Matt Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/05/20/carnival-corporation-announces-it-will-sail-alaska-2021 This is extremely interesting: Quote Based on recent guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and close collaboration with Alaskan officials, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Line plan to resume guest cruise operations for a partial season in Alaska What does Carnival know that we don't? twangster, cruisellama and Cruising With JT 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 Wow. Seems I heard NCL already re-opened bookings. Poor Royal. Always last. cruisellama and Cruising With JT 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted May 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 I saw that NCL re-opened bookings too, but Carnival clearly had this lined up well before today. It's been said in other threads, but clearly there is an "inside track" to what's going on among the executives. cruisellama 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 Thinking about this as I read HAL's announcement. This squarely puts the CDC in the line of fire. Up until this point the CDC could claim "some other agency was keeping cruising from happening" - the CDC director declared this in a senate hearing. That's excuse has now been removed by Congress. The only thing standing in the way is the CDC. Congress has spoken. Congress temporarily modified laws to make this happen. It wasn't political either, there was overwhelming support for it in both the House and the Senate. Carnival's swift announcement coming hours after Congress approved the bill sends a clear signal that cruise lines are ready and gladly accept the will of Congress. Now the CDC is the only thing keeping it from happening. That has to have the CDC looking to make a big change very soon. TXcruzer and Cruising With JT 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UNCFanatik Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 I agree and we have seen the CDC follow a political lead on masks just recently so a natural conclusion would be that the CDC follow suit the same with the CSO. but that is using logic so we will have to see.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UNCFanatik Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Matt said: I saw that NCL re-opened bookings too, but Carnival clearly had this lined up well before today. It's been said in other threads, but clearly there is an "inside track" to what's going on among the executives. Yes... I am slowly starting to acknowledge that the cruise execs wouldn’t be so bullish on July claims to restart if they didn’t have some “handshake” arrangements in a deep dark anti-chamber at the CDC HQ. And to think Matt, you had me all worried about my July sailing... I kid I kid thanks for your steady hand at the wheel here! Matt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nate91 Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 I think Matt has been meeting with the CDC secretly for months and has almost convinced them that cruises should be a go again. His persistence is what got us here! SpeedNoodles, DDaley, Matt and 1 other 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonOasis Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 Which ships can Royal quickly reposition, re-crew and fully vaccinate the crew in time for a late July or early August resumption of cruises to Alaska? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 9 minutes ago, JasonOasis said: Which ships can Royal quickly reposition, re-crew and fully vaccinate the crew in time for a late July or early August resumption of cruises to Alaska? Ovation and Radiance are the closest. They are both listed in the bill so they are eligible. They are on the other side of the Pacific near Singapore. Quantum cancelled her Alaska season and intends to continue Singapore sailings so she is unlikely to participate. Serenade is eligible and she recently started making her way towards CocoCay from Barbados. She would need to transit the Panama Canal to get to Alaska. JasonOasis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 Technically Serenade is closest by about 5 days but with a costly canal transit. Ovation and Radiance are roughly 20 days away. Serenade around 15 days away. JasonOasis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisellama Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 42 minutes ago, twangster said: Thinking about this as I read HAL's announcement. This squarely puts the CDC in the line of fire. Up until this point the CDC could claim "some other agency was keeping cruising from happening" - the CDC director declared this in a senate hearing. That's excuse has now been removed by Congress. The only thing standing in the way is the CDC. Congress has spoken. Congress temporarily modified laws to make this happen. It wasn't political either, there was overwhelming support for it in both the House and the Senate. Carnival's swift announcement coming hours after Congress approved the bill sends a clear signal that cruise lines are ready and gladly accept the will of Congress. Now the CDC is the only thing keeping it from happening. That has to have the CDC looking to make a big change very soon. The CDC can still service as firewall for someone's agenda. Let the legislative and executive branch approve, but the "scientists" keep it from happening. Politicians then hide behind the bureaucrats and say, "We did everything we could to save AK jobs, but the scientist don't think its safe..." Just being cynical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted May 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 43 minutes ago, nate91 said: I think Matt has been meeting with the CDC secretly for months and has almost convinced them that cruises should be a go again. His persistence is what got us here! Cruising With JT, VoidoftheSeas, nate91 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 According to MarineTraffic.com, Radiance is headed to Anchorage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 That's the anchorage where she is now. OXL. I think it's a typo. OPL is what the dozens of ships at anchor in the area say. I only know this because the other day I did the exact same thing. SpeedNoodles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising With JT Posted May 21, 2021 Report Share Posted May 21, 2021 Exciting!!! Last weekend my wife and I were near Puget Sound in Seattle and I told her "the only thing that would make this day better is seeing cruise ships sailing away"... and now it might come true! PS -- we use to watch sailaways all the time from Seattle... if this happens in late summer, omg yes! Let's go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonOasis Posted May 21, 2021 Report Share Posted May 21, 2021 4 hours ago, twangster said: Technically Serenade is closest by about 5 days but with a costly canal transit. Ovation and Radiance are roughly 20 days away. Serenade around 15 days away. So basically it may appear as though Carnival has a head start but Royal can quickly catch up and salvage part of their Alaska season with relative ease. The biggest hurdles if and when cruising resumes would be re-crewing ships and Royal getting their hands on enough vaccine which hopefully won't be a problem. States from Washington State down to California should have enough supply to share with cruise lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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