The Government’s inability to present the cruise industry with a way forward has claimed another victim, with luxury line Silversea cancelling all 10 cruises of its upcoming Kimberley season.
The news means the line has joined Cunard, Seabourn, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas and Scenic in cancelling their Australian cruises to the region. The planned cruises were mostly booked out, meaning thousands of Australians will be left to search for a holiday elsewhere.
Adam Radwanski, Silversea’s Asia-Pacific managing director commented: “With a delay in the delivery of the resumption of cruising protocols from the federal government – and with no certainty of when they will be delivered – Silversea has made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the operation of the rest of its 2021 Kimberley season.”
Silversea will be compensating guests, offering 110% future cruise credit, a “voyage to voyage” option for a 2022 cruise with a 15% discount, or a full refund.
More positively, Silversea still plans to bring Silver Muse to Australia in December, with Mr Radwanski still “confident that a workable pathway forward will be delivered” in time for Silver Muse to sail from Sydney on December 17.
However, given that the Kimberley season runs from April to October and Australia’s current border closures and cruise ban, Silversea deemed it no longer operationally feasible to continue with the Kimberley season.
Another missed opportunity to get the industry back. I’m done with the double standards- yet it’s ok to put 27,000 spectators into a stadium for a football game!
All Governments in Australia will delay any decisions on cruising until next year . With a Federal election due by May 2022, politicians are to scared to develop a plan for tourism including cruising.
The cruise companies may well decide to give Australia a miss all together. A sad reflection on the leadership in this country when they cannot even come up with a plan.