What will post covid 19 cruising look like....?

[sprockie]

Personally I'd like to see room stewards' cabin # 's be cut in half in order to spend more time in each cabin to thoroughly clean each cabin and public areas.  Of course this will increase prices, but it would be one way to increase consumer confidence.

 

[swin26]

Requiring a passport for closed loop cruises should become a requirement.  

[Roz]

11 hours ago, cscurlock said:

You will need a doctors vaccination verification to board.

 

Vaccination for what?  There's no vaccination for COVID-19.  Even with the flu shot, I couldn't produce a doctor's verification because I get the shot at my workplace flu clinic.

[summer slope]

18 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

I'm already planning my personal changes!  I will be taking gloves, wipes and probably masks on my next cruise, just in case....  I would like to think there will be a vaccine available, and if there is, I would certainly make sure I receive it before I venture forth.

We did this on the cruises we completed, well one completed the other stopped in Puerto Vallarta.  I always take wipes and my own hand santizer.  We are 14 days home with no problems.  I can't wait to cruise again in January.

[nbsjcruiser]

On a post a few weeks ago I wondered aloud about where the cruise industry was going. In particular I worried about older people on a cruise ship where there is a large outbreak:

"And with these remote places comes more chance of a remote illness that the cruise line will be unable to handle.  Picture a Holland America ship on its way to some far away remote place with 2 or 3 hundred sick elderly people on it. Nightmare"
This is playing out right now. I cant help but feel sick about what's going on right now on the Zaandam.

 

Its anyone's guess where cruising is going but I think the heyday of cruising is over. Certainly in the short term I can't see any rational person jumping on a cruise ship and sailing around to different areas while there is no vaccine for this virus. So I think that over the next year or so while the world battles this virus, ships (when they return) will have huge vacancy rates and God help the first cruise ship with a breakout of anything even closely resembling Covid. 

 

 Will all cruise lines survive? New ship builds abandoned, older ships mothballed, cruise lines merging, cheaper cruise rates? Who knows really but it wont be the same for the cruise industry or for those of us who love this mode of travel. Its really quite sad.

 

 

[cscurlock]

3 minutes ago, Roz said:

 

Vaccination for what?  There's no vaccination for COVID-19.  Even with the flu shot, I couldn't produce a doctor's verification because I get the shot at my workplace flu clinic.

Post Covid world will require a vaccination as that is the only way to guarantee safety and make sure people are immune or very low risk to the virus.  The cruise lines will need to know if you have been vaccinated or not before boarding.  They are not going to take a chance on an un-vaccinated person going into distress and having to turn back to port or worse quarantining the ship. 

[nbsjcruiser]

19 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I think you will see major changes.  First is some method to determine if you are physically fit enough to cruise. 

 

 

This will be one of the things that changes. Through this entire affair I've seen many interviews with people who were obviously frail that shouldn't be on a cruise. One lady was concerned because her husband was due for open heart surgery when they get back. Now certainly I dont know his prognosis and I wont comment on that particular case but its people like him that might have trouble in the future. 

[Cruising-along]

3 hours ago, Roz said:

Even with the flu shot, I couldn't produce a doctor's verification because I get the shot at my workplace flu clinic.

It's been a long time since I've gotten the flu shot from my doctor, now I always go to a local pharmacy to get it.  But they do send my doctor verification that I had it done, so it's always in my records.

[az_tchr]

On 3/30/2020 at 11:22 AM, jeda4137 said:

If medical certificate is needed, when would one get that?? At time of booking or just days prior to boarding ?

Just too many if s, if that is how cruising will be.

Another landlocked tourist I am afraid!! Would never expect my Doc to agree to that .

If a doctor needs to certify no diabetes, lung issues including asthma, high blood pressure with or without meds then cruising is done.  Companies will lose some 1/3 to 1/2 of their passengers - thus when COVID is over so is the note.  Won't be needed. Quite simple

[mek]

13 minutes ago, az_tchr said:

If a doctor needs to certify no diabetes, lung issues including asthma, high blood pressure with or without meds then cruising is done.  Companies will lose some 1/3 to 1/2 of their passengers - thus when COVID is over so is the note.  Won't be needed. Quite simple

Just when this will be over is the big question - isn't it?  Look at the current situation with the Zaandam - as long as this type of thing can happen does anyone really think cruising will start back up? 

