CoronaVirus Impact on the Cruise Industry

[sayanne]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I agree with your focus but there are some small, specialty cruise lines that also have a focus on itinerary, enrichment (onboard lecturers), and personalized service.  Not all of us sail on the big party ships just because we're upon the ocean.

 

I am aware of those smaller ships geared for bigger water. Road Scholar built and launched their own coastal explorer not so long ago. I think Viking has sub-500 passenger ships for coastal trips. Silver Seas has a couple, in fact I believe it is one of theirs that my friends are on right now. They just scored a dock away from a big ship that was turned away due to contamination risk. They are small enough to have stayed clean. But even that trip cancelled an extension due to all the concerns. I was just out trying to buy stuff for my friends for when I pick them up at the airport.

 

Those ships absolutely intrigue me. To me they have many of the advantages of the river cruisers including tighter focus, educational tilt and personalized service. And fantastic food - that is by itself a standout aspect of the river cruises. Sigh - I was looking forward to doing this trip with 3 nights in Barcelona then spend a week going up the Rhone as my last straight river cruise before going to other types of trips. But oh well.

Edited March 13, 2020 by sayanne

[drsel]

10 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

And who will pay them that minimum wage if they are out of work and sent home to Indonesia the Philippines or Eastern Europe?

I meant during their contract of 7 to 9 months, even if the ship has no passengers for 1 month

[sail7seas]

20 hours ago, sayanne said:

 

I am aware of those smaller ships geared for bigger water. Road Scholar built and launched their own coastal explorer not so long ago. I think Viking has sub-500 passenger ships for coastal trips. Silver Seas has a couple, in fact I believe it is one of theirs that my friends are on right now. They just scored a dock away from a big ship that was turned away due to contamination risk. They are small enough to have stayed clean. But even that trip cancelled an extension due to all the concerns. I was just out trying to buy stuff for my friends for when I pick them up at the airport.

 

Those ships absolutely intrigue me. To me they have many of the advantages of the river cruisers including tighter focus, educational tilt and personalized service. And fantastic food - that is by itself a standout aspect of the river cruises. Sigh - I was looking forward to doing this trip with 3 nights in Barcelona then spend a week going up the Rhone as my last straight river cruise before going to other types of trips. But oh well.

 

I was invited to lunch on a SilverSea ship when she was in Boston, nice and all    that bu despite my liking excellence, I was  not in the least motivated to sail on that line.

 

 

[drsel]

20 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

 

I was invited to lunch on a SilverSea ship when she was in Boston, nice and all    that bu despite my liking excellence, I was  not in the least motivated to sail on that line.

 

 

Why?

[navybankerteacher]

59 minutes ago, drsel said:

Why?

Perhaps because mediocre food and service plus rock climbing walls and thousands of fellow bargain-seeking passengers going to over-crowded ports are preferable to superior service, gourmet food, and discerning passengers enjoying overnights in smaller ports.  

[drsel]

Haha, let him answer.

he must have his reasons

 

 

[sayanne]

16 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Perhaps because mediocre food and service plus rock climbing walls and thousands of fellow bargain-seeking passengers going to over-crowded ports are preferable to superior service, gourmet food, and discerning passengers enjoying overnights in smaller ports.  

 

Not sure who is talking to who here, but Silverseas has a range in their ship size. Obviously the smaller ones do not have spare space for rock climbing walls. From their web site, and I know people who have been on their smaller ones and reported excellent food. I have not tried one of these yet myself but my friends have done a ton of cruising and are reliable.

"Our ships range in size from 50 to 304 suites to ensure each of our guests finds the perfect balance between choice and intimacy."

[drsel]

Navy Bank teacher was explaining the reason why

 

"I was  not in the least motivated to sail on that line"

 

on behalf of sail 7 seas

 

 

[need2cruisesoon]

Just wondering how the cruise lines will move forward (hopefully very Careful), I understand the need for doctors notes and screenings at the pier.

