VP Pence to meet with Cruise lines

[Joebucks]

What a productive conversation this has been.

 

Especially the people attacking the Vice President, who is in spearheading this issue, and meeting with leaders of these companies. The dumbest thing I have read today (and for quite some time for that matter) is people questioning the "cost" and effectiveness of the VP meeting these executives.

 

It is large public concern, whether it is valid or not. Cruise companies are getting hit hard. They are very likely there to discuss what prevention, containment, communication, support, etc all looks like.

[cruiseguy1016]

25 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

What a productive conversation this has been.

 

Especially the people attacking the Vice President, who is in spearheading this issue, and meeting with leaders of these companies. The dumbest thing I have read today (and for quite some time for that matter) is people questioning the "cost" and effectiveness of the VP meeting these executives.

 

It is large public concern, whether it is valid or not. Cruise companies are getting hit hard. They are very likely there to discuss what prevention, containment, communication, support, etc all looks like.

 

I just heard on the radio that "someone" did a survey asking Americans if they were offered a free cruise, all expenses paid, if the would take it. 55% of the respondents said they would not. I don't know how many people were surveyed or what the demographics were. I only heard the question and the results.

[bjtll]

Call me I’ll sail.

[flamingos]

34 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

I just heard on the radio that "someone" did a survey asking Americans if they were offered a free cruise, all expenses paid, if the would take it. 55% of the respondents said they would not. I don't know how many people were surveyed or what the demographics were. I only heard the question and the results.

 

And ~38% of Americans in a poll said they wouldn't drink Corona beer for fear of infection, soooo..................  🙂

[Lawlsagna]

14 minutes ago, flamingos said:

 

And ~38% of Americans in a poll said they wouldn't drink Corona beer for fear of infection, soooo..................  🙂

It’s actually 38% of beer drinking Americans that wouldn’t drink corona beer under any circumstances based on a sample size of 737 people. 

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/mar/02/facebook-posts/no-poll-does-not-say-38-americans-wont-drink-coron/

[alfaeric]

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

What a productive conversation this has been.

 

Especially the people attacking the Vice President, who is in spearheading this issue, and meeting with leaders of these companies. The dumbest thing I have read today (and for quite some time for that matter) is people questioning the "cost" and effectiveness of the VP meeting these executives.

 

It is large public concern, whether it is valid or not. Cruise companies are getting hit hard. They are very likely there to discuss what prevention, containment, communication, support, etc all looks like.

Here's the thing....

 

Do you really think that so far, the response has been to 100% look out for the public health?

 

If you think Yes, then you have a point.

But I have yet to see an actual response that is 100% for the public health vs. the economy.  So I, personally, have doubts that the Vice President is looking out for my best interest.  In terms of who is going to get hit hard, the cruise industry is just one of many- planes, sporting events, concerts, ect- where people gather in large amounts.  And we have already seen a hit in production where people have to stay home vs. making stuff.  Realistically, the vacation industry can just join a long line of industries that face some serious economic impacts.  The only ones who look to benefit from this are the streaming entertainment industry.... 

 

Right now, there is still an opportunity to keep this virus out of the public domain, and even still, let cruises and travelling happen with limitations.  But that means a real concentrated effort by the public health community to track how this is really progressing.  And the federal part of that effort is the largest and most effective- if it was let go to do it's job.  Sorry that I have not seen that response, yet.

[flamingos]

16 minutes ago, Lawlsagna said:

It’s actually 38% of beer drinking Americans that wouldn’t drink corona beer under any circumstances based on a sample size of 737 people. 

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/mar/02/facebook-posts/no-poll-does-not-say-38-americans-wont-drink-coron/

 

Excellent, that makes me feel better already!  🙂

[Joebucks]

38 minutes ago, alfaeric said:

Here's the thing....

 

Do you really think that so far, the response has been to 100% look out for the public health?

 

If you think Yes, then you have a point.

But I have yet to see an actual response that is 100% for the public health vs. the economy.  So I, personally, have doubts that the Vice President is looking out for my best interest.  In terms of who is going to get hit hard, the cruise industry is just one of many- planes, sporting events, concerts, ect- where people gather in large amounts.  And we have already seen a hit in production where people have to stay home vs. making stuff.  Realistically, the vacation industry can just join a long line of industries that face some serious economic impacts.  The only ones who look to benefit from this are the streaming entertainment industry.... 

