also continue to ban cruise ships from arriving in their ports. Australia extended until September 17, 2020 the restrictions that prohibits international cruise ships having sailed from a foreign port from entering an Australian port. The Australian Border Force said that it has been in constant contact with the cruise industry, which the ABF noted has been cooperative and understands the Government’s overwhelming priority to ensure the health and safety.  Most of the cruise ships that operate from Australia departed the area when the restrictions were announced. Several of the ships are currently among the gathering around Manila transporting crew home. Other cruise ships that had been sailing from Australia were reportedly being laid up in the area around Singapore.”

 

Here is another angle from this reporting that might be of interest to SS cruisers: "There had been some hope that there might be a loosening of the restrictions to permit cruises in the local waters, possibly even between Australia and New Zealand. One cruise line, Silversea Cruises, has speculated that it might offer cruises sailing solely around New Zealand calling at ports on the north and south islands. New Zealand’s current cruise ship ban is set to expire on June 30."

 

Many complex aspects must be evaluated and considered as a way of explaining why the future timings and routings are still very uncertain. 

 

Full story at:

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/australia-and-spain-extend-ban-on-cruise-ships

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Kotor/Montenegro:  Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 47,591 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

[MHF]

On 5/21/2020 at 8:34 PM, Lois R said:

Hi JP, I have sailed from Bayonne with Celebrity at least twice.   I know they have re-done the port area since the last

time I sailed from there (quite a few years ago).  Never sailed from Brooklyn but my Azamara cruise sailed from 

Manhattan. 

 

What did you think of Celebrity?  I"m looking at a 5-day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale later this year just for a fun run to the Caymans (SW points which are easily refundable will get me from BWI to FLL).  May do Aqua class but am waiting until July to book just to see how things go.

 

If you can get flights or drive, what's the latest anyone has booked a cruise?  A week before?  What's the latest you can book?  I could easily drive to Bayonne and I have driven to the Brooklyn terminal for QM2.

 

I'm headed to Tampa in a week to check on Mom and Dad.  Will be interesting to see how flying has changed. I have my mask, hand sanitizer, plans, etc.

 

M in M

[Lois R]

21 minutes ago, MHF said:

 

What did you think of Celebrity?  I"m looking at a 5-day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale later this year just for a fun run to the Caymans (SW points which are easily refundable will get me from BWI to FLL).  May do Aqua class but am waiting until July to book just to see how things go.

 

If you can get flights or drive, what's the latest anyone has booked a cruise?  A week before?  What's the latest you can book?  I could easily drive to Bayonne and I have driven to the Brooklyn terminal for QM2.

 

I'm headed to Tampa in a week to check on Mom and Dad.  Will be interesting to see how flying has changed. I have my mask, hand sanitizer, plans, etc.

 

M in M

Missy, I sailed with Celebrity for nearly 15 years.....before being able to sail SS.......so basically they were my "go to"

cruise line.  You have to remember, the ships are larger and so there are a lot more people than SS ships. But for what

they do? I have over 40 cruises with them over the years.......Now, I have not sailed them in the last 4 or 5 years,

Once I was able to try SS and multiple river cruises I really have no desire to go back to Mass Market.  

[silkismom]

If you are doing Celebrity, definitely do Aqua class, smaller dining room and you can use the relaxation and other special rooms in the spa area. If you like a drink or two, go for the premium bev. pkg special coffees and martini bar are included there. We also are finally able to afford SS, have had 4 cruises booked, 1 canx by his spine surgery, 1 canx crossing last Mar, still don't have a Venetian Society number. Hopefully Lima-FLL in Dec will go!!

[Lois R]

Or if you can book suite,  the drink package comes with it and you also have your own dining room......LUMINE.

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, Lois R said:

Or if you can book suite,  the drink package comes with it and you also have your own dining room......LUMINE.

 

I agree.  Suite Class is the only way to go on Celebrity (IMHO).  The smallest suite cabins are nicely laid out mini suites, and each step above that gives you more room.  But all suites get the Luminae restaurant, which has the best food on Celebrity (or any mass market line) plus the other amenities like Michael's Club/Retreat Lounge and set-aside Retreat sun deck.  These changes have reduced the available areas for non-suite passengers (including AquaClass), but they really make Celebrity Suite Class a sweet deal.  The big caveat is that if you haven't sailed on a ship like Azamara's or Oceania's 'R-class', beware of the S3 Sky Suites on Edge Class:  they are within the rails of the Magic Carpet, so you don't have any sun on your balcony.  I think the S1 Sky Suites on Deck 11 are the best deal for location and balcony on Edge class [all the higher suites are very far forward].  But my preference above all others is a Celebrity Suite (CS) on the M-class ships.

