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Does anyone believe that transatlantic cruises will happen this year?


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I think it is pretty much out of the question for Spring 2021.  Even Fall 2021 seems a big stretch to me.  I simply don't think enough vaccinations will be in place to allow this to take place.  Even if you are vaccinated, I don't think countries will want people wandering around as they could still be spreading COVID into  populations that haven't received a vaccine.  For me the earliest I could see would be for Spring 2022.

 

What do others think?  What would it take for transatlantic cruises to resume and when?

Edited by SelectSys
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We are currently booked for a sailing this September, with final payment date of May first.

Cunard says that the sailing is “on hold” due to the current cdc regulations.

We will need to see in mid April what vaccination progress has been made, and guesstimates for the summer months, before committing to final payment. 
If we decide to reschedule, I have a Northern Lights cruise picked out for November 2022.

If Cunard cancels, or we are refused boarding, there is supposed to be 125% credit to rebook. 

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Brutally expensive to ‘Dead-head’ an empty vessel across the ocean; HOWEVER, if cruising begins in Spring of 2022 ships will head for Med or Baltic ports. If cruising perhaps begins sooner, in the Fall of 2021, then they will by necessity follow the Sun to warmer climes. What a logistical/financial challenge...

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4 hours ago, iancal said:

No.  My guess is no TA’s, no Europe cruises for North Americans.

Agree...My July British Isles and my Oct Canada/NE will I assume be cancelled...which at this point is fine by me but hoping it's done before final payment.

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16 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

The CDC is not allowing any cruise of greater than 7 days to touch US soil.

 

Reminds me of the "Blue Riband" awarded to the fastest transit by ocean liners.  Ships have been able to achieve transatlantic crossings for more than 100 years.  The record by the "United States" set back in the 1950's was under 4 days.  Not likely ever to be broken due to a variety of concerns - economic, environmental, etc.

 

14 hours ago, LocoLoco1 said:

Brutally expensive to ‘Dead-head’ an empty vessel across the ocean;

 

I think occasionally the lines perform maintenance work during these crossings to offset some of the costs.  However, this is also impossible as there would be no practical way to fly the workers home. 

 

10 hours ago, Ashland said:

no Europe cruises for North Americans.

 

And likely no cruises by Europeans departing from US or Canadian waters.  Cruising in the Americas this year might be limited to a few Caribbean cruises open to everyone departing from locations like Barbados or Cartagena.

 

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Booked two Transatlantics, one Spring the other Fall, for 2022.  Hoping they will go.  A lot can happen between now and early 2022, to include the expansion of the COVID variants which may or may not be controllable with the vaccines.  Spouse and I have both taken the 2nd vaccination of Pfizer.  Yet I don't really feel safe to cruise.

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There will be quite a few Trans-Atlantic cruises in 2021. But they will not start or end in a US port.

Some ships that will sail in the Med this summer will cross over to the Caribbean for the winter. Barbados will be a prime terminus on the North American side.

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23 hours ago, Donald said:

There will be quite a few Trans-Atlantic cruises in 2021. But they will not start or end in a US port.

Some ships that will sail in the Med this summer will cross over to the Caribbean for the winter. Barbados will be a prime terminus on the North American side.

 

Good point.  I was thinking US-based ships.  I think you are correct regarding Barbados.   It could be the #1 port in the Caribbean starting in the fall and this might go on well into 2022.

 

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I sure hope so.  We have a TA booked from Rome to NYC leaving Rome on November 2. I have spent many happy hours lately planning a six week trip ahead of the cruise- Paris, then Normandy, then the Cinque Terra, then Bologna/Verona/Ravenna, then Sorrento and then to Rome for the cruise.  I haven't booked any hotels etc that are not 100% refundable and haven't booked any tours yet. 

So bored that I almost asked the guys who came to do maintainence on the airconditioner to lunch!

