SS Future Re-Open Plan: Timing, Testing Needs??!!

[CruiserFromMaine]

6 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

 "Some passengers

As we all know on Cruise Critic there are always “some passengers” who aren’t happy. 

 

6 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

reported cases that have reached the agency’s threshold for an investigation.

Which is 0.1% of passengers or just one crew member. That should get more prominence in the reporting. 
 

Context is always important. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by CruiserFromMaine

[rkacruiser]

14 minutes ago, CruiserFromMaine said:

As we all know on Cruise Critic there are always “some passengers” who aren’t happy. 

 

Which is 0.1% of passengers or just one crew member. That should get more prominence in the reporting. 
 

Context is always important. 

 

I agree with your thinking.  There is zero discussion of stopping flights.  Cruise lines remain being subjected to more unfavorable scrutiny than is deserved.  It is not the fault of the cruise lines that they have guests who are behaving irresponsible while they are aboard and while they are ashore in whatever ports are "welcoming" them.  

 

The report that I read of one ship that reported ONE crew member infected was denied docking is, in my opinion, an over-the-top reaction on the part of that country.  

 

It's going to take, what, most if not all of 2022 or even 2023, to learn to live with a disease that will be endemic just as Novovirus, the flu virus, etc. have been.  And, remain so,  

Edited January 7, 2022 by rkacruiser

[cruiseej]

@TLCOhio Congratulations, Terry, on this thread you started reaching 100 pages (and nearly 2,500 posts) on Cruise Critic.

 

Or, perhaps, condolences to us all that we're still talking about these issues 20 months since you started the thread. 😢 Here's hoping for brighter days and smoother seas ahead!

[christraveller]

Alaska Airlines is cutting back by 10% this month. Staffing. 
 

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/alaska-airlines-cuts-flights-by-10-because-of-staffing-shortages/

[TLCOhio]

17 hours ago, CruiserFromMaine said:

As we all know on Cruise Critic there are always “some passengers” who aren’t happy.   Which is 0.1% of passengers or just one crew member. That should get more prominence in the reporting. Context is always important. 

 

Appreciate all of these additional comments and follow-ups.  Just to keep in mind that "context" is very, very important, I wanted to be clear that the "some passengers" quote was not something that I said.  It was a direct quote from a writer with the New York Times.  Not me.  Clearly in the field of "journalism", there is always the question of whether when someone is quoted as to whether or not these sources cited are honestly representative of an overall situation and just one, out-of-context, person who is unhappy and/or with an "agenda".  Or, being cited to fit the personal opinion, pre-determined story spin by that writer.  Journalism is part "art" and part science, even from a large, international newspaper such as the NY Times. 

 

From the Miami Herald in the heart of cruise country and MSN News this morning, they had this headline: “Norwegian and Royal Caribbean call off voyages, marking first mass cruise cancellations due to omicron” with these highlights: “Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, two of the cruise industry’s largest global operators, are temporarily halting certain cruises, marking the first mass cruise cancellations due to the omicron variant of the coronavirus.  Royal Caribbean said Friday it’s canceling cruises on three of its ships starting Saturday and postponing voyages on a fourth ship until March 7. One of the ships will remain out of service until April 26.   Norwegian had already said it was canceling voyages on eight cruise ships, nearly half its fleet, after the Norwegian Pearl on Wednesday returned early to Miami due to a COVID-19 outbreak among crew members.”

 

Here is more: "Royal Caribbean is canceling sailings that were scheduled to leave Saturday on the Serenade of the Seas and the Symphony of the Seas. Also, the Jewel of the Seas voyage that was supposed to depart Miami on Sunday is canceled. Passengers will be issued refunds, but the company warned that due to the high volume of refund requests, it may take up to 45 days for travelers to get their money back.  'The one worry, I’ll be honest, is that a number of destinations in the Caribbean are concerned and denying entry to cruise ships,' said Brian Salerno, senior vice president of maritime policy at Cruise Lines International Association, the cruise industry’s largest trade group.  'There’s an ongoing effort to work with Caribbean destinations,' Salerno said. 'Cruise ships need places to sail to. Arriving at ports and getting turned away at the last minute is a very difficult thing for cruise ships to deal with.' "

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/norwegian-and-royal-caribbean-call-off-voyages-marking-first-mass-cruise-cancellations-due-to-omicron/ar-AASxyVT?ocid=BingNewsSearch

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit.  Now at 32,142 views.  Many interesting pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

[TLCOhio]

From the Washington Post this morning, they had this headline: “Bare rooms, rotten fruit and boredom: Quarantine life on infected cruises" with this sub-headline: "Welcome to cruises’ omicron surge, where isolation comes with windowless rooms and bare-bones meals.”

