MSC gets approval to restart cruising in August :)

[The_0neuk]

8 hours ago, Stuart2019 said:

This Covid concern has run it's course. Time to get back to cruising with normal precautions. If you're vulnerable you're more likely to die from the flu now. Or at least when we have a Covid vaccine as that would protect us all along with the flu vaccine.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8617795/More-Britons-killed-flu-pneumonia-coronavirus-seven-weeks.html

 

people have got so short sighted that now theyt say "your unlikely to die" so now all of a sudden covid is ok

 

WHat about the people who caught it and have never fully recovered left with long term health effects

 

Knackered lungs/damaged heart/dizzyness etc etc that hasnt gone away months and months after "recovering"

 

The ill health effects going forward from people that have had covid will blight the healthcare system well into the future

[KennyFla]

21 minutes ago, The_0neuk said:

 

people have got so short sighted that now theyt say "your unlikely to die" so now all of a sudden covid is ok

 

WHat about the people who caught it and have never fully recovered left with long term health effects

 

Knackered lungs/damaged heart/dizzyness etc etc that hasnt gone away months and months after "recovering"

 

The ill health effects going forward from people that have had covid will blight the healthcare system well into the future

 

So, how many people of the 21 million infected have been from cruise ships?

 

With the new protocals, how is a cruise ship worse than going to the grocery store, going out to eat, joining a protest, going to the beach, etc.?

 

From Cruise Industry News:

"The TUI Cruises restart is going so well the company is expanding to three ships as the Mein Schiff 6 will sail round-trip cruises from Crete in September with port calls.

The first week-long sailing will depart on Sept. 13."

 

All fingers crossed for MSC this weekend.

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by KennyFla

[8420PR]

20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

While the onboard restrictions might be similar, the ramifications of a single COVID case onboard is not.  When you are on land you simply do your thing and go your merry own way.  If you later get COVID you take the necessary steps to best treat the ailment and perhaps cooperate (or not) with contact tracers that might come your way.  But you are in control in a similar way as with most other ailments.  If I get sick at home I have many options in terms of where to go, who to call, self quarantine at home, etc.  On a ship, if a single person develops COVID you are likely to find yourself imprisoned (even against your will) on the ship, confined to your small cabin, and perhaps later confined to a land-based hotel room.  In the ship scenario you have little control, little say over where you are treated, how you are transported, where you go, etc.

 

While I truly wish the European cruise lines (Aida, TUI, MSC, etc) well and hope their restart efforts are very successful, I fear that there will be some failures that will set-back both cruising and travel.  We have already seen this in Norway and Alaska.   When it comes to COVID, we do not know what we do not know!  But what we do know is that this virus seems to like cruise ships :(.  Of that there is no doubt.

 

Hank

 

On land:  There are some mask requirements and some social distancing requirements, which are intended to reduce the opportunity for the uncontrolled spread of the virus.  When one person tests positive for COVID-19, their close contacts are also quarantined and tested (I can understand this may be controversial for some people).  For everyone else life goes on as normal as possible.

 

On a cruise ship:   There are again mask and social distancing requirements.  If one person tests positive, again they and their close contacts (same cabin, family, etc) will be quarantined and I guess might be offloaded at the next port (I don't know).  For everyone else their cruise hopefully goes on as normal as possible.

 

I hope it goes well, but do have some concerns about how effective social distancing will be for passengers and particularly crew.   Also, I am not playing down the seriousness of the virus - it is NOT 'just the flu' and I definitely don't want to get it myself.  The EU countries now allowing cruises to restart have done a good job of controlling the infection rate so far.  

 

 

[DCGuy64]

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Not sure if we will ever again set foot on a cruise ship, but it will not be for lack of trying.  As I have previously mentioned, we have spent over 3 years on cruise ships as passengers with 16 cruise lines over more than 40 years.  In the last decade we have managed to cruise about 100 days a year.  So when it comes to supporting the cruise industry we do walk the walk!  That being said, in the last few months we have had a 30 day, 28 day, and 18 day cruises cancelled by the cruise lines!  We do have 3 cruises booked for 2021 (30 day in April, 14 day in Oct and 18 day in Dec and would normally be booking another long cruise.  So just like the cruise lines have been playing the "rolling cancellation game" we are playing along by booking for the future with some expectation that the cruise lines will continue to cancel our cruises.  So, unlike many here on CC we have actually not cancelled any cruises.  In fact, out of the last 120 or so cruises we have booked only 1 has been cancelled by us (for a death).

 

I agree with you that staying home is also driving us crazy.  So unlike you, we have not been staying home all the time and have managed to recently take a nice 2 week domestic vacation.  We have a few other domestic trips (driving and flying) for the remainder of this year.  These trips are a substitute for cruise trips (to Europe, Middle East, and Caribbean) that have all been cancelled by the cruise lines!  So, if you choose to stay home all the time that is simply your own choice.  There are still plenty of opportunities for domestic travel and one can travel smart and minimize the risk from COVID.  

