PRINCESS SHIPS & CORONA VIRUS

[bluesea321]

2 hours ago, caribill said:

If four people working at the terminals have the virus, they did not get it from cruise passengers or staff unless the cases of cruise passengers and staff have yet to be found.

 

16 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Your statement doesn't make sense, the workers at the terminals could have been in contact with a passenger disembarking that doesn't even know they have the virus.   It goes both ways.

 

If you go back and reread his statement (above) it does make sense.  He said "unless the cases of cruise passengers... have yet to be found".  You are both saying the same, the pax could have infected the terminal workers.

[Cruise Raider]

4 hours ago, Justalone said:

San Francisco?

 

No, I think the port of San Francisco is still in business.   The governor just didn't want passengers that could potentially be infected disembarking in the City.  The port is smack in the middle of town.  It was a smart move to take the ship right across the bay over into the port of Oakland.  When you compare the port of San Francisco and the port of Oakland, there is no comparison which is a better place to offload passengers in this situation.  

[ar1950]

30 minutes ago, LDVinNC said:

Had appt with my oncologist the other day - I am 18 months in full remission from multiple myeloma - and when I told him we were planning a long cruise, the look of horror on his face was almost comical.  I immediately added that we were cancelling and when I asked if this would be his advice, I got a resounding "YES"! 

 

Cannot believe that anyone in between chemo treatments would cruise, even without coronavirus!

 

Guess I have to chuckle a bit at the chemo comments.  My dad was diagnosed with stage  4 cancer at age 79.  After his oncologist found a treatment that didn't make my dad feel like hell my folks questioned the doctor about them going on a cruise.  The doctor said absolutely, if you feel OK, go.  My parents took two additional cruises together prior to my dads passing 8 years later.  He lived to age 87, although the last year and a half were not good as far as his quality of life.  Everyone is going to die someday.  Do what makes sense for you and your situation.

[tailspintom]

4 hours ago, voljeep said:

how does the ban on gatherings effect/affect cruise ships docked in CA ?

 

NBA - SF Warriors will play their next game without fans in the seats … Whoa 

That bodes well for the Nets. They are used to playing with no fans in the seats.

[Cruise Raider]

3 hours ago, Debate said:

Forgive me if this has been discussed before but I'm wondering why Princess hasn't contacted the folks who passed through the cruise terminal at Port Everglades while the infected port employees were in their terminal ?  Would they not contact other people on the boat if someone came down with with Coronavirus within 14 days of the end of their cruise?  Maybe not??  Maybe its spread so much now that they aren't tracing any longer?  

 

I think you hit the nail on the head.  Once testing of the general public is widespread, I think we will see that we are surrounded by it on all sides.  Our kid's teachers, healthcare workers in various settings, bus and uber drivers, TSA agents, airline employees, even that flight attendant serving your drink, the clerks at the grocery store, movie theater staff and even the seats, our tax preparer, work mates, babysitters, neighbors, restaurant employees, etc etc etc ...

I don't even think it is brought to us by cruiseline passengers as much as it was most likely already here from people traveling unrestricted from China.  I even know someone that traveled all through China and even to Wuhan right before the travel restriction was put in place.  No quarantines put in place at that time.  The neighborhood I live in is predominately Asian and a lot of my neighbors had recently traveled to this area, as well.  They canceled many events around Chinese New Year's celebrations due to their recent travel to China.  How many people did they come in contact with before any of this hit the news?  

Broad testing will confirm not only a large portion of the population already has been infected by this virus and also show how many will be asymptomatic.  I think it will also reveal a much lower mortality rate than what is now reported as we will have a much larger denominator.  And, the risk adjusted mortality rate for those in the US would also reveal more meaningful data, as well.  

