PRINCESS SHIPS & CORONA VIRUS

[Kenswing]

3 minutes ago, history_bits said:

Been lurking on here in order to be prepared for the worst case scenario for my upcoming Feb 25 trip on the Crown. Feel like it's unlikely, but I like to hedge my bets... 

May have even somewhat jokingly asked my boss today if I'd need to use vacation days, or if quarantine qualified as sick leave when he asked if I was looking forward to my "corona cruise". 

 

Just logged into the Princess website to check and see if there had been any itinerary changes for my itinerary due to the ongoing generator issues on the Crown, and decided to click on the "Health Advisories" section at the top of the page. They just updated it about 15 mins ago with a list of what they are offering the passengers on the quarantined ship.

 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/diamond-princess-guest-experience.html

 

That was 15 minutes ago plus 24 hours..  🤣

[history_bits]

Just now, Kenswing said:

That was 15 minutes ago plus 24 hours..  🤣

Urgh! It's so Friday... I just saw the time zone and didn't delete it fast enough. Go figure only on here once a day. lol

 

Weird coincidence that it was so close to my local time. 😂

[Aus Traveller]

23 minutes ago, bluesea321 said:

@ Te Aroha  Thanks for the interview link, good info.

Agreed. 🙂

[Pstcrik]

Royal Caribbean is stepping up their action:

"

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL.N) issued a statement on Friday saying: “Any guest or crewmen traveling from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau less than 15 days prior to their sailing will be unable to board any of our ships.”

But it did not stop there. It also said, “Any guests holding a Chinese, Hong Kong or Macau passport, regardless of when they were there last, will not be allowed to board our ships.”

[Pushka]

Could someone refresh me please? Where did the original passenger board the cruise from and is it known if they had symptoms from that time or did these develop afterwards. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, bluesea321 said:

Did you bother to read the article before replying? The Executive Director of the World Health Organization said:

"People who are quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess in Japan have been wondering how long their isolation would last. On Friday, a health official gave an answer they might not like: the quarantine will be extended every time a new case of the Wuhan coronavirus is confirmed on the ship.

The coronavirus quarantine that has kept some 3,700 people aboard the cruise ship is currently set to expire on Feb. 19 – but that date would be reset if any new samples from people on the ship test positive for the virus, Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Program, said Friday."

This is different to what the Japanese Minister of Health stated. The term he used was "unforeseen circumstances" which implies something more than just new cases among those in quarantine.

 

And that is logical as people in quarantine cannot infect others since there is no contact or mingling in public. 

 

So hopefully the quarantine will not be extended as I am fairly sure there will be new cases. David Abel mentioned in his latest video that some passengers were reporting increased temperatures which is not unexpected. The whole concept of quarantine is to identify passengers who were infected before the quarantine started but had not developed symptoms at that time. 

[Aus Traveller]

2 minutes ago, Pushka said:

Could someone refresh me please? Where did the original passenger board the cruise from and is it known if they had symptoms from that time or did these develop afterwards. 

The passenger boarded in Yokohama. He lives in Hong Kong, but had visited 'mainland' China before his cruise to do some shopping. He was symptom free during his five days on the ship. After he disembarked in Hong Kong, he became ill and went to a hospital where he was diagnosed with coronavirus.

 

Obviously the problem is the number of people he came in contact with while he was on the ship. People would have been in an elevator with him when he may have sneezed, or close to him in the buffet or the dining room.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, Pushka said:

Could someone refresh me please? Where did the original passenger board the cruise from and is it known if they had symptoms from that time or did these develop afterwards. 

He boarded in Yokohama and had no symptoms at that time. There is some confusion as to whether he had any symptoms onboard - there has been mention of a cough but he didn't seek medical aid and, lets face it, most cruises have a cough going around on them which people just take over the counter meds for. He went to a doctor about five days after disembarking in Hong Kong and at that stage they weren't sure whether he caught it after his cruise or before.

[npcl]

1 hour ago, bluesea321 said:

 

I believe the facts. You can believe as you wish. For those that may be interested in facts, not speculation, I suggest listening to the News Conference from the World Health Organization which was linked on the NPR article I initially quoted.

 

To save time go to the 22:30 minute mark and listed to 24:30. This section specifically deals with the Diamond Princess. The WHO, contrary to what you assumed, is in close coordination with the Japanese authorities and their teams (WHO and Japan) were actually discussing the Diamond Princess options as the News Conference was going on. 

 

I quote "at the moment every time there is a new case the quarantine extends 14 days. "We need to find a way to break that vicious cycle. There is a lot to work out.... It is quite scary, very very scary to be in that situation".

 

So as it turns out the Executive Director of the WHO has a lot more in-depth details than you assumed.

 

 

However if you listen to the portions before that he is explicitly talking about issues with organizing the patients which was done with isolation.  He also did not say that the extension would apply to ALL patients on the ship.  

