CDC Lifts No Sail Order

[Stumblefoot]

Just heard the news on CNBC.  Here’s a USA Today article on the announcement.

[MHF]

Heard the same thing from my TA.  Crossing fingers my cruise on the Shadow in late February is now in a better position to sail!

[TLCOhio]

5 minutes ago, MHF said:

Heard the same thing from my TA.  Crossing fingers my cruise on the Shadow in late February is now in a better position to sail!

 

Don't start packing, yet!!  Below is what I just posted on the "re-opening" thread on this Silversea board: 

 

From MSN news and the Miami Herald reporting in the heart of the cruise companies, they had this headline: “CDC lifts cruise ban, says companies can restart once they prove COVID-19 protocols work” with these highlights: “The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set the stage for the return of U.S. cruising with the release Friday of a detailed series of requirements that could put ships back in operation in the coming months.  The decision from the CDC to let its no-sail order expire in exchange for a conditional sail order is a win for the Florida-based cruise industry, which has been paralyzed since it shut down passenger operations on March 13 amid COVID-19 outbreaks on several ships. Still, cruise companies will have to prove to the agency that COVID protocols are working with specific testing requirements and trial runs before passengers can return.   Most cruise companies — Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and Virgin Voyages — have canceled all cruises leaving from U.S. ports until at least Dec. 1.  The CDC still has its Level 3 travel notice for cruise ships in place, which warns against anyone taking a cruise because of the high risk of COVID-19 infection on ships.”

 

As noted by the Miami Herald, this is still a "developing story" that will be updated during the upcoming hours and days.  CDC seems to have a "green light" showing in one hand, while the other hand holds flashing red-yellow lights saying "NOT SO FAST"??!!

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cdc-lifts-cruise-ban-says-companies-can-restart-once-they-prove-covid-19-protocols-work/ar-BB1ayee7

 

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 89,077 views.

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

[twangster]

 

4 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

Don't start packing, yet!!  

 

I'm packing! 😇

 

This is a required step in the process.  One step at a time.  This does not mean full steam ahead tomorrow.  

 

The CDC requirements in this conditional sail order apply to cruise operations in U.S. waters.  Other countries will need to open their ports for cruises based in other regions.  However many countries may follow the lead of the CDC and begin to move in the same direction.

 

At any rate, it's a huge step in the right direction even if it still takes some time to begin accepting revenue passengers.

[spinnaker2]

After an initial misstep, Spirit was successful with the Saudi cruises, right?

[DCCruiser57]

Appear

2 hours ago, spinnaker2 said:

After an initial misstep, Spirit was successful with the Saudi cruises, right?

You appear to be correct.  I have not found any information about COVID outbreaks and I generally look at cruisemapper.com everyday to see the location of the Spirit.  It appears to doing the same route every 4 days.

[jollyjones]

The Spirit is now apparently on her way to Port Said  - a longer Saudi cruise or heading for the Med?

[alexandria]

Note this provision in the CDC conditional sail order:  "The cruise ship operator must not sail or offer to sail on an itinerary longer than 7 days." 

 

How many Silversea itineraries involving a US embarkation, disembarkation, or port of call are seven (7) days or less? 

[Randyk47]

5 hours ago, alexandria said:

Note this provision in the CDC conditional sail order:  "The cruise ship operator must not sail or offer to sail on an itinerary longer than 7 days." 

 

How many Silversea itineraries involving a US embarkation, disembarkation, or port of call are seven (7) days or less? 

They’ve had a few in the Caribbean but as memory serves me most of those were out of Barbados.   We typically avoid cruises of less than 10 days unless we can book a back-to-back with non-repetitive itineraries which we’ve done twice on Silversea.   In the meantime Silversea has no ships anywhere close to US waters so we’ll have to watch if they start moving ships.   

Edited October 31, 2020 by Randyk47

[Observer]

5 hours ago, alexandria said:

Note this provision in the CDC conditional sail order:  "The cruise ship operator must not sail or offer to sail on an itinerary longer than 7 days." 

 

How many Silversea itineraries involving a US embarkation, disembarkation, or port of call are seven (7) days or less? 

There are not many. But Silversea has for some time had seven night cruises departing from San Juan, which is very much part of the US.

[TLCOhio]

21 hours ago, spinnaker2 said:

After an initial misstep, Spirit was successful with the Saudi cruises, right?

 

Good question, comments and follow-ups regarding the Spirit sailing there  Hard getting solid, independent journalism from that region.  

