Posted on 12/13/2020 7:41:18 AM PST by Capt. Tom
Have you thought about getting your vaccine passport in order? Because it could very well be a requirement from the cruise lines that you must be immune to COVD-19 before sailing.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio said the company already has its lawyers looking at the legal side of requiring guests to show they have been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Cruise Industry Will Have To Build Confidence First Before we see any significant changes in how the cruise industry can operate, they will need to show that cruising can be done safely.
This confidence will need to be instilled in the guests that the cruise lines hope to welcome on board, especially the various government agencies worldwide. Few countries will want to allow cruise ships into their coastal waters unless they are confident in the safety measures implemented.
The vaccine will be a hugely important step for cruise lines, but also the airline industry, and the entire hospitality industry, according to NCLH CEO Frank Del Rio who spoke to Travel Leaders Group during a Zoom call:
“There is talk beginning to emerge from different corners of the travel industry, the airlines as well, of requiring some kind of immunity passport demonstrating that you’ve had the virus or been vaccinated so that you are good to go.”
According to Del Rio, the cruise company will require crew members to be vaccinated no matter what:
“It will certainly be a requirement for the crew, but it’s too early to tell whether we have the legal standing to mandate that you take a vaccine to come onboard — lawyers are looking at it as we speak. We have to build confidence in our customers and among ourselves that it’s safe to cruise.”
Cruise Lines Mandate For Vaccine Not Alone It could very well be that a mandate from Cruise Lines to travel with this ‘immunity passport’ will not stand alone and be a requirement for international travel.
Those wishing to take a cruise abroad and thus fly internationally will need to be vaccinated. This was said last week by Qantas President and Ceo Alan Joyce: “I think that’s going to be a common thing talking to my colleagues in other airlines around the globe.”
The fear is from others in the aviation and cruise industry that a blanket vaccination rule from authorities would do the same to travel as lockdowns, creating more hardship for already struggling industries.
Debts Are Building The most crucial factor is the following: Does the cruise industry have time to wait until 70-80% of the world population is vaccinated. At this time, projections seem to suggest that this would not be the case until July or August at the earliest.
With an industry hemorrhaging money, it would be unlikely many cruise lines will be able to sit still for another 8-9 months without building up huge debts. There is a good chance the cruise industry will not restart in the US due to the issues with the CDC’s framework but would do so in Europe, as Frank Del Rio made clear this week:
“We hope that the pandemic will ease and we can work out our differences with the CDC to start in mid to late March, it’s a long shot, but I want to keep that possibility as long as I see a possibility.
“I think there is a good chance that Europe will be open to cruising in the April to May time frame.”
Vaccine Will Be Paramount For Cruising Whether an immunity passport is implemented, it seems inevitable that there will be a considerable amount of debate on the issue in the upcoming months.
As more and more data becomes available on the vaccine programs, we will hopefully see growing confidence in the vaccine and, consequently, the cruise industry.
Whether you like it or not, the vaccine is and will be a hugely important factor in a successful resumption of cruising worldwide. Whether we will see a full resumption in 2021 is up to the air at the moment, yet we remain hopeful.
I really doubt the stores will be asking for ID. Air, hotels, rental cars and any government service already require ID.
Quarantine is restricting the movement of SICK people. Restricting the movement of HEALTHY people is tyranny.
As far as the non-fatal comment goes, it's been 100% fatal to all those who died FROM it; but that has been lied about to the point of ridicule. Probably two-thirds or three quarters of those who died WITH it did not die FROM it. And most would have died WITHOUT it.
But watch out- you may be forbidden to enter a store without showing your "papers", as you are forbidden now to enter many stores without a mask!
"Awww, whassa madda wid a liddle vaccine and a compliance document to show?"- Marco D'Beast
With all the contradictory statements about covid-19 from so-called experts I have lost faith in the medical research people, and their spokespersons.
To me the Covid tests are questionable, and how covid is spread is questionable, and that it appears to be more contagious than measles is questionable, also all the so-called preventative measures promulgated around the many states this country, and the world, don't seem to be that effective.
It seems everyone is grasping at straws
I am not an anti vaccine person since I have had more than my share of many types of vaccines , but I am also leery of the present group of vaccines for covid-19 since I have lost faith in the present medical groups involved in their development.
There are just too many opposite medical and political opinions about this corona virus for me to have a solid opinion. -Tom
Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain provided a new update where he believes the advent of new vaccines will be the silver bullet for society, and cruise ships, to overcome the current global health crisis.
Cruise line CEOs have no choice but to show optimism about the future of the Cruise Industry.
IMHO relying on vaccines to save cruising, will result in less people going on cruises.
These cruise lines are going to have to reorganize, as they have little support from countries, medical agencies, politicians and the Press.
Covid vaccines re not 100% effective so vaccinated Cruisers and ship Crews will come down with Covid and the Press will tear them apart.
In the meantime Time marches on, and the Cruise Line expenses build. -Tom
The problem the Cruise Lines have economically, is they never expected to be shut down for so long.
Each month they don't make expenses is a month closer to bankruptcy.
Norwegian has borrowed more money several times in the past since they got shut down.
Below is from today's Cruise Line Industry News.- Tom
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings To Raise Another $500 Million December 15, 2020
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced today that it is proposing to sell $500 million aggregate principal amount of its senior notes due 2026 in a private offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
The company expects to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes. The Notes will be guaranteed by certain subsidiaries on a senior unsecured basis.
The company’s fourth quarter estimated cash burn is $175 million per month.
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