Ovation of the Seas cancels cruise season, destroying holiday plans

Thousands of Aussies hoping to finally get away over the summer have seen their holidays destroyed after a lack of action left them in the lurch.

Tens of thousands of Australians hoping they’d be able to go on a long-awaited holiday have had their plans thrown into disarray.

Royal Caribbean announced it had been forced to cancel its entire Ovation of the Seas’ season, after it was left waiting for the Federal Government to announce an end to a ban on foreign cruise ships.

The Ovation of the Seas, which carries 5000 passengers at a time, was due to leave Sydney on December 1 and sail through to March 31.

“A clear pathway for the return of cruising is yet to be established by the Australian Government,” Royal Caribbean said.

“As a result, we’ve reviewed our Australia 2021-2022 season, and unfortunately, we have made the decision to cancel the following sailings: Ovation of the Seas’ sailings from Sydney from December 13, 2021 – March 31, 2022 inclusive.

“We know this news is disappointing, and we’re sorry for the impact to your holiday plans.”

Ovation of the Seas in Sydney.

Royal Caribbean said it was still working with the state and federal governments to try to get cruising going again.

“Our guests and crew remain our number one priorities and we are reaching out to affected guests and travel partners to share further details and address any questions or concerns.

“We are proactively engaging with federal and state governments to recommence cruising in Australia and will provide updates as they come to hand.

“We appreciate your patience, understanding and continued loyalty. We look forward to welcoming you back on-board soon.”

The cruise company, one of the world’s largest, is yet to comment on if its plans will change, following NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s announcement the state was dropping quarantine for international travellers and Australians from November 1.

Speaking to The Australian, Royal Caribbean managing director Gavin Smith said the company had been fielding a lot of angry complaints.

“We are hearing from many disappointed passengers who have been advised today that their summer cruise holiday is now ruined, seemingly through slow action by government at all levels,” Mr Smith said.

“We have been living in a world caught between state and federal jurisdictions.

“We have submitted Covid protocols for the return of cruise and asked for the opportunity to have doctor to doctor discussions, but we have been unable to have those conversations.”

The cruise company will take months to get ready. Picture: Benedict Brook/news.com.au

‘Extended pause’ for cruise industry

Australia’s cruise ban on foreign flagged vessels is in place until December 17.

One of Australia’s first Covid outbreaks came from a cruise ship, when the Ruby Princess docked in Sydney last March.

More than 900 infections and at least 28 deaths were eventually linked to the outbreak.

Royal Caribbean anticipates it will take at least two to three months to get its ships ready to sail with double vaccination being mandatory for all passengers and crew.

Masks and negative PCR tests before boarding the ship would also be required.

Royal Caribbean’s decision comes four months after global cruise line Cunard announced it was also cancelling all summer voyages around Australia.

The 180-year-old British operator’s decision to cease all voyages in Australia and New Zealand for 2021-22 was a “sad” decision that the cruise liner was “forced” to make.

“Sadly, the impact of the pandemic forced the cruise industry to go into an extended pause in operation,” Cunard President Simon Palethorpe said in statement.

“As local restrictions have lifted, the cruise industry has successfully resumed operating in a number of countries. However, due to the ongoing complexities of navigating international sailing, this has meant that further changes have been necessary to scheduled itineraries.

“The decision to cancel any voyage is not taken lightly as we are fully aware of the disappointment this will cause guests and the impact on the local economy.”