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

[CJANDH]

2 minutes ago, Lois R said:

CJ, hope you and hubby both stay healthy. 

It is wife actually. But we are fine. Thanks for asking. Just disappointed.

[Lois R]

3 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

It is wife actually. But we are fine. Thanks for asking. Just disappointed.

Oh...so sorry, I thought the DH was for Darling Husband LOL.......my bad.

 

But I am glad you are ok.🙂

[Catlover54]

7 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

For what it is worth, Silver Spirit has essentially cancelled the balance of its cruise. We have 17 passengers and 4 crew who have tested positive for COVID and have been quarantined in the "red zone" on level 6. Quite a few others are quarantined in their staterooms as close contacts of those testing positive.

 

As the 20 cases represent about 2% of the people onboard, all our future ports-of-call have denied us docking rights. The captain has announced we will reduce speed and head back to FLL with four at sea days instead of two ports and two days at sea.

 

This just illustrates that it is too easy for our small ships to meet an arbitrary percent level. A big ship with significantly more case is still allowed to visit. Surely it is the number of infected people that counts not the percentage.

 

The Russian Roulette game has worked against us. Too bad . . . we were having fun.

 

I keep seeing more "Russian Roulette" analogy comments.  We should keep perspective -- if someone loses at Russian Roulette, he either dies or has irreversible brain damage.  No matter how annoying, expensive, and irritating cruise and port cancellations are, the consequences of losing are nowhere near what "Russian Roulette" is.

Maybe we could find other metaphors, similes, and analogies?

P.S.  One of my Russian great-grandfathers was a gambler, and he  liked to play Russian Roulette.  Maybe I am overly sensitive to that term. 🙁

[A Tucson Guy]

15 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

 

I keep seeing more "Russian Roulette" analogy comments.  We should keep perspective -- if someone loses at Russian Roulette, he either dies or has irreversible brain damage.  No matter how annoying, expensive, and irritating cruise and port cancellations are, the consequences of losing are nowhere near what "Russian Roulette" is.

Maybe we could find other metaphors, similes, and analogies?

P.S.  One of my Russian great-grandfathers was a gambler, and he  liked to play Russian Roulette.  Maybe I am overly sensitive to that term. 🙁

As my Jewish DW would say- oy vey!!

[Randyk47]

10 minutes ago, crusinbanjo said:

And now for some not so happy news from the CDC…..   Avoid all cruising, even if fully vaccinated and boosted…. Here we go again!

 

 

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/12/cdc-warns-people-going-cruises-regardless-vaccination-status-major-covid-outbreaks-fully-vaxxed-ships/

We had been looking at a cruise with our friends.  We’d found a few that interested us, some as close as March though not all on Silversea, that had cabins available.   Got on the phone with our friends today and after some discussion we decided to push our cruise target to maybe later in the summer or next fall at the earliest.   Just when we thought it was safe to cruise again both families are not so sure.   Concurrently my wife’s Federal agency in Washington, DC has just today alerted the office here that they are most probably reducing or even prohibiting business travel.  Kind of “be aware and plan accordingly” warning.  Another roller coaster cycle in this pandemic.

[drron29]

21 hours ago, TrulyBlonde said:

What happened to Trust the Science? Yikes!

I am working in Tasmania at present. It opened it's borders to all interstate travel on December 15th. As of December 30th it had 300 cases in those 2 weeks. About 30% of them from interstate. All positives are required to isolate. it was 14 days now 10 if vaxxed but from January 1 it will be 7 days. those from interstate without somewhere to isolate are put into a designated hotel.

Where I am working we have a full medical team supervising the local medi - hotel and those isolating at home. They are finding that many patients are symptom free by day 2 and a significant number with negative tests at day 5. These are presumably the Omicron cases. We still have a significant number with Delta.

 

So for Omicron the real world experience suggests that most will not be infective after 5 days.

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

it does seem "honest" in acknowledging that they are seeing and admitting impacts now from this latest variant.

 

After reading this post as well as others that have followed, RCI admits what exists.  

