SS Future Re-Open Plan: Timing, Testing Needs??!!

[TLCOhio]

The "beat" of news continues full force.  Nothing right now is too directly on the major cruises lines and their finances, but there are other stories and reporting that might be related, directly or indirectly.   With Texas and Florida being the two states with the highest rates of those tested having the Covid-19 infection, this "situation" is not exactly going away here in the USA.  Hard to re-start, especially when Florida is still at the "center" of this situation.  

 

From the BBC yesterday, they had this headline: “Coronavirus in Europe: Infections surge in France, Germany and Spain” with these highlights: “More than 1,200 cases were reported in Germany in the past 24 hours. Officials said the rise was due, in part, to people returning from holidays. It came as Germany warned against non-essential trips to parts of Spain. Meanwhile, France had 2,524 new cases in 24 hours, the highest daily rise since its lockdown was lifted in May. The German foreign ministry said it had added a partial travel warning to the Spanish capital Madrid and the Basque region on Tuesday amid rising infections there. Warnings were already in place for the regions of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra.  Spain is facing the worst coronavirus infection rate in Western Europe. It recorded 1,418 new infections in its latest daily count on Tuesday and said there were 675 "active outbreaks" in the country.  This year's Paris marathon has been cancelled as France battles a spike in coronavirus cases, organisers said on Wednesday. On Wednesday Greece reported 262 new cases of coronavirus, its highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic.”  If Europe is going to tighten back up, that adds to the complications and challenges for the cruise ship executives in designing any type of re-opening strategy.  

 

From USA Today yesterday, they had this headline: “Viking Cruises cancels sailings for the rest of 2020, cites coronavirus uncertainty” with these highlights: “Viking Cruises has canceled its sailings through the end of the year, citing the ongoing uncertainty about the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to its customers Wednesday, Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen said the company would suspend its operations through Dec. 31, 'at which time we believe the world will be in a better position, and international travel will be less complicated.'  In the letter, Hagen cited the inability to travel freely across borders with many countries limiting entry. Hagen suggested that the development of effective therapeutics and a vaccine would be key to the resumption of cruise operations. Viking isn't alone in canceling its cruise schedule through December. On Tuesday, Holland America extended its pause in operations through Dec. 15.”

 

From Forbes magazine three days ago, they had this headline: “Where Are All The Cruise Ships?” with these highlights: “While we see the images of parked airliners lined up on taxiways and wing-to-wing at various airports around the world, where are all the cruise ships?  Living across from the Port of Miami, months after the pause on cruising, ships continue to sail in and out on a daily basis.  One might guess they need to refuel and get more provisions. But clearly, unlike airliners, the over 300 cruise ships that are out there, aren’t just static, shutdown, mothballed, and tied up somewhere.  Royal Caribbean Group gave me a glimpse into what’s going on. A spokesperson told me that ships come in an out of port for fuel and provisions. He noted that due to restrictions on repatriating crew, ports acted as hubs where members transferred from one ship to another, not necessarily to disembark.  Since onboard staff come from a multitude of countries, and it was often impossible to get them home via scheduled airline flights, Royal Caribbean chartered full airliners to fly them there.  Describing the repatriation as 'monumental,' the entire operation wasn’t completed until the end of June. Ships that when sailing before COVID-19 carried over 8,000 passengers and crew now are staffed by around 100 team members. The spokesperson also pointed out that there isn’t enough space in ports to dock all its ships, hence the cluster of ships anchored offshore.”

 

Full stories at:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53747852

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/08/12/viking-cruises-cancels-sailings-rest-2020-cites-covid-19/3357372001/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2020/08/10/where-are-all-the-cruise-ships/#1951c85b6f6a

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit.  Now at 30,990 views.  Many interesting pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

[TLCOhio]

From the Wall Street Journal's top travel columnist yesterday, they had this headline: “Airlines Are Withholding Billions in Refunds—That’s Billions With a B” with this sub-headline: "Passengers with trips canceled months ago struggle to get refunds from some carriers or travel agencies, even with U.S. law on their side".

