Azamara extends no sail suspension until June 30th 2021

[upwarduk]

Just when I was wondering if we had a chance to get away in the summer, after the Prime Minister announced the  UK’s road map out Lockdown, on Monday 22.02.21:

 

https://www.azamara.com/cruising-suspension

Edited February 24, 2021 by upwarduk

[wjfan417]

Makes my decision about making final payment next week easy!

[uktog]

24 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

Just when I was wondering if we had a chance to get away in the summer, after the Prime Minister announced the  UK’s road map out Lockdown, on Monday 22.02.21:

 

https://www.azamara.com/cruising-suspension

Azamara's vessels are stuck in Scotland - its only a road map for England that the Prime Minister announced.  Scotland is not being opened up at the same rate and has a much tougher quarantine regime

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by uktog

[ECCruise]

Well, IF they keep the same itineraries, and IF there isn't a further suspension, that means first sailings would be:

 

Pursuit:  10 night Greece from Piraeus on 10 July

Quest: 12 night Baltic from Copenhagen on 11 July

Journey: 12 night British Iles (Golf) from Leith on 16 July

[Mackdogmolly]

Looks like Lift and Shift is back!

[uktog]

7 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Looks like Lift and Shift is back!

But just for the cancelled sailings...

[wjfan417]

39 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

Well, IF they keep the same itineraries, and IF there isn't a further suspension, that means first sailings would be:

 

Pursuit:  10 night Greece from Piraeus on 10 July

Quest: 12 night Baltic from Copenhagen on 11 July

Journey: 12 night British Iles (Golf) from Leith on 16 July

We’re booked on the British Isles cruise but since it was a B2B with our cancelled Iceland trip on June 30 we’ll probably cancel.

[Mackdogmolly]

53 minutes ago, uktog said:

But just for the cancelled sailings...

Oh, right. Well, that’s too bad ☹️

[tgg]

1 hour ago, ECCruise said:

Well, IF they keep the same itineraries, and IF there isn't a further suspension, that means first sailings would be:

 

Pursuit:  10 night Greece from Piraeus on 10 July

Quest: 12 night Baltic from Copenhagen on 11 July

Journey: 12 night British Iles (Golf) from Leith on 16 July

Sounds like the "ifs" just got bigger.😧

Edited February 24, 2021 by tgg
content

[MNgardens]

I read on a different site that Crystal will be requiring vaccinations across all its brands. There is a discussion of this with the associated FAQ on their sub forum.

 

For those of you who would be among the first to get back on an Azamara sailing, how is it going with getting your vaccinations? Would a requirement be a plus or a minus?

[ECCruise]

5 minutes ago, tgg said:

Sounds like the "ifs" just got bigger.😧

Yep.

Our late July 2021 sailing is now on the bubble, after sailings cxed in April, May, September, October, November and December 2020.  And January, April and May,, 2021.

 

[marinaro44]

1 hour ago, MNgardens said:

I read on a different site that Crystal will be requiring vaccinations across all its brands. There is a discussion of this with the associated FAQ on their sub forum.

 

For those of you who would be among the first to get back on an Azamara sailing, how is it going with getting your vaccinations? Would a requirement be a plus or a minus?

Ours are done.  Requirement a plus.

[uktog]

It is a plus and may also not only be the cruise line that needs evidence.  Many countries are suggesting they will only reopen borders to people who hold valid evidence of vaccination.  To help with this the airline industry is taking the lead with the IATA Travel Pass which may be adopted in many countries. (https://www.iata.org/en/youandiata/travelers/iata-travel-pass-for-travelers/)

[laurieb]

1 hour ago, MNgardens said:

I read on a different site that Crystal will be requiring vaccinations across all its brands. There is a discussion of this with the associated FAQ on their sub forum.

 

For those of you who would be among the first to get back on an Azamara sailing, how is it going with getting your vaccinations? Would a requirement be a plus or a minus?

We're set to hopefully sail in October; vaccines are going quite well here in Arizona, and I expect to be fully vaccinated by early summer at the very latest. 

I have no problem with vaccines being a requirement; I hope the rest of the world will be up to speed by then also.

[Melissaghoti]

I’d be happy with a vaccine requirement.  Perhaps an exception and rigorous testing for the minuscule minority that can’t be vaccinated, to be fair. 
I got my second vaccine today. Happy to have it done and as luck would have it, got the cancelation info for my May cruise. I’d expected it, but now must decide what to replace it with.

 Melissa

[MNgardens]

Crystal is allowing no exceptions which I think is realistic. If a line permits exceptions then there will be people who dishonestly use it. Think of the disaster service dogs in an airplane turned into with people buying suspect papers on line because they don't want to leave their pet at home and making life difficult for people with true service animals.