[TLCOhio]

19 hours ago, MHF said:

What did you think of Celebrity?  I"m looking at a 5-day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale later this year just for a fun run to the Caymans (SW points which are easily refundable will get me from BWI to FLL).  May do Aqua class but am waiting until July to book just to see how things go.

 

We have done two different Celebrity cruises.  They are detailed below in the live/blogs for each adventure.  First was 11-days from Barcelona doing Italy, the Croatian Coast, etc.  Second was 14-days, Sydney to Auckland, including having their larger and nice one-bedroom suite. Both were on their Solstice that has a number of nice design touches and options.  Much with Celebrity will depend as which ship you would be sailing. Some are older.  Somer newer.  

 

As noted by others, Silversea and other higher-end luxury lines do spoil you.  That's especially true about the food.  BUT, because ships like the Solstice are larger, their entertainment and other options can be better.  Personally in doing our two different cruise with Celebrity, we especially liked the combination of value and the intineraries worked very well.  Not sure how a five-day cruise would work with them.  Much depends as to what you seek and like.  Aqua works nice.  Celebrity will do discounts and special prices after their pay-up deadline for the others who had booked earlier.  Celebrity likes to have their ships sailing full and booking later can allow some value-shopping.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 251,364 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 230,112 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[TLCOhio]

From the trade publication, Travel Weekly, this morning, they had this headline: “Tour groups likely to be small during measured restart” with these highlights: “As travel companies look to resume operations in a post-pandemic world, tour operators say they are expecting a slow and phased restart as they evaluate every aspect of their operations to meet a new normal that remains largely unclear.  'When you shut down something as big as this, when you have a threat as big as this, it’s going to take a bit of time to reopen it,' said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar.   'We need to know the rules,' said Globus family of brands CEO Scott Nisbet. 'This whole situation made us look at everything. We are looking at potential new ways to do groups, different destinations to focus on, slightly different ways of traveling. We’re looking at all of it.'  So while many tour operators hope to resume travel this summer or fall, executives say they are unlikely to see any real recovery until 2021.  Elizabeth Crabill, CEO of CIE Tours, which specializes in Ireland and the U.K., said: 'I can guarantee that for this transition period ... there will be much more smaller groups.' ”

 

Smaller groups sounds better.  BUT, how will that affect the economics and pricings? 

 

Full story at:

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Tour-groups-likely-to-be-small-during-measured-restart

 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 239,422

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[TLCOhio]

From the Australian Financial Review yesterday, they had this headline: “Luxury cruise ships refuse to be sunk by virus” with these highlights: “The powerful global cruise industry might be feeling as battered as the Titanic after the events of the past few months, and ensuing international headlines - ranging from Cruise lines are burning through cash to Choppy seas ahead for cruise industry sunk by coronavirus.  But operators, particularly at the luxury end of the market, are steadfastly upbeat, while travel agents say Australians are rebooking cruises from 2021 and beyond, with remote wilderness areas such as Antarctica proving popular for cashed-up travellers.”

 

Here are a few items from this story that might be of interest: "As the industry moves to repair its public image and convince the public it is safe to step aboard, cruise ships sit idle the world over, and remain banned from Australian waters.  Many cruise lines are using the time to modify public areas on ships in order to get social distancing right, as well as step up daily cleaning practices.  Small and expedition ships - with less than 300 to 500 people on board and offering balconies on all rooms – see themselves as having a market advantage over the big and mega ships that carry 2500 people or more."

 

For details about Silversea, this article offered this background: "Italian-founded Silversea line, (in which American operation Royal Carribean bought the controlling stake in 2018), also aims to resume cruising in Australia's summer season. Adam Armstrong, the outgoing managing director of Asia Pacific for Silversea Cruises, said while Australian bookings were 'a bit behind the curve' of US and Europe passenger demand, 'green shoots' were appearing.  Confidence in the cruise industry would only return once revised safety and cleaning measures were made transparent, he said. At present, the line's loyalty program (Venetian Society) accounted for most of Silversea's bookings - and two-thirds of those were 'organic' bookings, not the rebooking of cancelled cruises. Silversea plans to have two of its ships – flagship Silver Muse and Silver Explorer – in Australia and New Zealand in the 2020-21 summer, and hopes the trans-Tasman bubble might be in effect, enabling more diverse itineraries."

 

Full story at:

https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/travel/luxury-cruise-ships-refuse-to-be-sunk-by-virus-20200521-p54vbl

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!  Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture.  This posting is now at 87,342 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[mrlevin]

1 hour ago, TLCOhio said:

 Silversea plans to have two of its ships – flagship Silver Muse and Silver Explorer – in Australia and New Zealand in the 2020-21 summer, and hopes the trans-Tasman bubble might be in effect, enabling more diverse itineraries."