 

It isn't just the cruise industry, it is our entire society--and worldwide--we are like the "Three Blind Mice".  We are searching for the "cheese", but we can't see it.

 

But, like the Wise Men of Old, they recognized the potential that a child in a manager possessed.  December 30, 2021, we know what needs to be done--required--to have a hope of ending this pandemic.  Yet, the intestinal fortitude to do such is lacking among our "leaders".  

 

And, so, the story will continue.....and for how long....while the "Fat Lady" awaits off-stage to  perform and signal the end of this very long drama.  

 

 

[les37b]

12 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

 

I keep seeing more "Russian Roulette" analogy comments.  We should keep perspective -- if someone loses at Russian Roulette, he either dies or has irreversible brain damage.  No matter how annoying, expensive, and irritating cruise and port cancellations are, the consequences of losing are nowhere near what "Russian Roulette" is.

Maybe we could find other metaphors, similes, and analogies?

P.S.  One of my Russian great-grandfathers was a gambler, and he  liked to play Russian Roulette.  Maybe I am overly sensitive to that term. 🙁

 

 

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/play-russian-roulette

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

20 hours ago, CJANDH said:

Silver Spirit has essentially cancelled the balance of its cruise. We have 17 passengers and 4 crew who have tested positive for COVID and have been quarantined in the "red zone" on level 6. Quite a few others are quarantined in their staterooms as close contacts of those testing positive.  As the 20 cases represent about 2% of the people onboard, all our future ports-of-call have denied us docking rights. The captain has announced we will reduce speed and head back to FLL with four at sea days instead of two ports and two days at sea.  This just illustrates that it is too easy for our small ships to meet an arbitrary percent level.

 

So sorry to hear about the "adjustment" with the schedule for Silver Spirit.  Four sea days in a row for the Caribbean would significantly disappoint me, especially with so many passenger confined to their rooms, etc.  Lots of good comments and interesting follow-ups on this thread about this uniquely evolving situation.  

 

From the Washington Post yesterday, they had this headline: “CDC warns against cruise travel after 5,000 new coronavirus cases in 2 weeks” with these highlights and additional background data, etc.: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that all travelers — even those who are vaccinated — should avoid cruises.  In a statement, the agency said cruise lines reported 5,013 coronavirus cases on ships operating in U.S. waters between Dec. 15 and 29, a massive increase from the 162 cases reported over the previous two weeks.  The CDC escalated the travel health notice for cruising from Level 3 to 4, its highest. Previously, the agency advised that people who were not fully vaccinated or those at increased risk of severe illness should not cruise.  'This reflects increases in cases onboard cruise ships since identification of the Omicron variant,' the CDC said on its website. The agency last lowered its warning from Level 4 to Level 3 on June 17.  The update comes as 91 ships carrying passengers from U.S. waters have reported cases over the past seven days and met the threshold for CDC investigation, according to a tally updated Thursday using data submitted by cruise lines.”

 

Here is more from their reporting: "As omicron has fueled surges worldwide, ships have also added rules requiring everyone to wear a mask indoors unless eating or drinking, a requirement that had previously been limited to crowded areas or unvaccinated passengers. On recent trips, some ports have refused to let ships with sick people on board dock. In a statement, the Cruise Lines International Association called the CDC’s update 'particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard' and that most cases are mild or asymptomatic. 'While we are disappointed and disagree with the decision to single out the cruise industry — an industry that continues to go above and beyond compared to other sectors — CLIA and our ocean-going cruise line members remain committed to working collaboratively with the CDC in the interest of public health and safety,' the statement said."

 

Full story at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2021/12/30/cdc-cruise-warning-avoid-omicron/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas!  Live/blog: 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

[CJANDH]

It is now mandatory to take a final COVID test the day before disembarkation. But nobody seems to know what happens if you test positive. Some speculation that you will be quarantined in a hotel before being allowed to go home. Yet there is no requirement for a test to board a domestic flight. Even harder to understand is what happens if you have your car parked at the pier and want to drive home. I don't want to be quarantined and continue to pay $15 a day for my car parking for 10 days.

