Covid Threshold

[alwaysfrantic]

Has this always been stated? I have never seen it written.  It is was in an email about my cruise next month.

 

what is their threshold?

Edited May 25 by alwaysfrantic

[Kay S]

No indication of what that threshold is.

[cbr663]

Here's the link to CDC guidelines that mentions when to effectively cancel the cruise.  I don't know though whether this is the guideline that HAL is following:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/port-health/php/maritime-guidance/guidance-for-cruise-ships-on-management-of-acute-respiratory-illness-ari-due-to-viral-infection.html

[crystalspin]

38 minutes ago, alwaysfrantic said:

Has this always been stated? I have never seen it written.  It is was in an email about my cruise next month.

 

what is their threshold?

The CDC states:

Considerations for suspending passenger operations

In some circumstances, additional public health precautions, such as returning to port immediately or delaying the next voyage, may be considered to help ensure the health and safety of onboard travelers or newly arriving travelers.

A ship should consider suspending operations based on the following factors:

Sustained transmission of ARI (Acute Respiratory Illness), defined as a voyage with:
15% or more of the passengers have met ARI criteria; or
15% or more of the crew have met ARI criteria; or
15% or more of total travelers have met ARI criteria.

[TRLD]

Of course since the cruise lines have dropped covid testing requirements, unless someone actually contacts medical requesting a test, along with the other covid protocols, the odds of the criteria being met is slim to none.

 

Also note the criteria is a should consider, not must do. A recommendation not a directive.

 

I would consider the statement to be more if legal boiler plate than a practical concern.

[Mary229]

Actually it is not just gibberish.  At certain thresholds many communicable diseases must be reported to CDC.  Port authorities may ban a ship from docking at a certain threshold.  On our recent Tahiti cruise there were people with norovirus. The Tahitians strongly requested we reduce the levels prior to docking.  Our ship went into overdrive to reduce the rate and we were able to dock. I am using non legal terms as I don’t know the legalese nor the numbers but have experienced the actions taken.  A deep dive into the CDC website may yield better answers 

[chengkp75]

4 hours ago, TRLD said:

Of course since the cruise lines have dropped covid testing requirements, unless someone actually contacts medical requesting a test, along with the other covid protocols, the odds of the criteria being met is slim to none.

 

Also note the criteria is a should consider, not must do. A recommendation not a directive.

 

I would consider the statement to be more if legal boiler plate than a practical concern.

While the "guidance" provides a "consideration" for stopping operations at 15% of pax and crew, remember that the USPH/CDC has the authority to prohibit a ship from entering US waters, or entering quarantine anchorage until the public health threat subsides.  So, rather than "legal boilerplate", the cruise lines will take these "considerations" as requirements, because if they ignore the threshold to suspend operations, they may be forced to suspend operations, when they request clearance into the US.  It seems that even when a ship reaches the 15% threshold, the passengers will be allowed to disembark (with protective procedures for symptomatic passengers), while if the 15% threshold is passed, and the ship continues to sail, when it returns to the US , no one will be allowed to disembark, as the ship will be in quarantine.

[TRLD]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

While the "guidance" provides a "consideration" for stopping operations at 15% of pax and crew, remember that the USPH/CDC has the authority to prohibit a ship from entering US waters, or entering quarantine anchorage until the public health threat subsides.  So, rather than "legal boilerplate", the cruise lines will take these "considerations" as requirements, because if they ignore the threshold to suspend operations, they may be forced to suspend operations, when they request clearance into the US.  It seems that even when a ship reaches the 15% threshold, the passengers will be allowed to disembark (with protective procedures for symptomatic passengers), while if the 15% threshold is passed, and the ship continues to sail, when it returns to the US , no one will be allowed to disembark, as the ship will be in quarantine.

May be, however what do you really think the odds of that is now. How many people with covid actually even test these days, let alone going to the medical center to be tested and actually become a statistic. Basically as far as the passengers are concerned it is pretty much an ignored illness these days for most. 

 

 I use the term boiler plate in the way it is included in the document, after all there are other things where a cruise could be shutdown that is not included. Some of them are more likely then the Covid disclaimer. 

 

Most boiler plate is there for low probability events that are included as legal coverage in case that such an event actually were to occur. Even if the probability is higher that a Captain might forget where he docked the ship.

[cbr663]

There are other COVID related conditions that could warrant the suspension of a cruise in addition to the 15% threshold mentioned above.  I didn't want to copy it all over as I thought it was too much to copy.  I included the link so everyone who wished could visit.  

[TRLD]

17 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

There are other COVID related conditions that could warrant the suspension of a cruise in addition to the 15% threshold mentioned above.  I didn't want to copy it all over as I thought it was too much to copy.  I included the link so everyone who wished could visit.  

The operative word is could.

 

Those rules were made optional recommendations back in 2022. It is now up to each cruise line to manage their own Covid program. CDC had also dropped reporting on ship statistics. The rules on gastrointestinal disease is more stringent then covid these days.

 

Short of a new much more viralent strain one is more likely for a cruise to be terminated early by Noro.

Edited May 26 by TRLD