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Meet the Insane People Still Planning Cruise Ship Vacations
Yahoo ^ | March 10, 2020 | Sam Stein

Posted on 03/11/2020 6:01:34 AM PDT by C19fan

The cruise ship industry is reeling. The outbreak of the new coronavirus has made the basic fundamentals of the business medically inadvisable to the point that the State Department has issued a warning to U.S. travelers—chief among them the elderly—to stop taking cruise ships until the threat has passed.

And yet, even as thousands of people have found themselves stuck on ocean liners, in close confines with others suffering from a deadly virus, not everyone is ready to bag their cruise ship getaway. Indeed, while some shudder at the prospect of enduring severe flu-like symptoms and a 14-day quarantine, others see the vacation deal of a lifetime materializing before their eyes.

Kenny Human, a 33-year-old lawyer from Kentucky, is one of those deal seekers. Five days ago, in the height of the coronavirus scare, he decided to purchase a Carnival Cruise trip leaving New Orleans in May for a venture through the western Caribbean. He doesn’t believe the coronavirus is a hoax. He doesn’t think fears of it are overhyped. And his girlfriend tried to convince him it was a bad idea. But, in the end, the price—about $400 per ticket when counting taxes and cancellation insurance—was just too damn good.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Travel
KEYWORDS: cruises; pleasepanic; virus
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To: READINABLUESTATE
An E-mail was just sent out this morning that any employee who has been travelling must self quarantine for two weeks upon return, no exceptions.

My manager is in Cancun with his family. Do I want to be in the same room as him when he comes back..hell no

41 posted on 03/11/2020 8:34:57 AM PDT by C19fan
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To: C19fan

This whole thing is bullshit. If the virus, and cruise ships in particular, are so dangerous then why aren’t people who are currently trapped on cruise ships passing it around to each other?


42 posted on 03/11/2020 8:43:03 AM PDT by youngidiot (The left uses book publishing companies to launder large amounts of cash to other leftist.)
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To: woodbutcher1963

Interesting!....and kind of a sad! We set sail during a hurricane, and were rerouted to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. Most of the service crew were worried sick about their families trapped on the islands being hit by the storm. I took one guy’s phone number to call his family when I got back to Colorado, so I could at least tell them that he was rerouted. They were thankful. This was October 2004. I didn’t find out until a year later that Rodney Dangerfield had died. Anyway... I need to see if my genius wife remembers our ship name! I’m curious if we had the same ship!


43 posted on 03/11/2020 8:44:15 AM PDT by LittleBillyInfidel (This tagline has been formatted to fit the screen. Some content has been edited.)
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To: C19fan

I have been on 6 cruises. LOVED most of them, enjoyed them all. Never got sick. (my wife did TWICE).

I no longer cruise. Mostly due to the NAZI airlines and Gestapo TSA. I REFUSE to fly! I’ve become a John Madden. If I can’t drive there I don’t go.

NOW, with illnesses becoming rampant and the quarantining of passengers, I would NEVER take a cruise again.


44 posted on 03/11/2020 9:03:19 AM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
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To: C19fan

Meh. If it’s widely assumed that most people are going to get this virus (and not die) then why not go ahead and take advantage of cheap cruises and airfare?


45 posted on 03/11/2020 9:04:54 AM PDT by stuck_in_new_orleans
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To: RegulatorCountry

RegulatorCountry wrote: “What put me completely off was all the norovirus outbreaks. Being stuck on a boat with explosive diarrhea is pretty low on my list of life experiences.”

Noro isn’t a cruise ship phenomena: Each year, on average in the United States, norovirus: causes 19 to 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis. leads to 1.7 to 1.9 million outpatient visits and 400,000 emergency department visits, primarily in young children.


46 posted on 03/11/2020 9:43:02 AM PDT by DugwayDuke ("A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest")
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To: C19fan

A friend and his wife are on a cruise right now. God for them. Don’t give in the the hysteria.

