Virgin details their health initiatives for dealing with COVID

[Janthere]

https://www.virginvoyages.com/ahoy/stories/voyage-well?mi_u=00Q6A00000obDpaUAE&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=SL-VoyageWell&sfmc_id=

 

I actually feel really reassured after reading everything they are planning to do and if they are cruising in December when we are booked we will go! I especially like that there is no recycled air on board and the special air purification system they will have in place. 

[garymfreedman]

Virgin, with no buffets or kids, was built for covid.....:)

[boatseller]

Pretty routine stuff.

 

I don't think they will have pre-embarkation testing, too much legal and logistical issues.  As someone else pointed out, if anyone tests positive, that technically means everyone around will have been 'exposed'.  Now what do they do?

 

The could offer an expedited screening/boarding process if you bring a negative result from within a few days.

[pcalv]

Given the upward trend in new infections in North America recently, there’s little VV or any cruise line will be able to do to convince or influence the likes of the CDC to open the ports.  I wouldn’t imagine anything sailing until next year. That’s just my opinion, based the fact that Australia with very low infections has announced that borders will be closed until at least end of this year.  Can’t see the USA opening up anytime soon.

[garymfreedman]

The The US is opening up, in spite of increased cases-I expect the US ports to open by October.

[timf2001]

Virgin has been more proactive than other cruise lines when it comes to announcing cancelations and now mapping a path for return.  I feel that logistically they will have an easier time starting up than the bigger lines.  It will be telling if they push their start-up date into 2021, because that would be a troubling sign that no one is sailing in 2020.

[pcalv]

I don't think it's a matter of what the cruise lines "want" to do.  It's more the question of what the CDC will "allow" them to do.  I think the measures that VV are putting forward are a step in the right direction, however none of that will be sufficient for CDC to give the okay - unless infections come down considerably more or there is a vaccine or cure - as I say next year.  "As new cases surge in the U.S., the White House acknowledges preparing for a fall wave." - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/world/coronavirus-updates.html

Edited June 22, 2020 by pcalv
Grammar mistake

[jmbklj]

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Purification-system-will-clear-air-on-Virgin-Scarlet-Lady

 

Virgin Voyages' first ship, the Scarlet Lady, will be retrofitted with an air purification system that kills 99.9% of all viruses, the new cruise brand said.

The new Virgin air purification system explained in this article was impressive to me - so much so that it made me think about checking into Virgin cruises.  Are other cruise lines doing similar air purification changes?

[mnocket]

14 hours ago, jmbklj said:

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Purification-system-will-clear-air-on-Virgin-Scarlet-Lady

 

Virgin Voyages' first ship, the Scarlet Lady, will be retrofitted with an air purification system that kills 99.9% of all viruses, the new cruise brand said.

The new Virgin air purification system explained in this article was impressive to me - so much so that it made me think about checking into Virgin cruises.  Are other cruise lines doing similar air purification changes?

Don't get me wrong this is a good thing, but don't misinterpret it.  The air coming out of the HVAC vents will be 99.9% free of viruses.  The ambient air will therefore be better, but not nearly 99.9% virus free. That's good.  However, it's been reported that most infections are the result of fine aerosol dispersion from breathing and talking in close proximity to another person.  This transmission vector is virtually unaffected by an air purification system.  In fact the danger of boasting about such purification systems is that it might give a false sense of protection and therefore make people more likely to relax their social distancing and mask precautions.

Edited June 27, 2020 by mnocket