Cruising choices with an active Pandemic

The mish mash of rules in the UAE is farcical. I wasn't cruising but staying in an "islamic/mixed" hotel for 4 nights.

On arrival at airport, duty free shops selling all kinds of booze but no consumption in UAE?

At hotel we were told no alcohol (whispers "in public" - could be consumed in room don't leave empty bottle in rubbish bin).

Then we we're told the alternate sessions schedule for pool and public facility hours allowed for men & women, however only applied to Muslims.

Our room overlooked the pool where in the morning "session" Arab males gathered on the pool deck in droves to watch a couple of young German big busted women swimming and sunbaking in bikinis so small I'm not sure why they bothered.

Then there is the 11pm curfew for women except the ones working at 5* hotels where there are night clubs & bars selling booze almost until dawn or those doing jobs like nursing that that are beneath emirati males.
 
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Well a quick sail around the world.Some are still basically optimistic.

www.marketwatch.com

Cruise operators took a deep bruising from COVID-19, but history says they will recover

The cruise industry seemed doomed by the COVID-19 pandemic, given its history of onboard disease outbreaks. But it’s exactly that history that suggests this...
www.marketwatch.com www.marketwatch.com

The luxury lines who use smaller ships hope they recover quicker.
www.barrons.com

Currently Moored, High-End Cruise Ships Look to the Future

Though reopening dates are a moving target, the vessels will feel and look different when operations resume
www.barrons.com www.barrons.com

MSC have been lucky so far and their second Med cruise is due to finish today.
edition.cnn.com

Cruise trips are back. This is what they look like now

Cruise ships are tentatively returning to Europe's seas, but the legacy of Covid-19's shutdown of the cruise industry is likely to be long lived, leaving the future of this multi billion dollar industry uncertain.
edition.cnn.com edition.cnn.com

But they did screen passengers and some were denied boarding.

"Before boarding, MSC Cruises passengers were tested for Covid-19 via a primary antigen test and a secondary molecular test.
MSC Cruises representative Luca Biondolillo told CNN that one embarking passenger tested positive at both stages.
"In accordance with the protocol, the passenger as well as his traveling party were denied boarding," said Biondolillo.
"Additionally, other passengers who had reached the ship with the same van were denied boarding as they were close contacts of the one passenger who tested positive."
Click to expand...

They also strictly controlled port excursions and a family who broke protocol were refused reboarding.

Biondolillo told CNN that during MSC Grandiosa's August 16 journey, one family did break the rules during a port stop and were subsequently denied reboarding.
"The health and safety protocols are put in place for the benefit of every single person," he said. "There can be no breaking of the rules.
"These people risked jeopardizing everybody else's holidays and health."
Click to expand...

Though Genting - the owner of Crystal cruises - appears to be in trouble.

cilisos.my

Genting HK’s currently RM8.4bil in debt and can’t repay it. Is Genting gonna collapse?

One can describe the Covid-19 pandemic that’s caught the world by surprise in numerous ways. You can call it a ‘wake-up call‘. You can call it ‘unprecedented‘. You can call it ‘terrifying‘. But in terms of the economic impact, some have even called it ‘worse than the 1997 financial crisis‘. In...
cilisos.my

More cruise ships being scrapped.
 
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drron said:
Cunard now saying no cruising until March 2021.
www.bbc.com

Coronavirus: Cunard cruises suspended until March

It means the Southampton-based company will have paused operations for an entire year.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com

However you can now take a boat trip to see cruise ships including Cunard.
Click to expand...
Viking will follow suit I think as they too are very conservative. We have one booked for Asia for March - booked I reckon, over two years ago in a nicer world.
 
