What will the New Age Sailings look like? Your thoughts

[shipbound2]

On 5/12/2020 at 7:14 AM, grandmarnnurse said:

I am banking on seeing what happens as restaurants, etc open to determine the probability of my January cruise happening. I am amazed at the people that keep moving their cruises to the soonest possible date for when they resume. There were people that had their March cruises cancelled that moved their cruise to my April cruise, then got cancelled, and moved again to June, July, and then August. Amazing. All I can figure is that they are of the younger generations that are not taking this pandemic as seriously as us older folks. But as much as my hubby and I have been in lockdown here, relying totally on a grocery pick up service, we have begun to venture out. Masked up and with hand sanitizer. I totally agree that society cannot take this shut down any longer. Losing one’s lively hood could be just as deadly to a family as contracting the virus. People need to work, and having your government keep sending checks is NOT the answer. That needs to stop. We need to start building our economy up. And we need to start with bringing all our business home from China, and start producing what we need right here in the USA. 

I agree,however, I think the important question what will happen when cruise lines start sailing again. Will more people on the cruise ships start getting sick or worse than ,if that  happens, I think cruise lines will have no choice but to cancel all sailings until a vaccine is available which maybe in January .

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, shipbound2 said:

I agree,however, I think the important question what will happen when cruise lines start sailing again. Will more people on the cruise ships start getting sick or worse than ,if that  happens, I think cruise lines will have no choice but to cancel all sailings until a vaccine is available which maybe in January .

...or a proven one which maybe 2 years or more, and then there will be new strains and then the next disease and then and then.  At some point a line in the sand has to be drawn, by the cruise lines, by you and by me.

[shipbound2]

56 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

...or a proven one which maybe 2 years or more, and then there will be new strains and then the next disease and then and then.  At some point a line in the sand has to be drawn, by the cruise lines, by you and by me.

True!!!

[BlerkOne]

4 hours ago, shipbound2 said:

I agree,however, I think the important question what will happen when cruise lines start sailing again. Will more people on the cruise ships start getting sick or worse than ,if that  happens, I think cruise lines will have no choice but to cancel all sailings until a vaccine is available which maybe in January .

 

With a few precautions, cruises could easily be safer than vacationing on land. There might be some cases of covid-19 but more on land, especially given the lack of respect for guidelines and lack of enforcement.

[HLGW60]

I saw a segment on the news today that showed dogs being trained to sniff out the coronavirus.  Maybe we will see more sailing dogs on the cruise ships in the future😀

Edited May 13, 2020 by HLGW60

[csoud68]

On 5/6/2020 at 2:49 PM, bingomamma19 said:

I think on our end, things will seem pretty much the same.     On the crews end, they will be doing alot more work to keep everything clean and safe.

 

I think they will serve us at the buffet and the ice cream.    

 

I am not worried either way.....i love cruising....i will be there....hopefully august 15th on the breeze!!

the buffet serving line may even be quicker since they wont pile the plates so damn high. i swear some of the cruisers ive seen dont realize you can go back through the line or are just lazy.

[angelsfort]

On 5/7/2020 at 7:15 PM, bingomamma19 said:

I will report back!!     

 

I am hardly "unaffected"   my son and his wife had it...took 4 weeks to recover..they are fine.   I am a type 2 insulin diabetic...may have had it...had the symptoms but never tested.     

 

I wont live my life in fear....my father  worked super hard all his life to have all these plans when he retired at 64---6 months after he retired ...he died.   Didnt get to do a damn thing.    I will not live my life hiding.    Every day could be my last and i wont waste them.

 

BTW ...we have 3 in our cabin for our next 3 cruises (starting august on the breeze)....me, dd and my 79 year old mom (who said she is not cancelling for ANY reason).   We will be good!!!

 

 

I hope I am on a cruise with you!   You sound like a hoot to hang out with!!  

[SDPadreFan]

4 hours ago, angelsfort said:

 

I'm confused. Am I smart or am I stupid?

 

the first part of your post says I'm stupid because I won't get the flu vaccine (and I also will not get any vaccine created for this new flu).  I don't get the vaccine and I have gotten the flu maybe ONCE in the last 10 years.  

 

the second part of your post says I'm smart - because I know how important it is to wash your hands. I wash often and I wash PROPERLY  (read through some of my previous posts - there are several on here about the importance of washing your hands the right way... especially RIGHT NOW)

 

I think that washing your hands and keeping yourself protected is more important than getting a shot.  (I am speaking of normal healthy people here... I am not referring to anyone who has immunity or other health issues. They absolutely need that extra safety net of the flu shot).

