VP Pence to meet with Cruise lines

[Baron Barracuda]

31 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Optics don't do a lot for me.  I believe in action.  A boondoggle "meeting" at taxpayer expense for something that could be done via teleconference is not what I would consider action.

 

Have participated in enough teleconferences to know they aren't near as productive as meeting face to face.  In person provides more opportunity for give and take and allows support staff to converse in the background.  Boondoggle is a very poor choice of words.  They aren't playing golf at Mar a Lago.

[time4u2go]

2 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

 

Have participated in enough teleconferences to know they aren't near as productive as meeting face to face.  In person provides more opportunity for give and take and allows support staff to converse in the background.  Boondoggle is a very poor choice of words.  They aren't playing golf at Mar a Lago.

As have I, and I respectfully disagree.  The good thing is, we are all allowed to have our own opinions.

[coaster]

This article explains very well how the cruise lines dodge paying their fare share of taxes to the United States.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/opinion/tax-dodging-on-the-high-seas.html

[time4u2go]

...

Edited March 5, 2020 by time4u2go

[mayleeman]

Many if not most business teleconferences are meeting of people who all are employees of the same company. Teleconferencing can save money, correct a corporate misdirection, gather information, strategize, select project leaders, set calendars, etc. But there is almost always a pecking order that relegates many participants to listener status. 

 

This is a meeting of corporate bigwigs with the VP of the country to exchange ideas and familiarize themselves with the concerns the government and industry bring up. The cruise industry leaders are all competitors even as they share an industry consortium (ICI?). All have a vested interest in ensuring cooperation while trying to stay competitive. These industry bigwigs are likely to want to project themselves as equals to the VP in crafting solutions. Attending via screen and audio is not as powerful -- or as informative, since picking up on body language and other offscreen visual clues can be easily missed by cameras.

 

I have no problem with an in-person meeting. It is the best idea the government has had so far in this situation.

Edited March 5, 2020 by mayleeman

[voyager70]

For some it's a no win situation for the VP.  It's nothing but PR if he does and a failure of job performance if he doesn't.  Sad.

 

[flyguyjake]

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2020/03/05/southwest-says-it-expects-200-to-300-revenue-drop-from-coronavirus/

 

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly: Coronavirus travel slump ‘has a 9/11-like feel’

Edited March 6, 2020 by flyguyjake

[SherriZ366]

I'm interested to see the outcome of the meeting.  

[springfire]

4 hours ago, SherriZ366 said:

I'm interested to see the outcome of the meeting.  

I wouldn't expect much from this meeting. 

[mayleeman]

@Cafedumonde I think the criticism has been bipartisan. I actually praised the meeting. If this thread was partisan, I would have taken quite the opposite position.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Maybe finding out if they are rotating crew from China and the like without screening.

Seriously?

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[Tree_skier]

14 hours ago, dodgestang said:

.its too good for the ratings

And here is the best summary of it all!

[ONECRUISER]

15 hours ago, flyguyjake said:

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2020/03/05/southwest-says-it-expects-200-to-300-revenue-drop-from-coronavirus/

 

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly: Coronavirus travel slump ‘has a 9/11-like feel’

I've saved over $2500 in Cruise price drops just in last couple weeks. People forget the 9/11-Anthrax scare that lasted for 6 months. Prices now have dropped but nowhere near the 2001 prices I paid then. A 5n for $9(plus $50 tax) and $799 total for a Cat B 7N on the newest ship Explorer. Cruised Solo, was no single supplement and even with those cheap prices ships left with only 85% cabins filled ... Flew from Michigan to Florida RT only $100 and plane was only 1/4 Full in Oct2001

Edited March 6, 2020 by ONECRUISER

[mafig]

1 minute ago, ONECRUISER said:

I've saved over $2500 in Cruise price drops just in last couple weeks. People forget the 9/11-Anthrax scare that lasted for 6 months. Prices now have dropped but nowhere near the 2001 prices I paid then. A 5n for $9(plus $50 tax) and $799 total for a Cat B 7N on the newest ship Explorer. Cruised Solo, was no single supplement and even with those cheap prices ships left with only 85% cabins filled 

 

we were on Explorer in September 2001 and got the offer to stay onboard for another week for just taxes and port fees.

[ONECRUISER]

28 minutes ago, mafig said:

 

we were on Explorer in September 2001 and got the offer to stay onboard for another week for just taxes and port fees.

Miss those days of walk up and Cruise, Free upgrades and stay on B2B...

[MADflyer]

If there are so many test kits available and using the logic presented by several posters about wider testing, why did they only deliver 100 test kits to the Grand Princess today?  There are 3500 passengers and crew onboard the ship. 

[Coralc]

39 minutes ago, MADflyer said:

If there are so many test kits available and using the logic presented by several posters about wider testing, why did they only deliver 100 test kits to the Grand Princess today?  There are 3500 passengers and crew onboard the ship. 

 

Because the outcome would be the same whether there were 2 confirmed cases or a 100. Apparently 21 tested positive. 19 crew members and 2 passengers. They will still quarantine all of the passengers and all of the crew. 

[MADflyer]

1 hour ago, Coralc said:

 

Because the outcome would be the same whether there were 2 confirmed cases or a 100. Apparently 21 tested positive. 19 crew members and 2 passengers. They will still quarantine all of the passengers and all of the crew. 

The quote I heard from the press conference was that the crew of 1100 will be quarantined and they will test all passengers when they arrive at a 'non-commercial' port.

 

The Director of Homeland security stated in a hearing that they do not have space to quarantine the passengers.

 

California has stated they will only have access to 7,400 tests total through this weekend, with more coming next week. 

[Baron Barracuda]

14 hours ago, MADflyer said:

If there are so many test kits available and using the logic presented by several posters about wider testing, why did they only deliver 100 test kits to the Grand Princess today?  There are 3500 passengers and crew onboard the ship. 

 

Believe one kit contains 800 tests.  So if they received a full kit should be more than sufficient.

[20165]

Anyone hear what happened with this?

[thrifty99]

From the few news reports I read no policy changes came from the meeting. Pence noted how they needed to do whatever possible to mitigate the risk and that elderly should carefully consider whether they should be cruising.  
 

The cruise industry lobbyist did say the cruise industry is prepared to pay for the transfer of affected passengers and crew to health facilities.

[time4u2go]

4 minutes ago, thrifty99 said:

From the few news reports I read no policy changes came from the meeting. Pence noted how they needed to do whatever possible to mitigate the risk and that elderly should carefully consider whether they should be cruising.  
 

The cruise industry lobbyist did say the cruise industry is prepared to pay for the transfer of affected passengers and crew to health facilities.

So really nothing new came out of this?  That's what I kind of expected.

[mugtech]

According to Whitehouse Kelly the virus has been contained.  What me worry?

[time4u2go]

So did anything useful/helpful come out of the meeting?

[MADflyer]

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22556-industry-promises-to-go-above-and-beyond-pay-for-medical-care.html

 

Basically was one hour and 15 minutes where the Cruise Line International Association told the government what they were going to be doing. 

 

Sounds like the focus was on the economics of the lines paying for the transfer and care of sick passengers and crew.