[cbr663]

When this crisis abates, there are going to be lessons learned and gaps/risks identified.  I think that the gaps will revolve around 3 main areas - travel, public health and financial/economic impacts.

 

Cruise travel is impacted on multiple aspects with regard to travel.  Passengers travel from all over the world using different modes of travel to start a cruise.  On our last cruise for instance, I thought how wonderful was it that here we were in Norway my wife and I, two Canadians, met fellow passengers from Australia.  From a virus transmission risk though, I can see now that maybe it wasn't so wonderful.

 

So, it may be possible that cruises will be limited to passengers from certain areas.  It may be possible that the number of passengers on a ship may be greatly reduced.  It may be possible that the venues that are offered may need to be amended so less people gather.  Think of dining areas and entertainment areas.  It may be possible that the entire way that a ship is cleaned is changed - think more crew.  It may be that ships are required to change their medical capacities on board.  It may be possible that the way that we board ships may change - no more hundreds of passengers arriving early and waiting in large groups to board and instead, specific boarding times that are strictly enforced.  Same thing could happen when visiting ports and loading tenders - specific times allocated to passengers that are strictly enforced and no more wall to wall people in tight corridors all waiting to be the first off.

 

Fact is that a virus doesn't move - people move.  And the challenge for cruise ship travel is mitigating the risk of a virus moving and recognizing all the touch points in which people congregate in large numbers throughout the cruise. 

Edited March 31, 2020 by cbr663

[Peggy Tuten]

How about more liberal cancellation policies?  I was 4 days from departing for a transatlantic cruise on another line before the s**t hit the fan.  Fortunately, I was finally able to cancel and the land tour we booked on the other end was cancelled as well.  How many people would have cancelled their cruises starting in early March had there been no or minimal penalty?  Had they been able to do so, I expect there would be far fewer passengers to worry about on the Zaandam. And, most of us have found out that travel insurance is  worthless in situations like this.  

[theodoru]

17 hours ago, cscurlock said:

You will need a doctors vaccination verification to board.

That would be the best, simplest solution. Or perhaps a simple test for antibodies would be available.

Edited March 31, 2020 by theodoru

[theodoru]

5 hours ago, Roz said:

 

Vaccination for what?  There's no vaccination for COVID-19.  Even with the flu shot, I couldn't produce a doctor's verification because I get the shot at my workplace flu clinic.

Whenever I get a vaccination, I am handed something saying I got it. There will probably be a formal certificate that gets handed out in the future, even when you get the shot at a pharmacy. 

[az_tchr]

14 minutes ago, theodoru said:

Whenever I get a vaccination, I am handed something saying I got it. There will probably be a formal certificate that gets handed out in the future, even when you get the shot at a pharmacy. 

Am confused. Since viruses mutilate and even our plain garden variety flu changes each year how would a vaccination solve the problem?  Getting vaccinated to have a certificate that you do not have and will not get a communicable disease is balderdash.

[cruisetheworld67]

If I  were CEO of any cruise line...all passengers must:

 

-- Have a certificate of vaccination against Covid 19 for that season. No vaccination....you do not cruise.

 

--  A separate waiver required to be signed by every passenger in the case someone does come down with the virus to absolve the cruise line of any responsibility  pertaining to care. Medical centers on cruise lines are not ICU's.  DO not wish to sign this waiver.....you do not cruise. The medical center will provide oxygen and Tylenol. That's about it.

 

 You will see masks. MAsks. MAsks. Masks everywhere. Not required but passengers will wear masks in the dining room, to the shows, in the casino, on shore excursions. Especially on HAL, it will give the complete feeling of a floating nursing home.

Forget to bring a mask? Not too worry! MAsks are on sale in the gift shop.  $10 per mask. 3 for $25.  OBC  can be used. Each mask  will have a picture of a HAL ship! You can bring it home as a souvenir!  

[cbr663]

Interesting comments from Carnival.  I am thinking this goes far beyond a simple health check and waiver.

 

"Future cruises, when restarted, would likely be subject to “heightened governmental regulations and travel bans and restrictions” which would limit customers and ports of call."

