Seabourn and the current issues surrounding the Corona Virus

[rols]

5 hours ago, texanaust said:

Flights to China are still operating normally and there are no restrictions on arrivals (currently).  

 

Not completely true. Flights from China are still going to Thailand, yes, however any passengers from China are required to show a current medical cert that they are free of the coronavirus. In practice I'm not sure what that even means or how you would obtain such a thing and I'd have some doubts about the veracity of any such certificate. Also most Chinese tourists to Thailand go as part of group tours and China itself has banned outgoing tour groups. So the numbers of Chinese tourists in Thailand has dropped dramatically. 

 

Definitely true that Thailand now relies so much on tourism from China their response has fallen short of other countries and also what I'd hope and expect, but they have done something and China itself has stemmed the flow of the bulk of tourists by banning group tours. 

[rols]

On 2/6/2020 at 8:36 AM, Flamin_June said:

Thanks for the reassurance. We are due to spend 5 nights in Singapore before boarding Ovation, which we were both really looking forward to. We will carry on looking forward to that. I had imagined the response in Singapore might be efficient and robust, good to learn that it has been.

So update from sunny Singapore. 3 cases not related to the original cluster popped up on Friday. Authorities are now contact tracing those and working out if there's a link between them. Still not classed as community spread but not the best news just as it seemed they had ringfenced the one cluster. Singapore also raised its alert status to 'orange' which means the disease is considered severe but is still not spreading widely and outbreaks are contained. The main difference is that the 'orange' status curtails some inter-school activities, to ensure that if one school has an outbreak, they don't all get it, and companies are encouraged to temperature check employees and if possible get some of them to work from home so that one outbreak doesn't infect everyone in a small business. 

 

The result of this change was for people to start panic buying but hopefully they will all stop that. 

 

I'd say Singapore is still as safe as anywhere else to visit, however if more clusters arise, and the next week to 10 days should say whether they will or not, and the alert status is raised to 'red', I'd reconsider coming. We're not there yet, and hopefully we aren't going to get there either. 

[oceanviewer21]

6 hours ago, texanaust said:

It is quite possible Laem Chabang will welcome all the cruise ships.  Thailand has had a very friendly response to the Coronavirus.  Flights to China are still operating normally and there are no restrictions on arrivals (currently).  The Thai PM (Junta leader) has made it clear that he does not want to irritate China and their tourist $$$$ to the country.  Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia have made similar statements.  

 

This seems extremely foolish of them. When we join the Ovation it is scheduled to stop at Myanmar and we were really looking forward to visiting the Golden Temple (our 2nd attempt) . Now worried by all the crowds and possible Chinese tourists.

[texanaust]

18 minutes ago, oceanviewer21 said:

This seems extremely foolish of them. When we join the Ovation it is scheduled to stop at Myanmar and we were really looking forward to visiting the Golden Temple (our 2nd attempt) . Now worried by all the crowds and possible Chinese tourists.

 

The issue for these countries is that statistically speaking there should be more cases of the Coronavirus.  Indonesia for example (275 million people), has no cases of the virus and Thailand has very low numbers considering the number of Chinese that visit.  The virus could be spreading undetected in these countries due to the medical system, government or a combination.  This link is from Abc news in Australia:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-08/china-offers-citizens-return-flight-bali-to-wuhan-coronavirus/11945554

 

 

 

[Flamin_June]

9 hours ago, rols said:

I'd say Singapore is still as safe as anywhere else to visit, however if more clusters arise, and the next week to 10 days should say whether they will or not, and the alert status is raised to 'red', I'd reconsider coming. We're not there yet, and hopefully we aren't going to get there either. 

Thanks for the update, rols, I'm now following latest development on the Straits Times website, where there is a regular update of cases, with impressive details of new cases, likley contacts, recent movements, where they work and live etc. One can clearly see how many of the cases are interlinked and stem from one or two clusters. As the number of cases rises ( and I agree the relatively high numbers for Singapore are in part due to the efficiency in tracing and isolating and testing contacts) I wonder how long it will take before  SGP joins HK as  no go area. I guess that if status is upped from orange to red things will go pear-shaped. Ironic that we recieved our travel docs, labels etc today. As always it was great to get these and there was a fleeting sense of normality and  happy anticipation. But in reality there is a growing sense of trepidation.  We are due to fly to Singapore in exactly four weeks.

