When will cruises start again?
When will cruises start again? Dates are set and then postponed, while government and health-authority rulings differ around the world. One thing is clear – the situation remains fluid, pardon the pun. As for the current state of play in Australia, the Australian Border Force has extended the ban on cruise ships entering local waters for a further three months, until September 17, 2020.
We are still banned from embarking on any international travel and Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania are keeping their borders firmly closed to interstate travellers. For how long? How long is a piece of string?
The cruise season in our own backyard usually takes off in September or October, marked by the date when the first overseas ship enters local waters. Pre-pandemic, P&O, Princess and Carnival would have ships sailing in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands through the winter months but of course all that has changed. As has cruising in the Kimberley – overseas ships are banned, for now, but even if you book a cruise there with a local operator, you’d have to factor in an extra two weeks of self-isolation pre-cruise if you’re not from WA.
So, what can local cruisers look forward to on some of the mainstream cruise lines – bearing in mind things change almost week by week? At the time of writing, P&O, Carnival Cruise Line and Princess were planning to start operating from ports in Australia and New Zealand again after August 31, 2020; since the ABF’s announcement that date has changed to September 17, 2020.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, which comprises Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara, has extended the suspension of global operations for all three fleets until July 31, 2020. Royal Caribbean is planning to deploy Ovation, Radiance, Voyager and newcomer Serenade of the Seas in our region from October 2020, but as chairman and CEO Richard Fain said this week, “We will not start operations until we are fully ready to do so, with all the hygiene and other health protocols solidly in place. Our goal is to raise our standards to entirely new levels. We have the time, we have the determination and we have the expertise.”
A spokesperson for Celebrity Cruises said that local sailings on Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Eclipse, slated to start in October 2020 (Solstice) and January 2021 (Eclipse), are available to book and that the line has seen “truly promising results” from its most recent sales campaign, showing that there is a still plenty of demand.
Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV)’s managing director Dean Brazier said the line is optimistic about Vasco da Gama’s upcoming season Down Under. “Vasco da Gama is still expected to arrive in Sydney as planned on November 30, 2020 before homeporting in Adelaide and Fremantle for the summer, where she will champion domestic tourism by bringing visitors to regional ports, including smaller, less-common destinations such as Wallaroo in South Australia.
“We also look forward to visiting Kangaroo Island again and supporting the community as it continues to recover from last summer’s bushfires, as well as coming back to some of our favourite Western Australian regions such as Albany, Esperance and the beautiful Kimberley. We look forward to welcoming our guests on board Vasco da Gama again to explore new areas within Australia this summer.”
“Planning” is the key word here. All major cruise lines are offering cancellation policies that involve refunds or Future Cruise Credits (FCC), so be sure to check the fine print before booking and be clear about what is covered. Despite the many naysayers and relentless demonisation of the cruise industry in the media, it is resilient and to quote Richard Fain, “it will come back strong”. Looking different and in many ways improved. Watch this space.