 

But will cruise ships sail at reduced capacity to give proper "social distancing"?

 

I could see ships selling every other cabin (not filling side by side cabins) to maintain a healthy environment.

[sayanne]

This is a caution to people in the midst of making decisions about upcoming cruises where the vendor has offered a choice including full reimbursement. And you are carrying the usual "for cause" travel insurance.

 

I just was able to act on a reimburse option for a trip solely because I happened to have called the vendor 8 hours before they removed that option and changed the status of cruises so they were FCC only. And have very good travel agent. Whatever policy you see on a Wednesday may not be the same the next morning.

Edited March 21, 2020 by sayanne
Yoo long

[gerryuk]

15 hours ago, need2cruisesoon said:

Just wondering how the cruise lines will move forward (hopefully very Careful), I understand the need for doctors notes and screenings at the pier.

 

But will cruise ships sail at reduced capacity to give proper "social distancing"?

 

I could see ships selling every other cabin (not filling side by side cabins) to maintain a healthy environment.

So a cruise ship holds 4000 pax, you cut it in half to 2000, how does that maintain a healthy environment? 

[ed01106]

5 minutes ago, gerryuk said:

So a cruise ship holds 4000 pax, you cut it in half to 2000, how does that maintain a healthy environment? 

No.  Not even close. 

 

I think are best chance is if they can develop an accurate near instantaneous test.  Everyone is tested and confirmed safe before boarding.

 

Then three days at sea, one day at private island, three more days at sea.  7 day cruise.  

[navybankerteacher]

16 hours ago, need2cruisesoon said:

Just wondering how the cruise lines will move forward (hopefully very Careful), I understand the need for doctors notes and screenings at the pier.

 

But will cruise ships sail at reduced capacity to give proper "social distancing"?

 

I could see ships selling every other cabin (not filling side by side cabins) to maintain a healthy environment.

Wouldn’t they then have to almost double the fare - or at least on-board spending revenue? There is also the likelihood of increased on-board staffing to implement the need for increased serving and cleaning, not to mention attending to the sick.

 

 Doctors’s notes have been discussed elsewhere - and credibly dismissed as highly unlikely.  Screening at the pier seems unlikely to be effective given the time required for non-symptomatic carriers to be identified — or even for higher-priority screening to take place given the to-date unmet needs.

 

I suspect that some significant developments in detection, containment, treatment and/or - hopefully- immunization will have to take place before cruising will be a likely recreation option.  

 

 

[cruisemom42]

20 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

No.  Not even close. 

 

I think are best chance is if they can develop an accurate near instantaneous test.  Everyone is tested and confirmed safe before boarding.

 

Then three days at sea, one day at private island, three more days at sea.  7 day cruise.  

 

Someone could be exposed to the virus enroute to their cruise (e.g., on a plane) and would not test positive on boarding but could develop symptoms during the cruise.

 

I do not see any way of turning back time -- we can't eradicate the virus at this point. It's too widespread. In my opinion it will become another flu. There will (likely) be a vaccine and every year there will be cases -- but hopefully no more pandemics.  Think of it as the difference between a normal flu season and the flu pandemic of 1918....

 

 

[Sunmist]

I just watched a video on this and I’m just so worried. Cruising is my favorite form of travel. I’ve been cruising since I was 8 years old. I’m booked on a July cruise with Carnival and my husband and I were going to take my son on his first cruise. I know most likely this cruise will be canceled because of the global circumstances but I’m just so scared that the whole cruise industry might go down..

what do you all think???

[NavyCruiser]

Don't think so.  Even heard the President said that the Cruise industry is a very important sector, so they'll be getting a Bailout.  I don't like the word, but I like to re-word it to "The Gov't will give the cruise lines a very low rate loan to get them over the hump, until they're fully back & repay off the entire loan in a few years".

I think the Cruise industry will survive, although it'll be a few years to recover to full profitability.

Anyways, who else knows what to do with all the Billion $$$ cruise ships...?

