"Bubble" Cruise

[Nghthawke]

I wonder if the powers that be could lobby the government(s) to allow "bubble" cruises? Would it be feasible, for example, to have ships leaving Vancouver on an Alaska voyage but only with Canadians onboard? For an Alaska voyage leaving from Seattle, only with US citizens onboard. Same thing with the East Coast, maybe leaving from Montreal or Quebec City would be a Canadians' only cruise; and leaving Boston would be US citizens only? Surely something can be worked out -- by next summer people will need a proper vacation or go bonkers.

 

They could even make the bubbles smaller: East Coast Canadians and US on an the East Coast cruise and Western Canadians and US on the Alaskan cruise. Perhaps no bookings for inside rooms?

 

And then follow the covid-19 safe protocols as in Europe: quick test before you leave, no private excursions, if you get off the ship you stay with your shipmates, etc. The cruise ship folks now know the importance of better ventilation; so they could open some of the doors several times a day/night to improve the air quality. I'm not sure how they could better ventilate the main dining room but it would be fairly easy for the Lido -- just open the back doors and the roof over the pool. Also, and this one is easy, they could test the wastewater for covid-19. Many cities are doing this now, at least here in Canada. They can test the water for covid-19. If it's in the wastewater they would know there is a problem.

 

Sorry if this is a repeat thread; I'm sure everyone's posted their ideas already?

 

[CruiserBruce]

Ideas like this have been discussed. However, it's a bit ahead of itself. First, the CDC has to release their hold on cruises originating in the US. And any holds the two countries have on citizens crossing the border. And, as discussed here frequently,  the PVSA, which requires that a cruise going round trip from a US port stop at a foreign port.

 

By the way, this would seriously strain the "bubble" concept, particularly in countries the size of the US and Canada, where Covid is at different stages across the countries.

[Sir PMP]

Sounds like discrimination to me..

[FlaMariner]

I'm not sure HAL would be able to fill up ships if just Canadians could board......

 

The population of Canada is 37.7 million.  That's less than the one USA state of California (41 million).

 

 

[daisy-mae]

4 hours ago, Nghthawke said:

They can test the water for covid-19. If it's in the wastewater they would know there is a problem.

 

Then what? Another general quarantine of all passengers and a ship with nowhere to land...?

 

 

 

[Mary229]

I am sure the cruise lines are lobbying many governments, local, national and international.   I truly believe some of the lines will sail from the US early next year if not late this year but likely they will be limited to parts of Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean with limited and controlled shore time.   These are areas which already have travel guidelines.  The CDC published an article yesterday which stated they expect to be distributing vaccines by the end of this year and that will certainly be a game changer. 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Of course there's the alternative, put everyone in literal bubbles.

 

[ski ww]

Not some thing we would be interested in. Not going cruising until things are back to normal when ever that may be.

[strickerj]

As mentioned, a U.S. "bubble" cruise (roundtrip with only U.S. ports) wouldn't be legal under the PVSA. A roundtrip out of Canada would be but I'm not sure the Canadian government would allow it to have ports of call in Alaska since the border is closed. Based on my limited knowledge, the only legal possibility I can see would be a roundtrip out of Vancouver to Alaska but with no port stops - that is, just sail to Alaska for scenic cruising (Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm, etc.) and return. I think some people might be up for that but I'm not sure if it'd be enough.

[Nghthawke]

There are other deep sea ports where a HAL ship could stop in Canada other than Victoria and Vancouver -- Port Alberni for example where you can take an excursion up to Tofino or stop at Pacific Rim National Park. Kitimat also has a deep sea port and the ship could take the Inside Passage to get there. Sailing up the Douglas Channel is like sailing up a fjord; it would be like scenic cruising up Tracy Arm. Both of these ports offer gorgeous scenery, fishing, hiking, restaurants just like Alaska.

 

There's always a way. Even if a ship leaving from a Canadian port has to stop at a US port to be legal under the PVSA doesn't mean anyone has to get off the ship to make it legal. Seattle is a couple of hours away.

 

Of course there wouldn't be 2-3 HAL ships doing twice a week runs up the Inside Passage out of Vancouver but I'm sure enough Canadians could fill a ship to make several summer sail aways worthwhile.

 

If anyone gets sick the contact tracing would be fairly easy. The virus doesn't seem as virulent in the summer. At least it wasn't up here this past summer. It's not like the early days when governments didn't know what this thing was. Canadian hospitals are excellent at treating covid-19 patients now. The ship would already be mostly in Canadian waters. Canadians all have health insurance and, if needed, can get treated at any hospital anywhere in the country.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Nghthawke said:

There are other deep sea ports where a HAL ship could stop in Canada other than Victoria and Vancouver -- Port Alberni for example where you can take an excursion up to Tofino or stop at Pacific Rim National Park. Kitimat also has a deep sea port and the ship could take the Inside Passage to get there. Sailing up the Douglas Channel is like sailing up a fjord; it would be like scenic cruising up Tracy Arm. Both of these ports offer gorgeous scenery, fishing, hiking, restaurants just like Alaska.

 

There's always a way. Even if a ship leaving from a Canadian port has to stop at a US port to be legal under the PVSA doesn't mean anyone has to get off the ship to make it legal. Seattle is a couple of hours away.

