Norwegian Unresponsive to the Coronavirus in Asia

[AliciaandMark]

8 minutes ago, blcruising said:

That's well said. And ultimately it is the right answer. Call it what you want but at the end of the day we have the free choice to support or not support this business. This is the kind of stuff that separates solid companies from average companies. And I can't imagine a company being worse than NCL at customer service....maybe equally as bad (maybe IRS?)...but how could they be worse?

 

They've continued to state their concern, for safety and well-being via posts here on cruisecritic (does any other cruiselines do that?), but most fair minded people observe their actions which are in direct contradiction as evidenced by the negative reaction in this forum.

 

They clearly know they are operating in a high risk geographic area. But they apparently have no problem incurring the risk of sailing a ship with their crew and officers into these areas. They have no problem asking customers to travel through and around these areas. They apparently have no concern about infecting people in the ports of call to which they sail. They have no concern about a possible quarantine situation such as Diamond Princess or a stranded at sea situation such as Westerdam.

 

The best thing that could happen right now for passengers booked on the Feb 17 departure would be for governments to continue to close ports. This is the only opportunity that I see to curb this greedy, reckless and careless cruise lines behavior.

So true. The best indicator of a companies true integrity is how they respond in a crisis. NCL have had ample opportunity to take a proactive and considered response to the current circumstances just like their competitors but instead we are now reliant on government intervention and the “rug being pulled directly out from underneath them” as our only hope for a sensible outcome. We saw this with the cancellation of Hong Kong port (NCL only responded to this out of necessity) unfortunately there’s no doubt this will be the only way they’ll shift on the next two Jade sailings as well. I’ve been very impressed with Princess and how they’ve managed their circumstances absolutely putting their crew and staff first and communicating honestly and frequently with the guests and community in general. Great work Princess maybe your CEO and marketing manager could mentor NCL staff on good PR processes and customer focused relations. 

[Atgatsea]

1 hour ago, Norwegian Cruise Line said:

The safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew...

The worst part of NCL’s post is how stupid they think we all are by putting out a statement like this.  Do they really expect any of us to believe their number one priority is anything other than making as much money as they can?  People who know much more about infectious diseases are issuing these serious and legitimate warnings about the risks posed by this virus.  Intelligent people - many actively involved in this forum - are heeding these warnings while weighing risks against the value of cruise fares already paid because NCL, unlike other more responsible cruise lines, will not cancel cruises amid a tragic and supremely unfortunate situation around the world.  The risks mentioned by NCL in April - that are evidently not bad enough now to warrant cancellation of the 2/6 or 2/17 Jade sailing - must be the risk of the new executive team (NCL appointed a new CEO at the beginning of the year) missing the Street’s quarterly earnings estimate.  Keeping our money allows them to claim they led the company through a crisis and brought in revenues by sailing when others didn’t.  Acting like a greedy ostrich with its head in the ground is showing us NCL’s number one priority.  In my book, when I encounter avarice of this magnitude, I make not doing business with companies like this my number one priority.

[Bonobochick]

 

 

[elwood_98034]

What I find to be extremely reassuring is that people don't seem to be dying in countries other than China. It is certainly a nasty, but so far it doesn't seem to be a stone cold killer. We should know about it by now if it was. Maybe we have dodged a bullet. So far.

Oh, breaking news, there is another quarantine station being set up. This one in Seattle: "Healthy travelers coming from Hubei Province, China, would be sent to the site, according to health officials. Anyone in quarantine who becomes ill, would be evaluated and removed from the site."

https://www.kiro7.com/home/shoreline-location-could-be-possible-quarantine-site-travelers-exposed-coronavirus/KG3RHQCF7JARTHFVTPJDSPHEF4/

[Another Court jester]

Might the numbers of infected outside China be too small to guage as the percentage mortality is thought to be about 4% at most

[mking8288]

1 hour ago, Another Court jester said:

Might the numbers of infected outside China be too small to guage as the percentage mortality is thought to be about 4% at most

 

The absolute small # of infections infected outside China is a welcoming indicator and one (1) death reported in the Philippine.  Nevermind the percentile.  This suggest that, given early diagnosis & supportive clincial intervention, that it has an excellent recovery odds

 

1 hour ago, elwood_98034 said:

... It is certainly a nasty, but so far it doesn't seem to be a stone cold killer. We should know about it by now if it was. Maybe we have dodged a bullet. So far.Oh, breaking news, there is another quarantine station being set up. This one in Seattle:

 

The death toll outside of mainland China stood at one (1) if you exclude Hong Kong SAR's single death - among countries reporting and assumed that WHO is in a position to verify & independently confirm the global data.  Perhaps, it speaks to advance medicine, resources & intervention being deployed by critical care facilities around the world.  That contrast significantly different than the mortality numbers within China, set aside the claims among some that "their" data are grossly under-reported.  

