Cruises to Hawaii From SF with Hawaii Reopening to Tourism?

[Smokeyham]

It sounds like Hawaii will be reopening to tourism on August 1, with pre-testing for Covid-19 being a requirement.

I'm wondering if this might be an opportunity for cruises from San Francisco to Hawaii to restart?   

 

Of course, the CDC's No Sail Order would  have to be modified to allow this to happen.  Presumably testing would have to happen both just prior to boarding and then would have to be repeated on board, just prior to arrival (assuming the ship has the capability to process the tests).

Edited June 28, 2020 by Smokeyham

[Shmoo here]

48 minutes ago, Smokeyham said:

It sounds like Hawaii will be reopening to tourism on August 1, with pre-testing for Covid-19 being a requirement.

I'm wondering if this might be an opportunity for cruises from San Francisco to Hawaii to restart?   

 

Of course, the CDC's No Sail Order would  have to be modified to allow this to happen.  Presumably testing would have to happen both just prior to boarding and then would have to be repeated on board, just prior to arrival (assuming the ship has the capability to process the tests).

They would also have to have a foreign port to stop in, to be legal.  If a foreign port is willing for a cruise ship to port.

 

Plus, I doubt that California's current spike in cases will  allow anyone coming from CA into Hawaii.

Edited June 28, 2020 by Shmoo here

[Babr]

44 minutes ago, Smokeyham said:

It sounds like Hawaii will be reopening to tourism on August 1, with pre-testing for Covid-19 being a requirement.

I'm wondering if this might be an opportunity for cruises from San Francisco to Hawaii to restart?   

 

Of course, the CDC's No Sail Order would  have to be modified to allow this to happen.  Presumably testing would have to happen both just prior to boarding and then would have to be repeated on board, just prior to arrival (assuming the ship has the capability to process the tests).

The governor’s order posted on the Hawaii Tourism Board’s web page states that the test must be an FDA approved version conducted by a CLIA certified lab 72 hours prior to arrival ( or maybe within 72 hours. I have forgotten the precise language). I’m not sure Princess could meet the certified lab requirement - a waiver perhaps.  Seems that testing prior to boarding alone, as you pointed out, would not be enough because someone could be exposed getting to the ship even after a negative test. Without a test, the 14 day quarantine applies. Still some hurdles.

[Smokeyham]

17 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

They would also have to have a foreign port to stop in, to be legal.  If a foreign port is willing for a cruise ship to port.

 

Plus, I doubt that California's current spike in cases will  allow anyone coming from CA into Hawaii.

Good points!

I've heard that Mexico (Ensenada is the typical foreign port for these cruises) is keen to restart cruising.  I agree.  The current spike in cases in California is worrying.  Princess does have a Hawaii cruise listed for October, so it will be interesting to see what happens by then.

[voljeep]

3 minutes ago, Smokeyham said:

Good points!

I've heard that Mexico (Ensenada is the typical foreign port for these cruises) is keen to restart cruising.  I agree.  The current spike in cases in California is worrying.  Princess does have a Hawaii cruise listed for October, so it will be interesting to see what happens by then.

15 day cruise? sorry, not happening ... but maybe those 7 day cruises out of LA have a chance

[Hazegreyunderway]

That’s assuming you can get a hotel room in SF. 

According to an article in the city-journal the city is paying homeless people to live in everything from motel 6’s to the Mark Hopkins. Yes that Mark Hopkins. Free alcohol, ciggys and weed included. 

Gee, why cruise when you can stay in the Hopkins and have a grand ol time!

[CRUZBUDS]

The 28 day Hawaii/South Seas is still scheduled for October 3rd on the Emerald Princess from LA.  I'd be surprised if it sails, but who knows?

