Cruising may never be the same again.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, Ocean Boy said:

Dani is from Israel. I think she is talking insurance to cover any cost of medivacing from the ship to a hospital.

Maybe it’s different in Europe but I’ve never read about using insurance to get you off the ship.  

[Ocean Boy]

4 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Maybe it’s different in Europe but I’ve never read about using insurance to get you off the ship.  

You don't think that if there is a cost involved you might be able to submit that expense to an insurance company? I am just asking as I have no personal experience. I seem to read on these boards how being evacuated from a ship can easily run $25,000.

[dani negreanu]

9 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Dani is from Israel. I think she is talking insurance to cover any cost of medivacing from the ship to a hospital.

 

Exactly.

Moreover, the medical insurance we always buy is "itinerary and country" oriented. The cost of a day in an US hospital is higher than in Europe. A friend of mine fell and broke her arm in Ireland. She was very well taken care off in a local clinic, and sent on her way free of charge.

Here we have a "state" health insurance, but we're "complementing" it with a private insurance too... Together they amount to roughly 400$ per month.

Edited April 20, 2020 by dani negreanu

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, Ocean Boy said:

You don't think that if there is a cost involved you might be able to submit that expense to an insurance company? I am just asking as I have no personal experience.

Maybe, but it’s not the insurance company making the decision, it’s the Dr and the Captain.  My biggest point is that some people wrongly assume that because they have medical they are transferred from the ship back home to the US.  They will go to the nearest hospital then back to the US if they are stable enough to travel. 

[Ocean Boy]

Just now, Ourusualbeach said:

Maybe, but it’s not the insurance company making the decision, it’s the Dr and the Captain.  My biggest point is that some people wrongly assume that because they have medical they are transferred from the ship back home to the US.  They will go to the nearest hospital then back to the US if they are stable enough to travel. 

I completely agree with your post.

[Paulette3028]

1 hour ago, npcl said:

your item 4.

 

I expect immediate demand to be driven by FCCs from canceled cruises, not customers booking with cash, except potentially for some that had cruises canceled and got  refunds and think that all will be back to normal once the cruise lines start sailing again.

We had our Alaska cruise cancelled for June 2020....and the FCC with 125% will be nice since we do want to go in future, hopefully July 2021.  But I know the others we were cruising with took a refund.  They are not as loyal cruisers as we are.  For us, cruising has proven to be our best way to vacation and relax --- or more likely need a vacation from our vacation.

 

[John&LaLa]

40 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Maybe, but it’s not the insurance company making the decision, it’s the Dr and the Captain.  My biggest point is that some people wrongly assume that because they have medical they are transferred from the ship back home to the US.  They will go to the nearest hospital then back to the US if they are stable enough to travel. 

 

I believe Cheng has shared that almost all ship evacs are done by millitary helicopters and are done at no charge per a treaty that covers all maritime nations

Edited April 20, 2020 by John&LaLa

[reallyitsmema]

2 hours ago, EscapeFromConnecticut said:

we'll see what happens. But the CDC No Sail Order suggests that this matter is just like so much else right now: Just because cruise lines got away with it before doesn't mean it's going to work in this new, post-March world.

     The CDC is looking for cruise lines to create hospital or rescue ships along with richly expanding their onboard medical care.

      The cruise lines can reply "that costs too much." The CDC (and many, many ports around the world) can then answer  "OK, then your ships are going to get very rusty as they stay parked for the next

couple of years"

     Cruise lines won't have Mass General down there, but no more of near-retiree docs in glorified urgent care rooms with maybe a part-time nurse. 

 

Have you actually ever been treated in the onboard medical center on a ship?  I have, more than once, and I never encountered a "near-retiree Doc" or a part time nurse.  I have encountered doctors in their 30s to 50s and nurses in similar age groups.  All very professional and very qualified.  When we had influenza A on Anthem, there were at least three doctors on the ship and we saw at least that many nurses in the medical center, plus there was another that was assigned to go cabin to cabin for fever checks.  There is a trauma room that has more equipment than I have ever seen in any urgent care room.  The doctor took more time with us than my doctor does at home.  Do they need to expand, absolutely if they are going to have to treat patients onboard for a longer period of time as opposed to stabilizing and evacuating them, but they are much more than a glorified urgent care.

[vacationlover_mn]

We are loyal to Royal, and I just know- we won’t cruise again til 2022.  And we are never eating at a buffet again.

[npcl]

2 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I just don't see how this works. Cruise ships sail all over the world. How many hospital ships can there be? Do you station one in the Caribbean and have all the cruise ships sail in a circle around it just in case? What about the dangers of transferring people from ship to ship? The whole decree is mind boggling but I guess there are bigger minds then mine that this makes some sense to.

Because the CDC is only interested in ships in US waters.  Their requirements are to prevent cruise ships from coming into port and off loading their problems for the local government to take care of.  The rest of the world is not CDC's concern. 

 

So the potential for one around Florida and one off the west coast near Seattle. Would handle most of what the CDC is concerned about.  But in the end it is up to the CLIA to put together a plan that the CDC will accept.

