Will the Apex TransAtlantic 10/22/20 occur?

[Dougie Cruise]

We are scheduled for this cruise.  Happily only $900 down payment.  I understand that the Apex is still at the shipyard.

[WestLakeGirl]

Too soon to tell

[osborne66]

1 hour ago, Dougie Cruise said:

We are scheduled for this cruise.  Happily only $900 down payment.  I understand that the Apex is still at the shipyard.

Looking less and less likely 

[Captain Rob]

It depends if the US ports are open. European ports are opening so they may try to do some European cruises during the winter with the Apex. Anything to bring some money in. Crystal ball time.

[york survey]

Glass half full guy!

 

YES - As the US starts to either accept Coronavirus or get over it. Close to home cruises particularly on the new ships will start up. So if you need to move Apex to the US you might as well carry passengers.

 

This said I don't think it will go from Barcelona as planned. I've said for some time that Apex will substitute for Silhouette and start up out of Southampton.

 

But only a guess. If the last few months have proved anything - Nothing is certain and things change daily

 

Stuart

[little britain]

I also think Apex will do a few shakedown cruises from Southampton and then do the TA from there. 
Ready to book to replace my cancelled inaugural! 

[Texed]

10 hours ago, Dougie Cruise said:

We are scheduled for this cruise.  Happily only $900 down payment.  I understand that the Apex is still at the shipyard.

 

2 hours ago, york survey said:

YES - As the US starts to either accept Coronavirus or get over it. Close to home cruises particularly on the new ships will start up. So if you need to move Apex to the US you might as well carry passengers.   Stuart

 

We certainly hope Apex sails.  We are booked on the October 10 and 22nd sailings.  😊

[jelayne]

My crystal ball says the Apex will do a TA to get it to FL.  However the ballistic cloudy on whether it will sail with passengers.  The Edge and Apex run more efficiently that the other classes of ship so when operating with reduced guests they generate profit more.

[C-Dragons]

12 hours ago, Dougie Cruise said:

We are scheduled for this cruise.  Happily only $900 down payment.  I understand that the Apex is still at the shipyard.

Come and join the Roll call. 😊

Yes, Apex is still at the shipyard. Some of the final details to the ship were delayed by the closure of the shipyard months go due to Covid 19. She will be ready to go for the TA.

[C-Dragons]

5 hours ago, york survey said:

Glass half full guy!

 

YES - As the US starts to either accept Coronavirus or get over it. Close to home cruises particularly on the new ships will start up. So if you need to move Apex to the US you might as well carry passengers.

 

This said I don't think it will go from Barcelona as planned. I've said for some time that Apex will substitute for Silhouette and start up out of Southampton.

 

But only a guess. If the last few months have proved anything - Nothing is certain and things change daily

 

Stuart

Glass half full here, too!
Agree with you that Apex will sail with passengers on the TA, but not from Southampton.

I see no basis for X to change Apex's itineraries to those of Silhouette, could you provide information to back your speculation?
Apex was originally scheduled to be named, christened and then sail her Inaugural from Southampton, but those plans were changed by the CEO due to the pandemic. Those activities will now happen after her arrival in Florida from Barcelona.

[york survey]

4 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

Glass half full here, too!
Agree with you that Apex will sail with passengers on the TA, but not from Southampton.

I see no basis for X to change Apex's itineraries to those of Silhouette, could you provide information to back your speculation?
Apex was originally scheduled to be named, christened and then sail her Inaugural from Southampton, but those plans were changed by the CEO due to the pandemic. Those activities will now happen after her arrival in Florida from Barcelona.

 

I agree you make a fair point which I assume is based on the disruption changing ships would cause.

 

However, and I know it's a wild shot, I shill think they will substitute the ships and Apex will pick up the late summer out of Southampton because

 

1. It's currently in Northern France. In fact it's finished but still in the shipyard so they could do any new changes required to comply with port corvid quickly

2. New ships only need 30% passengers to make a cruise viable (not to make a profit but to lose less money!!)

3. Flights are expected to be restricted for some time

4. Southampton is the ONLY Europe port to achieve the required 30% passengers from local residents.

 

I agree this is a stronger argument for the round trip Southampton and it's weaker for the TA. Celebrity will have to make a call on that

 

Just a call time will tell

 

Stuart

 

[grandgeezer]

If the original sail date is changed, when it comes, it will come over minus passengers as that's what they've done in the past. Also, changing the departure port could be problematic as percentage of the ones booked probably have air, and maybe hotels through Barcelona.

[barbette165]

My 'glass half empty' thinking is that, unless cruising does get going during August and a level of confidence based on success has been gained, then it will sail across empty.

My thinking - much of the discussion on how to start up again has been on "drive to port" passengers only, short itineraries, all ports in the same country and cruises to nowhere.

By definition all passengers on a TA will need to take at least one trans Atlantic flight as well as a perhaps a flight within Europe or the US. Also there will be about 7 days at sea, so if any issues do arise there will be a lot of time before any evacuations can occur - unless another ship sails alongside as the hospital ship. 

And as the ship will be disembarking in the US, the CDC will be free to impose conditions on what is allowed and what isn't. I would suspect that the CDC will allow cruises that start and finish in the US before allowing TAs.