[Ombud]

Again, SF stated no cruises this year. I don't see Mayor Breed changing that yet

[Holomoku]

The testing for travel to Hawaii is to be done by one of the approved by Hawaii labs, mainly CVS pharmacy due to it's 1400 locations around the country, and then the currently being created paper work would be electronically transferred to the airlines involved.  You show your ticket to the pharmacy and they enter it on a site, perform the test, and the results are sent to the airlines involved.  There was no mention of whether or not they will inform you of the results.  Then the airlines decide when you get to the A/P whether or not you fly.  Still working on the details if you are turned away as to the sort of recompense you would receive from the airline(s).  If you test positive and are, for some reason allowed to fly, then when you arrive in Honolulu or other islands you will go to a special location for a monitored 14 day quarantine.  This is not negotiable.  No process for cruise ships has even been considered as of yet.

 

Right now, if you do not respect the quarantine, you will be arrested, have to post a large bail, then put on the next plane back to where you came from.  They are not messing around anymore, and all the new quarantine trackers are doing a superb job of finding the scofflaws.  I forget the exact number as of Fri. but it is more than 100 that have been sent home.  Don't plan on cruising to Hawaii anytime soon.

Holomoku

 

[Babr]

Thank you for providing more details. Having it all done electronically simplifies the process - unless someone unexpectedly tests positive and isn’t notified before going to the airport. That would be a nasty surprise and possibly exposes lots of other travelers even if boarding is denied.
 

I’m not sure that people in my area could get the test anyway. CVS requires registration and screening for symptoms because of the limited number of tests according to their website. 

 

Hawaii is smart to implement strong measures. We are seeing what happens when states don’t.

[rkacruiser]

Holomoku,

 

Thanks for providing such detailed information.  The time requirements related to testing for both Hawaii as well as Alaska are major impediments for travel to either State, in my opinion.  Cruising to either State isn't going to happen until such requirements are loosened.  Will that happen for 2021?  That's anybody's guess at this time.

 

 

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, Babr said:

I’m not sure that people in my area could get the test anyway. CVS requires registration and screening for symptoms because of the limited number of tests according to their website. 

 

 

The CVS stores in my area are not offering testing.  Even if they did, I am unsure if I would want a staff member to go poking around in my nasal cavity with a swab without assurance that the person was properly trained.  

[Babr]

4 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The CVS stores in my area are not offering testing.  Even if they did, I am unsure if I would want a staff member to go poking around in my nasal cavity with a swab without assurance that the person was properly trained.  

True.

 

The point I was making is that meeting Hawaii’s requirements may not be so simple for lots of people. We have never had access to on-demand testing. I don’t know how I would get that done if I wanted to go to Hawaii. The 72-hour window would be a scramble if other labs were not part of the electronic reporting system for airlines. I haven’t looked into it since I’m not traveling anywhere, but it seems that finding a place that would do the test and report in a timely manner would be close to impossible.

[trbarton]

Here’s what I head when I asked the question. 
 

Same Ship Different Day Hi Tom. I think you're in a stronger position than most having a "domestic" cruise departing late November from the US. However, given the current circumstances, I wouldn't say any cruise is guaranteed in 2020. Especially given the potential now for a second peak in the states and with uncertainty of how the virus will spread heading into the fall. You then also need to consider whether Hawaii will choose to err on the side of caution. I cannot say anything for sure, but if the cases are steady or drop in the US and Hawaii is keen to open up the cruise/tourism industry, then I expect you will be okay.   This is from an officer on the Coral Princess.    Tom😀

Edited June 30, 2020 by trbarton

[caribill]

8 hours ago, Babr said:

it seems that finding a place that would do the test and report in a timely manner would be close to impossible.

 

I agree 100%.

 

And although the 15-minue test (if you can find it) gives 100% accurate tests if it shows positive, it has been proven to be unreliable if it shows negative.

 

https://khn.org/news/abbott-rapid-test-problems-grow-fda-standards-on-covid-tests-under-fire/

 

"...multiple academic studies showing higher “false negative” rates from the Abbott device, including one from New York University researchers who found it missed close to half of the positive samples detected by a rival company’s test...."