 

Here are some of their story highlights: “Frank Rebelo lined up the upgrades well before he boarded his Caribbean cruise. His nine-night voyage on the Norwegian Getaway late last month went awry after a coronavirus surge sent cases soaring to record heights on land and at sea. As positive cases mount, passengers and crew have coped with less-than-ideal accommodations. Many interviewed by The Washington Post reported long waits for service, hours without water, bare-bones food and confusion over when and who to test — even as most ships maintain their course. For customers such as Rebelo, waiting on room service when they paid for premium options can feel like an indignity. For crew, quarantine can be even more difficult — even without getting sick. Aboard the Norwegian Encore,  passenger Kelly Araujo said she and her mother took solace in room service deliveries. The 18-year-old student at Duke University said she could order anything available from the dining rooms to her quarantine room. She ate lava cake with a molten chocolate center every night. Araujo and her mother spent four days in a windowless room without seeing sunlight. They would nap, watch TV or scroll online, losing track of the hours.  During part of a three-week sailing on the Seabourn Ovation, Barry Kluger was exiled to the quarantine floor. The 68-year-old retired public relations executive missed his wife, he said, getting to see her only when she would visit a balcony near his and talk to him through an opening in a wall.”

 

In this long and comprehensive report, there was no mention involving a Silversea ship.  Do not know how SS is handling such forced, on-ship quarantine situations.  But, clearly, it has not always been a nice or good experience if your food options are limited and/or you are in a windowless room.  Or, not able to connect with your spouse, etc.!!

 

Full story at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/01/08/cruise-quarantine-omicron-covid-ship/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 30,906 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

Edited January 8, 2022 by TLCOhio

[FauxNom]

5 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Do not know how SS is handling such forced, on-ship quarantine situations.  

Following the breadcrumbs from other threads, it sounds like Silversea moves quarantine subjects to an isolated area of the ship, and I believe these are veranda suites. When we were isolated on the Explorer in March 2020, the food and drink service was fine, but the biggest drag was not getting fresh air in our balcony-less suite. If the line is actually moving folks to veranda suites for quarantine, that's FABULOUS! I hope someone can confirm I'm understanding this correctly. 

[CruiserFromMaine]

6 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Just to keep in mind that "context" is very, very important, I wanted to be clear that the "some passengers" quote was not something that I said.  It was a direct quote from a writer with the New York Times.  Not me.

@TLCOhioI understood that. I certainly didn’t mean to imply at all otherwise. 
 

 

6 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Clearly in the field of "journalism", there is always the question of whether when someone is quoted as to whether or not these sources cited are honestly representative of an overall situation and just one, out-of-context, person who is unhappy and/or with an "agenda".  

That is the point I was attempting to make. Thank you for stating it more clearly. 

Edited January 8, 2022 by CruiserFromMaine

[TLCOhio]

Regarding the question as what it means that the conditional sail order would not likely be renewed, it seemed a little confusing as to whether that was "good" or "bad" news.  

 

From this below-connected trade publication yesterday, they had this headline: “Conditional sail order not likely to be renewed: CDC director” with these somewhat clearer highlights: “ 'The conditional sail order and the fact the industry has stepped up and is now interested in doing and exceeding the compliance with the sail order without the order even necessarily needing to be in place is a real testimony to how well that has worked and how we've worked collaboratively with the industry,' Walensky said during testimony Tuesday.  'We anticipate the order will not be renewed'  'With ships following the conditional sail order, I do anticipate we still will do the oversight and watch and do all the technical assistance ... We anticipate this order will not be renewed and that the cruise ship industry will continue to understand this is a really safe practice ...' Walensky continued, in response to questioning from Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski.  The CSO is set to expire Jan. 15, and the agency previously indicated it would likely become voluntary after that.”

