Pass The Parcel Or Pass The Buck – Why Australia Can’t Cruise While The Rest Of The World Is Enjoying A Renaissance

[Cruisers47]

Hi

 

we have done Crystal through the Panama Canal.

 

Crystal was my favourite cruise ship.   Mostly when our dollar was one on one with the US dollar.   Now a bit expensive but we have booked the Panama Canal again from LA to NY.   The cost was not too bad and the specialist restaurants are really lovely.

 

we just assume that we can cruise there if not in Oz.

 

eileen

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

'Borders open' doesn't mean the government will allow large cruise ships into Australian waters.

True but it does mean we can go somewhere else to cruise.

[BRANDEE]

17 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

True but it does mean we can go somewhere else to cruise.

Are your borders than also going to be opened to international visitors or just allowing your citizens to come and go internationally?  Not clear from the last few posts.

[Cruisers47]

Hi

 

really silly to allow Aussie to go overseas and cruise but not let you cruise around Aussie.   
 

there is a lot of people employed in Sydney at the port when a ship comes in.

 

we have booked a Xmas cruise with RCL.  Don’t think it will go ahead but RCL refund deposits quickly.   
 

eileen

[sewgood]

26 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

WOW! I don't believe it! I have been locked out for several days - I don't know why. 😕I don't think I have been in the naughty corner. 😁This post has actually appeared. For days I have the message to either register or sign in, but I hadn't been able to sign in. This post just went on as normal. Great!

Happened to me as well.

Keep telling me to log in even though I was already logged in and wouldn't  post what I had written.

Came good by itself then happened again a few days later.

I was wondering what I had done as well.🤔

[sewgood]

26 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

WOW! I don't believe it! I have been locked out for several days - I don't know why. 😕I don't think I have been in the naughty corner. 😁This post has actually appeared. For days I have the message to either register or sign in, but I hadn't been able to sign in. This post just went on as normal. Great!

Happened to me as well.

Keep telling me to log in even though I was already logged in and wouldn't  post what I had written.

Came good by itself then happened again a few days later.

I was wondering what I had done as well.🤔

[sewgood]

26 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

WOW! I don't believe it! I have been locked out for several days - I don't know why. 😕I don't think I have been in the naughty corner. 😁This post has actually appeared. For days I have the message to either register or sign in, but I hadn't been able to sign in. This post just went on as normal. Great!

Happened to me as well.

Keep telling me to log in even though I was already logged in and wouldn't  post what I had written.

Came good by itself then happened again a few days later.

I was wondering what I had done as well.🤔

[OzKiwiJJ]

18 minutes ago, BRANDEE said:

Are your borders than also going to be opened to international visitors or just allowing your citizens to come and go internationally?  Not clear from the last few posts.

We don't know yet. The government is supposed to be making an announcement sometime today outlining their "roadmap" for the border opening.

[OzKiwiJJ]

16 minutes ago, Cruisers47 said:

Hi

 

really silly to allow Aussie to go overseas and cruise but not let you cruise around Aussie.   
 

there is a lot of people employed in Sydney at the port when a ship comes in.

 

we have booked a Xmas cruise with RCL.  Don’t think it will go ahead but RCL refund deposits quickly.   
 

eileen

Silly is far to mild a term but I'd get banned if I posted what I really thought about the governments' attitudes to cruising!

[OzKiwiJJ]

44 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

'Borders open' doesn't mean the government will allow large cruise ships into Australian waters.

 

WOW! I don't believe it! I have been locked out for several days - I don't know why. 😕I don't think I have been in the naughty corner. 😁This post has actually appeared. For days I have the message to either register or sign in, but I hadn't been able to sign in. This post just went on as normal. Great!

Did you try using different browsers or devices? I had a problem once where I couldn't log in on my laptop but had no problems on my phone.

[OzKiwiJJ]

43 minutes ago, Cruisers47 said:

Hi

 

we have done Crystal through the Panama Canal.

