Fingers Crossed MSC sails from US Soon. But when?

[gavenalex]

I’m booked on the first MSC cruise to restart in NA.  November 1st sailing of the Seaside.  It’s got the best Itinerary with an overnight in Ocean Cay (first ship to do that) plus full days in Coz and CM.  
 

I agree about Ken’s track record with OC.  I was on the Meragivila sailing from NYC to Miami and was suppose to be first at Ocean Cay, but we all know how that turned out.

[hamrag]

12 hours ago, gavenalex said:

I’m booked on the first MSC cruise to restart in NA.  November 1st sailing of the Seaside....

 

I think ultimately you will most likely have a FCC winging its way towards you! I'd love to be proven wrong, but......😉

[CGTNORMANDIE]

On 8/21/2020 at 5:39 PM, rkacruiser said:As much as I love to cruise and as much as I love being at sea, I am starting to come to the acceptance that my cruising days are very likely over.  

RK...If I can look forward to cruising with all my problems then you should have no hesitation to do the same!  Buck up dear lad and take heart and be of good cheer...WE SHALL CRUISE ONCE AGAIN!!  😇

[rkacruiser]

11 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

RK...If I can look forward to cruising with all my problems then you should have no hesitation to do the same!  Buck up dear lad and take heart and be of good cheer...WE SHALL CRUISE ONCE AGAIN!!  😇

 

I appreciate your optimism.  Thank you very much.

 

Today is my birthday during the later half of my 70's.  I celebrated my 60th birthday aboard the Zuiderdam during a Caribbean cruise with 3 friends.  I celebrated my 70th birthday with one of those same friends aboard the Eurodam during her Baltic and Viking Passage cruise.  I would be pleased to celebrate my 80th birthday on another cruise.  

 

As my Minister says at the end of each segment of her congregational prayer:  "God of Mercy, let it be so."

[IsanTom]

I'm ready to sail! Have MSC Seaside booked for November & December, so we're hoping for a wonderful experience 

on the Seaside!

[CGTNORMANDIE]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I appreciate your optimism.  Thank you very much.

 

Today is my birthday during the later half of my 70's.  I celebrated my 60th birthday aboard the Zuiderdam during a Caribbean cruise with 3 friends.  I celebrated my 70th birthday with one of those same friends aboard the Eurodam during her Baltic and Viking Passage cruise.  I would be pleased to celebrate my 80th birthday on another cruise.  

 

As my Minister says at the end of each segment of her congregational prayer:  "God of Mercy, let it be so."

AMEN!

[shipgeeks]

CGT,  Thank you for your optimism.  I feel the same way (We shall cruise again); it's good to know that you feel the same.

RKA, Happy (belated) Birthday!  I have a feeling that you and I were born one day apart.

I've been thinking about the Grandiosa cruises, and what restrictions I'd be okay with, if I could get onto an MSC ship next week.

I'd be happy to:

Wear a mask any time I couldn't distance.

Have my food plated for me, and/or eat in the dining room more often than before.

Make reservations for the shows (we did that on Seaside previously, anyway).

Be tested before boarding, and at any other time considered appropriate.

Use the MSC excursions, or stay on the ship while in port.  (On Seaside, we only went ashore at Ocean Cay, and one other port, during our two weeks.)

Use the stairs, or wait for an empty elevator.

IMO, all of those would be a small price to pay for the joy of being on a ship.

Each week, things are looking better, as we follow Grandiosa's progress.  I give MSC a lot of credit for all they are doing.

 

[Tapi]

1 minute ago, shipgeeks said:

I've been thinking about the Grandiosa cruises, and what restrictions I'd be okay with, if I could get onto an MSC ship next week.

I'd be happy to:

Wear a mask any time I couldn't distance.

Have my food plated for me, and/or eat in the dining room more often than before.

Make reservations for the shows (we did that on Seaside previously, anyway).

Be tested before boarding, and at any other time considered appropriate.

