MSC resume cruising

[Josy1953]

24 minutes ago, lindylooellalouise said:

Well said absolutely agree with you fed up with hiding away we want to start living our lives again.

We all need to create some kind of normal for ourselves.  I went out last night with 7 of my friends for an Indian meal at a restaurant that only one of us had tried before and had a fantastic time.  This is only the second time that I have eaten out since the lock down but as you say we are are fed up of hiding and need to start living again.  I am starting to believe that so long as we take the best safety precautions that we can we can move to a more normal life.

We are meeting my sister and her husband for lunch at a country pub today so hoping for another good experience..

Edited September 4, 2020 by Josy1953

[Dermotsgirl]

I’ve never felt locked away by this experience.

 

Fortunately, I wasn’t in the group asked to shield, so, everyday during lockdown I did my government authorised exercise unit ( walking). I’ve discovered so much around my local area and saw spring turn into summer like never before. Apart from the backdrop of this terrible illness, I took quite a lot of positives from the last few months.

 

As I was used to leaving the house, I was happy to go out for a coffee a few days after the cafes and restaurants opened, and have built from there. Next week, we’ll probably do our first train journey since February!
 

i realise it’s a different matter for those who have shielded, as it’s easy to become used to being at home, and can be quite a big thing to start going out again.

 

But generally, during good weather where you can be outside, people can enjoy themselves relatively comfortably, and work out what activities feel ‘safe’ and not too restricted.

 

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, Dermotsgirl said:

i realise it’s a different matter for those who have shielded, as it’s easy to become used to being at home, and can be quite a big thing to start going out again.

That's the problem in a nutshell. We're lucky to have a large garden so that part of our normal life never changed. The regular weekly Asda delivery was also a norm. I've been out twice since we came out of lockdown, but Frank hasn't ventured out at all. I know it's safe now for us to go out and about if we're careful, it's not easy, but we are determined. Monday we shall be going into town to have our passports renewed. We've never been the kind that like to socialise, having meals and drinks out etc, we enjoy our own company, so it's not the going out that we miss, it's the feeling of being comfortable and relaxed when we do😷

Avril

[Adawn47]

I've just been on the MSC  forum following the' Live from the Grandiosa' thread. I've found it interesting if not completely reassuring. Petra is posting daily from the ship and there are photos too of the protocols onboard I hope all goes well🤞

Avril

[molecrochip]

3 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

I've just been on the MSC  forum following the' Live from the Grandiosa' thread. I've found it interesting if not completely reassuring. Petra is posting daily from the ship and there are photos too of the protocols onboard I hope all goes well🤞

Avril

Completely agree. I like the idea of them using the wrist band for track and trace. The new muster drill arrangements are also sensible.

[Adawn47]

25 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Completely agree. I like the idea of them using the wrist band for track and trace. The new muster drill arrangements are also sensible.

The way they are limiting the use of swimming pools and jacuzzis sounds sensible in one way, however limiting them to  one  person at a time and expecting them to  be fair and limit their time to give others a chance doesn't seem feasible at all. That is a recipe for disaster, when you consider the problems caused over sunbeds. It would be better not to open the pools at all.

Avril

[DamianG]

13 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

The way they are limiting the use of swimming pools and jacuzzis sounds sensible in one way, however limiting them to  one  person at a time and expecting them to  be fair and limit their time to give others a chance doesn't seem feasible at all. That is a recipe for disaster, when you consider the problems caused over sunbeds. It would be better not to open the pools at all.

Avril

 

We stayed at a caravan park for a few days last week. The swimming pool rules were limited numbers, no spectators and the more usual no diving and no photographs. You had to book a time slot to go in but when we got there it was crowded, no-one checked us in, there were spectators and some were taking photographs. Kids and adults were diving in. There were two staff on duty and the manager passed through a couple of times but none of them did anything. There's no way thousands on a P&O cruise chip would all abide by similar rules.