 

Of course there wouldn't be 2-3 HAL ships doing twice a week runs up the Inside Passage out of Vancouver but I'm sure enough Canadians could fill a ship to make several summer sail aways worthwhile.

 

If anyone gets sick the contact tracing would be fairly easy. The virus doesn't seem as virulent in the summer. At least it wasn't up here this past summer. It's not like the early days when governments didn't know what this thing was. Canadian hospitals are excellent at treating covid-19 patients now. The ship would already be mostly in Canadian waters. Canadians all have health insurance and, if needed, can get treated at any hospital anywhere in the country.

A ship sailing from a Canadian port doesn't trigger PVSA. PVSA is a US law affecting ships sailing from US ports.

 

The second major wave of Covid in the US occurred during the summer. The virus did just fine the summer.

 

The contract tracing would be easy? With a couple thousand people on a ship? Normally, contract tracing of a sick person involves 20-30 people.

[rkacruiser]

The OP is offering a "thinking out of the box" concept that I applaud.  

 

Issues with such?  Problems with such?  Desirability with such?   Is the OP's proposals correct?  So what?

 

Such "thinking" is what is required, in my opinion.  I don't see such on any "official" level at this time.  

[Horizon chaser 1957]

On 10/23/2020 at 12:44 AM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

Of course there's the alternative, put everyone in literal bubbles.

 

Watching all the bubbles try to leave the theater at once after the show would be more entertaining than the show itself. 😄

[Nghthawke]

15 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

The contract tracing would be easy? With a couple thousand people on a ship? Normally, contract tracing of a sick person involves 20-30 people.

Maybe I should limit my thoughts to a Canadian cruise sailing out of Canadian ports. 

 

Difficulties doing contact tracing could be alleviated if Canadian passengers, and HAL crew members, all had the Canada COVID Alert on their cell phones that way if there was a confirmed covid case you would get notified on your cell phone and then you go get tested. I realize that not all passengers have cell phones and that some contact tracing might have to be done manually. HAL could always limit the cruise to those passengers who have COVID Alert on their phones. HAL could also do what the airlines are currently doing: send out an email to all their passengers that there was a confirmed covid case on flight number xxx sailing on xxx date. 

 

Passengers could be instructed to self-isolate after taking the cruise. I think the self-isolating is now down to ten days instead of 14 but would have to confirm that. Most of us are currently working from home anyways; or are retired and at home. You would just make sure to have a full pantry when you get back.

 

HAL could refuse boarding to passengers if their residence is currently in a red zone. Although this past summer I don't think any of Canada was in a red zone. We'll have to see what happens next summer. 

 

I was actually thinking about this last night and, the way I see it, it wouldn't be that different from sailing on BC Ferries. You can board BC Ferries to go to Vancouver Island and or take it up the Inside Passage up the West Coast. Or even taking VIA Rail across Canada. 

 

[UPNYGuy]

On 10/22/2020 at 3:45 PM, Sir PMP said:

Sounds like discrimination to me..

no different than what is occurring in the EU right now. MSC is only allowing pax to board if they are residing in the Schengen area. 

[prescottbob]

Just an FYI. It appears the Singapore "cruise to nowhere" encountered a problem.

 

Cabin Fever: Singapore Cruise Passengers Stuck in Rooms After COVID-19 Case | World News | US News

 

Be well.

Bob

[prescottbob]

 

Scrolling down from the current article should give you information on their embarkation protocols, shipboard protocols and testing requirements, if interested.

 

Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship In Singapore Reports COVID-19 Case (cruisecritic.com)

 

You'll need to copy and paste link (unable to post a 'hot' link):

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5780/

 

Be well.

Bob

 

 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

16 minutes ago, prescottbob said:

Just an FYI. It appears the Singapore "cruise to nowhere" encountered a problem.

 

Cabin Fever: Singapore Cruise Passengers Stuck in Rooms After COVID-19 Case | World News | US News

 

Be well.

Bob

Well doesn’t that just throw a spinner in the works! The passenger who tested positive on board has been testing negative on subsequent tests. However, even if it’s a false positive it cancelled both that cruise and the one scheduled afterwards. It looks like a vaccine may be the only way out of this mess. 
Oh well, Happy Wednesday!

[prescottbob]

Update: the passenger with the positive test tested again and turned out to be negative.

 

""(3:45 p.m. EST; updated 11:30 a.m. EST) -- Royal Caribbean's only ship now currently in service, Quantum of the Seas, has returned to Singapore after a potential COVID-19 case, with most passengers being allowed to disembark.

 

The Singapore Ministry of Health said that the passenger who initially tested positive onboard, an 83-year-old man from Singapore, had reported to the ship's medical center with diarrhea. As part of the protocols, he was given a PCR test onboard, which came back positive. He was immediately put into isolation and contact tracing went into effect.

 

Since the ship returned to Singapore, the original sample has been re-tested at the country's National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), and has come back negative for COVID-19, the Minstry said. A second fresh sample tested by NPHL has also come back negative. NPHL will conduct another test tomorrow to confirm his COVID-19 status."

 

Be well.

Bob

[Shmoo here]

On 10/22/2020 at 11:56 AM, Nghthawke said:

no private excursions, if you get off the ship you stay with your shipmates, etc.

So, even if the ship has only US citizens onboard, they could still be in Canada, exposing shopkeepers, people on the street, locals?  What's the point of limiting cruises to specific country's citizens?