Airlines and White House Meeting today. X Alaska decision too.

[Arizona Wildcat]

Will be interesting to see what outcomes come out of these meetings.

Until international airline travel opens very difficult to get crews to and from the ships.  RCL is using ships to rotate crews to Asia.  Will additional airline restrictions be required to travel in the short term to reduce the new COVID mutations?

What will RCL do with cruises that have a Canadian port?  Will L&S resume?  Rules for L&S?  What happens to April and May cruises that are unlikely to happen because of the timeline getting ships and crews ready to sail with passengers - even test cruises?

Hopefully some answers shorty instead of continuing speculation.

[Wine-O]

I wouldn't hold my breath.  They're talking about more lockdowns, i.e. Florida travel.  🍷

[WestLakeGirl]

Celebrity did promise some updates and information would come today, didn’t they?

[Jeremiah1212]

32 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Will be interesting to see what outcomes come out of these meetings.

Until international airline travel opens very difficult to get crews to and from the ships.  RCL is using ships to rotate crews to Asia.  Will additional airline restrictions be required to travel in the short term to reduce the new COVID mutations?

What will RCL do with cruises that have a Canadian port?  Will L&S resume?  Rules for L&S?  What happens to April and May cruises that are unlikely to happen because of the timeline getting ships and crews ready to sail with passengers - even test cruises?

Hopefully some answers shorty instead of continuing speculation.

 

My predictions...

 

• New travel restrictions will be put in place, potentially for US domestic travel. 
• Lift and Shift is done.
• At some point the consolation for a canceled cruise is a refund, nothing else. Maybe small OBC with an expiration date? 
• Cruises with a Canadian stop are cancelled. 
• April and May cruises don't stand a chance.

 

Keep in mind, NCL is (again) repatriating crews back to the Philippines and Indian and that effort will not be completed until April. 

 

The optimism over vaccines has to be tempered with the reality that numbers, which showing improvement from massive holiday spikes, are not good. Going from really bad to worst, back to really bad is not a net improvement. As people have increased COVID-fatique and start spring/summer vacations, etc. this is not the time to let our guard down. We know "suggestions" and "recommendations" do not work for Americans, so there is a need for some teeth to be put in place. 

 

 

 

[kwokpot]

With the parent company mandating vaccines for ALL employees there's NO WAY this can be accomplished AND have cruises start in May. 

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5878/

[TeeRick]

54 minutes ago, Wine-O said:

I wouldn't hold my breath.  They're talking about more lockdowns, i.e. Florida travel.  🍷

Restrictions are not lockdowns.

[Ken the cruiser]

Just heard from our X PVP that Celebrity will be officially releasing their Alaska cruising update at 3 pm EST today.

[LuvCruzn4Evr]

Seems they are already allowing L&S for Alaska from 2021 to 2022.  Have not heard one thing nor seen any comment in reference to our Pacific Coastal from Vancouver.  Anyone heard anything about it?

 

[davekathy]

17 minutes ago, LuvCruzn4Evr said:

Seems they are already allowing L&S for Alaska from 2021 to 2022.  Have not heard one thing nor seen any comment in reference to our Pacific Coastal from Vancouver.  Anyone heard anything about it?

 

We have the 9 September 2021 10 Night Pacific Coastal cruise booked out of Vancouver.  According to the Captains Club rep I spoke with this morning, at that time no decision has been made yet regarding those cruises as far as cancellation options.    

[phoenix_dream]

3 hours ago, Wine-O said:

I wouldn't hold my breath.  They're talking about more lockdowns, i.e. Florida travel.  🍷

What lockdowns are you talking about?  I have not heard of any.  I have just heard about the potential for a negative test requirement for domestic flights.  I think that is ridiculous, but they don't particularly care about my opinion🙂

[Arizona Wildcat]

6 minutes ago, davekathy said:

We have the 9 September 2021 10 Night Pacific Coastal cruise booked out of Vancouver.  According to the Captains Club rep I spoke with this morning, at that time no decision has been made yet regarding those cruises as far as cancellation options.    

Received an email that repeated Ken's post that Celebrity will issue a statement at 3pm EST on their plans for all 2021 cruises with Canada ports.

CNBC and CNN both reported yesterday and today that domestic travel restrictions would be considered at the White House/Airline meeting today.  No other information provided except Florida mentioned.  The Florida Governor made a statement about the damage to Florida's economy and jobs that would result from restrictions.

Edited February 12, 2021 by Arizona Wildcat

[KAE27]

So, for August 2021 Alaska, we were given the option to continue to hold the reservation "just in case" or to get a 100% refund or a 125% FCC.

 

Edited February 12, 2021 by KAE27

[garyl62]

Lift & Shift option?