 

 

Could the reference to the trans-Tasman bubble indicate that these itineraries will only be sold to NZ and OZ residents?

 

Marc

Edited May 24, 2020 by mrlevin

[tosteve1]

Australians love to travel so I wonder just how long the government can keep their citizens from going abroad...not just to NZ. And when they have to allow their own citizens to travel , I don’t think they can  prevent outsiders from visiting Australia. It will be interesting to see but in my area of the US the natives are getting restless! I doubt it’s really much different elsewhere. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

8 hours ago, tosteve1 said:

Australians love to travel so I wonder just how long the government can keep their citizens from going abroad...not just to NZ. And when they have to allow their own citizens to travel , I don’t think they can  prevent outsiders from visiting Australia. It will be interesting to see but in my area of the US the natives are getting restless! I doubt it’s really much different elsewhere. 

 

I hear the drums outside my window every night!!!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Morning,

 

Australia has the most stringent entry processess I have ever seen.  They are really very careful about people bringing in anything that might effect agriculture for example and I get the impression that they are angry with the cruise industry and might not be back to normal until they are pretty confident that it is relatively risk-free.  But Oz aside. 

 

In the UK it has tended so far to be the older voters who actually vote and decide who governs.  Whilst there is a lot of noise in the UK from business to ease lockdown it seems from polls that there is a sizeable chunk of the UK that is more cautious than our government.  It seems the me that their feelings are that we were two weeks too late in locking down - and that has avoidably cost many lives - and they fear we're opening up too early.  I think we shouldn't overlook that the group that pays with their lives if easing up is too early in all this is largely the elderly and/or those with pre-exisiting conditions. So it is fine to fret about kids going to school who rarely suffer from the virus and it's fine to worry about being able to buy a burger - or travel or book cruises - but if the people that pay with their lives for a premature end to the lockdown are the older groups then I can see that a canny opposition who milk that may form the next government. The government knows this.  It is selfish to say that it's OK to kill off the elderly because we are bored with all this and want to end prudent caution and travel again if too early.

 

On 5/22/2020 at 4:56 PM, TLCOhio said:

 Sue Bryant.  She is an award-winning writer and editor. She is cruise editor of The Sunday Times and also contributes to Cruise Critic; Sunday Times Travel Magazine; Cruise Passenger; Saga Magazine; The Robb Report; and World of Cruising magazine.  For three years, she was editor of Journeys magazine, the UK’s first glossy magazine dedicated to experiential travel.  She has also written or edited more than 25 travel books, from guidebooks about the Costa del Sol, Barcelona, Ibiza, Cyprus and Tel Aviv to Insight Guides’ Great River Cruises (Europe and the Nile). She has edited coffee table books for cruise lines and recently  produced An Italian Culinary Journey for Silversea Cruises.  She lives in west London.  

 

Any from the UK familiar with her?  As mentioned, her article for T&C covers a wide range of the many, many issues involved that the cruise lines, airlines, countries and consumers must face.  There are many questions ahead in returning to the new version of "normal" and she details most of the key issues. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Terry, as I'm sure you know, editorial articles don't pay much and travel writing in particular requires free hospitality to support free-lance travel writers. At the top of that would be cruise industry journalism because  you cannot pay for a $5k cruise from a $300 article fee unless you are a prepared to buy it yourself because you are an hobby writer. So to keep that habit going as a paid job - you have to write in a way that your sponsors approve of if you wish to continue to write articles about cruises.  If you don't then you do not get any invitations for free cruises.   

 

Sue is a talented freelancer and writes many good positive articles each year on cruises and cruise destinations as well as about the industry generally.  She also offers her editorial services for in-house cruise magazines and brochures. 

 

Jeff 🙂

Edited May 25, 2020 by UKCruiseJeff

[turtlemichael]

1 hour ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

Good Morning,

 

Australia has the most stringent entry processess I have ever seen.  They are really very careful about people bringing in anything that might effect agriculture for example and I get the impression that they are angry with the cruise industry and might not be back to normal until they are pretty confident that it is relatively risk-free. ...

 

 

 

Jeff 🙂

I think you accurately sum up the situation in Australia at the moment. Particularly among non-cruisers, who are the majority, cruising is getting a dreadful rap.  About 20% of the Australia's  Covid-19 infections and deaths emanated from the Ruby Princess debacle where sick passengers were allowed to disembark into the community without health checks or quarantining. An inquiry now underway will apportion responsibility.

 

Everyone entering Australia now, virtually only returning residents, has to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days. There are severe restrictions on who can enter or leave the country.  While the troops are getting restless and many of the lockdown components are now being eased, my guess is that a full re-opening of our borders is still a long time away. The country now is down to a handful of new cases each day. There will be no desire by governments or the populace to increase the risk here by quickly allowing in residents of countries with much higher prevalence of the disease and set back the progress that has been made. 14 day quarantines will remain for some time.

