PRINCESS SHIPS & CORONA VIRUS

[caribill]

9 hours ago, Sunny AZ Girl said:

From what I understand there will be no getting around an extended quarantine for anyone who had been on the ship when re-entering the US.  Do it now, do it later, or stay in Japan for an undetermined amount of time. Personally, I think I would prefer to return to the US, where I speak the language, am familiar with the medical system, eat American food, and have more reliable phone and internet access to the people who I know will fight for me if needed.  

 

Have you read anywhere that those who will be quarantined in the USA will have access to phones and Internet? Especially those who do not have there own cell phones.

[dragonlord24601]

Remember who you heard it from but there are plans right now to swap the Diamond Princess with the Sapphire Princess to resume sailings if the Diamond Princess needs to be laid up for months in a deep clean. The Sapphire Princess is an identical sister of Diamond and was due to go to Shanghai and have a lengthy Chinese charter exclusively for their market after some regular cruises with Princess. That has all been cancelled as such Sapphire Princess is available to swap with Diamond should the need arise.

[dragonlord24601]

2 hours ago, suzyed said:

The N95 masks are what I just purchased and it came with multiple filters. We will try to use them on our flight. If nothing else, it will keep us from touching our own faces so we don’t spread  germs from our hands.

I would suggest ear plugs and a pair of swimming goggles as well. Any microparticles from the virus can land in your eyes and enter your immune system that way. The facemasks are useless however they will protect you if you are wearing goggles, ear plugs and have bandaged any cuts or grazes on your skin.

[DRJVH]

Princess cruises have cancelled or diverted their cruise ships in Asia 

 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/itinerary-modifications-cancellations.html

[ilikeanswers]

11 minutes ago, dragonlord24601 said:

I would suggest ear plugs and a pair of swimming goggles as well. Any microparticles from the virus can land in your eyes and enter your immune system that way. The facemasks are useless however they will protect you if you are wearing goggles, ear plugs and have bandaged any cuts or grazes on your skin.

 

I think people just want to minimise their chance of getting sick. Even the evacuation flights passengers and crew were given face masks so they cannot be completely useless.

[OzKiwiJJ]

30 minutes ago, DRJVH said:

Princess cruises have cancelled or diverted their cruise ships in Asia 

 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/itinerary-modifications-cancellations.html

But they haven't yet cancelled the Diamond itineraries from 15th March onwards. Maybe they will swap those over to Sapphire as long as Japan allows the cruises to operate through it's ports. Interesting!

[DRJVH]

33 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

But they haven't yet cancelled the Diamond itineraries from 15th March onwards. Maybe they will swap those over to Sapphire as long as Japan allows the cruises to operate through it's ports. Interesting!

They have now cancelled out to April. Sapphire cancelled out to June. 
 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/itinerary-modifications-cancellations.html?cid=pr_social_socialorganic_FACEBOOK_engagement_brand_na_na_na&linkId=82445647

[brisalta]

34 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

But they haven't yet cancelled the Diamond itineraries from 15th March onwards. Maybe they will swap those over to Sapphire as long as Japan allows the cruises to operate through it's ports. Interesting!

They have made more cancellations since you last looked.

See https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/itinerary-modifications-cancellations.html

 

You need to look at that daily as it is being updated constantly

[Sunny AZ Girl]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

Have you read anywhere that those who will be quarantined in the USA will have access to phones and Internet? Especially those who do not have there own cell phones.

No, you are right there.  I just assumed they would have access.  Even without internet access (I just heard they may not have internet) I would think cell phones would work and these days most people have them.  I am sure there are some elderly (like my 90 year old mother) who don't, but they are in the minority.  Apparently there is none in the Japanese facilities either.  Given the choice, I would prefer to be on home soil, still.  But I am sure others may have different feelings, and that is ok.   My choice at this point would be to go home if able.  I did just hear Dave Abel say that the quarantine may be extended for an indefinite time.  If I were on the fence about going home, that would cinch it for me!