 

As to the cruise industry, whether we ever set foot on another cruise ship will depend on the cruise lines!  If any of our future bookings actually happen, we will be there!  What about you?  By the way, if your nick means you live in DC I would mention that we actually spent a recent night in DC so we could dine at one of our favorite Georgetown restaurants.  Our dinner was terrific but the well known restaurant was empty (only 9 other customers).  If you are in the DC area you might want to get out of your basement and support some of your local restaurants and businesses.

 

Hank

 

 

Hi, there, Hank, and thanks for your post!

Wow, you have got me and my wife beat by a country mile, when it comes to cruising. I am in awe of someone who has cruised that much! We are comparatively new to cruising, having only 7 cruises under our belts since getting married in 2012. We generally only do 1 cruise a year. Both of us work, and while I get a pretty decent 6 weeks of vacation a year, my wife only gets 2. And in addition to the cruising we do, we have to reserve some of our paid time off for things like contractors coming to fix stuff at our home and (for me) singing opportunities. I sing professionally as a 2nd job, and I probably have to take off close to a week per year for various professional opportunities. My wife and I met working as poll workers so we have to take off at least 2 days per year to work elections, and we own 3 rental properties, so I occasionally have to take vacation time to deal with tenants, listing agents, emergencies, etc. Also, my family doesn't live where my wife and I do, so I usually have to plan about 1-2 weeks per year for family gatherings. Finally, we do a number of land-based vacations, too, usually to Europe but also domestically. Of course, COVID-19 has done a real number on our vacations this year, that's for sure! We had a cruise in May cancelled (European), a family trip to Michigan for July 4th, and a choir trip to Iceland for Aug 29-Sept 7. All cancelled due to COVID. We've only done a little bit of domestic travel so far, consisting of a short trip to Virginia Beach and a 2-day trip out to Front Royal, VA, and that was last month. We are currently planning to do an all-inclusive resort in Mexico later this month, but with all that's going on in the world, I won't believe it's true until we set foot on Mexican soil/sand. We do plan to attend a wedding for a family member next month out of town, and in December we have a trip to Vienna planned, but that’s contingent upon Europe allowing US citizens back in. I was supposed to go to Spain August 29-Sept 5 for a choir workshop (already had the time off approved for the now-canceled Iceland trip), so the Mexico trip is my chance to practice my Spanish.  Regarding cruises, we have 3 scheduled for next year. It’s anybody’s guess if they’ll end up happening, although I of course hope they will. So we definitely aren’t staying home all the time. We love going out to eat, but Virginia restrictions mean it’s hard to find places with dine-in options, but we do get take-out and delivery so we are doing our bit to help the locals. I’m glad you got to visit your favorite Georgetown restaurant. I don’t often go out to eat there because the food tends to be very overpriced. I would guess that as someone with the means to travel as much as you do, money isn’t an issue. I’ve got about 10 years until retirement, so I’m hoping we can live the good life like you do before too long. Good luck with your planned cruises, I hope they go on as scheduled for both your sake and mine!

Stephen

[KennyFla]

Just In:

CRUISE NEWS

False Positive: One Wrong Test Cancels Alaska Cruise Season

"The first cruise of the 2020 Alaskan cruise season was off to a rocky start when a guest onboard received a phone call that their test result came back positive.

Things quickly went from bad to worse and all, it may turn out, for no reason.

Because the news came after the recipient had already set sail aboard the 60-guest Wilderness Adventurer, the ship turned around and headed back to Juneau, Alaska to quarantine all of its guests at a local hotel. Before long, the line had proactively canceled the remainder of its Alaska cruises.

But when the supposedly-positive guest underwent another test at the hotel, it — along with those of all their fellow passengers — came back negative. “There was zero transmission on board,” a spokesperson told Seatrade Cruise New"

 

[rkacruiser]

8 hours ago, KennyFla said:

Just In:

CRUISE NEWS

False Positive: One Wrong Test Cancels Alaska Cruise Season

"The first cruise of the 2020 Alaskan cruise season was off to a rocky start when a guest onboard received a phone call that their test result came back positive.

Things quickly went from bad to worse and all, it may turn out, for no reason.

Because the news came after the recipient had already set sail aboard the 60-guest Wilderness Adventurer, the ship turned around and headed back to Juneau, Alaska to quarantine all of its guests at a local hotel. Before long, the line had proactively canceled the remainder of its Alaska cruises.

But when the supposedly-positive guest underwent another test at the hotel, it — along with those of all their fellow passengers — came back negative. “There was zero transmission on board,” a spokesperson told Seatrade Cruise New"

 

 

I had not read this before you posted it.  Thank you.

 

What does this news mean to me?  Accurate testing with immediate results is required if I am going to feel comfortable in cruising again.  

 

This news makes me feel very sorry for the guests on Wilderness Adventurer, the Company, the crew, and the economy of Alaska that has been screwed in 2020.  

 

It's a set back, I think, for the resumption of cruising from North American ports.  But, this situation reflects the need for a major emphasis on developing reliable tests for this virus.  

 

Billions are being thrown at drug companies to produce a vaccine or a medical remediation of the virus.  Some of those companies have never produced a marketable product!  I hear a "sucking" sound of my tax dollars going down the drain in the "attempt" to get the economy, including the hospitality and travel industry, going again.