Use the MSC excursions, or stay on the ship while in port.  (On Seaside, we only went ashore at Ocean Cay, and one other port, during our two weeks.)

Use the stairs, or wait for an empty elevator.

IMO, all of those would be a small price to pay for the joy of being on a ship.

Each week, things are looking better, as we follow Grandiosa's progress.  I give MSC a lot of credit for all they are doing.

 

I’m 100% in agreement with everything you wrote. While these things may be “deal breakers” for some, they are small nuisances to me. I refuse to cut my nose off to spite my face (or refuse to cruise if I have to wear a mask). 

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

RKA, Happy (belated) Birthday!  I have a feeling that you and I were born one day apart.

 

Thank you.  I appreciate the wishes from a fellow cruise lover.     

[electro]

17 hours ago, Tapi said:

I’m 100% in agreement with everything you wrote. While these things may be “deal breakers” for some, they are small nuisances to me. I refuse to cut my nose off to spite my face (or refuse to cruise if I have to wear a mask). 

Even though most of these thinks, individually, may be small nuisances, the fact that they are all necessary, tells me that it is not safe to cruise yet.

I will wait until it is safer. 

[Tapi]

50 minutes ago, electro said:

Even though most of these thinks, individually, may be small nuisances, the fact that they are all necessary, tells me that it is not safe to cruise yet.

I will wait until it is safer. 

I understand and respect your apprehension. Personally, I work in the airline industry where I’m required to abide by many of the same protocols and procedures that MSC has established in order to perform my job. Even though I was concerned at the beginning about spending time at airports, being up in airplanes, and staying at hotels on a weekly basis, over time it became evident that the cumulative effect of all these safety procedures established by my company is working. We’ve been operating without a single case of mass infection on any flight since the pandemic started. If I didn’t believe it’s safe, I wouldn’t be able to go to work. 
 

By now, I’m very used to wearing a mask, socially distancing, being extra diligent about hygiene and disinfecting etc. All these protocols have become as much a part of my routine as putting my shoes on. So they wouldn’t be a reason for me to avoid cruising if all of these protocols are in place.

 

With that said, just like I’m selective about where I go, and what businesses I support based on their response to this pandemic, I’ll do the same about what cruise line I choose to sail on.

Edited September 3, 2020 by Tapi

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, Tapi said:

By now, I’m very used to wearing a mask, socially distancing, being extra diligent about hygiene and disinfecting etc. All these protocols have become as much a part of my routine as putting my shoes on. So they wouldn’t be a reason for me to avoid cruising if all of these protocols are in place.

 

You are at the place I am trying to get to in my daily life.  I am encouraged by your words.

 

5 hours ago, Tapi said:

With that said, just like I’m selective about where I go, and what businesses I support based on their response to this pandemic, I’ll do the same about what cruise line I choose to sail on.

 

As well as I am regarding businesses that I patronized.  A concern that I have is how does one really know how well a business, specifically a local Mom n' Pop type restaurant is doing in their sanitation?  I know the business is in financial difficulty.  I'd like to patronize them again.  But, is money being spent to properly sanitize the facility and check the employees?  

[Tapi]

13 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

You are at the place I am trying to get to in my daily life.  I am encouraged by your words.

 

 

As well as I am regarding businesses that I patronized.  A concern that I have is how does one really know how well a business, specifically a local Mom n' Pop type restaurant is doing in their sanitation?  I know the business is in financial difficulty.  I'd like to patronize them again.  But, is money being spent to properly sanitize the facility and check the employees?  

I won’t lie. The first day I had to go to work wearing a mask, I couldn’t even breathe walking around the airport. It took some time and trying different masks until I found one that worked and that I could use for hours at a time. 
 

