Alaska cruises

[no fuss travel]

On the news tonight it was announced that Princess cruises have cancelled their cruises in April to Alaska.  Then the news proceeded to say that Victoria is trying to ban all ships from coming to control the virus.  This is getting messy.  Tourism all over the world is taking a real hit.  Our prime ministers wife has tested positive for the virus.  Every time you look at the news something else is being cancelled.

[CruiseLibra]

We are on the May 2 Regatta Alaska repositioning SF to VAN. We are waiting to see if they cancel the cruise. It is a very difficult situation all around. We are sure that Oceania will do the right thing. 

[YoHoHo]

8 minutes ago, no fuss travel said:

On the news tonight it was announced that Princess cruises have cancelled their cruises in April to Alaska.  Then the news proceeded to say that Victoria is trying to ban all ships from coming to control the virus.  This is getting messy.  Tourism all over the world is taking a real hit.  Our prime ministers wife has tested positive for the virus.  Every time you look at the news something else is being cancelled.

Actually Princess announced they are suspending all cruises for 60 days, not just Alaska.  Offering FCC or refund.

 

Viking, Disney and Ama also suspending operations for a period of time.  Weighing the cost and effect of sailing with a few pax vs parking the ships, no fuel and not dealing with ensuing issues of continuing to sail during this time.

 

And yes, many, many public events are being cancelled. The organizers do not want to have infections traced back to their event and put a public-safety-in-mind-good-corporate-citizen face on it.  A dentist who traveled earlier back from Germany attended a large conference and became ill while at the Conference and isolated immediately. Organizers only announced it today, conference was on Mar 6, and state that risk is low. That may be true but I think of those who attended a dentist this past week (okay, me). While he was wearing a mask, it is somewhat loose fitting and he is breathing directly over my obviously wide open mouth.  I am not overly concerned but not good PR on that. 

 

As is not good PR if any of these ships that continue to sail get a single infection or have trouble finding a port that will allow them to dock or a safe port to disembark pax. And can get flights to take the pax home from that port. To a destination that will allow them to arrive or even transit their airport ... Just like your comment that Victoria is trying to have cruise ships banned for a period of time ports might become hard to come by. At a moments notice.

 

It is a very complex issue. Read a good article on why Taiwan has had so few cases when right near the origin. They learned from SARS and were well prepared, took immediate action and kept the public informed to prevent panic. Hopefully we will learn, and remember some things this time ourselves.

[skyhuette]

i am also booked for the may 2 regatta. i appreciate that oceania changed their cancellation policy to give some peace of mind if we decided to back out. at this point we have not booked airfare and are just watching the situation unfold. hopeful that things may change but i assume if things continue in this direction oceania will cancel 😞

[Hawaiidan]

With the world of travel in chaos   ports, countries, cities closing, Museums, attractions, sports, airports closing..    Maybe in the interest of sanity this just might be a good time to sit back Pour your sellf a favorite libation and pick up a book or do that long postponed project around home and plan for 2021.

Too many if ands or but's in the coming months of 2020... 

   Get over the  "I gotta go itis:   You do not need to go anywhere... except to the bathroom........     Tomorrow is another day and the sun will rise and shine... wait . for it     

[puppycanducruise]

Canadian government just announced : no cruise ships with over 500 people will be allowed in Canadian ports until after July 1.

[YoHoHo]

30 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

Canadian government just announced : no cruise ships with over 500 people will be allowed in Canadian ports until after July 1.

Thanks for the info. I had not seen that yet. Have a not Alaska cruise booked that will be cancelled then so this is helpful

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, puppycanducruise said:

Canadian government just announced : no cruise ships with over 500 people will be allowed in Canadian ports until after July 1.

So  do they think lines under 500 pax  will not have the virus  or those are the number of people that they will put up at Military facilities??

 

[YoHoHo]

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

So  do they think lines under 500 pax  will not have the virus  or those are the number of people that they will put up at Military facilities??

 

That. Or maybe there is no official definition of a cruise ship so they are not wanting to also ban the local passenger carrying ferries from being able to dock and leave that to other authorities to control

[puppycanducruise]

15 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

So  do they think lines under 500 pax  will not have the virus  or those are the number of people that they will put up at Military facilities??

 

I heard it was 500 people (passengers and crew total), so no mainstream cruise line.

[no fuss travel]

There are no large military bases in British Columbia. The nearest one is in Alberta. We have a small naval base and that is it in B.C.  

 

the economy in VAncouver and Victoria is going to take a real hit with this ban. It will be interesting to see how the various cruise companies handle the Alaska. Cruises. In order to sail to Alaska, they have to stop at a Canadian port otherwise no shops etc allowed to be open on the ship. 

