1st Caribbean Cruise since March just sailed

[livingonthebeach]

Sea Dream I, a small cruise ship, just left Barbados this past Saturday, November 7th, for the first cruise in the Caribbean since March.  It is scheduled to visit St Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Grenada.  The Points Guy is on the ship and has started reporting on the new cruising experience with the safety protocols. 

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/first-caribbean-cruise-seadream-boarding-process/

 

Here's the latest list of all the cruises that are back in service. 

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23823-cruise-ships-back-in-service-november-update.html

Edited November 9, 2020 by livingonthebeach

[dssking]

So this cruise line (and many other EU lines) didn't have to meet the 3 step criteria implemented by the CDC after the lift on the no sail order due to their not goverened by the US..............

So.........we see what happens...............

[Merion_Mom]

4 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

Sea Dream I, a small cruise ship, just left Barbados this past Saturday, November 7th, for the first cruise in the Caribbean since March.  It is scheduled to visit St Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Grenada.  The Points Guy is on the ship and has started reporting on the new cruising experience with the safety protocols. 

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/first-caribbean-cruise-seadream-boarding-process/

 

Here's the latest list of all the cruises that are back in service. 

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23823-cruise-ships-back-in-service-november-update.html

 

Thanks for those links.  🙂 

[livingonthebeach]

2 minutes ago, dssking said:

So this cruise line (and many other EU lines) didn't have to meet the 3 step criteria implemented by the CDC after the lift on the no sail order due to their not goverened by the US..............

So.........we see what happens...............

 

Correct, the CDC has no jurisdiction outside the United States.  Also the CDC CSC applies to ships with the capacity of 250 passengers or more.  I believe Sea Dream 1 has a capacity of less than that. 

[yogimax]

Sea Dream I has a capacity of 110 passengers.

 

Not exactly compatible with Anthem of the Seas.  The steps taken just at boarding, for example, will be considerably more difficult with thousands coming aboard.

[ilovetotravel1977]

A couple of youtube vloggers (Ben & David) are on this voyage.  They have a few video posted to their channel.

[John&LaLa]

4 hours ago, dssking said:

So this cruise line (and many other EU lines) didn't have to meet the 3 step criteria implemented by the CDC after the lift on the no sail order due to their not goverened by the US..............

So.........we see what happens...............

 

They would if they leave from or visit a US port. 

 

Contrary to popular belief, we don't control the Caribbean

[molly361]

They just reported on the news that there's a Covid case onboard and the ship is heading back to Barbados

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/11/11/seadream-yacht-club-ends-first-caribbean-cruise-after-positive-test/6253380002/

Edited November 12, 2020 by molly361

[Vera/Lee]

4 minutes ago, molly361 said:

They just reported on the news that there's a Covid case onboard and the ship is heading back to Barbados

That's not good!!!

[bouhunter]

Yep, they're locked in their rooms and heading back, cruise is over.  Sounds like fun.

 

Under 200 passengers with a rigid testing regimen.  Even if it's a false positive, cruise is over.  And the big 3 think they can pile 1,000-2,000 people on a ship and have some kind of control......

Edited November 12, 2020 by bouhunter

[erinsmom03]

45 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

Yep, they're locked in their rooms and heading back, cruise is over.  Sounds like fun.

 

Under 200 passengers with a rigid testing regimen.  Even if it's a false positive, cruise is over.  And the big 3 think they can pile 1,000-2,000 people on a ship and have some kind of control......

 

This is so sad to hear. Aren't they cruising in Europe with large groups and having success?

[EDiamond22]

watched a youtube video made by two of the guest on that cruise, they sailed with less than 40 passengers. a step in the right direction but not quite what we are used to on royal lol ill link the video for anyone interested. 
 

 

[SeaHunt]

1 hour ago, bouhunter said:

Under 200 passengers with a rigid testing regimen.  

 

But no masks at first:

 

"In a controversial decision that might actually keep cases down, SeaDream Yacht Club began requiring passengers and crew to wear masks only on Monday night. Previously, the line had not required masks, because of the frequent testing protocols".

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5727/

 

Also, if you follow "The Points Guy" he is currently onboard!

 

"The list of passengers on board SeaDream 1, which just resumed Caribbean sailings on Saturday out of Barbados, includes me. I’ve been on board since Saturday covering this week’s voyage — a watershed moment for the cruise industry".

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/caribbean-cruise-covid-scare-seadream/

[BSR]

2 hours ago, molly361 said:

They just reported on the news that there's a Covid case onboard and the ship is heading back to Barbados

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/11/11/seadream-yacht-club-ends-first-caribbean-cruise-after-positive-test/6253380002/

Thanks for the link.  Doesn't sound good.

[Ocean Boy]

The ship is back in Barbados and everyone is quarantined in their cabins according to a Today show segment this morning.

[parrotfeathers]

4 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

The ship is back in Barbados and everyone is quarantined in their cabins according to a Today show segment this morning.

 

I hate that this is happening.   One of my parrots would say "what a mess."

[livingonthebeach]

Best case scenario is that they test again and what was a positive turns out to be a false positive, like what happened on the Mein Schiff 6 last month when several crew members tested positive. 

 

At any rate, this is a development that is important to follow -- as Gene Sloan, the Points Guy, who is onboard told CNN travel, "The impact on the industry of the incident will depend in part on how this situation unfolds in the coming hours and days," Sloan told CNN Travel via email from his cabin on board. "But it's not a great development for the cruise industry. I think the hope had been that the rigorous testing that SeaDream was doing would keep Covid off its ship."

