joelheather

1 hour ago, rob6465 said:

A friend of mine has a cruise in October and is thinking of cancelling. Will they provide her a FCC? Thanks

is that friend… You!!!😉

Just found out CVS, Walgreens, etc.. are charging $139 pp for a travel rapid test. But $0 if you have symptoms or been near someone who has tested positive.  That’s $556 for a cruise costing me a lot already. Does not pay to be honest anymore….

11 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

We enjoyed that as well on our (one, and probably only) Princess cruise.

 

 

Tom

You had a suite? I see the fancy wooden chairs.😁

They will not give refunds. and why should they?  Unless you purchased cancel for any reason insurance.

Carnival has been very lax about onboard covid safety.  
1) not enforcing mask for unvaccinated passengers

2) no social distancing

3) over crowed dining rooms with little  table spacing

4) self serve buffet

5) not turning away guests who arrive before scheduled check in 

will Carnival take a 180 and make changes while integrating the new mask rules. Or will they continue to be stupidly blind to obvious and simple precautions?

16 hours ago, Circlt said:

Why doesn’t Carnival do a full room service breakfast with fresh hot eggs cooked to order, bacon, toast, hash browns, coffee and juice? 😢. I love my balcony (aft wraps are my usual choice) and it just seems a shame we can’t get a beautiful balcony breakfast! BBB!

 

None the less I will grab some Continental Cuisine and stop Complaining 🙄

Years ago we did the ultimate balcony dining on Princess. It was a bargain I think it was $59 a couple. served in courses by a private wait staff. dinner was Appetizers, cocktails, salad, surf n turf, dessert and a commemorative photo. There are youtube videos about it. it was such a great memory. as the sunset, great food on our anniversary with my better half and a waiter from the Philippines named Marco. never forget him. it was fun.  

what happens with linked reservations and online checkin is availablel would all

canins get the same checkin time? we have three cabins and want to be able to

get on as a group.

We usually do a “resort for a day” in ports we have already toured in the past.  This time  any resorts are not allowing day guests due to covid.  So, even that is slim pickings for our upcoming cruise.

22 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

I don't know about you, but I don't get polio vaccine, smallpox, etc, every year.

 

This pandemic isn't close to over, and I doubt it will be another 100 years before the next one. We can do better. We have to.

 

I agree there will be a new normal, like it or not.

22 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

I don't know about you, but I don't get polio vaccine, smallpox, etc, every year.

 

This pandemic isn't close to over, and I doubt it will be another 100 years before the next one. We can do better. We have to.

 

I agree there will be a new normal, like it or not.

I guess my dentist is very thorough then😜

2 hours ago, LouChamp said:

In my opinion I do not think at this time it is worth the hassle. I would not risk my family for a cruise vacation right now.  After 57 cruises, we can afford to wait.  I love cruising and have been blessed to have seen the world but in my opinion the stress, risk and aggravation that comes with traveling is not worth it.  As for the cruise lines i find their protocols to be very inconsistent and that in many instances (celebrity edge this weekend for example) they are changing procedures haphazardly even though there may be a rationale for what they are doing.  I want the cruise lines to survive and i certainly respect those that have decided to sail.  I appreciate your question and I hope the replies are respectful and the discussion is

polite because there is too much divisiveness on these boards and its sad as its nit the way it used to be. Then again nothing is.  Smooth sailing.

Covid is here to stay.  Like the flu, covid will be a part of the annual vaccine routine.  And, we need to learn to just live with a new reality.  To not do what you enjoy is not living life to its fullest. I hope you see my point of view.  🤗

1 minute ago, Anyislandwilldo said:

My sister tested positive and never had a fever.  That's the first sign everyone looks for.

The rapid test is 99.5 % accurate. most false +\- test results come from contaminated testing samples.  During a Johns Hopkins  study in june out of every 10k rapid test there were 160 people who falsely tested +. after retesting that same cluster. only 15 people had asymptotic Covid.  So the tests themselves are good. it’s human error that is not.

50 minutes ago, rtazz17 said:

Its a matter of hours before carnival requires negative covid test from vaccinated cruisers. Mark my words.Really not a big deal. A 60 second test. Results 1/2 hr later. Done. Its coming to carnival. Undoubtedly. 