 

Here are some of his key column highlights: “Refunds delayed and denied. Vouchers worth thousands of dollars that have already expired, or are so rule-bound they’re useless.  Interminable telephone holds, unanswered emails and complaints ignored.  Consumers continue to battle airlines over canceled tickets. At stake are literally billions of dollars—and likely lasting animosity toward airlines over punitive policies. U.S. travel agencies have already handled more than $1 billion in airline cash refunds. That doesn’t count refunds issued directly by airlines, which likely more than doubles that total. Then there’s the far more common outcome of a voucher issued instead of a refund, allowing the airline to hang on to a customer’s cash.  The U.S. Transportation Department warned that any airline operating in the U.S., foreign or domestic, had to refund tickets for flights the airline canceled and couldn’t offer an alternative without a 'substantial' schedule change. But many international carriers have offered only vouchers. Some forced consumers into accepting vouchers before the airline officially removed flights from its schedule. Some have delayed paying refunds while waiting for government bailouts or new investment.”

 

Not a pretty picture and/or positive image for the airlines.  See, it is not just some cruise lines that have been dragging their feet and/or playing games.  Here is more from this reporting: "Worse, some have tried duplicitous methods to pocket expensive tickets, offering nothing in return. Italian carrier Alitalia, for example, told Ellen Schiller that her family of five were considered no-shows for a March 8 Boston-to-Rome flight and therefore ineligible for both refund and voucher. They spent more than $3,000 on the tickets."

 

Any others who have had challenges with the airlines?  Here is another angle/twist that was shared: "The Alitalia example shows how airlines have essentially been making up their own rules to hold on to customer cash. Some carriers, including Colombia’s Avianca, Chile’s Latam and the United Kingdom’s Virgin Atlantic, have filed for bankruptcy reorganization in the U.S. Some, like Israel’s El Al, have suspended all operations and are looking for a rescue plan."

 

Full story at:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/airlines-are-withholding-billions-in-refundsthats-billions-with-a-b-11597238005

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 30,029 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

[Lois R]

Hi Terry,  I haven't read all the links to what you posted so if this one is somewhere on there, forgive the duplication.

But I thought this article was pretty interesting.

 

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/mediterranean-cruises-back-covid-19/index.html

[TLCOhio]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Hi Terry,  I haven't read all the links to what you posted so if this one is somewhere on there, forgive the duplication. But I thought this article was pretty interesting.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/mediterranean-cruises-back-covid-19/index.html

 

YES!!  Agree that this CNN story is an interesting, in-depth article with some important background items as to how "things" are trying to be happening in Europe, etc.  Here below are a couple of the reporting highlights that were most significant to my eye: 

 

"The Med cruises on offer for the moment are only for residents of Europe's 26-nation Schengen Area, according to new stipulations set forth by the Italian government on August 10. During the cruise, people will not be allowed off the ship onto Italian soil unless they are part of tightly controlled organized excursions with fellow passengers only and minimum contact with the general population."

 

"On September 19, the Costa Diadema will embark from Genoa with stops in Italy and Malta.
Both Costa vessels were initially announced with pan-Mediterranean itineraries, with stops at Malta or Greek ports, but on Thursday the cruise operator revised these, saying that only Italian ports would be served and only Italian passengers would be permitted on board."

 

Clearly, this article and other info this week reflects that in and around Europe there are some signs of things starting to open up.  BUT, there are also significant signs that Covid-19 is not stopping and/or being as under control as much had been hoped and expected.  Long ways to go??  

 

Great sharing by Lois!!  For others, don't be shy.  Share more!!  Ask any questions, make helpful comments, etc.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 18,588 views.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

[brimary]

The trouble with European cruising is that it requires uniformity of approach between all European countries and we know that this will never happen..It is difficult to see how a Cruise Line could put a Med cruise together with all the different regulations each participating country has in force particularly the quarantine issues which in the UK are changing weekly.This coupled with the deteriorating financial scenario with no income in the foreseeable future sadly do not auger well for progress to be made this year.Hope some resemblance of normality can return at some stage in 2021.Thanks Terry for the helpful updates from the USA which are appreciated!

