Inaugural Embarkations (first sailings after lockdown)

[bosslaydee]

So I saw the list of cruise lines and their dates to start sailing again. Most seem to be in August, some in september and of course carnival is in July.
Is anyone planning on being on these "inaugural" sailings? I'd love to hear your reasons on why you're ready to try these new protocols. 🙂 NO attacks here, just open, judgment-free discussion.

[ldubs]

Interesting topic.  I don't have any current plans for the inaugural cruises.  I read many  speculations about new protocols here on CC.  Have cruise lines actually defined new protocols? 

Edited June 2, 2020 by ldubs
Oops - corrected wording.

[bosslaydee]

3 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Interesting topic.  I don't have any current plans for the inaugural cruises.  I read many  speculations about new protocols here on CC.  Have cruise lines actually defined actual new protocols? 

I've only seen what cruise critic has put out.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5369/

[ldubs]

4 minutes ago, bosslaydee said:

I've only seen what cruise critic has put out.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5369/

 

Thanks!  👍👍

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, bosslaydee said:

So I saw the list of cruise lines and their dates to start sailing again. Most seem to be in August, some in september and of course carnival is in July.
Is anyone planning on being on these "inaugural" sailings? I'd love to hear your reasons on why you're ready to try these new protocols. 🙂 NO attacks here, just open, judgment-free discussion.

Do you mean cruising with wearing masks and social distancing or cruising the way it was prior to the pandemic ?

[bosslaydee]

6 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Do you mean cruising with wearing masks and social distancing or cruising the way it was prior to the pandemic ?

I guess however your chosen cruise line chose to proceed with its travels.
Every cruise line seems to be doing different but similar things.

Are you sailing on one of the first embarkations?

[mnocket]

7 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Do you mean cruising with wearing masks and social distancing or cruising the way it was prior to the pandemic ?

Either.  People who are booking these cruises don't know what the protocols will be.  They are nonetheless planning on going.  

[bosslaydee]

1 minute ago, mnocket said:

Either.  People who are booking these cruises don't know what the protocols will be.  They are nonetheless planning on going.  

Exactly! At this point, they've already made up their minds and are going to sail no matter what. I just wanna hear their perspective.

[lenquixote66]

26 minutes ago, mnocket said:

Either.  People who are booking these cruises don't know what the protocols will be.  They are nonetheless planning on going.  

For me it would be very difficult to be on a ship with a supply of disposable masks.It would not feel like a vacation but more like being in a hospital.

[KnowTheScore]

2 hours ago, bosslaydee said:

Is anyone planning on being on these "inaugural" sailings? I'd love to hear your reasons on why you're ready to try these new protocols. 🙂 NO attacks here, just open, judgment-free discussion.

 

Sorry but AFAIK no cruise line has yet agreed the protocols for dealing with on-board cases of COVID-19

 

That's the primary protocol that matters

 

Until it's resolved I don't think anyone can make any kind of sensible judgement about future cruising.

 

.

[bosslaydee]

1 minute ago, KnowTheScore said:

 

Sorry but AFAIK no cruise line has yet agreed the protocols for dealing with on-board cases of COVID-19

 

That's the primary protocol that matters

 

Until it's resolved I don't think anyone can make any kind of sensible judgement about future cruising.

 

.

Oh, you're wrong there. There are some folks in some August 1st roll calls who are pumped to sail away. I'd ask them for their opinions but that's not really what the roll calls are for, especially since i'm not on their sailing lol

[skrufy]

2 hours ago, bosslaydee said:

So I saw the list of cruise lines and their dates to start sailing again. Most seem to be in August, some in september and of course carnival is in July.
Is anyone planning on being on these "inaugural" sailings? I'd love to hear your reasons on why you're ready to try these new protocols. 🙂 NO attacks here, just open, judgment-free discussion.

We will be on the Carnival Horizon on September 5th for our B2B that is replacing the cancelled Carnival Mardi Gras. I believe all safety measures will be implemented and we will have a great cruise. Also need to get away from this virus insanity for a couple of weeks.

Edited June 2, 2020 by skrufy
Spelling

[KnowTheScore]

16 minutes ago, bosslaydee said:

Oh, you're wrong there. There are some folks in some August 1st roll calls who are pumped to sail away. I'd ask them for their opinions but that's not really what the roll calls are for, especially since i'm not on their sailing lol

 

Lots of people are keen to cruise again, including myself.

 

However it's completely dependent on the agreed protocols for dealing with on-board cases of COVID-19.

 

Nobody, I feel sure, would willingly place themselves in a Diamond Princess situation no matter how much they enjoy cruising

 

.

[bosslaydee]

8 minutes ago, skrufy said:

We will be on the Carnival Horizon on September 5th for our B2B that is replacing the cancelled Carnival Mardi Gras. I believe all safety measures will be implemented and we will have a great cruise. Also need to get away from this virus insanity for a couple of weeks.

Yeah my family and i are waiting to see how the august sailings go (unfortunately, they're the guinea pigs lol) and then we'll decide if we want to purchase the December 5 sailing for POA. It would be the first time for all of us visiting Hawaii, but we're Canadian so doing anything with the states freaks us out a little bit lol

Edited June 2, 2020 by bosslaydee

[KnowTheScore]

6 minutes ago, skrufy said:

We will be on the Carnival Horizon on September 5th for our B2B

 

Carnival have just announced an extension of the pause in its operations until October 15 for P&O Cruises.   Do you not think it likely a similar thing will happen to other Carnival lines?