And yes, I am also a little uncertain about our stops in Thailand, Myanmar and for that matter Sri Lanka. Rather than getting into the joys of packing suitcases and so on, it all feels like a high stakes poker game. Who will blink first. Will Seabourn cancel? Will we cancel? If we do get on the ship what will happen if a passenger coughs?

[Flamin_June]

18 hours ago, Cantara24 said:

Meanwhile, after a port day in Laem Chabang, Ovation is arriving at Ko Kood for a wonderful beach BBQ and Caviar in the Surf. Well not so much on the surf part, it does tend to be calm, but still a great beach.

How do you know all this? Are you on board? Do you work for SB Head Office ?

[penport]

1 hour ago, Flamin_June said:

Thanks for the update, rols, I'm now following latest development on the Straits Times website, where there is a regular update of cases, with impressive details of new cases, likley contacts, recent movements, where they work and live etc. One can clearly see how many of the cases are interlinked and stem from one or two clusters. As the number of cases rises ( and I agree the relatively high numbers for Singapore are in part due to the efficiency in tracing and isolating and testing contacts) I wonder how long it will take before  SGP joins HK as  no go area. I guess that if status is upped from orange to red things will go pear-shaped. Ironic that we recieved our travel docs, labels etc today. As always it was great to get these and there was a fleeting sense of normality and  happy anticipation. But in reality there is a growing sense of trepidation.  We are due to fly to Singapore in exactly four weeks.

And yes, I am also a little uncertain about our stops in Thailand, Myanmar and for that matter Sri Lanka. Rather than getting into the joys of packing suitcases and so on, it all feels like a high stakes poker game. Who will blink first. Will Seabourn cancel? Will we cancel? If we do get on the ship what will happen if a passenger coughs?

 

Hey Flamin-June we are booked on the cruise after yours - in eight weeks from Dubai on Ovation.

Going through the exact same thought processes - to wait and see if Seabourn cancel or do we cancel and forfeit 45% - for us that decision is 3 weeks away - when I guess the situation will be a bit clearer.

The only positive is that Ovation is running longer cruises atm so 14 and 28 days - at least ample to time to find out if there's an outbreak on board.

Edited February 8, 2020 by penport

[cuddles115]

According to JAMA( Journal of the American Medical Association) ground zero for the Corona Virus is a patient who presented with abdominal pain and was placed in the surgical ward of the hospital. He subsequently infected others including hospital personnel.  Thus the world-wide distribution took place. The virus is very virulent and, I assume, must run its course.

[SLSD]

I think this article explains that not all has been transparent concerning the Corona Virus.  I hate to say it--but I would sail with trepidation in Asia at this time.  Too many unknowns.  I've been following the plight of the quarantined passengers aboard the Princess Diamond.  I do not envy them and would not want to be a cruise ship that discovered a passenger infected with this virus.  The result could be a quarantine for everyone.  If you haven't been following the Princess Diamond and have an account on Facebook, search for the accounts from David Abel who is doing live videos daily.  

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chinese-officials-note-serious-problems-in-coronavirus-response-the-world-health-organization-keeps-praising-them/2020/02/08/b663dd7c-4834-11ea-91ab-ce439aa5c7c1_story.html?fbclid=IwAR1UZfQwlXgUT55RA0uo3_gA_YGWKgVxKDjfBV_bMyOrA_WBur3KgSz8_os&utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

 

[cuddles115]

Maylasia has closed its ports.  Is Singapore next?

[rols]

21 minutes ago, cuddles115 said:

Maylasia has closed its ports.  Is Singapore next?

1) where did you see that, I've not seen it reported

2) I would expect the same requirement arriving by sea as any other way here which currently is nobody who's been to China in the previous two weeks. 

[cuddles115]

17 minutes ago, rols said:

1) where did you see that, I've not seen it reported

2) I would expect the same requirement arriving by sea as any other way here which currently is nobody who's been to China in the previous two weeks. 

