Cruising has restarted

[chipmaster]

12 hours ago, caribill said:

Celebrity (which has 14 ships) and one of their TAs had a Zoom meeting today and some of what they presented involved their plans for starting cruising again.

 

o They will start “near home” which means doing Caribbean cruises from Miami.

 

o They will start with their newest ships.

 

o When they do begin cruising again, they will do it in with a “staggered” start. They will do a cruise from Miami and then do another one a couple of weeks later. These will not be sailings currently on their scheduled. Unknown is if “regular” passengers will be on board or just employees and travel industry reps.

 

o Their ships will be “the cleanest places on Earth after hospitals.”

 

o They hope to “be back in the water” this year.

 

o Asia cruises may be the last Celebrity ones to resume.

 

o Onboard experience will be as touch-less as possible. Once they are handed their cruise card, passengers will be the only ones touching it.

 

o It is easy to completely make their buffets completely having staff doing the placing of food on plates.

 

o All cruise lines are looking at rapid testing of passengers before embarkation, but the needed testing technology is not there yet.

 

o Ports of call experience will be very safe. Small group tours with a tested guide and no interaction with others.

 

o Limited capacity on initial sailings.

 

Other info

 

o Clients cannot view FCCs on the Celebrity web site. Need to ask your TA (or Celebrity rep) for that information.

 

o With their “lift and shift” program, passengers can move cancelled cruises to the same cruise next year with no increase in pricing and transferring all perks the original booking had. Must be for same number of days.

 

o Celebrity expects in January 2021 that 2021 bookings will be at least as many and probably more than than 2020 bookings were in January 2020. There is a big built up demand for cruising.

 

o Newly issued FCCs from cancelled cruises must be used by May, 2022. When asked if this date could be extended (because some passengers have so much in FCCs from cancelled cruises they cannot use them all by then), the response was that the cruise schedule currently only goes to May 2022. --- (Note that the newly issued Princess FCCs also must be used by May 1, 2022 which is also as far as current Princess schedules go.)

 

The ships are in the water, but highly doubt they will sail with passengers this year.   

 

Asia should be the first as they are most in control and likely most likely to be able to open up.

 

People who think rapid testing will catch an outbreak are mislead.   Most risk is travels getting it while they are traveling and then would test negative at embarkation but develop symptoms and become transmitters at the worst time ON THE SHIP.  Everyone on the ship would need to be tested daily, good luck with that!

 

If you are highly restricted in ports, what's the point.

 

[Roger88]

24 minutes ago, chipmaster said:

 

The ships are in the water, but highly doubt they will sail with passengers this year.   

 

Asia should be the first as they are most in control and likely most likely to be able to open up.

 

People who think rapid testing will catch an outbreak are mislead.   Most risk is travels getting it while they are traveling and then would test negative at embarkation but develop symptoms and become transmitters at the worst time ON THE SHIP.  Everyone on the ship would need to be tested daily, good luck with that!

 

If you are highly restricted in ports, what's the point.

 

there will be local cruising for sure. Asia and Pacific for sure. Maybe we can also add Baltic cruises to this list. I mean yes, there might not be cross ocean\sea cruising, but I dont see a problem to cruise from Florida to NY or from LA to Alaska. 

[casofilia]

@Roger88

 

Asia and Pacific for sure.

 

Don't count in Australia or New Zealand.   Australia has a recurrence of Covid19, especially in Victoria, and New Zealand will not re-open the border till there is a vaccine (according to our present Government).

[chipmaster]

23 minutes ago, casofilia said:

@Roger88

 

Asia and Pacific for sure.

 

Don't count in Australia or New Zealand.   Australia has a recurrence of Covid19, especially in Victoria, and New Zealand will not re-open the border till there is a vaccine (according to our present Government).

 

They got leaders who are leaders, good for you folks down under!

[wowzz]

33 minutes ago, Roger88 said:

there will be local cruising for sure. Asia and Pacific for sure. Maybe we can also add Baltic cruises to this list. I mean yes, there might not be cross ocean\sea cruising, but I dont see a problem to cruise from Florida to NY or from LA to Alaska. 

Baltic crusing ! 

Ha - absolute tosh. 

[chipmaster]

30 minutes ago, Roger88 said:

there will be local cruising for sure. Asia and Pacific for sure. Maybe we can also add Baltic cruises to this list. I mean yes, there might not be cross ocean\sea cruising, but I dont see a problem to cruise from Florida to NY or from LA to Alaska. 

 

Florida to NY have you asked the New York if they'd allow you out of control people into their state/city after the mess they survived, don't think so.

 

LA - Alaska, sorry I don't think Alaska would let the folks from California in given what is going on.

 

[dog]

Saw on news tonight: Italy allowing cruises to start August 15th. Any news on this?

[Outerdog]

19 minutes ago, dog said:

Saw on news tonight: Italy allowing cruises to start August 15th. Any news on this?

 

Google is your friend, bub,

 

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/italy-approves-the-restart-of-cruises-as-of-august-15

 

[Renmar]

1 hour ago, Outerdog said:

 

Google is your friend, bub,

 

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/italy-approves-the-restart-of-cruises-as-of-august-15

 

With restrictions as outlined here;

 

Theo

 

 https://www.msccruisesusa.com/-/media/usa/documents/health_measures_flyer_usa_new.pdf?la=en-us&hash=F0D889417A2DBD9C6E0A881CB261BA2404529BDB

[caribill]

6 hours ago, Outerdog said:

 

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/italy-approves-the-restart-of-cruises-as-of-august-15

 

 

4 hours ago, Renmar said:

With restrictions as outlined here;

 

 https://www.msccruisesusa.com/-/media/usa/documents/health_measures_flyer_usa_new.pdf?la=en-us&hash=F0D889417A2DBD9C6E0A881CB261BA2404529BDB

 

The two sites do not agree on some items.

 

The second one says that passengers and crew must have Copvid-19 tests. The first one only mentions crew.

 

The second one says passengers can only leave the ship on ship sponsored tours. The first one says that ship sponsored tours are recommended.

[caribill]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5523/?et_cid=3351161&et_rid=16931133

[caribill]

Taking a tour of cruise ships

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53720419

[Aulanis]

Grandiosa sailed

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53802045

 

Skimming through this  thread " europeans" dont undertand Covid 19 ?

Hmm who does???    NZ  family of 4 tested positive after 100 days without any new cases. 

 

Suggestion that the small lines starting cruises is spoiling it for everyone?     I think testing it for everyone might be nearer the mark.

 

A lot about Hurtigruten  I dont think anyone mentioned it but they are in a much different category than major cruise lines. 

They have cancelled all their expedition cruises but most of the local Norway coastal cruises have continued - reason being they are mainly considered essential transport, carrying  daily postal services and delivery of goods. 

You can also take a car on board (limited space)

 The cruise bit is an add on to that.  

We did the 12 day one in winter many years ago and it was very interesting. There is little in the way of entertainment but the food was excellent.  The weather was terrible  they put us in a hotel the first night as the ship couldnt get to Bergen. They then flew us to catch it the next day  it was ok going North  but  hit storms again on the way back and they cancelled it and flew us home. maybe on day 8  gave us our money back and  a discount if we wanted to re book.   Havent had the courage to try it again-

we still have all the winter gear  boots & spikes  & sticks so  maybe .

Edited August 17, 2020 by Aulanis