 

so?  am I stupid?  or am I smart?  (I will completely base my entire self-worth on your reply... so be kind.  I am also totally joking.  I really don't care what you think of me  LOL)

 

I won't comment on your intelligence - that's for you to figure out. But I will expand on my rational for my comments.

 

For the common flu:

1) on average - about 12,000-60,000 people in the U.S. die from the flu, or complications from the flu. For the 2017-2018 season, the head of the CDC (Dr. Robert Redfield) said the number was 80,000 (hopefully an anomaly and not a growth trend, but the CDC does say the numbers have been increasing).

2) There are annually about 800,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. due to the flu and it's complications. Want to stay healthy - stay out of the hospital.

3) All this misery (and medical costs) from something that is easily preventable. And I agree - the vaccine is not an absolute remedy, but I don't even want to imagine the annual toll if we didn't have the vaccine. Pre-vaccine toll from the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic was estimated at 650,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. World wide estimate, around 50 million deaths from that pandemic.

4) I've gotten the flu vaccine EVERY year since 1973 (24 of those years courtesy of the U.S. Navy - mandatory annual flu shot).

5) In my 64 years - I've had ONE hospitalization. That was about 10 years ago due to a racing heart. Doctors never did figure that one out and I've been fine ever since.

6) There are no strange things growing out of my body as a result of 47 years of flu shots.

7) People have every right to make their own decisions, but in my mind, not getting an annual flu vaccine displays a crave indifference to the people in their life who supposedly matter to them.

 

Hand washing:

1) Proper hand washing is great for keeping your hands sterile. Until you touch something that is not. Which on a cruise ship means potentially less than 5 minutes.

2) On average - we touch our face about 16 times an hour. Our face is the gateway to most viral and bacterial infections.

 

So I will wash (or sanitize) my hands every chance I get when on a cruise ship or other public mass gathering.

I will continue to get a flu vaccine EVERY YEAR as well as every other vaccine that is recommended. I've had my pneumonia shot as well as both shingles shots. I do need to get a tetanus booster during my next physical. And I WILL of course get a COVID-19 shot once it is approved.

 

I hope your luck continues. I know mine will.

Edited May 14, 2020 by SDPadreFan

[SDPadreFan]

Reference for the 2017-2018 Flu season

https://www.statnews.com/2018/09/26/cdc-us-flu-deaths-winter/

 

[grandmarnnurse]

9 hours ago, SDPadreFan said:

 

I won't comment on your intelligence - that's for you to figure out. But I will expand on my rational for my comments.

 

For the common flu:

1) on average - about 12,000-60,000 people in the U.S. die from the flu, or complications from the flu. For the 2017-2018 season, the head of the CDC (Dr. Robert Redfield) said the number was 80,000 (hopefully an anomaly and not a growth trend, but the CDC does say the numbers have been increasing).

2) There are annually about 800,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. due to the flu and it's complications. Want to stay healthy - stay out of the hospital.

3) All this misery (and medical costs) from something that is easily preventable. And I agree - the vaccine is not an absolute remedy, but I don't even want to imagine the annual toll if we didn't have the vaccine. Pre-vaccine toll from the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic was estimated at 650,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. World wide estimate, around 50 million deaths from that pandemic.

4) I've gotten the flu vaccine EVERY year since 1973 (24 of those years courtesy of the U.S. Navy - mandatory annual flu shot).

5) In my 64 years - I've had ONE hospitalization. That was about 10 years ago due to a racing heart. Doctors never did figure that one out and I've been fine ever since.

6) There are no strange things growing out of my body as a result of 47 years of flu shots.

7) People have every right to make their own decisions, but in my mind, not getting an annual flu vaccine displays a crave indifference to the people in their life who supposedly matter to them.

 

Hand washing:

1) Proper hand washing is great for keeping your hands sterile. Until you touch something that is not. Which on a cruise ship means potentially less than 5 minutes.

2) On average - we touch our face about 16 times an hour. Our face is the gateway to most viral and bacterial infections.

 

So I will wash (or sanitize) my hands every chance I get when on a cruise ship or other public mass gathering.

I will continue to get a flu vaccine EVERY YEAR as well as every other vaccine that is recommended. I've had my pneumonia shot as well as both shingles shots. I do need to get a tetanus booster during my next physical. And I WILL of course get a COVID-19 shot once it is approved.

 

I hope your luck continues. I know mine will.