In a letter from Celebrity Cruises dated February 8, 2020

[rols]

9 hours ago, Flamin_June said:

And yes, I am also a little uncertain about our stops in Thailand, Myanmar and for that matter Sri Lanka. Rather than getting into the joys of packing suitcases and so on, it all feels like a high stakes poker game. Who will blink first. Will Seabourn cancel? Will we cancel? If we do get on the ship what will happen if a passenger coughs?

My feeling about this right now, and I'm not booked on a cruise at this point so I have a detached take on it is that I wouldn't worry about the ports as much as the ship. Chances right now of catching the virus if you are out all day in port are, I think, quite low. The problem would be more if a passenger on the ship is sick. Even then you're a lot better off with 400 on a ship than 4000 and there are things you can do to mitigate; use the hand sanitizer, have all your meals served and avoid the buffet (perhaps finally we'll see people in the MDR for breakfast and perhaps Seabourn will open it for lunch to allow people that option), that kind of thing. 

 

I expect that Seabourn will be doing any and everything possible to ensure nobody possibly sick gets on board and anyone who even runs a temperature stays in their cabin. I don't see them cancelling cruises unless every port stops accepting them or the virus takes hold and the ship is quarantined. I feel for the poor people on the quarantined ship who are spending 24 hours a day in inside cabins, that must be like jail. 

 

I don't envy anyone's decision whether to cruise in Asia or not right now. I don't think anyone would book a cruise today. Were I booked on one I couldn't cancel I'd take it and be as smart as I could be. 

 

 

[rols]

9 minutes ago, cuddles115 said:

In a letter from Celebrity Cruises dated February 8, 2020

link? I still can't find it nor can I find a report saying all Malaysian ports are closed. 

[SLSD]

35 minutes ago, rols said:

. The problem would be more if a passenger on the ship is sick. 

 

 

Exactly.  And just one passenger on board with the virus could affect the entire ship.  

[cuddles115]

1 hour ago, rols said:

link? I still can't find it nor can I find a report saying all Malaysian ports are closed. 

 

1 hour ago, rols said:

link? I still can't find it nor can I find a report saying all Malaysian ports are closed. 

To answer your question. There is a letter from Captain Charalegos Theochasis(sp) captain of the Celebrity Millennium indicating that the port of Kola Kinabalu in Malaysia will no longer allow entry to cruise ships and, therefore they are ending the cruise early and will be debarking in Singapore on February 9th at 10PM.  A 100% refund for the present cruise as well as a 50% discount on future cruises will be given.  

[kowhairob]

We are booked on the Sojourn from Sydney April 29th so we are waiting to see what will happen over the next 80 days before it arrives in Sydney from its planned Ports of call in Hong Kong , The Philippines ,Thailand ,  Indonesia , Malaysia , Vietnam ,Cambodia and Singapore in April . My wife is not too happy but i think we will evaluate the situation closer to the time . 

[ael123]

Spoke to Seabourn. They will not let passengers on board who have traveled through Hong Kong or Main Land China. Our original flight was San Francisco to Hong Kong to Singapore on Cathay Pacific. We had to rebook our flights through Narita to get to Singapore on a different airline. Also my husband and I paid more than $850 for a travel insurance policy and when I called for help I was told they do not cover pandemics. So I was on my own trying to get the changes that I needed. Best of luck to you all. This is a difficult situation. 

[Cantara24]

"To answer your question. There is a letter from Captain Charalegos Theochasis(sp) captain of the Celebrity Millennium indicating that the port of Kola Kinabalu in Malaysia will no longer allow entry to cruise ships and, therefore they are ending the cruise early and will be debarking in Singapore on February 9th at 10PM.  A 100% refund for the present cruise as well as a 50% discount on future cruises will be given."

**************************

 

Couple of points: There is no such place as Kola Kinabalu in Malaysia. Do you mean Kota Kinabalu on the Island of Borneo (Malaysia)? A check of the port calendar shows no Celebrity ships arriving there anytime in February 2020.  It is, at this writing, 15:30 on Feb 9 in Singapore, Celebrity Millennium is not there (or close) nor is it on that port calendar until Feb 28th.

Care to help us out here? 