 

[ollienbertsmum]

16 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Completely agree. I like the idea of them using the wrist band for track and trace. The new muster drill arrangements are also sensible.

+1 for the muster drill.  I hope this is something that carries on after ‘new normal’ is no longer normal.  

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

We stayed at a caravan park for a few days last week. The swimming pool rules were limited numbers, no spectators and the more usual no diving and no photographs. You had to book a time slot to go in but when we got there it was crowded, no-one checked us in, there were spectators and some were taking photographs. Kids and adults were diving in. There were two staff on duty and the manager passed through a couple of times but none of them did anything. There's no way thousands on a P&O cruise chip would all abide by similar rules.

 

I agree.

[Adawn47]

11 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

We stayed at a caravan park for a few days last week. The swimming pool rules were limited numbers, no spectators and the more usual no diving and no photographs. You had to book a time slot to go in but when we got there it was crowded, no-one checked us in, there were spectators and some were taking photographs. Kids and adults were diving in. There were two staff on duty and the manager passed through a couple of times but none of them did anything. There's no way thousands on a P&O cruise chip would all abide by similar rules.

 

I'm not too sure  Damien. If P&O and other lines want to survive then I feel they would be more stringent and adhere to all the protocols that are put in place. They will have lost nearly a year of revenue and need to get  their ships to sea again. If another fiasco occurred like on Diamond Princess then I doubt the cruising industry would survive. They know this, and that is why MSC? wouldn't allow that family back onboard after wandering away rom their tour group. 

Avril

[DamianG]

9 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

I'm not too sure  Damien. If P&O and other lines want to survive then I feel they would be more stringent and adhere to all the protocols that are put in place. They will have lost nearly a year of revenue and need to get  their ships to sea again. If another fiasco occurred like on Diamond Princess then I doubt the cruising industry would survive. They know this, and that is why MSC? wouldn't allow that family back onboard after wandering away rom their tour group. 

Avril

 

I agree with what you are saying but my concern is some people's irresponsible attitudes. As another example, our son has been back at school this week and they have an easy to understand one way system for drop-off and collection (in through one gate, follow the one-way system, register your child and out through another gate). Unless there are school staff policing the gates some people are entering via the gate that clearly states "No Entry" and leaving via the gate that has a sign saying "No Exit." Other parents or carers are having to be guided to the correct drop-off or collection points with plenty trying to short-cut their walk by cutting across playgrounds or go against the flow of foot traffic. It's not everybody of course but it frustrates me that school staff, especially teachers, have to even police it.

Sorry to be negative but I think P&O would need staff all over the ship managing certain passengers who either don't understand what's required or choose to ignore the rules unless someone is there to specifically in place to enforce them.

 

[Son of Anarchy]

29 minutes ago, DamianG said:

Sorry to be negative but I think P&O would need staff all over the ship managing certain passengers who either don't understand what's required or choose to ignore the rules unless someone is there to specifically in place to enforce them.

 

I can do that. 

I have a selection of suitable tools (Remember Ray Winstone in Scum?  "Where's your tool? - What tool? - This ....... tool!"

[Denarius]

Sorry, but all this is sounding more of an ordeal than a holiday. Count me out!

[zap99]

16 minutes ago, Denarius said:

Sorry, but all this is sounding more of an ordeal than a holiday. Count me out!

MSC seem to be doing stuff for safety, knowing that the whole world are watching these cruises. If they are a bit over the top, so what?. If I can cruise and feel safe, count us IN.🚣

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

MSC seem to be doing stuff for safety, knowing that the whole world are watching these cruises. If they are a bit over the top, so what?. If I can cruise and feel safe, count us IN.🚣

If the conditions are right on board and FCO drop their health restrictions next spring looks good.

[Bazrat]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

If the conditions are right on board and FCO drop their health restrictions next spring looks good.

