MSC to resume cruising in August!

[Edinburghgirl1]

https://mscfans.blog/2020/07/31/msc-to-restart-cruise-operations-in-august-with-2-ships/

[vulcan1971]

9 minutes ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

https://mscfans.blog/2020/07/31/msc-to-restart-cruise-operations-in-august-with-2-ships/

 

I guess this is good news for people living in the EU and other countries that have been cleared to travel to the EU.

[ECCruise]

We shall see....

[jelayne]

Let’s hope they are able to have virus free cruises.

[NutsAboutGolf]

11 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Let’s hope they are able to have virus free cruises.

 

99.99% that's impossible; the good news is the E.U. listed guidance of what ships should do if someone tests positive.

[UKPete71]

Schengen area countries residents only. That excludes the UK then.

Edited August 3, 2020 by UKPete71

[NantahalaCruiser]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

99.99% that's impossible; the good news is the E.U. listed guidance of what ships should do if someone tests positive.

Unfortunately the problem of what happens if and when there is just one probable case of onboard COVID-19 still exists and will presumably cause the cruise's itinerary to be interrupted:

 

COVID-19: EU guidance for cruise ship operations

In the event that a possible, probable or confirmed case of COVID-19 is identified on board (see ECDC annex for case definitions), the ship should be diverted to the nearest port where testing for SARS-CoV-2 can take place and where local public health authorities can be consulted to further manage the situation including the provision of specialist care, and where necessary, carrying out contact tracing.

 

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/COVID-19-cruise-guidance-27-07-2020

 

[Gracie115]

I see in their list of new protocols that shore excursions must be through the cruise line, no private excursions.  Completely understandable right now but hopefully not a long term requirement.

[TeeRick]

14 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

Unfortunately the problem of what happens if and when there is just one probable case of onboard COVID-19 still exists and will presumably cause the cruise's itinerary to be interrupted:

 

COVID-19: EU guidance for cruise ship operations

In the event that a possible, probable or confirmed case of COVID-19 is identified on board (see ECDC annex for case definitions), the ship should be diverted to the nearest port where testing for SARS-CoV-2 can take place and where local public health authorities can be consulted to further manage the situation including the provision of specialist care, and where necessary, carrying out contact tracing.

 

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/COVID-19-cruise-guidance-27-07-2020

 

It is quite possible that this could happen with every cruise.  Easy to have one case slip through the cracks.

[Miaminice]

FYI: MSC was planning to start cruises again. However, they have not received permission from Italian authorities yet.

The ships are registered in Italy, so they can´t sail without the permission.

Same goes for AIDA, which is a German branch of Carnival. Aida ships also planned to sail in August and had to cancel the cruises because their ships are also registered in Italy and did not receive permission.

 

TUI cruises on the other hand have their ships registered in Malta. They were able to sail in July.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Miaminice

[hvbaskey]

An interesting article / view of “cruising restarts” and perhaps too soon?

“Why the Cruise Industry Won’t Recover Until There’s a Vaccine ..."

 

The author, Johnny Jet, mentions the most recent restarts + positive cases on board (crew / pax) and how it may impact other lines trying to recover.

 

With more lines restarting, what are (if any) the implications to other major lines still on hold, if any of the restarts have crew / pax test positive for COVID-19?

Edited August 4, 2020 by hvbaskey

[npcl]

17 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

Unfortunately the problem of what happens if and when there is just one probable case of onboard COVID-19 still exists and will presumably cause the cruise's itinerary to be interrupted:

 

COVID-19: EU guidance for cruise ship operations

In the event that a possible, probable or confirmed case of COVID-19 is identified on board (see ECDC annex for case definitions), the ship should be diverted to the nearest port where testing for SARS-CoV-2 can take place and where local public health authorities can be consulted to further manage the situation including the provision of specialist care, and where necessary, carrying out contact tracing.

 

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/COVID-19-cruise-guidance-27-07-2020

 

So they divert to the nearest port where the local authorities decide how it should be handled.  Yep that sounds like an indepth plan.  I do believe that the local authorities in Japan made the decisions about the Diamond Princess.  Local Authorities in the US made the decision about the Grand.  Do we really expect local authorities in Europe to make dramatically different decisions other than to quarantine.

[Brindlebury]

I love cruising and have 3 still on the books for next year. But I can't imagine boarding any ship for the foreseeable future.  There are just too many variables, too much uncertainty. When there is either a vaccine or a treatment, I will be among the first back up the gangplank. May it be soon!

[Miaminice]

2 hours ago, npcl said:

So they divert to the nearest port where the local authorities decide how it should be handled.  Yep that sounds like an indepth plan.  I do believe that the local authorities in Japan made the decisions about the Diamond Princess.  Local Authorities in the US made the decision about the Grand.  Do we really expect local authorities in Europe to make dramatically different decisions other than to quarantine.

Yes! First we are a few months further ahead and we know more than we did that time. Second before sailing, the countries have to agree to policies how to handle such cases. 
That’s another requirement before sailings can start.

[phoenix_dream]

8 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

I see in their list of new protocols that shore excursions must be through the cruise line, no private excursions.  Completely understandable right now but hopefully not a long term requirement.

And I fail to see why that would be decisively better.  Even on excursions run through the cruise line, the people providing the excursions are the locals.  Perhaps the cruise line then has a little more control on how they run their excursions, but there are still many limitations.  To me this is a marginal improvement in safety, if that.

[Gracie115]

40 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

And I fail to see why that would be decisively better.  Even on excursions run through the cruise line, the people providing the excursions are the locals.  Perhaps the cruise line then has a little more control on how they run their excursions, but there are still many limitations.  To me this is a marginal improvement in safety, if that.

I suspect the "excursions" early on will be very limited....with great controls put in place by the cruiselines.....and at least the lines will KNOW where you have been while off the ship.

[jelayne]

42 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

I suspect the "excursions" early on will be very limited....with great controls put in place by the cruiselines.....and at least the lines will KNOW where you have been while off the ship.

Also they would have control over how many people in a vehicle, requirements for wearing masks, the stops, etc.  

[Gracie115]

49 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Also they would have control over how many people in a vehicle, requirements for wearing masks, the stops, etc.  

 

Yes, I suspect the 50 passenger busses would have far less people. Excursions may cost more too, in the short term anyway...

[ipeeinthepool]

Add this to the list of things that MSC does that should not be copied by Celebrity. 

[rimmit]

18 hours ago, hvbaskey said:

With more lines restarting, what are (if any) the implications to other major lines still on hold, if any of the restarts have crew / pax test positive for COVID-19?

Well this far practically every cruise line other than TUI (just a matter of time), that has started sailing has had a a pax test positive or an out break.  The first one out of Alaska just did.  Paul Gauguin, and Hurtigruten and also SeaDream.  These ships were carrying between 400ish to 37 pax.  
 

I’d say the implications are that these issues are not making the CDC any more likely to clear cruise ships.
 

Looks like the name of the game is to cancel the cruise the moment someone is positive and quarantine all the pax to cabins.  Given how few cruises are sailing and that the ones that are having issues, it’s about at least an 80 percent chance on these smaller lines that your cruise will not complete so far.  
 

I can’t imagine the larger lines will do any better.  Cruising is dead in the water for a loooong time sadly.

 

Edited August 5, 2020 by rimmit

[grandgeezer]

5 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

Add this to the list of things that MSC does that should not be copied by Celebrity. 

 

What's that, get the ok, from the governing medical board to sail?