NCLH CEO Frank Del Rio Says It Will Take 90 Days To Relaunch US Cruises After CDC Gives a Green Light

[njhorseman]

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24453-norwegian-90-day-window-for-cruise-restart.html

[tumblew467]

You bet me to it, was going to post as well.  This is some hope here.

[Topdog52]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24453-norwegian-90-day-window-for-cruise-restart.html

Now the million dollar question is when will the CDC give them the Green Light?

[farmersfight]

35 minutes ago, Topdog52 said:

Now the million dollar question is when will the CDC give them the Green Light?

 

I hope it is in a matter of days and not weeks. Also, I think Canada over reacted by extending their ban of cruise ships in their waters until March 1, 2022;

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2021/02/04/canada-bans-cruise-ships-canadian-waters-until-march-2022/4396613001/

 

I hope the cruise industry gets a temporary waiver of the PVSA which would allow cruise ships to embark passengers in Seattle, WA and disembark them in Whittier (or Seward), AK and vice-versa. Or, do closed loop cruises out of Seattle, WA without having to stop in Victoria, BC. If such a temporary waiver was granted, it wouldn't be for too long (as long as Canada opens its waters back up to cruise ships in March 2022 and doesn't extend their ban again) because the cruise lines won't be back up and running until later this year (2021) anyway, best case scenario.

 

I guess we'll see what happens...

[GA Dave]

So, based on that news, June is almost guaranteed to be cancelled, and most likely July and August as well.  The CDC test cruises, etc. will most likely take 2-3 months, so (90) days after that looks like the Fall.

Edited February 25, 2021 by GA Dave

[colordancer]

I'm curious as to why NCL has SO FEW Green lighted ships applied, especially compared to others...

 

Crew Disembarkations through Commercial Travel | CDC 

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

Admittedly I've been pre-occupied and not keeping up on cruise news, BUT... has the CDC released the "technical sheet" to accompany the "conditions to sail" document that was released in October? I did a quick search and didn't find anything. I distinctly remember believing that until the technical sheet was released, very little (if anything) could move us forward to sailing again. Without the technical sheet, I'm not sure what cruise lines are even expected to prepare for.

[farmersfight]

13 minutes ago, GA Dave said:

The CDC test cruises, etc. will most likely take 2-3 months

 

Do you think the CDC might dispense with these required test cruises if the # of covid cases, hospitalizations & deaths continue to decrease and the vaccine administration (shots in arms) continue to improve?

 

I know, just speculation at this point...

[RD64]

Farmers fight - please do not blame Canada for your inability to cruise. It is an AMERICAN law that is preventing the round trip Canada, and cruise to nowhere cruises. Just as the Americans uphold their laws, so do we.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Admittedly I've been pre-occupied and not keeping up on cruise news, BUT... has the CDC released the "technical sheet" to accompany the "conditions to sail" document that was released in October? I did a quick search and didn't find anything. I distinctly remember believing that until the technical sheet was released, very little (if anything) could move us forward to sailing again. Without the technical sheet, I'm not sure what cruise lines are even expected to prepare for.

No, the CDC hasn't yet released the necessary technical requirements.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, GA Dave said:

So, based on that news, June is almost guaranteed to be cancelled, and most likely July and August as well.  The CDC test cruises, etc. will most likely take 2-3 months, so (90) days after that looks like the Fall.

 

1 hour ago, farmersfight said:

 

Do you think the CDC might dispense with these required test cruises if the # of covid cases, hospitalizations & deaths continue to decrease and the vaccine administration (shots in arms) continue to improve?

 

I know, just speculation at this point...

I don't think the test cruises will take 2 to 3 months as long as they're not abject failures with passengers and crew becoming infected in great numbers. In theory if all were to go perfectly...and I'm not suggesting it will...a cruise line could satisfy the CDC requirements with a single cruise. Maybe two or three test cruises might be realistic. Nothing says every cruise ship has to run a successful test cruise, it's only each cruise line.

 

I don't see the CDC dispensing with the requirement though, unless COVID-19 miraculously disappears from the USA...which isn't going to happen anytime soon, if at all.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, colordancer said:

I'm curious as to why NCL has SO FEW Green lighted ships applied, especially compared to others...

 

Crew Disembarkations through Commercial Travel | CDC 

 

 

Those appear to be the ships that NCL will be planning to begin US operations with, and are the only ships NCL has located in US waters at present. There's no need for ships not currently in US waters to be green-lighted. Given that the start of cruising is a couple of months down the road NCL will have plenty of time to go through the process of getting the other ships into green light status before they return to the US for service.

Edited February 25, 2021 by njhorseman

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, farmersfight said:

 

I hope it is in a matter of days and not weeks. Also, I think Canada over reacted by extending their ban of cruise ships in their waters until March 1, 2022;

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2021/02/04/canada-bans-cruise-ships-canadian-waters-until-march-2022/4396613001/

 

I hope the cruise industry gets a temporary waiver of the PVSA which would allow cruise ships to embark passengers in Seattle, WA and disembark them in Whittier (or Seward), AK and vice-versa. Or, do closed loop cruises out of Seattle, WA without having to stop in Victoria, BC. If such a temporary waiver was granted, it wouldn't be for too long (as long as Canada opens its waters back up to cruise ships in March 2022 and doesn't extend their ban again) because the cruise lines won't be back up and running until later this year (2021) anyway, best case scenario.

 

I guess we'll see what happens...

I think there's close to zero chance of the cruise lines getting a PVSA work around, and that's why most have stopped taking new bookings even if they haven't formally cancelled the cruises yet.

A PVSA waiver can't be granted by executive order except for national security reasons, so that path is out. That means an amendment to the law is required, and so far there doesn't seem to be any hints of interest in that in either the Capitol Building or the Oval Office. They have far bigger fish to fry right now.

