Is Celebrity Giving Us A "Restart" Hint?

[LXA350]

Just checked Europe cruises on the website and all departures for August until Mid September are shown on the website as "Sold out"... Looks like a first hint that no cruises in Europe until at least mid September if at all, either?

Edited June 20, 2020 by LXA350

[Sam.Seattle]

On 6/10/2020 at 12:45 PM, babylene said:

Yes, but I heard only about Cunard. I would assume that what one line does, they all will. 
But who knows?

Just another thought... 

I a assuming Cunard probably has an older demographic set of cruisers.  Maybe they are seeing even less future bookings due to older folks being more cautious? I could see Carnival Corporation evaluating each brand uniquely. 

 

PRAYING FOR A VACCINE!  

[KateWes]

A lot of cruises today have disappeared off the website (including our 27th Aug 2020 Med cruise)! The removals are up until 15th Sept from the looks of it!

 

Apparently there was a similar thing before the Alaska cruise cancellations were announced. 

[drarill]

3 minutes ago, KateWes said:

A lot of cruises today have disappeared off the website (including our 27th Aug 2020 Med cruise)! The removals are up until 15th Sept from the looks of it!

 

Apparently there was a similar thing before the Alaska cruise cancellations were announced. 

Our August 26th cruise is also gone 😔

[KateWes]

11 hours ago, drarill said:

Our August 26th cruise is also gone 😔

Looks like we should get geared up for the refund hunt! 

[fstuff1]

From another thread, here are the ships that will be sailing at the mid-sept restart:

https://www.traveloffpath.com/celebrity-cruises-reopening-everything-you-need-to-know/

 

• Celebrity Apex
• Celebrity Edge
• Celebrity Millennium
• Celebrity Xploration
• Celebrity Flora
• Celebrity Xpedition

so all 3 Galapagos ships will be sailing?!

[C-Dragons]

2 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

From another thread, here are the ships that will be sailing at the mid-sept restart:

https://www.traveloffpath.com/celebrity-cruises-reopening-everything-you-need-to-know/

 

• Celebrity Apex
• Celebrity Edge
• Celebrity Millennium
• Celebrity Xploration
• Celebrity Flora
• Celebrity Xpedition

so all 3 Galapagos ships will be sailing?!

I wouldn’t think so... passengers arriving in country have to quarantine for 14 days prior. How many would want to do that?

 

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions in Ecuador – updated 18 June, 2020

Commercial flights resumed at a limited capacity from 1 June. Arriving travelers must present a negative result of a PCR swab test no older than 72 hours before boarding a flight, plus quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in government-designated facilities.

Land borders remain closed until 30 June.

[C-Dragons]

10 minutes ago, mscqueen said:

"X" marks? Video tour showing Physical Distancing measures for Buffets?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBzbGIkC1Cs

Yes. There will be policies in place similar to those on land for cruise ships to get passengers back on board. It won’t be forever.

[fstuff1]

31 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

I wouldn’t think so... passengers arriving in country have to quarantine for 14 days prior. How many would want to do that?

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions in Ecuador – updated 18 June, 2020

Commercial flights resumed at a limited capacity from 1 June. Arriving travelers must present a negative result of a PCR swab test no older than 72 hours before boarding a flight, plus quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in government-designated facilities.

Land borders remain closed until 30 June.

 

oh.. i was more thinking about the # of passenger licenses Celebrity had for the Galapagos.

thought they ran into problems last year with some of the licenses thus could only do 1 ship for a short period of time.

 

they got enough licenses for all 3 ships now??

 

Edited June 21, 2020 by fstuff1

[C-Dragons]

Just now, fstuff1 said:

 

oh.. i was more thinking about the # of passenger licenses Celebrity had for the Galapagos.

thought they ran into problems last year with some of the licenses thus could only do 1 ship for a short period of time.

 

they got enough licenses for all 3 ships now??

 

Oh, right. I do recall the problem you are referring to, but have no idea if it has been resolved.