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2 minutes ago, LynnTTT said:

I sure hope so.  We have a TA booked from Rome to NYC leaving Rome on November 2. I have spent many happy hours lately planning a six week trip ahead of the cruise- Paris, then Normandy, then the Cinque Terra, then Bologna/Verona/Ravenna, then Sorrento and then to Rome for the cruise.  I haven't booked any hotels etc that are not 100% refundable and haven't booked any tours yet. 

So bored that I almost asked the guys who came to do maintainence on the airconditioner to lunch!

In 3/20 we had a cruise canceled that had other trips like you describe (not as many or as long as yours). I'll always remember that I had 15 different things to cancel. It was way more fun booking than canceling.

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1 hour ago, LynnTTT said:

I sure hope so.  We have a TA booked from Rome to NYC leaving Rome on November 2. I have spent many happy hours lately planning a six week trip ahead of the cruise- Paris, then Normandy, then the Cinque Terra, then Bologna/Verona/Ravenna, then Sorrento and then to Rome for the cruise.  I haven't booked any hotels etc that are not 100% refundable and haven't booked any tours yet. 

So bored that I almost asked the guys who came to do maintainence on the airconditioner to lunch!

 

I would be cautious in booking anything at this point.  While things can change, looking at the rollout of vaccines in Europe makes me wonder if anything in Europe will be open in mid September for external travelers - even if you are vaccinated.  Maybe yes, but it really depends on how fast they get organized and what case rates look like over the summer.   

 

I am less optimistic for cruises arriving from to the US from Europe in 2021 with a full complement of passengers.  Time will tell and enjoy your planning!

 

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

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13 hours ago, LocoLoco1 said:

I just read this: “I’m NOT happy that cruise lines are taking Deposit $Monies$ for cruises they know won’t sail.” My experience is that they have my deposit for a cruise they aren’t advertising anymore. Hmm. 

 

A free loan is great when you are under extreme cash flow pressure.  I am sure they are all waiting these days to make refunds.

 

Personally, I wouldn't give the cruise lines any money at the current time.  No one really knows what cruises are going to start and when.  Even with restrictions being lifted, it will take quite some time to rebuild the system.

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My situation is unique to about 200+ cruisers who were ready to embark on a March 15, 2020 35-day cruise from USA that was cancelled at the last minute. We didn’t cancel, the cruiseline did. We didn’t have insurance.  We received ALL our money back (R/T Airfares, hotels, cruise fare etc etc) PLUS, we were given a $free$ future cruise of equal value in the form of FCC’s. So we keep booking cruises with minimal deposit... then they get cancelled, so we book yet another; but so what... we’re playing with the House’s $Money$. Short of carrier Bankruptcy.. we all have a very long cruise due us.  But when??? An odd situation. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 1/27/2021 at 7:43 PM, SelectSys said:

I think it is pretty much out of the question for Spring 2021.  Even Fall 2021 seems a big stretch to me.  I simply don't think enough vaccinations will be in place to allow this to take place.  Even if you are vaccinated, I don't think countries will want people wandering around as they could still be spreading COVID into  populations that haven't received a vaccine.  For me the earliest I could see would be for Spring 2022.

 

What do others think?  What would it take for transatlantic cruises to resume and when?

Really hope so.  We've booked a Norwegian leaving Rome on Nov. 2 and ending in NYC.  We shall see.

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We have had the late November Rome to Fort Lauderdale on Island Princess booked for years now.  If it goes, it will be our first cruise “back”. If it gets cancelled, we will just fly to Florida and stay there longer, stay in Italy longer, or go home from Italy early.  Or a combination.  
We are headed to Croatia for summer, then Como for a few months before the TA. It is good to be flexible AND make sure refund policies are generous!  

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 3/4/2021 at 5:32 PM, CGTNORMANDIE said:

My best guess is that we will be cruising and crossing again by this Fall 2021.

This, and I see that some lines are are moving to new home ports. This should ease restrictions. 

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