PRINCESS SHIPS & CORONA VIRUS

[RMMariner]

46 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Agreed. It is very sad indeed but to put it into perspective I've read (more than once) that at least one passenger dies on a cruise ship every week, mostly elderly people. i'm not sure if that's one person per week per ship though.

 

I believe that it around 200 people per year die on cruise ships.

 

Nevertheless, this is very sad. I really believed that this situation on the ship would get better, but it has been (apparently) so poorly managed that this was almost inevitable.

 

I posted very early in this thread that I did not believe this virus was going to be a huge problem. I thought it would follow the same pattern as zika, SARS, MERS etc. I admit now, I was wrong. This is much more transmittable than I thought it would be.

 

My heart goes out to the families of the two passengers and all the other people that have been impacted by this disease.

 

I still say what I said back 50 something pages ago - Don't Panic, but I am certainly far more concerned than I was a month ago. I wish I had been right, but it looks like my optimism was sadly misplaced.

 

 

[hal2008]

 

It seems like 

 

a) China data needs to be taken with a grain of salt. (positive or negative info)

b) SIngapore is unable to contain it in spite of hot weather, tiny country, efficient resourceful govt (very scary)

c) Outbreak in Korea shows that it spread very quickly and unpredictably

 

It seems advisable to avoid getting exposed to travelers. 

People from Korea, Indonesia, Singapore are allowed to be in US airports, all planes as well as on Carribbean cruises.

Chance of catching coronavirus is extremely low but higher than winning Powerball lottery.

 

[CZEE]

On 2/8/2020 at 1:24 PM, CruiseBabys said:

Ahhh.... Yes passports have a unique scannable code on them, take a look page 2-3 on the bottom is a long code. Yes your travel history can be checked. 

According to the website, only biometric data is saved on the passport.  Do you have a reference or are you making an assumption?

[OzKiwiJJ]

20 minutes ago, CZEE said:

According to the website, only biometric data is saved on the passport.  Do you have a reference or are you making an assumption?

The passport number would provide electronic access to worldwide databases which would contain details of all travel on that passport.

Edited February 21, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[Aus Traveller]

22 hours ago, RMMariner said:

 

I believe that it around 200 people per year die on cruise ships.

I believe that the figure of 200 deaths per year on cruise ships is a gross understatement. There are 314 cruise ships operating currently. The figure of '200' p.a. could be for one cruise line.

[RMMariner]

41 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I believe that the figure of 200 deaths per year on cruise ships is a gross understatement. There are 314 cruise ships operating currently. The figure of '200' p.a. could be for one cruise line.

 

You could be right. It was a number I found when I googled. I had no personal frame of reference, but it seemed to be a hard number to pin down. I don't think the cruise lines really want to advertise this darker reality of cruising.

 

 

[bluesea321]

Embarkation does not look like fun these days. 

 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/coronavirus-update.html

[GeezerCouple]

 

21 minutes ago, bluesea321 said:

Embarkation does not look like fun these days. 

 

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/coronavirus-update.html

 

What is this about:

 

"...thoroughly cooking meat and eggs..."

(From the link on the Princess site.)

 

This is the first I've seen/heard about it being transmitted by food, other than if someone who is contagious is handling the food/etc.

 

GC

[healthworker]

I would love them to serve us at the buffets instead of handling utensils everyone touched!

[V_icki_e]

Interesting!  I've just bought travel insurance through 1Cover for our Australian based cruise in February 2021 and this note popped up as I was being transferred to the payment page ... it would seem as though insuring for future cruises is going to be ridiculously expensive and highly exclusionary. 

 

Please Note - Our PDS contains the below general exclusions. We will not pay a claim if it arises from, is related to, or associated with:

- an actual or likely epidemic or pandemic or the threat of an epidemic or pandemic;

- the mass media has indicated the existence or potential existence of circumstances that may affect your travel;

- at the time you purchased the policy, you were aware of something that would give rise to you making a claim

The PDS also contains other general exclusions. Please carefully read the PDS and consider whether this policy is appropriate for you having regard to your situation and needs" 

[bluesea321]

55 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

What is this about:

 

"...thoroughly cooking meat and eggs..."

(From the link on the Princess site.)

 

This is the first I've seen/heard about it being transmitted by food, other than if someone who is contagious is handling the food/etc.

 

Yeah, you are right, first I hear about food transmission. Does Princess know something about it!  (rhetorical)

[cherylandtk]

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

 

What is this about:

 

"...thoroughly cooking meat and eggs..."

(From the link on the Princess site.)

 

This is the first I've seen/heard about it being transmitted by food, other than if someone who is contagious is handling the food/etc.

 

GC

Perhaps this is in reference to the belief that the virus jumped from animals to humans via a food stall market from a bat/pangolin/snake/civet cat

[cruise47]

What will happen to this cruise ship and crew once it is given permission to leave Japan?

[GeezerCouple]

1 minute ago, cherylandtk said:

Perhaps this is in reference to the belief that the virus jumped from animals to humans via a food stall market from a bat/pangolin/snake/civet cat

 

Yeah....

 

<semi joke alert>

 

Well, in the past, wasn't there a link with with a virus and poultry?  Hence, it is obvious we should be wary of eggs (including... cooked eggs!??)...

 

And yup, I thought about the wet market (glad I've never been to one of those, and not because of the virus, although that, too!)...

