NOVEMBER 1st FOR REAL ?????

[island lady]

24 minutes ago, molly361 said:

I don't see any way that any ship can be ready to sail November 1 seeing as we are almost at 3 weeks until then.  AND who knows if the CDC will let the ban expire or extend it

 

But RCI is enjoying hanging on to those final payments for those doomed cruises though. 😉 

[lr657]

54 minutes ago, molly361 said:

I don't see any way that any ship can be ready to sail November 1 seeing as we are almost at 3 weeks until then.  AND who knows if the CDC will let the ban expire or extend it

 

28 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

But RCI is enjoying hanging on to those final payments for those doomed cruises though. 😉 

 

At that point I think Royal is being unfair to those that are booked in November and still unsure whether to make further travel plans. If the other cruise lines have already decided, I'm sure Royal also knows what it's going to do.

[frito58]

14 minutes ago, lr657 said:

 

 

At that point I think Royal is being unfair to those that are booked in November and still unsure whether to make further travel plans. If the other cruise lines have already decided, I'm sure Royal also knows what it's going to do.

We had a NYE cruise with Carnival so glad they didnt keep us guessing . It was out of Long Beach .  Just wanted to know . I do not see Royal getting things up and going in 3 weeks . But who knows . Carnival is down to just a select few sailings out of Florida. 

[voyager70]

51 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

But RCI is enjoying hanging on to those final payments for those doomed cruises though. 😉 

 

Precisely why I refuse to put any deposits down until, when & if, there is a realistic idea or plan for cruises to resume.  Even if I have to wait a year, so be it.

 

[lr657]

3 minutes ago, frito58 said:

We had a NYE cruise with Carnival so glad they didnt keep us guessing . It was out of Long Beach .  Just wanted to know . I do not see Royal getting things up and going in 3 weeks . But who knows . Carnival is down to just a select few sailings out of Florida. 

 

We can just drive to the port and are not expecting to sail, but I'm sure people that have airline and hotel reservations would like to know if their cruise is sailing since November is 3 weeks away. 

 

[frito58]

2 minutes ago, lr657 said:

 

We can just drive to the port and are not expecting to sail, but I'm sure people that have airline and hotel reservations would like to know if their cruise is sailing since November is 3 weeks away. 

 

That was my point with The NYE cruise , Not only did we have air and hotel paid for the cruise itself was quite expensive . I had most of it paid for plus a couple of excursions . Nice to get the money back and use it on something else. 

[orville99]

17 minutes ago, frito58 said:

We had a NYE cruise with Carnival so glad they didnt keep us guessing . It was out of Long Beach .  Just wanted to know . I do not see Royal getting things up and going in 3 weeks . But who knows . Carnival is down to just a select few sailings out of Florida. 

I would expect that given the number of RCL, NCL, and CCL ships sailing aimlessly around the Bahamas right now it would not be all that difficult for any of the cruise lines to consolidate enough crew onto a few ships so that they can start sailing a very limited capacity-controlled schedule out of PC and/or Miami by November.

Edited October 5, 2020 by orville99

[CSHS1979]

19 minutes ago, orville99 said:

I would expect that given the number of RCL, NCL, and CCL ships sailing aimlessly around the Bahamas right now it would not be all that difficult for any of the cruise lines to consolidate enough crew onto a few ships so that they can start sailing a very limited capacity-controlled schedule out of PC and/or Miami by November.

 

They really don't have the right staff onboard right now.

[island lady]

1 hour ago, lr657 said:

 

 

At that point I think Royal is being unfair to those that are booked in November and still unsure whether to make further travel plans. If the other cruise lines have already decided, I'm sure Royal also knows what it's going to do.