[Louhut1]

We would have a hard time cruising there is a requirement for vaccines. Want the roll out of cruising to go smoothly and I don’t see that happening unless mandatory vaccines. Louise

[ECCruise]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

It is a plus and may also not only be the cruise line that needs evidence.  Many countries are suggesting they will only reopen borders to people who hold valid evidence of vaccination.  To help with this the airline industry is taking the lead with the IATA Travel Pass which may be adopted in many countries. (https://www.iata.org/en/youandiata/travelers/iata-travel-pass-for-travelers/)

I think the stumbling block will be the countries we visit.

 

For example, our Quest sailing at the end of July visits 8 countries, including smaller ones like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.  I think the chances of all 8 of those nations allow us in are slim. Very slim.

[scotlanders]

Looks like you will need proof of both doses of vaccine then you have to wait 14 days before cruising So anyone not yet vaccinated is looking at late June early July as most 2nd doses have so far gone to those unlikely to cruise. You also need crew to be at the same stage and as they are perhaps now in their home countries with slow vaccine roll outs I’m sceptical about that. You then need enough people at that point to sell enough cabins to make operating worthwhile.If the average cruiser on Azamara is 50 then logic says cruising is a way off yet. Someone with first vaccine late April will get 2nd late July (based on UK 12 week gap) and will be August before they can cruise. Some countries will accept ships before their own populations are vaccinated but that would be highly risky for them

 

[jelayne]

6 hours ago, scotlanders said:

Looks like you will need proof of both doses of vaccine then you have to wait 14 days before cruising So anyone not yet vaccinated is looking at late June early July as most 2nd doses have so far gone to those unlikely to cruise. You also need crew to be at the same stage and as they are perhaps now in their home countries with slow vaccine roll outs I’m sceptical about that. You then need enough people at that point to sell enough cabins to make operating worthwhile.If the average cruiser on Azamara is 50 then logic says cruising is a way off yet. Someone with first vaccine late April will get 2nd late July (based on UK 12 week gap) and will be August before they can cruise. Some countries will accept ships before their own populations are vaccinated but that would be highly risky for them

 

The time between shots in US is  up to 7 weeks for Moderna and  is 3 weeks for Pfizer.   
 

I was thinking the average cruiser on Azamara is nearer to 65 than 50, but so far only been on 1 Azamara cruise.

[uktog]

12 minutes ago, jelayne said:

The time between shots in US is  up to 7 weeks for Moderna and  is 3 weeks for Pfizer.   
 

I was thinking the average cruiser on Azamara is nearer to 65 than 50, but so far only been on 1 Azamara cruise.

In the UK the gap is 12 weeks in all cases based on scientific evidence that this optimised the  position between immunity on an individual basis and supplies of the vaccine.  There is no option to go faster as all vaccinations are managed through the government.  We are told it is 14-21 days after second immunisation that we can say we are "vaccinated" and its unlikely certificates would happen until then, so Scotlanders assessment is the one I am working to

[Riocca]

While we look at vaccination rates in our own countries we really need to be looking on a global basis, this is a chart I found online.

 

 

Countries will only open up when they feel confident that there own population is protected and it’s clear there’s a long way to go even in the so called developed countries. 
This is all dependant on vaccine availability and countries ability to administer the vaccine, while I’m fairly confident the U.K. government will meet targets and we will see the country opening up later in the summer I think foreign travel will be quite a bit later.

Traveling to land based destinations is going to be easier as hospitality is usually staffed by locals who will be included in that countries vaccine roll out, cruise ships have staff from so many countries getting them all vaccinated is going to be a problem.

 

[gnld]

We're now on the first Azamara cruise to re-start: July 10th, Greece intensive. Do I think this cruise will occur - NO. I'll bet in the next couple of months, Sycamore will pause more cruises well into the summer.

I feel vaccinations should be a MUST to board a cruise ship, esp the small luxury & near-luxury ships (like Azamara) that cater to seniors. We're scheduled for our 2nd shot in 2 weeks here in San Diego.

[annandme]

On 2/24/2021 at 1:40 PM, MNgardens said:

I read on a different site that Crystal will be requiring vaccinations across all its brands. There is a discussion of this with the associated FAQ on their sub forum.

 

For those of you who would be among the first to get back on an Azamara sailing, how is it going with getting your vaccinations? Would a requirement be a plus or a minus?

 

IMHO - The bigger problem will be getting the ship's crew vaccinated.  What "developed world" politician is going to offer up vaccine doses for cruise ship crew ahead of their own citizens!

 

And will those of us lucky enough to be vaccinated want to sail with an unvaccinated crew?

Edited February 25, 2021 by annandme

[Mackdogmolly]

8 hours ago, jelayne said:

The time between shots in US is  up to 7 weeks for Moderna and  is 3 weeks for Pfizer.   
 

I was thinking the average cruiser on Azamara is nearer to 65 than 50, but so far only been on 1 Azamara cruise.

Here in Vermont, it is 3 weeks for Pfizer and 4 weeks for Moderna