RC Health Plan - Health and Safety Panel Report are now released

[bigrednole]

It doesn't matter if you can see it, smell it, or whatever. That garbage is coming from the lungs which is the main place in the body this disease targets. With the wind on a deck, that mess can travel 200 feet quickly through the air.

[Sweetsue5680]

6 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

Exactly. I see it as the basis of their plan, but the final outcome will be dictated by the CDC. 

 

Yet to be known. Hopefully more will be known overtime but I suggest booking fully refundable flights and hopefully you booked that way as well. 

 

Tequila might be a better option. 😂

 

You are so right about temperature checks, as a spike temperature is one of the last signs that you have Covid.  The test only tells you your status at that moment in time. 

Yes we alway book refundable cruises and plan on using refundable air 2 sea for our flights too.

[Jimbo]

Wonder what his announcement will do the stocks tomorrow?

[bigrednole]

I don't think it will do anything to stock price. I skimmed through the recommendations (two column section). Pretty much everything in there could have been written by someone with common sense and a 9th grade intelligence level.  There may be more "meat" in the details after it. But, those columns for modifiable and permanent is all common sense. You could pretty much get 99% of those through the first 2 pages of posts on this forum. 

[Ocean Boy]

44 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

 

The ferry from Port Everglades goes to Freeport not Nassua.

Thanks. That is only about 96 miles or 83 NM. A speed of 33 knots is quite doable for a fast ferry.

[not-enough-cruising]

9 hours ago, firefly333 said:

By next spring some people will have had it and be immune and some will be vaccinated. 

 

Waste of their money for some to be tested if they have proof of vaccination. 

By the spring there MIGHT be a negligible number of people vaccinated, but hardly enough (if any) to make an impact on the cruise world

[not-enough-cruising]

7 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

So let's say that you and your travel partner contract the virus and are sick.    Of course, the rest of us healthy passengers want you off the ship so we are not breathing in your germs thru the HVAC system.     Are you okay with the ship leaving you at some island with "okay" medical care, not as good as you would get at your local hospital?     That island is not going to accept your US health insurance or Medicare for those 65 or older.     As it stands right now, I do not believe any companies are offering travel insurance that will cover the cost of covid.      

The island isn't going to accept you as a patient let alone your health insurance 

[not-enough-cruising]

6 hours ago, MalteseMama2 said:

If someone is denied boarding, do they get a refund? 
 

I hope we will make our Nov cruise, and I’m okay with wearing a mask, getting tested, etc. But it is going to be hard to sell my DH on this. He hates wearing a mask, although he does it. 

 

I do not think November is happening-sorry

[Vera/Lee]

12 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Here is their health plan... Recommendations from health and safety panel are within the link.  Only just glanced at it quickly before posting here.

 

https://www.royalcaribbeangroup.com/healthy-sailing/?fbclid=IwAR3i12DlG-AOU6Zrb55ayZfAbeHSAAqzTeTK1TIw3N7TCMIF0R0RZIBtiYI
 

 

I believe this is the recommendations ("The Healthy Sail Panel submitted its recommendations on September 21, 2020 to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention") and not Royal Caribbean's Plan.

 

[MalteseMama2]

15 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I do not think November is happening-sorry

You may be right. We will be back on board eventually. 

[Sunshine3601]

17 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

The island isn't going to accept you as a patient let alone your health insurance 

Very true.  I doubt any island wants an extremely sick passenger with covid dropped off.   Just like the us ports dont want to be overwhelmed with covid passengers should it ever happen again.

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Wonder what his announcement will do the stocks tomorrow?

The report came out before the market opened and RCL stock was down ~7%, like the rest of the other cruise lines. 

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

By the spring there MIGHT be a negligible number of people vaccinated, but hardly enough (if any) to make an impact on the cruise world

By immune I mean they caught it and recovered. Not just people in vaccine trials and a few getting vaccine.

 

How many americans have caught covid and recovered? Not enough sure, but the number is growing. We get over 200 positives a day just here in dallas. I keep hoping to see lower positives here. 

[Biker19]

 

 

In a travel-industry first, Cruise Lines International Association members today committed to 100% testing of passengers and crew for COVID-19 prior to embarkation.

 

This applies to lines subject to the US no-sail order.

'Unlike any other sector of travel, every cruise line member of CLIA will test every guest and crew member,' association Global Chairman Adam Goldstein stressed.

 

Plus mandatory masks, controlled excursions

Other requirements that will be uniform for CLIA member lines operating to/from the US are mandatory mask-wearing by all passengers and crew aboard ship and during shore excursions, whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Physical distancing will be required in terminals, on board ships, on private islands and during excursions.

Lines have committed to air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air on board and, where feasible, to use enhanced filters and other technologies to mitigate risk.

 

Advance arrangements with private providers for shoreside quarantine/medical care

All lines will have risk-based response plans tailored for each ship to manage medical needs, dedicated cabin capacity allocated for isolation and advance arrangements with private providers for shoreside quarantine, medical facilities and transportation.

In addition, shore excursions will be permitted only according to the cruise operators’ prescribed protocols, with strict adherence required of all passengers and denial of re-boarding for those who don't comply.

 

Cruise lines have shared the findings of their expert consultants — a veritable army of world-class epidemiologists, public health and infectious disease specialists — and the resulting protocols with each other and through CLIA in the interest of making the entire industry safe to sail. These include the 'Health Sail Panel' recommendations, MSC Cruises' blue-ribbon panel, Carnival Corp. & plc's noted experts and the protocols of other member lines.

 

Everything serves to mitigate risk to make cruising safer.

 

Collaboration, not competition

'We all share these goals and will get there by collaboration, not competition,' said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, during a CLIA news conference Monday. 

