Seabourn and the current issues surrounding the Corona Virus

[plane7c]

In light of the U.S Centers for Disease Control Level 3 travel warning to China issued January 27, 2020, Seabourn has canceled a scheduled Seabourn Ovation call on Xiamen, China, scheduled for February 3. Instead, the sailing will include a visit to Sandakan, Malaysia, on February 10.

USA Today

[SLSD]

Here's the latest news on the virus:  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/novel-coronavirus-is-a-global-public-health-emergency-who-declares?fbclid=IwAR2qIy3wQLo2qQFPT1vsqpRfc3YwhrLm8pci_vhJw17wS4UGcelEYS8y6Is

 

[Cantara24]

Update to Post #26 - Source Bloomberg:

Carnival Corp. sank as a cruise ship owned by the company was to remain in an Italian port until Friday, even after tests showed that a passenger who came down with fever and respiratory symptoms didn’t have coronavirus.

[Sunviking]

According to a report filed on USA Today at 5 PM  the passengers have been allowed to disembark.  The ship is staying in Civitavecchia until Friday evening because the itinerary was adjusted due to the late release of the ship  which delayed resupply and other things that occur on a cruise turnaround day.

[rols]

1 hour ago, Cantara24 said:

Update to Post #26 - Source Bloomberg:

Carnival Corp. sank 

 .. interesting choice of words by Bloomberg there ..

[texanaust]

I would imagine the demand for Asian cruises is going to plummet.  There should be some very good deals in the near future for those brave enough.  

[lvog]

We received an email today notifying that any passenger that has been to China within the last 14 days will be denied boarding on our upcoming Antarctica Cruise. 
 

[saminina]

That might be more an Antarctica mandate versus Seabourn.

[sfvoyage]

2 hours ago, lvog said:

We received an email today notifying that any passenger that has been to China within the last 14 days will be denied boarding on our upcoming Antarctica Cruise. 

According to the email, is Hong Kong considered part of China, or is Hong Kong exempt?

[Tallante]

Good luck Karen, stay safe. I’m glad we are going to the Fjords on the Ovation this year!

[Mark56]

The US State Department is recommending not traveling to China: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/china-travel-advisory.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

[rols]

16 hours ago, lvog said:

We received an email today notifying that any passenger that has been to China within the last 14 days will be denied boarding on our upcoming Antarctica Cruise. 
 

Can you actually post the exact text please. Someone below has asked whether that includes HK (or I guess Macau) so it would be helpful to know if they put 'China' or 'Mainland China'. I suspect it just says China and anyone who's been to HK is going to have to ask them directly. 

[florisdekort]

I’m unable as of yet to find the Carnival / Seabourn statement, but RCI’s statement covering all its brands specifically says “plus Hong Kong”. 

[Argord]

I'm currently scheduled on The Encore from Sydney Wednesday and Received the below udate.

This explicitly Excludes HK, MAcau and Taiwan.

 

"IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION: We are closely monitoring the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation and wish to reassure you that the risk to our guests and crew is low and our medical experts are coordinating closely with global health authorities. As a precautionary measure, any guest who has traveled from or through mainland China within 14 days of the start of this cruise will not be permitted to board the ship. This does not apply to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. If this applies to you or your client, please contact us at 1-800-207-3551 (North America) or your country?s office to provide proof of such travel and we will process a full refund of all amounts paid to Seabourn for this voyage. In addition, all guests will be subject to pre-boarding health reporting and screening at cruise check-in, in addition to other precautions being taken. The above is subject to change based on the interests of health and safety of our guests and crew and any other requirements imposed by local authorities."

[SLSD]

I've just read that Duterte has banned all travelers from China, INCLUDING from Hong Kong entrance into the Philippines.  If other countries follow suit, it could drastically affect those SB cruisers who embarked in Hong Kong.  https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3048576/china-coronavirus-duterte-orders-travel-ban-visitors

 

I've just read elsewhere that the Ovation has been diverted back to Viet Nam as they will not be allowed to dock in the Philippines as they have been to Hong Kong. 

 

Edited February 2, 2020 by SLSD

[SLSD]

Here's an article from Forbes about travel insurance and the corona virus:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherelliott/2020/02/02/does-travel-insurance-cover-the-coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR3Dd-gUOuLUrF6SkrUo9XbVjhoO92aGalGHQ2S6jVX_YQT04Tq8lPwWKqs#7f387de24d64

 

Seabourn is specifically mentioned in this article. 

Edited February 2, 2020 by SLSD

[SLSD]

I've been reading about the situation Ovation finds itself in on another board.  Vietnam refused to let the ship dock and now Ovation is headed to Bangkok, Thailand, hoping to dock there.  This is after being refused by the Philippines because the ship had been in Hong Kong to take on passengers.  

[oceanviewer21]

Diamond Princess in quarantine with 10 cases on boardhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-51381594

[Flamin_June]

Seabourn have now cancelled Hong Kong on the next two Ovation itineraries. Ovation left HK on 1st Feb on a 14 day cruise via Philippines  to Singapore. She was then due to do a 14 day cruise on 15th Feb  to HK via Bangkok & Vietnam and then back to Singapore from HK on Feb 29th. Now both these itineraries will be round trips from Singapore.

