Has the new Omicron variant delay the restart of cruising?

[Kiwi_cruiser]

From Cruise Passenger: https://cruisepassenger.com.au/news/just-14-days-before-cruise-ship-ban-renews-and-now-omicron-delays-australias-restart/

 

New COVID strain Omicron has halted Australia’s cruise restart with just 14 days to go before the Biosecurity Act ban on foreign flagged vessels is due for renewal.

 

The state has told Cruise Passenger it is now waiting for the Federal Government’s all-clear before it can start planning the return of ships.

Last week, we reported a meeting with cruise lines and NSW government officials looked set to result in permission to sail as early as next February for local waters.  But the sudden concerns over Omicron and the world’s response has meant health officials were forced to delay any announcement about cruising in the state.

 

It had been expected that an early announcement on the Biosecurity Act ban on foreign flagged vessels, which expires on December 17, would allow homeported fleets like those of Princess, P&O and Carnival could be back.

 

But after news of the new strain and the first cases in Australia, P&O Cruises Australia cancelled further sailings until March 3, 2022. “Recent speculation about the lifting of the ban on cruise ships has been encouraging but uncertainty continues around the resumption of cruising in Australia,” said P&O Cruises Australia President Sture Myrmell.

 

There is widespread support from NSW and Federal Government for a return of cruising, and the move is still expected to eventuate.

Ironically, nine more vessels have returned to service around the world, bringing to 239 cruise the number of ships operating from 68 brands globally, according to the December edition of the Cruise Ships in Service Report by Cruise Industry News.

 

there are concerns that Australia could now miss the season until next October. Executive Chair of Australian Chamber of Tourism, John Hart, said on radio yesterday:  “It takes three to six months to get ships into Australia once we have a date set and it’s just not worth doing that and committing to that timeline if we’re not certain that we’ll be able to cruise.”

 

“Even if the ban was removed we really wouldn’t have ships in the country until maybe March,” Mr Hart said. “If we miss March, we miss the whole cruising season in Australia.”.........

Continue reading > https://cruisepassenger.com.au/news/just-14-days-before-cruise-ship-ban-renews-and-now-omicron-delays-australias-restart/

Edited December 3, 2021 by Kiwi_cruiser

[portcbob]

If this new variant causes the Feds to cancel the restart of cruising in a couple of weeks time we all may as well forget about cruising altogether. New variants will be popping up from time to time in the future for probably years to come. 

Either make the call for a restart OR can cruising forever, but make a decision as this virus is not going away.

[Aussieflyer]

I fear the ship has sunk. 

[Russell21]

2 hours ago, portcbob said:

If this new variant causes the Feds to cancel the restart of cruising in a couple of weeks time we all may as well forget about cruising altogether. New variants will be popping up from time to time in the future for probably years to come. 

Either make the call for a restart OR can cruising forever, but make a decision as this virus is not going away.

I totally agree, the cruise companies can not be stuffed around for ever. Covid is something we have to live with and the powers that be have to realise this. To put it bluntly it's P or get off the pot time.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Delta plus high vaccination percentages have pushed us into Live with Covid mode and new variants shouldn't change that. 

 

I would feel safer on a cruise ship where all passengers and crew are fully vaccinated, and passengers tested before boarding, than I currently do in my local LGA which is reporting almost one case a day and where around 7% of the population are not fully vaccinated.

[Cruisers47]

I agree….staying at a hotel where the poor staff have to clean so many rooms very quickly I feel that the boats would be a lot cleaner.

 

can some idiot in the government please make some decisions.   Oh I forgot there is an election soon.   No decisions can be made.

 

eileen

[NSWP]

I have no doubt the Omicron scare has put cruising back another six months at least, watch this space.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, Cruisers47 said:

I agree….staying at a hotel where the poor staff have to clean so many rooms very quickly I feel that the boats would be a lot cleaner.

 

can some idiot in the government please make some decisions.   Oh I forgot there is an election soon.   No decisions can be made.

 

eileen

The cabin stewards don't spend much time in cleaning cabins between cruises either, often they have 20 cabins to do, big job even though they often have a help in between cruises.  A lick and a promise clean, like many hotels.