As far as restaurants and businesses go, some seem to be with the program more than others. Sometimes I’ve gone to a restaurant where all employees are properly wearing masks, tables are adequately separated or blocked, disposable paper menus are in use (or my recent favorite, a QR code is on a sticker on the table which I can scan and then read the menu on my mobile device), and when I use my own sanitizing wipes to clean the table, the wipe is clean. I return to those establishments.

 

Other times I’ve gone to restaurants where there’s no separation, waiters are haphazardly wearing masks (nose sticking out, or hanging from their chin), crusty menus are in use, and when I clean with my wipes, the wipe is grimy as if the table hasn’t been wiped for a while. I even had a waitress go off on a rant about how useless masks are when I asked her to cover her nose. I never return to establishments like that. 

[NCTribeFan]

I do so hope that there's a viable vaccine by early 2021.  I had 3 cruises for 2020 cancelled - an 11 night FLL to Montreal on HAL, and the Carnival Legend B2B Med/TA.  Actually, I should've arrived in Venice this morning.  Sigh.

 

But I had 8 cruises booked for Jan 2021 - Feb 2022.  Just felt I needed to book as many as I could since I personally believe once sailing resumes, and it's found that it can happen relatively safely, demand and prices will soar since ship inventory has been reduced by so many lines.

 

Not holding out much hope for my "nearly free casino" HAL B2B sailing in January.  Not sure my first X in March will happen.  Yesterday, I cancelled my NCL Escape TA in April.  That only left the med/TA replacements for next October plus semi B2B Australia in Feb 2022.

 

I decided to have a look at what I might book to replace the NCL TA in April and decided on 4+7 nights on Armonia.  I first sailed MSC on Divina in Dec 2018, then sailed Armonia in May 2019 (to Cuba!) and again in Sept 2019.  I personally prefer smaller ships, so Armonia suits me fine.  I get Key West on both (which is great since I've never been there), and get the overnights at OC on both (plus an overnight in Nassau on the 7-night).  Would've liked another sea day but, at this point, I'll happily just sit on the ship if necessary.  The prices were amazing (booked the Voyager 5+5 w/OBC and double points) and decided to book a balcony.  I almost always book insides (I like the dark at night) but since the prices were so reasonable, I felt justified in spending more, mostly to have a place to retreat if I feel there isn't enough separation from other pax.

 

I do so miss travel, especially cruising.

[Fogfog]

We are thinking our early 2021 sailings are going to get cancelled...and think we will know more by mid Nov...

 

Anyone else hazard a guess on when we start sailing in the US?

 

We are not wanting a "vaccine" before we sail again... MSC has done a nice job in the Med

 

 

[Geobugs]

December 12, 2020, we will sail out of Miami on the MSC Meraviglia.  There is no indication otherwise.  We are planning on cruising. 

[cruiseguyinorl]

7 hours ago, Fogfog said:

Anyone else hazard a guess on when we start sailing in the US?

 

I had a nice conversation with a friend in the Operations area for MSC Cruises USA. They are more optimistic right now than they have ever been about a restart. For the first time since this began, they are formulating very specific plans for embark/debark, onboard operations, etc. Such as calculating how many people can fit in a particular line with social distancing. How the terminals can be sectioned off for various protocols and how many people can be let into the terminal at a time based on those calculations.

The general safety protocols have been in place for a bit but it is encouraging to them (and me) that Geneva (operational headquarters) is asking for very specific plans. Seems like that is a good signal. The discouraging news was that last week Ken Muskat said the restart in the US was planned with only one ship and slowing incorporating the others. Hope that changes.

Bret

[Fogfog]

HI @cruiseguyinorl

 

TY for the 411. I had a TA admit she thinks our B2B in Jan will be cancelled ..that the first out will be 1 ship/short sails.. 

Certainly this slows down embarkation/debarkation

 

Do you have thoughts on how this impacts YC embarkation/debarkation?  

 

If our early 2021 sailings are cancelled, next up is a TP ... sigh 

 

[KennyFla]

15 hours ago, Fogfog said:

We are thinking our early 2021 sailings are going to get cancelled...and think we will know more by mid Nov...

