Tag Archives: Celebrity Millennium

Coronavirus: Cruise lines cancel and change itineraries amid mounting travel restrictions

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Quantum of the Seas

Cruise lines have responded to a wave of travel and entry restrictions from countries across southeast Asia by cancelling and changing itineraries amid the coronavirus outbreak. Harry Kemble rounds up all the latest developments.

Royal Caribbean International has cancelled two Quantum of the Seas sailings departing from Singapore on February 15 and February 24.

Affected passengers have been given full refunds, the line said.

A Royal spokesperson added: “Royal Caribbean’s number one priority is ensuring the health and welfare of our guests and crew.

“We will continue to monitor conditions and will share other itinerary adjustments should they become necessary.

“The Singapore market remains of great importance to us and we look forward to returning there very soon.”

Royal Caribbean Cruises has lifted its ban on passport holders from China, Hong Kong and Macau after adopting the controversial policy last week.

A statement from Royal Caribbean Cruises, parent of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea confirmed the reversal on Tuesday.

Every passenger who has travelled from, to or through mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau 15 days prior to the departure date is still banned from boarding any of Royal’s vessels.

Norwegian Cruise Line has pulled its entire Asia programme for the newly refurbished ship, Norwegian Spirit.

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Norwegian Spirit with its new hull design.

All sailings between 15 and December 7 have been dropped and full refunds are being offered, along with 10% future cruise credit.

The line also said it would cover up to $300 per person for any air change fees.

“While it is always our intention to maintain original itineraries, at times, unforeseen circumstances require us to make modifications,” the line said. “We appreciate our guests’ patience during this time.”

Celebrity Cruises has cancelled Celebrity Millennium’s sailing departing from Hong Kong on February 15 and altered two Celebrity Constellation itineraries to avoid Singapore and Thailand.

Constellation will spend more time in Cochin, Goa and Mumbai, instead of calling into Phuket, Thailand.

Cunard ship Queen Mary 2 is to miss several ports in southeast Asia and will sail direct to Fremantle, Australia, during its world cruise.

The vessel had been scheduled to call into Phuket, Thailand; Pulau Penang Island and Klang in Malaysia; Singapore; and Hong Kong.

Cunard said the “various travel and entry restrictions…are increasingly impacting ship itineraries and connecting travel” across the world.

Holland America Line (HAL) ship Westerdam was stopped from docking in Laem Chabang, Thailand, a day after the ship had been diverted from Japan.

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Holland American cruise ship Westerdam who got turned away from Thailand yesterday (Tuesday)

On Tuesday, HAL said: “We are actively working on this matter and will provide an update when we are able.”

Princess Cruises on Wednesday confirmed a further 39 passengers onboard Diamond Princess tested positive for coronavirus. The total has now risen to 174 confirmed cases out of 3,700 passengers and crew on board.

The ship is the largest centre of cases outside China.

P&O Cruises is removing calls into Shanghai on March 5-6 and Hong Kong on March 9-10 as part of Arcadia’s world cruise and will announce alternative ports “as soon as possible”.

The UK line said: “We are very closely monitoring and assessing the impact of the latest developments and health advisories, as well as various travel and entry restrictions which are increasingly impacting ship itineraries and connecting travel.

“We are actively seeking to mitigate these risks to our guests and crew, and are making appropriate adjustments to our operations to protect all onboard our ships.”

Couple’s removal from Celebrity cruise raises dementia issue

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By Tom Stieghorst

The plight of an older couple that was put off a Celebrity Cruises ship in Australia mid-cruise illustrates some of the tricky issues facing cruise lines when passengers are afflicted with dementia.

The couple, John and Adry Arnold, had booked a nine-day cruise on the Celebrity Millennium in November to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary.

Celebrity said it decided to debark Adry Arnold when a housekeeper found her alone and disoriented in her cabin. Her husband was on a shore excursion and could not be reached.

When he returned to the ship, Celebrity had their bags packed and had arranged for an ambulance to take them to a hospital in Cairns. The Arnolds, who live in a town a few hours west of Sydney, will get a pro-rated refund.

In an interview with a TV station in Perth, John Arnold said his wife, 78, has dementia but can still perform familiar activities. “A lot of things she can do by rote, having done it many times,” he told the “Today Tonight” program on Channel 7 in Perth.

Arnold said his wife had been up and down the same staircase on the ship but apparently got confused returning to her cabin. Arnold had been leaving her on the ship at ports for an hour at a time to go ashore.

He told the program he was “gobsmacked” by the decision to remove him, which he said was not explained. “They didn’t tell me a thing,” he said, “except the so-called doctor considered that she was a liability and had to be taken off the ship.”

Arnold was critical of how abruptly he was removed from the ship and said the hospital didn’t know what to do with them when they arrived.

“I’ll always remember the wedding anniversary from being dumped from an American ship in Cairns,” he said.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., parent of Celebrity Cruises, said in a statement that it acted out of concern for Adry Arnold’s safety.

“Every year, thousands of guests with medical conditions sail onboard Celebrity Cruises ships,” the statement said. “However, for their own safety and the safety of others, these guests must be able to care for themselves.”

Curtis Mase, a Miami attorney who often defends cruise lines in lawsuits, said the liability issues are very real.

“Imagine what happens in this situation where a cruise line allows someone who is physically or mentally not able to take care of themselves to travel without someone, they then cause some kind of safety concern,” he said. “Take your pick: They accidentally lower a lifeboat and injure someone as a result, or they trigger some alarm or go into someplace they shouldn’t have gone.

“All of a sudden the cruise line is liable because they didn’t have a reasonable policy for how someone like that could travel,” Mase said.

He said with advanced notice, the cruise line probably could have arranged an accommodation that would have averted the debarkation.

Cynthia Martinez, a spokeswoman for RCCL, said travel agents with clients who may be mentally diminished should have a conversation about it before booking a cruise.

Mary Beth Lantzy, a spokeswoman for the Alzheimer’s Association, said when considering a trip for someone with dementia, agents should try to visit places that were familiar before the onset of dementia and that involve as few changes in daily routine as possible.

Elderly, disoriented passenger forced to disembark Celebrity ship

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By Tom Stieghorst

A 78-year old passenger was disembarked early from the Celebrity Millennium in Cairns, Australia, after she was found alone and disoriented in her cabin.

The cruise line said it took the step because was it concerned for the safety and well-being of the woman, identified as Adry Arnold.

Arnold’s husband was on a shore excursion at the time and couldn’t be reached.

In a statement, Celebrity said it carries thousands of guests every year with pre-existing medical conditions. “However, for their own safety and the safety of others, these guests must be able to care for themselves,” the statement said.

Arnold’s nephew criticized Celebrity, saying its response was “a disgusting way to treat anybody, let alone an elderly couple,” according to a report in the Cairns Post.

Cynthia Martinez, a spokewoman for Celebrity parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said a member of its care team arranged transport to a local hospital for the couple, and that they would get a prorated refund for the unused part of their nine-day cruise.

She said a care team member contacted the Arnolds at the hospital, but that they requested no further contact be made.