 

Crystal was my favourite cruise ship.   Mostly when our dollar was one on one with the US dollar.   Now a bit expensive but we have booked the Panama Canal again from LA to NY.   The cost was not too bad and the specialist restaurants are really lovely.

 

we just assume that we can cruise there if not in Oz.

 

eileen

We had a wonderful Western Europe cruuse booked on Crystal in 2020 that got canned by Covid. It took Crystal almost a year to refund the balance of our fare - after waiting five months we recovered the final payments through a credit card chargeback but couldn't recover the deposit that way. Consequently we're not likely to choose Crystal again any time soon.

[sewgood]

Sorry for the multi posts but having trouble with posts being accepted straight away.

I know now don't click the button again.

Thanks OzKiwi for the idea of using a different brower.

[mr walker]

4 minutes ago, sewgood said:

Sorry for the multi posts but having trouble with posts being accepted straight away.

I know now don't click the button again.

Thanks OzKiwi for the idea of using a different brower.

I thought your problem had gone from not being able to post to having an echo, echo... 🙂 

Sometimes the site is just a bit temperamental I guess.

[Cruisers47]

Hi

 

sorry to hear about your problems with refund with Crystal.   When we went with Crystal it was owned by a Japanese company now owned by the Chinese.  
 

I guess the larger companies like RCL have the refund policies up to scratch.

 

hope we also all get cruising ?..soon soon.

 

eileen

[OzKiwiJJ]

21 minutes ago, Cruisers47 said:

Hi

 

sorry to hear about your problems with refund with Crystal.   When we went with Crystal it was owned by a Japanese company now owned by the Chinese.  
 

I guess the larger companies like RCL have the refund policies up to scratch.

 

hope we also all get cruising ?..soon soon.

 

eileen

Most of the other luxury lines were refunding promptly from what I heard. I think Crystal had some serious cashflow problems at the time. The thing that annoyed us most was lack of information about the delays in refunding. 

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Did you try using different browsers or devices? I had a problem once where I couldn't log in on my laptop but had no problems on my phone.

No, I haven't tried using a different browser. I just got on with another project I am working on and regretted the time I spent on failed attempts to post.

 

From the look of it, this post will be successful, but my several attempts a short while ago were not. I have had  probably around 20 failed attempts to post something, and feel it is a way to make me lose interest in Cruise Critic. The fact that I have kept trying either shows that I am stubborn (probably yes), enjoy participating in CC (definitely yes) or that I am a slow learner (maybe).

[sewgood]

1 hour ago, mr walker said:

I thought your problem had gone from not being able to post to having an echo, echo... 🙂 

Sometimes the site is just a bit temperamental I guess.

Too funny! Too funny! Too funny!

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

21 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

No, I haven't tried using a different browser. I just got on with another project I am working on and regretted the time I spent on failed attempts to post.

 

From the look of it, this post will be successful, but my several attempts a short while ago were not. I have had  probably around 20 failed attempts to post something, and feel it is a way to make me lose interest in Cruise Critic. The fact that I have kept trying either shows that I am stubborn (probably yes), enjoy participating in CC (definitely yes) or that I am a slow learner (maybe).

It may not even be CC itself but whatever host they use. When changes are made they usually work OK on most devices and browsers but sometimes there is a tiny glitch with one particular browser or device type. Speaking as someone who had over 30 years as a software developer in the past I would hate to have to cope with all the variations needed these days. It was bad enough having to make something work on two different operating systems.

[OzKiwiJJ]

@BRANDEE no real news on borders, only that Australians  will be allowed to travel overseas once vaccination levels reach 80%. Fully vaccinated arrivals won't be counted i  arrival caps and will be able to quarantine at home. The way that was worded implies Australians only, no international visitors. Also no clarity as to where Australians are allowed to travel to/from. In other words, the usual waffle from our PM that says very little.

[BRANDEE]

11 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

@BRANDEE no real news on borders, only that Australians  will be allowed to travel overseas once vaccination levels reach 80%. Fully vaccinated arrivals won't be counted i  arrival caps and will be able to quarantine at home. The way that was worded implies Australians only, no international visitors. Also no clarity as to where Australians are allowed to travel to/from. In other words, the usual waffle from our PM that says very little.

