Why are cruise ships considered to be more of a risk than theme Parks?

[coaster]

Disney World basically has our Florida officials in their back pocket.  This is why it is business as usual with no warnings or  temporary enforcement actions such as limiting crowd sizes.  Sadly, our state officials won't bite the hand that feeds them  even in the interest of public safety . Why you always need to follow the money trail....

Edited March 12, 2020 by coaster

[nascarcruiser]

Nascar is running without fans in the stands the next 2 weeks 

[makiramarlena]

 hotels and theme parks don't share circulated air for a long period. you don't see anybody talking about shutting down all hotels. Airplanes, on the other hand...and you're not on them for a week. 

 

"The parks literally have no hand sanitizer anywhere."

 

They do now.

 

anyway I am guessing that all the parks (not just Disney) will be shutting down within a week. Disney will be fine eventually, but some may not recover. 

Edited March 12, 2020 by makiramarlena

[ONECRUISER]

15 hours ago, BeachChik said:

I’m in much closer contact with people at Disney then I ever am on a cruise. Standing in lines for hours over the course of a day, touching all the rides that aren’t wiped down. 
 

Ive no doubt there are many more people in the US that have the virus but haven’t been tested. Wouldn’t shock me at all if some of those people have been to the theme parks. 

Agree. Fortunately dont do Parks anymore. Remember the long lines, but until you said it forgot how you touch everything there, you and thousands others... Yrs ago as Single Father raising 3, week in Orlando was cheaper then week Cruise. Now Cruise is the cheaper vacation. Dollar for Dollar Cruise is even cheaper then was 30yrs ago. Average about 40-60nites yr on Royal. With at high risk Family Members as home  even before this situation been more careful then most. Cant be 100% but never touch door handles, railings or elevator buttons which easy as always use stairs. Get to my Cabin, wipe all surfaces down myself. Walking around ship wearing hoodie all time so use sleeve touch things even pull/push my chair... 

Edited March 12, 2020 by ONECRUISER

[SRF]

Answer is easy.

 

People go to theme park, go somewhere else, get sick.  No direct connection to theme park.

 

Those on cruise ship are sick on the ship, so an easy target.

 

Basically sloppy/moronic reporting

[blueridgemama]

I just heard on the news that Disney Land is closing. Not sure if it is true?

Edited March 12, 2020 by blueridgemama

[JeffT237]

 

 

5 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

I just heard on the news that Disney Land is closing. Not sure if it is true?

 

Just heard the same on multiple websites and TV media is just now starting to report it, only the 4th time in Disneyland's history.

[vacationlover_mn]

7 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

I just heard on the news that Disney Land is closing. Not sure if it is true?

I googled around, and all I could find was about Disneyland Japan?  https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/5019269002

[JeffT237]

4 minutes ago, vacationlover_mn said:

I googled around, and all I could find was about Disneyland Japan?  https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/5019269002

 

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/travel-information/

[Drumstix40]

FYI: they just closed DisneyLand.  So, there you go. i’m sure WDW is next... 

[vacationlover_mn]

I stand corrected!! https://variety.com/2020/biz/news/disney-theme-park-closed-coronavirus-1203531795/amp/

[TNcruising02]

2 hours ago, makiramarlena said:

 hotels and theme parks don't share circulated air for a long period. you don't see anybody talking about shutting down all hotels. Airplanes, on the other hand...and you're not on them for a week. 

 

"The parks literally have no hand sanitizer anywhere."

 

They do now.

 

anyway I am guessing that all the parks (not just Disney) will be shutting down within a week. Disney will be fine eventually, but some may not recover. 

The cruise ship I am on now makes people wash their hands with soap and water before entering the buffet. The crew is constantly cleaning and sanitizing things. There is hand sanitizer everywhere. They took temperatures as soon as people arrived at the terminal. I feel much more comfortable on this cruise than any other public place and that the ship is one of the cleanest public places.

 

There has got to be a higher risk at amusement parks where you stand in line for an hour to wait for a ride. Anyone coughing or sneezing in that line could easily pass something on to the next person. Not to mention everything they touch, especially rides where one person after another touches it. Sick people are not questioned upon entering. If there is a breeding ground for the virus, I think amusement parks are it.

