When May River Cruise Lines Resume Service? [final edition]

[notamermaid]

TUI River Cruises will now begin operations on 31 May, but the TUI Isla only on 1 November: https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/coronavirus

 

notamermaid

 

[gnome12]

Vantage has just announced that they are postponing all journeys through August 25. 

[Daisi]

Avalon has cancelled up to May 31.  We had already transferred ours to 2022, now waiting...

 

[notamermaid]

Viva Cruises starts today, on the Rhine! The Viva Cruises/Scylla ship Swiss Ruby sails and this is how it works: The ship leaves from Basel for a round trip lasting a few hours, there is dinner and then the overnight stay. In Germany there is a ban on accommodation in hotels, etc. for leisure, apparently in Switzerland there is not. I do not know the details of the Swiss regulations.

 

News in German on this website: https://binnenschifffahrt-online.de/2021/03/schifffahrt/19205/scylla-fuehrt-neustart-auf-dem-rhein-aus/

 

notamermaid

 

Edited March 4 by notamermaid
Added link

[notamermaid]

In line with the extension of the lock down in Germany but also looking at the situation further afield, A-Rosa have suspended their river cruises up to and including 28 March.

 

https://www.arosa-*****/river-cruises/company/current-travel-information.html?_ga=2.120888715.2016218253.1614716338-1420578067.1614716338

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

AmaWaterways: https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/cruise/amawaterways-boss-eyes-august-restart-in-europe

 

notamermaid

 

[Roz]

I have a Yuletide cruise thru the Netherlands and Belgium this coming December.  It seemed like a great idea when I booked it last summer.  Now I'm having my doubts.  If European river cruising doesn't resume by this fall, and depending on what the situation is with the Christmas markets, a lot of the lines may just cancel all of 2021 and regroup in 2022.  I'd hate to see that happen, but I'm always realistic about what's going on.

[worldtraveller99]

Our line Tauck cancelled our 2021 Christmas Market cruise because they rented the ship to a German company for the year. But we have postponed to 2022 when I trust it will happen.

[Roz]

I'm on Tauck's ms Grace and I as far as I know it's a go.

[worldtraveller99]

We are the MS Inspire - looking forward to 2022!

[Roz]

11 minutes ago, worldtraveller99 said:

We are the MS Inspire - looking forward to 2022!

 

2022 may be more realistic.  I remember being thrown out of my office on March 18, 2020.  I don't think they thought we would be coming up on March 18, 2021 with the virus in full force and only the retirement age members of the work force vaccinated.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

The vaccine news here in NY has been getting better every day lately.  DW and I are getting call-backs from every site we listed on, with dates available – sometimes today or tomorrow!  [We both already got Moderna #1 and are scheduled for #2, so we pass this info onto our few friends who haven't already gotten a shot or an appointment.]  At this rate the age limit will be dropped again very soon and I think everyone in the US who wants it will be vaccinated by September.  And today's Wall Street Journal had an article showing that recent polls show more and more Americans are willing to be vaccinated.

[Daisi]

I heard the other day that since Ontario is stretching out the length between vaccinations, they may be able to do people in their 60's in May.  Of course, that depends on maintaining a steady supply of vaccine and no further interruptions with lockdowns.  Hopefully that will mean I will get my vaccine later in the summer, instead of around Sept. as they had predicted.  I don't mind the stretching out between vaccines for my age group, but wish the older generations could get theirs properly so they are fully protected.  Canada is now the only country I think to have approved 4 vaccines, so hopefully this is going to work.

 

[Roz]

@Daisi, I wasn't aware of Canada's approval of 4 vaccines - that's great.  Gives you more options.  USA hasn't approved the AstraZeneca vaccine.

[notamermaid]

EU has got the three, Johnson & Johnson could well follow in March still. The info I have read sounds good, cannot imagine the EU institutions not giving it the green light. From what I have read, the data for people over 75 is not clear cut enough, so I wonder if the EMA and the individual countries will make an initial recommendation like with the AstraZeneca and the revise it with new data emerging. We will see.

 

I am just wondering, with so many vaccines available and many people being likely to want it and get it by Autumn, if it still makes sense for river cruise lines to ask for fully vaccinated passengers. I mean, they could just recommend it and let people decide for themselves. Perhaps having the crew vaccinated may be a smarter option, business wise. When you have your crew vaccinated you can shift the responsibility to the individual guest.

 

But for now, we still need to wait for better times to actually travel.