 

As for the quarantine station, not sure if we have that many non-US nationals, coming/returning from China at this point forward, to be admitted beyond the airports and qualified for entry, let alone to be put into mandatory quarantine as healthy visitors - given the latest guidelines in force.  It's funny that for NY region, JFK's Terminal 4 has a room within designated as such, on the CDC site & not updated ... since Fort Hamilton, at the foot of the VZ Bridge that every cruise ships sail under, has been activated to prepare. 

 

1 hour ago, Bonobochick said:

 

Well, that is not good.  Latest news - 3 new confirmed cases among the 279 tested thus far on the Diamond Princess, for a cumulative total of 64, reported out of HK and now also posted on NHK News Japan (English)

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200208_17/ 

 

Passengers & crews onboard the Diamond Princess, apparently, are cared for, as best as they can with a bit of cabin "fever" to be expected.  It is now Day 4 in HK for the World Dream passengers & crew since they returned to homeport, still awaiting words - apparently 1 person newly reported not feeling well yesterday ... and.  As for NCL's latest "response" - shall I say, "no comment" (see those newer posts directly above.) 

Edited February 8, 2020 by mking8288

[Maya1234]

The other good-ish news is this from the NY TIMES: “Doctors in Washington State gave remdesivir to the First patient  in the United States last week after his condition worsened and pneumonia developed when he’d been in the hospital for a week. His symptoms improved the next day.”

 

Remdesivir is an intravenous anti-viral. China is now doing a study to see if this anecdotal evidence can be backed up. 

Edited February 8, 2020 by Maya1234

[ppcox]

News from the current Jade is they are docked in Thailand and everyone who transited through Hong Kong is bing put into quarantine.

[Atgatsea]

3 hours ago, ppcox said:

News from the current Jade is they are docked in Thailand and everyone who transited through Hong Kong is bing put into quarantine.

I was looking at the wrong itinerary!  There have been so many changes it is hard to keep them all straight.  I hope none of the current cruisers have to go through what the people on the Diamond Princess are currently experiencing.

Edited February 8, 2020 by Atgatsea

[AliciaandMark]

I’m now really confused with NCLs position on this. So if I understand correctly NCL and RCCL have just increased protective measures to prevent outbreaks on their ships?! These include denying travel to anyone who has visited or transited Hong Kong (amongst other places) in the last 15 days?! As a result some passengers currently onboard the Jade are being disembarked early tomorrow due to having recently transited through Hong Kong (where their cruise was initially sailing from before last minute changes). In addition the advice indicates that those people who have had contact (been within one metre) of those that have travelled or transited through Hong Kong should also be excluded. Wouldn’t that then be the vast majority of those currently sailing on the Jade where the passengers who embarked on the 6th Feb have been mingling for a few days?! So disembarking the passengers who transited for an hour or two in Hong Kong but have been sitting in theatres and restaurants and bars with 100’s of other cruise passengers seems really odd to me? Potentially half the cruise ship fits the latter exclusion clause of having been in close contact with all those people. Why did they let them board to start with? Only to disembark them two days later?! Is  NCL’s greater concern that ports will not allow them to enter if passengers on board have been to HK in the last 15 days and so now they need to offload those passengers to meet the port requirements?? It all seems a little contradictory and confusing. 

[luv2kroooz]

I've seen the post on Facebook, but I haven't seen this posted anywhere else in the news. Jade is currently docked in Thailand per scheduled itinerary. Jade was last in Hong Kong on Jan 30, I believe, which was the start of the 7 day, one way over to Singapore.

Edited February 8, 2020 by blcruising

[ppcox]

I believe that the Feb 6th sailing was Singapore to Hong Kong as we are on the 17 th.  sailing from originally Hongkong. Both cruises were changed to roundtrip to and from Singapore.

What strikes me is these passengers that transited through Hongkong  have been free to cruise  for 3 days. The person updating has been sharing a cabin with someone in this position and has been told he can disembark with his friend and have no refund or carry alone.

Doies that mean these people are not been quarantined and are free to travel home. This is outrageous if true. Moral and ethic behaviour v profit WHERE IS NCL’s LINE.

