Coronavirus

[ebonybee]

Can you imagine the impact if a case is reported at Ft. Lauderdale or Miami ports?  I'm also wondering if the Chinese released passengers are traveling in a private plane.

[GrannyGear]

5 minutes ago, ebonybee said:

 

Yes this will certain impact airline travel also.  I actually have greater concerns about airline travel although nobody has established how the virus is spread.

I totally agree. I think I will try to contact MSC with my concerns. Who knows, they may listen.

[renatops]

5 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Sorry, Renatops somehow I can't get that quote to go away :(.

 

Yes, it is a pain.

I found that placing the cursor immediately below the box and pressing delete does the job.

R.

[Beardface]

36 minutes ago, GrannyGear said:

We have 2 upcoming cruises shortly with MSC. Todays report of the death of the 35 year old Dr who spearheaded the public release of information was very disturbing. If it can kill a 35 year old, it will devastate 60+ year olds.

 

I think we are very close to the point where they will have to shut down the cruise industry for a couple months. It will only take one confirmed case in the Carib and they will have to. From a dollars and cents perspective, I think I read a 7 day cancellation will cost a cruise line maybe $3 million. How much will it cost them to have a ship in quarantine for a month? I actually hope they do cancel, we really are not looking forward to the cruises in the same way at all.

 

 

 

 

 

Its China and the doctor who died was the whistleblower who went public about the disease while China was trying to cover it up.  I'm not saying its 100% certain there were nefarious acts here, but knowing how things go over there, my gut tells me it wasn't just the coronavirus that caused his death.

 

And this virus has been out for about a month and a half now, and the vast majority of cases outside of China are popping up with people who have been to China or closely interacted with someone who had just been there.  At this point, the responsible thing to do globally is to quarantine any Chinese national or anyone who has been to China since the virus was first reported.  And bar them from areas where large groups of people are in a confined space, like planes and ships.  At least until we can get this under control.

[BermudaBound2014]

The information on Anthem is very fluid. Sorry if I typed too soon. This was just posted by someone who is at Port Liberty waiting to board Anthem:

 

 

[GrannyGear]

I tried to use the MSC contact form. Input my booking # and sailing date. The form highlights the date and booking# and says invalid value. Anyway know the work around? Should the booking number be preceded my letters? I would call them, but really don't want to be on hold for hours....

[renatops]

6 minutes ago, GrannyGear said:

I tried to use the MSC contact form. Input my booking # and sailing date. The form highlights the date and booking# and says invalid value. Anyway know the work around? Should the booking number be preceded my letters? I would call them, but really don't want to be on hold for hours....

 

Not sure if the same issue, but once happened to me that the booking number started with a 0 (zero), and the form would only accept the number without the 0.

Weird workaround, but did the trick.

[CruisinCrow]

1 hour ago, ebonybee said:

 

My spouse shares your concerns and probably plenty others who just won't state it.

 

 

 

I'll state it.  We have a Bahamas cruise in a week and a half.  I wasn't worried until a couple of days ago but now I'm considering cancelling.  I'll give things a few more days to see how things play out.  I'm not so worried about catching the virus on the ship.  But if anyone on our ship does come down with a fever for whatever reason (and this is "regular" flu season too), we'll be stuck on the ship until the person is tested.  And if the person tests positive for Corona, we could be stuck on the ship indefinitely like the passengers on the Princess ship.  David Abel's videos are really scaring me.  I don't think a 3-day cruise is worth the risk of being quarantined indefinitely.  I have a job and life at home I need to return to.

Edited February 7, 2020 by CruisinCrow

[CruisinCrow]

9 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

diamond princess- Of the 230 initially tested, 61 now confirmed. Princess initially only tested those who they felt were in contact with ground zero guest. This ship, along with one other (dream something) is officially in lock down quarantine. 
 

 

I thought the ground zero guest was actually a guest on a previous cruise.  To me that says the ship itself was contaminated.  Is that incorrect?

[floridian1]

10 minutes ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

...But if anyone on our ship does come down with a fever for whatever reason (and this is "regular" flu season too), we'll be stuck on the ship until the person is tested.  And if the person tests positive for Corona, we could be stuck on the ship indefinitely like the passengers on the Princess ship. ...  I have a job and life at home I need to return to.

This is my fear too. and we are traveling from fl to italy for a med cruise in a few short weeks. the fear of being stuck on the ship (im not even worried about the actual virus)... many many illnesses cause fevers that are not coronavirus.

[CruisinCrow]

3 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

The Anthem Of The Seas has pulled into New Jersey in the US with 12 unconfirmed cases, the Chinese nationals have been in quarantine onboard since displaying symptoms, I hope nobody is allowed to leave until the tests have been conducted.

https://6abc.com/5910246/

 

How were Chinese nationals on the Anthem?  Didn't they bar anyone who had been in China for the last 30 days?  Or is only MSC doing that?

[ziggyuk]

11 minutes ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

How were Chinese nationals on the Anthem?  Didn't they bar anyone who had been in China for the last 30 days?  Or is only MSC doing that?