[OzKiwiJJ]

23 minutes ago, NSWP said:

The cabin stewards don't spend much time in cleaning cabins between cruises either, often they have 20 cabins to do, big job even though they often have a help in between cruises.  A lick and a promise clean, like many hotels.

I think that might have changed quite a bit since Covid.

[portcbob]

17 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I think that might have changed quite a bit since Covid.

Bit more detailed cleansing I would suggest. Those 5 minute cabin cleans are over.

[NSWP]

23 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I think that might have changed quite a bit since Covid.

You would like to think so Julie.

[NSWP]

6 hours ago, portcbob said:

Bit more detailed cleansing I would suggest. Those 5 minute cabin cleans are over.

But we don't really know do we? We are not on board when previous occupants depart and cabin cleaning starts.

[portcbob]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

But we don't really know do we? We are not on board when previous occupants depart and cabin cleaning starts.

All I am saying is that I think the cleaning may be a bit more intense than pre covid.👍

[MicCanberra]

Personally, I don't think Omicron has affected cruising here as yet due to the fact that cruising hadn't received a restart date yet and was not likely to receive one until after March anyway. 

[Bubbeh]

8 hours ago, NSWP said:

You would like to think so Julie.

Me too.  BTW, I love your wine thingy.

[NSWP]

17 cases inc Omicron on Norweigan Breakaway, according to NCL section of CC.

[sewgood]

57 minutes ago, NSWP said:

17 cases inc Omicron on Norweigan Breakaway, according to NCL section of CC.

I saw on the ABC Amercian news yesterday that there were at least 10 cases and the ship had to return to port to New Orleans.

I wondered if there was Omicron onboard.

[sewgood]

Upon reading about NCL cruises I don't think that the numbers are too bad as they had a no mask policy on this ship and unless passengers were triple vaccinated their immunity generally would be lower than us here in Australia as they tended to be fully vaccinated before us.

Hopefully the vaccines will hold up against serious disease for those who caught it on board.

At least here in Australia most of us should be triple vaccinated by the time cruising starts here and that will really help stop the spread if anyone does bring it on board. 🙂

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, sewgood said:

I saw on the ABC Amercian news yesterday that there were at least 10 cases and the ship had to return to port to New Orleans.

I wondered if there was Omicron onboard.

From reports South African crew member had the Omicron.

[sewgood]

54 minutes ago, NSWP said:

From reports South African crew member had the Omicron.

I did read that they were doing their quarantine in their cabin after joining the ship.

If it's true, hopefully no one else that tested positive has omicron.

[pully8]

Suspected Omicron case aboard Norwegian cruise ship is South African crew member | Reuters  Some more detail here. 

[cqtiger]

Since Queen Anna is opening Qld I am sure cruising will open despite Omicron

[NSWP]

2 minutes ago, cqtiger said:

Since Queen Anna is opening Qld I am sure cruising will open despite Omicron

But one has to get tested for covid before entering that hallowed ground up north, the Queen said.

 

Can you imagine the traffic delays at the checkpoints which are still going to operate? 

[portcbob]

23 minutes ago, NSWP said:

But one has to get tested for covid before entering that hallowed ground up north, the Queen said.

 

Can you imagine the traffic delays at the checkpoints which are still going to operate? 

We live in Qld and it is believed the Queen will allow cruises to resume if the Feds give the green light on the 17th. The only problem is that the Queen might only let Queenslanders to cruise from Brisbane. 

[SinbadThePorter]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

But one has to get tested for covid before entering that hallowed ground up north, the Queen said.

 

Not true. You only need testing if you come from a covid hotspot.

 

I realise that NSW folk are special and we mere Bananabenders should always genuflect in their direction, but if NSW people had wanted to move freely between states they shouldn't live in covid hotspot.

 

Of course, the best way not to be living in a covid hotspot was to not have Saint Gladys running the shop when delta came knocking.

 

NSW covid cases 83,572. Qld covid cases 2,155.

 

NSW covid deaths 632. Qld covid deaths 7.

 

Thank you Queen Anna. 😍