Posted on 01/12/2021 12:15:05 PM PST by Capt. Tom
With multiple vaccines now available and vaccination efforts underway around the world, there may be hope that the COVID-19 pandemic could end soon. Why, then, are cruises still being canceled, even months before their sailing dates?
The Evolution of a Pandemic While there is progress and hope in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, it is critical to understand that pandemics evolve just like the diseases that cause them.
As the COVID-19 virus mutates into new strains, additional research must be conducted to ensure that treatment measures, medications, and vaccines can remain effective against each strain.
Even while that research is underway, both new and old strains of the virus continue to be transmitted, and therefore case numbers, infection rates, and death totals rise.
Vaccines are an excellent step to halt the spread of this contagious disease. Because the vaccines are still in the early stage of both distribution and public use, however, the extent of the protection they may provide both against catching the disease and against transmitting it is not yet known.
Multiple doses of the early vaccines are necessary for the most protection, and it will take additional time for those re-vaccinations to take place. Overall levels of protection must also be studied and verified.
In the meantime, additional health measures such as social distancing, limited gatherings, mask-wearing, enhanced cleaning, and increased handwashing must continue, as all these measures play some part in preventing the spread of the disease.
As pandemic-related health protocols continue to evolve, so too do the precautions cruise lines need to take before setting sail, and therefore, more cruises may be canceled.
Health Protocols on Post-Pandemic Cruise Ships Different cruise lines are implementing different health and sanitation safety procedures and cleaning protocols.
Depending on the line, this may include upgraded air filtration systems, new policies to promote fresh air in indoor spaces wherever safely possible, stronger cleaning chemicals to kill viruses and bacteria coupled with more frequent cleaning, and regular health surveys and checks for both passengers and crew.
Other protocols on different ships can include limiting capacity at shows or activities, requiring reservations for popular spaces, mask-wearing in indoor areas, changes to dining operations, contact tracing for both passengers and crew, and requiring negative testing before setting sail.
Which protocols are necessary on each ship will depend not only on different cruise lines, but also where those ships set sail from and which ports they visit during each voyage.
Coordinating a Cruise Itinerary One of the best things about cruising is the ability to visit different countries without the hassle of packing and unpacking, passing through customs, and uncomfortable travel interrupting each part of a vacation.
While this can be very convenient for passengers, it can also be very challenging for a cruise line to coordinate between ports of call in different countries.
As the pandemic continues, different countries are developing their own health and safety protocols for visitors, including cruise passengers. When each port may have somewhat different requirements, it can be difficult for a cruise line to meet the proper requirements for an engaging itinerary passengers will enjoy.
Some popular cruise ports may remain closed to passengers while others reopen, and even as sailings resume, cruise ports may change visitor requirements in response to their own infection rates and COVID protocols.
Test Cruises Cruise lines are easing into post-pandemic practices with a string of “test sailings” and a slow, careful resumption of operations when it is safe to do so.
These test sailings are a way to put new protocols in place, as well as to gather feedback from passengers and crew members about what practices work best and what options are not as feasible.
Each test cruise is being very closely observed, not only by its own cruise line, but also by other cruise lines, vendors, prospective passengers, and the media.
As different policies are refined, additional sailings will continue to test protocols and adjust requirements before more cruise ships cautiously set sail under updated guidelines.
So, Why More Cancelations? After all these precautions, adjustments, and tests, why are cruises continuing to be canceled even while the vaccine is being distributed?
Each of these steps to get cruises sailing again takes time, not to mention the time to reposition cruise ships, recall crews, and stock supplies for upcoming sailings. Because of the scrutiny the cruise industry will be under as sailings resume, cruise lines want to take every possible precaution for a safe and successful restart.
Despite the confusion and inconvenience that results from further cancelations, cruise lines are being ultra-cautious about future sailings. With pandemic conditions and different restrictions and protocols continuing to shift on a nearly daily basis, it can be easier to cancel additional sailings a few weeks early rather than risk last-minute emergency cancelations or unprepared sailings.
For travelers, patience is essential. Stay connected to your favorite cruise lines through email announcements, text alerts, and social media to be apprised of potential cancelations as soon as possible.
Passengers who already have future bookings should stay aware of the status of their sailings and the different compensation offers, including refunds and future cruise credits, if those sailings may be canceled. Of course, the cruise industry wants to resume voyages as soon as it is safe to do so, and many passengers are eager to set sail once again.
Further cancelations, however, are likely inevitable as the pandemic continues and protocols must be adjusted to maximize safety and minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Staying patient and supportive of the cruise industry in these trying times is the best that any avid cruiser can do, and in time, we will all be sailing safely once again.
Reoccurrences and mutations of Covid-19 and questionable vaccines and shifting political attitudes have certainly not helped out.
The cruise lines always talk about how they can continue without income but the future events may change that. -Tom
A very high percentage of the cruising public is above the age where the CV is especially contagious and lethal. These cruisers are insisting that cruise lines reopen with the objective of zero infections.
Waiting for them to go belly up so S O R O S and Sons can buy them up for pennies on the dollar.....................
Because some diseased old dude in Florida keeps trying to schedule a cruise and nobody wants to go with him.
Ecoli on the sea is always fun
Why?
Cancel Culture. Easy.
