Later Embarkations; no boarding day lunch, cabins ready, Seapass activated at muster station + other ideas

[danv3]

9 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I read an article today the CEO of Delta considering the need for an immunity passport before you can board their planes.  From what I read this is already being done in Chile and italy and spain are considering this option as well as others.

 

Interesting idea except for the fact that no one knows if prior infection even provides immunity.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52425825

[LMaxwell]

11 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Only place, almost, overrun was NY, they must be doing something very very wrong. 

We are talking about changes for cruises going forward. Seems you have an "agenda" so I invite you to create a new post rather than to ruin this one 

[parrotfeathers]

I've never really realized how many "lines" we navigate when we go on a cruise.  My first "line" encountered is at the airport.  Really looking forward to reading about the first cruisers on this forum so we can learn how lines will now be handled.  I wonder if, when the virus is "gone," things will go back as before.

 

[A&L_Ont]

17 hours ago, danv3 said:

This.  The cleanliness of the ship itself is a minimal concern as compared to sick (or asymptomatic) people spewing their germs around.  

This exactly. Virtual high five. 

 

17 hours ago, LXA350 said:

 

Maybe a large number of people globally including many cruises will finally take personal hygine a bit more serious this would contirubte siginificantly for less outbreaks of Noro, Influenza or like we have now, COVID-19.

People from everywhere practice poor immunity. They don’t wash their hands, let alone have them all over their face mouth etc... S9me cruisers can be just as bad, if not worse than those that stay in land.

 

13 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Only place, almost, overrun was NY, they must be doing something very very wrong. 

Let’s wait a few weeks and see if Georgia “did it better”. 

 

11 hours ago, time4u2go said:

How does an immunity passport work? How can anyone be guaranteed of immunity?

 

Agreed.
 

Sounds more like a “Buzz Word” than a reality to me. These airlines are flying today, which seems to me to be the polar opposite of their future/new philosophy.

Edited April 26, 2020 by A&L_Ont

[Sunshine3601]

2 hours ago, danv3 said:

 

Interesting idea except for the fact that no one knows if prior infection even provides immunity.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52425825

Dr Faunci had commented about the idea of an immunity passport/card and said it is a possibility for future but still unknown if anyone really is immune as it will all take time to see what happens next fall/winter after we rebound from this winter.

I also heard on the news this morning they suspect the virus had arrived in the US as early as november or december.  Bad flu / pneumonia season was being reported then and first known cases in China were early november.  Now remember that is after they had formulated a test to see what it was.

So this could have been around earlier than anyone knew about it.

At some point this will be in our past and we will all go on cruises then.

 

[LMaxwell]

I do believe ships to generally be kept sanitary for guests; and that many instances of illness spreading on a ship has been from a person bringing it on. 

 

 A deeper cleanse of guest dining areas prior to departure seems like a small step and one that cruise lines would have a hard time fighting.  It wasn't long ago that people here have suggested boarding day lunch is free (it isn't...) and that if you arrive too late to dine that's not the cruise lines problem anyways.  I don't necessarily agree with all of that; but if embarkation is moved later and lunch removed, so be it, we would just plan accordingly.  Those changes wouldn't stop me from cruising. I am not demanding things return to "normal" nor do I have an expectation that they would.  The additional time suggested for fogging out a ship is also for the benefit of the crew areas as well.

 

 

[island lady]

14 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

San Juan departures may be later but you can still board around 11AM.

 

Yup...and that is about when we usually arrive as well.  Hang out in the CL, check emails, get a snack and then check into the cabin.  🙂 

 

But nice to know if your flight is coming in late, you don't have to stress it out since we have that late departure.  Which is why we usually opt to fly in day of, due to quick non stop from Orlando.

Edited April 26, 2020 by island lady

[island lady]

13 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Wasn't one scenario not boarding until after lunch. Prior to CK and Pinnacle status, we never boarded until well past lunch. 

 

Yeah, that's because you got to spend the morning on your balcony with a Cape Codder.  😄 

Edited April 26, 2020 by island lady

[island lady]

3 hours ago, LXA350 said:

 

The procedures should be adjusted that work out best for the majority of the travelers and cruises don't only depart ou of Florida, Baltimore or New York where a large number of cruisers are locals. Nothing speaks against the option to offer early debarkation, however the whole process should be extend it to make it of less of a rush for all the ones that do have the time to take a relaxed breakfast and are able to leave the ship by 09:00 or even 11:00 with cabins to be cleared by 10:00. This will also reduce further crowding and will also let most move around more freely instead of gathering in those departure lounge setup which is so anoying.

 

I never go to the departure lounge...we stay in our cabin until departure time.  We usually have an earlier departure tag time, and don't use self assist.  

[DaniDanielle]

14 hours ago, time4u2go said:

No it's because of the dense population, mass transit, and visitors from Europe. 

Turns out the virus came from Europe to New York from all the international travelers.  Cuomo said we locked the front door but forgot to lock the back door!

[Newleno]

14 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

No lunch except for an extra charge? I don't think so.

Yeah but "keep the bars open", I have never used a bar once on a cruise ship so just like some dont care about food I dont care about bars.

[Newleno]

15 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Only place, almost, overrun was NY, they must be doing something very very wrong. 

I concur,  very very wrong to tell people to go out during a critical statistical period of massive exponential expansion of the virus, and that is when it was super spread. 