 

This thread is now over 140,000 views.  Appreciate all who have dropped by, made comments, asked good questions, shared added information, etc.  Keep it rolling.  All very helpful and interesting.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/environmental-health/conditional-sail-order-not-likely-be-renewed-cdc-director

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio   

 

Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 254,261 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

From the highly experienced former USA Today travel expert Gene Sloan, there is this headline: “There’s COVID-19 on nearly every cruise ship right now. Here’s what cruisers need to know” with these highlights from his opinion/analysis piece: “The ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases around the world is causing a growing number of disruptions to itineraries and even some last-minute cancellations of entire voyages.  The number of passengers being quarantined on ships also is on the rise. And passengers who aren’t COVID-19 positive are getting caught up in short-term quarantines for being 'close contacts' of shipmates who are. Meanwhile, just getting to ships is becoming increasingly stressful, as getting the pre-cruise COVID-19 test that often is required before cruising is getting more difficult. Plus, a 'perfect storm' of soaring COVID-19 cases and rough winter weather has wreaked havoc with airline operations.  Still, the situation isn’t anywhere near as dramatic or disruptive as what we saw at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago.  As I saw myself during a cruise to Antarctica in recent weeks, many sailings are operating relatively normally, even with a handful of COVID-19 cases on board.”

 

Here are more insights and comments from his review: "At the end of December, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 5,013 COVID-19 cases had been reported on cruise vessels operating in U.S. waters during the last two weeks of the month, up from just 162 cases during the first two weeks of the month.  That’s a 3,094% increase.   It’s important to note that most of these 'cases' of COVID-19 are asymptomic or mild, only discovered during routine testing. While some ships only are testing passengers who report feeling ill for COVID-19, other ships are testing every single passenger at least once per voyage, sometimes more.  One line, Viking, is testing every single passenger every day for COVID-19.  The result is the detection of many asymptomatic cases that otherwise would have gone undetected.  Cruise ships also have had to cancel stops recently at the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, and at San Juan, Puerto Rico, due to local worries about COVID-19-positive passengers and crew on board and/or tighter COVID-19-related entry requirements.  Viking on Sunday was forced to announce a major revision of its soon-to-begin, 120-day world cruise after India notified the line that it was closing to cruise ships."

 

This is a very comprehensive look at many of these various issues and provides important perspective for the current realities and challenges ahead.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/there-s-covid-19-on-nearly-every-cruise-ship-right-now-here-s-what-cruisers-need-to-know/ar-AASDlo6?ocid=BingNewsSearch

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio 

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 243,246 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Lois R]

Hi Terry, that is all quite Eye Opening.........Viking is testing every day? I wonder if other lines are going to take their approach😲

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi Terry, that is all quite Eye Opening.........Viking is testing every day? I wonder if other lines are going to take their approach😲

 

Your question is a good one.  I am ambivalent about all of the testing.  I accept that it is important prior to embarking on a cruise.  If it is that important, why isn't the testing required in the same time frame before cruising for when one boards a plane?  

[Catlover54]

7 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi Terry, that is all quite Eye Opening.........Viking is testing every day? I wonder if other lines are going to take their approach😲

 

Viking was already testing every day (saliva) early last summer, when they started Iceland cruising.  At that time pax could not leave their cabins until they had produced their daily allocation of testable spit.

[TLCOhio]

16 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

Viking was already testing every day (saliva) early last summer, when they started Iceland cruising.  At that time pax could not leave their cabins until they had produced their daily allocation of testable spit.

 

Not sure that I would like living under the "threat" of daily testing on a ship.  Nor, does the "science" behind doing "spit testing" make me feel very comfortable.  Am I missing something by not sailing with Viking operating under these practices?  Great comments and follow-ups.  

 

From USA Today late yesterday afternoon, they had this headline: “CDC guidance to become optional for cruise lines as COVID continues to spread” with these highlights: “Cruise lines will no longer be obliged to follow COVID guidance on ships as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The CDC's Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, which was extended and modified in October, will expire Saturday at which point the health agency's COVID guidance for cruise ships will become voluntary, the CDC confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday. This means cruise lines can choose whether to follow the health agency's guidance or not. The health agency 'is transitioning to a voluntary COVID-19 risk mitigation program' the CDC said in a statement shared by spokesperson David Daigle.  Vessels operating in U.S. waters and sailing international itineraries that choose not to participate will be classified as 'gray' on the health agency's 'Cruise Ship Color Status' website to indicate the CDC hasn't reviewed the health and safety protocols put in place by that ship's operator.  The expiration of the CSO comes just over two weeks after the CDC issued a warning against cruise travel on Dec. 30 after clusters of COVID-19 cases emerged on ships departing from the U.S. and around the globe.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2022/01/12/cruises-covid-protocols-cdc/9120931002/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio   

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 234,657 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[Azulann]

I took two Viking cruises : Bermuda  and Malta/Barcelona  in July and October.

