The C.D.C. reverses course on how to get cruise ship passengers home

[bluesea321]

From the CDC official website:

 

• Cruise line companies must get travelers directly to their homes via chartered or private transportation.
• Commercial flights and public transportation may not be used.
• Since February 2020, travelers on dozens of cruise ships have been affected by COVID-19 outbreaks. Cruise ships are often settings for outbreaks of infectious diseases because of the semi-enclosed environment and contact between travelers from many countries.
• Outbreaks of COVID-19 on cruise ships pose a risk for rapid spread of disease beyond the voyage. Aggressive efforts are required to contain spread.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/cruise-ship/what-cdc-is-doing.html

 

[cruisemom42]

I think these are overdue.

 

I have to say I was a bit shocked to read the wording "dozens of cruise ships".  Is it really dozens?  It was a rather sobering moment when I started to tally up all the cruise ships (mainly ocean-going) that I could remember or find articles about confirmed (not just suspected) cases:

 

Affected ships I can think of with one or more cases aboard:

• Diamond Princess
• Grand Princess
• Regal Princess
• Coral Princess
• Ruby Princess
• Zaandam
• Rotterdam (potentially; after transfer of pax from Zaandam?)
• Costa Magica
• Costa Favolosa
• Costa Luminosa
• Costa Victoria (confirmed?)
• MSC Meraviglia
• Celebrity Solstice
• Celebrity Infinity (crew)
• RCCL Ovation of the Seas
• RCCL Oasis of the Seas (crew)
• RCCL Voyager of the Seas
• Silver Shadow
• Silver Explorer
• Artania (Phoenix Reisen)
• M.S. Braemar (Fred Olsen)

I also remember a couple of Nile river cruisers with cases aboard.

 

While this barely reaches the level of "dozens, it's more than I would've thought. Can anyone confirm these and/or add to the list?

 

 

 

 

[cbr663]

A few days I attempted to compile a list of affected ships.  I think one of the greatest thing that the entire cruise industry can do is be open and transparent about this and publish a complete list of affected ships and sailings.

 

To add to your list:

 

Caribbean Princess

Royal Princess

Golden Princess

Costa Fortuna

 

A Sara - Nile River Cruise

MS Braemar

RCL Majesty of the Seas

Norwegian Bliss

Carnival Valor

[lvz2cruz]

There is a thread on the Celebrity board.

A woman on the Eclipse which was in South America docked a week ago Sunday in San Diego.

A woman had been to the medical center onboard twice and was originally diagnosed and treated with bronchitis.  Days later she was still stick and went back to be diagnosed with pneunomia.  The first visit she was not told to stay in her room but was at the second visit---after being on antibiotics for days?????

The ship kept claiming to be a "healthy ship" even as it got permission to dock.   However, the lady was taken from the ship  by ambulance to the hospital.  She tested positive for covid and is in ICU.  I read in one article Celebrity reported her having heart problems; I suspect to avoid the problems of quarantining a ship of sick people.   

The passengers disembarked and flew commercial air to their homes.  Celebrity sent an email later that they could have been exposed.   A week later over 60 have tested positive and nearly 50 additional are showing symptoms.  One crewman has died.   

It is really alarming that these people were disembarked while the info was withheld.   

Very disappointed in the dishonesty.

[npcl]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

I think these are overdue.

 

I have to say I was a bit shocked to read the wording "dozens of cruise ships".  Is it really dozens?  It was a rather sobering moment when I started to tally up all the cruise ships (mainly ocean-going) that I could remember or find articles about confirmed (not just suspected) cases:

 

Affected ships I can think of with one or more cases aboard:

• Diamond Princess
• Grand Princess
• Regal Princess
• Coral Princess
• Ruby Princess
• Zaandam
• Rotterdam (potentially; after transfer of pax from Zaandam?)
• Costa Magica
• Costa Favolosa
• Costa Luminosa
• Costa Victoria (confirmed?)
• MSC Meraviglia
• Celebrity Solstice
• Celebrity Infinity (crew)
• RCCL Ovation of the Seas
• RCCL Oasis of the Seas (crew)
• RCCL Voyager of the Seas
• Silver Shadow
• Silver Explorer
• Artania (Phoenix Reisen)
• M.S. Braemar (Fred Olsen)

I also remember a couple of Nile river cruisers with cases aboard.

 

While this barely reaches the level of "dozens, it's more than I would've thought. Can anyone confirm these and/or add to the list?

 

 

 

 

There have been news reports about the crew on other ships around Florida as well as some of those near Australia.  Will have to see if I can find the articles.