 

Does anyone know what the rules are for disembarking US citizens wanting to go home to quarantine?

[CJANDH]

An update on my last post. Silversea have now clarified the disembarkation test protocol. It is now an OPTIONAL TEST for those needing one for onward travel. Those of us staying in the US do not have to get tested. Sorry for the previous misleading post.

[TLCOhio]

4 hours ago, CJANDH said:

An update on my last post. Silversea have now clarified the disembarkation test protocol. It is now an OPTIONAL TEST for those needing one for onward travel. Those of us staying in the US do not have to get tested. Sorry for the previous misleading post.

 

Super appreciate these added details and this follow-ups/clarification from our friend in South Carolina.  Good news!!  Great to hear that there is less of a chance for being stuck in a long confinement when departing a cruise ship under these conditions.  

 

From the AP/Associated Press this morning, they had these two different key headlines: “2,300 U.S. flights cancelled amid outbreak” and "Cruise ship held in Lisbon amid virus outbreak".

 

Here are some of the story highlights: “For air travelers, the new year picked up where the old one left off – with lots of frustration. By midmorning Saturday on the East Coast, more than 2,300 U.S. flights had been canceled, according to tracking service FlightAware. That’s the highest single-day toll yet since airlines began blaming staffing shortages on increasing COVID-19 infections among crews just before Christmas. Saturday’s disruptions weren’t just due to the virus, however. Wintry weather made Chicago the worst place in the country for travelers, with 800 flights scrubbed at O’Hare Airport and more than 250 at Midway Airport.”

 

From Lisbon, here is more from the second AP story: "A cruise ship carrying over 4,000 people has been held in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon after a COVID-19 outbreak infected crew members, the German news agency dpa reported Saturday.  German company Aida Cruises told dpa that it discovered the positive coronavirus cases during routine health checks and has accommodated those infected ashore in coordination with Portuguese authorities in Lisbon.  Portuguese media reported that 52 members of the crew of over 1,000 workers tested positive. None of the nearly 3,000 passengers had tested positive. All on board had passed a screening test and were vaccinated with two doses before the ship set sail from Germany.  The ship is waiting for the arrival of new crew members to continue its journey to Spain’s Canary Islands, dpa said."

 

Full story at:

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-health-business-education-38d35e9845e89ace830ca68ce7fe8156

 

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]

For those interested as to what the CDC is doing to investigated and/or monitor cruises ships, you can go to the below website and seeing the ratings for all of the ship with U.S. connections and/or being monitored.  Just three Silversea ships were listed.  Assume the other SS ships would not be in and/or around U.S. waters/ports.  

ACCESSING CDC CRUISE SHIP RATINGS: 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/cruise-ship-color-status.html#cruise-table

 

From a television station network story connected below, they had this interesting reporting today.  Here was their headline: “How to check if the CDC is monitoring your cruise ship for COVID” with these highlights: “On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 88 cruise ships were either under investigation or observation due to COVID-19. Concerns over outbreaks of COVID-19 on these ships have risen recently, just six months after cruise lines were given the green light to begin sailing again. None of the ships so far appear to have so many cases that they would overwhelm medical resources on board and require a return to port. However, some have been denied entry at foreign ports.  According to the CDC’s ship tracker, the Cruise Ship Color Status, Carnival Freedom is one of the dozens of vessels marked with a yellow status, meaning cases of COVID reported on the ship have met the threshold for an investigation by the CDC.   The color-coding system, displayed using a chart updated several times a week on the CDC’s website, is broken down into five classifications: green, orange, yellow, red, and gray. To determine a ship’s status, the CDC relies on surveillance data from the previous seven days and findings from CDC investigations.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.wowktv.com/news/health/coronavirus/how-to-check-if-the-cdc-is-monitoring-your-cruise-ship-for-covid/

 

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

 

From the CDC website linked above, here is what is shown for the three Silversea ships currently operating in and/or around U.S. waters/ports.  For the column where they list "Crew Only" or "Restricted", that is titled "Current Voyage Type".  The far right column is titled "CDC Actions for Ships Reporting COVID-19 Cases". Green is good, yellow not as much.  Three ships are listed as orange meaning "Reported cases of COVID-19 are below the threshold for CDC investigation".  Yellow means "Reported cases of COVID-19 have met the threshold for CDC investigation".  Green means no cases reported.  No ships on this long chart were listed as Red, meaning "Reported cases of COVID-19 are at or above the threshold for CDC investigation.":

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

[CJANDH]

Anyone know why Moon is not included?