[Fouremco]

7 minutes ago, mscqueen said:

Automatic hand wash stations at all restaurant entrances looks permanent though!

 

So, physical distancing markings for the buffets, but first you have to wash your hands at sinks that are packed so closely together that you'd have four passengers within a 2 meter distance. Does anyone actually think these things through?  

[C-Dragons]

8 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

 

So, physical distancing markings for the buffets, but first you have to wash your hands at sinks that are packed so closely together that you'd have four passengers within a 2 meter distance. Does anyone actually think these things through?  

I would really like to know the source of that picture, which ship was it taken on...

Also, I believe I read somewhere that there would be hand sanitizing stations at the restaurant entrances, not sinks.

Edited June 21, 2020 by C-Dragons

[ejnsb]

And today I received an email with me edocs and bag tag for the Aug. 9 Equinox 

[Fouremco]

10 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

I would really like to know the source of that picture, which ship was it taken on...

The source was the YouTube video cited by @mscqueen in post #183. The video was taken aboard the Symphony of the Seas.

[C-Dragons]

Just now, Fouremco said:

The source was the YouTube video cited by @mscqueen in post #183. The video was taken aboard the Symphony of the Seas.

I didn’t watch the video, thanks.

I still believe there will not be sinks at the restaurants on X ships.

[kwokpot]

19 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

I didn’t watch the video, thanks.

I still believe there will not be sinks at the restaurants on X ships.

I liked the washing stations at the buffet on the Edge.

[Fouremco]

25 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

I didn’t watch the video, thanks.

I still believe there will not be sinks at the restaurants on X ships.

 

49 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

So, physical distancing markings for the buffets, but first you have to wash your hands at sinks that are packed so closely together that you'd have four passengers within a 2 meter distance. Does anyone actually think these things through?  

 

Having watched the video to the very end, I now have a different perspective on the sinks.

 

First, for those who haven't watched, the video was taken aboard the Symphony of the Seas running with a minimum crew. It was filmed in the now closed Windjammer Buffet, which had been used by the crew after cruising had stopped but before the crew was reduced to its current size. The taped x's on the floor to mark distancing were temporary markings for the crew, not forward looking markings for future passengers. Not to say that a similar system wouldn't be introduced by RCI, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

 

The post with the photo of the sinks is misleading. Yes, they are permanent but were installed long before COVID-19 appeared. In addition, and to correct my own comments, towards the end of the video they show a wide angle view of the sinks and you can see that physical distancing x's have been placed on the floor in front of the sinks. 

 

So, while the video is a mildly interesting view of the buffet as it was set up for use by some crew members, nothing it shows should be interpreted as RCI's intended design for future passengers.  

Edited June 21, 2020 by Fouremco

[C-Dragons]

9 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Having watched the video to the very end, I now have a different perspective on the sinks.

....

The taped x's on the floor to mark distancing were temporary markings for the crew, not forward looking markings for future passengers. Not to say that a similar system wouldn't be introduced by RCI, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

....

The post with the photo of the sinks is misleading.

 

So, while the video is a mildly interesting view of the buffet as it was set up for use by some crew members, nothing it shows should be interpreted as RCI's intended design for future passengers.  

Thanks for the clarification.

I still believe that there will be some sort of measured social distancing markers on the floors of the buffets on X ships for people standing in line. At least until the situation with Covid improves.

[Fouremco]

8 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

Thanks for the clarification.

I still believe that there will be some sort of measured social distancing markers on the floors of the buffets on X ships for people standing in line. At least until the situation with Covid improves.

Oh, I agree. I didn't mean to imply that there wouldn't be physical distancing measures, just that I'm not convinced that the set up for a much smaller number of crew members who follow orders would work as well for a higher number of passengers, many of  whom are known for not following health-related rules. For example, crew members might only use those sinks indicated with an "x", but I suspect that wouldn't work with impatient passengers. So, I think the concept will carry though, but not necessarily the design of the physical distancing measures. 