[Laszlo]

2 hours ago, Topdog52 said:

Now the million dollar question is when will the CDC give them the Green Light?

From someone with some inside news I've "Heard" it could June or July.....all depends with the National rates are at the time and what % of the population has been vaccinated. Anyone sailing will need to be vaccinated, like a lot of things everything is in flow

Edited February 25, 2021 by Laszlo

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

2 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

I hope it is in a matter of days and not weeks. Also, I think Canada over reacted by extending their ban of cruise ships in their waters until March 1, 2022;

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2021/02/04/canada-bans-cruise-ships-canadian-waters-until-march-2022/4396613001/

 

 

Ugh - there goes our plans for cruise to New England/Canada this fall. 😞

[macandlucy]

2 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

I hope it is in a matter of days and not weeks. Also, I think Canada over reacted by extending their ban of cruise ships in their waters until March 1, 2022;

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2021/02/04/canada-bans-cruise-ships-canadian-waters-until-march-2022/4396613001/

 

I hope the cruise industry gets a temporary waiver of the PVSA which would allow cruise ships to embark passengers in Seattle, WA and disembark them in Whittier (or Seward), AK and vice-versa. Or, do closed loop cruises out of Seattle, WA without having to stop in Victoria, BC. If such a temporary waiver was granted, it wouldn't be for too long (as long as Canada opens its waters back up to cruise ships in March 2022 and doesn't extend their ban again) because the cruise lines won't be back up and running until later this year (2021) anyway, best case scenario.

 

I guess we'll see what happens...

I'm Canadian and I think Canada overreacted, too. No cruises in Canadian waters until Feb 22...why Feb? Feb is peak respiratory season, so that date makes no sense to me. Maybe it was more a "don't call us, we'll call you" message to the cruise lines ;)

 

But, the good news is that Transport Canada has said they are open to amending the decision if the situation improves enough to warrant a rethink. Fingers crossed, hands washed, socially distanced, masks on til vaccinated!

[jemz1949]

54 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

From someone with some inside news I've "Heard" it could June or July.....all depends with the National rates are at the time and what % of the population has been vaccinated. Anyone sailing will need to be vaccinated, like a lot of things everything is in flow

Has the someone with some inside news "Heard" anything about Europe or the Med?  Of course, asking for a friend.....

 

[hamrag]

1 hour ago, Laszlo said:

From someone with some inside news I've "Heard" it could June or July.....all depends with the National rates are at the time and what % of the population has been vaccinated. Anyone sailing will need to be vaccinated, like a lot of things everything is in flow

 

From someone without 'inside news' it seems to me that any one of us could guess June or July....!

[Laszlo]

1 hour ago, jemz1949 said:

Has the someone with some inside news "Heard" anything about Europe or the Med?  Of course, asking for a friend.....

 

Sorry no, they will likely be handled under the countries in those jurisdiction with along side CDC

 

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

 

From someone without 'inside news' it seems to me that any one of us could guess June or July....!

Go right ahead and make your own prediction 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Laszlo

[Sealover1203]

What do you expect Frank to say?  The truth? That they have eliminated most of their shoreside staff? That their agents are now international agents? That they wiped out an entire management level because “they couldn’t afford to pay them”??  I wouldn’t read anything into what he says. 

[farmersfight]

13 hours ago, RD64 said:

Farmers fight - please do not blame Canada for your inability to cruise. It is an AMERICAN law that is preventing the round trip Canada, and cruise to nowhere cruises. Just as the Americans uphold their laws, so do we.

 

Not blaming Canada. I just said I think Canada over reacted. Just my opinion. No disrespect to our neighbors to the North. Heck, I have the same opinion about the U.S. CDC; they have over reacted as well. The U.S. didn't shut down air travel but sure as heck did cruise travel. I realize that cruise travel is not essential but come on, a complete shut down for this long (while in Europe safe cruising is happening)?

 

I know it is an American law; the PVSA. That is why I posted that I hope the cruise industry gets a temporary waiver of the PVSA. Again, not blaming Canada, just mentioning a way cruises could resume to/from Alaska to/from the U.S. mainland without having to embark/disembark passengers from a Canadian port (i.e. Vancouver, BC) or stop at a nearby Canadian port (i.e. Victoria, BC) on a closed loop cruise (i.e. round trip Seattle. WA). Not only would such a temporary waiver help the financially impacted cruise lines, but also the coastal Alaska economies that rely predominately on tourist revenue from cruises.

[GA Dave]

I just read a piece yesterday (When Is The Pandemic Over ) that was a "consolidation" of the opinions of many national health and epidemiology experts.  The simple question was "When can we declare the pandemic as over?".  The consensus was when the 7-day average death rate in the USA drops to 100, as they stated that was the normal daily death average for a normal flu season.  The current daily average death rate from Covid is 2,026.  We have a long way to go, unfortunately.

 

Deaths and New Cases 7-Day Average Curves

Edited February 26, 2021 by GA Dave

[BirdTravels]

Isn’t it Dr Fauci who said that COVID will be an endemic and around for a long time? 

[GA Dave]

24 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Isn’t it Dr Fauci who said that COVID will be an endemic and around for a long time? 

So is the flu, but we do not cancel entire seasons of cruises for endemics.  Just pandemics.

[oteixeira]

18 hours ago, GA Dave said:

So, based on that news, June is almost guaranteed to be cancelled, and most likely July and August as well.  The CDC test cruises, etc. will most likely take 2-3 months, so (90) days after that looks like the Fall.

According to DelRio he thinks the 90 days will include the test cruises:

At this point, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has canceled cruises through May 31, 2021. The company has generally been following a 90-day cancellation window, which would give the ships time to staff up and have the required test cruises before taking on paying passengers.