 

In the meantime I can see a cruising bubble incorporating Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, for their residents only, but that is likely to have limited attraction for cruise operators in the new age of social distancing.

[tosteve1]

I just find it hard to believe that young Australians in particular are going to give up their travels for very long. And 14 day quarantines are fine if they can be enforced. Electronic tracking? I don’t think it’ll happen in this country. I can hear  the conspiracy theorists already and the black helicopters are circling!
Maybe Australia is different. It will be interesting to see.

[turtlemichael]

8 minutes ago, tosteve1 said:

I just find it hard to believe that young Australians in particular are going to give up their travels for very long. And 14 day quarantines are fine if they can be enforced. Electronic tracking? I don’t think it’ll happen in this country. I can hear  the conspiracy theorists already and the black helicopters are circling!
Maybe Australia is different. It will be interesting to see.

At the moment it is working with very good compliance. As I said, it is almost entirely Australians returning to the country. Everyone knows what will happen.You have no say. You are transported to a hotel, fed and accommodated for 14 days paid for by the Government (or, more correctly, our taxes!). Most of our recent cases are from people in hotel isolation. It has therefore been acquired overseas rather than within the community. We are averaging less than 10 cases a day for the entire country.  Some states have had no cases, or deaths, for many days.  There is clamoring for relaxation of restrictions and that is now occurring. There is no clamoring for opening the borders at the moment.

[TLCOhio]

22 minutes ago, turtlemichael said:

At the moment it is working with very good compliance. As I said, it is almost entirely Australians returning to the country. Everyone knows what will happen.You have no say. You are transported to a hotel, fed and accommodated for 14 days paid for by the Government (or, more correctly, our taxes!). Most of our recent cases are from people in hotel isolation. It has therefore been acquired overseas rather than within the community. We are averaging less than 10 cases a day for the entire country.  Some states have had no cases, or deaths, for many days.  There is clamoring for relaxation of restrictions and that is now occurring. There is no clamoring for opening the borders at the moment.

 

Appreciate this very good background and follow-up as to how that 14-day quarantine would work in Australia.  YES, taking two weeks out of your holiday to be kept under control would chill anyone thinking of such travel.  Hopefully things open up soon, but still keeping some reasonable safety standards in practice.  That's the challenge, balancing safety, health and freedom??!!

 

As to UK Jeff's comments on Sue Bryant, I agree that she does write as to what we call here for being much of a "homer".  There was definitely a lean and slant with her writing as looking in the most favorable light towards the cruise companies.  However, during that article, she did raise a number of key factors of importance facing the cruise lines in figuring out their next steps and the "NEW NORMAL".

 

YES, agree strongly with tosteve1 that "Australians love to travel".  We have super enjoyed being on cruises with those from Australia and enjoying the fun of being with those from that fascinating country.  

 

Keep it coming.  Great sharing, comments and insights on this thread. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 66,345 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[UKCruiseJeff]

1 hour ago, tosteve1 said:

I just find it hard to believe that young Australians in particular are going to give up their travels for very long. And 14 day quarantines are fine if they can be enforced. Electronic tracking? I don’t think it’ll happen in this country. I can hear  the conspiracy theorists already and the black helicopters are circling!
Maybe Australia is different. It will be interesting to see.

 

I think many outside Oz do not grasp the depth of feeling about this in Oz  - that is if my sense is right - but there is real national anger over this issue. Oz has always been really nationally careful about bringing "stuff" in.  For example, if you arrive with muddy trainers - they will be taken them away and they'll be washed. Any fresh food not declared will bring a really stern lecture, confiscation and a fine.  

 

It seems to me that Oz are so angry about this that the want to inform, warn and punish the industry to set an example and ensure that they learn some sort of lesson from this.  I think a lengthy delay of start of cruises plays to that national sentiment. Oz is the only country I'm aware of that has indicated that not only are they going to investigate this but they are going to try and punish with criminal negligence charges who emerges responsible for allowing Ruby Princess passengers to go walk-about. 

 

Don't underestimate how both young and old support the givernments anger over this.

 

This might give a flavour.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/criminal-investigation-launched-ruby-princess-cruise-ship-coronavirus-disaster

 

 

 

[FlyerTalker]

12 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I hear the drums outside my window every night!!!

 

Must be the Bandidos at the Purple Grotto.  (Nice pic!)

[cool cruiser 14107]

what is a 'cruising bubble'?  thanks

[carefreecruise]

5 hours ago, cool cruiser 14107 said:

what is a 'cruising bubble'?  thanks

It is an agreement between two or more countries that will allow cruising between them. Creating a "cruising bubble"