Canada bans cruise ships until 10/31

[Bill Miller]

Florida is open to our Canadian friends. Looks like the Fall Caribbean Season is booking strong. We love you. Tonight the exchange rate for the Canadian dollar is 73 cents to US dollar. I'm sorry for your current economy. You might look into Cuba, your bucks might go farther there. Hope to see you in the Fall. Watch out for the State Troopers in Virginia & North Carolina and the last 3 exits in Georgia before the Florida border.

Bon Voyage, Bill

[iancal]

This decision cannot be a surprise to the cruise industry. It has been talked about and rumoured for at least six weeks.  It is a the right decision.   Recommended by public health care professionals and acted upon by the  Government.

[WonderMan3]

8 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Yes this ban in essence shuts down almost all cruising to Canadian ports until the 2021 cruise season.  Both coasts.

Which was their goal. They couldn’t rely on the cruise lines to do the right thing so they took action instead.

[WonderMan3]

45 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

We should definitely keep our border closed to Canadians.   It works both ways, if we kept it closed through the winter it might have the same impact to Canadians.  We like to go North in the summer and they like to go south in the winter.   Let both countries suffer!

 If I was Canadian I would be thrilled to have the border closed to the country with the highest number of cases on the planet.

[iancal]

US is certainly not the highest in terms of death.  The latest numbers I saw in the paper today was that the US had 303 deaths per million and  Canada 179 per million.   Belgium is sitting at 807 per million.

 

I have no doubt that Brazil will be much worse. 

[Blackduck59]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

US is certainly not the highest in terms of death.  The latest numbers I saw in the paper today was that the US had 303 deaths per million and  Canada 179 per million.   Belgium is sitting at 807 per million.

 

I have no doubt that Brazil will be much worse. 

 

Interesting statistics, Belgium is a small country, Much smaller than New York State. While the US is vast and the death rate per million varies dramatically; for instance the Death rate in New York State is 1185 per million

The numbers in Canada also vary dramatically I don't care to do the math but some provinces are doing better than others.

Edited May 30, 2020 by Blackduck59

[osborne66]

10 hours ago, jelayne said:

Wonder if the Sept TPS from Vancouver to Tokyo will have departure port changed or be cancelled.  About 25 days from final payment for us.

Highly unlikely 

[Beanb41]

16 hours ago, Prost Seattle said:

I wonder how long it will take Celebrity to cancel/reschedule the affected cruises?  I’m on Solstice from Vancouver 9/18/2020 to Hawai’i. and final payment is due 6/20/2020.  

With the many issues surrounding getting refunds from cancelled cruises I would be very reticent about paying for a cruise with no certainty that it will be proceeding.  I understand that Canada has closed its ports to cruise ships until October so the odds of this cruise going ahead are probably nil. One must also understand that this leg is the first of the Trans Pacific down under repositioning cruise and all ports south of Hawaii are still closed to cruise ships. I don't anticipate  New Zealand or Australian ports opening up until after all the enquiries into the Ruby Princess are completed and that doesn't look like anytime soon. Australia still has many of its internal state borders closed let alone opening up its International borders. Here in NZ there is not a lot of desire to see our borders open up just yet either. We have almost eliminated COVID19 in our country only having 1 active case now and no one wants to see it spread again because of outside influences.

If I was in your shoes I would recover my deposit asap and wait until such time as confirmed sailings are back. There will be specials until the cows come home to get people back on board them

 

[ighten]

Looks like this years Boston deps and Canadian NE cruises have now been removed from sale on the UK site -- Not sure now wether to just cancel or move it to next year - if you lift and shift do you have to pay final balance? - Lets hope in July they wont be asking for the final balance on a cruise they are no longer selling!! or thats turned into a Bermuda Nassau cruise I dont want..

 

Then theres what to do with the UK to Boston air tkts!!

[downsmead]

10 minutes ago, ighten said:

Then theres what to do with the UK to Boston air tkts!!

