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Cruise of the Future: Would You Still Sail?

atexsix

By atexsix,
in Holland America Line

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atexsix

atexsix

Posted
Posted (edited)

This is a mix of reality and imagination; a year ago I would have been laughed off Cruise Critic, but I don't think any of it is far-fetched now.

 

Even when the health crisis is brought under control and all U.S. ports are open and operating; ships will have a lot more to prove to the general public. 

 

So let's say a ship were allowed to sail based on the following:

 

-limiting passengers to 50% capacity

-one entire deck of staterooms should be reserved for hotel staff or crew with passenger contact 

-another entire deck should be reserved for quarantine, should it become necessary

-six foot separation in all public venues (restaurants, lounges, pool areas will need to be reconfigured)

-closing ship for cleaning at certain times each day, passengers must stay in staterooms

-set dining times in MDR again, with cleaning in between

-gloves/masks required at all times, changed daily and supplied by room stewards

-medical exams of all passengers prior to boarding, including current and yet to be invented tests

-two full days to disembark/embark; exiting passengers should not mix with boarding passengers; and both should be done in groups of no more than 25 people

-no port stops that allow local contact; privately owned islands and bus tours only

-more sea days

-elevator operators or voice controlled mechanism

-highly visible, constantly cleaning 24/7 dedicated crew; purell and hand-washing stations should be everywhere

-separation of crew with passenger access, along with other types of crew related separations

-no officer access to passengers, no exceptions!  No more Mariner society lunches and medallion holder parties.

-players won't follow 6 ft rule in a casino, they'll need to spread out tables and machines instead

 

Even if ships did would they could to make the best of the impact and inconveniences, could you adapt?  If this is what you had to do to take a vacation, and it might be for years to come, could you learn to live with it?  Or are we better off moth-balling the ships until such time that the entire world can be vaccinated, with the caveat it could be 3, 4, maybe 5 years before that happened?

 

Edited by atexsix
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Sir PMP

Sir PMP

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, atexsix said:

This is a mix of reality and imagination; a year ago I would have been laughed off Cruise Critic, but I don't think any of it is far-fetched now.

 

Even when the health crisis is brought under control and all U.S. ports are open and operating; ships will have a lot more to prove to the general public. 

 

So let's say a ship were allowed to sail based on the following:

 

-limiting passengers to 50% capacity

-one entire deck of staterooms should be reserved for hotel staff or crew with passenger contact 

-another entire deck should be reserved for quarantine, should it become necessary

-six foot separation in all public venues (restaurants, lounges, pool areas will need to be reconfigured)

-closing ship for cleaning at certain times each day, passengers must stay in staterooms

-set dining times in MDR again, with cleaning in between

-gloves/masks required at all times, changed daily and supplied by room stewards

-medical exams of all passengers prior to boarding, including current and yet to be invented tests

-two full days to disembark/embark; exiting passengers should not mix with boarding passengers; and both should be done in groups of no more than 25 people

-no port stops that allow local contact; privately owned islands and bus tours only

-more sea days

-elevator operators or voice controlled mechanism

-highly visible, constantly cleaning 24/7 dedicated crew; purell and hand-washing stations should be everywhere

-separation of crew with passenger access, along with other types of crew related separations

-no officer access to passengers, no exceptions!  No more Mariner society lunches and medallion holder parties.

-players won't follow 6 ft rule in a casino, they'll need to spread out tables and machines instead

 

Even if ships did would they could to make the best of the impact and inconveniences, could you adapt?  If this is what you had to do to take a vacation, and it might be for years to come, could you learn to live with it?  Or are we better off moth-balling the ships until such time that the entire world can be vaccinated, with the caveat it could be 3, 4, maybe 5 years before that happened?

 

Under those conditions I  would not go!

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

Posted
Posted

That's not a sustainable model but I wonder if in the short run it would lose less money than having the ships sit idle.  I love sea days and might adapt somewhat; I would have to see the details to make a decision.

 

Roy

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JRG

JRG

Posted
Posted (edited)
10 hours ago, atexsix said:

So let's say a ship were allowed to sail based on the following:

 

You forgot the most important item....a ventilator in every cabin just in case.

 

The University of Minnesota is working on a desktop version which could potentially sell for $1,000...

 

Its called the Coventer ventilator.

 

 

Edited by JRG
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toobusy2

toobusy2

Posted
Posted

Thanks for taking the time to blend reality and imagination. Very thought provoking. I would add HEPA filters on the ships - airplanes already use them.  To answer your question - I would not want to go on a cruise in your example. I wouldn't go if they gave it to me for free as I cruise for the destination ports. Plus, HAL already did away with the classes that I liked to attend, or they are repeat activities that Ive done multiple times.  Stay well!

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Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

Posted
Posted

Bus tours only? Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of social distancing; being packed with 50 people in a bus for a few hours? 

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POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

Posted
Posted

Think of your sweet, sweet plane ride to the embarkation port.  An A320 normally seats 162 pax in domestic coach - 3 - 3 with a center aisle. If you allow 6 feet between passengers, you can only use every 3rd row, with people in window seats. That should allow for 2 passengers every 3 rows. Your 162 passenger A320 now holds 18-22 people.

 

I gotta imagine that fares will be a tad higher.

 

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taxmantoo

taxmantoo

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, POA1 said:

I gotta imagine that fares will be a tad higher.

 

Maybe you'd get better peanuts ... and they'd let you use the empty seat beside you for that extra suitcase containing your tux free of charge :classic_biggrin:

Edited by taxmantoo
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lazey1

lazey1

Posted
Posted

Yes, I would go in a heartbeat. I am still being pampered with all my meals being prepared for me, no dishes to do ever, my laundry being done for me and my cabin being cleaned for me.  I could still enjoy the shows, the bars and the music venues even though they are spaced appropiately and I would much prefer the casinos to have the distance between the gamblers. Even the bus tours would be more comfortable and you could see more with the 6 feet of seperation.

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terrirn100

terrirn100

Posted
Posted
On 4/16/2020 at 1:57 PM, Sir PMP said:

Under those conditions I  would not go!

I agree, this sounds more like a prison sentence; love NCL for the free style cruising; love the large ships for all of the options available. 

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