The daily PRC saliva test was easy peasy.  Spit in the  test tub first thing when you wake up, put it in the ziplock bag, done ! Viking has its own PCR lab on board.  never thought  that would test positive once I got on board. Needed a PRC test 72 for Bermuda,  and then 48 Hours for Malta before first flight to reach ship.
For my  Malta  sailing Viking chartered  a plane for US  folks leaving from Newark directly to Malta.   Viking of course included the PRC test for guests to fly home to US  at end of cruises.  Wore mask in any common area  inside unless sitting down for drink or eat. Not a big deal at all. The crew was also all vaccinated and wore masks all the time. Both cruises were less than 50% and the crew , service, food was outstanding. 

I feel much more reassured with PRC test than a antigen test every now and then.  

Edited January 13, 2022 by Azulann

[TLCOhio]

41 minutes ago, Azulann said:

I took two Viking cruises : Bermuda  and Malta/Barcelona  in July and October.  The daily PRC saliva test was easy peasy.  Spit in the  test tub first thing when you wake up, put it in the ziplock bag, done ! Viking has its own PCR lab on board.  never thought  that would test positive once I got on board. Needed a PRC test 72 for Bermuda,  and then 48 Hours for Malta before first flight to reach ship.  I feel much more reassured with PRC test than a antigen test every now and then.  

 

Appreciate these great comments and follow-ups from worldtraveller99 and Azulann.  Very interesting to hear that things worked well during your two Viking cruises.  Had a good friend who used Viking to Bermuda this past summer.  Will check with her and see if her view matches your experience.  It is just that by sound of it, a "spit test" does not sound too wonderful and/or science at its highest level.  Agree that PRC is better than antigen, but more complicated and time-consuming.  

 

From this below-linked website, this trade publication had this headline: “Jason Liberty tells Royal Caribbean travel advisors he'll give regular updates” with these highlights: “In this, his eighth day on the job, Liberty's immediate priorities are listening and learning by spending time with travel partners, employees and customers, along with the company's return to service, with about 80% of its fleet up and running.  Addressing Omicron's impact, he indicated business in Q2 and beyond remains 'very much in line with expectations.'   'It's really clear there's strong demand for cruise. People are just looking for consistency,' he said, mentioning the CDC's role and adding that travel partners' advocacy will help people to better understand how cruises are operating.  Liberty explained his former CFO duties had gone beyond finance, with additional responsibilities for supply chain, Silversea Cruises and the joint venture with TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. These involved operations that helped prepare him for the CEO job.  His favorite past role was heading strategy at a time when Royal Caribbean had huge growth plans and had to globalize its business. Being involved in commercial strategies and focusing on how to build quality demand in different parts of the world 'was a lot of fun.' ”

 

After the open style and perceived honesty of former CEO Richard Fain, people will be watching closely the performance, style and leadership of Jason Liberty.  Is he just a "bean-counter" or are his skill sets ready for "prime time" in the top position of Royal Caribbean?  Good to see that the new CEO was closely involved as CFO with the many issues related to Silversea.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/people-opinions/jason-liberty-tells-royal-caribbean-travel-advisors-hell-give-regular-updates

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio   

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!  Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture.  This posting is now at 93,749 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[TLCOhio]

From CBS-TV in Miami and MSN News yesterday, they had this headline: “Cruise Advocates Not Happy With CDC’s Color Coded COVID Chart For Ships” with these highlights: “To take a cruise or not to take a cruise, plenty of people are booking trips while others are still undecided.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a tool that might be helpful. It’s a color coded chart that tells you if a ship is being monitored and the ship’s COVID status.  Green stands for no cases of COVID, orange means there have been cases but they were below the CDC threshold, yellow indicates it met the threshold and triggered an investigation, and red means the ship is above the threshold. Gray indicates the ship has not been reviewed.  Just one case of COVID-19-like symptoms could prompt the CDC to monitor or investigate a ship.”