We have a similar problem, air tickets UK to LA for a cruise in October. Can move the cruise but booked and have paid the flight directly 🤷‍♀️.

[ighten]

50 minutes ago, downsmead said:

We have a similar problem, air tickets UK to LA for a cruise in October. Can move the cruise but booked and have paid the flight directly 🤷‍♀️.

 

United are letting us voucher it if we want to (its to far ahead of the schedule to just move it) - though I suspect prices next  year will be higher.. Luckily I did manage to reduce the cruise price by quite an amount last week before they took it off sale so Lift and Shifting the whole thing seems the best bet as its dearer next year - but can I do this just on the deposit or would they want the balance...  We have eyes on a Northern Europe to West med repos cruise in Sep but anything could happen between then and now.. Hopefully all this will be a bad dream at some point in the very near future

 

We also have a TA in Dec but fortunately thats all packaged (flights and cruise) together

 

Of course theres always the possibility (I hope not likely) that the flights get cancelled or become an insurance refund due to FCO advise -  or a straight refund or S75 if the borders are shut - but that depends on the cut off times for airlines allowing change - at the moment United is Jun 31st  which is getting nearer

 

What would be amusing is if Celebrity ask me to pay the balance in July for a cruise that clearly doesnt exist anymore  (its now removed from sale) and use some T&C  get out of Jail free card by changing the itinerary from New England in the Fall and Canada to Bermuda and Nassau plus sea days (yeah thats similar NOT )..

 

 

Edited May 30, 2020 by ighten

[poffles]

2 hours ago, ighten said:

Not sure now wether to just cancel or move it to next year - if you lift and shift do you have to pay final balance? -

 

If you do lift and shift to next year you do not have to pay final balance until the date arrives for the new future cruise.  It truly becomes the future booking except for the moving of the current cost and the perks to that booking.  I have done it and it was just a 'paper' move without a cent out of pocket with a new 'balance due' date on the reservation.

Edited May 30, 2020 by poffles

[ighten]

Thanks Poffles thats good to hear - Glad I got in and repriced it before they took them down

[Wine-O]

11 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

Florida is open to our Canadian friends. Looks like the Fall Caribbean Season is booking strong. We love you. Tonight the exchange rate for the Canadian dollar is 73 cents to US dollar. I'm sorry for your current economy. You might look into Cuba, your bucks might go farther there. Hope to see you in the Fall. Watch out for the State Troopers in Virginia & North Carolina and the last 3 exits in Georgia before the Florida border.

Bon Voyage, Bill

Have they opened the US/Canada border?  🍷

[Doubt It]

Wine-O, with luck we will be gracing Florida with our white skin, ready to golf and enjoy.

Have a house rental organized, but no deposit yet until border opens.

 

Have multiple friends planned for visiting - all of whom usually have a cruise booked - so I anticipate they will fully enjoy not cruising.

 

We have been talking about doing a Mississippi cruise in 2022 - no one is even contemplating a regular cruise for the foreseeable future. Too many other options out there.

 

Anyways, America, get ready. Looking forward to yet another wonderful visit in America.

[TeeRick]

22 hours ago, Fouremco said:

I agree, no surprise at all. On the other hand, I think making and announcing the decision early makes a great deal more sense than waiting another month. This way, everyone from cruise lines to passengers know the ports will be closed and can plan accordingly. While I recognize that Celebrity has other (financial) reasons for doing so, its tactic of delaying cancelation announcements simply serves to frustrate customers.

Yes I agree with you completely.

[bigbenboys]

17 hours ago, poffles said:

 

Totally agree!  The only thing that could make it better would be a year round seasonably warm province ... that would be the icing!

Vancouver Island is well known for having some of the warmest and most temperate weather in Canada. ... As a result, most coastal Vancouver Island communities experience warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters with infrequent freezing temperatures.

