It’s a question on every cruiser’s lips – when will we be able to sail again?
The answer appears to be October.Royal Caribbean’s Managing Director Gavin Smith has said that his vessels will be sailing in Australia by October.
The line, which has Ovation of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas sailing in Australia, also has a new ship, Serenade of the Seas, slated for homeporting at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal.
Radiance of the Seas will be redeployed to Brisbane’s new cruise terminal, which a spokesperson has said, will open in October.
P&O’s Pacific Dawn is scheduled to arrive at 6am on October 3 at Luggage Point.
“It’s going to be a challenging road ahead. We need to restore confidence in the Australian public as an industry; we are going to do that. We will look at a gold standard for public health as it relates to our industry,” Mr Smith told The Australian.
“We are looking at every variable already. We have to be ready to go as and when consumers and society feel safe to get back to taking cruising holidays.”
The Australian Government’s official ban on foreign cruise vessels end on May 15. New Zealand and America is saying June 30. So while the winter season has been scratched, there is still a lot of optimism around our wave season.
Carnival Corporations’ CEO Arnold Donald told Bloomberg Business this morning that China might be among the first areas where cruise lines start sailing again, as the country has eased up restrictions on social gatherings.
“Because of that — and that alone — it’s possible that China could be one of the first markets where cruise can be renewed,” Mr Donald said. “There are other issues, though, not the least of which is where the cruise is going to go.”
Carnival Australia was making no comment today, though its major lines like Princess Cruises and Holland America have earmarked June 30 for a start up date.
Traditional British line, Cruise & Maritime Voyages said they are hopeful that the Australian and New Zealand 2020/21 wave season will go ahead.
“At this stage, we hope that our Australian/NZ season will continue as normal. Our region has done exceptionally well at containing the virus so we would expect that bans on domestic travel within Australia and New Zealand would be one of the first to be lifted. Cruising plays a unique and important role in supporting regional tourism and CMV are well-positioned to support this with our upcoming 20/21 Australian season on Vasco da Gama,” said Dean Brazier, the Managing Director of CMV Australia.
“We are confident that appetite to travel overseas will return quite quickly for Australian travellers and will start with shorter trips to regions fairly close to home, such as Asia. While it’s difficult to put a specific timeframe on anything, we would expect cruising in Asia to return shortly after domestic cruising, in the coming Australian and New Zealand summer season,” he said.
Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises have stood firm on resuming sailings on May 15, and have not changed their suspension of sailing dates and the proposed restart date still stands at May 15.
“With the virus continuing to impact communities and ports around the globe, we have extended our voluntary temporary suspension of voyages to include all sailings embarking through May 14, 2020. We plan to recommence operations beginning May 15, 2020,” said an NCLH spokesperson.
Viking, which has river and ocean faring ships, were the first to suspend their sailings until June 30 and their consistency has been remarkable.
I agree with comments made by Jenny. I doubt whether most people knew what a Petri Dish is until they heard the term used a couple of months ago.
We have cruised on a number of ships and found them to be very hygienic and clean.
We have never become ill through poorly prepared food, but have contracted colds or flu due to the poor personal habits of some passengers.
One cruise in particular on the Diamond Princess was quite worrying as approximately 80% of passengers were retirees from one particular country. Their habits of coughing, sneezing and mauling food before selecting an item were so bad that the ship stopped passengers from helping themselves at the Buffet, instead commenced the practice of serving by waiters .
We never ate in the buffet dining room, but rather in the main dining room where there was no passenger contact with the food.
Lack of personal hygiene when using and exiting the toilets also was concerning.
While we like to blame the cruise lines, I think we should start looking at the standard of quality hygiene practiced by passengers first. Then things might improve.
International passengers will not be permitted into Australia for quite a while, particularly from the US and even then they will have to endure 14 days in lockdown. I can’t see this being lifted this year as we watch the US Infection rate climb. If ships are permitted to arrive I can’t see many US passengers travelling so there will be some good deals closer to sailing.
If cruises recommence in 2020 out of Australian ports it is a decision of gross negligence by the powers to be in allowing it.
I enjoy cruising but I won’t even consider again until October 2021 season.
Others might think different, so be it, but I have noticed a sharp increase in the cost of future cruises so it may be priced out of my budget in any case.
Cruise lines need to flag in countries where they want support…pay taxes and pay wages commensurate with that first world country.Australia has had these plague petri dishes with poor crisis and health management wanting Australia to help but doesnt want to really commit.Also dont charge so much for 3rd rate health service.Will now only cruise on lines that flag with first world countries…for my healths sake.
My husband and I have become keen cruisers, and as we age we were looking forward to increasing our time cruising. We do have one already booked for later this year….if the bans are lifted.
I am concerned though, if fewer people are allowed on the ships, and the prices go up, it could be out of our holiday price range! I hope they do good deals for loyal passengers!
You mentioned that Pacific Dawn is arriving at the new Luggage Point terminal on the 3rd October. Are you saying that this is the earliest that the ship will be returning to Australia to start cruising or is it the first ship to use this new terminal ?
I will still use cruise ships as part of my travel intinary.
I do not like it when some articles describe cruise ships are sailing Petri Dishes.
The majority of the criuses, with many different companies I have travelled on, I have found the standard of cleansiless satisfactory.
It’s the majority of the guests hygiene that is not satisfactory.
Where ever there is a high number of people in close contact it’s inevitable, one with low immunity will attract viruses and bacteria.
What about acquired infections in a hospital or an Age care facility, walk in healthy maybe come out dead.
Ex nurse Jenny
Interesting information, thanks. My wife and I are cruise freaks and are wondering while being house-bound (we are seniors) would there be any videos, dvds, usbs on travel destinations – something we can watch.
There seems to be a conflict here with Cruise Lines having a date when they want to sail but the Australian Government currently is very keen on Australian’s not being permitted overseas unless for a warranted reason until 2021.At the moment we have a cruise that we booked late last year returning from Hawaii to Sydney in September but unfortunately unless this virus is completely under control it does not appear as though we will be sailing.