BecAus

On 4/12/2021 at 10:44 AM, Chiliburn said:

It’s a waste of time hopping it will do a quick visit to Australia on the way.

There won’t be any ships here.Our vaccine program just collapsed.

19 hours ago, compman9 said:

Next February is a very long way away - I would guess almost everyone in the world that wanted a jab would have had one by then

Unfortunately not us here down-under. As Chillburn mentioned above, our govt seems like they have thrown in the towel at this stage.  I'd been hopeful for the October deadline and the (faint) possibility of us still having some sort of cruise season down here (with locals only) for 21/22 but it sure seems like that's a real pipe-dream now

On 4/12/2021 at 10:21 AM, Ethanol95 said:

Doesn't look like she will do a mini season in Singapore.

Shame, I'd been hoping they might do this like they did with Spectrum.  Certainly didn't think they would bring her through Australia but when they brought Spectrum across my son and I flew up to Singapore from Perth to do a quick 3n and have a look at her, we had a great time and would have loved to do it again for Wonder.  (In fact, this time, we had hoped to to an inaugural on Wonder if it was offered!)

Not that we'll probably be allowed out anyway so it's probably a moot point for us 😔

1 hour ago, Ethanol95 said:

I thought Australia domestic cruising had a chance of happening by year end. Guess not.

I'm still hopeful but a lot will have to happen between now and then for it to go ahead.

We're booked on Quantum out of Brisbane on a Queensland only cruise at the end of December.

Still got fingers crossed but won't be surprised if it doesn't happen 

I don't think we'll get an answer before September because they'll likely extend our cruise ship ban another three months in June taking us up to mid September 

Our vaccine rollout has been slower than expected with them saying all adults should be able to get it (at least first jab) by October but that could be extended out depending how it goes.

I guess the authorities would be unlikely to give approval to restart before full vaccination is available to all adults so our cruise in December probably is unlikely but I haven't completely given up on it yet but I might be delusional 😁

There has been talk of a travel bubble with SIngapore so perhaps we will be able to cruise out of there sooner than we are able to cruise in our waters again.

5 hours ago, Hammergirl said:

I am in the same boat, but with an FCC.

 

5. Now they are saying they are not giving me the FCC because they said we did a chargeback last June and they gave it to us as a refund. Then how did this FCC get applied to a cruise in December of 2020 if you supposedly issued me a refund in June of 2020?

 

6. They have told my agent that they have sent this to accounting and have them go through it before they will give me my FCC back. So they are holding my $1000.00 hostage.

 

I am beyond furious.

How incredibly frustrating for you!  Hope you get it sorted out soon to your satisfaction.

A year into this you would think they would be able to sort these things without stuffing them up to this degree!

Good luck!

16 minutes ago, Blazza said:

Very unfortunate for the person with the medical emergency - but I guess better to experience it whilst docked versus at sea.

That's for sure!

Beautiful photos Blazza - enjoy your cruise!

29 minutes ago, springaussie said:

Oz now opens week of 22 March.

Singapore 7 June

China 19 April.

Thanks springaussie - waiting on these!  Have adjusted the notification date in my phone/calendar - again!!

I currently have three cruises booked with RCI - all non-refundable.  

Unfortunately, as an example, the booking I have in December (out of Brisbane - Queensland only cruise) was $5,000 more to make it refundable - obviously can't justify that.

I don't know about other Aussie's experiences here on CC but it doesn't seem to be as common as it is in the US/UK to use a TA - I haven't used one in over a decade after a couple of bad experiences with them.

As with most people I try to make any travel arrangements refundable where possible, obviously even more so after the unexpected experiences we've had over the last year, but at the price point I mentioned above it is just not feasible in that case.

My next booking is the TP from Hon - Syd in September which I don't think will happen (certainly not with passengers at any rate).   Qantas doesn't think it will happen as they've just cancelled my flight last week so I have no way of getting there now anyway.

The rest of my family are booked to go on a fishing charter next September so will probably look at L&S that one if it is an option, waiting for those itineraries to be released, next week I believe.

Hi

Just wanted to let you know about our experience - we were on a 7n Alaska cruise on Ovation out of Seattle mid July 2019.