 

Same for airports. They are not clean places and a people can be sick with anything and still be allowed to roam the airport and fly. Unless they stop people from flying, I don’t see how they can contain the virus. I think it will run its course. Then there will be a vaccine and things can get back to normal.

Now that public figures are getting it, maybe the panic will stop once people see that the majority of people have mild symptoms and this isn’t the black plague.

 

[JohnnyThinwallet]

It's spread by respiratory exposure.  Cruise cabins are very close quarters that recirculate the air, which just so happens to be a very effective way for type of virus to spread. 

 

Here's a very, very informative 15-minute interview segment on Joe Rogan's podcast from infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm:  

 

[aurora_borealis]

Hard to say if/when Orlando closes. California as a state was putting bans on large gatherings of people, but had excepted DLR. Which, rightly, was called out as pretty stupid. Because theme parks aren't magically safer from transmission, as the measles outbreak should have shown people.

 

Florida has a reported case now, and it's a dude who had tested positive, was asked to self-quarantine, then got on a PLANE. 🙄But with the limited number of tests done, it's a sure thing he's not the only one in Florida carrying the virus.

 

But Florida is going to be a state that will be extremely slow to take measures, especially in spring break season. Which, seriously, is the very time they should be taking action.

 

Grapefruit League just shut down by MLB's say-so.

[Eslader]

20 hours ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

I am upset and disappointed that cruising is being made to be the culprit in the spread of Coronavirus, but theme parks appear to be unscathed.  Why is there no mention of Disney and the other parks?  I believe there is exposure to many more people on a typical day at Disney than on a ship.

 

Because the general public is terrible at statistics, and therefore sees cruise ships as, in the words of John Oliver, "floating petri dishes." 

 

When the noro ships were in the news, people got the mistaken impression that it's *common* for cruisers to get noro, not recognizing that there were a few hundred sick people in the news, but hundreds of thousands of cruisers who never got sick. But of course, no one's going to do a news story that says a vacationer remained healthy and enjoyed his vacation. 😉

 

In the wake of that, any time any disease starts circulating, the minute it shows up on a cruise ship - well, those disease factories must be the worst place to be, right?

 

 

[coaster]

Unfortunately, Florida is a slave to the tourism economy. Low paying jobs for those who work in the tourism industry, but a tax bonanza for the state. Not surprised that Disneyland has been prudent and is closing  soon, but Disney World continues to operate like nothing negative is occurring outside the 'magic' of their overpriced compound in Orlando.

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by coaster

[flvol77]

8 hours ago, BeachChik said:

Again if large gatherings are being stopped then Disney should be as well. Regardless of cleaning Disney isn’t wiping down every ride vehicle between each guest, or every line handrail or door handles. 
 

Im not sure what the number of times you have been to Disney has to do with anything. I live in Orlando so we go often as well and I 100% disagree that you are better at Disney. Being shoulder to shoulder with 50k people for 12 hours there is no way to prevent germs from spreading regardless of how much they clean.  

 

Disagree all you want, that is your personal preference, I would much rather be at Disney World then on a cruise ship and I don't think I am the only one that believes that as Disney World is slammed today. 

 

With that said, I am not putting myself or family at risk by going on our April Cruise, and will probably cancel our June Royal cruise and I am not stepping foot on Disney property for another 60 days at least.  

 

I could see them shutting down Disney, but, they haven't shut down the cruise industry as of yet.  So who knows what will happen. 

 

[lovescats5]

Have been on only 10 cruises and never been sick, either on the ship or when I get home.  I can't figure out how people get sick so easily on a ship.  I also do not believe the buffet is all that bad.  Have you taken into account that your server in the specialty restaurant did not just sneeze on your dinner, or maybe the waiter touched your spoon and now you get his germs.  This is getting way out of hand.  Wish there was an easy answer.

[Ocean Boy]

11 minutes ago, lovescats5 said:

Have been on only 10 cruises and never been sick, either on the ship or when I get home.  I can't figure out how people get sick so easily on a ship.  I also do not believe the buffet is all that bad.  Have you taken into account that your server in the specialty restaurant did not just sneeze on your dinner, or maybe the waiter touched your spoon and now you get his germs.  This is getting way out of hand.  Wish there was an easy answer.