[TLCOhio]

18 hours ago, brimary said:

The trouble with European cruising is that it requires uniformity of approach between all European countries and we know that this will never happen..It is difficult to see how a Cruise Line could put a Med cruise together with all the different regulations each participating country has in force particularly the quarantine issues which in the UK are changing weekly. This coupled with the deteriorating financial scenario with no income in the foreseeable future sadly do not auger well for progress to be made this year.Hope some resemblance of normality can return at some stage in 2021.Thanks Terry for the helpful updates from the USA which are appreciated!

 

Appreciate these above great comments, insights and follow-up from our UK friend. Very smart and savvy in noting that various nations have all kind of different rules and policies.  That makes "getting back to 'normal' " even more challenging.

 

ALSO, in our state (11.5 million people), our Ohio Governor DeWine told state employees yesterday (except for prison workers, highway and law enforcement, etc.) to keep working remotely and stay out of their offices until at least Jan. 4.  In reality, it might be late January, if and if, when these state and other workers will be allowed, maybe, back in offices.  Why late January at the earliest?  This Governor, who has been a national leader on these issues and is regularly on national news shows, knows something important.  In the holiday periods between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, many, many folks will be doing a wide range of social and family “ACTIVITIES” that cause more Covid-19 spread during this period that results in another round of increased infections, etc., etc.  And if this is done now this early for these state employees, you can image that this “stay at home” order will ripple through to the courts, other private offices, etc. If I were a betting person, a cruise re-opening in mid December could be optimistic as to what the CDC will allow for ships in U.S. waters, etc.  Maybe later January?  Clearly people will be watching very closely what happens (good or bad) in Europe, etc., during the coming weeks.  

 

From the major Washington Post newspaper yesterday, they had this headline: “Cruise ships, early incubators of the coronavirus, prepare to return to sea in Europe” with these highlights: “Though cruising has been ordered to a halt in the United States, several major cruise liners are trying to restart their business in Europe, with Italy as the epicenter of the effort. One ship, the MSC Grandiosa, will begin a voyage Sunday, the first to restart in the Mediterranean. Several others will follow soon behind. The companies have consulted with scientists, drawn up new safety protocols and received Italian government clearance; MSC Cruises, on its website, says passengers can now 'cruise with confidence.'  But it remains unclear how risky it might be for people to climb back onboard and restart an activity that, at the beginning of the pandemic, helped seed the virus around the world and was connected to several dozen deaths. 'We are talking about minimizing the risk, not getting to zero,' said Stefano Vella, a Catholic University of Rome infectious-disease specialist who consulted with the Costa, one major liner that is poised to restart. 'Getting to zero is impossible,' he noted.  In places like Civitavecchia, a port city that functions as a cruise gateway to Rome, one can see some of the economic distress — barren hotels and restaurants — that cruise companies say will be alleviated by their restart. Italy depends on tourism for 13 percent of its economy, and the cruise industry has been particularly hard hit.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/cruise-ships-coronavirus-europe-italy/2020/08/13/c0939b08-dcad-11ea-b4f1-25b762cdbbf4_story.html

 

To read the full and complete Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) Q2 2020 Results - Earnings Call Transcript, you can go to the below link.  This includes the various comments by RCCL CEO Richard Fain, etc.: 

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4367189-royal-caribbean-cruises-rcl-q2-2020-results-earnings-call-transcript

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Completed last summer Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas!  Live/blog at: 

 

 

From this past week, here is the Wall Street Journal chart as to the upward progress for the stock of Royal Caribbean.  The movement from a little over $51 to roughly $60 looks good during this past week.  BUT, where will the stock market experts view the stock in the weeks and months ahead?.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this visual larger/better!)