Our cruise included both Inside Passage and Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier.

Unfortunately there was too much ice in the entrance channel and we were unable to go up to the Glacier - I believe the Captain said this was the 2nd or 3rd time it had happened during that season including the same cruise a fortnight earlier.

It wasn't just a problem for us in the bigger ship either - there was a much, much  smaller vessel that attempted to go in but also had to turn around due to the amount of ice.

This did not take away from our cruise at all.  We still enjoyed it.  We had booked the North Star Experience for the time we were supposed to be at the Glacier but still had excellent views from where we were just outside that channel - not the Glacier itself but could see lots and lots of ice and lovely scenery.

We travelled through the Inside Passage during daylights hours and had nice views too, that was the morning of Day 3 although some of it might have been during night but mostly daylight hours from memory.

So, we weren't overly disappointed even though we had got up early to go up top and see the Glacier.  We didn't feel not seeing it took anything away from our cruise but just wanted to let you know our experience and that it's not guaranteed to be able to get up to the Glacier - very dependent on the ice conditions at the time and the Captain says they don't know what it will be like until they arrive there on the day..

3 hours ago, Heymarco said:

Someone needs to tell Australia!

Can you expand on what you mean by that?

On RCI's Singapore website page it states this under the T & C's so hopefully you are all good.

Double Points applies to new individual and group named bookings, and named existing bookings on all Eligible Bookings made before January 31, 2021. Double Points is available to existing Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members. Double Points provides Crown & Anchor Society members double Cruise Points on sailings departing on January 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022 (“Eligible Bookings”). Cruise Points will be applied once the guest has paid their booking in full and completed their sailing. When reserving, a valid Crown & Anchor Society member number must be included in the reservation. Offer excludes residents of China.

Whereas the Australian page says: Double Cruise Points on sailings departing on 1 May 2021 – 31 March 2022

So I think the T & C's are slightly different depending on which region you are in but it seems pretty clear on the Singapore website that you would be covered for cruises outta Singapore.

Yes, I did this for our (cancelled) September '20 cruise.  Have to phone up to do it but it was quick and no questions asked.

Thanks so much for posting about your trip and the great photos.

Enjoy your sea day on the high seas!

8 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Depends on the sailing.

 

drink packages and internet dropped on my August Jewel cruise

drinks, Internet, dining and shore excursions dropped on my July Ovation cruise. 

Sorry, I was referring more to the Aus cruise that the OP was talking about. I should have been clearer.

Other markets seem to fluctuate a lot more than ours do down here.

29 minutes ago, caribbeanboy said:

Still no word on Wonder? 

RCG's website says: 'Be among the first to chase adventure east onboard the new Wonder of the Seas, arriving in Shanghai in 2022.

But who knows when it might actually float out and start making it's way over.  They probably don't know yet but 2022 leaves it pretty open at this stage.  I thought I read, perhaps on the Wonder thread, that speculation was now on the first or second quarter of '22.

I personally don't reckon it will go on sale till sometime next year but who knows ....

3 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

New cruise planner sale started today.  Go back and check your prices. 

On 10/27/2020 at 8:22 AM, Naomigruis said:

Have just booked the deluxe package plus surf and Vroom for $79.46 PP per day.

Prices didn't change with this.  The cruise planner options have a nice new '40% off onboard prices' across them now but price hasn't changed so it had already been lowered.  $68.50AUD/day now, previous to that it was $91.79/day so it is a pretty good savings.  No other prices seem to have changed either.

$68.50/day is a pretty good price for us down here, rarely do you see it go down below that at any time.

I'm really undecided on whether to purchase or not.  I really want to ask a question/opinion but wary about doing so because sometimes these things descend into a bit of chaos with people having varying different opinions, understandably.

I'm just wondering how we're feeling about the solvency / viability going through the end of '21 into '22.

I thought the last I read on it the feeling was RCI had enough $$ to get them through '21 if needed?

I just got back a $300NRD by shifting around bookings - this was on our cancelled Sept TP that I didn't want to pay final on but didn't want to lose the $300.

