Are Travel Bubbles The Way To Get Cruising Going Again?

[Lastdance]

3 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

All of the states in the Northeast, including Virginia and north were hit very hard by the virus, but even the governor of New York State is moving to a phased opening.   New York City is the worse area but their infection, death and hospitalization rate in falling and has been for over two weeks.   Maryland with Gov. Lockdown is now allowing us to visit the dentist and doctor.   He has also opened the golf courses but not the beaches but he has a plan for opening all areas.    California and western states are way ahead of us as is Texas and Florida.   Cruising should be possible from the U.S. by the end of Fall.

 

However, if Covid-19 returns its ugly head during flu season, with teetering ups and downs within individual states, that may not happen.  I am anything, but a naysayer; however, no one really knows what will happen.  TBD, and I really want to be and feel safe before I cruise next May.  You mention Texas and Florida, but resurgence could negate that fact.  I live in the capital of Nevada where we have under 50 in our county.  Most have been following the rules, but a few think this is all just a big conspiracy!  So, near the end of December is not unrealistic if there is a plan that works.  I am afraid that we will be governed by those who refuse to do what is asked...but that is usually the case!  I want to cruise so badly, and hated to cancel three cruises.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Lastdance

[markeb]

1 hour ago, yoshi said:

When I read your title "Are Travel Bubbles the Way Forward" I pictured actual individual plastic bubbles which surround each passenger on airplanes-that would be kind of interesting. 

 

I hate to admit it was my first thought as well.

 

1976, John Travolta. The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. How did we all survive the '70's?

[NantahalaCruiser]

5 hours ago, Fouremco said:

At their very widest, hoop skirts had a diameter under 6'. If you were to design one keeping to social distancing norms, you would need to make it at minimum 14' in diameter (2 ft for body width plus 6 ft on all sides). Good luck walking down a cruise ship corridor or anywhere else for that matter. Double car garage doors start at 12' in width!

If everyone wore one it would only need to be 8' ( 2 ft for body plus 3 ft on all sides) 😲

 

Of course, in some cases the 2 ft for body might be insufficient 😈

Edited May 12, 2020 by NantahalaCruiser

[Fouremco]

2 minutes ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

If everyone wore one it would only need to be 8' ( 2 ft for body plus 3 ft on all sides) 😲

You clearly haven't been paying attention to the anti-hoopers who refuse to wear them, thus necessitating the 14' hoops for the rest of us.

[markeb]

If you throw  away the idea for the moment of "single step to normal", which basically means throw away US origin Caribbean cruises, there's merit in the idea. And potentially a boom for European based cruises, and some of the "other" cruise lines. Cruising the UK from the UK  on a UK cruise line  with UK passengers. Nowhere near the income of the US origin cruises, or the UK origin Med cruises,  but there's a number greater than 0 that makes it worthwhile versus just shutting down.

 

Australia/New Zealand is a totally different animal. They have a LOT of experience keeping out non-native diseases, although people are stupid  and it's gotten harder over the years. Invasive species, unfortunately, are another  problem...

 

So  cruising around Australia and New Zealand with residents of Australia and New Zealand would at least theoretically be possible. Now if you want a truly radical change, you'd actually hire Australians and New Zealanders for the ship (and watch the prices go up, of course).

[MamaFej]

[york survey]

7 hours ago, markeb said:

If you throw  away the idea for the moment of "single step to normal", which basically means throw away US origin Caribbean cruises, there's merit in the idea. And potentially a boom for European based cruises, and some of the "other" cruise lines. Cruising the UK from the UK  on a UK cruise line  with UK passengers. Nowhere near the income of the US origin cruises, or the UK origin Med cruises,  but there's a number greater than 0 that makes it worthwhile versus just shutting down.

 

Australia/New Zealand is a totally different animal. They have a LOT of experience keeping out non-native diseases, although people are stupid  and it's gotten harder over the years. Invasive species, unfortunately, are another  problem...

 

So  cruising around Australia and New Zealand with residents of Australia and New Zealand would at least theoretically be possible. Now if you want a truly radical change, you'd actually hire Australians and New Zealanders for the ship (and watch the prices go up, of course).