[AliciaandMark]

21 minutes ago, ppcox said:

I believe that the Feb 6th sailing was Singapore to Hong Kong as we are on the 17 th.  sailing from originally Hongkong. Both cruises were changed to roundtrip to and from Singapore.

What strikes me is these passengers that transited through Hongkong  have been free to cruise  for 3 days. The person updating has been sharing a cabin with someone in this position and has been told he can disembark with his friend and have no refund or carry alone.

Doies that mean these people are not been quarantined and are free to travel home. This is outrageous if true. Moral and ethic behaviour v profit WHERE IS NCL’s LINE.

Yes that’s how I see it as well! Very little (if any regard) for the passengers involved. What a shambles! I’m really nervous now about my upcoming sailing for 20 nights leaving on the 27th Feb! If we make it through without issue I think it’ll be through luck not good management. 

[luv2kroooz]

On 2/6/2020 at 9:21 PM, blcruising said:

Just tried making a fake booking for the Feb 17th Jade cruise and I get the message "Looks like this page has taken a permanent vacation." Hmmmm. Maybe, just maybe......

I still think there is something going on with the Jade Feb 17th sailing. That sailing had a ton of cabins available earlier this week. Then, midweek it disappeared from the offerings overnight. I suppose it could have sold out, but I can't imagine how. Now, booked passengers are reporting that they can no longer access their booking summaries. A sold out ship would usually not prohibit access to booking summaries.

[Bevi65]

1 minute ago, blcruising said:

I still think there is something going on with the Jade Feb 17th sailing. That sailing had a ton of cabins available earlier this week. Then, midweek it disappeared from the offerings overnight. I suppose it could have sold out, but I can't imagine how. Now, booked passengers are reporting that they can no longer access their booking summaries. A sold out ship would usually not prohibit access to booking summaries.

It's all a bit odd. I predict a cancellation announcement within the next few days.

[AstoriaPreppy]

Sigh. This entire process has been a complete debacle. 

 

Instead of researching ports and activities for the current voyage, my past week has been planning a backup vacation that would be fully cancelable and refundable a few days out in case the Jade actually does sail. 

 

If NCL made everyone on the 17 February sailing change their flights, rebook hotels, and then *still* cancels the voyage, I predict a complete meltdown on these boards.

[Masekr11]

8 minutes ago, blcruising said:

I still think there is something going on with the Jade Feb 17th sailing. That sailing had a ton of cabins available earlier this week. Then, midweek it disappeared from the offerings overnight. I suppose it could have sold out, but I can't imagine how. Now, booked passengers are reporting that they can no longer access their booking summaries. A sold out ship would usually not prohibit access to booking summaries.

I’m on the 17th sailing and can access my booking summary; however, it’s showing tons of upgrade options. I tried doing it and didn’t get an error message (I closed the page before payment though). It’s odd they have pretty cheap upgrades on a sold out ship. 
 

Is anyone else on the Jade this month/March or was supposed to be on the 2/6 sailing and did not go?  I’m thinking of contacting the media because the way NCL is acting is ridiculous. They have handled this whole situation inappropriately and I think it should be reported on. Maybe the more people who are involved, the better? I did some research and most major outlets (CNN, BBC, Fox News, etc.) have tip hotlines. It’s a long shot but worth a try. 

[Mystictraveler]

For those of you struggling with your "go" or "no go" decision, my DW and I were facing the same choice a few days ago on another cruise where we had to make a decision (due to flight arrangements) even before the HK port was closed. I finally came up with the following question which helped us make the final decision which was "no go". "If we were offered this entire vacation today for free, would we take it?" Interestingly, the following day my brother sent me the same question.

 

But as I posted elsewhere, this is a personal decision where there is no right or wrong answer. It has been sad to see some posters ridicule others just because that decision does not align with there own.

[luv2kroooz]

That's what the passengers did on the Sun a year or so ago. NCL basically conducted a dry dock at sea - a construction cruise. The passengers formed a large, organized group and took it the media and ambulance chaser attorneys. They got the attention they wanted. NCL quickly caved. I think they offered everyone a free cruise. You really need an organized group, though.

[luv2kroooz]

Sharing the latest news regarding Singapore for anyone that may have interest. I wish it had a better message. Safe travels to anyone traveling in the near future....

 

SINGAPORE: Singapore confirmed seven new cases of novel coronavirus on Saturday (Feb 8), including a taxi driver and a private-hire car driver, taking the country's tally to 40.