[LHT28]

9 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

I heard it was 500 people (passengers and crew total), so no mainstream cruise line.

either way  

I missed  Mr Selfies announcement  was out  stocking up on toilet paper 😷

sadly  none on the shelves  ...plan "B"

The world has gone mad 🙄

[puppycanducruise]

I'm not sure how they can salvage the Alaska cruises without a stop in Canada.  To satisfy the PVSA, they must stop in a foreign port.  (I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong)

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, no fuss travel said:

There are no large military bases in British Columbia. The nearest one is in Alberta. We have a small naval base and that is it in B.C.  

 

 

Maybe they will fly them to Trenton  the Princess cruisers  should be released  soon  so the space will be free  by  Cruise season in Alaska & the East coast/Great Lakes 

[YoHoHo]

1 minute ago, puppycanducruise said:

I'm not sure how they can salvage the Alaska cruises without a stop in Canada.  To satisfy the PVSA, they must stop in a foreign port.  (I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong)

I believe as long as they use the same port on both ends it is okay as they are not transporting passengers from  one place to another (I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong)

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, YoHoHo said:

I believe as long as they use the same port on both ends it is okay as they are not transporting passengers from  one place to another (I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong)

don't  they still have to stop in a foreign  to satisfy the PVSA ? 

Otherwise  why do they even stop in Canada ?

[bigmjh]

Canadian officials will re-evaluate this ban on June 30th ... may be extended. This will have a huge impact on Alaska's early season - not only for those embarking or disembarking in Vancouver but also those sailing out of Seattle and San Francisco due to these cabotage laws.

[ORV]

4 hours ago, YoHoHo said:

I believe as long as they use the same port on both ends it is okay as they are not transporting passengers from  one place to another (I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong)

I'm not 100% sure but I think a closed loop sailing(Seattle to Seattle) still has to visit a "near foreign port".  From one US city to another they have to visit a "distant foreign port". 

 

Maybe someone that knows more than I could either confirm or correct me. 

[Paulchili]

4 hours ago, LHT28 said:

don't  they still have to stop in a foreign  to satisfy the PVSA ? 

They do. The RT cruises from SF to Hawaii have to stop in Mexico.

The last 2 Grand Princess cruises on this itinerary got a pass on this due to medical emergencies and didn't have to go to Mexico. Maybe to salvage the Alaska season they may give these ships a "temporary" exemption to the PVSA?

[LHT28]

7 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

 Maybe to salvage the Alaska season they may give these ships a "temporary" exemption to the PVSA?

I agree

[CruiseLibra]

On 3/13/2020 at 4:19 PM, Paulchili said:

They do. The RT cruises from SF to Hawaii have to stop in Mexico.

The last 2 Grand Princess cruises on this itinerary got a pass on this due to medical emergencies and didn't have to go to Mexico. Maybe to salvage the Alaska season they may give these ships a "temporary" exemption to the PVSA?

 

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by CruiseLibra
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[susiesan]

The port of Seattle is also closed to cruise ships until July 1. Prediction: zero Alaska cruises this summer. How can any cruise line plan if the rules keep changing on a daily basis.

 

https://crosscut.com/2020/03/coronavirus-pauses-seattles-cruise-season

[floatplan]

I think you're wrong about Seattle being closed. I only see this cancelling 2 cruises "The Port of Seattle announced earlier this week it was canceling its first two sailings of the year. "

 

There is speculation it will happen due to Canada if there is no waiver.

Edited March 15, 2020 by floatplan

[Hawaiidan]

On 3/13/2020 at 11:22 AM, YoHoHo said:

I believe as long as they use the same port on both ends it is okay as they are not transporting passengers from  one place to another (I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong)

 That might work  IF   they never stopped at ANY other US  port   So  a drive by of Alaska !!!    ( Look on your starbord sde and you will see Ketchican..... later today we will be passing Juneau.)

   However even if they return to the same port  that is still carrying passengers between a US port  even if it is the same one... ????

[Hawaiidan]

23 minutes ago, floatplan said:

I think you're wrong about Seattle being closed. I only see this cancelling 2 cruises "The Port of Seattle announced earlier this week it was canceling its first two sailings of the year. "

 

There is speculation it will happen due to Canada if there is no waiver.

Seattle  is currently the center of Corona.... I would not  expect it to remain open next week...let alone this summer... The city is under severe closures of schools, activities and about everything else.. The last thing the want is a flock of tourists from all over arriving any time soon.