Cruise ships reduced capacities

[jimmil]

Hi all,

Will cruise ships in Australia be sailing with reduced capacities like in the USA, due to COVID?

[By The Bay]

9 minutes ago, jimmil said:

Hi all,

Will cruise ships in Australia be sailing with reduced capacities like in the USA, due to COVID?

Good question. I have not seen or heard anything about reduced capacity, other than some cabins being set aside for possible quarantining of passengers and crew.

Edited May 3, 2022 by By The Bay

[Aus Traveller]

26 minutes ago, jimmil said:

Hi all,

Will cruise ships in Australia be sailing with reduced capacities like in the USA, due to COVID?

Princess has announced that on the first two or three cruises, they will have 50% capacity. Following cruises will have several cabins reserved for possible quarantine so we can only estimate that the capacity might be 90%.

[MicCanberra]

There will be reduced capacity on all the cruiselines at least for the first few cruises, as they have set aside quarantine  cabins for anyone  who tests positive while onboard. I would assume that they will be off loaded at the next port of call.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, MicCanberra said:

There will be reduced capacity on all the cruiselines at least for the first few cruises, as they have set aside quarantine  cabins for anyone  who tests positive while onboard. I would assume that they will be off loaded at the next port of call.

In the Princess webinar they didn't say that people who tested positive would be off-loaded at the next port of call. That would create a problem because Princess would have to pay for a quarantine hotel, then get them home later. No. The clear indication was that a person who tests positive will stay on the ship. In the webinar they said that if someone is positive for five days of their seven day cruise, they would be credited with that proportion of their cruise far as a Future Cruise Credit. When the ship returns to port, Princess will pay for appropriate transport home if the person lives within two hours' drive of the port. If they live further away, Princess will  transport them to a quarantine hotel and pay the cost of accommodation and meals.

[losfp]

Yep you will stay on board until the conclusion of your cruise, whether or not you have completed your quarantine. If you have days remaining, Princess will pay for either transport home or transport to a hotel that they will pay for also.  Then the iso days are refunded as FCC I think.

 

Not great if you catch covid, but I'm not sure how the cruise line could do more than this to be honest.

[MicCanberra]

That is Princess, which is only on of numerous lines, until the others specify what the process is, it is possible, as they do on some of the overseas cruises.

[arxcards]

Putting aside an iso area only accounts for around 5 to 10% of capacity. Yes, I have heard early Princess are at 50% capacity, but I don't have a number for P&O Australia.

 

None of the other lines need to decide for a few months yet, but I would hope they are not fully booking any of the sailings and allowing for whatever reduced capacity they might have to comply with down the track.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Wrong thread.

Edited May 3, 2022 by OzKiwiJJ

[NSWP]

17 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Wrong thread.

Bit early for the Pinot Gris, young Julie.😂

[MicCanberra]

Sew, perhaps she should have said 'darn'.

[Snoopkat]

We're booked with RC for a Dec cruise and I've been told the ship will be sailing at 50% capacity. Looking at a P&O cruise for June and I've been told that will be a full capacity sailing.

[Hogbay]

1 hour ago, Snoopkat said:

We're booked with RC for a Dec cruise and I've been told the ship will be sailing at 50% capacity. Looking at a P&O cruise for June and I've been told that will be a full capacity sailing.

TA has said P&O would be sailing at reduced capacity for June sailing and that whatever that capacity is, has been reached, so fully booked for what was available. Will report back,  have 4 June booked on numbers. 

Edited May 3, 2022 by Hogbay
Typos

[Elorac123]

5 hours ago, losfp said:

Yep you will stay on board until the conclusion of your cruise, whether or not you have completed your quarantine. If you have days remaining, Princess will pay for either transport home or transport to a hotel that they will pay for also.  Then the iso days are refunded as FCC I think.

 

Not great if you catch covid, but I'm not sure how the cruise line could do more than this to be honest.

Agreed I think Princess is being super generous and caring

Cheers Carole

 

[vegemeter]

Cunard's policy will be updated 8 weeks before first sailings.

[nermal9900]

I would be happy with say 50 to 60% capacity on any cruise,been holding out for anything decent since my 2020 ones were canned and what I had for 2021 was pushed back.I had to replace New Caledonia cruise with a week in Cairns for Christmas last year after initially the destination was changed and subsequently the cruise was cancelled.

[Cruisegroover]

We were told onboard the capacity was 75% for the 31 May sailing.

 

I am back onboard for 11 June sailing so will be interesting to see if it's still 75%

[Aus Traveller]

26 minutes ago, Cruisegroover said:

We were told onboard the capacity was 75% for the 31 May sailing.

 

I am back onboard for 11 June sailing so will be interesting to see if it's still 75%

Princess announced that they were travelling at reduced capacity for the first few (I think it is three) cruises. They will then have nearly-full capacity, except for keeping some cabins for possible quarantine cases.

[Cruisegroover]

30 minutes ago, Cruisegroover said:

We were told onboard the capacity was 75% for the 31 May sailing.

 

I am back onboard for 11 June sailing so will be interesting to see if it's still 75%

Oops meant to say Pacific Explorer.

[vegemeter]

Cunard are no longer selling the Barcelona to Fremantle section of the QE sailing October 2022 - apparently it is all sold out. Whether this is lessening the capacity due to staff shortages or something else we’re yet to see.

[bazzaw]

On 5/3/2022 at 10:37 PM, vegemeter said:

Cunard's policy will be updated 8 weeks before first sailings.

Hmm -- Cunard are actually "sailing" now, with certain conditions. I have been wondering what will happen when QE comes to Australia. 

[portcbob]

On 5/3/2022 at 11:21 AM, Aus Traveller said:

In the Princess webinar they didn't say that people who tested positive would be off-loaded at the next port of call. That would create a problem because Princess would have to pay for a quarantine hotel, then get them home later. No. The clear indication was that a person who tests positive will stay on the ship. In the webinar they said that if someone is positive for five days of their seven day cruise, they would be credited with that proportion of their cruise far as a Future Cruise Credit. When the ship returns to port, Princess will pay for appropriate transport home if the person lives within two hours' drive of the port. If they live further away, Princess will  transport them to a quarantine hotel and pay the cost of accommodation and meals.

Exactly spot on.👍

[Jean C]

We're sailing Princess in July so I guess it'll be full capacity [sigh]. On the plus side, it's 6 weeks away and there are still heaps of cabins available ... which gets me thinking 🤔 Our Princess Cruide Planner says if cruise fares fall after we book they will apply the reduced fare to our booking. Does anyone know if that's the case even if we've paid in full?

 

Thanks 🤗

[arxcards]

4 hours ago, Jean C said:

We're sailing Princess in July so I guess it'll be full capacity [sigh]. On the plus side, it's 6 weeks away and there are still heaps of cabins available ... which gets me thinking 🤔 Our Princess Cruide Planner says if cruise fares fall after we book they will apply the reduced fare to our booking. Does anyone know if that's the case even if we've paid in full?

 

Thanks 🤗

That might be possible up till 30 days before sailing, and the difference applied not as a refund, but as a Future Cruise Credit. Once it get below 30 days, no - their terms don't allow for changes.

[Jean C]

Thank you, I  don't think it would have been a problem as fares have gone up considerably since we booked, but worth knowing. Cheers.