That will work against the younger cruisers, under 55, that the big cruise lines like CARNIVAL- ROYAL CARIBBEAN- NOREGIAN-MSC who need the younger people to be successful.
Hospital ship rules might be OK for a cruise line like VIKING, and a few others.
IMHO the many ships cruise lines are going to have to reduce their fleets, as cruising isn't going to be what it used to be. -Tom
Another obstacle to a cruise restart just posted on Free Republic
WHO warns COVID-19 herd immunity unlikely in 2021, despite vaccines
nypost ^ | 01/12/2021 | Jackie Salo
Posted on 1/12/2021, 3:46:27 PM by ChicagoConservative27
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3924482/posts
I guess you didn’t hear but the latest from Q is that all those indictments they had are being sent to gitmo by way of cruise lines.
Capt. Tom wrote: “That will work against the younger cruisers, under 55, that the big cruise lines like CARNIVAL- ROYAL CARIBBEAN- NOREGIAN-MSC who need the younger people to be successful.”
The most vocal are the long time, older cruisers, who are demanding 100% assurances of safe cruising. Those younger cruisers are willing to take their chances with the virus and are not interested in cruises with masks, social distancing, and no parties at night.
After 36 cruises I always, and I mean without exception always, came back healthier and stronger from every cruise. 2 main reasons, first the food is much better quality than I can cook at home or can get everyday in restaurants, and second, there is opportunity to walk 4 miles every day without even trying.
On the recent cruise on Oasis of the Seas ship, my pedometer measured half mile walk from cabin to dining room and back. With 3 meals there was 1.5 miles right there. Then add the huge covered jogging track, 2 round trips was one mile. I also water skiied on top deck of ship with high velocity pumped water stream. Add to that the 14th floor well equipped gym with panoramic views of the unending ocean waters.
Also, during the total 212 days spent sailing on cruise ships, not even once I can recall suffering salmonella, shigella and E. coli. May be because we prefer all 3 meals in dining room instead of the buffet where kids can handle and touch the food.
That will be a problem since myself as an old duffer with comorbidities, I am not interested in a cruise with masks, social distancing, no buffet , covid tests, restrictive shore excursions etc. -Tom
Capt. Tom wrote: “That will be a problem since myself as an old duffer with comorbidities, I am not interested in a cruise with masks, social distancing, no buffet , covid tests, restrictive shore excursions etc. -Tom”
Perhaps the largest social media site for those who cruise is Cruise Critic. You would be, as I am, in the minority there. I was banned from posting for five weeks because I was ‘disrupting’ the community for vocalling protesting all those ‘mitigation’ protocols. However, the majority of posters there were all in favor of those things so that they could begin cruising again with 100% safety. I think the thing that got me in most trouble was when I pointed out how futile those measures were.
entropy12 wrote: “Also, during the total 212 days spent sailing on cruise ships, not even once I can recall suffering salmonella, shigella and E. coli. May be because we prefer all 3 meals in dining room instead of the buffet where kids can handle and touch the food.”
That simply cannot be true because as all intelligent persons know, cruise ships are nothing but ‘huge floating petri dishes’. That phrase has to be one of the most ill-informed of all times.
The Weekly Standard went out of business.
I may be nearing 81 age, but will definitely do 36 more cruises before the end of entropy12. If ships made me sick, I would have quit cruising longs ago.
Even before covid-19 arrived from China, I instinctively practiced washing hands before eating. That is a habit carried over from my days growing up in India with parents who were strict disciplinarians. That habit may have served me well avoiding covid-19 & flu as well.
entropy12 wrote: “I may be nearing 81 age, but will definitely do 36 more cruises before the end of entropy12. If ships made me sick, I would have quit cruising longs ago.”
Lucky for you. I’m 74 and was hoping to take more cruises but wife is losing interest.
The new Carnival ship the Mardi Gras left Finland last month arrived in Rotterdam for a couple of days to one of the LNG refueling ports and left there Dec 22...
After 14 days of going around in circles outside Barcelona she finally docked Jan 3...was that a quarantine ??? (Barcelona is the only other LNG refualing port in the world)
MG has been moored in Barcelona since then...a friend suggested that the US may not let her come into Port Canaveral (her new homeport) just yet...
she is suppose to do her inaugural cruise April 24 but if Carnival cancels April thats another of my cruises gone ...right now I’m O-14......
If theres no Med this summer there goes a couple of others...next up March 2022...
Good thing I’m in goodish health for my 72 years...I have so much OBC now ($600 each cancelled cruise) I’ll be cruising till Im 82 to use it all...
“If theres no Med this summer there goes a couple of others...next up March 2022...”snip
Tom here- a big problem the Cruise lines have in scheduling is individual authorities political or medical can throw monkey wrenches into itineraries.
If the attitude expressed below catches on in other places around the world, scheduling will become a nightmare for the Cruise Lines.
Excerpt from latest Cruise Industry News
Note; Alden McLaughlin is the premier of the Cayman Islands
McLaughlin referred to cruise ships as “crucibles” for the coronavirus and said he does not think cruising will resume on a “significant level” before 2022.
“I think we would have to be satisfied that the world was in a very different place in terms of safety-related to the coronavirus before we would even consider having the cruise ships come here. They’ve demonstrated that they are really crucibles for the virus because of the way people have to live in such confined spaces and in such close contact with each other,” McLaughlin said.
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