When will those over 70 be able to Cruise again?

[Trevor33]

A very high proportion of the cruise passengers have been those into retirement and aged 70 or above. When will those over 70 be able to cruise again? Without their patronage the cruise lines will probably have to find 30-40% more passengers until after a vaccine has been produced and all have had the injection. Profits of cruise lines rely on full ships cruising every day of the year. 

 

 

 

[hypercafe]

I am 72 and feel it's unwise to go on a cruise ship or into large gathering until a vaccine is in place. What I have heard over and over for the last month or so is if I or my wife catch this virus we have a very high chance of passing away.

[Slow Foxtrot]

It would certainly be an interesting scenario if cruise lines banned the 'over 70s' for the foreseeable future.  Should they go ahead and do this then they might as well jump the gun and file for bankruptcy now!  On the other hand there won't be many elderly people thinking of cruising this year.  The cruise lines are stuck either way and the immediate future looks pretty grim.

[resistk]

It is a moot question, until we know more about COVID, for anyone to cruise would be unwise.  We are only 30 days into it, let's see how things look at 90 days.

[bazzaw]

I have now reached an age (73) and wife 66 and have  a few "Pre-existings" which means that Travel Insurance is getting out of hand cost-wise anyway. I am still fit and healthy - am a long distance runner and walk or run at least 5 klms everyday. BUT - am starting to think that perhaps this "International travel that we have been enjoying for the past 25 years is coming to an end. Living in Australia we always have to fly quite a way to even get started!! 

[BlueRiband]

8 hours ago, hypercafe said:

I am 72 and feel it's unwise to go on a cruise ship or into large gathering until a vaccine is in place. What I have heard over and over for the last month or so is if I or my wife catch this virus we have a very high chance of passing away.

It's possible that an effective vaccine isn't developed.  There still isn't one for AIDS.  Nobody has more than about four months of experience with the infection cycle of COVID-19. 

 

Remember that the "fit to sail" requirement for over 70s was proposed by CLIA.  Maybe a controlled society like China can implement such a requirement but I don't see the Western world agreeing to this.   All of us have the right to make these decisions based on our own health and that of those around us.  Nobody wants to be told that they need special permission to travel due to a milestone birthday.  

Edited April 14, 2020 by BlueRiband

[ABoatNerd]

BlueRiband, I am concerned that your correct observation about individual liberty and right to make our own decisions - which I agree with - has permanently died due to government overreach facilitated by this virus.

 

I see the western G20 countries enacting laws and regulations that prohibit freedom and encourage government surveillance which will indeed impact air travel and cruising among other activities.

 

This is most likely to happen if there is no vaccine solution.

 

As a minimum I believe there will be many more "means" tests related to health, where have you been etc.

 

Orwell's 1984 is upon us now and may linger.....

 

 

[lucymorgan]

13 hours ago, bazzaw said:

I have now reached an age (73) and wife 66 and have  a few "Pre-existings" which means that Travel Insurance is getting out of hand cost-wise anyway. I am still fit and healthy - am a long distance runner and walk or run at least 5 klms everyday. BUT - am starting to think that perhaps this "International travel that we have been enjoying for the past 25 years is coming to an end. Living in Australia we always have to fly quite a way to even get started!! 

Many years ago, I heard someone say "travel the world while you still can and put off travelling our great country (Australia) until you are older".  Given that there are so many wonderful things to see I think that was great advice especially given the circumstances now.   Happy future travels to you!   

Edited April 14, 2020 by lucymorgan

[beaveh]

I think different cruise lines will be impacted differently.. but most in a negative way.

The lines who are popular with the over 70’s may well find their customer base unable to or unwilling to travel.

The lines that target families with their fun ships and onboard activities ( royal Caribbean) will fall out of favour because of the number of passengers on board who could potentially spread the virus between them.

 

i see the small to medium sized ships, targeting a younger client base with short cruises of a week or less being the ones that keep their passenger base. Are there any that fit that category?

[hypercafe]

1 hour ago, beaveh said:

I think different cruise lines will be impacted differently.. but most in a negative way.

The lines who are popular with the over 70’s may well find their customer base unable to or unwilling to travel.

The lines that target families with their fun ships and onboard activities ( royal Caribbean) will fall out of favour because of the number of passengers on board who could potentially spread the virus between them.

 

i see the small to medium sized ships, targeting a younger client base with short cruises of a week or less being the ones that keep their passenger base. Are there any that fit that category?

NCL has a class of ship that have just 2000 passengers and I believe Carnival does also. Celebrity is not a fun ship however they also have ships in the 2000 range. If the 70s crowd stays home all the luxury lines are done for.

[Windsurfboy]

I think you need  one of two conditions before cruising is safe again

 

1  A vaccination 

 

2  A readily available  test that takes minutes to tell if you have it, and everyone including crew are tested before you are allowed to board at every stop.

 

Both are some time off, so I'm waiting a year or two

[AnnieC]

2 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

I think you need  one of two conditions before cruising is safe again

 

1  A vaccination 

 

2  A readily available  test that takes minutes to tell if you have it, and everyone including crew are tested before you are allowed to board at every stop.

 

Both are some time off, so I'm waiting a year or two

3  An effective treatment?

[Trevor33]

Until a Vaccine is found and we are all innoculated and the Insurance Companies make it easier to get a Travel Insurance Policy short of the need to sell the house to pay for it then there will potentially be 30-35% less people able to cruise. With more ships coming including Cunard's new ship "M.S. Meghan" then "Social Distancing" certainly will not be a problem! 