 

Right now, there is still an opportunity to keep this virus out of the public domain, and even still, let cruises and travelling happen with limitations.  But that means a real concentrated effort by the public health community to track how this is really progressing.  And the federal part of that effort is the largest and most effective- if it was let go to do it's job.  Sorry that I have not seen that response, yet.

 

It is completely irresponsible for these leaders to have a meeting 100% about public health. I know the internet loves to shake their fist at economics because it's woke to hate success. Did you know that you could have a meeting that is 50% about health and 50% economics, and you still covered the same ground on health as if the meeting was 100% about that topic?

 

A massive economic fallout involves loss of tax revenue, jobs, investments, local business, etc. Think deeper than your average uneducated internet comment of "corporate profits before all else". Hotels, restaurants, city budgets, retirement 401ks, small businesses, line level workers, everything gets impacted. That is a crisis in itself. To completely ignore this topic because it is the noble thing to make it about health and only health is a completely dumb position to take.

 

Real leaders look into the big picture and plan for the greater good. Will it be perfect? Hard to tell from any angle right now. However, I do have faith that this will result in measures that will help the situation on all fronts.

[Baron Barracuda]

This virus has the potential to seriously derail the economy  Many industries are being hit hard and as head of the Corona task force Pence is serving as the front man, meeting with corporate executives, listening to their concerns, taking suggestions and telling them Washington is (belatedly) working  to solve the problem.  Yesterday Pence met with the airlines, next it's the cruise lines and then off to that hot zone in Seattle.  Unless Pence is qualified to work in a lab for the NIH this what I would expect him to be doing.  

[alfaeric]

If they don't focus on the public health, the economic impact will end up being a LOT larger.  Instead of localized issues, it will be the entire population, and it will be every single year for the rest of time that we deal with loss of life and productivity.

 

THAT is why right now it should be 100% about public health.  As that's IS about the economy.

 

What can be done now will be short term.  Painful, but short term.  As opposed to the additional annual deaths due to the "flu" and the lost productivity due to people getting sick every year and the additional cost of developing and distributing another flu virus.

 

Think long term.

 

edit- now if the Vice President is suggesting to the cruise ship industry that they be part of the tracking of what is going on- in the testing of suspected people, I will correct my position.  It would be VERY smart for the cruise industry to be capable of testing for the virus- something the airlines would not be able to do.  Instead of waiting for 2 weeks, they would know, specifically, what is going on.  Which would VERY much lessen the economic impact of holding a ship off shore for 2 weeks.

Edited March 5, 2020 by alfaeric

[LMaxwell]

21 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

 

 

A massive economic fallout involves loss of tax revenue, jobs, investments, local business, etc. Think deeper than your average uneducated internet comment of "corporate profits before all else". Hotels, restaurants, city budgets, retirement 401ks, small businesses, line level workers, everything gets impacted. That is a crisis in itself. To completely ignore this topic because it is the noble thing to make it about health and only health is a completely dumb position to take.

 

 

 

Completely correct.  Florida thrives on tourism. We do not have a vast manufacturing or export base of goods from Florida to the rest of the country. Florida is a logistics hub to the Caribbean and Central and South America, but if products are not coming in, they are not going out. Without these sales tax dollars Florida faces a real issue as we have no state income tax for residents.   I am sure VP Pence will address this topic and while I am not taking a side or stating a political belief here, it is my opinion that the VP will be looking to stabilize and reassure Florida tourism business especially considering the state often ends up being a prized political chess piece.  This certainly goes WAY beyond impacting just cruises.  That's just the first in a long series. 

[flyguyjake]

VP Pence just stated on national television that the US does not have enough Covid-19 tests to meet the anticipated demand.

Edited March 5, 2020 by flyguyjake

[flyguyjake]

Prevention & ultimately containment will be impossible if we're constantly playing catch up.

[mafig]

Prevention and ultimately containment will also be impossible  if we're constantly playing "gotcha."

[HalfHand]

To those of you throwing politics into this, shame on you, you are a huge part of the problem. This crisis is doomed to be mis-managed because it is an election year and second guessing and knee jerk reactions are going to be the name of the game.

