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Kimberley cruises affected by NT restrictions


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Ive done a bit of a search but i cant find anything in relation to the new ruling the NT bought in on the 26th March.

Maximum number of people allowed on ships is 100 including crew. This will obviously affect the upcoming Kimberley season.

Coral expeditions are able to continue sailing one of there ships as it has a maximum of 100 people, however for their other two ships they will be chartering flights (at a cost of $300pp to get people to/from Darwin). https://www.coralexpeditions.com/au/news/kimberley-2021-travel-update/

We are booked on Ponant in August and haven’t been able to get any info out of them, it will obviously also impact Scenic and Silversea with their sailings.

Anybody heard anything?

 

 

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Travelweekly.com.au explains the new rules in relation to cruise ships, with more than 100 passengers including crew, not being permitted in Darwin.  Also a maximum of two cruise ships in port at one time.  

Did you write to Ponant seeking clarification in relation to your August cruise?  Some people seem to have success with social media.  

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Just now, MMDown Under said:

Gogo65 - Travelweekly.com.au explains the new rules in relation to cruise ships, with more than 100 passengers including crew, not being permitted in Darwin.  Also a maximum of two cruise ships in port at one time.  

Did you write to Ponant seeking clarification in relation to your August cruise?  Some people seem to have success with social media.  

 

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1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

Travelweekly.com.au explains the new rules in relation to cruise ships, with more than 100 passengers including crew, not being permitted in Darwin.  Also a maximum of two cruise ships in port at one time.  

Did you write to Ponant seeking clarification in relation to your August cruise?  Some people seem to have success with social media.  

Hi MM, yes I asked specifically about the Kimberley cruise on social media, they came back with a stock standard reply in regards getting approval to sail in the area, I pushed further asking more specifically about the restrictions in the NT and they haven’t responded.

just thought someone here may have heard something.

im happy to sit and wait, just interesting that it will impact other lines as well..

plan B will be a NZ trip or we may even flip to the Ross sea Antarctica cruise in February that they’ve announced (just can’t afford both!!)

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1 hour ago, gogo65 said:

Hi MM, yes I asked specifically about the Kimberley cruise on social media, they came back with a stock standard reply in regards getting approval to sail in the area, I pushed further asking more specifically about the restrictions in the NT and they haven’t responded.

just thought someone here may have heard something.

im happy to sit and wait, just interesting that it will impact other lines as well..

plan B will be a NZ trip or we may even flip to the Ross sea Antarctica cruise in February that they’ve announced (just can’t afford both!!)

Always good to have a plan B and plan C.  Is your deposit with Ponant refundable?

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1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

Always good to have a plan B and plan C.  Is your deposit with Ponant refundable?

It’s been deposited since prior to Covid (September 2019), so will be based on original refund conditions, however assuming if they cancel we will get a full refund..

They only require full payment 30 days out now, so doubt we will get to that point! 

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44 minutes ago, gogo65 said:

Interesting...

I've just checked the Ponant post on Facebook, where I asked specifically about the new ruling in the NT and my post has been removed 🤷‍♀️

I would say Ponant has requested it be moved, are they not in financial trouble? 

It has been mentioned on CC that they are not readily refunding cruise monies.

Edited by NSWP
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5 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

SneakY!  Why would it be removed?  I'd send another question!!

Maybe they don’t want people knowing about the new ruling until they work out a solution??

it’s a tough one, Coral expeditions are charging $300pp for the charter flight to get them to/from Darwin, not something that people would be happy to hear.

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5 hours ago, Docker123 said:


Also ask whether the ship has permission to enter Australian waters.

 

Don’t want to bank on a re-run of the NZ situation where they got sent away.

 

I believe that it’s still in progress, but scenic Silversea and Ponant are all in the same boat. Ponant have already cancelled the first couple of cruises (April/early May) as they didn’t have appropriate approval, I’d say the NT ruling would just be another big thorn in their side. 
Honestly with strict guidelines in place and only Aussies allowed on board you would think the benefits would outweigh any risks.

