Coronavirus Notification from HAL

[Djptcp]

DH and I are taking the Feb. 5th Veendam cruise and received this notification from HAL today:

 

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION: We are closely monitoring the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation and wish to reassure you that the risk to our guests and crew is low and our medical experts are coordinating closely with global health authorities. As a precautionary measure, any guest who has traveled from or through mainland China within 14 days of the start of this cruise will not be permitted to board the ship. This does not apply to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. If this applies to you or your client, please contact us at 1-800-577-1729 (North America) or your country?s office to provide proof of such travel and we will process a full refund of all amounts paid to Holland America Line for this voyage. In addition, all guests will be subject to pre-boarding health reporting and screening at cruise check-in, in addition to other precautions being taken. The above is subject to change based on the interests of health and safety of our guests and crew and any other requirements imposed by local authorities.

 

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for sharing the information.

[carlyshenk]

We got that notification for our Zuiderdam cruise next Saturday.

 

[baggal]

47 minutes ago, Djptcp said:

DH and I are taking the Feb. 5th Veendam cruise and received this notification from HAL today:

 

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION: We are closely monitoring the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation and wish to reassure you that the risk to our guests and crew is low and our medical experts are coordinating closely with global health authorities. As a precautionary measure, any guest who has traveled from or through mainland China within 14 days of the start of this cruise will not be permitted to board the ship. This does not apply to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. If this applies to you or your client, please contact us at 1-800-577-1729 (North America) or your country?s office to provide proof of such travel and we will process a full refund of all amounts paid to Holland America Line for this voyage. In addition, all guests will be subject to pre-boarding health reporting and screening at cruise check-in, in addition to other precautions being taken. The above is subject to change based on the interests of health and safety of our guests and crew and any other requirements imposed by local authorities.

 

 

How can HAL enforce this?  We all know that the former required "health form" did nothing to stop recently or currently ill passengers from boarding.  

[Ottawa traveller]

At least they can tell from your passport if you have been to China. 

[TiogaCruiser]

It will be interesting to see how many people are still eligible for the cruise. How many would travel that far and not add on at least something?

[3rdGenCunarder]

27 minutes ago, Ottawa traveller said:

At least they can tell from your passport if you have been to China. 

 

I'm sure that's part of the process. Also, if they booked someone's flight to China arriving in advance of the cruise, they'll know part of where the person has traveled.

 

17 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

It will be interesting to see how many people are still eligible for the cruise. How many would travel that far and not add on at least something?

 

I always add extra days. The farther I'm going from home, the less likely I am to go again. So I want to make the most of the opportunity to do extra traveling.

 

[jakkojakko]

1 hour ago, baggal said:

 

How can HAL enforce this?  We all know that the former required "health form" did nothing to stop recently or currently ill passengers from boarding.  

 

Easy. They now added screening in addition to the earlier reporting. The medical team can standby and screen passengers for illness and fever and deny boarding. 100% foolproof?, no, but nothing is.

[Djptcp]

I suspect we will have to fill out a health form at the terminal on Wed. I wonder if people with obvious colds/constant coughing or respiratory distress will be pulled aside to be evaluated by the ship's medical staff?  DH is doing embarkation for the Royal Caribbean ship today at the Port of Tampa, not Carnival or NCL, and I will be interested to hear how RCI is handling this. Probably something similar to HAL and Carnival.

[ontheweb]

37 minutes ago, jakkojakko said:

 

Easy. They now added screening in addition to the earlier reporting. The medical team can standby and screen passengers for illness and fever and deny boarding. 100% foolproof?, no, but nothing is.

I have heard on news reports that this new disease is asymptomatic for 2-14 days. It does not seem possible for a screening to work unless you quarantine for up to 14 days.

[3rdGenCunarder]

7 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I have heard on news reports that this new disease is asymptomatic for 2-14 days. It does not seem possible for a screening to work unless you quarantine for up to 14 days.

 

Yes, I heard the report about 14 days, too. That's why they're blocking people who have been to China within the 14 days prior to boarding. 

 

The health form is useless. People will lie because they don't want to miss their cruise. I was so happy to see the Noro form go. You've just walked into the terminal. You've got carry-on and probably your boarding pass and passport in hand because you had to show them at the door, and now you've got this extra piece of paper to deal with. People stopping to look at it clogging the way. And never any pens available. I always used to make sure I had a pen handy to pull out of my purse to get the stupid form over with. Not worth the hassle. And isn't HAL trying to save paper? 😉

 

[idiebabe]

I saw a Post that Carnival Cruise Lines  sent out a similar notification of the 14 days and not being allowed to Board but also mentioned Bahamas.  It said that the Bahamas was not allowing Entry to any passenger who had travelled to China up to 20 days before.  If someone had travelled to China within the 20 days, they would not be allowed to Debark the Ship.