 

That being said. Hopefully the VP will be picking their brains about how you get people to actually wash their hands! I believe it is 31% of men and 42% of wash their hands after using the bathroom. On a cruise ship I'd be shocked if this number were lower than 80%

 

Hopefully they will also discuss refunding everyone and shutting down in exchange for future bail out money. Right this second I don't think they are dangerous. 2 months from now I think they become a huge one, 2999 healthy people and 1 sick person boards, 3000 cases of Covid-19 disembark. The cruise industry has a huge potential of ensuring this spreads nation wide.

 

 

[Oceansaway17]

1 hour ago, Baron Barracuda said:

This virus has the potential to seriously derail the economy  Many industries are being hit hard and as head of the Corona task force Pence is serving as the front man, meeting with corporate executives, listening to their concerns, taking suggestions and telling them Washington is (belatedly) working  to solve the problem.  Yesterday Pence met with the airlines, next it's the cruise lines and then off to that hot zone in Seattle.  Unless Pence is qualified to work in a lab for the NIH this what I would expect him to be doing.  

 

 

AGREE  he is gathering information and working as a facilitator.  At every press conference he brings a few experts with him.

He will report back to Pres Trump.  Let us keep politics talk way down.  And I am an independent who did not vote for current man in the office.  But I want him and team to succeed not fail.  

 

They need to figure out how to isolate and treat people and the best way.  Some have said that keeping folks on the Diamond Princess for 14 days was like one big PETRI DISH and might have killed more in the end.  Should be interesting to see how they handle the ship now off coast of San Francisco with one person dead already.  

 

tonight on CNN and 10pm Sanjay Gupta will have an hour long talk.  WATCH it folks.

[time4u2go]

6 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

I think the meeting is a positive step and the optics are important.  A simple statement can go a long way in calming people.

 

"Protect yourself and your community from coronavirus with common sense precautions: wash your hands, stay home when sick and listen to the @CDCgov

and local health authorities. Save the masks for health care workers. Let’s stay calm, listen to the experts, and follow the science."

Optics don't do a lot for me.  I believe in action.  A boondoggle "meeting" at taxpayer expense for something that could be done via teleconference is not what I would consider action.

[reallyitsmema]

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

Optics don't do a lot for me.  I believe in action.  A boondoggle "meeting" at taxpayer expense for something that could be done via teleconference is not what I would consider action.

 

I understand what you are saying.  I just hope that something comes of the meeting and are willing to give it a chance.  

[coaster]

Not sure if there will be much sympathy from the current administration. Ships are flagged overseas except NCL in Hawaii.  Cruise lines are not paying taxes on an equal basis compared to airlines, hotels and other sectors of the travel industry operating out of the United States.

Edited March 5, 2020 by coaster

[scootersdad]

21 hours ago, time4u2go said:

Honestly, what possible action could come out of such a meeting?

Maybe finding out if they are rotating crew from China and the like without screening.

[dodgestang]

28 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Optics don't do a lot for me.  I believe in action.  A boondoggle "meeting" at taxpayer expense for something that could be done via teleconference is not what I would consider action.

 

Any meeting that is REALLY important and high priority is always done offsite/in person to ensure the proper people are there and focused on the discussion.

[scootersdad]

9 hours ago, alfaeric said:

Last I saw the news, it's because the person who died in California was on the previous cruise, not the current one.

People die on cruise  ships.  That why they have a morgue,

  Just think of all the Medical Emergency call you hear each cruise; not to mention the ambulances portside when you dock.

 

 

 

 

[time4u2go]

4 minutes ago, dodgestang said:

 

Any meeting that is REALLY important and high priority is always done offsite/in person to ensure the proper people are there and focused on the discussion.

Yeah, that's not true.  There's many times that "REALLY important and high priority" meetings are done using other methods, such as teleconferencing.  Besides, if it was really important and high priority, it would have already happened.  Teleconferencing allows that to happen.

 

Face it, this is being done as a photo op.

Edited March 5, 2020 by time4u2go

[time4u2go]

23 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

I understand what you are saying.  I just hope that something comes of the meeting and are willing to give it a chance.  

I agree.  I hope something comes of it also.

[dodgestang]

2 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Yeah, that's not true.  There's many times that "REALLY important and high priority" meetings are done using other methods, such as teleconferencing.  Besides, if it was really important and high priority, it would have already happened.  Teleconferencing allows that to happen.

 

Face it, this is being done as a photo op.

 

If you say so.  I only work with billion dollar companies in the tech sector....it is ALWAYS offsite if it is important/top brass.  The top guns like captive audience.