Cyclones and itinerary changes

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The sad thing is that overseas visitors and locals don't get much choice of cruising Queensland outside of the cyclone season. One Carnival ship (I think) and the P&O Australia ships. It was wonderful in 2022 when Coral Princess came out for the restart after the pandemic. We did three Queensland cruises and the Round Australia cruise that year. It was so nice to be up in warm Queensland instead of cool and wet Sydney.

In the middle of winter, even P&O is nice for a Qld coastal (I can't believe I just typed that). Pacific Encounter has regular cruises ex-Brisbane, and very few departing Sydney on Splendor & Pac Adventure. We did a June/July cruise up the coast from Brisbane on Pacific Dawn. Excellent. It was the best ship in town.

 

The track is just a probability thing. It has only graduated to a low pressure system today, and apparently will become a cyclone tonight. Only then will a predicable track be apparent.

[bazshirl2]

What do they do if cyclonic weather is about for round Oz cruises ? The Coral P is due to depart Sydney on 29th Feb and travel in an anti clockwise direction. Lots of international visitors onboard.

[OzKiwiJJ]

6 hours ago, bazshirl2 said:

What do they do if cyclonic weather is about for round Oz cruises ? The Coral P is due to depart Sydney on 29th Feb and travel in an anti clockwise direction. Lots of international visitors onboard.

I guess they've been lucky so far. Our Round Australia cruise in 2022 only stopped at Cairns between Brisbane and Darwin although they did do the Willis Island sail-by. So I guess they have the option to go further out to sea to go behind a cyclone even if it means missing Cairns.

 

We were on a Diamond Princess repositioning cruise up to Japan in 2018. We were heading up the coast of Queensland while a cyclone was heading down the Queensland side of the Gulf of Carpentaria. We experienced slightly rougher than usual seas and a couple of windy, rainy days even at that distance but it wasn't enough to divert from our course.

[ceeceeDee]

18 hours ago, arxcards said:

In the middle of winter, even P&O is nice for a Qld coastal (I can't believe I just typed that). Pacific Encounter has regular cruises ex-Brisbane, and very few departing Sydney on Splendor & Pac Adventure. We did a June/July cruise up the coast from Brisbane on Pacific Dawn. Excellent. It was the best ship in town.

 

The track is just a probability thing. It has only graduated to a low pressure system today, and apparently will become a cyclone tonight. Only then will a predicable track be apparent.

Good old Dawnie........... We have done a couple of cruises on her in the cyclone season (both to South Pacific) and were really lucky with the weather. Yes, it can be a bit of a gamble but we have once again put our cards on the table and doing a South Pacific Christmas cruise this year. Quite frankly, if there ends up being an itinerary change, it really won't bother us. We're happy just to be on a cruise.

 

Fingers crossed that the current potential cyclone will not be bigger than Ben Hur and wreak absolute havoc.

[MMDown Under]

I met a passenger seeking directions to Southbank from theatre last night. She was on Cunard which headed south rather than north because of cyclone. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

I met a passenger seeking directions to Southbank from theatre last night. She was on Cunard which headed south rather than north because of cyclone. 

Yes, those staying on after our cruise ended got a letter outlining the posdible new itinerary which was confirmed later that day. Sad for them but I doubt QE would have been able to get to many, if any, of its original Queensland port stops.

[arxcards]

38 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, those staying on after our cruise ended got a letter outlining the posdible new itinerary which was confirmed later that day. Sad for them but I doubt QE would have been able to get to many, if any, of its original Queensland port stops.

Brisbane yesterday, no probs. Airlie Beach tomorrow, and those that followed - not a chance. Tough call, but a good one in the end. If the cyclone had formed as originally predicted, it would have passed through before QE was scheduled to be there. 

[MicCanberra]

Predicted to hit Townsville. Hope it isn't too bad.

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Predicted to hit Townsville. Hope it isn't too bad.

Barb has a bit of family around the Northern Beaches and near Ross River dam. They have already stocked-up for the Australia Day weekend. They are more concerned about potential flooding down the Ross River than they are about storm damage.

[ceeceeDee]

Just now, arxcards said:

Barb has a bit of family around the Northern Beaches and near Ross River dam. They have already stocked-up for the Australia Day weekend. They are more concerned about potential flooding down the Ross River than they are about storm damage.

Positive thoughts that they stay safe.

[MicCanberra]

Kirrily has now lessened to a tropical low

[NSWP]

36 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Kirrily has now lessened to a tropical low

No injuries reported but 50,000 homes in the broad area with no power, reports the Townsvegas Mayor.

[arxcards]

Celebrity Edge is heading up the QLD coast, but it looks like they have flipped their schedule and doing Willis Island tomorrow instead of Airlie Beach. The ocean had settled down enough to cruise through, but tendering would have been touch & go.

[MicCanberra]

Good news, still 60,000 without power around Townsville 

[ceeceeDee]

22 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Good news, still 60,000 without power around Townsville 

We feel for them. We were without power for 5 days over Christmas due to the tornado that went through the Gold Coast like a dose of salts!

[arxcards]

36 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Good news, still 60,000 without power around Townsville 

Barb's parents had their generators all ready to crank over, and they have plenty of fuel to keep them running for another week if needed. It is the most use they have had since cyclone Yasi.

[arxcards]

6 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Good news, still 60,000 without power around Townsville 

I don't mean to seem a cruise itinerary should have any priority over the widespread power loss in Townsville. In keeping with this topic, altering the order of ports is another option that cruise lines do have.

 

For those saying to cruise south in the summer, the cyclone didn't stir up the seas as much as this forecast. This is what could greet Vasco de Gama (the former Statendam & Pacific Eden) and Azamara Journey who are scheduled to be in this picture early on Friday 2nd Feb.

 

[NSWP]

A bit of excitement for those on ye olde Vasco De Gama & Azamara Journey next week down south.🤢🤮

Edited January 27 by NSWP

[LincolnLegend]

I'm about to go and have a look at the Queen Elizabeth in my lunch hour, we have managed to put on some lovely weather for them, hopefully the passengers have a great day!

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, LincolnLegend said:

I'm about to go and have a look at the Queen Elizabeth in my lunch hour, we have managed to put on some lovely weather for them, hopefully the passengers have a great day!

Oh good, I was hoping the weather would be nice for them there.

[LincolnLegend]

A near and a far shot in Port Lincoln today.

[OzKiwiJJ]

55 minutes ago, LincolnLegend said:

A near and a far shot in Port Lincoln today.

There is a thread on the Cunard forum that would love to have those photos added to it.

 

[LincolnLegend]

@OzKiwiJJ thanks for that, I will add them over there.

[arxcards]

On 1/28/2024 at 10:46 AM, NSWP said:

A bit of excitement for those on ye olde Vasco De Gama & Azamara Journey next week down south.🤢🤮

Another subtle adjustment to dodge the high seas. Vasco de Gama swapped the order of Melbourne & Hobart, so they are in an out of Tassie ahead of the front, and now heading for Melbourne. Damn clever that they can steer these ships away from bad weather.