NCL cancellations

[OzKiwiJJ]

7 hours ago, travelwell said:

We are so keeping our fingers crossed to see New Zealand and Australia in Feb/ March of 2022 on the Regent Mariner. 100% passengers and crew will be vaccinated. It is part of the 22 World Cruise. It spends most of January at sea,  Hawaii and Polynesia. Being a smaller ship, all fully vaccinated I am keeping fingers crossed. 

Be aware that even if domestic cruising does recommence for the 21/22 season here, our international border may not be open so ships hoping to travel to Australia and NZ as part of a world cruise may not be permitted here.

[VanessaNJ]

48 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

I hope it goes well for you and it can come to NZ and Australia, I would be working on a contingency plan in case it does'nt.

 
As optimistic as I’m trying to be that my Jan 2022 RCI cruise will go ahead, a few weeks ago I researched back up plans and booked it last weekend. The back up cruise is for Christmas 2022, and I knew if I waited to see what happens with Jan to book, there would be less cabins available and a higher price. Plus is quells my impatience knowing that even if my Jan sailing gets cancelled, I have a cruise planned that I can look forward to. Highly recommend booking a backup with refundable fare! 

[cruisingaussies]

11 hours ago, travelwell said:

We are so keeping our fingers crossed to see New Zealand and Australia in Feb/ March of 2022 on the Regent Mariner. 100% passengers and crew will be vaccinated. It is part of the 22 World Cruise. It spends most of January at sea,  Hawaii and Polynesia. Being a smaller ship, all fully vaccinated I am keeping fingers crossed. 

Sorry travelwell, not looking good.  I received an email from Regent yesterday announcing their return to cruising but with the following:

 

"Our intention is to preserve our originally published itineraries as much as possible, but with much regret, we have had to cancel further sailings, including Seven Seas Explorer’s upcoming Asia-Pacific season and Seven Seas Voyager’s upcoming Africa and South America sailings."

 

Hang in there, they really can't keep us locked up in Fortress Australia and overseas visitors locked out forever, I hope you get to visit Downunder soon.

 

I guess it's only a matter of time before the other cruise lines announce the cancellation of the 21/22 Aus/NZ season.  And that means our Xmas 2021 cruise will go the same way as the 2020 one....down the gurgler.  😠

 

[NSWP]

19 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

Probably everyone, even the government, is hoping that cruising can start earlier than July 2022.

Yes even if it was domestic or Aust/NZ bubble only with only Australian/NZ residents, and fully vaccinated.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, NSWP said:

Yes even if it was domestic or Aust/NZ bubble only with only Australian/NZ residents, and fully vaccinated.

Agreed. Domestic cruises (or maybe to NZ) with Aust & NZers only and all fully vaccinated is the way to re-commence cruising.

[Obilix]

What does "fully vaccinated" mean?

 

Will Australians over 50 years of age, whom the Government insists be vaccinated with Astra Zeneca, because they signed up and paid for it before it was recognised as a dud, be accepted to travel in the rest of the world, which has largely rejected the AZ  vaccine?

 

Will Australians of "cruising and travelling age" actually be allowed to cruise and travel because our government backed the wrong horse?

 

What a mess!!

 

[Aus Traveller]

20 minutes ago, Obilix said:

What does "fully vaccinated" mean?

 

Will Australians over 50 years of age, whom the Government insists be vaccinated with Astra Zeneca, because they signed up and paid for it before it was recognised as a dud, be accepted to travel in the rest of the world, which has largely rejected the AZ  vaccine?

 

Will Australians of "cruising and travelling age" actually be allowed to cruise and travel because our government backed the wrong horse?

 

What a mess!!

Why do you say that Astra Zeneca is 'a dud'? Here is a report about a UK study publised in The Lancet. With all due respect, do you know something that these scientists don't?

 

A surprising development of Australia’s efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic has been a vaccine brand battle of sorts – AstraZeneca versus Pfizer.
 
It started with reports of efficacy rates from phase 3 clinical trials and came into full force as reports emerged over blood clot concerns. But a pre-print study from the UK, recently uploaded to medRxiv, has found that real-world data suggest both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are equally effective, with no real difference in the level of protection offered.
 
The research involved 373,402 participants, and saw 1,610,562 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests conducted between 1 December and 3 April.
 