[TLCOhio]

From the MSN news website and the experienced travel writer Gene Sloan this morning, they had this headline: “Cruise executives say they’re in no rush to return to service” with these highlights: “A handful of cruise lines around the world have resumed limited departures in recent weeks. But don’t expect a widespread resumption of cruising anytime soon.  Executives at some of the world’s biggest cruise companies in recent days have suggested it could be many months before cruising starts back up in a major way.  'We will not rush to return to service,' Royal Caribbean Group chairman and CEO Richard Fain told Wall Street analysts Monday.  Later in the conference call, Fain also suggested the company’s brands would restart cruises in a small way at first before ramping up over time. He described the coming restart as being like raising the lights in a room by using a dimmer switch, not a standard switch. ”

 

Regarding Norwegian Cruise Lines, their president and CEO Frank Del Rio had his views reflected in this article as he: "forecast a 'gradual ramp-up of sailings' that might start in the last two months of 2020 with a very limited number of ships, likely with significantly reduced occupancy levels.  'As we move into the first quarter of 2021, the deployed capacity is expected to ramp up as more vessels gradually reenter the fleet,' Del Rio said. 'Based on this timeline, it isn’t until at least the second quarter of 2021 that we would see our fleet return in earnest.' "

 

Here is more from this reporting about the largest operator of cruise ships: "A slow rollout of cruise ships also is the plan at Carnival Corporation that owns Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America, Seabourn and five overseas brands.  'Clearly cruise will not come back all at once,' Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald said last month in a conference call with Wall Street analysts. 'We intend to resume operations with a small percentage of the fleet.' "

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tips/cruise-executives-say-theyre-in-no-rush-to-return-to-service/ar-BB17ZP5p

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Completed last summer Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas!  Live/blog at: 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

[TLCOhio]

 From Yahoo news and the AFP news service this morning, they had this headline: “First major cruise line set to depart Genoa for Mediterranean tour” with these highlights: “The first major cruise ship to set sail in the Mediterranean was poised to depart from Genoa on Sunday, as Italy's struggling travel industry hopes to regain ground after a bruising coronavirus hiatus.  The departure of the MSC Grandiosa represents a high-stakes test for the global sector in the key Mediterranean market and beyond.  The international cruise industry has been battered not only by the ongoing health crisis which in March forced the worldwide grounding of its ships, but accusations of a botched handling of the epidemic in its early stages. Cruise lines are hoping that new, tighter protocols will allow them to control the still-lingering threat of coronavirus aboard its ships while still offering travellers a cruise experience that does not disappoint.  Arriving passengers preparing to check in before taking a required coronavirus blood test inside the terminal told AFP they were not concerned about the virus. Some said they believed cruises were now safer than other vacation options.”

 

Here is more background details from their reporting today: "Competitor Costa Cruises, owned by Carnival, has opted to delay the restart of its Mediterranean cruises until September, with departures from Trieste and Genoa for Italian-only clients.  Much is riding on the decision to restart cruises. Italy represents the bulk of Europe's cruise industry, reaping 14.5 billion euros of revenue per year ($17 billion) and supporting nearly 53,000 jobs, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).  MSC authorities said approximately 2,500 passengers would be on its debut cruise, limited to about 70 percent of normal capacity. All eyes in the industry will be on the Grandiosa after a smaller cruise operator, Norway's Hurtigruten, was forced earlier this month to suspend its newly restarted service after dozens of passengers and crew tested positive for COVID-19."

 

Full story at:

https://news.yahoo.com/first-major-cruise-line-set-082146808.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 251,960 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[cruiseej]

It seems odd to me that MSC has decided to test the waters, literally, with their largest,  6,300+ passenger ship. Even limiting capacity to 70%, that's a lot of passengers and crew to manage in this new environment. I would have thought they'd start with one of their smaller ships. (MSC doesn't have any small ships, but they have several with capacities in the 2,200-3,200 passenger range.)

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, cruiseej said:

It seems odd to me that MSC has decided to test the waters, literally, with their largest,  6,300+ passenger ship. Even limiting capacity to 70%, that's a lot of passengers and crew to manage in this new environment. I would have thought they'd start with one of their smaller ships. (MSC doesn't have any small ships, but they have several with capacities in the 2,200-3,200 passenger range.)