While th cvirus is still relatively well contained in HK (currently 21 cases) numbers are growing. However Singapore, with a smaller poulation than HK ( c. 5.6 million) has more confirmed cases at 24, as of 5th February.

The big question now is will any of the passengers and crew who sailed from HK on the 1st come down with the virus? With a 14 day incubation period, anyone who might have caught it on embarkation day will be coming down with symptons when disembarking in Singapore. Any one who boarded and already had the virus in incubation could be passing it to other passengers and crew who are staying on. I guess we will have to wait and see. In the meantime, if HK with 'only' 21 cases is considered too much of a risk, will Singapore be any safer ? I still think the chance of catching it in HK or Singapore is very low, but once it gets onto a ship - well that is a different story.

Anyone intersted in this should check out the Roll Call boards where there is a lot of unhappiness at Seabourns lack of communication

Edited February 5, 2020 by Flamin_June

[westmount]

Flying off to Cape Town tomorrow to meet the Sojourn  with that funny feeling that we will be slowly, elegantly, gently,  sailing into the eye of the storm over the next 45 days. I expecting to see the  Seabourn staff greet us in hazmat suits when we embark, but hopefully the virus is peaking now and serum developed quickly to deal with this terrible virus. The saddest part of this whole situation is how certain countries have stigmatized Chinese travelers, and I'm imagining horrible situations when an oriental looking person coughs or sneezes in a public setting. Embarkation next week should be interesting.  Hopefully everyone on the Ovation will be fine when the dust settle. Meanwhile, Seabourn could have sent us words of encouragement and reminders of how to keep safe, but so far, nothing. 

[Flamin_June]

This now up on SB website

 

To protect the health and safety of all onboard, we are closely monitoring the evolving situation with respect to the new coronavirus that originated in mainland China.  Although the risk to our guests and crew is low, we are closely monitoring the evolving situation with respect to Coronavirus originating in mainland China. Our medical experts are coordinating closely with international health authorities and have activated enhanced screening, prevention and control procedures for our ships to keep guests and crew safe. 

 

To limit the spread of the illness, health authorities in China have restricted travel across many cities in the affected areas, cancelled mass public gatherings and are conducting airport arrival screening. The global health response has adopted similar measures, including entry restrictions and screening requirements for travelers from affected areas.

 

We have also adopted measures intended to keep you safe. These include:

 

    Guests who have traveled from or through mainland China in the 14-days prior to sailing, will not be permitted to board the ship.

    Pre-Boarding medical evaluations, including temperature checks, for persons with fever or respiratory symptoms.

    Standard pre-boarding health reporting for all guests advising them of their obligation to report any illness symptoms.

    Medical screening for coronavirus on all guests who visit our onboard Medical Center with symptoms of respiratory illness.

    Reporting to local and national health authorities of all cases of fever and respiratory illness, and any patients with suspected coronavirus infection.

    Crew members from mainland China will be delayed from joining any ship until further notice.

    Environmental disinfection onboard will be performed in addition to our regular stringent cleaning and sanitation protocols.

 

As with all respiratory illnesses, particularly during cold and flu season, you can take steps to reduce your risk of illness:

 

    Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds

    Where soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer

    Avoid close contact with people suffering from respiratory illness

    Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze

    Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

    Get vaccinated against seasonal influenza.

 

If you experience any symptoms of respiratory illness which may include fever or feverishness, chills, cough, or shortness of breath, please contact the Medical Center. Updated information on the illness and travel advice, can be found at the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

 

Please be aware that as the situation is changing rapidly, you may be required to undergo additional health screening measures by local health officials before you disembark at any of the ports we visit during your voyage and entry requirements are subject to change. If any revisions need to be made to our itinerary due to travel restrictions, or to protect the health and safety of our guests and crew, we will update you as soon as possible.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this important information, and we thank you for your understanding and continued support.

 

Yours in health,

Grant Tarling, MD, MPH

Chief Medical Officer

 

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by Flamin_June

[oceanviewer21]

Thank you Flamin_June for that info. I have looked all over the Seabourn site and cant find it. Where is it?

[Flamin_June]

Took me a while to find it...

on the main SB page click on 'About' at the top, then on NEWS.

There is a brand new 05th Feb Travel Advisory, just went up , and if you read through that and scroll down you will find a 03rd Feb Travel Advisory, which has a link to the  letter I posted above.

So SB are now being reasonably proactive..

We get on in Singapore on the 14th, as do you. Assuming no one on board goes down with the virus between now and then, things should be ok, although I pity anybody who has even the slightest cough....

As long as cases in Singapore do not spiral .....

Oh the joys of travel....

[Flamin_June]

Perhaps Dr Weil could be persuaded to join us so we can banish the virus with midful chanting, crystal chimes and a stick of celery 😷

[jozi]

Article in today's Washington Post about situation on Ruby Princess. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/trapped-on-virus-ravaged-cruise-ship-shocked-passengers-struggle-to-keep-spirits-up/2020/02/05/6fbae50c-47d3-11ea-91ab-ce439aa5c7c1_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most