Seaside being held up in Ocho Rios

[cruiser man 60]

Jamaica would not allow Italians off a costa ship last week but let other nationalities off!

[put me on a ship]

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article240781521.html

I wonder if this could partly (at least) be the reason.

 

[BermudaBound2014]

Just now, cruiser man 60 said:

Jamaica would not allow Italians off a costa ship last week but let other nationalities off!

 

Do you have a reference for this? I read that the most recent issue with the Costa ship happened when they were turned away from Tortola (not Jamaica). Not to be confused with the costa ship that was turned away from  St. Lucia a few weeks ago.

[Cruising89143]

If I were MSC I would tell them to shove it and cast off the lines. It’s one thing to be cautious but this is going overboard. 

[put me on a ship]

1 minute ago, cruiser man 60 said:

Jamaica would not allow Italians off a costa ship last week but let other nationalities off!

Which made no sense at all. If the Italians were exposed, they would have exposed other passengers on the ship.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, put me on a ship said:

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article240781521.html

I wonder if this could partly (at least) be the reason.

 

 

I did fear that when the news of the DR broke yesterday. At this point, it seems as though the majority of ships being turned away are from Italy (Costa turned away from Tortola and St. Lucia, Mera from Grand Cayman and Jamaica). Then you have Braemer turned away from the DR due to people flying directly from Italy (at least that is what is being reported, I have not been able to fact check).

[BermudaBound2014]

2 minutes ago, put me on a ship said:

Which made no sense at all. If the Italians were exposed, they would have exposed other passengers on the ship.

 

I agree, need a reference for this claim.

[put me on a ship]

Just now, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I did fear that when the news of the DR broke yesterday. At this point, it seems as though the majority of ships being turned away are from Italy (Costa turned away from Tortola and St. Lucia, Mera from Grand Cayman and Jamaica). Then you have Braemer turned away from the DR due to people flying directly from Italy (at least that is what is being reported, I have not been able to fact check).

A Carnival ship was denied entry into St Lucia last week also.

[cruiser man 60]

1 minute ago, put me on a ship said:

Which made no sense at all. If the Italians were exposed, they would have exposed other passengers on the ship.

Sense has gone out the window with this virus and hysteria is being whipped up by the media!

[put me on a ship]

Just now, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I agree, need a reference for this claim.

I know I had heard that also, but I can't remember where, and I can't find it now.

[BermudaBound2014]

Just now, put me on a ship said:

A Carnival ship was denied entry into St Lucia last week also.

 

I'm pretty sure the Carnival ship IS the Costa ship. Costa cruises is owned by CCL.

 

[put me on a ship]

Just now, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I'm pretty sure the Carnival ship IS the Costa ship. Costa cruises is owned by CCL.

 

No, it was a Carnival brand ship, the Carnival Fascination. It went to Barbados, and the person was tested there for COVID-19. Came back negative, was the common flu.

[Nikita4]

24 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

No one knows. I suspect there is much behind the scenes we aren't privy to.

 

Some are speculating that this is not a retaliation (of sorts) to last week when MSC used very strong language against Jamaica with the Meraviglia debacle. Of course, that is pure speculation.  As I mentioned above, holding an Italian passport and/or traveling directly from Italy did play into Fred Olsen's refusal into the Dominican Republic last Friday.

 

But again, no one knows for sure

 

MSC is not Italian, ist a swiss company :-), its ownd by a Italian family from Naples but their "tax central" is in Switzerland.

[shoestringtheory]

My parents are on the Seaside right now with some friends and we're sailing on the Armonia next week. After the Mera last week we all knew this would be a possibility. Crossing my fingers that the rest of your ports go better!

[GOLDENBONNY]

1 hour ago, floridian1 said:

is this because its an italian owned cruise line??

probably and probably someone in CCL had something to do with buttering Jamaicans . any way I don't care for Jamaica never go a shore any way and hope MSC will stop going there .

[put me on a ship]

Someone (this is from that site which shall not be named) who is currently aboard the Seaside said all excursions were cancelled, and they were finally cleared about 45 minutes ago.

Edited March 2, 2020 by put me on a ship

[Beardface]

Update:

 

Cleared customs about 45 minutes after all excursions were cancelled.  Apologies for the delay, the mobile signal here on the island has been awful for the last few hours.

[Beardface]

All aboard pushed from 3:30 to 6:30.  Taxis apparently has word of our clearance before we did because they were lined up for blocks as the first people got off.

 

It reeks of retribution for last week.

[capitalbarry]

I say, stay on the ship!!!!.DON'T give this port any of your hard earned MONEY>>>>>

[allyfrizzle]

3 hours ago, Beardface said:

All aboard pushed from 3:30 to 6:30.  Taxis apparently has word of our clearance before we did because they were lined up for blocks as the first people got off.

 

It reeks of retribution for last week.

I just got home from the Meraviglia that was denied access to Jamaica and Grand Cayman. I hope moving forward that you're able to make other stops. 

[CruisinCrow]

3 hours ago, capitalbarry said:

I say, stay on the ship!!!!.DON'T give this port any of your hard earned MONEY>>>>>

 

Why punish people who had nothing to do with the decision and are just trying to make a living?

[capitalbarry]

9 minutes ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

Why punish people who had nothing to do with the decision and are just trying to make a living?

same goes for ALL on BOARD, think about it... Actions speak LOADER THAN WORDS...

[aprilF]

11 minutes ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

Why punish people who had nothing to do with the decision and are just trying to make a living?

Because voting with their dollars is the only way these passengers can show Jamaica that they dont appreciate they way they were received.  And hopefully their officials will listen to them.  Because they sure aint listening to MSC.

[reedprincess]

6 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I did fear that when the news of the DR broke yesterday. At this point, it seems as though the majority of ships being turned away are from Italy (Costa turned away from Tortola and St. Lucia, Mera from Grand Cayman and Jamaica). Then you have Braemer turned away from the DR due to people flying directly from Italy (at least that is what is being reported, I have not been able to fact check).

Correction. There hasn't been any Costa ship denied port in St Lucia.

St Lucia has denied Aida, back in early February, along with Dominica, due to elevated cases of respiratory infections aboard - and both governments made it very clear at the time that they absolutely did not suspect it to be the novel coronavirus at the time at all, but simply much higher than normal cases of respitory infections. 

And we denied Carnival Fascination this past Thursday due to possible/suspected covid-19 coronavirus case - for which we do not have the facilities to test for here on the island at this time. 

Costa Magica has made all it's dockings here in St Lucia this year (5 so far I think). 

[BermudaBound2014]

Thank you Reed. I think of Costa and Carnival as inter-changeable since they are owned by the same company, but you are right, it's important to get the details correct. What is the climate on the island? Are most people open to accepting ships? 

 

Looks like Seaside is in Grand Cayman today. No word yet whether or not they have been let off the ship.