Hawaii Tourism: No Cruise Visitors Until Mid-2021

[princevaliantus]

Aww man..see article by Porthole:

https://www.porthole.com/hawaii-tourism-no-cruise-visitors-until-mid-2021/

[JLMoran]

At least that’s just a projection of how things are expected to work out, and not any official policy. Hopefully it will not be as bad as they’re thinking.

Quote

UPDATE May 27 1pm: 

Eugene Tian, Ph.D, Economic Research Administrator for the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism responded to our inquiry regarding the line in their report which stated “No cruise visitors until second half of 2021″. His clarification received via email is below: 

Regarding the cruise visitors to Hawaii, that is a pure assumption by a group of economists within the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, the assumption is NOT a decision of government officials.  Our assumption is on the conservative side, the purpose is to provide the economic impact of a conservative scenario.  The assumption is based on two factors: (1) the projected COVID-19 pandemic will finish by the end of 2020 worldwide; (2) people are reluctant to travel via cruise for a few month after the ending of the pandemic.

There are a few cruise ships are scheduled to visit Hawaii during Fall this year.  If the 14-day quarantine for transpacific visitors is lifted earlier than September, the cruise ship visiting will be possible and visitor arrivals to Hawaii will be higher than we assumed.

 

[twangster]

17 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

At least that’s just a projection of how things are expected to work out, and not any official policy. Hopefully it will not be as bad as they’re thinking.

That's a relief, at least from a cruise ship transiting through Hawaii to reach Alaska is concerned.  

Radiance was already skipping Hawaii this fall going direct to Japan.  Ovation and Quantum were already coming to Alaska VIA Russia also skipping Hawaii in 2021.  With the 2020 Alaska season in flux any 2020 Royal visits to Hawaii are in flux since the ships are out of position.  If the Alaska 2020 season never happens neither will the 2020 Hawaii season.   

Indeed it may not be until 2021 before Royal ships visit Hawaii again, specifically Radiance and Serenade coming North from Australia.  That result isn't from a travel restriction, just the way it may work out due to the virus, if the 2020 Alaska season doesn't happen.

[Andrew72681]

11 hours ago, twangster said:

That's a relief, at least from a cruise ship transiting through Hawaii to reach Alaska is concerned.  

Radiance was already skipping Hawaii this fall going direct to Japan.  Ovation and Quantum were already coming to Alaska VIA Russia also skipping Hawaii in 2021.  With the 2020 Alaska season in flux any 2020 Royal visits to Hawaii are in flux since the ships are out of position.  If the Alaska 2020 season never happens neither will the 2020 Hawaii season.   

Indeed it may not be until 2021 before Royal ships visit Hawaii again, specifically Radiance and Serenade coming North from Australia.  That result isn't from a travel restriction, just the way it may work out due to the virus, if the 2020 Alaska season doesn't happen.

Would be awesome if Royal would take one of the potentially excess ships, flag it in the US and run a Hawaii route year round. NCL’s Pride of America itinerary has always intrigued me even with the extra costs. 

[twangster]

3 hours ago, Andrew72681 said:

Would be awesome if Royal would take one of the potentially excess ships, flag it in the US and run a Hawaii route year round. 

Not good enough.  A high percentage of steel in the hull has to be US steel.  That was an issue when NCL acquired and subsequently lengthened what would become Pride in Germany where she was finished.  She started at a US ship yard for a different line but the owner went bankrupt and she had to get a special exemption to qualify as US built since technically she isn't.

In short you can't just stick a flag on a ship and call it US built.  While 90% of what governs so much of US based itineraries involves the PVSA, the Jones Act does continue to be a factor and that is where percent of US steel comes from.  They've both been codified into US law so technically neither PVSA or Jones are the technical articles in play, everyone still refers to them.  

At any rate, % of foreign steel in the ship and the number of staff who are US citizens plus the flag on the ship (registration) are all factors and it doesn't stop there.  Technically the Pride doesn't qualify since too much foreign steel is in the ship, but completely embarrassed by the total failure of a US shipyard being able to build the ship, a waiver was provided.