The results revealed the odds of being infected after two doses of either vaccine were reduced by 70% compared to unvaccinated individuals without evidence of prior infection, with no evidence that the benefits varied between the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

 

Did the Aust government 'back the wrong horse'? Aust ordered and paid for Pfizer vaccines, but have not been able to obtain delivery of most of the vaccines ordered. We did not, and still do not, have the cabability of manufacturing mRNA vaccines. When Pfizer was developing the vaccine, this totally new technology was unproven. Other companies had vaccines under development. Aust placed a lot of reliance on one from UQ that was withdrawn before final trials and the AZ one from Oxford Uni, partly because it could be manufactured in Australia. We would then not be reliant on overseas supply that could be stopped at any time - as has happened.

 

Without COVID rampant in this country, our health authorities have been able to observe the use of vaccines in other countries, giving them the ability to stop using a particular vaccine if it proved to hae disastrous side effects. In several other countries vaccines were authorised on a emergency basis without the full rigorous testing that usually happens. 

Edited May 28, 2021 by Aus Traveller

[Blackduck59]

"Fully Vaccinated" means you have received both doses of a vaccine and it is more than 14 days since the second dose. Astra Zeneca is used in many countries so that wouldn't be a problem as far as travel goes. Perhaps a little objective research will give a proper picture of the extremely low incidence of blood clots.

I have been very vocal about the rubbish roll out you have experienced in Oz, be that as it is, not getting the vaccine isn't helping your situation.

Edited May 28, 2021 by Blackduck59

[OzKiwiJJ]

32 minutes ago, Obilix said:

What does "fully vaccinated" mean?

 

Will Australians over 50 years of age, whom the Government insists be vaccinated with Astra Zeneca, because they signed up and paid for it before it was recognised as a dud, be accepted to travel in the rest of the world, which has largely rejected the AZ  vaccine?

 

Will Australians of "cruising and travelling age" actually be allowed to cruise and travel because our government backed the wrong horse?

 

What a mess!!

 

Apparently the AZ vaccine is proving better than expected in the community, especially with the 12 week gap between doses. 

 

I don't think there will be issues in the future and those that had AZ initially may get offered one of the mRNA vaccines later on. Apparently having more than one type of vaccine is proving even more effective.

[MicCanberra]

an interesting but depressing article on the rollout has us not opening our borders for ages yet.

As June approaches, the nation stands poised to pass the government’s 4-million-dose milestone — two months later than originally planned. 

The vaccination rate has climbed to a record 535,000 doses a week.

At this pace, Australia can expect to reach the 40 million doses needed to fully vaccinate the adult population in September 2022.

[Aus Traveller]

15 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

"Fully Vaccinated" means you have received both doses of a vaccine and it is more than 14 days since the second dose. Astra Zeneca is used in many countries so that wouldn't be a problem as far as travel goes. Perhaps a little objective research will give a proper picture of the extremely low incidence of blood clots.

I have been very vocal about the rubbish roll out you have experienced in Oz, be that as it is, not getting the vaccine isn't helping your situation.

... and having people spread 'fake news' about the AZ vaccine also doesn't help.

[Aus Traveller]

4 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Apparently the AZ vaccine is proving better than expected in the community, especially with the 12 week gap between doses. 

 

I don't think there will be issues in the future and those that had AZ initially may get offered one of the mRNA vaccines later on. Apparently having more than one type of vaccine is proving even more effective.

One medical article I read, suggested that previous suggestions that Pfizer is more effective than Astra Zeneca could be down to the fact that Pfizer becomes fully effective more quickly after the second dose than AZ does. It claims that they are both equally effective in the long term.

[Aus Traveller]

4 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

an interesting but depressing article on the rollout has us not opening our borders for ages yet.

As June approaches, the nation stands poised to pass the government’s 4-million-dose milestone — two months later than originally planned. 

The vaccination rate has climbed to a record 535,000 doses a week.

At this pace, Australia can expect to reach the 40 million doses needed to fully vaccinate the adult population in September 2022.

As you say, the vaccination rate has increased to 535,000 doses a week. I believe it will increase much more over the coming weeks and coming couple of months. What the country does not need, is negative reports about one particular vaccine, particularly if these reports do not have a solid scientific base.

 

I am happy to have AZ now, then if the health suggest I should have an mRNA vaccine next year, I will.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

One medical article I read, suggested that previous suggestions that Pfizer is more effective than Astra Zeneca could be down to the fact that Pfizer becomes fully effective more quickly after the second dose than AZ does. It claims that they are both equally effective in the long term.

Also with the trials of AZ I don't think they had the 12 week gap between doses which might make a different.

[GOTTODOIT]

How do you feel about cruises going ahead and we (aussies) cannot go? I am feeling really deflated.

Booked on NCL Jade November from Athens to Dubai.   4th attempt to do this itinerary.