[C-Dragons]

19 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Oh, I agree. I didn't mean to imply that there wouldn't be physical distancing measures, just that I'm not convinced that the set up for a much smaller number of crew members who follow orders would work as well for a higher number of passengers, many of  whom are known for not following health-related rules. For example, crew members might only use those sinks indicated with an "x", but I suspect that wouldn't work with impatient passengers. So, I think the concept will carry though, but not necessarily the design of the physical distancing measures. 

Unfortunately, the only way to ensure passengers keep an appropriate distance, would be for a restaurant manager to keep watch and remind them. 😁

Prior to boarding I"m pretty sure all passengers will be made aware of the “rules” that they would have to agree to follow. 

[mayleeman]

23 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

Unfortunately, the only way to ensure passengers keep an appropriate distance, would be for a restaurant manager to keep watch and remind them. 😁

Prior to boarding I"m pretty sure all passengers will be made aware of the “rules” that they would have to agree to follow. 

 

Maybe all lines you have to stand in will have a series of automatic gates like they open to let you get on the roller coaster platform. Six feet apart, like a series of little cages you are in as you advance to the front of the line! 

Edited June 21, 2020 by mayleeman

[jojo1966]

Do people really think the 2m rule will be in place when cruising starts up? Here in the uk we are already looking at reducing that to 1m this next week...and if cruises dont start up till September it could well be down to 1m everywhere....or even less by then 

[phoenix_dream]

Putting in my two cents about the sinks.  As has been said, sinks were installed on some ships (including new or renovated Celebrity ships) long before anyone heard of Covid-19.  They were intended for the purpose of preventing outbreaks such as norovirus.  Rarely saw anyone using them (although we did) but I'll bet that would change now.  I do think that if cruising starts any time soon we will be asked to maintain a physical distance of at least several feet.  Perhaps not 6 or more like currently, but some distance.  Things will not be anything close to 'normal' cruising - we can only hope the changes are reasonable enough that we can still enjoy the cruise without constantly being worried about getting sick. 

 

I was on the last full voyage of Reflection.  The virus was starting to spread worldwide and into the US, and I can tell you that there was certainly some tension onboard.  It was hard to fully relax as we learned more about the dangers involved.  We also, like others, had anxiety about upcoming cruises in the near term (for us, it would have been two weeks after disembarkation had it still sailed).  I just don't want to ever cruise again under those circumstances.  Being on a noro ship is bad enough (been in that situation a few times) but at least it won't kill you.

[C-Dragons]

3 hours ago, jojo1966 said:

Do people really think the 2m rule will be in place when cruising starts up? Here in the uk we are already looking at reducing that to 1m this next week...and if cruises dont start up till September it could well be down to 1m everywhere....or even less by then 

1 meter sounds reasonable to me, but who knows what the “powers that be” will say.

[C-Dragons]

2 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Putting in my two cents about the sinks.  As has been said, sinks were installed on some ships (including new or renovated Celebrity ships) long before anyone heard of Covid-19.  They were intended for the purpose of preventing outbreaks such as norovirus.  Rarely saw anyone using them (although we did) but I'll bet that would change now.  I do think that if cruising starts any time soon we will be asked to maintain a physical distance of at least several feet.  Perhaps not 6 or more like currently, but some distance.  Things will not be anything close to 'normal' cruising - we can only hope the changes are reasonable enough that we can still enjoy the cruise without constantly being worried about getting sick. 

 

I was on the last full voyage of Reflection.  The virus was starting to spread worldwide and into the US, and I can tell you that there was certainly some tension onboard.  It was hard to fully relax as we learned more about the dangers involved.  We also, like others, had anxiety about upcoming cruises in the near term (for us, it would have been two weeks after disembarkation had it still sailed).  I just don't want to ever cruise again under those circumstances.  Being on a noro ship is bad enough (been in that situation a few times) but at least it won't kill you.

Thanks, I had forgotten about the E- class ships having a washing station in the buffets.  🤦‍♀️