When will HAL cruises REALLY restart?

[cruiseing marly]

HAL is really slow at making decisions as are most of the other cruise lines . Have canceled every thing exempt the cruise part on our April 17th . They seem to think its still a possibility . The Airline cancelled the flight yet HAL is doing nothing . My guess is July 1st at the earliest . Pretty sure though if not by next spring the existing companies will not be around without a 50 -100 billion dollar bail out. 

[The Beaver]

It could be a while:

Just read what has been found on one of Princess cruise ships:

Traces of new coronavirus were found on surfaces in cruise-ship cabins for as many as 17 days after passengers left, researchers said, though it wasn’t possible to determine whether they caused any infections.

 

Researchers looked at the rooms of infected passengers aboard the Diamond Princess, both those who showed symptoms and those who didn’t, according to a study Monday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

 

The ship, operated by Carnival Corp.’s Princess Cruises, had more than 700 coronavirus cases. It was quarantined for a time off of Yokohama, Japan, and was the largest outbreak outside of mainland China at one point.

 

Coronavirus Traces Lingered in Vacated Cruise Cabins for 17 Days

[SteelMagnolia9]

I have an 11 day S. Caribbean cruise booked for November 2020, my first HAL cruise in 10 years. I had been very excited about this cruise. Final payment is August. 

I am probably going to cancel. Too much risk to go this year.

Edited March 23, 2020 by SteelMagnolia9

[Mosaic]

46 minutes ago, crusinbanjo said:

I don't think the fall of 2020 is totally out of the question, Might be too optimistic, but if new treatments are effective, (and they look like it), and readily available, Fall is possible..........   But we still need to wait & see, there are a lot of if's and many bad things can happen between now and then

 

 

There are NO treatments.

[crusinbanjo]

26 minutes ago, Mosaic said:

There are NO treatments.

 Hydrocloraquine combined with a Zpack antibiotic is very promising at this moment, despite what the Media is telling us.  It might not be the magic bullet, but early uses on desperate patients has shown promise.  Here is one article as an example:   https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=229156  There are many more.

Edited March 23, 2020 by crusinbanjo
clarity

[Heartgrove]

3 minutes ago, crusinbanjo said:

 Hydrocloraquine and a Zpack is very promising at this moment, despite what the Media is telling us.  It might not be the magic bullet, but early uses on desperate patients has shown promise.  Here is one article as an example:   https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=229156

 

As a former teacher, you do not put any stock into an article that ends with ".com". It probably was written by the pharmaceutical industry. 

[MISTER 67]

November 2020. Here's the thing though,  Covid 19 could disappear in the warm summer months but come back in flu season just like any other flu. It's imperative that a vaccine is found for this virus as soon as possible.

[CoconutOne]

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

November 2020. Here's the thing though,  Covid 19 could disappear in the warm summer months but come back in flu season just like any other flu. It's imperative that a vaccine is found for this virus as soon as possible.

 

If that's the case then cruising will resume when it disappears during the summer. So if people want to cruise, better do something this summer because they might not get the chance once winter hits.

[crusinbanjo]

1 hour ago, Heartgrove said:

 

As a former teacher, you do not put any stock into an article that ends with ".com". It probably was written by the pharmaceutical industry. 

New York City has been given 10,000 units and are scheduled to begin using it tomorrow in a huge trial, so I guess we will see pretty soon

 

[TAD2005]

2 hours ago, crusinbanjo said:

 Hydrocloraquine combined with a Zpack antibiotic is very promising at this moment, despite what the Media is telling us.  It might not be the magic bullet, but early uses on desperate patients has shown promise.  Here is one article as an example:   https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=229156  There are many more.

The original double-blind study was done in France by a very respected organization.  They had a control group, a 2nd group that took just Hydrocloraquine, and a 3rd group that took Hydrocloraquine and Z-Pack.   The control group that took nothing maintained their level of virus infection for 14 days.  The 2nd group was reduced to 55 to 60% by day 7.  The third group had ZERO virus infection by day 7.

Hydrocloraquine was given to all soldiers who went to Vietnam due to Malaria.  It has been around for over 50 years and is cheap and readily available.  Same for Z-Pack.   France is moving forward with massive treatments using this combination.   

[npcl]

8 hours ago, iancal said:

Apply a little common sense. Think about this for a few seconds.  Reflect on what has transpired in other countries and what others in this industry are doing.

 

Now ask yourself that question again.  And while you are at it ask yourself why HAL is still selling those April cruises.  As usual, HAL is a little behind the curve.

Maybe HAL is trying to keep the number of cancellations to as late as possible, and convert as many of them as possible to FCCs limiting cash refund outflow.

 

All canceling now does is speed up their burn rate.  

[danah33]

49 minutes ago, TAD2005 said:

The original double-blind study was done in France by a very respected organization.  They had a control group, a 2nd group that took just Hydrocloraquine, and a 3rd group that took Hydrocloraquine and Z-Pack.   The control group that took nothing maintained their level of virus infection for 14 days.  The 2nd group was reduced to 55 to 60% by day 7.  The third group had ZERO virus infection by day 7.