That’s the point if the FCO drops their health restrictions than the travel insurance kicks in and we can cruise.

[Adawn47]

6 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

I agree with what you are saying but my concern is some people's irresponsible attitudes. As another example, our son has been back at school this week and they have an easy to understand one way system for drop-off and collection (in through one gate, follow the one-way system, register your child and out through another gate). Unless there are school staff policing the gates some people are entering via the gate that clearly states "No Entry" and leaving via the gate that has a sign saying "No Exit." Other parents or carers are having to be guided to the correct drop-off or collection points with plenty trying to short-cut their walk by cutting across playgrounds or go against the flow of foot traffic. It's not everybody of course but it frustrates me that school staff, especially teachers, have to even police it.

Sorry to be negative but I think P&O would need staff all over the ship managing certain passengers who either don't understand what's required or choose to ignore the rules unless someone is there to specifically in place to enforce them.

 

I understand what you mean, but they're two different scenarios. I still believe that P&O and other lines will rigorously enforce all protocols, they can't afford not to, and with less passengers onboard it hopefully wont be as difficult as we assume. As with everything about this pandemic, no-one knows, it's all guesswork, trial and error and hope.

Avril

[grapau27]

51 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I understand what you mean, but they're two different scenarios. I still believe that P&O and other lines will rigorously enforce all protocols, they can't afford not to, and with less passengers onboard it hopefully wont be as difficult as we assume. As with everything about this pandemic, no-one knows, it's all guesswork, trial and error and hope.

Avril

I think a maximum of 70% capacity will allow better social distancing.

A slightly higher price including for drinks could make this financially viable for P&O.

[Bazrat]

3 hours ago, grapau27 said:

I think a maximum of 70% capacity will allow better social distancing.

A slightly higher price including for drinks could make this financially viable for P&O.

Leave the drinks alone if you put the price up it never comes down, unless they have a tie up with Wetherspoon’s

[Esprit]

4 hours ago, Bazrat said:

That’s the point if the FCO drops their health restrictions than the travel insurance kicks in and we can cruise.

Having gone to Madrid against FCO advice and therefore my insurance was invalid I would still cruise and take the risk.

To me it’s no different to skiing after a beer or two knowing my insurance will find me out if I have an accident and the alcohol shows up in my bloodstream.

 

[KnowTheScore]

Haven't trawled through the 14 pages here but on the subject of "MSC Resuming Cruising" or indeed any other cruise line I'm going to assume that actually nothing has fundamentally changed and that cruise lines are still trying to hide behind the smoke screen of safety protocols, mask wearing, social distancing and so on. 

 

So on the single biggest and fundamental show stopping issue, I assume nothing has yet been resolved

 

That being what happens when THERE IS a case of COVID on-board.

 

I assume  that when that happens, and let's face it, it WILL, then all passengers will be quarantined to cabins ala Diamond Princess, for up to 2 weeks and/or are dumped at whatever port and shipped home.

 

If so, I maintain its still Game Over for cruising.

 

Does anyone here have anything in writing from MSC or any other cruise line that expressly states how they will react when there is a case of COVID on-board?

 

I'm guessing not

 

All the safety measures in the world are not going to get us away from the main problem of what happens when someone goes down with COVID, whether passenger or crew.

 

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, KnowTheScore said:

Haven't trawled through the 14 pages here but on the subject of "MSC Resuming Cruising" or indeed any other cruise line I'm going to assume that actually nothing has fundamentally changed and that cruise lines are still trying to hide behind the smoke screen of safety protocols, mask wearing, social distancing and so on. 

 

So on the single biggest and fundamental show stopping issue, I assume nothing has yet been resolved

 

That being what happens when THERE IS a case of COVID on-board.

 

I assume  that when that happens, and let's face it, it WILL, then all passengers will be quarantined to cabins ala Diamond Princess, for up to 2 weeks and/or are dumped at whatever port and shipped home.