 

“We have never previously experienced a complete cessation of our cruising operations, and as a consequence, our ability to be predictive regarding the impact of such a cessation on our brands and future prospects is uncertain.”

 

 

[ajcathy]

I think that cruising will be negatively impacted for the next two years but, if this virus dies out ( as the one that caused the 1918-19 pandemic did),  or mutates to a less virulent disease or a successful vaccination is developed then cruising will recover.  Certainly some ports, like Venice, which were struggling with issues from too many and too large vessels, will limit access.  For the sake of the planet that is not a bad thing and something that would have happened eventually anyway. But we humans have a way of looking forward, not backward, and at some point, in the not too distant future, we will resume our favorite activities with some new precautions practiced. I plan to cruise again but not until I can do so without a lot of anxiety.  Twenty years ago my DH was airlifted from a cruise ship by Coast Guard helicopter when he displayed symptoms of a heart attack.  He spent five days in a hospital in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and I spent two days getting to him.  It was the most stressful several days of our lives.  He had not had a heart attack. He was dehydrated from the flu and heat and the doctors on board evacuated him in an abundance of caution. Two years later we stepped back on a cruise ship.  I almost hyperventilated for the first few minutes but then I was fine.  That was about 15 cruises ago so I am sure I will be back on board again when it is reasonable to do so.

[sprockie]

It's not just the coronavirus I am concerned about for future cruises.  We are a healthy family of 4 that cruise every winter.  I don't remember a year we didn't come home sick with something.  Luckily we cruised just before Xmas this past year, but I still have the dry irritating cough that I picked up onboard.  

I think major changes have to happen on all ships to decrease the spread of all viruses.  We LOVE cruising, but we're not booking anything for a few years at least.

[Mickb]

We have completed 17 cruises over the last 20 or so years. (4 with HAL).

We are now in our 70s and will not contemplate cruising again. 
It has been great fun and we have enjoyed every cruise we made - some were better than others - but it is land based vacations for us now and probably not too far from home!

[TAD2005]

Vaccinations are only useful for the current strain of a particular virus.   Viruses mutate constantly.   The vaccine you got this year is useless or will have little effect for next year's mutation.   This strain of coronavirus, COVID-19,  originated in Wuhan, China in late November 2019.   The medical community is saying that any vaccine that will be tested, approved and widely available will not show up until spring or summer 2021.   It takes 18 months, even with an accelerated  fast track program to get a viable vaccine ready for market.   In the meantime, COVID-19 will mutate and become COVID-21 and the vaccine for the 19 strain will not be as effective.   

From the CDC in 2009 concerning the H1N1 pandemic.  "There was concern in early-2009 that, should a second, deadlier wave of this new H1N1 strain appear during the northern autumn/winter of 2009, producing pandemic vaccines ahead of time could turn out to be a serious waste of resources as the vaccine might not be effective against a mutation, and there would also be a shortage of seasonal vaccines"

So asking people to show a certificate for a COVID-19 vaccine which won't be available until early 2021 if we're very lucky,  for a cruise in late 2020 will not be possible.   And for cruises in 2021, showing a COVID-19 certificate may be useless if the virus mutates.   

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, TAD2005 said:

Vaccinations are only useful for the current strain of a particular virus.   Viruses mutate constantly.   The vaccine you got this year is useless or will have little effect for next year's mutation.   

 

This is true of the flu virus, but not necessarily true of all viruses. The coronavirus is from a different family of viruses from influenza -- we don't really know whether it will mutate significantly or not.

 

Measles is an example of a virus that does not mutate significantly and people tend to get it only once; afterwards they are immune. We also have a very good preventive vaccine for it.

 

[Petronillus]

3 hours ago, ajcathy said:

But we humans have a way of looking forward, not backward, and at some point, in the not too distant future, we will resume our favorite activities with some new precautions practiced.

 

As the great 20th century philosopher Yogi Berra is supposed to have said, predictions are tricky things, particularly predictions about the future.

 

With all due respect, though, the past does have lessons to teach and we would be foolish to disregard them. After the Hindenburg disaster of 1937, the zeppelin industry collapsed and lighter-than-air transoceanic crossings became a thing of the past. Heightened precautions were feasible. More stables gases than hydrogen were identified. But that hugely elegant, leisurely, and beautiful mode of transport went kaput. 