In realizing all this, a cruiseship may actually be a more controlled environment than what we are exposed to in every day life on land.  Take all precautions with good hand hygiene (good overall hygiene), get plenty of sleep, eat a healthful diet with adequate hydration, don't smoke, practice social distancing when possible, stay home if you are sick or immunocompromised.   Even the frenzy I've seen some people whip themselves into is so bad for your health and can make you more susceptible to contracting a disease.   Live your life with these basic common sense principles and no hysteria!!   

[Relaxedfun]

41 minutes ago, tailspintom said:

That bodes well for the Nets. They are used to playing with no fans in the seats.

Thanks for a great laugh!

[CruiserWithoutAShip]

Incase anyone doesn’t know yet...

Yesterday our to travel agent informed us that Princess have just changed their policy so that if you have “travelled” to Singapore (others are in the list) then you are not allowed onboard within 20 days. “Travelled” now includes a flight layover, i.e. get off plane and hang around at the gate (in the terminal, not going through security) and getting back on same plane.
 

The policy is so new that the call centre staff aren’t yet giving out a consistent story and when I last checked it wasn’t on their website.

 

Having got to Australia we have been told we’re not getting on the ship.
 

Not happy. 

[Sea Hag]

2 minutes ago, CruiserWithoutAShip said:

Having got to Australia we have been told we’re not getting on the ship.

 

Not happy. 

Wow! I don't wonder that you're not happy. So sorry this happened to you.

[bluesea321]

6 minutes ago, PrincessLuver said:

Hope Princess let’s us know soon if the the Spring TA.s are going to go to Europe now..

 

The President just announced a travel ban from Europe for at least 30 days so I wonder what this means for TA cruises.  Will the ships stay here or move?  Americans who cross the pond may not be allowed back for at least 30 days.  Europe is nice but I would not want to be stranded there, particularly with their own virus situation.  Not even Australia is now safe.  Tom Hanks and his wife just announced they got COVID-19 there.

Edited March 12, 2020 by bluesea321

[LMaxwell]

This article was just published today 3/11 and brings another chapter and perspective to the Diamond Princess story; an interview with a crew member.  

 

Posted for the benefit of those learning more about the story 

 

https://www.newyorker.com/news/as-told-to/a-cruise-ship-crew-member-describes-a-failed-effort-to-contain-the-coronavirus

[debsjc]

I think we are at the point now where all international leisure travel has to be put on hold. You just have to look at the scenes in Italian hospitals to see where this could be heading, and Italy does have a good health system. 
Many younger, healthy people that contract the virus still require ventilators, and there are not enough to save everyone - it's tragic. Our priorities have to change, hopefully just for a few months. 

[Iamcruzin]

2 hours ago, debsjc said:

I think we are at the point now where all international leisure travel has to be put on hold. You just have to look at the scenes in Italian hospitals to see where this could be heading, and Italy does have a good health system. 
Many younger, healthy people that contract the virus still require ventilators, and there are not enough to save everyone - it's tragic. Our priorities have to change, hopefully just for a few months. 

I couldn't agree more. The worse part is that here in the US you can't even be tested . If people don't have a proper diagnosis they think they can proceed with their normal life as soon as they feel better. My son has a fever, he is at home with his fiance' who was sick before he was. Both of them were directed to go to urgent care who could not test them for Corona and they showed negative for the flu. They are in self quarantine with my son working from home. DW dropped off supplies yesterday. She left them at the door and rang the bell. The scary part is how many people are walking around thinking they have a common cold. Today on the news it was reported that a person on a JetBlue flight from NY to West Palm Beach Florida tested positive for COVID -19.  When are the airlines going to take the same steps as the cruise lines with screening people?

Edited March 12, 2020 by Iamcruzin

[Pedro2400]

Princess Cruises Announces a Voluntary and Temporary Pause of its Global Ship Operations for 60 Days

 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/global-ship-operations-pause.html  

[Iamcruzin]

2 minutes ago, Pedro2400 said:

Princess Cruises Announces a Voluntary and Temporary Pause of its Global Ship Operations for 60 Days

 

 

Let's hope the rest of the industry follows their lead

[sunshine 229]

14 minutes ago, Pedro2400 said:

Princess Cruises Announces a Voluntary and Temporary Pause of its Global Ship Operations for 60 Days

 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/global-ship-operations-pause.html  

The first domino to fall which will no doubt be followed by others. It’s a strange and challenging time.