 

Yup, I am one of them.  But with my B2B Harmony 11/29 and 12/6...I have no hotels to cancel, no flights to cancel, no vacation time to change.  And only 20 minutes to the port.  So, I am not out much if they are cancelled.  Maybe I will finally finish remodeling my bathroom.  😉 

[joelheather]

I will loosely  quote quote Del Griffith “We’d have more luck playing pick-up sticks with our butt-cheeks than we will getting on a cruise ship before next year”

 

[boscobeans]

50 minutes ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

They really don't have the right staff onboard right now.

They are most probably issuing contracts to experienced staff who probably have sailed on the very same ships they will be returning to. 

The staff on board now is keeping the ships running, feeding and keeping house and making sure everything is ready from day ONE. They are all working and not just on a cruise.

 

Just like staff when they return from their scheduled months off they will need almost no time to get up to speed other than dealing with the new Covid rules.

[yogimax]

55 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

Just like staff when they return from their scheduled months off they will need almost no time to get up to speed other than dealing with the new Covid rules.

I don't think that's as simple as it sounds.  Preparing for COVID means a lot more than playing the "wash your hands" video.  Not only do they have to worry about the passengers, they will have to learn new rules for the crew, every thing from food preparation and service to crew social distancing to new safety procedures.

 

Easy to think "almost no time" will be needed but far from reality.

[ace2542]

2 hours ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

They really don't have the right staff onboard right now.

Any future staff will have the requirement for vaccine written into their contract of employment you can bet your bottom dollar on that.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

I would expect that given the number of RCL, NCL, and CCL ships sailing aimlessly around the Bahamas right now it would not be all that difficult for any of the cruise lines to consolidate enough crew onto a few ships so that they can start sailing a very limited capacity-controlled schedule out of PC and/or Miami by November.

Of the 100 or so staff on an Oasis class ship there are approximately 10 in housekeeping and 10 in food and from the kitchen side, the rest are officers, engineering and deck hands.  Kind of hard to pull a crew together when you are already at the bare minimum to keep the ship operational. 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[CSHS1979]

49 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Any future staff will have the requirement for vaccine written into their contract of employment you can bet your bottom dollar on that.

 

What I meant was the staff onboard now are probably maintenance folks, very few cooks, waiters, and housekeepers. No entertainment staff.

 

If they want to sail staff from European or Asian ports, they will need to first establish housekeeping, cooks, and dining staff to take care of crew that will likely be in quarantine.

 

The qusrantined crew would then need training in new protocols. Minimum 6 weeks lead time.

And thats on top of a potential local quarantine prior to boarding.  Royal doesn’t want to jump gun and bring crew back early without some commitment from US government and the islands

[bouhunter]

1 hour ago, ace2542 said:

Any future staff will have the requirement for vaccine written into their contract of employment you can bet your bottom dollar on that.

What vaccine?  And even when there is one, cruise ship crew and passengers aren't going to be anywhere near the top of the list to get it.

Edited October 5, 2020 by bouhunter

[yogimax]

19 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

What vaccine?  And even when there is one, cruise ship crew and passengers aren't going to be anywhere near the top of the list to get it.

Except, perhaps, the seniors, who are a sizable number of cruisers.

[bouhunter]

34 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Except, perhaps, the seniors, who are a sizable number of cruisers.

Good point, elderly with health issues will get it sooner than some.  And they do represent a meaningful segment of cruise passengers.

[boscobeans]

1 hour ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

What I meant was the staff onboard now are probably maintenance folks, very few cooks, waiters, and housekeepers. No entertainment staff.

 

If they want to sail staff from European or Asian ports, they will need to first establish housekeeping, cooks, and dining staff to take care of crew that will likely be in quarantine.

 

The qusrantined crew would then need training in new protocols. Minimum 6 weeks lead time.

And thats on top of a potential local quarantine prior to boarding.  Royal doesn’t want to jump gun and bring crew back early without some commitment from US government and the islands

 

When in the past employees went home between contracts they were gone for 2 months and sometimes longer before returning on a new contract.

 

Most of the staff will be returning to the same or similar ships and to the same positions. Very little retraining as menus, kitchens and most things will be exactly what they were. Sure there will be needed training as far as the masks and distancing but aside from that they will be just GOING BACK TO WORK after a longer than normal vacations.

