MSC GRANDIOSA - 8/16/2020 - Anyone Live?

[shipgeeks]

She will be departing Valletta in about half an hour.

Interesting to see the passengers departing from the buses earlier.  It looks like there were only 10 or so people on each large bus,  perhaps for distancing purposes.

[RoamingRetirees]

2 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

She will be departing Valletta in about half an hour.

Interesting to see the passengers departing from the buses earlier.  It looks like there were only 10 or so people on each large bus,  perhaps for distancing purposes.

 

That was why they required ship excursions, to ensure social distancing and proper cleaning, PPE, etc.

[shipgeeks]

Lines are coming down.  397 watching.

[shipgeeks]

Anybody have audio?

400+ watching now.

[Formula280SS]

15 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Anybody have audio?

400+ watching now.

 

No audio for me.

 

Lines down.

 

Thrusters on.

 

Off she goes.  😀

 

That's one beautiful ship.

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by Formula280SS

[Oxo]

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Please realize a test is only good for that moment.  If msc is testing their crew every day that is great.  Then a food server wearing only a face shield is just fine.  

Yes I am an American and have been disgusted by all those who dont follow simple rules. 

+1

[shopaholic6]

1 hour ago, Formula280SS said:

 

No audio for me.

 

Lines down.

 

Thrusters on.

 

Off she goes.  😀

 

That's one beautiful ship.

 

Seeing this makes my heart happy 💕💕

[shipgeeks]

Next stop Genoa, on Sunday.

It has been a good week, watching this.

[drsel]

Yeah, I would love to hear that too. What about their luggage in that case?  Because I understand that they were not allowed to get on the ship after returning to port.  The crew had to pack their luggage and bring it out of the ship?

Yes, the cabin steward has to do that and leave it with the contact person in port.

[drsel]

I think that MSC is doing as awesome job and being the pioneer in cruise resumption!
Only 100 euros for 3 excursions!
Here is an expert video of this cruise, the MSC Grandiosa--
https://www.youtube.com/embed/S4ps_-uEw8o?feature=oembed

[Formula280SS]

29 minutes ago, drsel said:

I think that MSC is doing as awesome job and being the pioneer in cruise resumption!
Only 100 euros for 3 excursions!
Here is an expert video of this cruise, the MSC Grandiosa--
https://www.youtube.com/embed/S4ps_-uEw8o?feature=oembed

 

Thanks, very informative and professional.

 

👍

[ATC cruiser]

I wonder if MSC operated at a loss for this cruise

[drsel]

With just 2500 passengers it's impossible to even break even

[drsel]

just imagine, 3700 more passengers could have easily been accommodated, but MSC did the ethical thing in restricting the crowd for their first-ever Cruise after covid

[sfaaa]

8 hours ago, ATC cruiser said:

I wonder if MSC operated at a loss for this cruise

Part of the costs go to marketing and as new health protocol development expenses. It's money well spent.

[FionaMG]

Royal have said that their break even point on the bigger ships is 30%. I wonder what it is on Grandiosa.

[Two4Sea]

I would have though the long term break even was more like 60-75% But with the present high cost of standing still, any income you can get that is greater than its immediate direct cost is good because it will at least pay part of those fixed costs. Yes a program should pay for all of its fixed costs but for the short term this will get the monthly loss to go down.

 

Bill

[drsel]

Royal have said that their break even point on the bigger ships is 30%. I wonder what it is on Grandiosa.

That is what they are saying now, after covid.
in the past until 2019 it used to be a much higher occupancy required to break even.
That is without considering the income received from onboard sales.
On board sales are the biggest source of profit

[drsel]

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/1598358500206/carnival-corp-needs-25-ships-sailing-at-full-occupancy-to-break-even

[CruisingFox27]

11 hours ago, ATC cruiser said:

I wonder if MSC operated at a loss for this cruise

 

They're reportedly spending 500,000 Euro per cruise on COVID measures, so I'd expect so. I imagine that it's just considered an investment for the future, take the initial loss and if things progress smoothly the profitability will return. Many businesses are in the same position.

[Nunagoras]

Let us to see things from another perspective, bearing in mind I'm not a maritime business expert by any means, but I have some sensitivity to general management and risk management alike:

 

If one notes carefully all of those recently released new itineraries for the cruising restart for both the German and the Italian lines alike, apart perhaps the MSC Magnifica ones, they are itineraries with far shorter distances to run. Shorter distances possibly done at lower speeds, translates to lower fuel costs. As far as I can understand, fuel might to be the largest fixed cost of any cruise, apart and surpassing in many castes the crew salaries and the ships renting...

 

With a reduced crew per ship and shorter distances to run per day, I believe those passenger numbers they're publishing might to mean that, at least, they might to reach something near a break-even!... But, even if not, as someone have said, it can be seen as an investment, and a good one at this time!... And some business will ever be far better than no one at all!...

 

Have a nice day!...

[dritan]

Massive kudos for MSC.  Providing a reasonable cruise experience with that innovative excursion approach ( far preferable to the stay on the ship approach taken by TUI) and being strict with their protocols.  

 

Great marketing for them - I'm sure there are many considering MSC now, that wouldn't have done so before. 

[mnocket]

12 hours ago, FionaMG said:

Royal have said that their break even point on the bigger ships is 30%. I wonder what it is on Grandiosa.

In a prior conference call they said that was break even based on EBITDA - very different from being break even from a profit standpoint.    Here's a thread on cruise line costs and revenue streams.

 

 

[lienf]

27 minutes ago, mnocket said:

In a prior conference call they said that was break even based on EBITDA - very different from being break even from a profit standpoint.    Here's a thread on cruise line costs and revenue streams.

 

 

I had seen this before and was curious as to where the daily gratuities would be in the revenue stream? An accountants out there? On board spending?

[Formula280SS]

Okay, so far so good.

 

It's not over. 

 

IMO, the original odds of 'nothing C-19 happening and being reported (embarkation, ports, excursions, etc.) so far were unimaginable (still quite shocked, but pleasantly).

 

I fully expected there to be such issues and thought the important ramification would be "how was it, or them, handled" and how did the ports and governments react (and the media).

 

The "bubble concept" on a cruise ship was something I did not expect to see attempted so soon.

 

So, until the passengers are disembarked and, likely again at least swab tested by MSC (IMO, for self-protection that passengers were 'clean when they left), fingers are still crossed.

 

🤞