However, I've now ended up paying two more deposits for Sept '21 - $400 and Dec '21 - $600, both NRD as it was literally $1000's more to make it refundable.

Are you feeling comfortable putting down $$ on cruise planner items like drink packages.  Any concerns or none at all?

It's ~ $1350 I'd be looking at putting down on top of the $1K deposits I have down already.

Decisions, decisions ......

4 hours ago, Naomigruis said:

Well overnight the deluxe package has come down to $68.50 each which is about what we have paid in the past

 

We are going to go for it, and if it comes down again we will cancel and rebook.

 

will wait on Internet and Dinning package for those ones 

That's amazing - RCI must have been watching and saw someone wants to give them some $$ so put the price down for you!!

Seriously, that''s great though.  At least you know you've got it at a price that you're happy to pay and if it comes down even more in the sales or later on, even better.

It is the same price on mine, not sure if I'm going to get it though.  I'll be solo on that 17n TP and got to have a think whether I'll get value out of it.  I think it works out at 48 USD which is only 4 x cocktails or glasses of wine (if memory serves me) and that doesn't include coffee's or mock-tails that I might have in the morning if it's too early to drink alcohol!  I'll have to think about whether to include internet too.

Given it's a TP though and heavy on the sea days I probably will end up deciding to get it.  Like you, I prefer to have it pre-paid and not have to think about it.

Just don't want to be getting completely sloshed every day though when I'm sailing by myself!  

Well done, glad you got it sorted so quickly.

No prices yet on my 29 Dec '21 cruise that my husband and teenage son will be on so need to keep checking for that one.

1/ not seeing any recent sales that I've noticed, certainly not on our Aus site.  Last price drop I know of was before they cancelled our TP for September this year from Hnl to Syd.

2/ as Ourusualbeach said: who knows.  Personally I'm waiting for the Thanksgiving sales at the moment and hoping there'll be some discounts there.  

Prices currently are only available on the TP I've got booked for next Sept '21 at the moment, no pricing yet on the cruise planner for our 29 December '21 Queensland cruise out of Brisbane.

I purchased Refreshment and Deluxe Beverage pkgs in the sales last year at the end of November

Refreshment: last year paid $26AUD/day (~18USD), 

current pricing is $49.32AUD/day (~35USD)

Deluxe Pkg: last year paid $68.50AUD/day (~48USD),

current pricing is $91.79AUD/day (~65USD)

Gratuities included in those prices.

The pricing on the deluxe did drop again before the cruise was cancelled, it dropped to something around $58-$60AUD/day, but they knew it wasn't sailing by then so I don't put much stock in that!!

Current prices are way too high for me to consider paying, I'll wait and see what they might bring out at end of November and will consider locking in something then if the prices are more reasonable.

6 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

Be sure and check your trash can for your original confirmation.  For reasons which I cannot explain, all emails coming directly from Royal Caribbean ALWAYS, 100% of the time - go directly to my trash can.  You may have gotten it and just don't know it.

thanks for suggestion - good to check but that’s never been the case for me,  simply doesn’t come - I’m sure it used to in the past but not in the last year or so.

I would have thought sending the confirmation would be standard practise so one can check all details are correct!

I don’t THINK we have that option when we dial the number in Aus.

It’s real annoying you don’t get sent the booking invoice/confirmation when making a booking.

I made 2 x bookings last week - when I told the CSR I don’t receive the invoice she said I’ll make sure you get it by the end of the day

Nup, didn’t happen - I had to phone next day to get it sent. I wanted to check they had added the crummy $100 (per stateroom) OBC we got for our cancelled Quantum cruise

1 hour ago, Missusdubbya said:

Some of the 2.28 million people who live in Brisbane must like it.

 

Yes, I thought 'hole' was a bit harsh but everyone is entitled to their own opinion I guess.

It would definitely be rude to someone from Brisbane.  Some people probably think the same of our home port in Fremantle, certainly the cruise terminal is not very attractive.

We cruised out of Brisbane on Legend in 2015 and quite liked the area, it suited our needs.

We then did a quick 2 day Movieworld/Dreamworld stopover before flying home.  That was enough for us, it was NYE so pretty busy.