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Sunny AZ Girl

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

If I did not have the virus, I would rather not be in a bus going to the airport with people that may be contagious and then a closely packed airplane for hours with people that may be contagious.

 

Now if the evacuation flights had been scheduled for after the 14 day ship quarantine period was over, that would be a different story. But evacuation before those 14 days are up means there could be contagious people on the bus and plane with you. You could leave the ship without having been affected and arrive in  California with the virus now in you.

I agree totally. The US passengers are in a difficult position particularly when they are advised that they will not be permitted to return to the US for "a period of time". "Period of time" could be a week, a month or more. They might have to wait until the international health emergency wanes.

[OzKiwiJJ]

22 minutes ago, DRJVH said:

They have now cancelled out to April. Sapphire cancelled out to June. 
 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/itinerary-modifications-cancellations.html?cid=pr_social_socialorganic_FACEBOOK_engagement_brand_na_na_na&linkId=82445647

Yes, I've just seen that. It wasn't showing the new Diamond cancellations when I posted earlier. I did check.

Edited February 16, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[OzKiwiJJ]

22 minutes ago, brisalta said:

 

 

You need to look at that daily as it is being updated constantly

Make that hourly! 😲😄

[Globehoppers]

A couple of issues:

 

- Face masks do one thing well: protect others from you.  N95s are good if fitted right.  Paper surgical masks can work to help prevent hand contact with your face/mouth/nose.

 

- Quarantining is NOT to help cure those quarantined.  It is designed solely to protect others from those in quarantine.  It does nothing to help those not sick to avoid catching the virus.

 

- As mentioned, the best way to avoid catching the virus is near constant vigilance and hand washing.  CDC recommends 20 seconds with any kind of soap, hot or cold water makes no difference.  Plus wipe down surfaces in your cabin with a good disinfectant - the German government is recommending one with hydrogen peroxide.  

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Globehoppers

[caribill]

8 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I agree totally. The US passengers are in a difficult position particularly when they are advised that they will not be permitted to return to the US for "a period of time". "Period of time" could be a week, a month or more. They might have to wait until the international health emergency wanes.

 

Currently they are saying March 4 which is two weeks after the current ship quarantine is supposed to end.

[dog]

33 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Currently they are saying March 4 which is two weeks after the current ship quarantine is supposed to end.

Will they then be quarantined in US upon entry?  

[suzyed]

10 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I think people just want to minimise their chance of getting sick. Even the evacuation flights passengers and crew were given face masks so they cannot be completely useless.

Of course!  Agree!
Many people, like me,  get colds every time they fly because people are very careless about covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze.  We'll be on a 9+ hours flight taking us to a 32 day cruise, I certainly don't want to catch any "cooties" from other passenger at the start of my vacation.  I will continue my regiment of wiping down all of the surfaces at my seat on the plane (I once saw a woman change a baby's dirty diaper on one of the tray tables), take my airbourne, maybe wear a mask and I don't care about others snarky comments. 
Surgical masks are not useless.....I used them for 35+ years as an OR nurse to protect patients.  I wonder who would want to have surgery in an OR where no one wore those "useless" masks?

Edited February 16, 2020 by suzyed

[cruiserchuck]

9 minutes ago, dog said:

Will they then be quarantined in US upon entry?  

 

Not clear.  I suspect the folks who are choosing to stay on the ship will not be back in the US for some time.  I also suspect Princess will not want to pay for their costs in Japan while they wait for permission to return to the US.  

[dog]

37 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

Not clear.  I suspect the folks who are choosing to stay on the ship will not be back in the US for some time.  I also suspect Princess will not want to pay for their costs in Japan while they wait for permission to return to the US.  

So US, Canada,Hong Kong are putting those who choose to take flights home this week Into a 14 day quarantine at a government facility. I ‘ve followed Yardley Wong on Twitter. She is very upset and wants to self quarantine at home. A real toll on her 6 year old and elderly she says. What a nightmare. 
thanks for above response. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by dog

[RMMariner]

2 hours ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

Not clear.  I suspect the folks who are choosing to stay on the ship will not be back in the US for some time.  I also suspect Princess will not want to pay for their costs in Japan while they wait for permission to return to the US.  

