Sun Princess Aussies sail despite a war, government warnings and no flight insurance

• Cruise Passenger’s Rose Kelly is in Europe checking out the new venues aboard the Sun Princess.
• She is not the only Aussie. More than 500 are on board with her.
• Their stories of getting to their ship are a testament to just how determined cruisers are to enjoy their favourite holiday.

Nothing stands between Aussies and their cruise in the Mediterranean aboard the Sun Princess. Not even a conflict in the Middle East.

Where there’s a flight there’s a way. And if the numbers onboard the ships in the Mediterranean this week are anything to go by, our Australian contingent is going as strong as ever.

Onboard the Sun Princess sailing this week from Barcelona to Rome, a total of 550 passengers are Australian, out of a total 4395 guests onboard. American guests dominated with 2134 guests and Canadians came in second with 589 guests. That means Aussies make up 12.5% or an eighth of the guest tally.

Considering the distance required to travel, this would be impressive enough. But throwing the current global crisis and you’re seeing more obstacles than usual, not just in flying time, but in costs for flights, insurance risks, and more. That’s a pretty impressive number.

Perhaps it’s the determination to escape the cooler months of winter that makes Aussies so dedicated to travel at this time of the year. Or perhaps it’s a mindset that we have survived the effects of Covid and won’t ever be shut down again.

Or maybe it’s neither, maybe it’s simply the allure of sitting in the sunshine with a cocktail in hand, listening to Spanish guitar on the breeze of lemon scented groves.

Onboard, Cruise Passenger spoke with fellow Aussies about their routes, prices and what drove them to travel at all cost. It’s a fascinating study in determination.

Watch our exclusive videos here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XhhuUJCqgFKKJM3rWlTqvAZ0mgHoZAGJ/view

A majority of Aussies on this particular itinerary chose to extend their journey with a land holiday, even on top of the 21 day cruise journey.

Justin McCracken from Darwin says he and his family flew from Darwin via Perth, then Singapore, to Heathrow then on to Athens. For him the twenty seven hour journey was worth it for his Mediterranean holiday. He has opted to extend his holiday beyond the cruise with a stay in Athens, before flying home via Dubai, despite the global fuel crisis.

Another Aussie couple onboard, from Melbourne, Shelley and Steve Baldock say they flew against advice, via Abu Dhabi. Shelley says “the insurance was like “you know you’re not to fly there” and we were like “well we are, because we’re going on a cruise!”

For Shelley and Steve they say that safety wasn’t a concern when they weighed up the benefits of going on a cruise in the Mediterranean. Shelley says “I just think, when your time’s up, your time’s up”.

Perhaps we are stubborn nation? Perhaps we value our laid back holidays more than the average person. Maybe we are bigger risk takers. Both the McCrackens and the Baldock families had pre booked their cruises more than six months prior to their trips and say war or global fuel crisis was going to change their plans. However other Aussie passengers onboard remarked they only decided to travel more recently and weren’t deterred by the added costs and extended flight distances.

Passenger Andrew McWhinney from Sydney’s northern beaches says he chose to travel at the last minute and wasn’t deterred by the longer flight paths, although it was less than ideal.

McWhinney flew with United airlines and went via San Francisco, then onwards to Barcelona, where he boarded the ship.

“The flights were arduous. All up it took 36 hours in total but they were affordable compared with most of the other options. In the end I paid $2800 for economy return.” McWhinney says he was more comfortable flying for longer, knowing he was avoiding the Middle East and not compromising his insurance.

For this Cruise Passenger journalist, it was Turkish Airlines that came up trumps for this itinerary, with 28 hours and two stopovers from Sydney via Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul, then on to Barcelona. But for $2500 return, that was one of the better options available just two weeks out from the trip.

So what is it about the allure of the European cruise holiday that makes Aussies travel at literally any cost?

If you ask the McCrackens, they say it’s the culture that calls them – the history and architecture. As Justin McCracken says “We don’t get that in Darwin!”

For the Baldock’s, Shelley says “I’m a Melbourne Bay swimmer, so I’m determined to swim in the Mediterranean, it’s a bucket list moment for me.” And although the water temperatures in Med are not yet summer levels, Shelley says “it’s freezing already in Melbourne, so I’ll take the Mediterranean temperatures any day!”

Regular Cruise Passenger readers won’t be surprised by our findings. Two weeks ago, we asked whether the Middle East crisis has affected travel plans.

Hundreds told us they would be carrying on cruising no matter what.

Cruise passenger wants to know your thoughts. How much is too much for a flight under the current circumstances in the Middle East? And how many hours would you fly before it outweighs the benefits of a European Cruise? Would you fly via the Middle East and risk losing your insurance?

Let us know in the comments.