Itinerary Change

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, arxcards said:

I am sure they won't be rushed, but the cruise lines also need to know where they stand by a certain date. End of May would be a good time for an announcement

So do the people who have NZ cruises booked.

[arxcards]

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

So do the people who have NZ cruises booked.

True, and the cruise lines would like to try to keep them happy by giving plenty of notice either way.

[arxcards]

12 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

If Australia isn’t a viable market as the boss of RC said .They would have to stand some ships down.

The coastal ports will be saturated if NZ and the islands aren’t open.

All the logistics and wages at stake it would be better to sail around in circles empty.

 

Vanuatu has a unknown strain they are trying to identify and may go back into lockdown .They are asking for Australia’s help.

So it’s not over yet.

Vanuatu is back open to flights from Oz (plus NZ, New Caledonia & Fiji) from 1st July. Still a fair bit off for cruise ships, but a step in the right direction. Vila is at 90% single jab, 72% double - I wonder if they will be prepared to open islands separately as they hit their targets.

[Chiliburn]

6 hours ago, arxcards said:

Vanuatu is back open to flights from Oz (plus NZ, New Caledonia & Fiji) from 1st July. Still a fair bit off for cruise ships, but a step in the right direction. Vila is at 90% single jab, 72% double - I wonder if they will be prepared to open islands separately as they hit their targets.

I don’t think they are open to tourists just yet , mainly for returning citizens.

 

https://www.dailypost.vu/coronavirus_updates/27-repatriation-flights-from-april-to-june/article_36156e23-607e-5860-b49e-27c2933cc42b.html

[springaussie]

On 4/27/2022 at 6:59 AM, Chiliburn said:

I agree, if you have booked a NZ cruise and are given a Coastal Cruise it’s not acceptable.

I would say that if NZ and the Islands aren’t available a lot of the larger ships will just cancel the whole season. There’s just not enough ports for them to operate.

I hope you are right!

I don’t even want a South Pacific instead of NZ.

I read a few days ago that the Singapore cruises don’t  have permission to stop at ports yet. These cruises on Spectrum etc are just a gamble they will get permission by October.

 

[arxcards]

22 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

I don’t think they are open to tourists just yet , mainly for returning citizens.

 

https://www.dailypost.vu/coronavirus_updates/27-repatriation-flights-from-april-to-june/article_36156e23-607e-5860-b49e-27c2933cc42b.html

Hmm, your own link confirms what I posted - visitors from 1st July

[Chiliburn]

29 minutes ago, arxcards said:

Hmm, your own link confirms what I posted - visitors from 1st July

The headlines say repatriation flights but there’s references about tourism.

From what I can see everyone still has to get permission to travel to vanuatu. Also a few provinces have gone back into lockdown.
Maybe you have other information you can share with us ?
 

[Chiliburn]

43 minutes ago, springaussie said:

I hope you are right!

I don’t even want a South Pacific instead of NZ.

I read a few days ago that the Singapore cruises don’t  have permission to stop at ports yet. These cruises on Spectrum etc are just a gamble they will get permission by October.

 

They still don’t have permission for port calls from Singapore?

That was my plan `B’ if the big ships don’t come.

[Cbtours]

16 hours ago, arxcards said:

True, and the cruise lines would like to try to keep them happy by giving plenty of notice either way.

We have February 23 2023 Melbourne to NZ booked (along with a group of friends who decided to join us - 9 cabins booked in all). So I am watching very closely as most of these are first time cruisers so no idea of what is involved.

[Chiliburn]

New Caledonia has eased some restrictions, much the same as eastern Australia. No masks or QR code.

But still no cruise ships just yet but I don’t think it will be long.

 

https://www.newcaledonia.travel/au/coronavirus

[springaussie]

19 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

They still don’t have permission for port calls from Singapore?

That was my plan `B’ if the big ships don’t come.

Found the article.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/consumer/cruises-from-singapore-may-make-at-least-one-or-two-ports-of-call-by-year-end-stb
 

 

[arxcards]

52 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

The 

Maybe you have other information you can share with us ?
 