BRAVO! BRAVO! Someone who shares my sentiments! I have a real problem with anti vaxxers. Vaccines are there to help prevent the spread of disease. It’s a matter of public health. It keeps you AND the public healthy. For the flu, because it does mutate every year, you may still get the flu, but much less severe. I have gotten a flu shot as far back as I can remember. As a retired RN, my facility made flu shots mandatory. Once you received the shot, you had a sticker placed on your name badge indicating that. If you refused the shot, no matter what your reason was, you had to wear a mask the whole shift. The year I turned 65, I recieved the regular flu shot 2 months before that birthday, but once I turned 65, my doctor gave me the extra strength one that seniors over 65 can get. I did not sprout anything weird because of getting 2 shots in a row. As a matter of fact, when I worked we asked all of our patients if they had the flu shot. If they couldn’t remember, they got another one. It can’t hurt you to get one. The danger is in NOT getting one. I, too, was first in line to get my shingles vaccine, and pneumonia vaccines. And had my tetanus booster just a couple of years ago. When I cruise, I am ever vigilant. I have always been somewhat of a germaphobe (the result of a long career in healthcare) and although I have always washed my hands more than the average person, lol, I carry small bottles of sanitizer with me everywhere. I’ve been doing this long before COVID came into the picture. I also use Zoono, a 24 hour foam hand sanitizer that has been proven effective against Norovirus. Alcohol based sanitizer is not. So, I use both when on a cruise. Currently, during this virus, I have Lysol spray and sanitizer sitting on the table in my foyer to use as I enter house, along with an assortment of masks, and hand sanitizer in my car, my purse, and kitchen counter. Once I am told that a vaccine for COVID is available, I will be first in line for it. For my health, and that of the public. Thank you for YOUR very intelligent response to everyone.

[angelsfort]

I love how we are referred to as "anti-vaxxers" if we don't want to get the flu shot.  I have had all of my required vaccinations.  My daughter has had all of her vaccinations...    hell, all of my PETS have gotten their annual vaccinations too!!  I am certainly not an "anti-vaxxer" because I don't want to get ONE shot.  I'm definitely not going to get a shot that hasn't had the proper testing and has been rushed into production due to a high demand...  I'll let other people be the guinea pigs for that!  If this shot shows that it's effective enough at halting this virus, I will consider it - once it's been out and well established as safe.  Until then, no freakin' way!

 

I also love how you say that you get the flu shot and it's helped you... but then you go on to say that you wash often, etc.  You don't think that part of your lack of the flu has anything to do with your habit of keeping clean?!  I sure do!   I know A LOT of people that have gotten the flu shot and then have gotten terrible cases of the flu... some worse than others.  I don't see how it helped THEM.  (sure, you're gonna say...  "because of that shot, their case of the flu would have been much worse!!"  I doubt that very much too)

 

Lets agree to disagree here.  We are both going to continue to do as we always have...  and no amount of "discussing" it is going to change either of our minds.   Happy sailing folks!

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

On 5/6/2020 at 10:44 AM, eltigre said:

I am wondering what a cruise will be like now? Everyone talks about the buffet but I think that will be the easiest thing to accommodate. Plexi shields to keep us away from the food & servers to handle the serving.

Pour your own beer/pop will be gone I suspect. BUT what about the pool, lounge chairs, theaters, lounges & bars?

How long will boarding take in between sailings with sanitizing now a priority?

A full ship would make money but a less than full ship? 

With all the new mega ships that have  recently come on line & are still being built, that need to be paid for.

 

I have to admit as this thing continues I am becoming less hopeful for my future sailings & so much more appreciative that I got to sail in "the old days"

   In response to the OP,  what many of us have been saying since March is that cruising will be changing a lot. The best way to get a handle on this is to read the CDC No Sail Order ... all of the details. 
    
   This is the document that serves as the best public evidence of what needs to happen. (As opposed to public relations puffery from CLIA or the cruise lines; that stuff means nothing now because they no longer call the shots).

  

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/15/2020-07930/no-sail-order-and-suspension-of-further-embarkation-notice-of-modification-and-extension-and-other



   

[evandbob]

Has anyone mentioned changes necessary at cruise ports?  Like how far apart beach loungers may have to be placed? At some locations. like Grand Turk and Mahogany Bay, the loungers were almost on top of each other.

 

What about transportation on cruise excursions?  Can they still cram 12 into a van or max bus capacity at 48 or 50?  How about tours with guides, can they still have the entire group crowd around the guide to hear his spiel?  Snorkeling catamarans with no empty spaces to sit on board?  Shopping excursions that stop at a single store for all to visit?  What about lines to pass through entry check points like Cozumel or waiting for tenders like Belize?  What will new tender capacity and wait times be like?

 

 

Edited May 15, 2020 by evandbob

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

2 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

 

I agree with everything but this. What equipment? 