He and I are meeting for dinner next week. Nice knowing yall


47 posted on 03/11/2020 9:45:54 AM PDT by cyclotic (A vote for Democrats is a vote for lower traffic volumes)
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To: LittleBillyInfidel

Our ship was based out of Road Town, Tortola, BVIs. Captain Adrian was the skipper
I do not think it was the same one.

Ours made a loop around Tortola. It stopped at Peter Island, Salt Island, Cooper Island, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and then back to Tortola.

We went 23 years ago last week. My wedding anniversary was March 1st.


48 posted on 03/11/2020 10:01:42 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: woodbutcher1963

Wow! You have an extraordinary memory! Thanks to you, we discovered that our vessel was the Yankee Clipper. :)


49 posted on 03/11/2020 11:51:06 AM PDT by LittleBillyInfidel (This tagline has been formatted to fit the screen. Some content has been edited.)
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To: VastRWCon
Risky move. What if you get on the boat then the boat is refused entry at all ports?
there’s that - and there’s also the risk to the port that the cruise ships do not come.

50 posted on 03/11/2020 1:19:59 PM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (Socialism is cynicism directed towards society and - correspondingly - naivete towards government.)
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To: VastRWCon
What if you get on the boat then the boat is refused entry at all ports?

Then you still get to hang out on a gigantic, beautiful cruise ship.

51 posted on 03/11/2020 1:25:10 PM PDT by Future Snake Eater (Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. - Dwight Eisenhower, 1957)
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To: gibsonguy
This “floating petry dish” an exaggeration made mostly by those that cannot afford to go on cruise

I've done several cruises on Royal Caribbean ships, and they were immaculately clean. Hell, being held onboard for 3-4 weeks sounds amazing right about now.

52 posted on 03/11/2020 1:27:56 PM PDT by Future Snake Eater (Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. - Dwight Eisenhower, 1957)
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To: LittleBillyInfidel

My wife and I just pulled out the album on our anniversary last week. However, we have been back to the BVI’s twice since then. Each time we rented a house on Tortola. I also have friends that have rented sailboats out of there several times.

I seem to remember that the Yankee Clipper was the smallest ship.
Also, that it sailed out of St Vincent/Grenadines and those islands down near Dominica. That was one of the other trips we considered.


53 posted on 03/11/2020 1:30:05 PM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: LittleBillyInfidel

I just looked this up on the Google:

“What became of the Yankee Clipper”

When the Yankee Clipper’s owner, Windjammer Barefoot Cruises went out of business in 2007, the ship retired and she is permanently docked in Trindad.

In service: 1927–2007

Notes: Permanently docked in Trinidad


54 posted on 03/11/2020 1:35:53 PM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: dfwgator
"Trying to get Americans to comply with draconian measures is like herding cats, ain’t gonna happen."

Absolutely, gator. Shiny cat toys, whatever they got, ain't gonna work.

55 posted on 03/11/2020 2:08:39 PM PDT by StAnDeliver (CNN's Dana B: "Show of hands: Coverage for undocumented immigrants?" ***all Democrat hands raised***)
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To: LittleBillyInfidel

Check this out:

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Windjammer Barefoot Cruises

Former type
Cruise line

Industry
Transportation

Fate
Went bankrupt in late 2007. Assets were liquidated in September 2008.

Founded
1947

Defunct
Services: 2007
Company: 2008

Headquarters
Miami Beach, Florida

Products
Cruises

Website
windjammer.com

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises was a leisure cruise line based in Miami Beach, Florida.[1] Founded in 1947 by Michael Burke, the company scheduled one and two week cruises in the Caribbean and Central America, using a fleet of sailing tall ships. The ships were former yachts and commercial vessels that were refurbished as cruise vessels, accommodating 60–100 paying passengers and 20–40 officers and crewmembers. The ships were refitted to resemble 19th century sailing vessels called windjammers.

Caribbean itineraries included the British Virgin Islands, French West Indies, Grenadines, the ABC islands and The Bahamas. Recent and former Central American itineraries included Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize.