I have never become sick on a ship either nor do I worry about it. My concern is being able to get off the ship at the end of the cruise. When the cruise is over I want to go home. And when I get home I want to be able to go back to work. I don't have another 14 days to hang out doing nothing.

[Judyrem]

2 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

 I think it will run its course. Then there will be a vaccine and things can get back to normal.

Now that public figures are getting it, maybe the panic will stop once people see that the majority of people have mild symptoms and this isn’t the black plague.

 

Agree.  

[cb at sea]

They aren't...it's just that if you're on a SHIP, you could be STUCK there for a couple weeks.

[crzndeb]

2 hours ago, JohnnyThinwallet said:

It's spread by respiratory exposure.  Cruise cabins are very close quarters that recirculate the air, which just so happens to be a very effective way for type of virus to spread. 

 

Here's a very, very informative 15-minute interview segment on Joe Rogan's podcast from infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm:  

 

Please read from a very trusted ship engineer

 

chengkp75

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Posted Sunday at 02:21 PM

As is the case with most buildings on land, the standard is that 80% of the air in a space is recirculated, and 20% is exchanged for fresh air, every minute.  For public spaces, this air is somewhat co-mingled, since the spaces are generally open to each other, but spaces each have their own recirculation circuit, and no, there is no way to change this over to all fresh air exchange, as the ducting just isn't there.

 

In cabins, while there is "recirculated air", it is merely recirculated within that cabin.  There is a fresh air inlet, to get the 20% of fresh air into the cabin, and the bathroom exhaust takes away the 20% of exhaust to the outside.  The 80% is recirculated by a small fan and cooler unit that takes the air from the cabin and passes it over the cooler, and then back to the same cabin.  This is the system that is controlled by the cabin thermostat.  Further, the fresh air supply provides a slightly greater volume of air than the bathroom exhaust takes out, so that the cabin is maintained at a slight positive pressure compared to either the outdoors or the passageway.  This means that air from the cabin will flow out of the cabin under the door into the passageway, and not the other way.  This is why isolation is done in the cabins, and exposure to public spaces is limited.

 

Both the fresh air supply ducts and the public space and cabin recirculation systems have filters in them, and the large air handlers for the public space recirculation have sanitizing pads in the drains to kill bacteria and viruses that may have fallen out of the air with the condensation caused by cooling the air.

 

As noted, CDC does not believe at this time that covid-19 can be transmitted via air ducts.

 

[Judyrem]

2 hours ago, JohnnyThinwallet said:

It's spread by respiratory exposure.  Cruise cabins are very close quarters that recirculate the air, which just so happens to be a very effective way for type of virus to spread. 

 

Here's a very, very informative 15-minute interview segment on Joe Rogan's podcast from infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm: 

 

Thanks so much for the very informative video, he really knew his stuff!  I am going to search for more info from him.

[mpk]

1 hour ago, Eslader said:

Because the general public is terrible at statistics, and therefore sees cruise ships as, in the words of John Oliver, "floating petri dishes." 

 

Unfortunately, that is how a growing number of people get their news today.  From figures who hide behind the "it's just entertainment" excuse.

[reallyitsmema]

45 minutes ago, lovescats5 said:

Have been on only 10 cruises and never been sick, either on the ship or when I get home.  I can't figure out how people get sick so easily on a ship.  I also do not believe the buffet is all that bad.  Have you taken into account that your server in the specialty restaurant did not just sneeze on your dinner, or maybe the waiter touched your spoon and now you get his germs.  This is getting way out of hand.  Wish there was an easy answer.

 

I have been on many more cruises than 10 and I have been sick on multiple cruises including both my DH and I getting influenza A last year on Anthem.  People board the ships sick and cough and sneeze everywhere.  Some of us are more prone to illnesses than others, if there is some kind of respiratory illness going around, I will get it.  It has not stopped us from cruising, though we did cancel our upcoming cruise as we do not want to be quarantined on a ship and my DH would have to self quarantine for 14 days on our return per his companies new policy.