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I understand that Queen Elizabeth cruises are cancelled until December 2021. We are booked on the QE in January 2022, but I don't think we will be going. The ship will have had only 3 or 4 sailings to test everything out. That isn't enough sailings for us to be confident that they have all correct measures in place. We were hoping for a year of sailings. Also as the cruise departs from Melbourne, we could get to Melbourne and then find that the cruise is cancelled.
Thank heavens we did three cruises in the 3 months before Covid-19 took over.
 
sinophile888 said:
I understand that Queen Elizabeth cruises are cancelled until December 2021. We are booked on the QE in January 2022, but I don't think we will be going. The ship will have had only 3 or 4 sailings to test everything out. That isn't enough sailings for us to be confident that they have all correct measures in place. We were hoping for a year of sailings. Also as the cruise departs from Melbourne, we could get to Melbourne and then find that the cruise is cancelled.
Thank heavens we did three cruises in the 3 months before Covid-19 took over.
Click to expand...
Would you go if there was a vaccine and maybe that proof was a requirement to board?
 
Pushka said:
Would you go if there was a vaccine and maybe that proof was a requirement to board?
Click to expand...
I would like the health precautions like vaccine, lower occupancy, buffet restrictions etc. to have been in place for a decent period and working perfectly before we made the plunge back into cruising. We are in more than one high risk category. I miss cruising so much. Especially as we plan our cruises to include Melbourne whenever we can so we can see our son and beautiful granddaughter, now aged 2.
 
On the MSC and Costa cruises you are only allowed off in port if you use the official ship's tours.
www.travelweekly.com

All ashore -- but only on the cruise lines' terms

European cruise lines are requiring that passengers go ashore only as part of sanctioned shore excursions. How might a similar policy play out with North American markets?
www.travelweekly.com www.travelweekly.com
 
Pinched from Cruise Critic =

"OK; we've been patient. We've cancelled our cruises and listened to the experts, and have given the scientific community lots of time to conjure up a solution to the Covid situation. Enough, I say! We need to identify something with a high probability of fending off this nasty virus, so we can get on with the important things in life, like sipping bubbly as the sun goes down on the deck of a proper cruise ship !
To that end, herewith I present my Top 10 Corona-Killing suggestions. As they say, that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger!


Fernet Branca - in Italy, in the town squares, those old geezers playing checkers and pétanque, - they're drinking Fernet Branca. This protects them from anything - tastes like creosote and milk duds, but proven effective! I'm a Fan!
Negroni - I defy a Coronavirus to live in a body which has received a good watering with a nice, strong Negroni or three - from a European bartender who knows what they are doing. Fuhgeddaboudit!
Retsina - Finally the national drink of Greece has its' day in the sun! I knew there was a reason this stuff is stocked in wine stores all over the world. Probably subsidized by the WHO!
Kombucha - This is some sort of hippy concoction of yogurt gone bad, sufficiently so that it is alcoholic. If I had weeds to kill in the cracks in my sidewalk? This would be the stuff! Die - Covid 19!
Poutine - This will bring your life to an earlier end, and is the national dish of Canada (which has low Corona numbers), so maybe it can kill off the virus by giving it heart disease!
Sriracha Doritos - If it doesn't halt corona in its tracks, at least the red stuff on your fingers is guaranteed to keep from transmitting the virus by contact.
1000 year old duck eggs - Hey, they been around 1000 years, some little candy-assed virus ain't gonna hurt 'em. Maybe do the same for you!
Aerosol Cheez Whiz - I mean, come on! What can withstand that cough!
Blue Creme Soda - If you drank it at the County Fair (same place you had those overcooked onions that had been on the grill for two hours in the hot sun?), did you know that it rendered your alimentary canal incapable of sustaining errant viruses? Well, it does.
 
mrs.dr.ron said:
Pinched from Cruise Critic =

"OK; we've been patient. We've cancelled our cruises and listened to the experts, and have given the scientific community lots of time to conjure up a solution to the Covid situation. Enough, I say! We need to identify something with a high probability of fending off this nasty virus, so we can get on with the important things in life, like sipping bubbly as the sun goes down on the deck of a proper cruise ship !
To that end, herewith I present my Top 10 Corona-Killing suggestions. As they say, that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger!