 

Line cooks, waiters, stewards, bartenders are all needed and will have NO PROBLEM RETURNING TO WORK. The kitchens, laundry and other venues have NEVER shut down. Kitchens are ready, beds are ready to be made and the ships are just waiting to be re-staffed and re-provisioned.

 

 

[CSHS1979]

35 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

 

When in the past employees went home between contracts they were gone for 2 months and sometimes longer before returning on a new contract.

 

Most of the staff will be returning to the same or similar ships and to the same positions. Very little retraining as menus, kitchens and most things will be exactly what they were. Sure there will be needed training as far as the masks and distancing but aside from that they will be just GOING BACK TO WORK after a longer than normal vacations.

 

Line cooks, waiters, stewards, bartenders are all needed and will have NO PROBLEM RETURNING TO WORK. The kitchens, laundry and other venues have NEVER shut down. Kitchens are ready, beds are ready to be made and the ships are just waiting to be re-staffed and re-provisioned.

 

Still a logistical issue getting them on the ships.

 

Everthing else you mention is just noise

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, bouhunter said:

What vaccine?  And even when there is one, cruise ship crew and passengers aren't going to be anywhere near the top of the list to get it.

I am sure a number will be approved soon. Once they get to the stage of getting the vaccine into the general public and cruising resumes. I am sure the cruise lines will insist that all staff be vaccinated. They won't change out staff every 2 weeks and any outbreak among staff would spread very quickly below decks. And I am sure the cruise lines will be able to get hold of supplies of vaccine if it comes to it. Money talks remember that.

[ace2542]

39 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

 

When in the past employees went home between contracts they were gone for 2 months and sometimes longer before returning on a new contract.

 

Most of the staff will be returning to the same or similar ships and to the same positions. Very little retraining as menus, kitchens and most things will be exactly what they were. Sure there will be needed training as far as the masks and distancing but aside from that they will be just GOING BACK TO WORK after a longer than normal vacations.

 

Line cooks, waiters, stewards, bartenders are all needed and will have NO PROBLEM RETURNING TO WORK. The kitchens, laundry and other venues have NEVER shut down. Kitchens are ready, beds are ready to be made and the ships are just waiting to be re-staffed and re-provisioned.

 

 

What makes you sure the staff will want to come back after how they were treated. A good number staff were trapped onboard for months when this first hit. A few people even killed themselves I seem to remember reading. Then again if they want the work maybe they don't have much choice. They can be easily replaced.

[ace2542]

2 hours ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

What I meant was the staff onboard now are probably maintenance folks, very few cooks, waiters, and housekeepers. No entertainment staff.

 

If they want to sail staff from European or Asian ports, they will need to first establish housekeeping, cooks, and dining staff to take care of crew that will likely be in quarantine.

 

The qusrantined crew would then need training in new protocols. Minimum 6 weeks lead time.

And thats on top of a potential local quarantine prior to boarding.  Royal doesn’t want to jump gun and bring crew back early without some commitment from US government and the islands

It is even clear that crews working on ships  out of the USA or calling into the USA on a regular basis can come back to work with so many million unemployed Americans?. Perhaps the American government will no longer give backing to those foreign workers forcing them to employ Americans instead if they wish to operate out of or into the USA?. If so that is complete job training of more than 6 weeks for thousands of new staff?

[yogimax]

9 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

I am sure a number will be approved soon. 

Must be breaking news.  I haven't seen that a number of vaccines will be approved soon!

[yogimax]

3 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

It is even clear that crews working on ships  out of the USA or calling into the USA on a regular basis can come back to work with so many million unemployed Americans?. Perhaps the American government will no longer give backing to those foreign workers forcing them to employ Americans instead if they wish to operate out of or into the USA?. 

If this were to occur, the cost of cruising would skyrocket destroying the industry.