welwyngirl Posted June 30, 2020 #1 Share Posted June 30, 2020 I have posted regarding this before, but wonder if any US TAs (or anyone else) has any idea what's happening with this ship? We booked with a UK TA last year for a package holiday including the 8-day cruise from China round Japan. My TA are saying it will go ahead (due to leave UK August 31st, cruise on September 6th), but I've been tracking the ship and it's been going round in circles for days and days. I know it was one of the ships which was taking crew home and now it appears it's heading for South Korea, possibly for provisioning the ship but who knows? We haven't paid final payment. I don't want to pay £4000 for it all to be cancelled the week after. We've already paid nearly £1000. It's so frustrating. We can't even get Chinese tourist visas at the moment anyway. Apologies to keep harping on about this as I know you've all had cruises cancelled recently and I really wish RCI had cancelled this one! Their latest posts show cancelled cruises for Spectrum only through July 2020. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly333 Posted June 30, 2020 #2 Share Posted June 30, 2020 I thought all cruises cancelled thru sept 15. The earliest I see is sept 18. Rcl is cancelling about a month at a time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaveWeMetYet Posted June 30, 2020 #3 Share Posted June 30, 2020 9 minutes ago, firefly333 said: I thought all cruises cancelled thru sept 15. The earliest I see is sept 18. Rcl is cancelling about a month at a time Unfortunately for Welwyngirl RCL is still showing cruises for Asia in August and September for both Spectrum and Quantum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly333 Posted June 30, 2020 #4 Share Posted June 30, 2020 6 minutes ago, HaveWeMetYet said: Unfortunately for Welwyngirl RCL is still showing cruises for Asia in August and September for both Spectrum and Quantum. Ok I looked on a cruise booking site, who doesnt show before sept 18th. I didnt look on rcl but another booking site. Going to be hard to sail since usa not allowed to fly in sounds like. Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare badvector Posted June 30, 2020 #5 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Have you considered just doing a lift and shift to next year? Based on the prices I can see it is quite a savings based on next years pricing. This will also extend your final payment date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT1962 Posted June 30, 2020 #6 Share Posted June 30, 2020 I would definitely consider the Lift & Shift option, if it is available to you and you are happy with the price. It will likely be canceled, but maybe not until after final payment. The cruise lines seem like they wait until just after the final payment is due for many people to make the announcement that it is canceled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaveWeMetYet Posted June 30, 2020 #7 Share Posted June 30, 2020 1 hour ago, JT1962 said: I would definitely consider the Lift & Shift option, if it is available to you and you are happy with the price. It will likely be canceled, but maybe not until after final payment. The cruise lines seem like they wait until just after the final payment is due for many people to make the announcement that it is canceled. Sounds like OP purchased a "package" from a travel agency that includes air and hotel as well as the cruise. It is going to be a mess unwinding all that when the cruise is not cancelled yet. What a mess indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welwyngirl Posted June 30, 2020 Author #8 Share Posted June 30, 2020 3 hours ago, JT1962 said: I would definitely consider the Lift & Shift option, if it is available to you and you are happy with the price. It will likely be canceled, but maybe not until after final payment. The cruise lines seem like they wait until just after the final payment is due for many people to make the announcement that it is canceled. I don't think the option is available, unfortunately. We'll see what the TA can come up with but it's not looking promising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welwyngirl Posted June 30, 2020 Author #9 Share Posted June 30, 2020 1 hour ago, HaveWeMetYet said: Sounds like OP purchased a "package" from a travel agency that includes air and hotel as well as the cruise. It is going to be a mess unwinding all that when the cruise is not cancelled yet. What a mess indeed. Yes, HaveWeMetYet. It was a package, cruise, air, hotel and Yangtze river cruise. My contract is with the TA not RCI and even though they know as over 70s our government advises against foreign travel and thus our travel insurance will be invalidated and the Chinese Embassy do not appear to be issuing tourist visas they will not budge. NIghtmare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted June 30, 2020 #10 Share Posted June 30, 2020 35 minutes ago, welwyngirl said: It was a package, cruise, air, hotel and Yangtze river cruise. Folks here will likely only have advice on the RCI portion of the trip - you can cancel and get an FCC for that. The rest, you'll have to take up with your TA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welwyngirl Posted June 30, 2020 Author #11 Share Posted June 30, 2020 2 minutes ago, Biker19 said: Folks here will likely only have advice on the RCI portion of the trip - you can cancel and get an FCC for that. The rest, you'll have to take up with your TA. Thanks, yes, I realise that but if the cruise is cancelled then the TA are obliged to return our full deposit. That's why I was enquiring. Sometimes you guys in the States learn about cancellations before we Brits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted June 30, 2020 #12 Share Posted June 30, 2020 (edited) 4 minutes ago, welwyngirl said: Sometimes you guys in the States learn