Cruise Industry proposing 70+ pax needs a Doctor's note

[floridatravelersforlife]

Just saw on CNBC that the Cruise industry is proposing anyone over 70, boarding a cruise ship, will need a doctor's note.  No specifics or timeline, but that would crimp Cruise lines like O. To me this is just CYA, passing liability to the pax and their doctor.  But then some effected Princess cruisers are already suing the cruiseline, so we can thank them for this disaster of a solution.  Gotta make some hard decisions in the next few months.

[WaterView2]

At this moment a useful doctor's note is not feasible since testing for this virus is not widely available in many countries and would be denied in most jurisdictions for this type of purpose. Even if you tested negative you could still come down with it as the symptoms can take days to develop.

[susiesan]

This is like the doctor note you need to enter French Polynesia. It means nothing, it is a piece of paper. it can be easily faked with a word processor and someone wit ha bit of medical jargon knowledge.

[ellie1145]

2 minutes ago, susiesan said:

This is like the doctor note you need to enter French Polynesia. It means nothing, it is a piece of paper. it can be easily faked with a word processor and someone wit ha bit of medical jargon knowledge.

Is that not fraud?

 

if you happened to become ill I’m sure your insurance wouldn’t pay out.

 

[shank63]

This proposal from the cruise industry, CLIA is highly disturbing.  My observation in 2 cruises each on Oceania and  HAL in the last 2 years is: What are they thinking?  These two cruise lines plus Viking, Crystal, Regent live on passengers aged 70+.  Without the 70+ age passenger, these lines will not exist without redirecting their culture.  For my wife and I, it means the end of cruising and moving on to other travel options.

[pinotlover]

This goes against current practice. My friend, a doctor on Celebrity and RCL plainly says they routinely ban passengers from future cruises because of their health issues. Some even are put off the ship mid cruise for current issues. There is no second opinion allowed, ie the doctors back home can’t say you’re fine. If the on board doctors ban you, you’re banned. Hard to imagine they’d now accept a doctor’s note in Omaha to allow you on a ship in Copenhagen!

 

I believe this will mandate that the cruise lines more aggressively start limiting / eliminating cruising for those with chronic health problems. It is not in a cruise line best interest to have chronically ill patients showing up in Medical on Embarkment Day or Day 2. This is the case regardless of whatever outrageous fees the med clinic may charge. 
 

My TA says if they are notified by a cruise line that a customer is banned for health reasons, they are contractually bound to notify other cruise lines of such if they attempt to book. Typically, those lists are already shared by the cruise lines anyway. 
 

Hearing the screams of the circling Banshee, as passengers board, is not a welcoming sound for the cruise crew!

Edited March 12, 2020 by pinotlover

[Petoonya]

2 hours ago, shank63 said:

Without the 70+ age passenger, these lines will not exist without redirecting their culture. 

Many cruise lines may not exist by the time this is all over anyway. It's all a crying shame.

[Paulchili]

20 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

My friend, a doctor on Celebrity and RCL plainly says they routinely ban passengers from future cruises because of their health issues

What health issues would constitute a permanent ban from cruising for a passenger on Celebrity or RCL - do you have any examples?

Edited March 12, 2020 by Paulchili

[susiesan]

1 hour ago, Petoonya said:

Many cruise lines may not exist by the time this is all over anyway. It's all a crying shame.

With travel between Europe and the US now banned for 30 days I have a feeling one or more cruise lines and an airline or 2 will fold. I sure hope Oceania has the finaciall backing to survive the next month of cancellations by American passengers who can't get to their cruises that involve Europe.

[Hanoverian]

The following link contains a video of Adam Goldstein responding to questions from CNBC reporters.  He was directly asked about the over 70, doctor's note rumor and declined to answer directly.  He said that industry executives have sent a list of actions to be taken as requested by the vice president and it is only fair, in his opinion, to allow the government time to review those proposed actions and discuss them with industry before commenting on them in public.  So, make of that what you will.  

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/11/coronavirus-travel-industry-could-lose-24-billion-in-tourism-from-outside-us.html

 

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Hanoverian

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, Paulchili said:

What health issues would constitute a permanent ban from cruising for a passenger on Celebrity or RCL - do you have any examples?

Chronic heart disease is the biggest. Severe respiratory problems is another. 
 

