SS Future Re-Open Plan: Timing, Testing Needs??!!

[Tothesunset]

16 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

This kind of thinking baffles me.

 

Over 98% of people recover, yet there are only "marginal results"??

 

If therapies had a recovery rate for Ebola or cancer of 98%, no one would be calling them "marginal".

You confuse natural recovery with therapy-related recovery. 

 

Of the 2% destined not to recover, the effectiveness of therapies is, literally, a matter of life and death. 

[TLCOhio]

33 minutes ago, tosteve1 said:

Proof of immunity or vaccine will be required at some point by insurers and possibly cruise ports as well. Frequent rapid testing can be a good substitute but there will be cruise customers who are turned away at the door when they get their surprise positive result. Which may be a false positive! At this point, it is clear the virus hasn’t been eliminated anywhere, really, and we will have to find ways to adapt. I was scheduled to cruise Australia in January 2021. I just had a look at the Australian numbers. Scary. I don’t think there will be travel there for quite a long while.  Thanks for the link!

 

Great range of comments, sharing, etc., on this thread from christraveller, turtlemichael, brimary, kimanjo, tosteve1 and FlyerTalk.  Keep it coming!!  We are all at a stage of looking to learn more.  For kimanjo, agree that vaccines, testing, etc., are a key part of the needed tools.  But, while moving in the right direction, we still have many months of work ahead before those boxes can be checked and the tangibles actually being available.  Did look at the video suggested by kimanjo.  Looked as if they had a very good range of experts.  But, it was fairly long and highly technical.  A little above my "pay grade" and expertise/interests.

 

Will have more to share later with brimary regarding Allan King, life on Silversea ships, etc. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 29,984 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

[TLCOhio]

14 hours ago, christraveller said:

Sadly, the covid 19 illness has already shown up on a Hurtigruten ship in Tromsø, Norway. Four crew members are in hospital.    Let us all think of the crew, the disembarked passengers, the hospital workers and all their friends and family. This single event,  in a line with apparently exemplary infection control precautions, Is very worrisome.   The epidemiological facts around who got infected, when, how, where will be vital to understand.  

 

As a follow-up to what you posted above regarding Hurtigruten, here is more.  From the London/UK Telegraph today, they had this headline: “Cruise cancelled as 33 crew members test positive for Covid-19” with these highlights: “Thirty-three crew members of a Hurtigruten cruise in Norway have been diagnosed with Covid-19, with four hospitalised and the rest in isolation. The staff, of which there were 160 in total, were tested at the end of a seven-day sailing around the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard yesterday, with 177 passengers on board; none of whom reported any symptoms of the virus while onboard and all of whom had disembarked by the time the news broke. In what is unfolding as a major test for an industry that is only just getting back on its feet, all guests have been ordered to quarantine and will undergo testing. The Norwegian cruise line has already announced that one passenger has tested positive for coronavirus.”

 

This ship docked in Tromso after the the Svalbard archipelago sailing and was the MS Roald Amundsen.  Today's reporting shows that this situation to be a little more than what had been reported earlier by the Reuters story. Having 21% of the crew going down with Covid-19 does not serve as a positive sign for a cruise industry trying to re-start and inspire cruising customer confidence.  To be honest, it would scare the hell out of me and make my wife (a R.N.) even more concerned (if that is possible). 

 

Full story at:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/01/bookings-greece-surge-summer-holidays-jet2-spain/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 18,561 views.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

[TLCOhio]

From the Wall Street Journal in press release put out yesterday, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean Group To Hold Conference Call On Business Update And Second Quarter Financial Results ” with these highlights: “Royal Caribbean Group  has scheduled a conference call for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Monday, August 10, 2020, to provide a business update and discuss second quarter 2020 financial results. The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.  Our brands operate 63 ships with an additional 16 on order as of July 31, 2020.  More at www.rclcorporate.com or www.rclinvestor.com.”

 

While many do not follow these type of financial details closely, these days the probing questions from Wall Street experts about "cash burn" might be of interest.  Concern over remaining liquidity might be of more-than-average value if Silversea is holding many thousands of dollars of your money and advance payments.  If you're at home with not much else to do, there are times when these quarterly briefing can reveal interesting insights as to when and how Silversea and its sister cruise lines will be re-starting operations. 

 

Also, this past week RCCL re-branded itself as "Royal Caribbean Group" and crafted a new logo.  To me that is not very important, but the Silversea corporate owner put out press items as to this "development". 

 

Full story at:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/PR-CO-20200731-913964

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Completed last summer Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas!  Live/blog at: 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

[iMarco46]

There is a thread in the Hurtigruten section.

 

What an utter mess.

 

No confirmation as to how the virus came on board - i.e., via crew or pax.

http://icepeople.net/2020/08/01/all-passengers-must-now-be-quarantined-one-passenger-aboard-hurtigruten-ship-during-svalbard-cruise-has-w-covid-19-hometowns-of-all-passengers-being-notified/

[TLCOhio]

Appreciate iMarco46 posting this link and doing this added follow-up.  Great question as to how this virus got on board.  Does the credit (or blame) go to the crew or passengers?