 

27 I believe.

 

The first reports suggested 12 had symptoms, however the latest reports say only 4 had symptoms and have been have been taken to University Hospital in Newark, which has isolation rooms (with at least 2 on stretchers) and of the 27 the other 23 have been allowed to fly back to China via Newark.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/royal-caribbean-cruise-passengers-n-j-screened-coronavirus-4-taken-n1132266

Edited February 7, 2020 by ziggyuk

[Beardface]

I'm reading a lot of "the virus has spread to the Caribbean!!!" hysteria throughout this site right now.

 

No, it hasn't.  Chinese nationalists, who probably shouldn't have been allowed on the ship (or hell, to even fly into the US) got onto the ship and came down with the sickness.

 

And, this virus has been in the US for a few weeks now.  If it was really as contagious as we originally feared, the numbers of those infected in the US would be a lot higher than it currently is now that we're passing that 14 day mark, and the number of cases involving people who had never been to China would be growing.  But we're not seeing that happen.  At this point, essentially all new cases and all new scares are directly caused by a Chinese national or someone who was in China during the outbreak.  With the new policies that we are seeing MSC roll out, we should be fine with our sailings going forward.  Take a deep breath, its all going to be ok.

[Debate]

Forgive me if these questions have already been asked ...  why are cruise ships treated differently than resort hotels, etc?  I could leave a resort if someone else gets sick in another room?  Do these quarantine rules apply to ships cruising in Caribbean waters or are these quarantines because they are in Asian waters?  We have a cruise coming up in a few weeks and I am more afraid of being quarantined than getting the virus!  One more questions ... who pays if you are kept on the ship beyond the time of your cruise? I was reading our cruise contract and it states "if you are required to remain on board the ship or elsewhere, due to injury, illness or disability or due to action of any government or authority, or for any other reason not the fault of the carrier, you must pay or reimburse Carrier for all resulting costs and expenses including for food, transportation, accommodations, medical and/or repatriation services for you and or those accompanying you.  Are these poor people being held hostage going to receive a bill at the end!  

[CruisingFox27]

6 minutes ago, Beardface said:

  With the new policies that we are seeing MSC roll out, we should be fine with our sailings going forward.  Take a deep breath, its all going to be ok.

 

I hope you are right, we fly to Singapore on Monday for an Asia sailing on Thursday!

 

I have concerns about allowed the ship initially being allowed to dock in Singapore for embarkation on Thursday and then to dock in our destinations and/or quarantined on the ship.

[renatops]

5 minutes ago, Debate said:

Forgive me if these questions have already been asked ...  why are cruise ships treated differently than resort hotels, etc?  I could leave a resort if someone else gets sick in another room?  Do these quarantine rules apply to ships cruising in Caribbean waters or are these quarantines because they are in Asian waters?  We have a cruise coming up in a few weeks and I am more afraid of being quarantined than getting the virus!  One more questions ... who pays if you are kept on the ship beyond the time of your cruise? I was reading our cruise contract and it states "if you are required to remain on board the ship or elsewhere, due to injury, illness or disability or due to action of any government or authority, or for any other reason not the fault of the carrier, you must pay or reimburse Carrier for all resulting costs and expenses including for food, transportation, accommodations, medical and/or repatriation services for you and or those accompanying you.  Are these poor people being held hostage going to receive a bill at the end!  

 

Regarding Diamond Princess quarantined in Japan:

 

"All guests will receive a full refund. Each guest will also receive a one hundred percent future cruise credit."

 

Source: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22390-princess-cancels-diamond-princess-cruise-from-japan.html

[renatops]

34 minutes ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

How were Chinese nationals on the Anthem?  Didn't they bar anyone who had been in China for the last 30 days?  Or is only MSC doing that?

 

Msc is 30 days, but I only heard of others requiring 14, but I can be wrong.

 

I first saw msc puting this requirement than others followed.

 

This all is very recent, and depending on the length of the cruise they could hqve embarked before this was in place.

[BermudaBound2014]

Anthem is delaying embarkation until tomorrow at the earliest. Waiting additional information from the CDC. Full details are posted on Royal Caribbean's site. Interesting that the UK is banning more places than the USA 

 

Dear Guest,

You may have been watching the news and have some concerns about today’s sailing. We appreciate the CDC’s abundance of caution and their partnership.

None of the four guests being tested by CDC showed any clinical signs or symptoms of coronavirus. One had tested positive onboard for Influenza A. Our records indicate the guests had not been in China since January 26 - 14 days ago. 

We have also been cleared by authorities to depart, as usual. However, to reassure concerned guests, we will delay our departure ‪until tomorrow, when we will receive the conclusive test results from CDC.

We know that you may be anxious about boarding the ship today - we’re anxious too! So, we’ve decided to push our boarding to tomorrow, February 8^th, 2020, at 1:00 PM EST, while we wait for the results from the CDC.

We’re also currently working on making adjustments to our itinerary, since we’re starting a day later than planned. We will confirm the details as soon as possible.