 

One factor influencing by decision not to cruise in the near future is the lack of transparency on the part of the cruise lines about the number of illnesses on board both to the people on board, as well as the general public. You have people on the Coral reporting that they heard nothing about illness on board until the day they sent them to their rooms. 

[Stratheden]

This is the current state of the Ruby Princess.  

 

 https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/apr/06/ruby-princess-cruise-ship-dock-port-kembla-nsw-10-days-doctors-manage-coronavirus-outbreak-australia

 

At the moment there is a criminal investigation i to the actions of NSW Health Dept and Carnival Corp/Princess cruises 

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/04/05/coronavirus-australian-police-investigating-ruby-princess-docking/2950398001/

[kelib]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I think these are overdue.

 

I have to say I was a bit shocked to read the wording "dozens of cruise ships".  Is it really dozens?  It was a rather sobering moment when I started to tally up all the cruise ships (mainly ocean-going) that I could remember or find articles about confirmed (not just suspected) cases:

 

Affected ships I can think of with one or more cases aboard:

• Diamond Princess
• Grand Princess
• Regal Princess
• Coral Princess
• Ruby Princess
• Zaandam
• Rotterdam (potentially; after transfer of pax from Zaandam?)
• Costa Magica
• Costa Favolosa
• Costa Luminosa
• Costa Victoria (confirmed?)
• MSC Meraviglia
• Celebrity Solstice
• Celebrity Infinity (crew)
• RCCL Ovation of the Seas
• RCCL Oasis of the Seas (crew)
• RCCL Voyager of the Seas
• Silver Shadow
• Silver Explorer
• Artania (Phoenix Reisen)
• M.S. Braemar (Fred Olsen)

I also remember a couple of Nile river cruisers with cases aboard.

 

While this barely reaches the level of "dozens, it's more than I would've thought. Can anyone confirm these and/or add to the list?

 

 

 

 

Even though NCL Jewel had no reported cases on board, they could not find a port that would allow them to enter. This was a trip from Sydney to Tahiti, finally was allowed to port in Honolulu only because of major mechanical issues with the ship. (Honolulu had originally denied them) 

[DAllenTCY]

From what I have read, hundreds of passengers from the Coral Princess were not sent home via "chartered or private" transportation as promised.

One of the chartered flights from FLL went to ATL, where guests then connected to commercial flights home.

 

A second flight went to SFO with 135 passed along to United Airlines scheduled departures to Sydney.

 

David

[bluesea321]

2 minutes ago, DAllenTCY said:

From what I have read, hundreds of passengers from the Coral Princess were not sent home via "chartered or private" transportation as promised.

One of the chartered flights from FLL went to ATL, where guests then connected to commercial flights home.

 

A second flight went to SFO with 135 passed along to United Airlines scheduled departures to Sydney.

 

David

 

The two chartered flights you referred to were not for the Coral Princess, they were for the HAL ships and those flights were prior to the CDC change which occurred late Saturday.  The pax from the HAL ships were lucky in this regard as they went home ahead of the CDC change.  No such luck for the Coral Princess, many still on board waiting for their charters.

[DAllenTCY]

You are correct.

 

Coral Princess passengers have been or will be bused to Miami, where I presume similar transport to hub airports.

 

Princess Cruises said in a statement Monday that 684 passengers have been able to leave the ship on charter flights

 

274 remain onboard

 

I do not believe that "chartered" aircraft will take all of them home.

 

David

Edited April 7, 2020 by DAllenTCY

[npcl]

18 minutes ago, DAllenTCY said:

You are correct.

 

Coral Princess passengers have been or will be bused to Miami, where I presume similar transport to hub airports.

 

Princess Cruises said in a statement Monday that 684 passengers have been able to leave the ship on charter flights

 

274 remain onboard

 

I do not believe that "chartered" aircraft will take all of them home.

 

David

Just to be clear - You presume and do not believe, but have no facts that Princess is operating the return of the passenger counter to guidelines

[bluesea321]

11 minutes ago, npcl said:

Just to be clear - You presume and do not believe, but have no facts that Princess is operating the return of the passenger counter to guidelines

 

It is not guidelines, it is a requirement for disembarkation.  All pax must and will be taken by charter or private transport to their homes (international pax excluded once they get to their countries).  

[LMaxwell]

Add Celebrity Apex to the list. 

 

I have seen random reports from crew claiming to be on NCL but they are unconfirmed 

[HappyInVan]

2 hours ago, Stratheden said:

 

At the moment there is a criminal investigation i to the actions of NSW Health Dept and Carnival Corp/Princess cruises 

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/04/05/coronavirus-australian-police-investigating-ruby-princess-docking/2950398001/

 

 

Commissioner Fuller expressed himself more forcefully here...