 

Excellent point..........it is still over 4,000 guests......I just cannot imagine how many cases are going to show up😲 well, I guess I can imagine it.......it seems like an awful lot of people to "start up with"............

[TLCOhio]

3 hours ago, Lois R said:

Excellent point..........it is still over 4,000 guests......I just cannot imagine how many cases are going to show up😲 well, I guess I can imagine it.......it seems like an awful lot of people to "start up with"............

 

Agree with Lois and cruiseej.  Wise comments and follow-up as to the size of ship that they are using.  Maybe that ship is more energy efficient and/or more modern in other ways??!! 

 

Below are a couple of stories and link to verify that getting ports open in the Caribbean and around the world is currently a major worry and challenge for the cruise ship companies.  From FOX News yesterday, they had this headline: “Seychelles island bans cruise ships from visiting until 2022” with these highlights: “The Seychelles archipelago off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean has announced it will not be allowing cruise ships to port until 2022 over fears of the coronavirus.  Didier Dogley, the country’s minister for tourism, civil aviation, ports and marine, said the ban is effective immediately and will continue through the end of 2021.  The move comes as a way to minimize a possible second wave of coronavirus cases, of which the island country only has 11 reported positives and no deaths."  We had been looking at doing a Dubai to Cape Town, 30-day cruise with Oceania in late 2021 that involved stops in India, the Seychelles, etc.  If cannot stop in the Seychelles, that significantly lessens interest for doing that sailing.  

 

Here is more from this same story: "Though the Seychelles is not the largest port for cruise ships, other more popular destinations are also instituting extended bans on visits.  The Cayman Islands in the Caribbean has closed its port through at least September, The Points Guy reported.  'I don’t think that we’re going to see cruise vessels back in Grand Cayman [in the] second [quarter], third quarter or fourth quarter, to be quite honest,' tourism minister Moses Kirkconnell told the Cayman Compass.”

 

From a Cayman newspaper three days ago, they had this headline: “Cruise ships banned until 2021” with these highlights: “Cruise tourism will not be returning to the Cayman Islands until next year.  Acting Port Authority Director Joseph Woods confirmed that the Cayman Islands government was extending its ban on cruise ships until 31 Dec.  'I sent it to the major cruise lines, the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, local shipping agents and tender operators,' he told the Cayman Compass in a telephone interview Thursday evening.  In his brief notice, Woods said, 'After careful consideration, the Cayman Islands Government has taken the decision that in the current global environment with respect to the coronavirus pandemic, it cannot allow the resumption of cruise tourism in the Cayman Islands for the immediate future.' ”

 

For those of us who are not fans for either just "Floating on a Boat" or doing "Sailings to Nowhere", these port closing raise many questions and doubts as to when some form of "normal" can return.   Or, be getting close!!??

 

Full stories at:

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/island-country-bans-cruise-ships-2022-seychelles

https://www.caymancompass.com/2020/08/13/cruise-ships-banned-until-2021/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 240,208 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[cruiseej]

2 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Maybe that ship is more energy efficient and/or more modern in other ways??!! 

 

Yes, it's their newest ship, just launched last November. MSC calls it "one of the most environmentally-sound ships at sea and an energy-efficient role model for modern cruising." Maybe it has better air filtration systems than older ships, so they felt it was a better choice to try initially.

 

Passengers had to pass a COVID test before boarding, and they're doing daily temperature checks on passengers and crew -- but since not everyone who contracts COVID-19 runs a fever, I'm not sure how much sense of safety one can draw from temperature checks. For all of us eagerly waiting for the resumption of cruising, we can only hope they execute this well. Another Hurtigruten-like incident will likely set back cruising for months. And Italy is experiencing an increase in cases. Tomorrow, the Grandiosa docks in Civitavecchia. What could go wrong? 😉

[brimary]

What happens if you have a high temperature on day two.Off the ship and no refund:?

[Observer]

2 hours ago, brimary said:

What happens if you have a high temperature on day two.Off the ship and no refund:?

 

Some people will doubtless present with a high temp, whether or not related to COVID-19.  Presumably, they will be confined to their cabins and monitored, in the hope that the fever subsides and is not related to COVID-19. 