 

So if there are new cases then those in contact with the new cases may have their time extended, but not necessarily everyone will have their time extended.

 

We will see whose interpretation is correct in 12 days from now.

[bluesea321]

4 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

This is different to what the Japanese Minister of Health stated. The term he used was "unforeseen circumstances" which implies something more than just new cases among those in quarantine.

 

And that is logical as people in quarantine cannot infect others since there is no contact or mingling in public. 

 

So hopefully the quarantine will not be extended as I am fairly sure there will be new cases. David Abel mentioned in his latest video that some passengers were reporting increased temperatures which is not unexpected. The whole concept of quarantine is to identify passengers who were infected before the quarantine started but had not developed symptoms at that time. 

 

Did you view the WHO's News Conference Video. It is all there.

[Pushka]

2 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

He boarded in Yokohama and had no symptoms at that time. There is some confusion as to whether he had any symptoms onboard - there has been mention of a cough but he didn't seek medical aid and, lets face it, most cruises have a cough going around on them which people just take over the counter meds for. He went to a doctor about five days after disembarking in Hong Kong and at that stage they weren't sure whether he caught it after his cruise or before.

Thankyou. It’s one of those sliding door moments then. Did he disembark because he wasn’t well? Thought I’d read that somewhere. And if he’d not gone to the Dr and just went home to rest - ie he wasn’t particularly unwell with it, then I wonder what a different outcome would have been. And yes, many develop a completely innocent cough onboard and I’m thinking now that people coughing will get the death stare. 

[cruiserchuck]

5 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

He boarded in Yokohama and had no symptoms at that time. There is some confusion as to whether he had any symptoms onboard - there has been mention of a cough but he didn't seek medical aid and, lets face it, most cruises have a cough going around on them which people just take over the counter meds for. He went to a doctor about five days after disembarking in Hong Kong and at that stage they weren't sure whether he caught it after his cruise or before.

 

I have also read reports that he had a cough while onboard.  He also ended his cruise after only 5 days, when it was back in Hong Kong.  I do not know if he always planned to get off in Hong Kong, or if he got off because he was not feeling well.

[bluesea321]

4 minutes ago, npcl said:

However if you listen to the portions before that he is explicitly talking about issues with organizing the patients which was done with isolation...

 

I listened to the whole news conference, start to finish, and what I quoted is accurate. Twelve days from now means nothing, they can change their minds tomorrow, the next day, who knows. But as I quoted "at the moment every time there is a new case the quarantine extends 14 days" and they are looking for ways to break this vicious cycle. Seems pretty clear to me but you can believe as you wish. Have a good day.

[OzKiwiJJ]

24 minutes ago, npcl said:

However if you listen to the portions before that he is explicitly talking about issues with organizing the patients which was done with isolation.  He also did not say that the extension would apply to ALL patients on the ship.  

 

So if there are new cases then those in contact with the new cases may have their time extended, but not necessarily everyone will have their time extended.

 

We will see whose interpretation is correct in 12 days from now.

Yes, people in the same cabin as someone who is confirmed as having the virus after the quarantine started may have an extended quarantine but, depending on numbers, that extra quarantine time might take place off the ship. 

 

Anyway let's hope the majority are able to go home after the initial quarantine is up.

[OzKiwiJJ]

25 minutes ago, Pushka said:

Thankyou. It’s one of those sliding door moments then. Did he disembark because he wasn’t well? Thought I’d read that somewhere. And if he’d not gone to the Dr and just went home to rest - ie he wasn’t particularly unwell with it, then I wonder what a different outcome would have been. And yes, many develop a completely innocent cough onboard and I’m thinking now that people coughing will get the death stare. 

Princess often offers cruises as one long cruise or two smaller cruises so it is possible he only booked a Yokohama to HK cruise.

[OzKiwiJJ]

12 minutes ago, bluesea321 said:

 

I listened to the whole news conference, start to finish, and what I quoted is accurate. Twelve days from now means nothing, they can change their minds tomorrow, the next day, who knows. But as I quoted "at the moment every time there is a new case the quarantine extends 14 days" and they are looking for ways to break this vicious cycle. Seems pretty clear to me but you can believe as you wish. Have a good day.

I'm not doubting what WHO have stated but the ship is under the control of the Japanese Ministry of Health and they are calling the shots, hence I place more credence on their statement. Besides extra cases would be foreseen, not unforeseen.

[Mrs CruisinCritter]

I’ve been reading and following all of the discussion surrounding Patient 0 in this instance on the Diamond and I just came across this article as I was browsing the news. It appears that they have found that this version of the corona virus has had proven cases of “super-spreaders.” I now wonder if the man at the start of this outbreak on the Diamond would be considered a “super-spreader” by definition. The attached article is interesting as it relates to new reports regarding the spread of the virus. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/health/coronavirus-patients.html

[V_icki_e]

Another 3 cases confirmed on the Diamond this morning, taking the total to 64.  