[sail7seas]

I just heard a news blurb a new case has just been confirmed in Massachusetts.    Mass.  did permit a  plane from   china to land and deplane at Boston's Logan airport.    all aboard, of course,  went through the terminal and Immigration control  in the International Terminal.. 

Edited February 1, 2020 by sail7seas

[mamaofami]

The big issue with this virus is that people can be asymptotic for many days and not even know they were exposed . 

[Mary229]

Since the US is enforcing a 14 day minimum quarantine it would be foolish to lie as you may not get home easily.    Of course, if the new reports that 14 days isn’t long enough that mandatory quarantine may be extended.   The US does have ways of knowing where you have been, it is not failsafe, but it is more than self-reporting.  

[sail7seas]

1 minute ago, Mary229 said:

Since the US is enforcing a 14 day minimum quarantine it would be foolish to lie as you may not get home easily.    Of course, if the new reports that 14 days isn’t long enough that mandatory quarantine may be extended.   The US does have ways of knowing where you have been, it is not failsafe, but it is more than self-reporting.  

 

 

Would it require cooperation from China for U.S.   to check on which Americans have been where in China?  credit card records,   privately hired trans portation  tour guide records etc

 

 

 

[Mary229]

1 minute ago, sail7seas said:

 

 

Would it require cooperation from China for U.S.   to check on which Americans have been where in China?  credit card records,   privately hired trans portation  tour guide records etc

 

 

 

Most people fly and the US has access to the flight manifest.   The issue is tracking land transport 

Edited February 1, 2020 by Mary229

[sail7seas]

Just now, Mary229 said:

Most people fly and the US has access to the flight manifest.  

Yes, of  course but once landed and permitted entry into China,  the manifes re cords have no  value as  to whether travelers went to Huwan or cities in  China  especially to be avoided.

[Mary229]

4 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

Yes, of  course but once landed and permitted entry into China,  the manifes re cords have no  value as  to whether travelers went to Huwan or cities in  China  especially to be avoided.

The new US mandatory quarantine makes no distinction.  It covers travel to all of China 

Edited February 1, 2020 by Mary229

[sail7seas]

Manifests of  flights to China would  not reflect person s who may have traveled to China through Japan, Vietnam,   Indonesia etc.

 

Inspection of their passports would indicate entrance into China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by sail7seas

[Mary229]

1 minute ago, sail7seas said:

Manifests of  flights to China would  not reflect person s who may have traveled to China through Japan, Vietnam,   Indonesia etc.

 

 

 

 

Right, that is why I said it doesn’t include ground transport but one assumes that crossing the Chinese border is a documented event.   

[sail7seas]

8 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Right, that is why I said it doesn’t include ground transport but one assumes that crossing the Chinese border is a documented event.   

Mary, I saw no mention of ground trans port but they certainly could fly from   Vietnam,  Thailand etc

 

W likely have now touched on each of our major points and will start chasing our tails.  Thanks for the nice b ack and forth.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 2, 2020 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

12 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Right, that is why I said it doesn’t include ground transport but one assumes that crossing the Chinese border is a documented event.   

My reason for commenting re:  would China cooperate and provide records     Post#17

Again, thanks.

Edited February 2, 2020 by sail7seas

[Mary229]

Just now, sail7seas said:

My reason for commenting re:  would China cooperate and provide records

Again, thanks.

I don’t know what the status is for sharing.   Of course if your passport is stamped it would be caught by customs upon re-entry and I am sure they are going to ask.   I was going to also see who is still flying to China.  It is not only US airlines who have quit flying.  As an online seller many colleagues in China are starting to report post office closures since packages can’t be flown out of the country.  If I find any information I will report it. 

[npcl]

12 hours ago, baggal said:

 

How can HAL enforce this?  We all know that the former required "health form" did nothing to stop recently or currently ill passengers from boarding.  

Very simply if someone lies  and neglects to inform the  cruise line that they were in China and boards, and then develops the illness you can expect that person would be in so much trouble on a number of levels including damages suffered by the cruise line, violation of health protection laws since a medical emergency has been initiated by both the US and WHO. I could even see manslaughter charges if they were to board, get sick, pass the disease on, and have another passenger get infected and die.

 

Of course some might try it.