Edited February 9, 2020 by Cantara24

[Janet987]

The Health Travel Advisory on the Seabourn Press page, first linked to the Feb 3rd press release, is now prominently at top of page. https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/news.html   Both advisories signed by the Chief Medical Officer.  I believe this one is stricter than previous statement, now including prohibition of transit through Hong Kong and Macau. https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/news/travel-advisory.html   An excerpt from current advisory:

 

We have also adopted measures intended to keep you safe. These include:

1. Any individual who has traveled from or through mainland China, Macau, or Hong Kong within 14 days of the start of their cruise, (including transit through their airports), will not be permitted to board the ship.
   1. Shipboard staff will be scanning guest passports to verify transit through any of the prohibited areas. Given the serious nature of these circumstances, false responses on pre-boarding documents will result in immediate grounds for disembarkation at the next opportunity. Guests who do not disclose travel through prohibited areas in Asia may also face additional legal consequences.
2. Any individual who has been in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus or a person under monitoring for coronavirus within 14 days of the start of the cruise, will not be permitted to board the ship.

Edited February 9, 2020 by Janet987

[cuddles115]

2 hours ago, Cantara24 said:

"To answer your question. There is a letter from Captain Charalegos Theochasis(sp) captain of the Celebrity Millennium indicating that the port of Kola Kinabalu in Malaysia will no longer allow entry to cruise ships and, therefore they are ending the cruise early and will be debarking in Singapore on February 9th at 10PM.  A 100% refund for the present cruise as well as a 50% discount on future cruises will be given."

**************************

 

Couple of points: There is no such place as Kola Kinabalu in Malaysia. Do you mean Kota Kinabalu on the Island of Borneo (Malaysia)? A check of the port calendar shows no Celebrity ships arriving there anytime in February 2020.  It is, at this writing, 15:30 on Feb 9 in Singapore, Celebrity Millennium is not there (or close) nor is it on that port calendar until Feb 28th.

Care to help us out here? 

I would love to answer your points. You are certainly correct as to Kota Kinabalu being the correct spelling of the port on Borneo.  I admit to the error. My brother is on the ship and in my haste and concern , I spellt it wrong.  You seem to think that I'm fantasizing  all this. I'm NOT a passenger on the Celebrity Millenium although my brother is. He sent me the letter which I felt was pertinent to the Seabourn discussion. I have never been on a Celebrity cruise nor Malaysia. You seem to be giving me the third degree. I assure you that I don't use this forum for "happy talk" as others do and participate only when I have something positive to add to a discussion.

[Cantara24]

Cuddles115, it is you who said in post #86 "Maylasia has closed its ports.  Is Singapore next? "

 

That comment is simply untrue and it is that comment rols & myself were challenging you on.

 

That letter you refer to might have been pertinent to Seabourn had it not already eliminated Kota Kinabalu from Ovations new itinerary done Feb 4th.  Enough said.

Edited February 9, 2020 by Cantara24

[Mark56]

Here is a report concerning Singapore and Seabourn. https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/seabourn-ovation-switches-turnarounds-singapore-revises-ports

[w.w.voyager]

Cuddles115,

Celebrity Millenium current position:

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9189419

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, w.w.voyager said:

Cuddles115,

Celebrity Millenium current position:

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9189419

I am not expert, but I have found that sometimes cruisemapper is incorrect.  I was following the reports of passengers on Ovation as to their location on a FB page. Then, I went to cruisemapper and that site was reporting the original itinerary and assumed the ship was in the planned location, when it was not.  

 

I want to say something else, which may be a bit unpopular here.  I get annoyed with posts which are obviously cheerleading and putting the most positive spin possible on a situation.  I like fairness, objectivity (which is sometime difficult to discern) and concern for those making very difficult decisions.  

 

I read a couple of FB pages concerned with Seabourn and there seems to be at least a slight effort to discourage reporting about the corona virus issues.  I could be wrong, but that is the feeling I am getting.  

 

NO ONE wants to be in the situation of the current passengers on the Princess Diamond.  It appears that while the ship is taking good care of the quarantined passengers, more of them are testing positive for the corona virus  which is sometimes without immediate symptoms.  Not all have been tested yet.  

 

One more point--currently, there are passengers on Ovation who embarked in Hong Kong.  It is hard to say where all of them are from or if any could have possibly been exposed to the virus.  I certainly hope not.  

Edited February 9, 2020 by SLSD