 

[erinsmom03]

2 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

Best case scenario is that they test again and what was a positive turns out to be a false positive, like what happened on the Mein Schiff 6 last month when several crew members tested positive. 

 

At any rate, this is a development that is important to follow -- as Gene Sloan, the Points Guy, who is onboard told CNN travel, "The impact on the industry of the incident will depend in part on how this situation unfolds in the coming hours and days," Sloan told CNN Travel via email from his cabin on board. "But it's not a great development for the cruise industry. I think the hope had been that the rigorous testing that SeaDream was doing would keep Covid off its ship."

 

 

I was just reading this news article on CNN. It also noted "The Caribbean sailings followed a successful summer season for SeaDream in Norway, which the line said "resulted in zero positive cases during the entire Norwegian summer season."

 

Hopefully this will be like Mein Schiff... if they can operate cruises in Europe, they should be able to do the same in the Caribbean. Hopefully!

[bouhunter]

16 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

Best case scenario is that they test again and what was a positive turns out to be a false positive, like what happened on the Mein Schiff 6 last month when several crew members tested positive. 

 

 

 

Yeah, and sadly the "best case scenario" now includes being locked in their rooms, cruise is over, waiting to see how they're dealt with in Barbados.  Anyone who gets on a ship in the next few months should be prepared for this potential "vacation".

Edited November 12, 2020 by bouhunter

[livingonthebeach]

Just now, bouhunter said:

Yeah, and the "best case scenario" is that the cruise is cancelled, they're locked in their rooms, waiting to see how they're dealt with in Barbados.  Anyone who gets on a ship in the next few months should be prepared for this potential "vacation".

 

True, that's the risk anyone would have to be willing to take.  Any scare, whether it turns out to be a real situation or not, is definitely not a good thing for the cruise industry.  I'm hoping the way it is handled proves to reinforce protocols that would help make cruising safer. 

[bouhunter]

5 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

True, that's the risk anyone would have to be willing to take.  Any scare, whether it turns out to be a real situation or not, is definitely not a good thing for the cruise industry.  I'm hoping the way it is handled proves to reinforce protocols that would help make cruising safer. 

Unfortunately "protocols that help make cruising safer" are going to make it an experience that many customers aren't interested in.  Throw in the potential of being quarantined with the cruise cancelled, they might have a hard time filling the ships to whatever capacity they have determined is "safe".  Especially with the media constantly promoting a "dark winter" and "covid hell".

Edited November 12, 2020 by bouhunter

[livingonthebeach]

1 minute ago, bouhunter said:

Unfortunately "protocols that help make cruising safer" are going to make it an experience that many customers aren't interested in.  Throw in the potential of being quarantined with the cruise cancelled, they might have a hard time filling the ships to whatever capacity they have determined is "safe".

 

That may be true for the short-term.  Hopefully, we are progressing in the areas of the knowledge we have gained since March and the development of Covid-19 therapeutics and vaccines.  

 

While cruising will not be ideal for many now, I'm confident that in the future, whatever form cruising takes,  it will be a much safer experience. 

[Sunshine3601]

Let's hope it's only one person who felt sick and tested positive is the only one.

It would be horrible if anyone on catamaran snorkeling excursion and local drivers to take to beach on Tobago become ill.

The fact this sailing had a mix of europeans and americans that flew to barbados and possibly stayed in hotels is definitely going to be a concern for barbados residents. 

Barbados has been gracious with letting rcl ships dock there for supplies and crew changes/flights etc  hopefully that wont impact rcl

[livingonthebeach]

23 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Let's hope it's only one person who felt sick and tested positive is the only one.

It would be horrible if anyone on catamaran snorkeling excursion and local drivers to take to beach on Tobago become ill.

The fact this sailing had a mix of europeans and americans that flew to barbados and possibly stayed in hotels is definitely going to be a concern for barbados residents. 

Barbados has been gracious with letting rcl ships dock there for supplies and crew changes/flights etc  hopefully that wont impact rcl

 

According to Gene Sloan, who is onboard, the crew all tested negative. The passengers haven't had any contact with anyone on any island.

 

"In addition to Union Island, SeaDream 1 has visited St. Vincent and the Grenadine islands of Canouan and Tobago Cays during this voyage. But passengers on the vessel have not come in contact with locals on the islands. In order to maintain a COVID-free bubble on board, off-vessel activities have focused exclusively on landings at empty beaches for swimming and sunning, and catamaran trips from the ship for snorkeling."

 

"The 53 passengers on board include 37 Americans. There also are passengers from the U.K., Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany."

Edited November 12, 2020 by livingonthebeach

[Sunshine3601]

9 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

According to Gene Sloan, who is onboard, the crew all tested negative. The passengers haven't had any contact with anyone on any island.

 

"In addition to Union Island, SeaDream 1 has visited St. Vincent and the Grenadine islands of Canouan and Tobago Cays during this voyage. But passengers on the vessel have not come in contact with locals on the islands. In order to maintain a COVID-free bubble on board, off-vessel activities have focused exclusively on landings at empty beaches for swimming and sunning, and catamaran trips from the ship for snorkeling."

 

"The 53 passengers on board include 37 Americans. There also are passengers from the U.K., Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany."

The point guy said they had catamaran sailings for snorkeling and rides to local beach.  I am assuming the catamarans were operated by local company as well as the ride to their local beach.  ???

He did say no visit to town and no contact with locals.