Slowly Gearing Up or Crew Evac?

[Guest BigRoger]

NCL Star arrived in Southampton recently... sign of soft preparation for the originally planned summer season sailings or are they using Southampton as a means of collecting/ offloading crew members? Or both!

 

Ps any views from anyone about the likely chances of Epic/ Getaway/ Escape making the journey across to do Europe this summer?

[TrumpyNor]

I am sorry to inform you that NO cruiseship will be cruising around Europe this summer with passengers from "all over the place" - that is 100% certain. 

 

Regarding the Star now being in Southampton, maybe they (NCL) just want to have one ship outside the "reach" of US government IF other places on the planet slowly start allowing cruises before USA does. 

[mugtech]

Does Star still need a dry dock or has that problem been solved?

[bluesea777]

Yes, mugtech, Star needs to go into dry dock for repairs to the engines. Don't know when and where. But she is there on the other side of the pond now 🙃 Took her 15 days - slow boat.

 

We're booked on her for two cruises in 2022 - Antarctica and Greenland - so she better be cruising 100% by then!

[FreestyleNovice]

The port of Rotterdam was used for crew repatriation for HAL, Princess and Seabourn earlier this month, just a few hours from Southampton. 

[hamrag]

3 hours ago, BigRoger said:

.....any views from anyone about the likely chances of Epic/ Getaway/ Escape making the journey across to do Europe this summer?

 

NIL chance, IMHO!

[mking8288]

Repatriation has been going slow and nowhere near completion for RCL based on crew member's update posted yesterday (25,000 still onboard) that I followed and they are ahead of NCL. As of this moment, the Escape is still docked at POM and going nowhere. 

 

Not a chance. Think about the humanity. Have a nice week, be well & stay healthy. 

[www3traveler]

1 hour ago, mugtech said:

Does Star still need a dry dock or has that problem been solved?

Yes, The Star needs dry dock.  According those still on board , She will sail Rotterdam, The Netherlands for dry dock.

[bluesea777]

Breakaway is nearing Barcelona now, and Getaway is enroute to Marseille.

 

So that makes 3 NCL ships in Europe this year.

 

As for Escape, it looks like they are balking ... they'd need a long voyage to get to Asia and then Manila wants the Filipino crew quarantined on ship upon arrival to Manila Bay for 14 days (with Red Cross and Coast Guard coming on board to test them twice during the period). There are about 20-25 ships out there awaiting crew repatriation!

 

Or the Escape isn't allowed to go thru Panama canal?

 

And at this moment Typhoon Vongfong is hitting the Philippines 😵. 

 

Edited May 14, 2020 by bluesea777

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, bluesea777 said:

Breakaway is nearing Barcelona now, and Getaway is enroute to Marseille.

 

So that makes 3 NCL ships in Europe this year.

 

As for Escape, it looks like they are balking ... they'd need a long voyage to get to Asia and then Manila wants the Filipino crew quarantined on ship upon arrival to Manila Bay for 14 days (with Red Cross and Coast Guard coming on board to test them twice during the period). There are about 20-25 ships out there awaiting crew repatriation!

 

Or the Escape isn't allowed to go thru Panama canal?

 

And at this moment Typhoon Vongfong is hitting the Philippines 😵. 

 

 

They are taking crew home and will likely stay where they are to bring crew back next year when things reopen.

[SeaHunt]

4 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

There are about 20-25 ships out there awaiting crew repatriation!

 

If you haven't already seen it,  exictedofharpen previously posted this photo on a different thread to show some of the ships in Manila Bay 😃

(Not all of them, but even that's a lot of ships ($$$)!

 

[www3traveler]

2 hours ago, zqvol said:

 

They are taking crew home and will likely stay where they are to bring crew back next year when things reopen.

The Escape is supposed to go to Barcelona first, through the Suez Canal on to India, Indonesia and then Manila. 

[mugtech]

8 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

 

As for Escape, it looks like they are balking ... they'd need a long voyage to get to Asia and then Manila wants the Filipino crew quarantined on ship upon arrival to Manila Bay for 14 days (with Red Cross and Coast Guard coming on board to test them twice during the period). There are about 20-25 ships out there awaiting crew repatriation!

And at this moment Typhoon Vongfong is hitting the Philippines 😵. 

 

Many Filipino crew must do an additional 14 days quarantine in Manila once they get off the ships plus some must do another 14 day quarantine when they get to their home provinces.

 

Looks like the typhoon, known locally as Ambo, will be going north up Luzon east of Manila Bay with 90 mph winds when it hit Samar and Leyte.  May 15 marks the beginning of 5 month rainy season with rain and typhoons peaking in August.  Fun times ahead for those 25 ships.

[bluesea777]

7 hours ago, SeaHunt said:

 

If you haven't already seen it,  exictedofharpen previously posted this photo on a different thread to show some of the ships in Manila Bay 😃

(Not all of them, but even that's a lot of ships ($$$)!

 

 

Interesting picture! Thanks for posting it. Wow!

 

 

[mking8288]

Here's an article originally on Bloomberg - 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nightmare-sea-ends-death-cruise-095851490.html 

 

It sounded like - at least - some of performers will not be coming back to start a new contract when cruise lines are able to resume.  Imagine the "new" NCL production shows in the Stardust Theater, proudly presented by the talented "all stars" crew cast to fame. 

 

Chris W. - a cruise ship crew member on the RCL's vlog mentioned in one of his video since returning home to England, among the lucky ones to be easily repatriated, raised the question of whether some will ever return to living and working on another ship. 

 

As of this moment, the Celebrity Edge is docked at POM, next to the Escape and they appeared to be loading provisions onboard.  Doesn't look like the Epic or the Escape are going anwhere soon from live cams ... showing minimal activities on the pier besides being berthed there.  Going to Manila by way of crossing the Atlantic and thru the Indian Ocean, that is going to be month long journey for the crew.  

[dexddd]

Looks like BA in Barcelona and Escape on the move.  Didn't check the tracking sites.

[www3traveler]

2 hours ago, dexddd said:

Looks like BA in Barcelona and Escape on the move.  Didn't check the tracking sites.

Escape out to sea for a few days and then back into Miami.  Pick up more crew then off for their grand adventure, according to Senior Officers on The Escape.