NEWS UPDATE: Royal Caribbean's AUS Protocols Announced; First Look at Disney's 200K tonne ship!

Follow Jed Wilson on Instagram: @good_ship_ Join my private Facebook group for cruise deals, tips and advice - the more members we have, the better we’ll get! www.facebook.com/groups/CTGdeals Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: www.facebook.com/thecruiseandtravelguy www.instragram.com/thecruiseandtravelguy Support the channel with a slogan tee: https://thecruiseandtravelguy.myshopify.com Head to my website for great cruise and travel deals: www.thecruiseandtravelguy.com.au Whilst cruise lines in other parts of the world have been allowed to adjust their approach to COVID prevention and management, those operating from Australian ports are still subject to a stricter set of government regulations. We are however, beginning to see a shift in those rules, with Victoria and Western Australia joining Queensland and NSW in allowing cruise lines to not count unvaccinated children under the age of 12 in their 5% unvaccinated passenger limit. This change should help eliminate one of the major hurdles that has been holding some families back from booking a cruise during the upcoming summer season, but does add a layer of complexity to the mix. Any cruise visiting Tasmania will still be subject to counting unvaccinated children under the age of 12 within the 5% unvaccinated passenger limit. Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas is now sailing home to Brisbane, trailing sister ship Ovation of the Seas by only a few days on her transpacific voyage. The arrival of the Quantum Class sisters will end Royal Caribbean’s circa 20 month absence from Australian waters, and the line has finally announced its local health policies. It’s no surprise that the requirements fall into line with those of their competitors, since they are are based on the Eastern Seaboard and Western Australian Cruise Protocols. Royal Caribbean will require proof of vaccination for all guests aged 12 and over. Both vaccine doses must be administered at least 14 days prior to departure and boosters are recommended but not required. The 95% vaccinated passenger rule of course carries over, along with the latest changes that excludes unvaccinated children 11 years of age or younger from being counted in the 5% unvaccinated passenger limit. Except on cruises to Tasmania, of course. Proof of a negative COVID test must be supplied at the terminal and this can be a PCR test taken within 48 hours of boarding, or a self-administered RAT taken within 24 hours of boarding. You will need to show a picture of your negative RAT test as proof. Royal Caribbean’s website claims that you can present the actual negative test itself. Please don’t do that. That’s kind of gross, and according to test instructions, the results are only valid for 15-20 minutes and shouldn’t be referred to after that time has passed. Royal Caribbean’s policy also states that all guests should wear masks at the cruise terminal when embarking and disembarking, and in public indoor spaces and crowded outdoor spaces onboard. Guests under 2 years old don’t need to wear a mask. It’s worth noting that the mask requirements documented in the Eastern Seaboard and WA Cruise Protocols use the word “should”, repeatedly. On the whole, I think you can expect the experience to be very similar to that of P&O, Princess and Carnival and I have a feeling that requirements will ease as we head into next year. Apparently Sydney isn’t the only city with cruise ship congestion issues. Princess notified agents this week that due to pier congestion in Melbourne, two Grand Princess voyages have to be amended. The cruise to New Zealand departing January 27th has been extended with a later departure from Auckland and one extra sea day, that cruise now concludes on February 10th. That means the subsequent South Pacific and Fiji cruise originally scheduled to depart on February 9th, won’t leave Melbourne until February 10th resulting in a 13 night itinerary. That cruise drops its stop in Isle of Pines, which remains closed to cruise ships for the foreseeable future anyway - guests booked onto the shortened voyage will receive a pro-rated discount of the cruise fare. Finally this week, the rumour mill went into overdrive with the possibility that Disney Cruise Line will be acquiring a new ship. The Global Dream remains incomplete, a victim of Genting HK’s bankruptcy, and Disney is reportedly in negotiations to purchase the unfinished vessel. At 208,000K GRT and 342m in length, the behemoth would be the line’s largest ship to date, and among the largest in the world. The striking design is a departure from Disney’s ocean liner aesthetic, but nonetheless an exciting development for Disney Cruise fanatics. I suspect and certainly hope, that Global Dream’s 9500 passenger capacity would be adjusted downwards on any Disney iteration of the vessel. Thanks for watching, see you soon!