[BlueRiband]

Whether CLIA can make  their "over 70" rule stick will depend on compliance.  If the vast number decide that it too much of a hassle then the industry loses a huge segment of their market.

 

Much more than getting sick, I'm more worried about the on board experience going forward.  If I return from a shore excursion and show a temperature at the gangway do I get put off the ship?   I sail solo and always ask to be seated at a large table.  Are there now mostly two tops with only those sharing a cabin permitted to dine together?  Does capacity at entertainment venues get cut in half with seating priority to higher stateroom categoies?   Nobody has said any of this can or will happen going forward but how else can social distancing be achieved.   More than promote a relaxing holiday there would be constant tension that a medical catastrophe was waiting to happen.

 

 

 

[resistk]

1 hour ago, BlueRiband said:

  Nobody has said any of this can or will happen going forward but how else can social distancing be achieved.   More than promote a relaxing holiday there would be constant tension that a medical catastrophe was waiting to happen.

 

CLIA is acting as if things will go back to normal in a few months; if however, this is the new normal, those FCCs won't be worth anything because aside from super yachts or some sort of hermetically sealed passenger liner, cruising isn't going to happen.  Think of all those stainless stell surfaces where the virus can live for 3 weeks on a ship including in the crew area and all the people crammed into close quarters for extended periods.

[Victoria2]

28 minutes ago, resistk said:

 

CLIA is acting as if things will go back to normal in a few months; if however, this is the new normal, those FCCs won't be worth anything because aside from super yachts or some sort of hermetically sealed passenger liner, cruising isn't going to happen.  Think of all those stainless stell surfaces where the virus can live for 3 weeks on a ship including in the crew area and all the people crammed into close quarters for extended periods.

Let’s try and be positive. There are so many doom and gloom merchants out there when truth be told, no one has any idea what’s going to happen. So let’s look forward to future cruises, whenever they may be on, at least my, our favourite ships.

[canoncruiser]

Well, I am 76, and staying in my apartment-my responsibilities in retirement are over an hour away and I cannot get to them because my responsibilities are themselves staying at home. I have been an avid traveler by sea since 1969; I have transferred my bookings to next year and I look forward to sailing in the new year.  I hear QM2 calling.😍

Celebrity has already circulated a doctor’s certificate for for ancients such as myself. 

I do believe that this disease will continue to turn our economies upside down, great damage is already being done and NO ONE knows what’a going to come but I think it will be a lot worse than it is now. But I’ve got my reservations and my hope springs eternal.😁

[Ray66]

3 hours ago, resistk said:

Think of all those stainless stell surfaces where the virus can live for 3 weeks on a ship including in the crew area and all the people crammed into close quarters for extended periods.

 

I think you mean up to 3 days, not 3 weeks. But even that is bad enough.

[resistk]

27 minutes ago, Ray66 said:

 

I think you mean up to 3 days, not 3 weeks. But even that is bad enough.

 

My bad, "only" 2-3 days for steel and plastic.

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-how-long-coronavirus-lives-on-surfaces-htmlstory.html

 

[oskidunker]

On 4/14/2020 at 10:21 AM, hypercafe said:

NCL has a class of ship that have just 2000 passengers and I believe Carnival does also. Celebrity is not a fun ship however they also have ships in the 2000 range. If the 70s crowd stays home all the luxury lines are done for.

Maybe Princess wont sell the Pacific since it has only 600 passengers . Too bad they did not keep the Ocean.

[Windsurfboy]

I think you need  one of two conditions before cruising is safe again

 

1  A vaccination 

 

2  A readily available  test that takes minutes to tell if you have it, and everyone including crew are tested before you are allowed to board at every stop.

 

Both are some time off, so I'm waiting a year or two

 

19 hours ago, AnnieC said:

3  An effective treatment?

 

Your right l forgot about an effective treatment,  the world  would be happy  for something that keeps people alive, for cruising to be enjoyable need something that stops the worst case problems straight away , again both   still seems some time off. 

 

We pray for all these, not because we want to cruise again but to save lives and people's jobs.  Cruising is at the bottom of the hierarchy. 

[Roger88]

I am afraid the number of traveling elderly people will decrease significatly in the upcoming years. People are way to afraid of catching a fatal covid. I expect the inner travel to increase though. As far as Europe goes, well, some poeple will still travel but not like as much as we saw before all that happend. I remeber walking in Brugge when I saw like a few buses full of old american tourists. I dont think I will see anything similar in the near future

[Host Hattie]

4 minutes ago, Roger88 said:

As far as Europe goes, well, some poeple will still travel but not like as much as we saw before all that happend

Do you mean Americans traveling to Europe or Europeans traveling within Europe ? I would think that we're more likely to travel within Europe rather than going further afield.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, Roger88 said:

I am afraid the number of traveling elderly people will decrease significatly in the upcoming years. People are way to afraid of catching a fatal covid. I expect the inner travel to increase though. As far as Europe goes, well, some poeple will still travel but not like as much as we saw before all that happend. I remeber walking in Brugge when I saw like a few buses full of old american tourists. I dont think I will see anything similar in the near future

 

Why stick with worrying about the over 70s? They are not the only more vulnerable group. In this country, at any rate, there is almost a 70:30 ratio of men to women dying. So what about women only cruises? Any takers?😀

[PORT ROYAL]

4 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Do you mean Americans traveling to Europe or Europeans traveling within Europe ? I would think that we're more likely to travel within Europe rather than going further afield.

 

Think the words "some people" was meant as an inclusive generic term for both groups.