Ms Amsterdam in Fremantle

[dillpickle48]

Just in from Holland America

 

AMSTERDAM UPDATE 3/20 (9pm PT): Amsterdam is now docked in Fremantle, Australia, and working on clearance procedures to begin disembarkation of Grand World Voyage guests today through March 23. This will be a fluid process as local officials finalize details with the ship. We thank our guests in advance for their patience and understanding.

Holland America Line is endeavoring to get Amsterdam guests home as soon as possible. Borders are shut in most countries and ports, restrictions are tightening even further on travel and most international governments have advised their citizens to travel home right away.

Carnival Australia Care Team members will be assisting in Australian air hubs. Additionally select ship staff trained as Care Team members will accompany those guests that need it on flights to hubs in Australia and Europe.

Holland America Line has a long history of taking care of our guests, and the Grand World Voyage is the pinnacle of our cruises and service. We sincerely apologize that the global circumstances and rapidly-changing restrictions have required us to end the cruise early and we never want to disappoint or inconvenience our guests. We have been assisting with travel arrangements and hope that onward travel is smooth and everyone is home soon.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

From the Fremantle Harbour Cams

Amsterdam is in the middle .

 

 

[NSWP]

Thanks David, several ships have/are terminating in Freo.   Great spot to spend a few days anyway.  But most will fly straight out of Perth I suppose.

[dillpickle48]

Passengers are not allowed to disembark until special buses arrive to take them to Perth Airport in time to meet their flights.  This could take a few days.  No virus suspects on board and they have spent 14 days at sea since their last port.

[NSWP]

5 minutes ago, dillpickle48 said:

Passengers are not allowed to disembark until special buses arrive to take them to Perth Airport in time to meet their flights.  This could take a few days.  No virus suspects on board and they have spent 14 days at sea since their last port.

Okey Doke.  So they will spend a few more days on the ship berthed at Freo.  No hardship.  

Edited March 21, 2020 by NSWP

[Elorac123]

1 hour ago, dillpickle48 said:

Passengers are not allowed to disembark until special buses arrive to take them to Perth Airport in time to meet their flights.  This could take a few days.  No virus suspects on board and they have spent 14 days at sea since their last port.

I have been following for a few years a blog of a couple who do the Grand voyage every year.

Up until the last post (yesterday) they were still of the belief they were going go stay in Perth 2 nights then fly home via Sydney.

Holland America were charging $59 pp transfer in a bus !!! We paid $60 in a taxi from Freo to Perth domestic 4 weeks ago.

Hope they get looked after they have had such a disappointing cruise the last couple of weeks missing lots of ports.

Cheers Carole

 

[MMDown Under]

15 hours ago, Elorac123 said:

I have been following for a few years a blog of a couple who do the Grand voyage every year.

Up until the last post (yesterday) they were still of the belief they were going go stay in Perth 2 nights then fly home via Sydney.

Holland America were charging $59 pp transfer in a bus !!! We paid $60 in a taxi from Freo to Perth domestic 4 weeks ago.

Hope they get looked after they have had such a disappointing cruise the last couple of weeks missing lots of ports.

Cheers Carole

 

I was also shocked at $59 pp by bus from Fremantle to Perth Airport. 

[dillpickle48]

National government has reversed the local decision on the use of hotels.  Passengers may go to hotels to wait for their flights.  Some have already done this.

[Cruisingthepast]

16 hours ago, Elorac123 said:

I have been following for a few years a blog of a couple who do the Grand voyage every year.

Up until the last post (yesterday) they were still of the belief they were going go stay in Perth 2 nights then fly home via Sydney.

Holland America were charging $59 pp transfer in a bus !!! We paid $60 in a taxi from Freo to Perth domestic 4 weeks ago.

Hope they get looked after they have had such a disappointing cruise the last couple of weeks missing lots of ports.

Cheers Carole

 

$59 Australian or US Dollars. Uber is $37 Australian Dollars

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

I was also shocked at $59 pp by bus from Fremantle to Perth Airport. 

Under the circumstances, HAL should have provided free transfers to pax from Freo to Perth Airport. Carnival Corporation can afford it.