We have had both our vaccinations, the cruise is going ahead, but because our borders are

closed we cannot go. I know I am suppose to be grateful to the government for keeping us all safe but now watching the world opening up and we are still going to be locked down until mid 2022.

What are your thoughts

[NSWP]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

an interesting but depressing article on the rollout has us not opening our borders for ages yet.

As June approaches, the nation stands poised to pass the government’s 4-million-dose milestone — two months later than originally planned. 

The vaccination rate has climbed to a record 535,000 doses a week.

At this pace, Australia can expect to reach the 40 million doses needed to fully vaccinate the adult population in September 2022.

Only 70% max Mic, 30% don't want it.

[Aus Traveller]

12 minutes ago, GOTTODOIT said:

How do you feel about cruises going ahead and we (aussies) cannot go? I am feeling really deflated.

Booked on NCL Jade November from Athens to Dubai.   4th attempt to do this itinerary.

We have had both our vaccinations, the cruise is going ahead, but because our borders are

closed we cannot go. I know I am suppose to be grateful to the government for keeping us all safe but now watching the world opening up and we are still going to be locked down until mid 2022.

What are your thoughts

I would not feel comfortable going on a cruise ship unless 100% of the passengers and crew were vaccinated. I hope Aussies get on board (pardon the pun) with vaccinations so we are less at risk of outbreaks and, hopefully, cruising might return.

[Aus Traveller]

5 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Only 70% max Mic, 30% don't want it.

I wish the politically-motivated attacks on the AZ vaccine would cease. Listen to the experts! Get vaccinated!

 

BTW, I know that Les has had his first shot, as have we.

[MicCanberra]

23 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Only 70% max Mic, 30% don't want it.

For now, that will change when people realise there are no adverse reactions to having it but there is if you don't 

[OzKiwiJJ]

46 minutes ago, GOTTODOIT said:

How do you feel about cruises going ahead and we (aussies) cannot go? I am feeling really deflated.

Booked on NCL Jade November from Athens to Dubai.   4th attempt to do this itinerary.

We have had both our vaccinations, the cruise is going ahead, but because our borders are

closed we cannot go. I know I am suppose to be grateful to the government for keeping us all safe but now watching the world opening up and we are still going to be locked down until mid 2022.

What are your thoughts

Personally I don't want to go overseas until 2023 at least. Even fully vaccinated there are some risks if only those of having travel disrupted. Remember the vaccination doesn't stop you catching the virus and testing positive even if you have few symptoms. 

[GOTTODOIT]

47 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I would not feel comfortable going on a cruise ship unless 100% of the passengers and crew were vaccinated. I hope Aussies get on board (pardon the pun) with vaccinations so we are less at risk of outbreaks and, hopefully, cruising might return.

 

I certainly agree with you.  I thought NCL policy is only to cruise with fully vaccinated passengers.

 

 

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

For now, that will change when people realise there are no adverse reactions to having it but there is if you don't 

Doubt it mic. The scardeycats and antivaxxers will never be convinced. So many oldies down here, as it is a retiree area, many are rejecting the jab. irriots.

Edited May 28, 2021 by NSWP

[possum52]

I was talking to my daughter, who is mid 40s last night about the Pfizer vaccination now being open to the 40 - 49 year olds. I was surprised when she said that most of her friends who are in the same age group don't want the vaccination full stop. She is going to book hers but is recovering from a cold (negative Covid test) so will wait until she is well. My son has booked his.

 

Leigh

[OzKiwiJJ]

11 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Doubt it mic. The scardeycats and antivaxxers will never be convinced. So many oldies down here, as it is a retiree area, many are rejecting the jab. irriots.

If some of those Victorians that have escaped Melbourne and come to BB bring that fast-moving variant with them those irriots will change their minds pretty damn quickly.

 

I know this isn't a very nice thought but part of me wants the current Melbourne outbreak to get a bit more severe before it's contained (as long as our Victorian forumites stay safe). With the right publicity that could provide a very strong incentive for the ditherers to get the vaccine at least. The antivaxxers still won't but they'll just have to take their chances.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, possum52 said:

I was talking to my daughter, who is mid 40s last night about the Pfizer vaccination now being open to the 40 - 49 year olds. I was surprised when she said that most of her friends who are in the same age group don't want the vaccination full stop. She is going to book hers but is recovering from a cold (negative Covid test) so will wait until she is well. My son has booked his.

 

Leigh

Yikes, that's a worry, Leigh. I wonder why they have that attitude? Good to hear your daughter and son have decided to have it.