about cancellations before we Brits. Given the way RCI has been handling Quantum and Spectrum in the last month, unlikely they will cancel outside of final payment, even the 56 day one in the UK. A US TA is less likely to know something more about those two ships given the clientele on those sailings. Edited June 30, 2020 by Biker19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted August 19, 2020 #13 Share Posted August 19, 2020 After many false starts looks like she's on the way to Shanghai. Her 9/18 sailing is still listed as the first one back. Quantum (at anchor outside of Singapore) is still listed for 9/17 return to sailing from Tianjin. Dream Explorer has been sailing from Taiwan for the past 3 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph2017China Posted August 19, 2020 #14 Share Posted August 19, 2020 But the bigger question is when will China allow foreign tourists into the country? The ship can sail almost full with only Chinese guests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted September 15, 2020 #15 Share Posted September 15, 2020 While there's been no update about Spectrum on the RCI Travel Update web page (the page was apparently updated yesterday), it looks like her sailings for October have been cancelled. She's been around Shanghai for several days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BecAus Posted September 15, 2020 #16 Share Posted September 15, 2020 Biker There was mention of Spectrum in the cancellation notice letter of the Australian cruises that I was emailed by Royal this morning. Not sure why as I don't think Spectrum is in the Australian market at all but it was included nonetheless : ) >>> As you know, this pandemic has been, and still is, quite fluid. And, we continue to evaluate how it impacts our upcoming sailings and our healthy return to service. In alignment with our partners the Cruise Line International Association, we have decided to suspend our Spectrum of the Seas sailings through end of October 2020 and in alignment with the Australian Government, we are suspension our Australia season through the end of 2020. <<< As you say, they haven't updated the Travel Update page with this info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted September 16, 2020 #17 Share Posted September 16, 2020 20 hours ago, ChC said: It may open up sooner with only Chinese passengers onboard. For the first time in a very long time, she actually docked today in Shanghai (at the cruise terminal). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Wonderland Posted September 17, 2020 #18 Share Posted September 17, 2020 On 9/16/2020 at 6:15 PM, Biker19 said: For the first time in a very long time, she actually docked today in Shanghai (at the cruise terminal). Not really. Last week she had already docked once for a short period. After that she stayed at the open sea near Shanghai for a week. Yesterday she entered the port again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Wonderland Posted September 18, 2020 #19 Share Posted September 18, 2020 On 9/15/2020 at 2:45 PM, Biker19 said: While there's been no update about Spectrum on the RCI Travel Update web page (the page was apparently updated yesterday), it looks like her sailings for October have been cancelled. She's been around Shanghai for several days. Just announced. "Spectrum of the Seas were previously anticipated to return to service in October but have now been pushed to November- cancelling sailings departing October 1- 31, 2020 – to allow additional time to ensure a safe and healthy return." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted September 19, 2020 #20 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Looks she's had enough of Shanghai and is heading to Busan; I assume for resupply - she has at least 6 more weeks of nothing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted September 22, 2020 #21 Share Posted September 22, 2020 After a short stay in Busan, she's on the way to Manila - Ovation is already there. This monthly commute between Singapore and Manila seems to be routine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Wonderland Posted September 22, 2020 #22 Share Posted September 22, 2020 If the deployment is kept unchanged, she will be homeported in Hong Kong from late November to mid January. I doubt if she will still return to Shanghai for only 5 sailings (4th / 8th / 15th / 19th / 23rd Nov) and then move to Hong Kong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted September 24, 2020 #23 Share Posted September 24, 2020 Royal Caribbean International #SpectrumOfTheSeas (海洋光谱号) was in Shanghai, China last week as she participated in a Maritime Medical Rescue Exercise. She was the only cruise ship participating. After a quick stop in Busan, South Korea, she is currently on the way to Manila, Philippines. Royal Caribbean China hopes this exercise can deepen Royal Caribbean’s cooperation with health emergency rescue in China and ultimately pave the way to resumption of cruises from China. Pictures By Yang Jinmyoung and various China news media outlets. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph2017China Posted September 24, 2020 #24 Share Posted September 24, 2020 State department changed the travel level from level 4 (do not travel) to level 3. Just a little good news that things are changing slowly. China still won't allow anyone in.....but everything is a step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Wonderland Posted September 30, 2020 #25 Share Posted September 30, 2020 Although I haven't seen the announcement from RCI yet, but the Spectrum's Shanghai sailings and reposition voyage in November (4th / 8th / 15th / 19th / 23rd Nov) are all closed this morning. The first available sailing now is 27th Nov from Hong Kong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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