[bosslaydee]

2 minutes ago, KnowTheScore said:

 

Lots of people are keen to cruise again, including myself.

 

However it's completely dependent on the agreed protocols for dealing with on-board cases of COVID-19.

 

Nobody, I feel sure, would willingly place themselves in a Diamond Princess situation no matter how much they enjoy cruising

 

.

Well, we can't speak for others. That's why i started this thread to get the opinions of those who are going to sail, because like it or not, people are planning to sail on Aug 1. People have gotten their March/April/May vacations cancelled, and rescheduled for August, or booked for august years in advance.

[KnowTheScore]

People have been "planning" to cruise for months.  What they've been met with is an ever increasing extension of cruise line's ceasing of operations.  That imho will continue, demonstrated today by Carnival's announcement regarding P&O.

 

But this is a side issue.  Your OP stated that some people were ready to try new protocols yet I haven't seen a single cruise line yet state clearly what their protocol is for dealing with on-board cases of COVID-19.    Surely that is the most pressing and salient protocol to understand?

 

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[bosslaydee]

5 minutes ago, KnowTheScore said:

People have been "planning" to cruise for months.  What they've been met with is an ever increasing extension of cruise line's ceasing of operations.  That imho will continue, demonstrated today by Carnival's announcement regarding P&O.

 

But this is a side issue.  Your OP stated that some people were ready to try new protocols yet I haven't seen a single cruise line yet state clearly what their protocol is for dealing with on-board cases of COVID-19.    Surely that is the most pressing and salient protocol to understand?

 

.

Are you sailing in August? I am not sailing in August, so that question you keep asking, doesn't relate to me.
People who are sailing in August, will give us their reasons for why they are still sailing. That was my OP.

Edited June 2, 2020 by bosslaydee

[spookwife]

Even if we wanted to, mr spook’s job has forbidden any travel.  He is limited to 100 miles from home.  Soonest  he can expect that restriction lifted is October.  And even then, it’s only 50/50 that it will be lifted.  

[navybankerteacher]

43 minutes ago, skrufy said:

We will be on the Carnival Horizon on September 5th for our B2B that is replacing the cancelled Carnival Mardi Gras. I believe all safety measures will be implemented and we will have a great cruise. Also need to get away from this virus insanity for a couple of weeks.

Can you identify ANY of those “...all safety measures...” which you believe will be implemented?

 

This is a serious question:  I would really like to know the basis upon which people have made their decision to cruise.  Can you advise, for example, how food service will be handled:  still cafeteria style?  - and what different MDR arrangements will be in place?

[KnowTheScore]

In all honesty I very much doubt the CDC No Sail Order will remain with a July 24th deadline.

 

I'd put money on it being extended.

 

.

[simmingdenise]

I’m on the Magic for the August 1st sailing. It was a rebook from a canceled May 9th sailing. 
At the time I rebooked I didn’t imagine the shut down would go on this long. I’m not thrilled about being the test subjects for the return to cruising but I’m thankful I’m booked in a balcony on deck 11.

I sincerely hope masks will not be required of passengers. The rest of it I’ll just roll with whatever happens. I’m holding off on rebooking Cheers because it took 60 days to get the last one refunded and at this point Carnival has enough of my funds tied up. I have 4 cruises booked over the next 2 years and two are paid in full.

Since we’re a rebook we don’t fall under the Covid cancellation policy with Carnival and since we made a fee-free change to our AA air tickets once we can’t do another....so if she sails then we sail and just make the best of it.
If she cancels then we do a land trip to Miami and wing it.

[evandbob]

I just received an email this morning from NCL concerning changes to their safety protocols, which led me to this section on their web site:

 

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/book-with-confidence?cheetahid=5000005432601&cid=EM_MKD_NA_PRO_EML_im_EML_PEACEOFMIND_SAFETY060220#safety

[KnowTheScore]

31 minutes ago, evandbob said:

I just received an email this morning from NCL concerning changes to their safety protocols, which led me to this section on their web site:

 

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/book-with-confidence?cheetahid=5000005432601&cid=EM_MKD_NA_PRO_EML_im_EML_PEACEOFMIND_SAFETY060220#safety

 

Interesting  . . .

 

"Installation of medical-grade air-filters, H13 HEPA, that remove 99.95% of airborne pathogens across our entire fleet to ensure the air you breathe is clean."

 

Is this admission that previous filters were not good enough to filter out viruses? 

 

Either way the "peace of mind" measures rather laughably neglect to outline the single most important aspect, which is how they will treat any COVID-19 cases on-board.  They must think we are fools.   The cruise industry simply can not tip toe and skirt around this issue, much less attempt to simply bury it under the carpet.

 

It's patently obvious that there WILL at some point be cases of COVID-19 on-board.

 

Cruise lines MUST be up front about how they will deal with it.

 

They are fooling themselves if they think they can entice most of the previous audience back on board by sweeping it under the carpet.

 

.

 

Edited June 2, 2020 by KnowTheScore

[dogs4fun]

Interesting article regarding river cruise protocols on Nicko Cruises:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5376/