 

Here is more from their reporting: "Cruise industry advocate and expert Stewart Chiron told CBS4, 'The color code is actually useless for the consumer. You can go from green to yellow based on one over seven passengers on board on board a ship within a seven day period.'  The CDC admits the chart is continually out of date due to logistics.  CBS4 reached out to the CDC, wanting to talk with someone about the color code chart. They declined.  The cruise industry insists that cruising is safer than being in at a football game or a concert.  According to Chiron, Royal Caribbean reported they have had more than a million cruise passengers with only 1,745 cases of COVID-like symptoms, which is only 1.5 percent. In comparison, he pointed to Miami-Dade’s positivity rate of 28 percent last week."

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cruise-advocates-not-happy-with-cdc-e2-80-99s-color-coded-covid-chart-for-ships/ar-AASKRKZ?ocid=BingNewsSearch

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 69,237 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[TLCOhio]

Just to give you an idea for how there are "sharks" in the waters circling the cruise ship industry, this below trade publication article this morning might be of interest.  

 

They had this headline: “Senator Blumenthal Wants CDC Order Extended; Criticizes Cruise Industry” with these highlights: “U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal wants the CDC to extend its Conditional Sail Order instead of letting it expire this Saturday.  'Allowing the Conditional Sailing Order to expire would let cruise ships opt out of reporting COVID cases—troubling amid the growing tidal wave of new cases & the Omicron variant,' said the Senator in a Twitter post.  The Senator along with U.S. Representative Doris Matsui also sent a strongly worded letter to CLIA President and CEO Kelly Craighead.  'Passengers onboard ships with outbreaks say they have little accurate information about positive COVID-19 cases, and those who test positive report deplorable conditions. While ships continue sailing, cruise operators must take all actions necessary to prioritize the health and well-being of passengers and crew,' wrote Blumenthal and Matsui to the CLIA boss.  In a separate letter to the CDC, the officials wrote :' While the world battles the highest surge in COVID-19 cases to date, prioritizing and strongly enforcing measures that maximize the safety of all those onboard cruise ships is critical. Prematurely transitioning to a voluntary program could allow companies to skirt necessary public health measures,' Blumenthal and Matsui wrote to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.”

 

Personally, I am happy that then CDC has "shifted gears" and is taking off their previous order.  BUT, people will be monitoring the numbers and seeing how conditions evolve during the coming weeks and months.  Reactions??              

 

Full story at:

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/26596-senator-blumenthal-wants-cdc-order-extended-criticizes-cruise-industry.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 52,126 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Edited January 14, 2022 by TLCOhio

[TLCOhio]

From MSN News and former USA Today travel expert Gene Sloan in reporting this afternoon, they had this headline: “2 more cruise lines cancel soon-to-depart sailings amid omicron surge” with these highlights: “Windstar Cruises is joining the list of cruise operators canceling soon-to-depart sailings amid the worldwide surge in COVID-19 cases.  The small-ship cruise specialist on Thursday began notifying passengers on upcoming trips that it was pausing operations across most of its fleet through at least Jan. 28.  The pause will affect every Windstar ship currently operating except the Tahiti-based Star Breeze.  Also canceling a significant number of sailings on Thursday for the first time during the latest surge of COVID-19 cases was British line Fred. Olsen Cruises.  In addition, Holland America on Thursday extended previously announced cancellations for one of its 11 ships, Nieuw Amsterdam, into February, and Norwegian Cruise Line canceled sailings through the end of the month on another vessel, Norwegian Breakaway.  Norwegian has now canceled soon-to-depart sailings on 12 of its 17 ships.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tips/2-more-cruise-lines-cancel-soon-to-depart-sailings-amid-omicron-surge/ar-AASMUwL?ocid=BingNewsSearch

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Dubrovnik!  Nice visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 48,416 views.    

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

[les37b]

On 1/13/2022 at 10:41 AM, Azulann said:

I took two Viking cruises : Bermuda  and Malta/Barcelona  in July and October.

The daily PRC saliva test was easy peasy.  Spit in the  test tub first thing when you wake up, put it in the ziplock bag, done ! Viking has its own PCR lab on board.  never thought  that would test positive once I got on board. Needed a PRC test 72 for Bermuda,  and then 48 Hours for Malta before first flight to reach ship.
For my  Malta  sailing Viking chartered  a plane for US  folks leaving from Newark directly to Malta.   Viking of course included the PRC test for guests to fly home to US  at end of cruises.  Wore mask in any common area  inside unless sitting down for drink or eat. Not a big deal at all. The crew was also all vaccinated and wore masks all the time. Both cruises were less than 50% and the crew , service, food was outstanding. 

