When will Silversea cancel the Muse Japan cruises???

[les37b]

9 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

There has to be much more to this story than just missing a connection.  I find it hard to believe that you could not get from Singapore back to the UK within a week.

 

Hehe... I knew you couldn't resist.

 

I was half way home on a Singapore A380 when the captain made a rather alarming announcement "due to Volcanic activity in LONDON, we are returning to Singapore." 11 hour flight to nowhere! 

 

We took a short break to Iceland a few years later to say thank you to the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull

[seaquay]

Looks like the Silver Muse is headed back to Long Beach again.

[carefreecruise]

I found this on the Ministry of Japan's website, as of Feb 10th 2022. Don't know if I am reading it right, but it looks like Japan is open to a bunch of selected countries for tourism.  See link https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html

 

Maybe I'm reading it all wrong, but it something to look at... 

[seaquay]

Thank you for the link.  Unfortunately point 5. Leads you to a whole list of announcements including this one, which has been in place for some time.  So even if you can get a visa at the moment entry to Japan as a tourist is still not possible 

this is dated Feb 10

 

 

Information about entering into Japan

• New entry of foreign nationals
  As emergency precautionary measure from a preventive perspective, new entry of foreign nationals is suspended. This measure will remain in effect at least until the end of February.
   

 

,

Edited February 15, 2022 by seaquay

[FauxNom]

As of 2/14 from the US Embassy page: Travel for tourism and most other short-term purposes is still not permitted, and there is no indication that this will change in the short term. Visa-free travel is suspended.

[drron29]

And the Japan Times from today. They are easing restrictions in March. But no tourists.

They are increasing the number able to enter Japan from 3500 per day to 5000. But this is for business travellers plus returning students.

Japan to ease COVID border controls and lift entry quarantine from March | The Japan Times

[les37b]

Though mine isn't until Early May, if the voyages before mine can't sail (which looks 99% certain - at least the first one), then there is zero hope the Muse will sail from the US to Japan to do a transoceanic return.

 

Just wished they'd make the announcement sooner rather than later. I've already let 2 or 3 bargain replacements go and found another to Svalbard and Norway I'd be happy with, which has the added advantage of it being no flights.

[silkismom]

Just for kicks, I checked my United flts DEN/NRT and NOTHING shows being held or ticketed. It was there Feb 1, this is for the Mar 25 sailing. But My Silversea still shows it.

[milepig]

2 hours ago, silkismom said:

Just for kicks, I checked my United flts DEN/NRT and NOTHING shows being held or ticketed. It was there Feb 1, this is for the Mar 25 sailing. But My Silversea still shows it.

 

My TA explained that those My Silversea flights are just "hold" bookings.  The ones I'm looking for have never appeared on my UA record, but I wouldn't expect them to as SS doesnt have my UA numbers.

[silkismom]

First thing I do when a flt is scheduled is go to the airline and put in our frequent flyer numbers, passport info etc. It was all there until Feb.

[cruiseej]

2 hours ago, milepig said:

 

My TA explained that those My Silversea flights are just "hold" bookings.  The ones I'm looking for have never appeared on my UA record, but I wouldn't expect them to as SS doesnt have my UA numbers.

 

While the air bookings are not yet ticketed, they are real reservations. Depending on the airline, you should be able to log in and see the reservation on your frequent flyer account (or if you get the record locator number from your TA). Some airlines allow you to select or edit your seat selections as well. When I've had SS air reservations, I've been able to see them on both Delta and United's websites. 

[silkismom]

That's why I was confused when nothing shows up today on UA

[FlyerTalker]

5 hours ago, cruiseej said:

While the air bookings are not yet ticketed, they are real reservations.

 

And just what does this "real" reservation get you?

 

Until such time as you have an actual e-ticket, a 13 digit number, you are merely a request and placeholder in the airline's system.

 

That "real reservation" can be modified or cancelled at any time with no recourse by the passenger.  Those seats are requests at best - you can have them moved or cancelled for actual ticketed passengers.

 

But sure...those real reservations are rock solid.

[Host Jazzbeau]

36 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

And just what does this "real" reservation get you?

 

Until such time as you have an actual e-ticket, a 13 digit number, you are merely a request and placeholder in the airline's system.

 

That "real reservation" can be modified or cancelled at any time with no recourse by the passenger.  Those seats are requests at best - you can have them moved or cancelled for actual ticketed passengers.

 

But sure...those real reservations are rock solid.

Up until the last sentence this was an honest and helpful post.  Was it necessary to add the snark at the end?