 

Having watched all this unfold, it is time for the ship to be cleared. Princess obligation should be at an end. It is time for this to be dealt with at a national level.

 

People making this choice should be paying for it themselves. Also, the passengers staying, just prolongs this ordeal for the crew.

Edited February 16, 2020 by RMMariner
grammar

[kiwichick62]

There are 355 confirmed cases from the Diamond Princess, does anyone know how many have been tested.

 

Looks like Australia will evacuate Australian citizens from the ship along with the remaining 11 New Zealanders still on board.

[SunNFunCruzer]

1 hour ago, RMMariner said:

People making this choice should be paying for it themselves. Also, the passengers staying, just prolongs this ordeal for the crew.

 

Matt Smith is posting on twitter that he is confident that he will be released and free to wander Japan on  or around February 19th (need a negative result).  He did receive a letter from Princess/Japan that said that, but it also says something like "this is the plan at this time, subject to change".  He also received word from the Embassy that, as long as he's negative, he can return to the US in early March.

 

He felt that it was too risky with Americans that he felt were non-compliant with health/safety and quarantine rules to share a bus and plane back to the US.  He saw people without masks, standing and talking too close, etc.

Edited February 16, 2020 by SunNFunCruzer

[bluesea321]

35 minutes ago, kiwichick62 said:

There are 355 confirmed cases from the Diamond Princess, does anyone know how many have been tested.

Looks like Australia will evacuate Australian citizens from the ship along with the remaining 11 New Zealanders still on board.

 

"Earlier Sunday, health minister Katsunobu Kato said 1,219 people on the ship had now been tested for the virus, with 355 diagnosed with the illness."

That leaves over 2,000 still to be tested (Japan has indicated that all will be tested before disembarking).

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/02/17/national/science-health/americans-leave-quarantined-ship-yokohama-onboard-virus-cases-hit-355/#.XkmgcRNKjPA

[RMMariner]

1 minute ago, SunNFunCruzer said:

 

Matt Smith is posting on twitter that he is confident that he will be released and free to wander Japan on February 19th.  He did receive a letter from Princess/Japan that said that, but it also says something like "this is the plan at this time, subject to change".  He also received word from the Embassy that, as long as he's negative, he can return to the US in early March.

 

He felt that it was too risky with Americans that he felt were non-compliant with health/safety and quarantine rules to share a bus and plane back to the US.  He saw people without masks, standing and talking too close, etc.

 

I think he is probably making the same choice I would. The lack of compliance certainly contributed to the spread of the virus on the ship. If I was cleared, and there was no risk of infecting other people, I would certainly prefer two weeks in Japan over two more weeks in quarantine in the US.

 

 

[bluesea321]

5 minutes ago, SunNFunCruzer said:

Matt Smith is posting on twitter that he is confident that he will be released and free to wander Japan on February 19th.  He did receive a letter from Princess/Japan that said that, but it also says something like "this is the plan at this time, subject to change".  He also received word from the Embassy that, as long as he's negative, he can return to the US in early March. He felt that it was too risky with Americans that he felt were non-compliant with health/safety and quarantine rules to share a bus and plane back to the US.  He saw people without masks, standing and talking too close, etc.

 

To each their own but there is no way I would have stayed on that doomed ship.

[bluesea321]

10 minutes ago, SunNFunCruzer said:

Matt Smith is posting on twitter that he is confident that he will be released and free to wander Japan on February 19th.

 

And then there is this:

“While the final plans have not been confirmed to us, the Japanese government has informed us that they may start a new testing process for guests beginning February 18, Swartz said in the video, noting testing could take a few days to complete and that it should take at least three days individual test results back. So guests who are tested on February 18 and have negative test results may be able to disembark beginning February 21.”

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3050885/coronavirus-princess-cruises-outlines-plan-end