 

Only Time will tell but the UK is talking to France and Ireland about free movement so a cruise from the UK could go to these countries.

 

Totally agree that both these bubbles would exclude the US and that Americans are the main income for most of the lines but it would be a start. 

[John182]

I think that travel bubbles may well be a kick start mechanism. Whilst there are logistical challenges with crews and quarantine and the potential number of passengers may be limited by the markets that operate any revenue will be welcome. It will also potentially be a way of increasing global confidence in cruising if the new processes for passenger and crew safety work successfully. Of course if there is a well publicised disaster on a ship then confidence will be reduced to zero. Like so many challenges at the moment it is a finely balanced decision that has to be made.

 

PS This is a very good thread. Thanks for starting it. I apologise now for my next post and hope it does not detract from the gravitas of the thread but I just cannot resist doing it. Blame the cabin fever.

[John182]

7 hours ago, MamaFej said:

 

 

I have a better idea for social distancing on board. I had one of these as a toy when I was a kid and it protected me from my elder brother. These would be great on board. You could exterminate chair hoggers, the queues at the Buffet would be mysteriously reduced and the outside could be disinfected through a mini car wash. Might have a problem getting them into the cabins at first though.

 

[MamaFej]

My oldest is a HUGE Doctor Who fan, so the Daleks gave me a smile. 

 

It's okay to be serious and  have a sense of humor (humour).

[markeb]

Daleks and Cybermen. That would be a cruise. 
 

Maybe you could finally fix the chameleon circuit and have the TARDIS take on the appearance of a cruise ship...

[Redtravel]

Bubble is not the answer. Each time you dock, you could bring back an unwanted bug.  Travel for vacation should be carefree and relaxing.  Don’t want to travel suited up for battle or get on a cruise bubble with no stops. Rethink. There will be lots of ideas offered to get travel going again. Until a safe vaccine is available, stay home and be safe. 

[maggie.1008]

I do see bubble travel as a option. I am more concerned about air travel than cruising. If we could cruise out of the West Coast I wouldn`t care where we went, just need a cruise fix. In California we have been stuck in and I have been cooking every night. I would just love to be waited on. 

[Lilikins]

On 5/11/2020 at 8:07 PM, yoshi said:

When I read your title "Are Travel Bubbles the Way Forward" I pictured actual individual plastic bubbles which surround each passenger on airplanes-that would be kind of interesting. 

This is the first thing that came to mind for me!

 

The actual travel bubble the poster was describing sounds like a good idea, but I know nothing about the economics of having a cruise ship sail at what I assume would not be full capacity. Maybe for a smaller cruise line like the river boat cruises?

 

[Mike981]

Add me to the list that air travel truly concerns me. I know Delta is doing more spacing on the plane and masks/coverings are required. Since we know this is an airborne virus and we all breath the same recycled air on a plane, it just seems like a bigger problem. Or one that is going to be a tough to fix.

We have a deposit down for a cruise for next January and I go back and forth on us going, from 50-50, to "who am I kidding, we won't be going."

[Denny01]

I’m afraid there is a No 3 along with the initial 2: 

 

3 - How to get passengers onboard knowing if only one passenger/crew member comes onboard or comes back from visiting a port (I assume you’d expect to visit some port beyond the departure/arrival port) with the COVID, you go through the fun and zest of the ships with COVID faced before. 

 

Den

[Oceangoer2]

On 5/11/2020 at 9:57 AM, phoenix_dream said:

Agreed, we are all praying.  I think you don't see it in your area because you have a lot more open, and were closed down for a shorter time I believe.  I hope for all our sakes that doesn't result in a huge rise in cases.  If it doesn't (fingers crossed) it could help our governor see that maybe he needs to re-evaluate his stringent plan.

Georgia's cases are going up....

[RichYak]

16 minutes ago, oceangoer2 said:

Georgia's cases are going up....

[Oceangoer2]

10 minutes ago, RichYak said:

We must be looking at different stats.... as of today covidusa.net...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by oceangoer2

[npcl]

keep in mind that changes in policy will take 2 to 3 weeks before they really impact the numbers.