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, Cruisingthepast said:

$59 Australian or US Dollars. Uber is $37 Australian Dollars

It would be USD aboard HAL on a world voyage.

[cranethie]

2 hours ago, Cruisingthepast said:

$59 Australian or US Dollars. Uber is $37 Australian Dollars

 

Yes but you'd need a van (maybe even a BIG' van) for the amount of luggage they often take on a World Cruise.

 

Maybe the bus transfer is part of the 'self isolating' deal - no private transfers

.

[dillpickle48]

Passengers were asked to take limited luggage off the ship.  The remainder of their luggage will be returned by FedEx to their homes.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, dillpickle48 said:

Passengers were asked to take limited luggage off the ship.  The remainder of their luggage will be returned by FedEx to their homes.

Wow. I suppose many of the passengers had luggage beyond the airline weight limits. At least the cruise line is going to transport their excess luggage for them, presumably at no cost to the passenger.

[dillpickle48]

Anyone who booked flights through HAL definitely but I did not see a final decision for the rest.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Wow. I suppose many of the passengers had luggage beyond the airline weight limits. At least the cruise line is going to transport their excess luggage for them, presumably at no cost to the passenger.

HAL does that for certain Stateroom categories . FedEx come to your home and pick up all your luggage , they also return it .

when we did a segment on Amsterdam’s WC ,there was a passenger who booked the cabin next door so she could use it as a wardrobe .

[dillpickle48]

Comments from onboard suggest that some had 15 or 16 pieces of luggage.

[Aus Traveller]

35 minutes ago, dillpickle48 said:

Comments from onboard suggest that some had 15 or 16 pieces of luggage.

They must plan to never wear the same piece of clothing twice!!

 

I remember an episode of 'Mighty Ships' a few years ago about the 'Oasis of the Seas', at the time the largest cruise ship in the world. For her seven-day voyage she had around 6,000 guests. The host of the show casually remarked that they would be collecting 30,000 pieces of luggage on the last night. That's an average of five pieces of luggage per person.

Edited March 22, 2020 by Aus Traveller

[ivanp91]

1 hour ago, dillpickle48 said:

Comments from onboard suggest that some had 15 or 16 pieces of luggage.

 

This doesn't surprise me. I work at the airport and there have been a lot of passengers from the ships pass through in the last several days, some with a LOT of luggage. One in particular paid $6,000 AUD in excess baggage fees!!!

[MMDown Under]

11 hours ago, cranethie said:

 

Yes but you'd need a van (maybe even a BIG' van) for the amount of luggage they often take on a World Cruise.

 

Maybe the bus transfer is part of the 'self isolating' deal - no private transfers

.

No, I know of one passenger who booked a private car for him and his wife at $100, which was a better deal.

[MMDown Under]

9 hours ago, ivanp91 said:

 

This doesn't surprise me. I work at the airport and there have been a lot of passengers from the ships pass through in the last several days, some with a LOT of luggage. One in particular paid $6,000 AUD in excess baggage fees!!!

Hard to believe.  Especially when the ship will arrange for Fed Ex to deliver the luggage.  That is more than most people pay for their air fare.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Hard to believe.  Especially when the ship will arrange for Fed Ex to deliver the luggage.  That is more than most people pay for their air fare.

Not everyone qualifies . I don’t know the exact details but was told the luggage  deal with Fed Ex apply’s  only to guests who booked the whole WC in a suite or above .The cost would all be factored into the fare .

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Not everyone qualifies . I don’t know the exact details but was told the luggage  deal with Fed Ex apply’s  only to guests who booked the whole WC in a suite or above .The cost would all be factored into the fare .

Yes that is correct.  Certain level of cabins, as well as certain levels of cruise loyalty, have free Fed Ex included. However, I believe other passengers can buy the service.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

6 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Yes that is correct.  Certain level of cabins, as well as certain levels of cruise loyalty, have free Fed Ex included. However, I believe other passengers can buy the service.

Perhaps , but it would have to be organised at the initial booking ,as a service like that would take a lot of organising .

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Perhaps , but it would have to be organised at the initial booking ,as a service like that would take a lot of organising .

Yes.  However, many elderly people, with a lot of luggage, couldn't manage without this door to door service.