 

Anyone else hazard a guess on when we start sailing in the US?

 

We are not wanting a "vaccine" before we sail again... MSC has done a nice job in the Med

 

 

 

I still thin there will be cruises this year.  Not back to normal volume, but a re-start.

[DCGuy64]

I'm more and more confident that MSC will resume operations soon in the Caribbean. Their experience sailing in Europe so far has been outstanding, 2 months and no outbreaks (note: I didn't say no cases, there have been a handful, but no widespread outbreaks as had been predicted by some). The SeaDream Yacht Club's SeaDream 1 sailed from Portsmouth, UK two days ago en route to, among other places, Barbados. The Bahamas (and other countries) have reopened for tourism. All of this tells me that it's only a matter of time before cruising resumes in the Caribbean. And by resuming, I mean ships NOT at full capacity to start with, face masks required, PCR tests, staggered embarkation, and the like. As I've heard a number of industry leaders say, it isn't like switching on a light, it will be a gradual, phased-in approach. Which is fine by me!

[BermudaBound2014]

All of us are making guesses as to when cruising will restart in the USA. Obviously no one knows, but here are my thoughts since fogfog asked: 

 

There were protests yesterday in many of the major USA ports urging cruise lines to resume, so the pressure is coming from a different places. Florida needs cruise ships to sail from a financial standpoint:

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23727-wednesday-protests-scheduled-at-major-u-s-cruise-ports.html

 

I do believe it's possible we may see one or two ships sail in 2020 at very low capacity starting mid December. Largely because Cruise lines don't want to give up the holiday per day premium rate. I suspect this is putting some pressure on as well.

 

My best guess is there may be a very select 3 or 4 day sailings from one or two ports (I'm guessing Miami since they are already adjusting the contract language of minimal passengers). These few cruises will likely sail exclusively to private islands. Nothing even remotely enough to begin to plug the financial losses that continue to multiply daily for the industry.

 

I believe it will be the 3rd quarter of 2021 where we will see ships sailing on a more regular basis. Still many Covid safe practices, but by then I hope cruising starts to resume the 'old' times we all have grown to love. However; we can't ignore that Human behavior is changing. Sales in RV and National Park passes are at a high as are companies that sell outdoor amusement. Americans are shifting how they travel. Cruise lines have been branded 'floating petri dishes' (I don't agree with this obviously, but it is factual in terms of public perception). Between the shift in travel trends and the negative connotations cruising currently carries, I may be being too optimistic. 

[HappyInVan]

I agree with BermudaBound. The disease is out of control on both sides of the Atlantic...

 

https://www.politico.eu/article/scientists-eu-coronavirus-second-wave/

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/16/pandemic-states-virus-rebound-429753

 

New York is quarantining travelers from 43 states and territories...

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/20/a-majority-of-us-states-are-now-on-new-yorks-covid-travel-restriction-list-cuomo-says.html

 

Its pointless making guesses until governments have the disease under control. For those convinced that they will sail soon, make final payment in cash. Be prepared to accept a FCC. How many do you already have?

[BermudaBound2014]

Virgin Cruises just cancelled all of December. Virgin was the first to announce cancellations the last two times cruise lines extended the restart, so if the pattern continues, December cancellations may start to show up within the next few days.

[Oxo]

I had to cancel my MSC Venice cruise in Jun 2020. I was lucky as I received all my money back as a total refund. I also had to cancel 3 RCI cruises for this year.

The way it looks right now, cruising will be delayed for months to come. 

Stay Safe!

 

 

 

[KennyFla]

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Virgin Cruises just cancelled all of December. Virgin was the first to announce cancellations the last two times cruise lines extended the restart, so if the pattern continues, December cancellations may start to show up within the next few days.

 

You can still book a December cruise on MSC.  Whatever that means.  I just wish they would make a firm decision so we can plan.