 

The results of the study are suggestive, but it was not as clean a trial as you indicate. First, it wasn't blinded. Second, 6 patients dropped out of the treatment group, including one who died. Third, the testing frequency was imbalanced between the treatment and control arms.

 

More details here if you are interested: https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2020/03/19/coronavirus-some-clinical-trial-data

 

[AncientWanderer]

There is some controversy over whether exposure to this virus gives immunity to it, but from what I'm reading, most people think you don't get it twice.  

If testing gets up to speed so people know if they've been exposed, there could be plenty of people out there who've had it, or will soon, and will feel confident to travel.  Maybe enough to get some ships and routes into service again pretty soon.  

 

I think this is going to be a gradual process back to normal life.

[eagletwo]

I don't know why Holland America has not cancelled May sailings to Alaska. 

[1ANGELCAT]

16 minutes ago, eagletwo said:

I don't know why Holland America has not cancelled May sailings to Alaska. 

Because they still haven’t cancelled all April sailings . I’m still showing my TA on 4:19 as sailing.

[wyobean]

My Apr 22 TA Still shows as sailing...no way that will happen.

[dutchie50]

We have 2 cruises booked - on April 18 and April 25th - both out of San Diego - first one going to Mexico (closed its borders) and second one sailing via various ports in California (closed) up to Victoria and Vancouver (Canada has banned all large ships till July).

The cruises have not only NOT been canceled but they are still being sold on the website.

 

Our flights have been canceled by the airline (flying out of Europe) and our ESTA has been revoked because of the ban on flights out of most countries in Europe so even if we 'could' get a flight, we wouldn't be allowed into the US.

I have no illusions that the flight ban into the US will be lifted on April 13th.

 

HAL has said to wait till the cruise is actually canceled since that is when we'll get our money back.

But what I don't understand is why they are still selling the cruises since even if people were to decide just to go, where would they sail to since all ports have been closed and I don't see them opening any time soon?  🤦‍♀️

[doctork]

The study using hydroxychloroquine + "Z-pack" was done by a reputable research organization; the ".com" reflects the lay press publishing an article about the the study.  However, the study has limitations as noted above.  That said, since both medications are FDA approved (for different purposes) for years, and are readily available, they are being prescribed off-label by some physicians for some patients, with at least anecdotal success.  Given the frequency of Covid-19 infection, any positive effects should appear fairly quickly.  That may allay some fears - just look at all the uninhibited spring-breakers now, with no treatment or prevention available!

 

We are members of a group who would probably be very quick to return to cruising, as we were booked on a charter cruise on the Veendam, March 18 - 25, which was of course cancelled.  With a charter cruise, HAL is under no obligation to refund our money or offer FCC, and the organizer of the charter cruise is an individual (Garrison Keillor, host of the  old radio show "Prairie Home Companion") who put his own home up as collateral for the cruise, so we won't be getting any refunds from the organizer, whose costs are all sunk.  Most travel insurance either covers only a fraction of the cost at best, or at worst no coverage for a pandemic so our best hope is a postponed cruise rescheduled as soon as it is safe.  The charter cruise sold out in less than 24 hours, so we are all enthusiastic fans!

 

HAL does several such charter theme cruises, so maybe that will be an avenue for resumption of cruising.

Edited March 24, 2020 by doctork

[IRL_Joanie]

22 hours ago, Himself said:

 

 

 

Is this written in stone?  What if this passes by mid May?

 

I do not know how hard the "stone" is.

 

Here is one of the written word sites:  https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Alaskan-destinations-among-National-Park-Services-delayed-openings-closures-568978331.html

 

Joanie

[DeeniEncinitas]

18 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

 

As a former teacher, you do not put any stock into an article that ends with ".com". It probably was written by the pharmaceutical industry. 

I so agree with you as a former DDS.!!!

Denise😊

[iancal]

Really....any date is a combination of pure speculation and wishful thinking.  Idle speculation.

 

We do not know where this crisis is going so how can anyone possibly predict when cruising will restart.

 

 

[boom_boom]

I think it depends a great deal on when countries start reopening ports to cruise ships. I want to take my October cruise, but only if it is safe and the ports allow the ships to dock and let passengers ashore. Not interested in a cruise to nowhere  just to be onboard the ship. I'm hopeful, but not confident in a fall reopening of ports.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

On 3/23/2020 at 12:28 PM, CruisinAway123 said:

Late-Summer / Autumn 2020

I hope

[kazu]

17 hours ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Because they still haven’t cancelled all April sailings . I’m still showing my TA on 4:19 as sailing.

 

I know.  I have no idea where they are going to go.  

Madeira won’t let a cruise ship in.  Spain has closed entrance to all but Nationals.  Italy is closed.

the writing is on the wall, IMO.

[greensprout]

As an until recently clinical health care practitioner, I was optimistic 2 weeks ago about our Nov around Hawaii cruise...now I doubt it will be a go, or will require serious reconsideration.  Final payment isn’t until summer, so time to wait it out and see what happens.  My personal opinion is maybe 2021... wish it were not so, but I don’t think that’s unrealistic.