 

Georgia numbers have been trending down slightly, but new cases today are more reflective of what was going on two weeks ago.  So too early to see what impact the loosening of restrictions will have.

[npcl]

2 hours ago, Mike981 said:

Add me to the list that air travel truly concerns me. I know Delta is doing more spacing on the plane and masks/coverings are required. Since we know this is an airborne virus and we all breath the same recycled air on a plane, it just seems like a bigger problem. Or one that is going to be a tough to fix.

We have a deposit down for a cruise for next January and I go back and forth on us going, from 50-50, to "who am I kidding, we won't be going."

Airplanes do have lab quality hepa filters so not much of an issue that it is recycled.

 

The biggest risk on a plane is if someone is ill within two rows in front or in back of you.  That is what particle modeling on air planes indicates

 

To minimize your risk take the air vent turn it on maximum and point it at your face.  That means that the air flow hitting your face is filtered, and any particle floating around the cabin near you are diverted away from your face. Since the vent is above you the air is pushed down and away.

 

Also do not eat or drink on the plane

 

Wipe down all surfaces near you.

 

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by npcl

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, oceangoer2 said:

We must be looking at different stats.... as of today covidusa.net...

Your chart shows cumulative cases. That chart will go up even with only 1 new case and it never goes down. It's' not that meaningful as relates to opening things up. The Georgia DPH chart shows the rate of new infections, which is the more common chart, and it's declining rapidly.

Edited May 13, 2020 by RichYak
grammar

[Mike981]

12 hours ago, npcl said:

Airplanes do have lab quality hepa filters so not much of an issue that it is recycled.

 

The biggest risk on a plane is if someone is ill within two rows in front or in back of you.  That is what particle modeling on air planes indicates

 

To minimize your risk take the air vent turn it on maximum and point it at your face.  That means that the air flow hitting your face is filtered, and any particle floating around the cabin near you are diverted away from your face. Since the vent is above you the air is pushed down and away.

 

Also do not eat or drink on the plane

 

Wipe down all surfaces near you.

 

 

 

Thank you.

[york survey]

It would appear that the idea of travel bubbles (or corridors as some are now calling them) is starting to get some traction around the world. Be it for land based holidays at the moment.

 

We how have a number of countries talking about free movement within their bubble and the EU is talking about reopening it's internal boarders

 

Areas currently looking at this include:

 

Australia/New Zealand

UK/Ireland/France

Baltic States

Greece/South East Med

You could argue that the US is already a "travel bubble" with free movement between states 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/12/eu-reopen-borders-tourists-covid-19-recovery-plan

 

We all know the downsides. Quarantine to get into the zone and again on returning home. So it's only practical for passengers who live in a zone willing to remain in the zone.

 

But the idea of a British citizen being able to vacation in the south of France does have some appeal. It only takes a little imagination to then consider a 14 day cruise from Southampton stopping at Gibraltar, Nice, Monaco, and Le Harve on the return.

 

The question is would there be enough demand for a cruise ship to operate with these restrictions. I think these is if only to show how cruising can safely return.

 

Logically Celebrity would put ships in Southampton and Sydney (their 2 largest none American markets) to at least prepare for the option

 

 

[rugerdog]

On 5/11/2020 at 12:41 PM, bigbenboys said:

Just a thought. Where hoop dresses a fashion statement? Maybe hoop skirts come in fashion for men and women. Another thought, has anyone seen the Panic! at the Disco video "Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off' Everyone in the video have fish tanks with goldfish on their heads.

 

 

On 5/11/2020 at 1:08 PM, Fouremco said:

At their very widest, hoop skirts had a diameter under 6'. If you were to design one keeping to social distancing norms, you would need to make it at minimum 14' in diameter (2 ft for body width plus 6 ft on all sides). Good luck walking down a cruise ship corridor or anywhere else for that matter. Double car garage doors start at 12' in width!

 

Now all I can visualize are the amazing gentlemen who wear their kilt on formal night, with the updated addition of a hoop.  Finally, the question will be put to rest as to what is worn beneath the kilt.  😉😁