[TLCOhio]

On 1/1/2022 at 4:36 PM, CJANDH said:

Anyone know why Moon is not included?

 

Checked this morning on the CDC website shared earlier and the Silver Moon still does not show.  Maybe it takes the CDC a few days after entering U.S. waters for a ship's status to be posted?  Good luck to those boarding the Silver Moon in FLL.

 

From the Reuters newswire this morning, they had this headline: “Passengers stay calm as COVID ends German cruise” with these highlights: “The German operator pulled the plug on the voyage on Sunday (January 2).  The AIDAnova, with 2,844 passengers and 1,353 crew onboard docked in Lisbon on Dec. 29 while en route to the island of Madeira for New Year's Eve celebrations, but was unable to continue the journey after 52 cases of COVID-19 were detected among the fully-vaccinated crew.  It had been allowed to leave port and head to the Spanish island of Lanzarote on Sunday, but when another 12 people tested positive, including four passengers, the voyage was ended, captain of the port Diogo Vieira Branco told TSF radio.  Most of the passengers were calm, albeit a bit disappointed.  In coronavirus times, that has to be expected, one passenger said.”

 

Full story at:

https://news.yahoo.com/passengers-stay-calm-covid-ends-133131861.html

 

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

 

Good news this morning for Royal Caribbean stock values!!  Per the below chart from the Wall Street Journal, those in the financial community sent RCL values up significantly.  It looks as if the stock market eagle eyes see sunshine and hope ahead.  Right?:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

 

[TLCOhio]

From USA Today early this afternoon, they had this headline: “Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean Group CEO, steps down from CEO position after 33 years” with these key story highlights: “Richard Fain, CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, the parent to Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, stepped down at midnight on Monday after three decades in the role. Fain, who is set to remain chair of the company's board of directors, is the third longest-serving CEO among S&P 500 leaders.  In 1988, when Fain stepped into the role, Royal Caribbean was a solo brand with five ships sailing to Bermuda and the Caribbean with 2,700 employees. By the time of his decided departure in 2021, Royal Caribbean Group had evolved into a five-brand company with 60 ships sailing to more than 800 destinations on all seven continents and another 13 ships on order, employing 85,000 people globally.”

 

That's a pretty significant record of amazing growth!!   Plus, many cruising innovations, too!  What will happening in the next five or ten years with Royal Caribbean and/or the overall cruise industry?

 

Full story at:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2022/01/03/royal-caribbean-richard-fain-steps-down/8908262002/

 

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 93,483 views.

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

[TLCOhio]

From the CNBC cable financial news network this morning, they had this headline: “Covid wave in U.S. will move quickly, could peak in weeks: Dr. Scott Gottlieb”,  This three-minute-plus video interview clip gives a good summary for this former FDA Commissioner's viewpoint as to what lies ahead in the next month.

 

He views the latest variant as: “Fast-moving” with "mild infections".  Hopefully his informed predictions come true.  

 

 

Full story at:

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/01/03/covid-wave-in-u-s-will-move-quickly-could-peak-in-weeks-dr-scott-gottlieb.html

 

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 69,211 views:

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

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

From USA Today early this afternoon, they had this headline: “Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean Group CEO, steps down from CEO position after 33 years”

 

Thanks for reminding us of this.  I had forgotten that January 3rd was to be a change at the helm for RCI.  The Market seems to be optimistic about the change.

 

2 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

What will happening in the next five or ten years with Royal Caribbean and/or the overall cruise industry?

