Australia/ New Zealand Early 2021

[john2003]

I am interested in the sense of a cruise season this winter down south. We are booked in February 2021 from Sydney to Auckland. At the moment I can't see how this could happen as it will be too early for any widespread vaccine use. 

We could forego the cruise and do a land trip but that still has the risk from long flights and I can understand if we wouldn't be too welcome anyway. 

Specially interested in any comments from residents of that amazing part of the world. 

[crusinbanjo]

My friends in Australia and NZ have all said they expect the borders closed to cruise ships well into 2021.  They, of course, do not have any official knowledge, but that is their opinion based on their reading of the news locally.  Mrs Banjo and I are scheduled to go from Ft Lauderdale to Aukland in January 2021 on another cruise line then we were planning to stop over and visit in OZ as well, but those plans.... who knows.  WE are cautiously optimistic, because it is still early but if my friends are correct we will cancel and stay home.

[john2003]

6 minutes ago, crusinbanjo said:

My friends in Australia and NZ have all said they expect the borders closed to cruise ships well into 2021.  They, of course, do not have any official knowledge, but that is their opinion based on their reading of the news locally.  Mrs Banjo and I are scheduled to go from Ft Lauderdale to Aukland in January 2021 on another cruise line then we were planning to stop over and visit in OZ as well, but those plans.... who knows.  WE are cautiously optimistic, because it is still early but if my friends are correct we will cancel and stay home.

Sounds like we are in very similar boats so to speak!

[iancal]

We are not residents but we have done two 5-7 week  visits during our winter over the past four years including an OZ/NZ 21 day cruise on RCI.  Plus a short one week sales reward trip to the Great Barrier Reef years ago.

 

Australia is a huge country.  Each time we flew into Gold Coast Airport from SE Asia.  Both times we flew back  on one way tickets via Jetstar, a stop in Hawaii, then home to Canada.

 

Australia is amazing as it is large.   We have not seen nearly enough. We have spent time on the Gold Coast with friends, then driven down to Sydney, stopping along the way.   Our last stay in Sydney was five days.  Wish it had been a little longer.   Our best road trip was picking up a car in Sydney, post cruise, and driving along the coast, past Melbourne, to spend a glorious week along the Great Ocean Road.   Dropped the car in Melboure, flew back to Syndey, and home.

 

Last year,  at our friends suggestion, we spent a week driving around Tasmania.  In to Hobart, back to Sydney from Launceston.  Very enjoyable, very different.   We also visited Adelaide and Perth on our cruise.  We would like to return.  Bottom line is that we love Australia but recognize that we have hardly scratched the surface.  Our friends suggested that we get the Jetstar Airlines mailing list.  Jetstar is a subsidiary of Quantas.  They often have great sales.  I think we each paid $120 return fare Brisbane-Tasmania and Tasmania -Sydney.  We have also done Tiger Air and Virgin however I think Virgin has packed it in.

 

As an aside, on our first trip to Australia we had planned to add on a two week driving trip through New Zealand.  Had to cancel because my spouse cracked two vertabrae whilst we were in KL.  So we picked up a last minute 21 day RCI cruise from Sydney-Perth.  Wonderful cruse, amazing clear and warm day in Milford Sound.  BUT......we asked our on line NA TA for a price.  Then we picked up the phone and called the RCI office in Sydney.  The latter price was 30 percent LESS than what our NA on line TA quoted us and about 35 percent less than the price on RCI's North America website for a balcony.  There is a forum on cruise critic for OZ/NZ cruisers and one of the subject is cheap cruises.  That is where we found out about this cruise-itinerary and pricing.  We have also done a Princess Fiji cruise out of Sydney.

 

You do not need much cash.  It is tap and go.  Last time we took out $500 AUD from the ATM.  ON our final days in Sydney, a month or so later, we still had $250 left.

 

I question whether OZ or NZ will be open by Feb.  Both countries have been very successful in fighting covid.  Australia claims that cruises are to blame for much of their covid challenge. Certainly the cruise lines were less than straightforward with Australian health authorities.

 

Hope this helps

Edited May 15, 2020 by iancal

[jimdee3636]

This subject has been on my mind lately. We're booked on a 28-night Sydney-to-Seattle transpacific on the Oosterdam beginning April 12, 2021. It's actually the second part of a 43-night cruise that begins in Aukland, NZ in late March. If NZ remains effectively closed to visitors, it's anyone's guess as to whether the "second leg" would happen---even assuming Australia opens up before NZ. Flights to Sydney are now open for booking, but I'm holding off on making air arrangements until at least the fall.

 

We just had a 19-night  Vancouver-to-Yokohama cruise for this coming September cancelled by Cunard. The thought of another "once in a lifetime" cruise being cancelled is depressing. Oh well.....

[kiwirick]

I very much doubt that NZ or Australian borders will be opened anytime soon.Our government has suggested that they won’t open until a vaccine is available,and I think Australia feels the same way.The two governments have recently had discussions re the possibility of travel between our countries once it is deemed safe to do so,but our PM has said it will be months away ,rather than weeks.It is possible that some South Pacific countries could be included.

