Rumor onboard divina: Ocho Rio to be a miss

[TrinaLC]

Heard from a crew member of some seniority in customer service role that Divina is not going to be allowed to debarked passengers in Ocho Rio as planned in a few days (Thursday?). 
 

Any hard news on this?

 

 

[florida_gal]

Carnival seems to be the only confirmed cruise company *at this time* with confirmed itinerary changes in the Caribbean.  

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article240847156.html

[TrinaLC]

Now confirmed. Notice left in cabin. Going to Cozumel instead which we much prefer. Maybe lines will now drop Jamaica period. 
 

[Markanddonna]

The dock MSC used with the Seaside was so foul, dirty, smelly- it was an industrial port. We had a 15-20 minute walk to the shopping area. A Carnival ship had "the nicer port."  So not impressed by Ocho Rios and just about any other port would be a much better option. Too bad for the locals who need travel for their livelihood. 

[Beardface]

After the games Ocho Rios officials played with the Seaside on Monday, I would not be shocked if this change is fairly permanent.

[GOLDENBONNY]

1 hour ago, TrinaLC said:

Now confirmed. Notice left in cabin. Going to Cozumel instead which we much prefer. Maybe lines will now drop Jamaica period. 
 

Good work by cruise lines. 

[Reds4life]

1 hour ago, TrinaLC said:

Now confirmed. Notice left in cabin. Going to Cozumel instead which we much prefer. Maybe lines will now drop Jamaica period. 
 

How did this change the itinerary? I would assume the sea days got moved since Cozumel is farther west than Jamaica

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, Beardface said:

After the games Ocho Rios officials played with the Seaside on Monday, I would not be shocked if this change is fairly permanent.

 

Carnival is playing hardball. Their change is official (published). They aren't messing around. They have cancelled all Jamaica dn Grand Cayman stops.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-bz-carnival-avoiding-jamaica-and-caymans-over-virus-fears-20200303-43f7wm3nsvak3e7wkoxks55ium-story.html

 

[HappyInVan]

These changes could be permanent for the season. The locals are being logical because America still struggling with test kits and capacity ...

 

"Widespread coronavirus testing could still be weeks away
Public health experts say administration claims on testing capacity are misleading."

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/03/widespread-coronavirus-testing-weeks-away-119846

...

[Preziosa]

What about Meraviglia, Will she still Go to Jamaica...

[BermudaBound2014]

4 minutes ago, Preziosa said:

What about Meraviglia, Will she still Go to Jamaica...

 

Unlike Carnival, MSC has not yet published a press release with a new plan, so it's wait and see at this point.

[TrinaLC]

4 hours ago, Reds4life said:

How did this change the itinerary? I would assume the sea days got moved since Cozumel is farther west than Jamaica

March 6 was originally Ocho Rios, and March 7 Georgetown/Cayman Islands. Now March 6 will be Georgetown, March 7 Cozumel.  Rest of cruise remains the same - sea day (March 9), then Ocean Cay (scheduled until 11 pm), then, sadly, back to Miami. 
 

we have lots of Italians on board who are very concerned about the logistics of getting back home. Including families with small children. 
 

[TrinaLC]

2 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

These changes could be permanent for the season. The locals are being logical because America still struggling with test kits and capacity ...

 

"Widespread coronavirus testing could still be weeks away
Public health experts say administration claims on testing capacity are misleading."

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/03/widespread-coronavirus-testing-weeks-away-119846

...

I disagree that “the locals are being logical”. Like the regular flu, this virus will hop around. They will have their own citizens returning from service in cruises, from their own vacations, as well as non-cruise vacationers. 
 

They would have to shut everything down - ports and airports. Would cripple the economy. As it stands, they will probably loose cruise boat calls for being an unreliable partner. 

[HappyInVan]

2 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

I disagree that “the locals are being logical”.

 

We have to assume that the government is intelligent, and has access to information that the average citizen doesn't. It's the government's decision to make, and they made one.

 

Look at it from their POV. A small poor country is not equipped to handle a Diamond Princess situation. Nor is their economy resilient enough to handle a situation like Northern Italy.

 

So, they have chosen the low risk option. No doubt, they will be willing to ban flights from the USA if the situation warrants it.