The protocols may change as knowledge advances, added Arnold Donald, president and CEO, Carnival Corp. & plc. A body of experience is being amassed as lines like Costa, AIDA, TUI, MSC and others resume sailing overseas.

The specific type of testing CLIA lines require is not mandated, however Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, indicated the availability of fast, more reliable, less intrusive testing is 'accelerating.'

 

The European precedent

What's happened in Europe has given a 'foundation for optimism,' Goldstein said.

MSC Cruises has been operating for five weeks there, and Vago spoke to the news conference after just disembarking MSC Grandiosa at Civitavecchia (Rome).

'Guests are happy. They see these protocols are working,' he said. 'We have demonstrated cruising can take place in a safe way.'

 

Stateside restart still possible in 2020?

When cruising can begin in the US is not known, however the leaders are hoping there may still be a chance in 2020.

 

Donald estimated it would take 30 days from getting the green light to crew up a ship, conduct training and get other matters in order, a time-frame Vago agreed is reasonable.

Approval from US officials is still needed. All the leaders stressed a restart won't happen until they themselves are confident it's safe to do so.

 

'I think about my elderly mother and young grandchildren being on board,' said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

 

Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Countil, applauded CLIA's protocols and said WTTC is an advocate for testing.

 

'We need to resume travel, especially to the 1,000 destinations around the world that receive cruises,' she added. Jobs are depending on it: 121m tourism jobs have been lost or impacted by the pandemic, Guevara said, a figure expected to grow to 197m by year's end.

[molly361]

So does the CLIA statement mean that Royal will test at their expense or will the passenger still be responsible for getting tested prior to sailing?  So many ???😇

[Biker19]

24 minutes ago, molly361 said:

So does the CLIA statement mean that Royal will test at their expense or will the passenger still be responsible for getting tested prior to sailing?  

And will there be an 18% service charge for the test? Will you need to tip the testers?

[molly361]

6 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

And will there be an 18% service charge for the test? Will you need to tip the testers?

Can I share my test with my husband?😇

[bigrednole]

If the FDA would get off their duff's also and realistically look at rapid testing (15 minutes is not rapid), testing will be done quickly, efficiently, and cheap. There is a company with a home version that cost $50, 98% accurate, with results in 11s. Each test is about $0.25. Commercial versions are a little more expensive for the unit, but still better than the 15 minute test. The problem is the FDA continues to change the EUA criteria and the companies have to jump through hoops. Even if it was only 75% accurate, it is worth releasing. This way if you have a positive at home, retake it. Still positive, then get the 15 minute test. It costs a whopping $0.50 for 2 tests and uses some odd 0.05% of the life of the unit. OK, charge me $2pp for that test and be done.

[ipeeinthepool]

17 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

 That island is not going to accept your US health insurance or Medicare for those 65 or older.     As it stands right now, I do not believe any companies are offering travel insurance that will cover the cost of covid.      

 

At least for US passengers that's not true.  At least GeoBlue and Atlas are now offering single trip coverage that covers Covid.  As someone who is covered by Medicare, I would not travel outside the US without some additional medical coverage.  The single trip coverage will be more expensive than the annual policies, but this will be part of the price of cruising for the foreseeable future.  You may want to check out the travel insurance board.

Edited September 22, 2020 by ipeeinthepool

[Vacationdreamer<><]

23 hours ago, molly361 said:

seeing it on paper brings it all home

I'm so happy to see forward motion, but it just feels very non-vacationy.  

So happy for crew!

[Mapleleafforever]

I'm now wondering about refunds for the people with cruises booked who do not have any intention on cruising if mask use is mandated. I'm one of them. I am not anti mask in any way and wear them daily without argument or hesitation,  I refuse to go on a vacation where I have to wear one though (I can wait).  So are the cruise lines going to give refunds for us or are they going to try to stiff us with an FCC? These mandates weren't in place when we booked after all. 

 

Or, what about people who don't want to get tested in order to cruise? I had to get tested via the nasal swab 2 months ago and I will not put my kids through that just in order for us to go on a leisure vacation. 

 

And one more note regarding testing......the one and only person I know who has had Covid and spent almost 60 days in the ICU with it and half of that on a ventilator tested negative his first 2 tests. He would have been cleared to cruise because his fever didn't show up until about a week after his cough developed. Cough could easily be hidden while boarding or explained that it's from years of smoking (which he doesn't do). 

[Vacationdreamer<><]

16 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

It’s odd that NY requires a Dr order and charges for the test.

 

I am in Western NY.  We can just go to an Urgent Care and say we need a covid test and the doctor will order it and they do it there.  In my area, we have an urgent care that gets results back to you in 3 hours.  DH's employer has sent quite a few staff members there.

 

They "charge" in that case based on the insurance the individual has or does not have.  

[Vacationdreamer<><]

15 hours ago, beerman2 said:

Agree completely 

22 modifiable in time

52 locked in 

 

I'm trying to find this.  Can you please direct me?  

 

[beerman2]

3 minutes ago, Vacationdreamer<>< said:

 

I'm trying to find this.  Can you please direct me?  

 

I’m not good at copy and paste, however if you go to NCL or RCI boards you should be able to find it.

 

[Vacationdreamer<><]

7 minutes ago, Mapleleafforever said:

I'm now wondering

 

All good questions.

I wonder how the insurance industry will reconfigure.

 

We booked a short 5 day for next May back in July.  I haven't bought insurance yet, bc I was just thinking that I have until February to decide.  Now I am wondering what insurance might look like.  

 

Each traveler can likely deal with some of the changes, but we have our own deal breakers.  I can handle the ship-only excursions if I have to (they'd better offer more), but wearing masks on deck would turn off my family big time.  And while we can handle a modified buffet, NO buffet would break them.

 

Time will tell.