Queen Elizabeth Aus summer season cancelled from 2026

[Wonky]

1 hour ago, ace2542 said:

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/stop-these-boats-norways-cruise-ship-crisis/

Have you read the article??

This is about the Green Party wanting to ban it. They currently have less than 4 (FOUR)% of the vote. As someone else said on here…Facts matter (again)

[sogne]

33 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/stop-these-boats-norways-cruise-ship-crisis/

Green Party aspiration  not fact also Oslo  situation is this

 

  After years of complaints, the largest cruise ships calling on Oslo are no longer being allowed to block views both of and from the historic Akershus Fortress and Castle. There are a few exceptions to the stricter controls, but the vast majority of the roughly 150 cruise ships now sailing in and out of Oslo have been relegated to areas outside the city center, like above, at Filipstad.

 

we berthed at Filipstad on QE Ii 2018 shown here  Silver Spirit was berthed at  Akershus

[NE John]

How did this thread globetrot from Australia to Norway??

[NE John]

Going back to original post of Australian cruise cancellations, there is very recent news that Carnival pulled both Cunard and Princess from being homeported in Melbourne because of a 15% tax hike on cruise ships and Carnival said that’s unreasonable. 
~$35 per person increase. 

[sfred]

10 minutes ago, NE John said:

there is very recent news

 

Here is a link to a press article

 

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/cruises-pull-out-of-melbourne-after-tax-hike/news-story/ac6baf3032039c22774376441807a295

[Beagle5]

On 12/1/2023 at 8:46 AM, NE John said:

Melbourne because of a 15% tax hike on cruise ships and Carnival said that’s unreasonable. 
~$35 per person increase. 

Just to clarify -the  increase appears to be about $3.50 per passenger per day to arrive at a new cost of $35 pp/d (or $32 depending on which article you read). As the Port of Melbourne  argues, it is the first increase in 2 years and lower than the inflation rate over the period.

https://cruisepassenger.com.au/news/passengers-likely-to-pay-for-port-fee-hikes-that-drove-melbourne-mutiny/

 

I doubt that it had any real impact on the Carnival decision to ditch Melbourne which I suspect was for broader fleet positioning and strategic reasons. But a corporate will always point to increased taxes/charges to justify (locally)  unpopular decisions.

[LittleFish1976]

13 minutes ago, Beagle5 said:

Just to clarify -the  increase appears to be about $3.50 per passenger per day to arrive at a new cost of $35 pp/d (or $32 depending on which article you read).

And to clarify further, these figures quoted are in AUD so the equivalent would be (according to my exchange rate app) around $2.34 in USD as the increase.

 

Clearly this is just a silly excuse. Cunard and Princess have put various charges up by way more than this paltry amount in recent times citing inflation. And Cunard (can't speak to Carnival's other lines) charge port fees and taxes as a separate item anyway so I can't see that it should be a problem as it's not a cost they customarily absorb.

[NE John]

39 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

And to clarify further, these figures quoted are in AUD so the equivalent would be (according to my exchange rate app) around $2.34 in USD as the increase.

 

Clearly this is just a silly excuse. Cunard and Princess have put various charges up by way more than this paltry amount in recent times citing inflation. And Cunard (can't speak to Carnival's other lines) charge port fees and taxes as a separate item anyway so I can't see that it should be a problem as it's not a cost they customarily absorb.

Yea, I thought it was a lame reason too. I’ve always liked the idea of circumnavigating Australia with Cunard. Oh well. 

[sfred]

25 minutes ago, NE John said:

Yea, I thought it was a lame reason too. I’ve always liked the idea of circumnavigating Australia with Cunard. Oh well. 

 

You still have a chance.  Q431B departing and arriving Sydney 18Oct-17Nov 2024.

[LittleFish1976]

1 hour ago, NE John said:

Yea, I thought it was a lame reason too. I’ve always liked the idea of circumnavigating Australia with Cunard. Oh well. 

They'll come back here again, John; it'll just be a matter of waiting for a change of leadership of Carnival or such overwhelming demand they can't ignore it. They will have to keep those four ships busy somehow! I agree a circumnavigation of Australia on a Cunard ship would be a wonderful way to get a taste of the country. It's short-sighted as many people from all over the world travel here and often wish to cruise as their way of seeing such a huge country.

[Winifred 22]

3 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

And to clarify further, these figures quoted are in AUD so the equivalent would be (according to my exchange rate app) around $2.34 in USD as the increase.

 

Clearly this is just a silly excuse. Cunard and Princess have put various charges up by way more than this paltry amount in recent times citing inflation. And Cunard (can't speak to Carnival's other lines) charge port fees and taxes as a separate item anyway so I can't see that it should be a problem as it's not a cost they customarily absorb.

UK fares include all port fees and taxes. They are not billed or shown as separate items.( No refunds are paid for missed ports.)The advertised online price adjusted obviously for cabin grade/ position is the final price to pay with no added extras. 

[LittleFish1976]

18 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

UK fares include all port fees and taxes. They are not billed or shown as separate items.( No refunds are paid for missed ports.)The advertised online price adjusted obviously for cabin grade/ position is the final price to pay with no added extras. 

Thanks Winifred. In Australia the advertised price is what you pay but the confirmation of booking has a breakdown which has a separate item (included in overall fare) which is detailed as port fees and taxes. There's never any refund of port fees should a port be missed in my experience here either. It ends up looking like this (I've removed the figures from irrelevant items).

 

Cruise:

Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses:

  74.64

Total Fare:

 

 

 

  

 

[NE John]

8 hours ago, sfred said:

 

You still have a chance.  Q431B departing and arriving Sydney 18Oct-17Nov 2024.

I need to retire first…Just a few more years…

Watching Masterchef Australia really got me amped-up to visit. 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by NE John

[foodsvcmgr]

On a slightly different note, I wonder when QE cruises following the 2025 Alaska season will be announced/offered?

I’m assuming the new series will begin with a transcanal following Alaska then the Caribbean itineraries should start in November.

Unless they first throw in a couple Hawaii and Mexico sailings like HAL and Princess?

Just under two years off but I would assume Cunard might want to market sooner rather than later for something completely new.