 

fyree39:

I think for starters, sufficient equipment to meet the current CDC No Sail Order:

"Onboard medical staffing, including number and type of staff, and equipment in sufficient quantity to provide a hospital level of care (e.g., ventilators, facemasks, personal protective equipment) for the infected without the need for hospitalization onshore;"

"An outbreak management and response plan to provision and assist an affected cruise ship that relies on industry resources, e.g., mobilization of additional cruise ships or other vessels to act as “hospital” ship for the infected, “quarantine” ship for the exposed, and “residential” ship for those providing care and treatment, including the ability to transport individuals between ships as needed;"

"A medical care plan addressing onboard care versus evacuation to on-shore hospitals for critically ill individuals, specifying how availability of beds for critically ill at local hospitals will be determined in advance and how the cruise ship operator will ensure acceptance at local medical facilities to treat the critically ill in a manner that limits the burden on Federal, State, and local resources and avoids, to the greatest extent possible, medivac situations. If medical evacuation is necessary arrangements for evacuation must be made with commercial resources (e.g., ship tender, chartered standby vessel, chartered airlift) and arrangements made with a designated medical facility that has agreed to accept such evacuees. All medical evacuation plans must be coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard;"

   We should have no doubt that CLIA is trying to negotiate this down. But personally, I'm vastly more interested in the CDC's ideas about what's medically necessary than anything CLIA has to say.
 

   What are your thoughts?

 

[BlerkOne]

14 minutes ago, EscapeFromConnecticut said:

 

   What are your thoughts?

 

 

Why should cruise ships be held to higher standards than land based resorts, or for that matter, cities and towns?

[jimbo5544]

5 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

 

Why should cruise ships be held to higher standards than land based resorts, or for that matter, cities and towns?

Bingo

[BlerkOne]

25 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

 

 Also, I don't see how a private island would be good for quarantine. I don't see how ANY quarantine would be good.

 

Mostly for a port stop should regular ports refuse to let passengers off. Access to/from private islands is easier to control. Also allows more room for social distancing. I think it beats cruising around endlessly.

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

11 hours ago, evandbob said:

Has anyone mentioned changes necessary at cruise ports?  Like how far apart beach loungers may have to be placed? At some locations. like Grand Turk and Mahogany Bay, the loungers were almost on top of each other.

 

What about transportation on cruise excursions?  Can they still cram 12 into a van or max bus capacity at 48 or 50?  How about tours with guides, can they still have the entire group crowd around the guide to hear his spiel?  Snorkeling catamarans with no empty spaces to sit on board?  Shopping excursions that stop at a single store for all to visit?  What about lines to pass through entry check points like Cozumel or waiting for tenders like Belize?  What will new tender capacity and wait times be like?

 

 

More reasons to accept that whenever cruising resumes .... a lot of things are NOT going to resemble what we remember.

[eltigre]

Excellent point evandbob.  I have to say with all the ideas, thoughts and questions that have been floated here, I am so very glad that I got to sail before everything changes. 

I remember wishing the services offered recently were as good as at the beginning of the 2000's, many had already vanished. I can't imagine what's in store for my Feb. 2021 cruise.

 

[BlerkOne]

On 5/15/2020 at 8:51 PM, EscapeFromConnecticut said:

More reasons to accept that whenever cruising resumes .... a lot of things are NOT going to resemble what we remember.

 

True about life on land, as well, no?

[BlerkOne]

The head of the CDC rumored to be on the way out, or at least muzzled ala Fauci. So WHO's in charge?

[pe4all]

I cannot imagine what the changes will be like when cruises start up again.  Masks, food served to us at the buffet - probably.   We don't cruise again until January, and even then may not cruise due to age and underlying medical conditions.   Once I begin cruising, or even traveling anywhere again I will never have less than 2-4 weeks of extra perscription medication with me for all members of my family, just in case.  Not having enough anti-seizure meds for dd, or heart med for dh scares me terribly.    I usually have an extra week's worth.  Not anymore.  I can't depend on getting the non-formulary version they take if quarentined/stranded somewhere.  

[coevan]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

The head of the CDC rumored to be on the way out, or at least muzzled ala Fauci. So WHO's in charge?

 

 

The chosen one 

[coevan]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

 

True about life on land, as well, no?

 

 

We are booked at Sandals December 12 for my son's wedding. I'll take 400 people on a spread out huge property with 7 restaurants, over 4000 people, not even as long as their beach.  All the beach lounge chairs are much further than 6' apart, social distancing will be much easier. Will there be some differences, yes, but nothing like a cruise ship. We are more worried about flying, even in first class, than Sandals. 

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

On 5/7/2020 at 11:04 AM, DGP1111 said:

 

😃 Wheeee!! 😃

I, admittedly, fall into that category.

I've hated it since the very first experience, and avoid it as often as possible.

 

.

 

 

Always wondered why the didn't just use small streamers on a stick. More sanitary and a little souvenir