 

[firefly333]

First we probably gotta send the cruise ships to house folks who arent sick in calif and ny. I heard calif tonight. Hope they pay carnival a lot. 

 

I am wondering though who these folks are who arent sick? Dont they have homes they can go home to?

Edited March 23, 2020 by firefly333

[sfaaa]

Cruise industry won't disappear because the product is still very much in demand. Cruise lines just need to survive the next 12 to 18 months with help from government and creditors. 

[megansdad1]

Even in the worst case that a particular line goes under, their ships would be sold off and would take operation under some other entity.  So cruising will be fine and well in the long run.  

[bafinegan]

53 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

First we probably gotta send the cruise ships to house folks who arent sick in calif and ny. I heard calif tonight. Hope they pay carnival a lot. 

 

I am wondering though who these folks are who arent sick? Dont they have homes they can go home to?

 

What will probably happen is that non-coronavirus patients will be housed on the cruise ships.  Diagnosis's such as heart attacks, strokes or anything non critical/non infectious.  This will free up beds in hospitals.

 

baf

[Applealex]

From a PR standpoint they’ll be fine. Back in 2010 there were both the Carnival Splendor and Carnival Triumph fires. Ship lost all power, toilets didn’t work, highly publicized. Bookings dropped for a bit, but eventually Carnival bounced back.

 

Then there was the sinking of the Costa Concordia in 2013. How does a modern cruise ship just sink? Titanic is understandable, but with all our technology and it still happened? How can cruising be safe? Prices were rock bottom for ages, but cruising is now more popular than ever.

 

Of course, people will be weary about sailing in the immediate future. Until the virus stops spreading and/or a vaccine is developed, cruised are still prime areas for it to spread—think of how easily norovirus spreads on cruises. But once things die down everything will be back to normal, people will flock to cruises in droves, especially us past guests.

 

From a financial standpoint; I haven’t gotten a chance to look at Carnival’s books, but overall cruises are extremely profitable. Prices have skyrocketed since the Costa Concordia incident. Shortly after Concordia, we managed a 9-day cruise to Mexico in an obstructed ocean view cabin, $1,600 for four people. Today, Carnival charges close to $2,800 for a 7-day sailing to Mexico in an interior cabin, same four people.

 

Not only have fares increased, but just think about all that onboard revenue. A room full of bingo cards at $60 a pop when they’re only giving out $300. $11 for a cocktail and $2 for a can of soda. Faster to the Fun, charging for room service, casino revenue, photographs. It seems they nickel and dime for everything nowadays. All that leads to insane onboard revenue on top of the grossly expensive cruise fare. Those margins are what will allow Carnival to survive this pause in service. Of course they’re not happy about it, but they’re not going bankrupt anytime soon.

[Moviela]

Cruising is here to stay. For centuries it was simply transportation. As aircraft assumed the most desired role as intercontinental transportation, travel by ship became largely recreational. Yes I know there are still ships used for transportation, but these are simply ferries, usually fording bodies of water you can see across, Star Ferry for example. 

 

I am sure the sharp pencil boys are gnawing their nails at many cruise lines as to their survival, but demand will still be there after the crisis is over. Carnival and Disney have the capital to endure longer than other major lines, but the governments will hammer out support for the cruise industry. So many jobs in most every country depend on it. Sorry Paraguay you won't notice any difference.

[naxer]

If people want cruising and are able to pay for it, there will be cruising.  

[PORT ROYAL]

50 minutes ago, naxer said:

If people want cruising and are able to pay for it, there will be cruising.  

 

Totally agree, as 15 years ago Balcony on Cunard for 19 nights was about 4K, now it's still 4K  and happy to pay for the experience we wish.  Think, it's a bargain.

 

[ontheweb]

I think (hope?) they will survive, but I think there will have to be cutbacks. More and more larger ships are being put into service. The cruise lines at least partially have done this believing in a large market expansion especially from China. I do no think this is now something they can count on.