[musicgal]

That's it. That's what I have been expecting.  They are going to let the virus die on any and every surface of old age and hope that it burns it's way out of the public by summer.  What an age we live in.

[brisalta]

3 hours ago, Pedro2400 said:

Princess Cruises Announces a Voluntary and Temporary Pause of its Global Ship Operations for 60 Days

 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/global-ship-operations-pause.html  

 

plus more details on compensation for cancelled cruises and an FAQ at

https://www.princess.com/news/pdfs/voluntary-60-day-pause-of-global-ship-operations.pdf

It also lists voyages that are currently under way that will return early.

Edited March 12, 2020 by brisalta

[Pedro2400]

On a lighter note

 

Very creative

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8104031/Italian-man-wears-GIANT-disk-extreme-attempt-enforce-social-distancing-Rome.html

[caribill]

A good reference for the state of the virus around the globe

 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

[caribill]

5 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

When are the airlines going to take the same steps as the cruise lines with screening people?

The only way for cruise companies (or even airlines) to be 99.9% sure that nobody with the virus boards is to take a sample immediately before check-in and do not allow check-in for a person until the result is back.

 

Of course each person so tested needs to be kept isolated at the terminal until the result comes back.

 

Allow enough time for a second test on those who test positive to be sure it was not a false positive.

 

And I say only 99.99% sure since there could also be some false negatives.

[NorthwestCruiser]

That is basically the challenge -- planes and cruise ships have to assume that a passenger will be infected and figure out a way to keep them from infecting others.   We haven't really figured that out yet, hence the worldwide disruption.

[voljeep]

I know this is about Princess and cruising, but many more areas are also shutting down operations for a time period,

specifically sporting events - NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA basketball - and that hits way to close to home for us.

mods feel free to nuke, didn't mean as a thread hijack ...

[npcl]

8 minutes ago, NorthwestCruiser said:

That is basically the challenge -- planes and cruise ships have to assume that a passenger will be infected and figure out a way to keep them from infecting others.   We haven't really figured that out yet, hence the worldwide disruption.

You could basically follow the same protocol on airlines that they use for the repatriation flights.  Everyone puts on mask and gloves when boarding and removing and tossing the gloves when leaving the plane. Not perfect but better than nothing.

 

Notice that the Asian cultures where masks are worn fairly often, even without outbreaks, such as Japan and Hong Kong has had pretty limited growth rates.

Edited March 12, 2020 by npcl

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

The only way for cruise companies (or even airlines) to be 99.9% sure that nobody with the virus boards is to take a sample immediately before check-in and do not allow check-in for a person until the result is back.

 

Of course each person so tested needs to be kept isolated at the terminal until the result comes back.

 

Allow enough time for a second test on those who test positive to be sure it was not a false positive.

 

And I say only 99.99% sure since there could also be some false negatives.

I don't mean testing for the virus. The man who boarded the JetBlue flight was running a temperature. The Cruise lines were screening people taking their temperature before they boarded.

[bookmama22]

I knew we were heading down this road from Day 1 as this was not simply going to go away. I agree that all leisure travel should be suspended. The NY Phil, Carnegie Hall, the Met Opera have all cancelled performances for the rest of the month, the Met Museum and other museums are following suite, St Patrick's Day Parade, and so on

 

I am in self quarantine as I was exposed to my niece who tested positive upon her return to Israel earlier this week and is hospitalized. My office just announced that beginning tomorrow everyone should work remotely although office and office building will remain open for those who want to come in. 

 

As for me I have already done a phone intake with NYS Coronavirus hotline and waiting for call back from them as well as doctor about testing.