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3049629/coronavirus-three-new-infections-board-cruise-ship-japan

 

[matadams4u]

Now being reported on the Celebrity thread the Millenium was denied a port and has cancelled its cruise.  Disembarkation will now be Singapore instead of Bangkok.  

[YlangYlangF9PB3E]

5 hours ago, TNTLAMB said:

Thats correct BUT if everyone maintains their "cabin quarantine" that time would likley not have to be extended as there would be no new cases which is what NPCL was trying to explain. There will be an end very close to the 19th. Its really very simple statistics.

Unless, of course, it CAN be spread through ventilation or plumbing. That would break the quarantine.

[GeezerCouple]

Apparently Norwegian and  Royal Caribbean will not allow any Chinese Passport holders on board at this time, regardless of where they have recently traveled:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/07/us/coronavirus-cruise-ships-protocol/index.html

 

"Two US-based cruise lines are forbidding people with Chinese, Hong Kong or Macau passports from boarding their cruise ships, according to company statements released Friday.

Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International released statements as the coronavirus continues to spread. The companies say the new policies apply to anyone -- guest or crew member -- with these passports, regardless of residency or where they visited last.

The policies also prohibit boarding from travelers or crew members who visited Hong Kong or Macau within the last 15 to 30 days."

 

GC

 

 

 

 

 

 

[matadams4u]

Now with Regent being denied ports it appears that pretty much every cruise line is having issues in Asia.  It’s pretty amazing to see what has happened in just a week.  I really feel for those with plans for March and April since the best option is to wait and see what happens for refunds.  This has been so stressful I had to book an emergency cruise...granted it is just a short coastal on the Emerald.

[Qextor]

'Emergency Cruise'? I understand stress relief, but I don't want to be anywhere near a cruise ship right now.  Maybe in September... a coastal on the Emerald does sound nice; I would only need airfare home from LA.  And things will have calmed down by then.

[MMDown Under]

10 minutes ago, Qextor said:

'Emergency Cruise'? I understand stress relief, but I don't want to be anywhere near a cruise ship right now.  

Me neither !

[Kenswing]

Updated by Princess.

 

Updated February 7, 2020

To protect the health and safety of all onboard, we are closely monitoring the evolving situation with respect to the new coronavirus that originated in mainland China. Although the risk to our guests and crew is low, we are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our medical experts are coordinating closely with international health authorities and have activated enhanced screening, prevention and control procedures for our ships to keep guests and crew safe.

To limit the spread of the illness, health authorities in China have restricted travel across many cities in the affected areas, cancelled mass public gatherings and are conducting airport arrival screening. The global health response has adopted similar measures, including entry restrictions and screening requirements for travelers from affected areas.

We have also adopted measures intended to keep you safe. These include:

1. Any individual who has traveled from or through mainland China, Macau, or Hong Kong within 14 days of the start of this cruise, will not be permitted to board the ship.
2. Any individual who has been in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus or a person under monitoring for coronavirus within 14 days of the start of the cruise, will not be permitted to board the ship.
3. Pre-Boarding medical evaluations, including temperature checks, for persons with fever or respiratory symptoms with travel from or through an affected area.
4. Standard pre-boarding health reporting for all guests advising them of their obligation to report any illness symptoms.
5. Medical screening for coronavirus on all guests who visit our onboard Medical Center with symptoms of respiratory illness.
6. Reporting to local and national health authorities of all cases of fever and respiratory illness, and any patients with suspected coronavirus infection.
7. Crew members from China will be delayed from joining any ship until further notice.
8. Environmental disinfection onboard will be performed in addition to our regular stringent cleaning and sanitation protocols.

As with all respiratory illnesses, particularly during cold and flu season, you can take steps to reduce your risk of illness:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
• Where soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid close contact with people suffering from respiratory illness.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Get vaccinated against seasonal influenza.  

Updated information on the illness and travel advice, can be found at the CDC website.
 
Please be aware that as the situation is changing rapidly, you may be required to undergo additional health screening measures by local health officials before you disembark at any of the ports we visit  and entry requirements are subject to change.

The above is subject to change at any time based on the interests of health and safety of our guests and crew and any other requirements that may be imposed by local authorities.

Additionally, as the safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority, Princess Cruises has amended the following voyages:

Voyage H013 will now arrive in Tokyo, Japan (Yokohama) instead of Shanghai on May 2
Voyage H014 will now depart from Tokyo, Japan (Yokohama) instead of Shanghai on May 2
Voyage H015 will now arrive in Tokyo, Japan (Yokohama) instead of Shanghai on June 3

Princess Cruises has also cancelled the following voyages sailing roundtrip to Shanghai on Sapphire Princess:

June 3, 2020 and June 11, 2020

We are also looking to remove the transit calls to Shanghai on May 1 and July 17 on Sun Princess, replacing with Japan ports of calls (actual ports to be announced).

*14-days is the accepted standard incubation period of Coronavirus recognized by the WHO and US CDC.