Hence, it's obvious we should be wary of any meat, including from cows, and with meat that is cooked (okay, ground meat, like hamburgers, do present a specific type of risk in some situations, true).

 

I'm going to be VERY careful, next time I'm in Whole Foods or Stop and Shop, about the source of my bat steaks! 😱

 

But seriously, this is really becoming worrisome.

We have time to cancel our next two cruises without penalty, and IF things settle down, we could probably re-book again (and, hey, probably at a tidy discount, eh?).

And we have no other trips planned other than to a conference in Vancouver.  But now, we can't help but think if the plane may have come from Asia before landing in Vancouver.  It's probably just turning around from Toronto, and that can ;probably be checked.

==>> But look at how the thinking is being affected!

(Or our thinking, anyway...)

And IF things continue to deteriorate....!?

 

GC

[Pushka]

I heard on the radio this morning that the CSIRO and a Queensland Research facility were starting to test a trial vaccine on animals in the next few days as they had cracked the code. This is also consistent with a conversation had recently with a research facility in Melbourne that these two research bodies were well on the way but it would take some time. We can only hope. 

[Pushka]

23 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Yeah....

 

<semi joke alert>

 

Well, in the past, wasn't there a link with with a virus and poultry?  Hence, it is obvious we should be wary of eggs (including... cooked eggs!??)...

 

And yup, I thought about the wet market (glad I've never been to one of those, and not because of the virus, although that, too!)...

Hence, it's obvious we should be wary of any meat, including from cows, and with meat that is cooked (okay, ground meat, like hamburgers, do present a specific type of risk in some situations, true).

 

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by Pushka
I think the issue in the wet markets which I find disgusting anyway, was the mixing of live animals especially exotic ones, who are to be killed and sold on the spot, with meats already prepared for sale. Makes me want to 🤮  just to even type that. 

[rickays]

3 hours ago, Pushka said:

I heard on the radio this morning that the CSIRO and a Queensland Research facility were starting to test a trial vaccine on animals in the next few days as they had cracked the code. This is also consistent with a conversation had recently with a research facility in Melbourne that these two research bodies were well on the way but it would take some time. We can only hope. 

 

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/uq-researchers-create-first-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate/news-story/e3894393c86448e0eeb8de391567dfa2

[Pushka]

7 minutes ago, rickays said:

 

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/uq-researchers-create-first-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate/news-story/e3894393c86448e0eeb8de391567dfa2

We can but hope it’s a go’er. 

[MMDown Under]

4 hours ago, V_icki_e said:

Interesting!  I've just bought travel insurance through 1Cover for our Australian based cruise in February 2021 and this note popped up as I was being transferred to the payment page ... it would seem as though insuring for future cruises is going to be ridiculously expensive and highly exclusionary. 

 

Please Note - Our PDS contains the below general exclusions. We will not pay a claim if it arises from, is related to, or associated with:

- an actual or likely epidemic or pandemic or the threat of an epidemic or pandemic;

- the mass media has indicated the existence or potential existence of circumstances that may affect your travel;

- at the time you purchased the policy, you were aware of something that would give rise to you making a claim

The PDS also contains other general exclusions. Please carefully read the PDS and consider whether this policy is appropriate for you having regard to your situation and needs" 

It is good that the insurer highlights their PDS general exclusions, prior to payment of their travel insurance.  Many people don't read the PDS fine print.

[Pushka]

31 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

It is good that the insurer highlights their PDS general exclusions, prior to payment of their travel insurance.  Many people don't read the PDS fine print.

I know on Insureandgo the warning is very obvious on the website. 

[gatour]

On 2/21/2020 at 4:28 PM, cruise47 said:

What will happen to this cruise ship and crew once it is given permission to leave Japan?

Current crew members are being sent back to their home countries.  The ship will be manned by new volunteer crew members.  I imagine there will just be enough crew members onboard to safely get to the port where it will be deep cleaned.

 

Princess has issued a RFP for a company to do a extra deep clean.  Things like removing all of the soft goods (linens, mattresses) in the cabins and replacing them with new soft goods.  Sanitizing the surfaces throughout ship.

 

With it blowing up in Italy, I wonder how many ports/companies will bid.  There may be pressure or outright denial by countries they are located in to bid on the contract.

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, gatour said:

 The ship will be manned by new volunteer crew members.  I imagine there will just be enough crew members onboard to safely get to the port where it will be deep cleaned.

Volunteer?  What is the source for this info?

[Loreni]

Not just Princess, but other cruise lines.  Right now, Princess response to the Diamond Princess situation seems to be to send a letter telling future passengers to be sure to have enough medication with them for at least 2 weeks after their cruises are scheduled to end.  What?

 

 Cruise ships are not being allowed to dock at numerous ports.  We know that the Purdue professor says cruise ship ventilation is suboptimal in dealing with viruses.  What is the likelihood of more cruise ship infections?  I wonder if the industry has insurance that would allow them their cancel their sailings until this dies down.  Maybe if it is actually declared a pandemic, then the cruise lines can cancel? Maybe this is what the industry is waiting for.   I don’t know, but this seems like a very unique situation.  It seems it would be very bad PR if Princess won’t let people cancel and we get jet another Diamond Princess situation.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Loreni

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, Loreni said:

 It seems it would be very bad PR if Princess won’t let people cance

Anyone can cancel at any time … best if they have CFAR,  tho

[franktown]

If you have a cruise booked and are that concerned what is stopping you from cancelling. People cancel all the time.