 

I hope it's not so, but I fear that we are witnessing the Hindenburg disaster of the cruise industry.

[rj42]

--No passenger access to any buffet food or drink stations. No more sharing tables with potentially ill strangers in the dining room. It will have to be like a real restaurant, with reservations and private tables for everyone. Expand room service and mimic dining room menus for all meals. Stop charging for room service. Maybe make all the buffets a casual sit-down restaurant, where they bring you the food or you pick it up at a counter (Princess does that with morning omelettes, taking a number and delivering to your table). That would potentially mean better, fresher food, instead of buffet slop. 

--I don't mean to offend, but I'd probably avoid any cruises with lots of elderly, especially with oxygen tanks or other signs of frail health, or large numbers of foreign passengers who congregate in large packs and ignore bottle refilling and other hygiene rules. Any cruise over 7 days would feel too risky for me, since I see how average age increases with cruise length. 

--No muster drill, unless it's done in shifts in the theater, where people can preserve space. There's never been an actual lifeboat evacuation that I know of, and the biggest danger to the ship now and passengers is from being physically close. I'll never go on a HAL ship again unless they change the practice of cramming everyone together on the promenade deck. How about everyone confined to their room to watch a video/Captain's and crew take individual cabins throughout the first day to show their muster station? 

--Instead of stealing towels and robes, passengers will start stealing Purell and toilet paper. 

--Flag more ships in the US. The Pride of America already does that, and I'd go on a Hawaiian island cruise if I didn't have to spend 7 days at sea to get there. It also makes it easier to ask for US government help with US-flagged ships and taxes. 

--No spa options that involve touch, probably just fancy steam rooms and pools. No hot tubs.

--Decrease capacity, the exact opposite of what HAL and everyone has been doing. Enforce staggered boarding times. If I go on a ship, I'll want maximum personal space, private area options, and fewest number of passengers who can potentially infect me. 

--In practice, I fear it will mean more carving up ships into 'exclusive' area to pay for personal, private, safe space, like the stupid HAL cabanas or the NCL Haven ("Covid-Free Cabanas, with your own luxurious latex robe and face mask!"). 

[mek]

1 hour ago, rj42 said:

--No passenger access to any buffet food or drink stations. No more sharing tables with potentially ill strangers in the dining room. It will have to be like a real restaurant, with reservations and private tables for everyone. Expand room service and mimic dining room menus for all meals. Stop charging for room service. Maybe make all the buffets a casual sit-down restaurant, where they bring you the food or you pick it up at a counter (Princess does that with morning omelettes, taking a number and delivering to your table). That would potentially mean better, fresher food, instead of buffet slop. 

--I don't mean to offend, but I'd probably avoid any cruises with lots of elderly, especially with oxygen tanks or other signs of frail health, or large numbers of foreign passengers who congregate in large packs and ignore bottle refilling and other hygiene rules. Any cruise over 7 days would feel too risky for me, since I see how average age increases with cruise length. 

--No muster drill, unless it's done in shifts in the theater, where people can preserve space. There's never been an actual lifeboat evacuation that I know of, and the biggest danger to the ship now and passengers is from being physically close. I'll never go on a HAL ship again unless they change the practice of cramming everyone together on the promenade deck. How about everyone confined to their room to watch a video/Captain's and crew take individual cabins throughout the first day to show their muster station? 

--Instead of stealing towels and robes, passengers will start stealing Purell and toilet paper. 

--Flag more ships in the US. The Pride of America already does that, and I'd go on a Hawaiian island cruise if I didn't have to spend 7 days at sea to get there. It also makes it easier to ask for US government help with US-flagged ships and taxes. 

--No spa options that involve touch, probably just fancy steam rooms and pools. No hot tubs.

--Decrease capacity, the exact opposite of what HAL and everyone has been doing. Enforce staggered boarding times. If I go on a ship, I'll want maximum personal space, private area options, and fewest number of passengers who can potentially infect me. 

--In practice, I fear it will mean more carving up ships into 'exclusive' area to pay for personal, private, safe space, like the stupid HAL cabanas or the NCL Haven ("Covid-Free Cabanas, with your own luxurious latex robe and face mask!"). 

No thank you.  I'll stay home.