[John&LaLa]

42 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Yeah, that's because you got to spend the morning on your balcony with a Cape Codder.  😄 

 

Bailey's was/is the pre cruise drink when leaving from home.

Often did lunch at Papa Vito's

[Newleno]

14 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

When is the last time you had an American room steward? Dining room waiter? Bar tender? I don't foresee ships sailing from the U.S. doing much local recruiting of crew.

with united states work rules/regulations those jobs would be a blast (travel the world for free, food, shelter, health care), except for bar tender i would not want that job.

[Newleno]

13 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

You can't. At the present time we don't know if having had the virus and recovered renders immunity. We don't know if having antibodies make you immune. We don't know what level of antibody makes you immune. And there is no guarentee that any vaccine, when it exists, will give you immunity. 

nailed it!!  boom time!!

[jrapps]

I personally feel that for cruising to resume they will need to do a rapid blood test of all guests before boarding. I heard that Emirates airlines in Dubai was doing this. If all guests are cleared at boarding and all crew are tested daily then the need for severe social distancing onboard is reduced. Not eliminated but I think it will make cruising possible again.

[island lady]

29 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Bailey's was/is the pre cruise drink when leaving from home.

Often did lunch at Papa Vito's

 

Oops...got my pre cruise cocktails mixed up.  😄  Mmmmm...good pizza!  

[PhillyFan33579]

23 hours ago, WeLuvVacation said:

Not crazy at all for any of these ideas. We love getting to the ship really early and having a nice lunch with not a lot of people in the WJ. Then exploring the ship and landing at a bar for our first drink.  What a total waste of the first day if boarding is so late and departure even later. With muster normally occuring in the hour before departure when would dinner be the first night.

I don’t know what changes will be implemented, but no doubt in my mind cruising the way we used to know it is gone for the forseeable future. 

[Ocean Boy]

16 minutes ago, jrapps said:

I personally feel that for cruising to resume they will need to do a rapid blood test of all guests before boarding. I heard that Emirates airlines in Dubai was doing this. If all guests are cleared at boarding and all crew are tested daily then the need for severe social distancing onboard is reduced. Not eliminated but I think it will make cruising possible again.

Using serology is still very much in its infancy. First of all, IgM antibodies may not start to develop until 5 or so days into the infection. So testing negative does not mean you don't have the virus. Secondly, it is presently believed that there can be cross reactivity with antibodies in the Corona family. So you could have IgM or IgG antibodies to Corona but they may not be indicative of COVID-19.... SARS-CoV-2. You might just have the common cold.

[Iamcruzin]

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Dr Faunci had commented about the idea of an immunity passport/card and said it is a possibility for future but still unknown if anyone really is immune as it will all take time to see what happens next fall/winter after we rebound from this winter.

I also heard on the news this morning they suspect the virus had arrived in the US as early as november or december.  Bad flu / pneumonia season was being reported then and first known cases in China were early november.  Now remember that is after they had formulated a test to see what it was.

So this could have been around earlier than anyone knew about it.

At some point this will be in our past and we will all go on cruises then.

 

I have been saying this from the beginning. There is so much international travel to NY especially around the holidays that it is very possible that it was here before it could be diagnosed. 

[zekekelso]

16 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

 Covid 19 world wide deaths at 200,000, the flu last year 650,000.

 

Covid 19 deaths are "only" 200,000 because everyone is staying home. You can''t use that figure to claim it's not a big deal.

[Ocean Boy]

10 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I have been saying this from the beginning. There is so much international travel to NY especially around the holidays that it is very possible that it was here before it could be diagnosed. 

And when I posted that I was suspucious that I may have been seeing cases back in December some know-it-all on these boards said it was impossible. I'm too lazy to go back and find the post.

[zekekelso]

14 hours ago, time4u2go said:

How does an immunity passport work? How can anyone be guaranteed of immunity?

 

First you have some sort of physical challenge. Whoever wins gets immunity and can't be kicked off the ship.

[Sunshine3601]

9 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

And when I posted that I was suspucious that I may have been seeing cases back in December some know-it-all on these boards said it was impossible. I'm too lazy to go back and find the post.

I strongly agree with you and others that have said the virus was around much earlier than anyone knew.  I remember hearing on the news in nov/dec that flu season was much worse than usual and impacting the US earlier than usual.  

No way of knowing for sure if covid was around then but all of us cruising this winter could have already been exposed without knowing.

I know my Dh and I both were very sick days after returning home from our 3 week b2b in january.  Antibody testing not yet being done in my area and still not sure it would matter.

My town has approx 628k residents as of 2019 and we currently  have approx 2000 confirmed covid cases with 2/3rds of them being people 60 and older.

As soon as states start to reopen is when we will see the outcome and the powers to be can determine our future for travel.

Part of PA is scheduled to enter phase 1 on may 8th but the southeastern region where I am is stuck in shelter in place until all surrounding counties including Philadelphia lower their numbers of new cases. 

Imo travel restrictions will remain in place for the summer with land based travel being only option.  I think cruising will resume in august but probably more like september.

I think they will keep in place their 70 and older need dr note and those with underlying medical conditions will not be able to cruise until they see how cruises do for first couple of months.

 

[molly361]

36 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I have been saying this from the beginning. There is so much international travel to NY especially around the holidays that it is very possible that it was here before it could be diagnosed. 

My Jet blue flight into Westchester in June just got cancelled today.  I know you wanted to know this😇