[Blackduck59]

52 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

Vancouver Island is well known for having some of the warmest and most temperate weather in Canada. ... As a result, most coastal Vancouver Island communities experience warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters with infrequent freezing temperatures.

While what you say is true, I'm not sure the wet coast is what poffles has in mind. They want Canadian health care benefits and infrastructure but Caribbean weather (hold the hurricanes) and prices. 

[PEIpair]

2 hours ago, Wine-O said:

Have they opened the US/Canada border?  🍷

 

Canada/US border remains closed,  to all but essential travel, until June 21.  

Many Canadians hoping that closure is extended.

[Denny01]

1 hour ago, PEIpair said:

 

Canada/US border remains closed,  to all but essential travel, until June 21.  

Many Canadians hoping that closure is extended.

What?!?! What about all those nice 1,000+ people who jumped into that pool that holds 100 or so and now want to go to a beautiful, cool, low-humidity place such as PEI?!? I mean, aren’t you being selfish just because you don’t want a Bunch of Idiots invading your island and bringing just a touch of virus with them? How selfish!

 

Trust me, we don’t want them coming here either: our highly intelligent commissioners and Governor just opened up our beaches and rentals. Come on down, my county has low infections rates and we don’t want to miss out being a COVID Hot Spot!

 

Den

Edited May 30, 2020 by Denny01

[gold1953]

We all need to suck it up and stay home!! There is no cv19 in PEI and very little in NS where we want none. One person brought into NB where it had cleared up and it and it is starting to spread there again!  It only takes one. Our borders are closed! Our businesses are slowly opening. No cruises ships here in Halifax is another blow to our economy but cv19 again will be worse

[saphir]

On 5/29/2020 at 10:42 AM, Prost Seattle said:

I wonder how long it will take Celebrity to cancel/reschedule the affected cruises?  I’m on Solstice from Vancouver 9/18/2020 to Hawai’i. and final payment is due 6/20/2020.  

 
I was on the same cruise.  I take advantage to Lift & Shift for next year 😁. Final payment next june 2021 

[stoshb]

Regarding the 9/18 Vancouver - Honolulu cruise.

 

I am going for the record on number of times a reservation can be canceled by Celebrity.  In Jan 2018, while on Equinox made a reservation for Equinox in Jan 2020.  That got canceled due to dry-dock issues and reservation moved to a longer cruise leaving end of January.  That got canceled due to ship not scheduled to be out of dry-dock in time.  Reservation moved to May, 2020 and Covid came in and canceled that one.  Moved that reservation to the Sept 18 cruise to Hawaii.  Now that will be canceled.

 

Every time there has been a cancelation, Celebrity has sweetened my deal by a bit.  Waiting to see what happens now.

 

Any suggestions as to what cruise I can book this time that will be canceled and I get more FCC?

 

At least I managed to get in a HA Alaska and a Oceania Caribbean cruise in the meantime. 

 

Life goes on and we just have to go with it or die.

[tartantiara]

9 hours ago, ighten said:

Looks like this years Boston deps and Canadian NE cruises have now been removed from sale on the UK site -- Not sure now wether to just cancel or move it to next year - if you lift and shift do you have to pay final balance? - Lets hope in July they wont be asking for the final balance on a cruise they are no longer selling!! or thats turned into a Bermuda Nassau cruise I dont want..

 

Then theres what to do with the UK to Boston air tkts!!

We will have the same problem but as we were to be on a b/b we have flights from UK to Boston then back fro Miami to UK , not sure if BA will let us change to Miami return trip 

[downsmead]

I booked our U.K. to LA flights last year. If you booked from 3rd March onwards this year you can change your dates but for those of us that booked early on, soon after the flights were released, there is no such option 😔. I will probably try and phone BA near to cruise final payment date to see if they are willing to be generous 🤞and provide a voucher or change dates. I have an April 2021 cruise from Miami I can switch the flight to.