Even more of a reason to show up at the scheduled boarding time. 

Will masks on cruising be mandatory, or will another no sail order be enforced due to cases rising? your thoughts…

On 10/6/2020 at 1:16 PM, julesbeara said:

A friend who is a Waiter on Navigator of the Seas, Facebook Messengered me a copy of his Letter of Employment to return to the Navigator of the Seas on October 25th.  Looks likes short sailings from Miami are a go on November 1st.  Anyone else heard from crew members?

Ships are all in cold/warm layups. 60 days minimum to bring these ships back online correctly.

On 10/7/2020 at 12:08 PM, time4u2go said:

Good question.  I've been wondering that also.  Also wondering if there's any mergers/acquisitions on the horizon.

No one will be acquiring anyone. Who has the $$$. NCL is the wildcard here.  They had tremendous debt before covid hit.  They are in a bad position for a hostile takeover.  RCI is on the top of my list to do that.

On 10/7/2020 at 11:57 AM, firefly333 said:

Why not post this on the bankruptcy depressing thread. Now 2 threads to ignore about same thing. Why start a new thread about same subject on another thread.

 

I'm ready for some positive vibes not doom and gloomers.. ignore going forward. Dont bother to reply to me.

Someone is not facing reality well. I think you need a HUG🤗.  Face it, we are all screwed...

I will loosely  quote quote Del Griffith “We’d have more luck playing pick-up sticks with our butt-cheeks than we will getting on a cruise ship before next year”

11 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Nope, not wiki, but the source documents for reference.  "The answers are out there", sounds like X-files to me.  Please, I ask you to embarrass me by showing the intersect between the CDC and SOLAS.  I'd like to check your response with the copy of the 2014 edition of SOLAS that is sitting on the bookshelf in the ship's conference room next door, and the 2018 VSP manual I have downloaded.  Wow, you must not be much of a tennis player, if two statements and two rebuttals equals a "back and forth tennis match".  I guess the only one who is allowed to have "a fun place to exchange knowledge" is you, since anyone who disagrees is "filibustering", because I cite facts and you only make vague accusations, and distortions.

 

"The truth IS out there", and it, not I, has the last word.

My good man, I am raising the white flag in surrender.  You have defeated me. My head is down in shame.  Kindly stop this abuse, as this entire ordeal has drained me both physically & mentally.  It is you who has won this battle.  Let my retirement be another notch on your belt.  Well played sir.

stay well, and drink in victory..

On 9/20/2020 at 3:53 PM, chengkp75 said:

Please advise me where the CDC has any jurisdiction over SOLAS regulations, or where CDC regulations intersect with SOLAS.  Having worked in the industry for over 40 years, and several in the cruise industry, I don't know of any intersect.

 

Please also advise me of what CDC wanted to "override" SOLAS "protocols" in the 90's?

 

The US ratified the SOLAS convention in 1914, 1929, 1948, and once the IMO became an entity, in 1974, which required that all language in the convention be enacted as law in all signatory nations, and the US has ratified all subsequent revisions of SOLAS.

Please advise what the CDC did in 1996 that "took issue" with SOLAS?

 

The CDC does not operate through a "loophole" for foreign flag ships.  As part of the Department of HHS, the US Public Health Service (USPH) contains eight divisions of HHS, which includes the CDC.  The USPH has, since 1798, has had the mission of preventing the introduction of infectious disease into the US by ships.  They have the mandate to inspect all ships, domestic or foreign, cargo or passenger, that arrive in the US from overseas, to determine the health of crew and passengers in order to issue "pratique" or a clean bill of health to allow the ship to dock and conduct commerce within the US.  In the 70's, the CDC started a program, the VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) that was a co-operative agreement with the cruise industry, that, if followed by the cruise ships, would eliminate the mandatory inspection every time the ship re-entered the US, and substituted random inspections.  So, in this sense, there are special rules for cruise ships, ones that benefit the cruise lines.