 

My crystal ball remains in the repair shop as it has been for months.  Keep getting the excuse of "supply chain issues" when I ask when it will be repaired.  😁

[Will Work for Tiramisu]

This link is to GCaptain, a maritime industry website which I enjoy reading, with Reuters story about the AIDA ship held in Lisbon.  It does note that while the ship was detained, passengers could be seen "out on deck, enjoying the sun and their drinks".  Good for them - given lemons, make lemonade!  Damn the torpedoes!  

https://gcaptain.com/covid-outbreak-voyage-thousands-aboard-cruise-ship/

 

[TLCOhio]

On 1/3/2022 at 4:03 PM, rkacruiser said:

My crystal ball remains in the repair shop as it has been for months.  Keep getting the excuse of "supply chain issues" when I ask when it will be repaired.  😁

 

Cute above comment and follow-up from our Philadelphia-area neighbor.  Lots happening and not all aspects are clear and understandable.  

 

From the Wall Street Journal's sister publication of Barron's this morning, they had this headline: “Hong Kong Bans Flights From U.S. and 7 Other Countries Ahead of Covid Wave” with these highlights: “Hong Kong imposed tougher Covid-19 measures on Wednesday, banning flights from eight countries, and closing bars and gyms, as authorities warned the city was on 'the verge' of a fifth wave of coronavirus infections.  Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said passenger flights from the U.S., U.K, Canada, Australia, Pakistan, Philippines, France and India, will be banned for two weeks, starting from Jan. 8.  The government will also ban indoor restaurant dining after 6.00 pm from Friday, and close swimming pools, sports centers, bars and clubs, museums, and other venues for at least two weeks.  Hong Kong has stuck to a “zero-covid” strategy, largely isolating itself from the rest of the world with stringent quarantine restrictions. On Tuesday, the global financial hub recorded 114 Omicron cases, most of them imported and detected during isolation.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.barrons.com/articles/hong-kong-bans-flights-covid-wave-51641378269?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D64368917477333601990043620758670218094|MCORGID%3DCB68E4BA55144CAA0A4C98A5%40AdobeOrg|TS%3D1641400162

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 52,079 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

[TLCOhio]

From USA Today this afternoon, they had this headline: “Norwegian Cruise Line cancels sailings on 8 ships, including some in April amid COVID surge” with these highlights: “Norwegian Cruise Line canceled cruises on several of its ships Wednesday as COVID continues to surge with the emergence of the omicron variant.   The cruise line canceled sailings on eight ships including:  Norwegian Getaway's Jan. 5 cruise.  Norwegian Pearl cruises embarking through  Jan. 14.  Norwegian Sky cruises embarking Feb. 25.   Pride of America cruises embarking through Feb. 26.   Norwegian Jade cruises embarking through March 3.   Norwegian Star cruises embarking through March 19.   Norwegian Sun cruises embarking through April 19.   Norwegian Spirit cruises embarking through April 23.  All passengers booked on any of the canceled sailings will receive an automatic refund and an additional 'Future Cruise Certificate' valid for a cruise in the future.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2022/01/05/norwegian-cancels-sailings-8-ships-amid-covid-surge/9104189002/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio   

 

Kotor/Montenegro:  Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 48,744 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

[rkacruiser]

30 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

“Norwegian Cruise Line cancels sailings on 8 ships, including some in April amid COVID surge”

 

Why are they canceling cruises so many weeks away?  Canceling those sailings close to this date makes sense.  Do another thorough scrub down of the ship.  Allow infected crew to become Covid negative.  But, the others further in the future?  

[cruiseej]

39 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

Why are they canceling cruises so many weeks away?

 

Maybe because people have been canceling and bookings are weak. And to insure enough healthy crew to staff all the ships remaining in operation. With so many ships, it may be easier to cancel and rebook people on other cruises than trying to keep every ship in operation. Just a guess. It will be interesting to see if any other cruise likes take a similar approach.