Given that we have shortened the sailing, you’ll receive a 1-day refund in the form of an onboard credit for the day missed, plus a pro-rated credit, if you pre-purchased any packages such as, beverage, internet, or dining. Both credits will be added to your Onboard Account and once you’re onboard, you can use these credits anywhere onboard.

Please also take a minute to review our screening and boarding protocols. We have been working with medical experts, public health authorities, and local governments, and in alignment with new stricter CDC protocols, we are tightening our measures to protect guests and crew. These steps are intentionally conservative, and we apologize that they will inconvenience some of our guests.

Until further notice, all ships in the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. fleet will adopt these health screening protocols:

 

1. Regardless of nationality, any guest or crewmember traveling from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau less than 15 days prior to their sailing will be unable to board any of our ships.
2. Any guests holding a Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macau passport, regardless of when they were there last, will not be allowed to board our ships.
3. Any guest or crewmember that has been in contact (which the CDC defines as 6 feet or 2 meters) with someone that has traveled from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau less than 15 days.           
4. Additionally, there will be mandatory specialized health screenings performed on:
   • Guests who are unsure if they have been in contact with individuals who have traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days;
   • Guests who report feeling unwell or demonstrate any flu-like symptoms;
   • Any guest presenting with fever or low blood oximetry in the specialized health screening will be denied boarding.

 

If you or someone in your stateroom has traveled or been in close contact with someone that has traveled from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau within 15 days of sailing departure, or is a passport holder of China, Hong Kong, or Macau, please contact your Travel Advisor immediately, or contact us at 1-800-256-6649 or visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com/contactus for your local Royal Caribbean International office phone number.

We take this very seriously and have a responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy environment onboard our ships, as well as in the ports we visit.

Onboard our ships, we continue to take numerous proactive steps to maintain high health standards. This includes:

 

• Thoroughly sanitizing the cruise ship terminal before and after every sailing,
• Special sanitizing of high traffic areas onboard multiple times a day,
• Adding extra medical staff on each sailing, 
• Providing complimentary consultations with medical experts for all guests & crew,  
• Plus, the Captain will make two daily announcements during your cruise reminding everyone of how to stay healthy onboard.

 

We are committed to giving you an update every hour on the hour, starting at noon EST. Please go to www.RoyalCaribbean.com/AnthemUpdates for our updates. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we ensure your safety and wellbeing.

Sincerely,

 

Edited February 7, 2020 by BermudaBound2014

[jhaagens]

16 hours ago, Annapolisr said:

My apologies.  I was referring to the US super bowl with respect to humor.  If you aren’t a SF fan, I again apologize.  There is nothing frivolous about death.  

 

You're fine. I get you. 🙂

[emmas gran]

We board Bellissima tomorrow at LHR awaiting flight, no additional check pre flight

[ebonybee]

20 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Given that we have shortened the sailing, you’ll receive a 1-day refund in the form of an onboard credit for the day missed, plus a pro-rated credit, if you pre-purchased any packages such as, beverage, internet, or dining. Both credits will be added to your Onboard Account and once you’re onboard, you can use these credits anywhere onboard.

 

Okay, so they have to find and pay for lodging for a night?  Does cruise insurance cover this?  How about the folks that don't have insurance?  No----I haven't read every line in a cruise contract.

[ebonybee]

41 minutes ago, CruisingFox27 said:

 

I hope you are right, we fly to Singapore on Monday for an Asia sailing on Thursday!

 

I have concerns about allowed the ship initially being allowed to dock in Singapore for embarkation on Thursday and then to dock in our destinations and/or quarantined on the ship.

 

 

You are braver than me!  Best of luck to you.  What's the name of your ship?

[MrMike45]

NCL just posted that all sailings on the Spirit (which is currently in China/Singapore/Hong Kong) have been cancelled thru December 2020.  Cancelling 10 months worth of cruises (and refunding all those passengers) plus giving them all a credit for a future booking is likely costing them millions of dollars.  Which they would not do at a whim.  So leads me to believe that the cruise lines fear this might be a long ongoing issue.  

[CruisingFox27]

You are braver than me!  Best of luck to you.  What's the name of your ship?

 

No option to cancel and UK FCO doesn't currently advise against travel to our destinations, so no option not to go! MSC Splendida hasn't had any passengers on board since 28th Jan so hopefully no lingering virus onboard.

Edited February 7, 2020 by CruisingFox27

[ebonybee]

15 minutes ago, MrMike45 said:

NCL just posted that all sailings on the Spirit (which is currently in China/Singapore/Hong Kong) have been cancelled thru December 2020.  Cancelling 10 months worth of cruises (and refunding all those passengers) plus giving them all a credit for a future booking is likely costing them millions of dollars.  Which they would not do at a whim.  So leads me to believe that the cruise lines fear this might be a long ongoing issue.  

 

Probably has a lot to do with insurance underwriting.  A family member works in the industry underwriting cruise companies and I will ask.