 

From MSN news and a Middle East publication in the past week, they had this headline: “Sail of the century: How a cruise ship may be charting a course toward the Kingdom’s future” with these highlights: “There is a world of difference between the Saudi Arabia portrayed in some international media outlets and the country that Saudis experience every day. That contrast could not have been more obvious to me than on a recent cruise organized by the government as a way for Saudis to enjoy a 'staycation'. Having been successful so far in reducing coronavirus numbers and keeping them low, the Saudi government has gradually eased restrictions. Internal flights and limited international flights have resumed.  Now comes the Red Sea Experience cruise, a pleasant surprise to many Saudis and expats who were unable to enjoy a holiday abroad this year. Operated by Silversea Cruise, the Monaco-headquartered luxury cruise line with more than 25 years’ experience in the business, the voyage was an opportunity for honeymooners, families, singles and retirees to enjoy the uniquely magnificent marine life of the Red Sea by day, and some of the best on-ship entertainment and services in the world by night.   On this four-day trip, I saw breathtaking beaches that I never knew existed. On board the ship, we enjoyed quiz nights and star gazing, watched movies, listened to jazz and all-time favorite songs performed live and, of course, viewed magnificent scenery throughout the cruise.  More than anything, this was a sneak preview of what the future of the Kingdom looks like — bright, beautiful, and a far cry from anything you may read about in the international media.”

 

Kind of a puffy piece.  Here is more of what was written in this Arab News story:  "Many told me that, now that they have experienced it, they would definitely do it again, whether coronavirus restrictions are lifted or not. Others had some negative remarks about service, or issues such as poor Wi-Fi or a waiter getting their order wrong, but these are things you hear from customers at any hospitality outlet in the world."

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/other/sail-of-the-century-how-a-cruise-ship-may-be-charting-a-course-toward-the-kingdom-s-future/ar-BB1aldrS

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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[Lois R]

8 hours ago, alexandria said:

Note this provision in the CDC conditional sail order:  "The cruise ship operator must not sail or offer to sail on an itinerary longer than 7 days." 

 

How many Silversea itineraries involving a US embarkation, disembarkation, or port of call are seven (7) days or less? 

I checked the SS website and Shadow is showing a couple of 7 night sailings out of San Juan in January. I didn't click

on Nov or Dec. 

[jollyjones]

Interesting, the Spirit is heading for the Suez Canal. Then where, I wonder?

[Lois R]

5 hours ago, Randyk47 said:

They’ve had a few in the Caribbean but as memory serves me most of those were out of Barbados.   We typically avoid cruises of less than 10 days unless we can book a back-to-back with non-repetitive itineraries which we’ve done twice on Silversea.   In the meantime Silversea has no ships anywhere close to US waters so we’ll have to watch if they start moving ships.   

Hi Randy, Shadow sails for 7 nights out of San Juan in January (well, it shows she sails on the website).

[Randyk47]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Hi Randy, Shadow sails for 7 nights out of San Juan in January (well, it shows she sails on the website).

Thanks.  I forgot they had some cruises out of San Juan.  I think when I was looking for a cruise back in 2019 for early 2020 the itineraries I liked, the ones that went to the few islands we hadn’t been to, were mostly 7-day cruises and a few out of Barbados.   Actually earlier in 2019 many cruises stopped in Cuba but because of my wife’s work she was not allowed to visit Cuba.   Really limited our choices back then.  Once Cuba was eliminated and Silversea redid their itineraries we picked up a nice 11-day cruise out of Ft Lauderdale.  Funny, in a strange and also sad kind of way,  to think a year ago we were excited to be something like 80 days away from that cruise.   Not researching or even dreaming of a cruise now.   🥴😢

[cruiseej]

13 hours ago, alexandria said:

Note this provision in the CDC conditional sail order:  "The cruise ship operator must not sail or offer to sail on an itinerary longer than 7 days." 

 

How many Silversea itineraries involving a US embarkation, disembarkation, or port of call are seven (7) days or less? 

 

Of course, they could simply bypass all the CDC regulations and limitations by having itineraries that don't sail out of the US, if they conclude US customers could fly to other locations in the Caribbean and elsewhere, right?

 

Silversea currently has only the Shadow in the Caribbean in January and February, sailing from US ports in itineraries which would seem to need to be changed to comply with the current CDC rule. By contrast, Seabourn has the Odyssey sailing 7- and 14-days trips between Barbados and St. Martin that would seem to be free of the CDC duration limit.