 

In fact, the CDC and USPH, has always had complete control over the health standards of all foreign flag ships, not just cruise ships.  Once the ship applies to enter US waters, just like any other country, they need to meet the sanitation requirements of that country.  The CDC and USPH do not have a mandate to protect the health of passengers on foreign ships, no more than the USCG has a mandate to enforce their regulations on foreign flag ships, only those of SOLAS, but the consensus is that if the ship follows the VSP at all times, then the passengers and crew will have less opportunity for bringing an infectious disease back into the US.

 

The VSP is still a co-operative venture between the CDC and the cruise lines, both working to reach agreement between what is best epidemiological practices, and what is attainable by the cruise lines.  The cruise lines would far more prefer to operate under the VSP than to have a full sanitation inspection and health interviews with a percentage of crew and passengers each week before the passengers can disembark.

 

I have not only researched this, but have worked and lived this environment for years, so you're not "telling me anything", unless you can show the interaction between SOLAS and CDC.

wow all you did was plagiarize wikipedia.  The answers are out there. I believe to spare you from further embarrassment,  I suggest you cease & desist this back and forth tennis match.  It’s obvious you MUST have the last word. I’m sorry but this is supposed to be a fun place to exchange knowledge and a common experience of cruising.  Thank you for taking the fun out of it by your filibustering.

GOOD DAY SIR...

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

All government agencies are required to have a "request for information" before they change any rules or regulations.  Anyone is entitled to respond to any of these "requests" from any agency, what weight they give the response is based on the responder's qualifications.  Love the "CDC hates the cruise lines" conspiracy theories.  If that were the case, they would have scrapped the VSP years ago, and resorted to the mandated sanitary inspection and health interviews every time a cruise ship entered a US port from foreign.  That would have killed the cruise industry years ago.

It is FACT the news media & the CDC hate the cruise industry.  I do not, nor have I ever believed in any conspiracy theory.  The simple fact the CDC  going back to the mid 90’s has maintained a separate set of rules for cruise ships.  
 

When SOLAS was founded in Europe in 1929, they had to evolve of the years.  The CDC wanted to completely override all SOLAS protocols in the 90’s when ships left from or returned to an American port. 
 

While other similar maritime laws were ratified all over the world it was the CDC in 1996 that took issue.  The CDC has always taken issue with cruise lines simply because of the foreign ship registries  and not having full control over the health safety standards of most vessels, they found a legal loophole to become more involved and set forth extremely stringent protocols that cost the lines tens of millions to adopt. 
 

And the media has hated cruise lines ever since the 1985 high jacking of the  Achille Lauro.  They had problems getting the full story from the cruise line of the event.  That started a pissing contest with the cruise lines and the media trying to get information from them. I am sure you have already researched this already, so I’m a little embarrassed by telling you all this.

The CDC asking the general public these questions was just a huge SCREW YOU to the entire cruise industry.  The CDC asking our advice on question that the TOP epidemiologists would have difficulty answering, simply is contemptible.

The CDC has gone from a leader in protecting our health and viewed as the gold standard throughout the world, to a laughable corrupt, fringe  govt. organization over the past six months.  
 

you are all way too optimistic.  The ships will need be re certified and inspected before they can take on passengers.

Every ship in cold or warm layup is considered out of service. After 120 consecutive days without paid passengers,  the US Coast Guard needs to make sure that these vessels are still safe for public transport.  This is all laid out in the SOLAS guidelines.  This process is time consuming and there are very few USCG personnel certified to do this.  

Also cruise lines will be hiring back a percentage of staff to get the ships cleaned and prepared to accept guests.  

That is most likely the reason for the call backs.  Also many BDM’s from various lines have written off any chance of sailing until next year.  They will not start during Flu season while there is an ongoing pandemic.  think logically folks. 

According to a financial statement just released from Carnival Group.  If ops do not resume soon, It will directly impact its ability to start to repay its loans as of May 2021.  

This is very bad folks.  Royal has more outstanding debt then Carnival currently does. It beginning to look very grim folks.  

My vote still stays with NCl financial collapse first, by March 2021.

NO!!!

Not even the first half of 2021!!! Vaccine before cruising out of the USA

Slacks and button down oxford.  Simple, light & packs well.

also I tend to wear that every night. i find the ships rather cold anyway.