Newest problem is dementia, especially when the traveling partner ( read spouse)

is incapable of caring for that cruiser. 

[Petoonya]

1 hour ago, Paulchili said:

What health issues would constitute a permanent ban from cruising for a passenger on Celebrity or RCL - do you have any examples?

A patient who has multiple issues. For instance someone who is post stroke (weakness and mobility issues) with COPD (breathing difficulties) along with a heart issue (like an arrhythmia which causes that person to pass out).

[Paulchili]

8 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Chronic heart disease is the biggest. Severe respiratory problems is another. 

Deleted

Edited March 12, 2020 by Paulchili

[Mura]

When we did the Black Sea cruise on Regatta back in the summer of 2012 a fellow passenger (traveling with family) clearly had dementia.  The rest of us in our group made sure to take care of her.

 

At the time I thought it was probably NOT a good idea for her to have taken the trip.  OTOH she did well, seemed happy and people cared about her.  At the time I thought that it seemed that when the trip was booked she had been in better condition.  And then they just took the trip because it was too late to cancel without penalty.

 

Mura

[jeanine]

It is my understanding that the European travel ban does not apply to U.S. citizens returning from overseas. 

[Jancruz]

This starts tomorrow and the wording is chronic condition..it comes from the government not the cruise Lines

Jancruz1

[Paulchili]

25 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

This starts tomorrow and the wording is chronic condition..it comes from the government not the cruise Lines

Jancruz1

Jan - could you please clarify further what exactly starts tomorrow?

Thanks.

[Redtravel]

Paul,

 

As said before, too little too late.  On Sirena, had the cruise advisory been issued before we embarked on Sunday, most of the 530 passengers would not be on this cruise.  It is very geriatric.  

[Shawnino]

In the mean time, O is marketing that 73-day cruise on Riviera from Miami in 2022 that returns to Miami seven times.

What demo is THAT bad boy geared toward?

[StanandJim]

3 hours ago, Shawnino said:

In the mean time, O is marketing that 73-day cruise on Riviera from Miami in 2022 that returns to Miami seven times.

What demo is THAT bad boy geared toward?

My in laws in Florida just received info on that Cruise, they are marketing it to Snow birds as cheaper than staying home.  

[Justalone]

So, If you have HBP, diabetes, heart, lung, kidney, and liver disease? Someone with compromised immune system?  Dr. will not sign off on the health certification.  The ships will be sailing maybe half full,  or cancelled?  Sign of the times?

Oy Vey!😱

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Justalone

[Justalone]

On 3/11/2020 at 1:25 PM, WaterView2 said:

At this moment a useful doctor's note is not feasible since testing for this virus is not widely available in many countries and would be denied in most jurisdictions for this type of purpose. Even if you tested negative you could still come down with it as the symptoms can take days to develop.

Are you certain this is about needing a Dr. note you have been tested for Covid-19 virus?
Am I missing something?

Edited March 12, 2020 by Justalone

[WaterView2]

I'm not certain of anything anymore! I wrote that post before these new senior guidelines were published.

 

I will say, having been to a doctor today for reasons unrelated to the Covid-19, that he was very skeptical of the cruise ship environment in general from a health point of view. The constant Norovirus problems they have was also mentioned.

[pinotlover]

3 hours ago, Justalone said:

So, If you have HBP, diabetes, heart, lung, kidney, and liver disease? Someone with compromised immune system?  Dr. will not sign off on the health certification.  The ships will be sailing maybe half full,  or cancelled?  Sign of the times?

Oy Vey!😱

 

Having been on a couple truly geriatric cruises, I’m not sure that at least a third of those passengers would ever have gotten a doctor’s note approving a cruise! 
 

In an era long past, a cruiser went into a Travel Agency, personally meet an Agent, and got info and guidance on cruises. Today, behind the hidden wall of the internet, anyone can sign up for a cruise sight unseen. Per my TA, and actual conversation with cruisers, Children and grandchildren are now booking the elderly on cruises so they can take their own separate vacations!

 

An ongoing game by Travel Agencies, during booking:

 

1. are you the actual cruisers;

2. Is the contact information for the actual cruisers?

 

When the contact instructions match the emergency contact information alarm bells go off.

 

Horror stories: Three days after the facts: Grandma promised they wouldn’t ever get off the ship! What do you mean they missed the ship in Casablanca?!!