[FlyerTalker]

3 hours ago, brimary said:

What happens if you have a high temperature on day two.Off the ship and no refund:?

 

Hopefully there won't be a temperature check for those folks who just came back from a walking shorex at Petra or Luxor.  Can't remember being "hotter" in my life - my core temp must have been in the 100s.

[brimary]

51 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Hopefully there won't be a temperature check for those folks who just came back from a walking shorex at Petra or Luxor.  Can't remember being "hotter" in my life - my core temp must have been in the 100s.

Good point which brought back some happy memories of the area you mention.Yes was delighted to quarantine in the Suite with Aircon on full!!

[turtlemichael]

The Saudi cruises, which are only a week or so away from starting, will be very interesting.  I'm hoping that someone here gets some feedback from crew members.  I'll be keen to know what covid-19 protocols are adopted and how it all goes. This could be a test of systems for Silversea. Saudi Arabia has not been spared and currently has around 1500 cases a day and 300,000 overall.  I hope everyone, passengers and crew, are safe.

[TLCOhio]

On 8/17/2020 at 9:49 AM, FlyerTalker said:

Hopefully there won't be a temperature check for those folks who just came back from a walking shorex at Petra or Luxor.  Can't remember being "hotter" in my life - my core temp must have been in the 100s.

 

Yes, those post-shore excursion temperature checks are limited in their quality and accuracy.  In early March 2020 while in the South Pacific and visiting Bora Bora, friends with us had flunked their initial touch-less temperature checks in order to re-board our ship.  It was mid 90'sF there and we had been fairly active walking around during the day, etc.  No surprise that some would seem hotter than average.  The staff suggested our friends take a drink of cold water, sit down for a few minutes, etc.  Then, they easily were OK on the second temp check.  Such temperature checks are not a perfect indicator for this virus.  Understand why the cruise lines do such checking.  BUT, it is an imperfect ways to detect much of real substance.   

 

Agree with turtlemichael in hoping that we hear some feedback from the staff as to how those early Silver Spirit cruises with the Saudi groups work, etc.  It could be a good learning exercise for Silversea.      

 

From MSN and other related news sources today, they had this headline: “Carnival CEO Says It’s Too Early for US Cruises to Return” with these highlights: “Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald said he thinks its too early to begin planning for cruises to resume in the United States.  According to Bloomberg, Donald said that despite 'a lot of pent-up demand' from customers looking to sail again, the ongoing coronavirus outbreak has forced the cruise line to cancel all voyages through at the end of October.  Donald said it’s premature for the cruise industry to outline a strategy for a return to sailing in the U.S., especially as public-health restrictions remain in place and COVID-19 cases have spiked in many areas.  'As long as we’re not just comfortably socially gathering, then we shouldn’t be talking about cruise,' Donald told Bloomberg.”

 

Here are more details from their reporting: "Donald revealed the company is considering all options, including mandatory facial coverings and social distancing practices, but the CDC still hasn’t provided strict guidelines to begin returning to service in U.S. waters.  Carnival’s brands are preparing to resume sailing in a limited capacity in Germany and Italy next month. AIDA Cruises will launch the first voyages from Kiel on September 6 and Hamburg on September 12, 19 and 26 aboard the AIDAperla. Costa Cruises also announced plans to restart sailings from Italian ports, with the gradual return of services beginning September 6 on the Costa Deliziosa."

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/carnival-ceo-says-its-too-early-for-us-cruises-to-return/ar-BB186xIm

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 230,826 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[tosteve1]

The dreaded false positives...

https://www.avidcruiser.com/2020/08/uncruise-guests-all-test-negative-for-covid-19/

[TLCOhio]

22 hours ago, tosteve1 said:

The dreaded false positives...

https://www.avidcruiser.com/2020/08/uncruise-guests-all-test-negative-for-covid-19/

 

Appreciate this above link and the helpful follow-up from our North Carolina "neighbor" on these CC Boards.  Keep up the great sharing!!