[TLCOhio]

On 1/5/2022 at 7:20 PM, rkacruiser said:

Why are they canceling cruises so many weeks away?  Canceling those sailings close to this date makes sense.  Do another thorough scrub down of the ship.  Allow infected crew to become Covid negative.  But, the others further in the future?  

 

Great question, comments and follow-ups from our smart neighbors in SW Ohio and the Philadelphia area.  Much happening now is hard to figure out and fully understand what kind of future path will evolve.  .  

 

From the New York Times today, they had this headline: “Cases Rise, Criticism Mounts, but Ships Keep Cruising" with this sub-headline: "One day after the C.D.C. advised against all travel on cruise ships, thousands of cruisers partied like it was 2019. But worries about onboard policies — and frustration over quarantines — are rising.”

 

Here are some of their story highlights: “Even as case numbers rise, and criticism mounts about the safety of cruising and over cruise line protocols in reporting cases to passengers, ships keep sailing and guests keep embarking, adamant that the onboard environment is safe because of stringent health and safety requirements, including pre-departure testing and vaccine mandates. On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line canceled several voyages in response to the growing number of coronavirus cases onboard some of their ships.   The cruise industry’s trade group, Cruise Lines International Association, called the C.D.C.’s warning 'perplexing,' and said that cases identified on ships 'consistently make up a slim minority of the total population on board — far fewer than on land.' ”

 

This is lengthy and comprehensive reporting has additional details that might be of interest:  "Some passengers are starting to question the effectiveness of health and safety protocols, and say they aren’t being informed of the full extent of coronavirus cases on board. They say they learn of the positive cases only after returning home and would have been able to make more informed decisions about their behavior and participation in activities, if they had been made more aware.  Most major cruise lines do not publicly announce the number of coronavirus cases on board their ships, but they are required to submit daily figures to the C.D.C. Currently, the agency is monitoring more than 90 cruise ships, because of reported cases that have reached the agency’s threshold for an investigation. For many, the idea of testing positive for the coronavirus on a cruise ship conjures up the horrors of the major outbreaks in the early stages of the pandemic, when thousands of people were confined to their rooms for endless days while the pandemic raged through the ships. But since more contagious variants like Delta and Omicron have emerged, causing cases to increase among passengers and crew, guests have started to complain about quarantine conditions."

 

A number of recent cruise passengers were interviewed for this story and it reflects the way things are being handled now on ships.  This includes ways in which people are being quarantined on ships and the lack of upfront and real-time disclosures as to the nature of infections during such sailings.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/06/travel/coronavirus-cruise-ships-omicron.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Dubrovnik!  Nice visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 48,389 views.    

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

[TLCOhio]

Here's an interesting story about the steps that some cruise lines are trying to do to adapt for a travel world affected by Covid.  From the Wall Street Journal today, they had this headline: “Cruise Operators Can’t Touch This" with this sub-headline: "Cruise ships have been instituting touchless elevator buttons to combat Covid-19, but not everybody is impressed.”

 

Here are some of the story highlights: “Can anxious cruisers breathe a sigh of relief? A video of touchless elevator buttons on a ship shared on Twitter earlier this week from a passenger with a 'mind blown' emoji didn’t float many boats.  'Great solution for an airborne virus,' someone pointed out. Another joked about the low likelihood that a drunk cruiser would be able to line up their finger without touching anything.  'All fun and games until some 5 year old waves his hand in front of the whole thing and you stop on all 18 floors,' chimed in another.  A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said buttons are a relatively new feature the company offers on at least some ships. They aren’t mandated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or even necessarily related to the pandemic but instead are an “innovation” aimed at improving the guest experience.”

 

Given all of the other issues and questions facing cruise lines related to Covicd these days, the author of this story finished with this comment: "it is hard to imagine any kind of elevator innovation really righting the ship. But, hey, there’s always the stairs."  Like this new ship design idea from Royal Caribbean to use on Silversea ships?  Do you vote thumbs up or thumbs down?

 

Full story at:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/cruise-operators-cant-touch-this-11641564998

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details from two visits in a city with great history, culture and architecture.  Now at 42,627 views.

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