[LooseMoose]

ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS

Dear Guest,   We are reaching out to provide an update on the status of your 2021 cruise vacation. The Government of Canada has recently announced continued port closures for all cruise ships through February 28, 2022. In order to comply with these closures Celebrity Cruises has placed your cruise on hold. Currently, we are working to determine if it may be possible to operate your sailing without a call to a foreign port. However, until a decision has been rendered in this matter, the sailing will remain closed, but your reservation will continue to be valid.   At this time, we would like to offer you the opportunity to keep your reservation until a final determination on the status of your sailing can be made or be re-accommodated on another Celebrity Cruises vacation in 2022. You will also have the option to receive a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) or a 100% Refund. If you are booked on a May 2021 sailing and choose to keep your reservation, your final payment date will be extended by 45 days. If you would like to keep your cruise vacation plans to the same destination and reschedule for next year, please contact us or your travel partner and your reservation will be shifted at the same rate including any promotion you currently have on the booking.   If you prefer not to rebook your cruise vacation for a 2022 sailing, you will have the option to cancel and receive 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) or a 100% Refund. The value of the FCC would be calculated based on the amounts paid toward your cruise and processed by April 16, 2021 via email. If you prefer a 100% refund to your original method of payment, you may contact us anytime up until June 30, 2021. To avoid waiting on the phone to cancel, please contact your travel partner or click here and we will get the process started for you. You can expect to receive a refund within at least 30 days after you submit your request. Cruise taxes and fees would be refunded separately. With choice of cancellation, guests with air travel and hotel booked through Flights by Celebrity will be refunded automatically. You will not need to call in to initiate the process. Guests with independent air arrangements must contact their air carriers directly to make all required cancellations.   First and always, please take care of yourselves and your family. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these unique circumstances. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Celebrity Cruises at 1-844-418-6824 in North America or (316) 554-5961 worldwide. We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon for an amazing Celebrity Cruises vacation.   Sincerely, Celebrity Cruises

[davekathy]

Just received this Email from Celebrity.

 

Dear Guest,   We are reaching out to provide an update on the status of your 2021 cruise vacation. The Government of Canada has recently announced continued port closures for all cruise ships through February 28, 2022. In order to comply with these closures Celebrity Cruises has placed your cruise on hold. Currently, we are working to determine if it may be possible to operate your sailing without a call to a foreign port. However, until a decision has been rendered in this matter, the sailing will remain closed, but your reservation will continue to be valid.   At this time, we would like to offer you the opportunity to keep your reservation until a final determination on the status of your sailing can be made or be re-accommodated on another Celebrity Cruises vacation in 2022. You will also have the option to receive a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) or a 100% Refund. If you are booked on a May 2021 sailing and choose to keep your reservation, your final payment date will be extended by 45 days. If you would like to keep your cruise vacation plans to the same destination and reschedule for next year, please contact us or your travel partner and your reservation will be shifted at the same rate including any promotion you currently have on the booking.   If you prefer not to rebook your cruise vacation for a 2022 sailing, you will have the option to cancel and receive 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) or a 100% Refund. The value of the FCC would be calculated based on the amounts paid toward your cruise and processed by April 16, 2021 via email. If you prefer a 100% refund to your original method of payment, you may contact us anytime up until June 30, 2021. To avoid waiting on the phone to cancel, please contact your travel partner or click here and we will get the process started for you. You can expect to receive a refund within at least 30 days after you submit your request. Cruise taxes and fees would be refunded separately. With choice of cancellation, guests with air travel and hotel booked through Flights by Celebrity will be refunded automatically. You will not need to call in to initiate the process. Guests with independent air arrangements must contact their air carriers directly to make all required cancellations.   First and always, please take care of yourselves and your family. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these unique circumstances. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Celebrity Cruises at 1-844-418-6824 in North America or (316) 554-5961 worldwide. We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon for an amazing Celebrity Cruises vacation.   Sincerely, Celebrity Cruises

Edited February 12, 2021 by davekathy

[phoenix_dream]

8 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Just received this Email from Celebrity.

 

Dear Guest,   We are reaching out to provide an update on the status of your 2021 cruise vacation. The Government of Canada has recently announced continued port closures for all cruise ships through February 28, 2022. In order to comply with these closures Celebrity Cruises has placed your cruise on hold. Currently, we are working to determine if it may be possible to operate your sailing without a call to a foreign port. However, until a decision has been rendered in this matter, the sailing will remain closed, but your reservation will continue to be valid.   At this time, we would like to offer you the opportunity to keep your reservation until a final determination on the status of your sailing can be made or be re-accommodated on another Celebrity Cruises vacation in 2022. You will also have the option to receive a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) or a 100% Refund. If you are booked on a May 2021 sailing and choose to keep your reservation, your final payment date will be extended by 45 days. If you would like to keep your cruise vacation plans to the same destination and reschedule for next year, please contact us or your travel partner and your reservation will be shifted at the same rate including any promotion you currently have on the booking.   If you prefer not to rebook your cruise vacation for a 2022 sailing, you will have the option to cancel and receive 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) or a 100% Refund. The value of the FCC would be calculated based on the amounts paid toward your cruise and processed by April 16, 2021 via email. If you prefer a 100% refund to your original method of payment, you may contact us anytime up until June 30, 2021. To avoid waiting on the phone to cancel, please contact your travel partner or click here and we will get the process started for you. You can expect to receive a refund within at least 30 days after you submit your request. Cruise taxes and fees would be refunded separately. With choice of cancellation, guests with air travel and hotel booked through Flights by Celebrity will be refunded automatically. You will not need to call in to initiate the process. Guests with independent air arrangements must contact their air carriers directly to make all required cancellations.   First and always, please take care of yourselves and your family. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these unique circumstances. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Celebrity Cruises at 1-844-418-6824 in North America or (316) 554-5961 worldwide. We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon for an amazing Celebrity Cruises vacation.   Sincerely, Celebrity Cruises