[seaquay]

Reported in Japan Times today 17 Feb

 

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that Japan will allow new entries of foreign nationals who are entering the nation for reasons other than tourism, such as foreign students and business travelers, starting March as part of an exit strategy of the sixth wave.

[taxatty]

19 hours ago, cruiseej said:

When I've had SS air reservations, I've been able to see them on both Delta and United's websites. 

This also works on AA's website, and you can choose your seats--availability depends upon your AA status (if any). I was able to choose seats months in advance of the reservations being ticketed, but I couldn't request paid upgrades to business class (which I eventually got upon boarding the outbound flight and a few days in advance of the inbound flight) until they were ticketed.

[cruiseej]

14 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

And just what does this "real" reservation get you? Until such time as you have an actual e-ticket, a 13 digit number, you are merely a request and placeholder in the airline's system.

 

That "real reservation" can be modified or cancelled at any time with no recourse by the passenger.  Those seats are requests at best - you can have them moved or cancelled for actual ticketed passengers.

 

But sure...those real reservations are rock solid.

 

There's no need to be nasty about it. 

 

In fact, once you have been ticketed, you can still be bumped around by the airline, right? They can cancel your flight and rebook you. They can substitute a different aircraft and change your seat. Nothing is guaranteed, even once paid.

 

My only point about not calling it a "request" or "placeholder" is that it sounds more tenuous than it is. It's a reservation, holding a seat for you as one expects with reservations at a hotel, rental car, restaurant, etc. And any reservation can be canceled or changed. (As one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes highlights at an auto rental counter, "you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation!")

[PaulMCO]

Read the whole article -- key item sponsor -- means business visa.  Likely they will limit the scope.

Numbers of passenger at 5K per day.  That is not many.

 

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held another press briefing on February 17, 2022, offering a significant reopening update. He confirmed that Japan will ease entry restrictions on nonresident foreign nationals beginning March 1, 2022 and provided details about the reopening plan. This follows a week visit to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport during which he intimated that Japan would relax its border closure.

Under the new plan, foreign nationals will also be able to enter the country for purposes other than tourism so long as they have a sponsor in Japan. Along with this, Japan will increase its limit on new entries into the country at 5,000 per day. To put this into perspective, the total number of people newly entering Japan from Nov. 29 to Feb. 10 was only approximately 6,000.

 

I have had tickets since since September on UA in Biz, booked on line.   UA opened up a boat load of flights again after the November reopening announcement.  Quite possible with this delay your flights may have been cancelled by UA as they scale back again due to continued closure. 

[phillipahain]

For Silversea to leave everyone in limbo like this is totalling insulting 

 

Many passengers will have wanted to book something else not face a last minute cancellation

[les37b]

7 hours ago, phillipahain said:

For Silversea to leave everyone in limbo like this is totalling insulting 

 

Many passengers will have wanted to book something else not face a last minute cancellation

 

The logic is that it's easier for them to cancel as late as possible, rather than cancel early and reassemble cruises that can now sail because Japan has opened up.

 

I have (yesterday) booked a replacement for my 5 May sailing on another line which was bookable with a great offer. Japan will not be happening.

[FlyerTalker]

13 hours ago, phillipahain said:

For Silversea to leave everyone in limbo like this is totalling insulting

 

For every passenger that will be happy that their cruise is cancelled now, there will be at least as many that will be upset over that same cancellation when Japan is then open for tourists and the itinerary could have been operated.  But isn't.

 

Or so my Ouija board says.

 

[cruisr]

Friends on the Yokohama to Anchorage had their FF #s added to their UA reservation.  It was showing under their UA account under booked trips.  They picked their seats.  Now, the PNR is showing as having “no information” and the seats they choose are now showing available on the UA website.  They called UA res and after nearly an hour on hold the res agent said they do not show flights booked with that PNR.  She then tried  to search the flight with their last name and nada.  They are not on the flight even though Silversea still shows the flights.

Edited February 20, 2022 by cruisr

[silkismom]

Same with me for Tokyo RT, UA now shows no info.   Wish SS would break down and cancel, you know they have to. Would love to book something to replace.

[milepig]

We canceled Singapore-Yokahama this week - on like the last day. Our TA did the deed. It was actually for a cluster of reasons and not just covid uncertainty.

 

I was amazed at how little Silversea seems to have cared. The booking is just gone from My Silversea, we haven't received any confirmation from them (my TA may have?) the first refund already hit my CC, the second hasn't.  I have no idea if the FCC originally used has been returned to my account - no correspondence on that and you can't see anything online.  Sort of like "no long, don't slam the door when you leave."

[safari111]

Singapore to Yokahama? I havent seen that as even an active cruise for 2022!