Thanks for the info..or lack of from the info you got.  Sounds like a maybe answer.  So sorry you are getting such a "run around".  Wondering if the 80% is being used to give your countrymen an incentive to get vaccinated. 

Here in USA we were hoping to be at 70% this summer but that fell short as the anti vaxers keep resisting and the below 12 are not yet being cleared for vaccination.  We are currently at 65% fully vaccinated but that number varies from state to state depending where you are.  Add in the non vaccinated who already got covid and "maybe" we are close to 80% herd immunity.  But as science tells us..100% is the number we all need.  No host means that covid and its variants can not grow.  Sounds unattainable doesn't it? Maybe we do have to learn to live with it.  Scary!

If you are able to travel to NYC in the Spring for a cruise, we are pretty strict regarding vaccinations and testing in the city.  Proof of vaccination (and/or a 72 hr negative covid test) is needed to go to movies, theater, sporting events and eating indoor restaurants.  Currently there is a mandate for city employees to be vaccinated or they will lose their job..the teachers union is in our supreme court to get that ruling changed. It also involves police, firemen, nurses and doctors at city hospitals.

Mask wearing indoors is still wide spread and most people are following.  I live out in the suburbs and haven't been to a store without my mask yet. I also live in a very republican political area and most non mask wearing people are just showing what side of the political fence they sit.  

Good luck in getting 80% vaccinated.  Hope you can open up soon!

Edited October 1, 2021 by BRANDEE

[lyndarra]

5 hours ago, BRANDEE said:

Thanks for the info..or lack of from the info you got.  Sounds like a maybe answer.  So sorry you are getting such a "run around".  Wondering if the 80% is being used to give your countrymen an incentive to get vaccinated. 

Here in USA we were hoping to be at 70% this summer but that fell short as the anti vaxers keep resisting and the below 12 are not yet being cleared for vaccination.  We are currently at 65% fully vaccinated but that number varies from state to state depending where you are.  Add in the non vaccinated who already got covid and "maybe" we are close to 80% herd immunity.  But as science tells us..100% is the number we all need.  No host means that covid and its variants can not grow.  Sounds unattainable doesn't it? Maybe we do have to learn to live with it.  Scary!

If you are able to travel to NYC in the Spring for a cruise, we are pretty strict regarding vaccinations and testing in the city.  Proof of vaccination (and/or a 72 hr negative covid test) is needed to go to movies, theater, sporting events and eating indoor restaurants.  Currently there is a mandate for city employees to be vaccinated or they will lose their job..the teachers union is in our supreme court to get that ruling changed. It also involves police, firemen, nurses and doctors at city hospitals.

Mask wearing indoors is still wide spread and most people are following.  I live out in the suburbs and haven't been to a store without my mask yet. I also live in a very republican political area and most non mask wearing people are just showing what side of the political fence they sit.  

Good luck in getting 80% vaccinated.  Hope you can open up soon!

Here it is, from the horses mouth as they say.

https://www.pm.gov.au/media/next-steps-reopen-world

 

[MicCanberra]

It is basically re-announcing what will happen with stage C which is when Australia reaches a 80% double dose, the state's that have already reached that level will allow people to leave and also accept Australians to return home with a 7 day home isolation.

Stage D will allow internationals to arrive, although I am not sure if there  is a quarantine  period in a hotel.

[GUT2407]

I too was having all sorts of issues for a while, similar to above, some days I wonder if CC really wants our input. Just lately evrtime I try to check unread posts I have to refresh,

 

[By The Bay]

1 minute ago, GUT2407 said:

I too was having all sorts of issues for a while, similar to above, some days I wonder if CC really wants our input. Just lately evrtime I try to check unread posts I have to refresh,

 

I solved that problem by switching from Firefox to Chrome.

[GUT2407]

37 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

I solved that problem by switching from Firefox to Chrome.

Mine was Safari,