Was this cruise from Seattle or Vancouver?  I heard the Vancouver cruises were cancelled.

[Arizona Wildcat]

4 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

Was this cruise from Seattle or Vancouver?  I heard the Vancouver cruises were cancelled.

Same email for East Coast cruises.  Sure love how they leave things in limbo.  Putting the cruises on hold!????

For my August TA there is no similar cruise.  Thus will call my TA and see.

[garyl62]

Interesting that you could pay for your current cruise up until April 16th and get the 125% on that amount.  So if someone wanted to pay in full now they could get the 125% FCC on the entire cruise fare. 

 

I wondered how this would work out and I've already done a L&S so it's not an option for me, but I compared my current price to a 2022 price and the 2022 trip was 29% higher than the 2021 reservation I had.  This is based on the drink and internet perks I had plus adding tips to make it comparable to the AI pricing today, so even with the additional FCC next year's cruise would be more expensive.

Edited February 12, 2021 by garyl62

[phoenix_dream]

1 minute ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Same email for East Coast cruises.  Sure love how they leave things in limbo.  Putting the cruises on hold!????

For my August TA there is no similar cruise.  Thus will call my TA and see.

Our TA told us our east coast cruise was cancelled, and we were able to lift and shift (for the second time) for next year.  Wondering why the inconsistency.  (although this is Celebrity we are talking about, so...................)

[middlehaitch]

Celebrity's Travel Alert update:

 

Friday, February 12^th, 2021

The Government of Canada has recently announced continued port closures for all cruise ships through February 28, 2022.  In order to comply with these closures, Celebrity Cruises has placed all sailings with an embarkation or port of call in Canada, on hold while we explore itinerary options.  While this news is certainly disappointing, we certainly respect their decision and appreciate that they have their own set of COVID-19 circumstances to manage.  As we work on potential alternatives, we hope that guests will keep their existing vacation reservation with us. However, any guests who desire to adjust their booking will be provided the option to be re-accommodated on another Celebrity Cruises vacation in 2022, or they may cancel for a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) or a 100% Refund.  While we are exploring alternatives, for guests who choose to maintain their booking, reservations approaching their final payment due dates will be adjusted to 45 days prior to departure.  We will continue to work with health and transportation officials around the world, and focus on what we can do to support our guests, the people who rely on the tourism industry and the regions in which we operate.

Travel Alerts & Advisories | Celebrity Cruises

 

Cheers, h.

 

 

[hcat]

2 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

What lockdowns are you talking about?  I have not heard of any.  I have just heard about the potential for a negative test requirement for domestic flights.  I think that is ridiculous, but they don't particularly care about my opinion🙂

They may have push back if there are outright  bans limited to one or two places. Some states did that..not sure if litigation ensued.

 

Folks can always drive.. we hear many already do that to avoid the pre and post flight  neg test req in NY ( getting tests not so easy as  NY gov thinks)  ...or some try  to avoid having someone call and track you several times a day for the quarantine period...kind of invasive!

[Ken the cruiser]

We have 2 Alaska cruises booked on the Millennium in May and are staying put for now as we won't have to make a final payment decision until the end of March. One interesting side note our X PVP mentioned, and we don't know how factual it is, but part of the temporary PVSA waiver request being worked might include that only US citizens would be allowed on the applicable Alaska cruises. Again, don't know how true it is, but we did find it interesting. If I'm not mistaken, didn't some initial MSC cruises last year during the pandemic only allow guests who were residents from Europe's 26-nation Schengen visa-free travel zone to sail on one of these cruises?

[KAE27]

33 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

Was this cruise from Seattle or Vancouver?  I heard the Vancouver cruises were cancelled.

 

I received exactly this same email for a cruise out of Vancouver, which doesn't really make sense, but...

[If only]

I also received the email from Celebrity but it refers to a cruise that I used to have but it was the Norwegian Fjords May 13, 2021 not Alaska.  It does not give the exact date only refers to May cruise.  I also cancelled that cruise last June.

Edited February 12, 2021 by If only

[phoenix_dream]

And we have two cruises out of Vancouver and have gotten no emails yet.  Hmmmmm