 

From the Miami Herald at the center of the worldwide cruise industry, they had this interesting headline this afternoon: “More cruise ships are leaving U.S. waters, avoiding CDC COVID-19 reporting requirements” with these highlights: “After the cruise industry shut down in mid-March, dozens of ships could be spotted off the Miami Beach coast or moving in and out of PortMiami.  More than five months later, it’s rare to see even one cruise ship floating off the coast. Many have left U.S. waters — and with that, the scrutiny of the country’s top healthy agency, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has banned cruises until Oct. 1; most US-based cruise lines have canceled cruises until Oct. 31. The agency will determine if and when companies can start operating again.   Companies that have moved their ships out of U.S. waters say they’ve done so to more quickly repatriate crew members and to renovate ships in Europe. One company said it disagrees with the CDC’s protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19 at sea. Companies are not reporting data from ships that are outside U.S. waters. Only three companies have kept their regular ship complements in U.S. waters and continued to report illnesses on those ships: Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean Group.  Other companies’ decisions to pull their ships from U.S. waters leave the CDC without a complete picture of ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks on ships."

 

It is good to know that Royal Caribbean (including Silversea) is maintaining some normal form of operations compared to what these other companies are doing by these "exit" movements..  Overall, this type of seeming to "HIDE THINGS", does not build confidence so that the CDC and consumers can be more confident that the highest standards are being enforced and followed.  This story also detailed: "The largest cruise company in the world, Carnival Corporation, pulled its ships from U.S. waters before the CDC’s public grading system took effect.  Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings went from 20 ships to just three."   Their research and reporting indicated that Royal Caribbean Group has kept about the same number of ships in and around U.S. waters.  That RCCL number in U.S. totals about 22 ships.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.miamiherald.com/article244792442.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!  Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture.  This posting is now at 88,397 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[TLCOhio]

From USA Today this afternoon, they had this headline: “MSC Cruises says family denied reboarding after they broke COVID-19 'social bubble'” with these highlights: “MSC Cruises cracked down on passengers who broke newly implemented COVID-19 health and safety protocol as the cruise line's ships resume sailing after the pandemic shut the global industry down in March. On Tuesday, the cruise line denied a family from getting back on board the MSC Grandiosa after an excursion during which MSC Cruises says they broke from the 'social bubble' put in place to avoid the spread of coronavirus. The Grandiosa departed from Genoa, Italy, Sunday on what was billed as the first Mediterranean cruise after Italy’s pandemic lockdown. 'We had to deny re-embarkation to a family who broke from their shore excursion yesterday while visiting Naples, Italy,' Paige Rosenthal, spokesperson for MSC Cruises, told USA TODAY Wednesday.  MSC stopped the family from getting on the ship to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew on board, she explained, noting that because the group departed from the organized shore excursion, they would pose a risk to others upon getting back on the Grandiosa.”

 

Strict standards and tight enforcement?  Is that good or bad?  Right or wrong?  Fair or unfair??   Lots of excellent questions as a few cruise lines are now attempting to re-start in Europe. How they succeed (or fail) there will help guide any type of re-start for those hoping to be sailing from U.S. waters and for exploring in other parts of the world.  Reactions and comments?   

 

Full story at:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/08/19/msc-cruises-cracking-down-passengers-who-break-covid-19-regulations/5605867002/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 67,329 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Edited August 19, 2020 by TLCOhio

[Lois R]

Hi Terry, so........break the rules..........walk the plank!

[TLCOhio]

12 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Terry, so........break the rules..........walk the plank!

 

Super great summary by Lois.  Would this illustration shown below reflect how this exciting ship experience might play out?  After walking the plank once, you probably won't repeat that error a second time?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

[tosteve1]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5532/?et_cid=3353435&et_rid=267325029&et_referrer=newsletterPopup

[turtlemichael]

1 hour ago, tosteve1 said:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5532/?et_cid=3353435&et_rid=267325029&et_referrer=newsletterPopup

That will not stop Carnival being sued by passengers and their survivors affected and the criminal investigation by NSW Police is on-going.

Edited August 20, 2020 by turtlemichael