Fernet Branca - in Italy, in the town squares, those old geezers playing checkers and pétanque, - they're drinking Fernet Branca. This protects them from anything - tastes like creosote and milk duds, but proven effective! I'm a Fan!
Negroni - I defy a Coronavirus to live in a body which has received a good watering with a nice, strong Negroni or three - from a European bartender who knows what they are doing. Fuhgeddaboudit!
Retsina - Finally the national drink of Greece has its' day in the sun! I knew there was a reason this stuff is stocked in wine stores all over the world. Probably subsidized by the WHO!
Kombucha - This is some sort of hippy concoction of yogurt gone bad, sufficiently so that it is alcoholic. If I had weeds to kill in the cracks in my sidewalk? This would be the stuff! Die - Covid 19!
Poutine - This will bring your life to an earlier end, and is the national dish of Canada (which has low Corona numbers), so maybe it can kill off the virus by giving it heart disease!
Sriracha Doritos - If it doesn't halt corona in its tracks, at least the red stuff on your fingers is guaranteed to keep from transmitting the virus by contact.
1000 year old duck eggs - Hey, they been around 1000 years, some little candy-assed virus ain't gonna hurt 'em. Maybe do the same for you!
Aerosol Cheez Whiz - I mean, come on! What can withstand that cough!
Blue Creme Soda - If you drank it at the County Fair (same place you had those overcooked onions that had been on the grill for two hours in the hot sun?), did you know that it rendered your alimentary canal incapable of sustaining errant viruses? Well, it does.
Click to expand...
Where is the Bleach coughtail?
 
Well Tom Cruise is not scared by cruising !!

www.traveller.com.au

Tom Cruise charters two cruise ships to house cast and crew for Mission Impossible 7

We can now add something else to the list of things Hollywood star Tom Cruise is not afraid of: cruise ships.
www.traveller.com.au www.traveller.com.au

"Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise has proven himself to be a man without fear in recent years, doing his own stunts for the Mission Impossible movies that involved him hanging from the side of planes, cliffs and the world's tallest building.
We can now add something else to the list of things Cruise is not afraid of: cruise ships.
The actor and his production company have chartered two ships from Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten for a month to house the entire cast and crew of the seventh Mission Impossible movie during filming in Norway. "
 
But wait there is more...

www.newsinenglish.no

Hurtigruten in more trouble - Norway's News in English — www.newsinenglish.no

Norwegian Trade Minister Iselin Nybø claims shipping line Hurtigruten has broken Norwegian law by using one of its laid-up ships as a floating hotel and staffing it with low-paid workers from the Philippines, who have neither residence nor working permission in Norway. The vessel MS Fridtjof...
www.newsinenglish.no www.newsinenglish.no
 
Oh learned cruisers, lend me your ears (eyes?)

My first cruising experience keeps getting pushed back. First my Ruby Princess Alaska trip was canned (still waiting for refund, but that's another story). Now, it is our 'trip of a lifetime' Antarctica cruise January 2021 on Scenic.

Now we all know this cruise will not be going ahead, or even if it is by some small miracle, there's basically no chance I'll be able to attend as an Australian. I have only paid a deposit, but final payment is due on Wednesday. Scenic have given 3 options:

1/ Cancel 'voluntarily', meaning $6.5k will be held as future cruise credit, $5.4k would be refunded and we would lose $500 in fees.
2/ Pay in full Wednesday then be at the mercy of their refund policy when they do cancel, tying up $60k of our money.
3/ Rebook for a years time but $5k more expensive.

Honestly they all suck. I'm leaning towards 1 - but that's a huge chunk of money to be sitting as future cruise credit which I don't immediately have other plans for. 2, well that sounds like a recipe for a $60k loss rather than $6k. Quite the gamble. 3 I hate on principle with the price rise, plus honestly surely there's a good chance they'll go bankrupt before then.

Any sage advice from seasoned cruisers?
 
I would take option 1.
I do not trust Scenic.They are also getting a lot of flack for taking large chunks out of any refund.
We were actually booked on the Scenic Eclipse.The voyage was going to be a year after it's projected launch.It turned out to be it's maiden voyage.We were very lucky and got most of our money back.Those on that voyage were not happy.The ship wasn't finished even the occupied cabins.
 

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