Edited April 20, 2020 by npcl

[Ocean Boy]

6 minutes ago, npcl said:

 

So the potential for one around Florida and one off the west coast near Seattle. Would handle most of what the CDC is concerned about.  But in the end it is up to the CLIA to put together a plan that the CDC will accept.

And these ships just anchor there doing nothing just in case? Staff with ICU skills just sits around on them waiting? Sounds like a great use of valuable resources.

[time4u2go]

4 hours ago, flyguyjake said:

Have any of the cruise lines released their covid protocols yet for moving forward? If you have to be airlifted off ship due to covid who pays for that? Do they just fly you to the nearest country? Does US medical insurance cover medical care in a foreign country? I've read something about medical ships for covid patients from cruises? We cannot use commercial air to travel home after testing positive? soooo many unknowns to think about before committing to another cruise.

 You'd have to check with your insurance provider to get the answer to this.  It varies.

[npcl]

46 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

And these ships just anchor there doing nothing just in case? Staff with ICU skills just sits around on them waiting? Sounds like a great use of valuable resources.

All depends if the cruise lines want to sail out of the US while COVID-19 is still a problem. If they do then it seems a worthwhile expense.

 

If they don't want to do that then they have to come up with another way to separate the sick from the well, to quarantine, treat those that are sick, without sending anyone ashore.

[John&LaLa]

52 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

And these ships just anchor there doing nothing just in case? Staff with ICU skills just sits around on them waiting? Sounds like a great use of valuable resources.

 

I think Carnival has already said they don't see their entire fleet coming back on line

[WeLuvVacation]

Once a vaccine is found cruising  and everything else will return to 90 - 95% of normal before Corona. The only thing I see is the additional forced usage of hand sanitizers. Cruises cannot and will not operate at a reduced capacity as it is not profitable. And neither will restaurants and sports venues, etc.

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, vacationlover_mn said:

We are loyal to Royal, and I just know- we won’t cruise again til 2022.  And we are never eating at a buffet again.

We are saying prayers our B2B in Oct. is still a go.  Hope there are little changes to the Windjammer.  Maybe by 2022 they will figure out how to social distance. 

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, vacationlover_mn said:

We are loyal to Royal, and I just know- we won’t cruise again til 2022.  And we are never eating at a buffet again.

I've eaten in a lot of buffets, both on land and at sea, and never gotten sick.

[Milwaukee Eight]

22 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I've eaten in a lot of buffets, both on land and at sea, and never gotten sick.

I’ve never been sick on a cruise ship. 

[Hoopster95]

49 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I think Carnival has already said they don't see their entire fleet coming back on line

 

IIRC, I remember reading in several articles that CCL's debt:asset ratio is something like 50%'ish. I believe they don't have to worry about bringing all their assets on line in order to begin making profits. I also have read for the most part their balance sheet is the best of the 3 majors, and they can last without sailing into 2021.

 

Both RC and NCL have about a 100% debt:asset ratio. They need all their ships up and running... and soon. RC has 10-11 months cash to stay afloat (pun definitely intended), and NC is in worse shape with only about 8-9 months.

[Hoopster95]

2 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

When we had influenza A on Anthem, there were at least three doctors on the ship and we saw at least that many nurses in the medical center, plus there was another that was to go cabin to cabin for fever checks. 

 

My mom did this for my family. She was a seamstress, and didn't have 2 other doctors to help her.

 

2 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

There is a trauma room that has more equipment than I have ever seen in any urgent care room. 

 

You are just saying things to strengthen your opinion. 

So you're dying from a broken pelvis, internal bleeding, your femur is crushed from a car accident... you'd rather have a ship doctor and facility treat you? Right.

[reallyitsmema]

12 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

My mom did this for my family. She was a seamstress, and didn't have 2 other doctors to help her.

 

 

You are just saying things to strengthen your opinion. 

So you're dying from a broken pelvis, internal bleeding, your femur is crushed from a car accident... you'd rather have a ship doctor and facility treat you? Right.

 

I never said I would rather a ship doctor treat me.  I said we had excellent care when we had the flu.  You have a very different opinion based on your experience and you are saying things to strengthen your opinion.

 

We all post based on our own experiences.

[Hoopster95]

2 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

I said we had excellent care when we had the flu.

 

Below is exactly what you said, and why I responded in the way I did

 

3 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

There is a trauma room that has more equipment than I have ever seen in any urgent care room.  The doctor took more time with us than my doctor does at home.

 

No worries.... I'm moving on. 

 

[reallyitsmema]

1 minute ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Below is exactly what you said, and why I responded in the way I did

 

 

No worries.... I'm moving on. 

 

 

Gotcha.  I will add, I am in search of a new doctor at home once the world calms down.  Peace. 🙂 

[Jarmo]

I would not be happy if I got in car accident on a ship.

[John&LaLa]

11 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Gotcha.  I will add, I am in search of a new doctor at home once the world calms down.  Peace. 🙂 

 

Rhode Island is close to you😉👍