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

39 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

 

 

I am just wondering, with so many vaccines available and many people being likely to want it and get it by Autumn, if it still makes sense for river cruise lines to ask for fully vaccinated passengers. I mean, they could just recommend it and let people decide for themselves. Perhaps having the crew vaccinated may be a smarter option, business wise. When you have your crew vaccinated you can shift the responsibility to the individual guest.

 

But for now, we still need to wait for better times to actually travel.

 

notamermaid

 

 

I can see them requesting proof for at least a year, then seeing how much Covid is left around the world, maybe stopping.  Right now, although the initial results seem great, we still don't know how long the vaccine will last.  If it's like the small-pox, where you only needed it once, then great, but if it's like the flu shots, then I can see them requesting proof if Covid is still out there.

 

Just saw an article about "vaccine passports".  The Canadian Govt. is holding off on them because it seems to think that it will create a two-tier system...those who have access to a vaccine and those who don't.  I really don't understand the logic, when we are told that *everyone* will have access, possibly even earlier than they thought.  In Ontario (and most provinces) priority after health care was for seniors in homes (either gov't. ran or private) and indigenous as they are "isolated" either in a home, or a lot on a reserve.  The indigenous living in cities are also getting vaccinated as they travel home..  Now Ont. working on 10 yr increments starting with those 80+ living on their own, and hope with all the vaccines expected, that they will be down to those 60+ by May. I also see them prioritising certain neighbourhoods in the cities where the income is lower, and also the homeless.  To me, with those priorities, those who can afford to travel (and the insurance) will be amongst the latter ones to receive the vaccine.   There was something going around about violating "rights", but if you want to travel, and where you are travelling (or the airline) wants proof, you need your vaccine.  It's your right to say no, but it's also the private airline's or the other country's right to demand it.

Edited March 7 by Daisi

[Host Jazzbeau]

I read this week that some US airlines have obtained the vaccine for their employees.  I hope the cruise lines will be able to do the same, because otherwise their young crews may not make the priority lists.

[TFree]

My travel agent (on a Uniworld May 2021 cruise), told me that she spoke to AMA Waterways, and that they said that they "hope" to start May 1, but that the representative thought that June 1 was more likely.

 

Meanwhile, my Celebrity ocean cruise (and all other May 2021 Celebrity cruises) has been cancelled this morning.  Still waiting to hear from Uniworld, and their website is mysteriously offline this morning.

 

Tom & Judy

[ural guy]

New York State has just dropped down to those above age 60 are eligible for the vaccine.

 

Syracuse is using the State Fair facilities and have been running 24 hour operations, I believe it was Moderna during the day and J&J at night.  They gave 2,000 shots on Friday.  Light at the end of the tunnel.

[Roz]

Hi Tom & Judy!

 

Holland America announced they're "pausing" European cruises thru June 30, 2021.  Doesn't look very promising, does it?

[TFree]

12 minutes ago, Roz said:

Hi Tom & Judy!

 

Holland America announced they're "pausing" European cruises thru June 30, 2021.  Doesn't look very promising, does it?

Hi "Roz!"  We "knew" that the Celebrity cruise on May 5 would be cancelled, so we actually paid that one in full hoping to get a 25% bonus when they cancelled.  So that worked out.  The Uniworld cruise on May 17 is also paid up, given the way Uniworld offers discounts to pay in full, etc.  I still think this will be cancelled (after all, technically we can't even fly into the E.U. right now for leisure travel).  But the more time that goes by, the less certain I am of that.

 

Tom & Judy

[cruisr]

I think August, as AMA says, is even optimistic.  Seabourn just cancelled their May and June sailings in Europe.  More will follow, I am sure for both River and Ocean.  

[J80crew]

We’re booked on a Crystal Danube cruise in early September. Crystal’s website says they are requiring all passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated on all their ships, both ocean and river. Also, passengers will be allowed to explore ports only with Crystal excursions, but they will reevaluate that restriction as things improve. We’ll be disappointed if we can’t explore on our own, but a small price to pay to get back to cruising. 

[worldtraveller99]

I feel that is excessive (only ship excursions) if the country itself is open to tourists. Just sleeping on a river ship shouldn't be different from sleeping in their hotels? Though I am 100% behind everyone being vaccinated. Husband of 50 just invited and having his first jab on Tuesday.

[notamermaid]

According to reisevor9.de Nickocruises plans the restart on the rivers for 6 April. 

 

notamermaid