[TrinaLC]

2 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

 

We have to assume that the government is intelligent, and has access to information that the average citizen doesn't. It's the government's decision to make, and they made one.

 

Look at it from their POV. A small poor country is not equipped to handle a Diamond Princess situation. Nor is their economy resilient enough to handle a situation like Northern Italy.

 

So, they have chosen the low risk option. No doubt, they will be willing to ban flights from the USA if the situation warrants it.

You lost me at “government = intelligent”

 

 

[Carribean Cruiser George]

On Divina. Revised schedule as follows:

March 5th at sea

March 6th Georgetown, Caymen Islands 8am to 3pm

March 7th Cozumel, Mexico 10am to 7pm

March 8th at sea

March 9th Ocean Cay 8am to 11pm

March 10th Miami

 

[BermudaBound2014]

11 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

Heard from a crew member of some seniority in customer service role that Divina is not going to be allowed to debarked passengers in Ocho Rio as planned in a few days (Thursday?). 
 

Any hard news on this?

 

 

curious- is the diving not being allowed to dock or is it the other way around (in other words, whose decision not to visit, msc or Jamaica?)

 

The only line I know actively removing Jamaica and grand cayman from their itinerary  is Carnival (link above). 

[HappyInVan]

Jamaica has reason to be worried...

 

Coronavirus hits California-based cruise ship, prompting quarantine off the Pacific coast

SACRAMENTO — Another Princess Cruises ship has set off coronavirus alarms after a California passenger who traveled to Mexico died this week, more than 10 days after returning home without knowledge of his exposure.

Two shiploads of passengers may have been exposed. State and federal officials are scurrying to contact 2,500-plus passengers who disembarked Feb. 21 from the San Francisco-Mexico cruise at the same time as the man who died, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.

 

California is also keeping Grand Princess passengers on the current San Francisco-Hawaii trip in the Pacific Ocean indefinitely until state and federal officials can assess how many passengers and crew have coronavirus or have been exposed.

“We have a number of passengers and crew members who have developed symptoms on this ship,” Newsom told reporters at a briefing this afternoon to announce a state of emergency. He later specified that 11 passengers and 10 crew members had symptoms, though he described the situation as fluid.

 

https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/03/04/coronavirus-hits-california-based-cruise-ship-prompting-quarantine-off-the-pacific-coast-1265405

 

 

[TrinaLC]

14 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

curious- is the diving not being allowed to dock or is it the other way around (in other words, whose decision not to visit, msc or Jamaica?)

 

The only line I know actively removing Jamaica and grand cayman from their itinerary  is Carnival (link above). 

The communication received from the Captain of Divina made it clear Jamaica was denying entry. 
 

 

[Cruisesfun65]

Does anyone know if the Armonia docked in Montego Bay today and guests were allowed off?

[reedprincess]

4 hours ago, Cruisesfun65 said:

Does anyone know if the Armonia docked in Montego Bay today and guests were allowed off?

Armonia was supposed to be in MB yesterday, the 4th. And there's been nothing that suggests they didn't port as normal.

[gkbiiii]

Jamaica is one of the few Caribbean islands, that does not need cruise ships.  Their land based hospitality business is outstanding, Sandels is five star luxury.  So I can see the Jamaican's just continuing relies on their traditional tourism, coffee business, and now their legal weed trade.

[TrinaLC]

So what is the rationale in accepting thousands of international passengers off airplanes to go to land based resorts but not off cruise ships?

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, TrinaLC said:

So what is the rationale in accepting thousands of international passengers off airplanes to go to land based resorts but not off cruise ships?

 

They may have stopped all planes from Italy already. Diversity of ship crew is also a challenge since ship crew. Not saying it's logical, just offering possible rational in a situation that is anything but. Not to mention a corrupt government.  Oh, and the majority are stoned, so there's that. 

[DCGuy64]

Jamaica is one of the few Caribbean islands, that does not need cruise ships.  Their land based hospitality business is outstanding, Sandels is five star luxury.  So I can see the Jamaican's just continuing relies on their traditional tourism, coffee business, and now their legal weed trade.

I wouldn’t bet on that. All it takes is for a few people coming to one of those resorts who were already sick and then you’ve got an outbreak that could quickly spread. Jamaica already has some serious safety and security problems such that some places are a no-go to start with, I don’t think they need any more bad press right now.


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