Our NZ Quantum got cancelled.  Other options from Sydney weren't great, we were pretty limited on when we could go.  I've ended up booking Quantum out of Brisbane for a 9n Great Barrier Reef cruise and I'm pretty happy with the decision.   Sailing 29 Dec so we'll be on for NYE.

I wasn't too happy RCI weren't prepared to price protect but we've ended up with a $$ I can live with for three of us in a GS.

I gather it will be out of the new cruise terminal which looks to be ~ 15mins from the airport so the location seems pretty good.  Not sure if we'll stay on after the cruise at all, it will depend on work.

I'm pretty happy with the decision - fingers crossed we'll be sailing by then!

14 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

I looks like RCI May drop New Zealand, I can only see 4 cruises to NZ the rest have been broken up and are domestic cruises with a few to the islands.

I was starting to wonder this myself.  The 3 x TP's coming across next Sept/Oct only have 1 x NZ stop each (the one we were booked to go on this Sept had 3 stops in NZ)

I wondered if they think it is possible that NZ wouldn't allow cruise ships to stop there so have only scheduled one stop and if need be, that stop could just be dropped?

Their offer should really be to price match a similar cruise.  I just checked. There is a similar cruise - 12n instead of 11n and there is 2 x GS's left but the price is $2,400 more than I paid.  I don't think I'll be taking them up on their 'special' offer at that rate!

3 hours ago, atricks said:

Well just got the email showing our Hawaii->Sydney Quantum Transpacific (Oct 14, 2021) was outright cancelled.  Refund is the only option.

 

3 hours ago, HicksRA said:

Yep. I called and tried to get a lateral over to Ovation but the only option was a new reservation at over $2k more. No way. 

Yep, received the email overnight. Cancelled.  Their 'special' offer was a $50 / $100 OBC - Int / Bal - if you change to a similar sailing out of Bris / Syd.

I haven't checked today but last time I did a similar cruise was 3K more. That's a no from me!

3 hours ago, atricks said:

Looks like the move to Brisbane is all but official, some travel agents reportedly got an email saying it's moving from Sydney. 

 

Also all October 2021+ Quantum (And Radiance) bookings have disappeared from the Royal website this morning.

Thanks for this.

I'm sure you're right, but they were still all there today (on the Aus website anyway).  Haven't looked now but will have a look in the morning - it's after 1am here, I really should be in bed : )

So.. what does this mean for people who have cruises already booked on Quantum out of Sydney??

Does RCG outright cancel those cruises?

We are booked on an 11n on Qu to NZ on 13 Jan '22.  We booked a GS for a great price, after I repriced a month ago.

Ovation is doing a 'similar' 12n cruise to NZ out of Sydney but only a couple of GS's left and ~ 3K more than what I paid now : (

What do they usually do when this happens, is it just a 'sorry, your cruise is cancelled'?

Will be very disappointing if so.  I could have booked Ovation in the beginning but chose Quantum as we hadn't been on her and have done Ovation 3 times I think (I know they're sisters)

Do they offer us something comparable out of Brisbane or are we just S.O.L.?

Only problem would be: they usually do Sth Pacific out of Brisbane, we'd decided we would prefer to do NZ this time as we've done most of our cruises to the Sth Pac.

Yes, we're doing ok here thanks.   Like a lot of places we've had some terrible things going on, mainly on the East Coast I think.  Obviously we are about to go into our next Summer season so fingers crossed.

We are on the West Coast so things are pretty good here.  We have no C19 other than overseas acquired cases who are in hotel quarantine.  Melbourne looks to have their outbreak under control finally.

What is currently a problem is commercial shipping (livestock, iron ore ships etc..) that are arriving with C19 cases which may not bode well for the start up of cruising.  I think it is 4 ships in the last f/n that have arrived with crew (sometimes most of the crew) infected with the virus.   They are controlling it carefully at this stage and treating on ship or transferring to hotel quarantine or hospital as needed but it is going to do absolutely nothing for the possibility of passenger cruises starting up again whilst that is occurring unfortunately.

Stay safe x