In September 2007, Windjammer’s entire fleet was suspended from operating any further cruises. Although the company initially stated that it intended to resume service, no significant steps in that direction took place. Customers who were already booked on future cruises did not receive refunds from the canceled voyages. All remaining parts of the company that were still operating were shut down in April 2008. Later that year, the company’s assets were auctioned off. The four ships they operated are all laid up and were left in a neglected state of condition.[2][3]

In 2014, Sail Windjammer, Inc., a new company not associated with WBC, began operating the S/V Mandalay, which was part of the original Windjammer Barefoot Cruises fleet. The S/V Mandalay is an original 236 ft. tall ship that carriers 58 passengers. It sails out of Grenada for one and two weeks cruises in the Grenadines and the British Virgin Islands.

Contents [hide]
1 Fleet
2 Issues 2.1 Loss of S/V Fantome
2.2 2007 financial difficulties

3 References
4 External links

Fleet[edit]

Retired ships:
S/V Yankee Clipper
S/V Flying Cloud
M/V Amazing Grace
S/V Fantome (see below)

The fleet listed below were active at the time the company shut down.
S/V Legacy
S/V Polynesia sold to Portuguese Navy
S/V Mandalay
S/V Yankee Clipper in Trinidad

Issues[edit]

Loss of S/V Fantome[edit]

In October 1998, Hurricane Mitch was responsible for the loss of the S/V Fantome, a four-masted schooner operated by Windjammer. All 31 crew members aboard perished; passengers and other crew members had earlier been offloaded in Belize. The story was recorded in the book The Ship and The Storm by Jim Carrier (ISBN 0-07-135526-X). The ship, which was sailing in the center of the hurricane, experienced up to 50-foot (15 m) waves and over 100 mph (160 km/h) winds, causing the Fantome to founder off the coast of Honduras.[4]

2007 financial difficulties[edit]

According to reports in The Wall Street Journal and elsewhere, Windjammer had been in serious financial trouble since 2007 or earlier.[5] The Journal article explained that crews had gone unpaid, and the fleet of ships was found to be in disrepair. There were also reports that cruise passengers had complained of being stranded, either aboard the ships or at intermediate destinations.

After ceasing operations for several weeks, the company planned to relaunch cruises on its fleet of ships, starting with s/v Legacy on November 3, 2007 followed by the other ships in the spring of 2008. (On April 27, 2010, the s/v Legacy was spotted tied up at Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, in run-down condition). In a series of 2007 press releases, however, the company later canceled all sailings through January 2008.[6] No further information has been distributed by the company since November 2007, and no cruises are currently scheduled. The last press release on their website was released on December 21, 2007.[7]

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has received numerous complaints about Windjammer since its shutdown, because the company has not refunded prepaid fares for the canceled cruises. The Department has responded to these complaints with statements indicating that Windjammer is no longer in business.[2]

AND THIS:

https://first-draft.com/2015/09/14/the-fall-of-the-flying-cloud-and-captain-burkes-dream/

It shows a picture of the SV Flying Cloud half sunk in Trinidad.

Lastly this:
According to the “internet” this is now the Windjammer SV Mandalay
https://www.visitgalapagos.travel/sailing-cruises/mary-anne/


56 posted on 03/11/2020 2:11:23 PM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: LittleBillyInfidel

last one:

Apparently, this is where he S/V Mandalay ended up:

https://sailwindjammer.com/

It says that 2020 will be the last year for passenger cruises.


57 posted on 03/11/2020 2:21:54 PM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: woodbutcher1963

I wanted to circle back and thank you for those links and the info. I remember those ships being old and somewhat historic. I’m glad at least one entrepreneur kept one of them going as a cruise. Thanks again and stay healthy!


58 posted on 03/16/2020 6:46:11 AM PDT by LittleBillyInfidel (This tagline has been formatted to fit the screen. Some content has been edited.)
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