[pumpkin 11]

I don't see why not. I also don't see a reason why we can't start sailing in August if we can start in October. it isn't like the virus is going anywhere.

[C-Dragons]

11 minutes ago, york survey said:

 

I agree you make a fair point which I assume is based on the disruption changing ships would cause.

 

However, and I know it's a wild shot, I shill think they will substitute the ships and Apex will pick up the late summer out of Southampton because

 

1. It's currently in Northern France. In fact it's finished but still in the shipyard so they could do any new changes required to comply with port corvid quickly

What does Apex's location in France have to do with changing her departure port to Southampton?

 

2. New ships only need 30% passengers to make a cruise viable (not to make a profit but to lose less money!!)

Looking at her current available inventory for the TA, Apex already has 30% capacity booked.

 

3. Flights are expected to be restricted for some time

Those of us on the roll call booked our flights a long time ago. Ours, on BA are still scheduled to go.

 

4. Southampton is the ONLY Europe port to achieve the required 30% passengers from local residents.

I don’t see how that can be quantified. And where is it specified that passengers have to be local residents?

 

I agree this is a stronger argument for the round trip Southampton and it's weaker for the TA. Celebrity will have to make a call on that

It's your opinion, and yes, X will make the determination.

Just a call time will tell

 

Stuart

 

 

[C-Dragons]

6 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

If the original sail date is changed, when it comes, it will come over minus passengers as that's what they've done in the past. Also, changing the departure port could be problematic as percentage of the ones booked probably have air, and maybe hotels through Barcelona.

It would be as indeed we already have.

[WNcruiser]

Its 4 months away but we need to have the 14-day quarantines lifted or it wont matter. Spain is reopening its borders on June 21st but only to air travel. Ships still require a 14 day quarantine (Source: reopen.europa.eu). We have the Apex T/A booked as well as a back-up Caribbean booked on Equinox. Ill be happy if we are on either one! 

[jelayne]

7 hours ago, pumpkin 11 said:

I don't see why not. I also don't see a reason why we can't start sailing in August if we can start in October. it isn't like the virus is going anywhere.

No guarantee we will be sailing in August.  That is in the hands of the CDC,  Ruise lines meeting the requirements of the CDC, countries that will accept cruise ships and whether or not there is a 2nd wave.

And to your point that tge virus isn’t going anywhere then cruises have to be able to treat COVID patients or have a port willing to accept them.

Edited June 15, 2020 by jelayne

[MEcruzr]

I had a thought... IF a ship, like Apex, does sail with passengers in October... AND at a reduced passenger load (30-50% are the numbers I've seen thrown about in discussions) then I wonder how they will choose who gets to go, and who gets the "boot"? Are the October cruises booked above this rate now? Provisions for any cruise will need to be ordered within the  next two weeks if sailing is to happen in October!

[Germancruiser]

I looked at Apex´s first Transatlantic voyage- right now i would be on board Apex- it got canceled of course.I have my voucher for the money already payed- so I keep looking. At this point and at this stage I won´t book anything- neither for 2020 nor 2021.

As soon as they open up again I ready to book AND SAIL.

If the October TA goes- I may book the Apex. Depends on which line opens firt- Cuanrd or X.

[Fouremco]

30 minutes ago, MEcruzr said:

I had a thought... IF a ship, like Apex, does sail with passengers in October... AND at a reduced passenger load (30-50% are the numbers I've seen thrown about in discussions) then I wonder how they will choose who gets to go, and who gets the "boot"? Are the October cruises booked above this rate now? Provisions for any cruise will need to be ordered within the  next two weeks if sailing is to happen in October!

There are dozens of posts across several threads discussing how this might be done for any cruise ship that is required to sail with reduced capacity. There's no sure answer and no hints yet from Celebrity.

[little britain]

They could do a bit of a launch party in Southampton for agents and press to show off their shiny new ship and kick start the cruise industry again.  This  also beats P&O launching their new ship. 
Then she can do a few short cruises (is Portugal open yet?) and then the crossing. 

[BigAl94]

I think a TA carrying passengers is not going to happen. We may see some limited short cruises in the Caribbean before the end of the year, but no meaningful cruise operations returning until next year.

[pumpkin 11]

14 hours ago, jelayne said:

No guarantee we will be sailing in August.  That is in the hands of the CDC,  Ruise lines meeting the requirements of the CDC, countries that will accept cruise ships and whether or not there is a 2nd wave.

And to your point that tge virus isn’t going anywhere then cruises have to be able to treat COVID patients or have a port willing to accept them.

agreed on all accounts. Doesn't mean the world still can't meet those requirements 

[pumpkin 11]

13 hours ago, MEcruzr said:

I had a thought... IF a ship, like Apex, does sail with passengers in October... AND at a reduced passenger load (30-50% are the numbers I've seen thrown about in discussions) then I wonder how they will choose who gets to go, and who gets the "boot"? Are the October cruises booked above this rate now? Provisions for any cruise will need to be ordered within the  next two weeks if sailing is to happen in October!

They probably do something like the airlines where you get a benefit if you don't cruise then. 50% credit instead of 25% or category upgrade or something