 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/413507/nsw-police-homicide-squad-launches-investigation-into-ruby-princess-covid-19-deaths

 

 

[npcl]

38 crew on Disney Wonder

 

https://wdwnt.com/2020/04/38-disney-cruise-line-crew-members-reportedly-test-positive-for-coronavirus-covid-19/

[giustot]

"Dozens of cruise ships have been affected by COVID-19 outbreaks," is an accurate statement. A ship does not have to have a virus victim on it to be affected by the virus. For example, the world cruise on the Amsterdam was cut short by the virus even though no one on board had it.

[ellieanne]

I thought most of the ships have already disembarked the passengers.

 

Will the new regulations have an impact on getting crew home?

[DFD1]

I doubt the CDC distinguishes between passengers and crew. I expect the requirements apply to anyone on board.

[bob brown]

7 hours ago, giustot said:

"Dozens of cruise ships have been affected by COVID-19 outbreaks," is an accurate statement. A ship does not have to have a virus victim on it to be affected by the virus. For example, the world cruise on the Amsterdam was cut short by the virus even though no one on board had it.

Agree.   My ship, the Hurtigruten "Roald Amundsen", was virus-free, but at the end, on 16 March, Chile would not permit us to disembark at Punta Arenas, where we embarked on 29 February.  We eventually were permitted to disembark at Stanley, in the Falkland Islands, a UK overseas territory.  But not until we completed a quarantine period, on 25 and 26 March.   We then were taken in chartered buses to the Royal AF Base at Mount Pleasant, and flown on charter's to Santiago.  From there, those of us going to the USA and Canada were sent on scheduled flights towards home, while the Aussie's and European's, were sent on further chartered flights....

[Jersey42]

12 hours ago, DAllenTCY said:

You are correct. Coral Princess passengers have been or will be bused to Miami, where I presume similar transport to hub airports.

 

Princess Cruises said in a statement Monday that 684 passengers have been able to leave the ship on charter flights  274 remain onboard

 

I do not believe that "chartered" aircraft will take all of them home.

I believe you are incorrect.  The time to arrange private transportation seems to be one of the biggest reasons so many passengers are still onboard the ship. Someone posted this morning that they are heading home today.  Carnival Corp has chartered a flight with three stops (ATL, CLT and IAD).  Then, private ground transportation has been arranged from the airports to home.  A second chartered flight is going to Houston and Dallas.  There will be more.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by Jersey42
Added second link

[npcl]

22 hours ago, giustot said:

"Dozens of cruise ships have been affected by COVID-19 outbreaks," is an accurate statement. A ship does not have to have a virus victim on it to be affected by the virus. For example, the world cruise on the Amsterdam was cut short by the virus even though no one on board had it.

And this article does not even have them all.  Only those with US port calls or disembarkation. So it does look like dozens when you add those not around the US.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/04/07/coronavirus-cruise-passengers-these-ships-may-have-been-exposed/2961313001/

Cruises where passengers became symptomatic or tested positive after disembarkation

The CDC said passengers on the following cruises became symptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19 within 14 days after disembarking. This means other sources of transmission cannot be ruled out: 

• Carnival Imagination (March 5-8)
• Carnival Valor (Feb. 29-March 5) 
• Carnival Valor (March 5-9) 
• Carnival Valor (March 9-14)
• Carnival Vista (Feb. 15-22)
• Carnival Vista (Feb. 29-March 7)
• Celebrity Infinity (March 5-9)
• Celebrity Reflection (March 13-17)
• Celebrity Summit (Feb. 29-March 7)
• Crown Princess (March 6-16)
• Disney Wonder (Feb. 28-March 2)
• Grand Celebration (Feb. 22-24)
• Grand Princess (Feb. 11-21)
• MSC Meraviglia (March 1-8)
• Norwegian Bliss (March 8-15)
• Norwegian Breakaway (Feb. 29-March 7)
• Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas (March 8-15)

Cruises where passengers became symptomatic while on ships

• Celebrity Eclipse (March 2-30)
• Disney Wonder (March 6-20)
• Grand Princess (Feb. 21-March 7)
• Norwegian Bliss (March 1-8) 
• Norwegian Breakaway (March 7-14)
• Norwegian Pride of America (Feb. 29-March 7)
• Oceania Riviera (Feb. 26-March 11)
• Royal Caribbean: Liberty of the Seas (March 15-29)
• Royal Caribbean: Oasis of the Seas (March 8-15)
• Royal Caribbean: Symphony of the Seas (March 7-14)