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5 hours ago, NSWP said:

I would say Ponant has requested it be moved, are they not in financial trouble? 

It has been mentioned on CC that they are not readily refunding cruise monies.

Yes I’ve read a few posts about issues with refunds although I do believe Australians have finally been successful. I assume like all cruise lines at the moment there are many in trouble.

The Kimberley cruises would give them some decent revenue in a fairly safe country, they have two ships coming down here just going back and forth between Broome and Darwin, with 200 passengers paying minimum $15k each, for 10-14 night cruises, that’s serious money!

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29 minutes ago, gogo65 said:

Yes I’ve read a few posts about issues with refunds although I do believe Australians have finally been successful. I assume like all cruise lines at the moment there are many in trouble.

The Kimberley cruises would give them some decent revenue in a fairly safe country, they have two ships coming down here just going back and forth between Broome and Darwin, with 200 passengers paying minimum $15k each, for 10-14 night cruises, that’s serious money!

Indeed and that would be 15K twin share right? About $1300 per diem. I suppose for solo travellers, single occupancy, double it? yikes, $2600 a night- $30,000 for the cruise, out of my league.

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25 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Indeed and that would be 15K twin share right? About $1300 per diem. I suppose for solo travellers, single occupancy, double it? yikes, $2600 a night- $30,000 for the cruise, out of my league.

I do believe they have some reduced single supplement cruises but yep that’s what the current cost is for the basic balcony cabin (they only have 5 oceanview cabins on each ship i think and they dont tend to sell them, as they keep them for staff) for 10 nights. Book early with their 30% off and its not quite as bad! 

Im not sure you can do the Kimberleys much cheaper by sea unfortunately, its a once in a lifetime for us.

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10 minutes ago, gogo65 said:

I do believe they have some reduced single supplement cruises but yep that’s what the current cost is for the basic balcony cabin (they only have 5 oceanview cabins on each ship i think and they dont tend to sell them, as they keep them for staff) for 10 nights. Book early with their 30% off and its not quite as bad! 

Im not sure you can do the Kimberleys much cheaper by sea unfortunately, its a once in a lifetime for us.

Thanks. In 2009 we did the Australian Circumavigation on Sun Princess, sailed past the Kimberleys, we did anchor for a a few hours in a bay/arcapeligo  somewhere. Stops in either side of course were Broome and Darwin. Would be good to do on the expedition ships though, one can go ashore.

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44 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

I think this is the original report - via Cruise Weekly, scroll down to the story.

https://issues.cruiseweekly.com.au/2021/Mar21/cw300321.pdf

 

 

Thank you for this interesting report.  Ponant Chairman stated across APT and Ponant's bookings some 6 million of agents commissions are being jeopardised by the NT ruling.  6 million really?  No wonder many Aussies can't afford to visit the Kimberleys.  I wish I'd gone years ago with a small local operator.  

 

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18 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Thank you for this interesting report.  Ponant Chairman stated across APT and Ponant's bookings some 6 million of agents commissions are being jeopardised by the NT ruling.  6 million really?  No wonder many Aussies can't afford to visit the Kimberleys.  I wish I'd gone years ago with a small local operator.  

 

 

 

What cost vulnerable aboriginals catch the virus from visitors to NT?

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1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

Thank you for this interesting report.  Ponant Chairman stated across APT and Ponant's bookings some 6 million of agents commissions are being jeopardised by the NT ruling.  6 million really?  No wonder many Aussies can't afford to visit the Kimberleys.  I wish I'd gone years ago with a small local operator.  

 

That sounds like some serious exaggeration there. I can't imagine a season of expedition cruises, with only local Australian passengers, would result in commissions of 6 million, even with Ponant's high fares. They might hit that mark with all their proposed cruises world-wide but not a limited number of Australian ones. I call bulls..t on that!

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6 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Were the ship passengers Australian only?

They would have to be since our international border is closed to everywhere except NZ. So maybe some Kiwis but the rest would be Australian.

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