I feel much more reassured with PRC test than a antigen test every now and then.  

 

I too took s Viking cruise from Malta for an unbelievably good price.... If I could have got that deal as an annual booking, I'd have taken it!

 

I was impressed by pretty much everything on Viking.... And it certainly was a stand out thing to have a PCR test every day to do each morning by 9am, and allowed to be on your merry way unless "bad news" meant positive and quarantine. Everyone obeyed mask and distance rules too. I've booked 2 future cruises on the strength of it to Iceland and Bali. 

[TLCOhio]

18 hours ago, les37b said:

I too took s Viking cruise from Malta for an unbelievably good price.... If I could have got that deal as an annual booking, I'd have taken it!   I was impressed by pretty much everything on Viking.

 

Very much appreciate this added information and this follow-up from Les in the UK.  Glad to hear that things worked well with Viking.  We have Malta on our future to do list.  Hope to go there in the future.  

 

From the Washington, DC, based Politico publication and Yahoo News  this morning, they had this headline: “Cruises sail into a new era of Covid self-policing” with these highlights: “The nightmare cruises of spring 2020 are back as Omicron sends passenger case rates soaring. Yet the CDC is poised to loosen the industry’s Covid leash, saying cruise lines are now positioned to police themselves.  On Saturday, despite a 30-fold increase in on-board Covid cases, with cruise ships being turned away at ports and passengers getting sick, the CDC plans to lift all of its Covid restrictions on the cruise industry.  Just two weeks ago, the agency was recommending against cruising even for vaccinated passengers.  It’s the latest in a series of mixed messages from the CDC — not only about how safe it is to cruise but on a host of other Covid restrictions. It’s also a stark example of the thorny decisions the Biden administration and other officials must navigate almost two years into the pandemic, as it tries to balance public health and a still-fragile economy.  Donna Shalala, former Health and Human Services secretary and a former Democratic lawmaker from Florida, supports letting cruises continue but agreed that CDC’s messaging has been confusing.  “' don’t know how to describe it other than I just don’t understand how they’re making decisions at the CDC,' Shalala said. 'I’m not being critical; I’m simply saying I don’t understand. I think the cruise industry has done everything they can possibly do.' ”

 

Agree with this former top government official and University of Miami President that CDC's messaging has been confusing.  But, this whole situation has been challenging for consumer to understand and manage.  Here is more from this story and analysis: "CDC Director Rochelle Walensky defended the agency’s decisions in a Senate HELP Committee hearing this week, saying federal officials and the cruise industry reached an agreement that will keep cruises on the water despite Omicron.  She said after the CDC prohibited cruise lines from docking in the United States, the industry 'has stepped up and is now interested in doing and exceeding ... compliance with the sail order — without the order even necessarily being in place — is a testament to how that order has worked and our collaboration with the industry.'  But unlike spring of 2020, calls to shut down cruises again are muted. Some lines had already canceled cruises for the 2022 season. Ships reporting significant numbers of Covid cases are barred from docking at many ports."

 

This is a long and comprehensive article with interesting background as to how the U.S. government is now attempting to deal with the cruise industry.  Things are moving ahead, but still it is changing and evolving.  Reactions?

 

Full story at:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/cruises-sail-era-covid-self-120029015.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio   

 

Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details from two visits in a city with great history, culture and architecture.  Now at 42,900 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

Edited January 15, 2022 by TLCOhio

[spinnaker2]

Is the Dawn still doing the Transatlantic this Spring ? I read that she is being chartered and her inaugural season starts in Lisbon.

 

Only the Moon and the Spirit will do the TA.

 

Can anyone verify?

[WesW]

Hi spinnaker2, here is Barbara Muckerman's reply:

 

Barbara Muckermann

Bonnie very sorry about this, the industry event honestly came after. We will offer transatlantic eastbound both on Spirit and Moon this spring and Silver Dawn will start its inaugural season from Lisbon. I sincerely hope we will be able to stop making changes soon and very sorry about having disrupted your holiday plans. Needless to say team will do whatever to find a suitable alternative for you or issue a refund

[spinnaker2]

Thanks Wes.

 

[tosteve1]

10% of asymptomatic patients who are tested pre-op for elective surgery are positive. In my clinic we are running 30-50% positivity rate on children with colds. Being on on a cruise ship where 1% of people are positive sounds safe to me!