 

No, just the bit about visitors able to fly to Vanuatu from 1st July from limited Pacific countries. You seem to have enough challenges in absorbing that bit.

[onlyslightlymad]

20 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

So do the people who have NZ cruises booked.

I agree with you but to be fair it is the cruise lines who have accepted bookings without an opening date being announced.  I understand they need cashflow but it isn't particularly fair to their customers, most especially the ones coming from the Northern Hemisphere,  At least we have an understanding of the situation here and some gauge of the risk in making a booking.  From comments on cruise critic, some of the customers don't even realise that the maritime border is still closed.

[MicCanberra]

Take the money whenever and wherever you can, and try not to pay back any of it .  business 101.

[Drumbeat16]

4 hours ago, Cbtours said:

We have February 23 2023 Melbourne to NZ booked (along with a group of friends who decided to join us - 9 cabins booked in all). So I am watching very closely as most of these are first time cruisers so no idea of what is involved.

We are also booked on this cruise, I won't be making the final payment unless I'm sure it will be going ahead with minimal risk of Covid.

[Chiliburn]

31 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Take the money whenever and wherever you can, and try not to pay back any of it .  business 101.

Don’t give a sucker a even break.

 

I find it interesting how some of my credits have disappeared into the maze of cancelation,  lucky I have kept some records.

[Cbtours]

18 minutes ago, Drumbeat16 said:

We are also booked on this cruise, I won't be making the final payment unless I'm sure it will be going ahead with minimal risk of Covid.

Us too. Which is in June, just before we go on our Qld short cruises!

[Drumbeat16]

10 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

Us too. Which is in June, just before we go on our Qld short cruises!

Ours is due at the end of November so plenty of time 🙂

[Cbtours]

4 minutes ago, Drumbeat16 said:

Ours is due at the end of November so plenty of time 🙂

We're February 23rd out of Melbourne. it would be our 5th time to NZ and we actually only booked it to score our last remaining cruise credit to go elite. As long as our June 4 x B2B go ahead and we don't get turfed off the boat we will earn the credits in one go. So it is a bit up in the air, as we have a group who are joining us and so telling them we cancelling is difficult too! So hoping for NZ news by end May for sure.

[springaussie]

Not surprised this one has been cancelled.
 

VOYAGE CANCELLATION - CORAL PRINCESS   35 day cruise sailing 3 September 2022   
Please be advised that due to the ongoing uncertainty around the timing for a return of cruising to South Pacific destinations, your Coral Princess cruise has been cancelled.

Edited May 3, 2022 by springaussie

[NSWP]

40 minutes ago, springaussie said:

Not surprised this one has been cancelled.
 

VOYAGE CANCELLATION - CORAL PRINCESS   35 day cruise sailing 3 September 2022   
Please be advised that due to the ongoing uncertainty around the timing for a return of cruising to South Pacific destinations, your Coral Princess cruise has been cancelled.

Oh dear, not a good start. The people on the roll call will be devastated.  Many made their final payment yesterday and today the cruise is cancelled !! Where is the Coral going to go for those 35 days?

 

Big media headlines today on NZ reopening to visitors from many countries, but no cruise ships !!

Edited May 3, 2022 by NSWP

[MicCanberra]

Not surprised  at all.

[NSWP]

6 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Not surprised  at all.

Let us hope it does not spread, I am starting to wonder if Coral Princess will arrive now, with the 35 day one cancelled and uncertainty of the NZ cruise schedule. Princess must be getting nervous. No way are they going to leave Coral at anchor for 35 days. Only way out is to replace the cancelled one with short NSW/Qld east coast cruises from Brisvegas or Sydney.

Edited May 3, 2022 by NSWP

[MicCanberra]

2 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Let us hope it does not spread, I am starting to wonder if Coral Princess will arrive now, with the 35 day one cancelled and uncertainty of the NZ cruise schedule. Princess must be getting to nervous. No way are they going to leave Coral at anchor for 35 days. Only way out is to replace the cancelled one with short NSW/Qld east cruises.

That is the most likely  outcome

[losfp]

Hmmm... Still hopeful for our Jan cruise, but it's not a great start.