 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/wuhan-coronavirus-moh-new-cases-taxi-driver-private-hire-12411656

Edited February 8, 2020 by blcruising

[Newleno]

So the jade feb 17 cruise changed the embarkation port or disembarkation port?  and after that  change was made NCL still refused to give refunds?  (P.S. if this cruise comes back online I am still considering purchasing it, last I saw was $384 for a window room before it disappeared.)

Edited February 8, 2020 by Newleno

[electro]

1 minute ago, Newleno said:

So the jade feb 17 cruise changed the embarkation port or disembarkation port?  and after that was change was made NCL still refused to give refunds?  (P.S. if this cruise comes back online I am still considering purchasing it, last I saw was $384 for a window room before it disappeared.)

I'd recommend a balcony incase you end up quarantined and confined to your cabin!

[Dreamingdaze]

We are due to go on the 27th also, with 3 days in Singapore before the cruise. Very concerned that nothing will be open and it will be a ghost city, not what we signed up for a year ago.  I cannot believe they have cancelled April onwards for the Spirit and think somehow that imminent cruises are a lesser risk! 
I just hope someone intervenes because no one cares, they certainly do not care about our health. Insurances and NCL have got it all wrapped up we are the losers. 
 

Have travelled several times on NCL and many liners over the last twenty three years... never again!!

[luv2kroooz]

10 minutes ago, Newleno said:

So the jade feb 17 cruise changed the embarkation port or disembarkation port?  and after that  change was made NCL still refused to give refunds?  (P.S. if this cruise comes back online I am still considering purchasing it, last I saw was $384 for a window room before it disappeared.)

Good for you!! You are more adventurous than I am and I'm pretty adventurous. I hope you get it if it comes back online. It's a great run if you remove the Coronavirus risk.

[Norwegian Cruise Line]

The safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew is our number one priority. We have proactively implemented several preventative measures outlined below due to growing concerns regarding Coronavirus infections in China. We will continue to consult with The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and take appropriate additional action as needed. 

Policies currently in place include:

1.     Any guest that holds a Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macau passport, will be unable to board any of our ships, regardless of residency.

a.     Except U.S. Alien Residents holding an Alien Resident Card (ARC), also known as a "Green Card".  It is recommended that these guests also carry their passports from their country of citizenship if available.

 

2.     Guests who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, including Hong Kong and Macau, within 30 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any of our vessels. The standard incubation period recognized by the WHO and US CDC for this virus is 14 days.

a.     Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel.

 

3.     The recent Hong Kong port closure will result in itinerary modifications and we will share the revised itinerary as well as further details as they become available.

 

4.     Prior to the port closure in Hong Kong, we implemented non-touch temperature screenings for all passengers embarking from this destination and any guest who registered a body temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius or higher, were not allowed to board. Guests on these voyages were also subject to temperature screenings when returning from shore excursions at ports of call.

a.     Guests who were unable to sail due to a high temperature were advised to open a travel insurance claim with their insurance provider.

 

5.     For all guests, we will continue standard pre-boarding health reporting and evaluation. Any guests who appear symptomatic are subject to pre-boarding medical evaluations including but not limited to temperature checks as deemed necessary.

 

6.     Any guest who exhibits symptoms of any respiratory illness while on board will be subject to additional screening at our onboard Medical Center and may be subject to potential quarantine and disembarkation.

 

7.     We have implemented additional cleaning and disinfection protocols on board all voyages. These protocols will be enforced in addition to our already rigorous sanitization standards in place.

 

8.     Any of our crew members that hold a Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macau passport, will not be allowed to board any of our ships, regardless of residency.  In addition, crew members who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, including Hong Kong and Macau within 30 days will not be allowed on board our ships.

 

9.     Singapore and the Philippines are not currently allowing Chinese nationals to disembark at their ports. Guests with a Chinese passport who are traveling on voyages that disembark in one of these regions will not be allowed on board our ships. If additional port restrictions are put into place we may have to modify this policy as needed.

a.     Guests who are denied boarding due to this will be issued a refund.

 

The above measures will remain in effect until further notice and are subject to change at any time as we evaluate the situation and continue to consult with local health authorities as well as the WHO and US CDC. At this time, we have made a number of itinerary changes and none of our vessels are currently calling to ports in China.  We also have the flexibility to alter our itineraries as needed to avoid areas of concern. All itineraries that call in China for the next six months are currently under review and we will communicate any itinerary revisions as soon as possible. As always, we will closely monitor the situation and take appropriate action as necessary. We apologize for the inconvenience to any guests affected by these measures put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all our guests and crew.