 

At the moment the focus is on promoting domestic tourism,the government has provided funding for this,anda campaigns are starting.Certainly we are not expecting international tourism until a vaccine is available.

On a personal note ,my wife and I along with six other couples have a cruise around S.America on the Westerdam in October.We do not expect to be going.

 

Stay safe,

Richard

[colbe]

I also doubt that any visitors from North America will be permitted to travel to NZ until there is a vaccine. We have eliminated the virus in our country and we will not want to risk this. Stay safe everyone.

[erewhon]

1 hour ago, colbe said:

I also doubt that any visitors from North America will be permitted to travel to NZ until there is a vaccine. We have eliminated the virus in our country and we will not want to risk this. Stay safe everyone.

 

Totally agree with you.

 

[npcl]

6 hours ago, john2003 said:

I am interested in the sense of a cruise season this winter down south. We are booked in February 2021 from Sydney to Auckland. At the moment I can't see how this could happen as it will be too early for any widespread vaccine use. 

We could forego the cruise and do a land trip but that still has the risk from long flights and I can understand if we wouldn't be too welcome anyway. 

Specially interested in any comments from residents of that amazing part of the world. 

You will have to see if they are still making visitors do 14 day quarantines then.  Otherwise your trip might be longer than expected.

[dchip]

4 hours ago, jimdee3636 said:

This subject has been on my mind lately. We're booked on a 28-night Sydney-to-Seattle transpacific on the Oosterdam beginning April 12, 2021. It's actually the second part of a 43-night cruise that begins in Aukland, NZ in late March. If NZ remains effectively closed to visitors, it's anyone's guess as to whether the "second leg" would happen---even assuming Australia opens up before NZ. Flights to Sydney are now open for booking, but I'm holding off on making air arrangements until at least the fall.

 

We just had a 19-night  Vancouver-to-Yokohama cruise for this coming September cancelled by Cunard. The thought of another "once in a lifetime" cruise being cancelled is depressing. Oh well.....

We are on the entire cruise leaving Auckland on March 28, 2021. We are preparing ourselves to have that cruise cancelled. We will be very sad, but totally understand, if that is the case.  We had three cruises cancelled this year. All were for big family celebrations. 
 

Cheers, Denise 

Edited May 16, 2020 by dchip
Added content

[DeeDee Groff]

2 hours ago, dchip said:

We are on the entire cruise leaving Auckland on March 28, 2021. We are preparing ourselves to have that cruise cancelled. We will be very sad, but totally understand, if that is the case.  We had three cruises cancelled this year. All were for big family celebrations. 
 

Cheers, Denise 

 

I am a "transferee" to the March 28, 2021 sailing from Auckland to Seattle from the September 27, 2020 sailing of the Oosterdam from Seattle to Auckland, and I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the M&G!  I was on the Westerdam 30-day sailing from Singapore on January 16 where, after a wonderful first 16 days, we floated around on the seas of Asia for 14 days until we were finally allowed to disembark in Sihanoukville.  I have also had two cruises later in the fall of this year cancelled. 

 

Hopefully all your family members are currently healthy and safe! 

[john2003]

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful responses. Outlook is pretty much what I was thinking. We have had several great trips to both countries so may have to live off our photo memories (Uluru 2012) for a while longer!

Iancal we also have used Jetstar from HNL ideally in conjunction with a business class points flight or a one way cruise. 

Being in BC we fully understand the concerns about opening borders. We have relatively low case volumes, currently around 15 a day but that is not the case around us. 

[JMAUST]

I am booked on a cruise to Europe in June 2021. I am not confident that I will be able to travel in and out of the country. Our leaders are talking 2022 before we have unlimited travel to all parts of the world. We are very fortunate that like our brothers in NZ we have escaped the worst of the virus and our borders are shut at present.

[kazu]

12 hours ago, colbe said:

I also doubt that any visitors from North America will be permitted to travel to NZ until there is a vaccine. We have eliminated the virus in our country and we will not want to risk this. Stay safe everyone.

 

I agree with you.

We are defeating covid 19 (so far) in our province and I can tell you that many do not want the borders or port  open when it is rampant In other parts of North America.

[crusinbanjo]

15 hours ago, iancal said:

I question whether OZ or NZ will be open by Feb.  Both countries have been very successful in fighting covid.  Australia claims that cruises are to blame for much of their covid challenge. Certainly the cruise lines were less than straightforward with Australian health authorities.

Thanks, Mrs Banjo and I have done many of the same things and always enjoyed our visits to Both OZ and NZ.  Hoping we can still visit in Feb 2021.  Here is a photo from our last trip Down Under.  I got to play banjo with the band in Ballarat.

[TN Fem]

We have the Aukland to Sydney cruise booked for Christmas but I'm doubtful if it will happen.  I'm going to wait a few more months before I decide what to do but I wonder if the Panama Canal cruise over the same period may be a safer bet as far as actually happening. 

Edited May 16, 2020 by TN Fem

[Mandalay1903]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tamarathiessen/2020/06/18/australia-travel-ban-borders-closed-2021/#57da6d77c5f1