 

If so, I maintain its still Game Over for cruising.

 

Does anyone here have anything in writing from MSC or any other cruise line that expressly states how they will react when there is a case of COVID on-board?

 

I'm guessing not

 

All the safety measures in the world are not going to get us away from the main problem of what happens when someone goes down with COVID, whether passenger or crew.

 

I thought that Moleys links to the new protocols had covered this issue KTS. Only passengers with covid or who have been in close contact with them will need to be quarantined, and they will be kept in a separate area of the ship and serviced by specific  hotel staff.

So a repeat of the Diamond Princess situation should not happen.

[KnowTheScore]

57 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I thought that Moleys links to the new protocols had covered this issue KTS. Only passengers with covid or who have been in close contact with them will need to be quarantined, and they will be kept in a separate area of the ship and serviced by specific  hotel staff.

So a repeat of the Diamond Princess situation should not happen.

 

Hi

 

I trawled all 14 pages here as a result of your response but could find no actual links anywhere.  I saw "Moley's" comments about how he perceives that things might be handled, but nowhere did I see any written statement from a cruise line or link to such that confirms this.

 

I'm also skeptical of his statements about what would happen.   He says that the infected person would be quarantined to cabin or placed in a special off-limits cabin area as well as any people they had come into contact with until they pass 2 separate CV tests.   The problem here is that by the time the person presents with symptoms or is tested positive they will have already spread it to lots of other people who likewise will have already spread it to lots of other people.

 

So no way is the ship going to have the sealed off cabin capacity for all these people and I have no doubts personally that there will (indeed MUST) be some limit of numbers of infected people on the ship before they are forced to quarantine the entire ship.  I suspect that number would be quite small.  Maybe 10-20 infected people.   I also suspect that such numbers would by law have to be reported to every port before docking and that ships would be turned away as a result.

 

Nororvirus has always worked in a similar way but the threshold for serious problems and impact is quite large in that hundreds of people would have to be positive in order that ports would refuse entry to the ship.

 

Unless and until I see some written statement from a cruise line in regards to all this it remains for me supposition and conjecture.  The devil is in the detail and always will be.  Passengers MUST be told, contractually, how they will be treated if their are cases of CV on-board.

 

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by KnowTheScore

[terrierjohn]

51 minutes ago, KnowTheScore said:

 

Hi

 

I trawled all 14 pages here as a result of your response but could find no actual links anywhere.  I saw "Moley's" comments about how he perceives that things might be handled, but nowhere did I see any written statement from a cruise line or link to such that confirms this.

 

I'm also skeptical of his statements about what would happen.   He says that the infected person would be quarantined to cabin or placed in a special off-limits cabin area as well as any people they had come into contact with until they pass 2 separate CV tests.   The problem here is that by the time the person presents with symptoms or is tested positive they will have already spread it to lots of other people who likewise will have already spread it to lots of other people.

 

So no way is the ship going to have the sealed off cabin capacity for all these people and I have no doubts personally that there will (indeed MUST) be some limit of numbers of infected people on the ship before they are forced to quarantine the entire ship.  I suspect that number would be quite small.  Maybe 10-20 infected people.   I also suspect that such numbers would by law have to be reported to every port before docking and that ships would be turned away as a result.

 

Nororvirus has always worked in a similar way but the threshold for serious problems and impact is quite large in that hundreds of people would have to be positive in order that ports would refuse entry to the ship.

 

Unless and until I see some written statement from a cruise line in regards to all this it remains for me supposition and conjecture.  The devil is in the detail and always will be.  Passengers MUST be told, contractually, how they will be treated if their are cases of CV on-board.

 

 

That's fine with me if you don't want to cruise that's your decision, but once they get the green light I will be happy to cruise.

[wowzz]

28 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

That's fine with me if you don't want to cruise that's your decision, but once they get the green light I will be happy to cruise.

Absolutely !

Hopefully KTS will get the message.