 

From USA Today a few hours ago, they had this headline: “36 crew infected on Hurtigruten ship: Passengers disembarked, potentially exposing communities” with these highlights: “Thirty-six crew members have tested positive for COVID-19 onboard Hurtigruten's MS Roald Amundsen, currently docked in Tromsø, Norway, according to a statement provided by line spokesperson Øystein Knoph. But the virus might not have been contained onboard. Potentially impacted passengers from two separate voyages had already disembarked a cruise on July 24 and the last cruise on Friday, leaving ample time for passengers to begin their voyages home and potentially spread the virus.”

 

With the staff number up to 36, that means 23% of the crew of 160 would have been infected.  This story also detailed: "The cruise line has contacted passengers who had been on the MS Roald Amundsen for its July 17 and July 24 departures. There were 209 guests on the first voyage and 178 guests on the second voyage, though the ship holds between 530 and 600 passengers, according to CruiseMapper. All have been asked to self-quarantine in accordance with Norwegian regulations, according to the cruise line.  Most of the crew remained on board for both voyages.  The infectious disease risk of cruising is a multipronged issue, just as cruises are a multipronged journey, said Dr. Martin Cetron, director for the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cruisers start their journey before embarkation. By the time they board, they've potentially been in buses, trains, planes, airports and hotels and come into contact with people in different communities, which creates issues if parties on either side are infected."

 

Do these affected passengers self-quarantine in Norway . . . OR . . . after they fly home, go through various airports, etc.??  Many and more questions keep coming up without any clear answers and/or a solid plan of protection/prevention. 

 

Full story at:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/08/01/hurtigruten-cruise-line-33-crew-infected-covid-19-norway/5562151002/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 251,877 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, TLCOhio said:

Do these affected passengers self-quarantine in Norway . . . OR . . . after they fly home, go through various airports, etc.??  

I could be wrong, but I believe all passengers were Norwegian.

[tgh]

Paul Gauguin just recorded a positive in French Polynesia , returning to dock...

Reported that Hurtigruten did not screen crew before sailing, only one passenger positive by last report but more expected.

 

 

[tosteve1]

Pre-cruise testing, as outlined above, will be required going forward. Not once but multiple times. Pre-cruise isolation might also be helpful. A pre-cruise bubble, so to speak. Would make it challenging for shorter cruises!

[TLCOhio]

12 hours ago, tosteve1 said:

Pre-cruise testing, as outlined above, will be required going forward. Not once but multiple times. Pre-cruise isolation might also be helpful. A pre-cruise bubble, so to speak. Would make it challenging for shorter cruises!

 

Agree that there are many, many questions and varied options.  However, if we would need to arrive early and quarantine for a week or two before a cruise, that would be a "deal-breaker" from our perspective.  That would add too much time and cost to the challenges of cruising in the future. My guess is that this Hurtigruten failure will give the CDC even more reasons to be very careful and highly conservative as to how and when they approach allowing cruising to resume.  

 

From the Forbes business publication this morning, they had this headline: “Norweigan Cruise Line Hurtigruten Apologizes, Suspends Travel After New Coronavirus Outbreak” with these highlights: “Hurtigruten, a Norway-based cruise operator that was one of the first to resume operations as Covid-19 cases in Europe have fallen, apologized Monday and canceled its upcoming cruises amid a new Covid-19 outbreak onboard one of its ships, which potentially spread the coronavirus to dozens of Norweigan towns.  36 crew members and at least five guests who sailed aboard the MS Roald Amundsen have so far tested positive for Covid-19.  'A preliminary evaluation shows that there has been a failure in several of our internal procedures,' Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement Monday about the outbreak. Hurtigruten has now suspended its cruises on ships MS Roald Amundsen, MS Fridtjof Nansen and MS Spitsbergen 'until further notice,' after the company initially resumed cruises in June out of Hamburg and added the Svalbard route in July.  The cruise ship also 'acts like a local ferry,' the Associated Press noted, with potentially-infected passengers disembarking along the route—meaning that 69 towns in total may have been affected by the outbreak.”

 

From the Associated Press/AP within the hour this morning, they had this headline: “Outbreak hits Norway cruise ship, could spread along coast” with these highlights: “The infections on the MS Roald Amundsen raise new questions about safety on all cruise ships during a pandemic even as the devastated cruise ship industry is pressing to resume sailings after chaotically shutting down in March.  It’s not known how the outbreak began. Guests come from all over the world. The NTB said 33 infected crew members came from the Philippines and the others came from Norway, France and Germany.  Skjeldam said cruise ship officials did not know that they should have notified passengers after the first infection was reported Friday, adding that they followed the advice of the ship’s doctors.”

 

Full stories at:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2020/08/03/norweigan-cruise-line-hurtigruten-apologizes-suspends-travel-after-new-coronavirus-outbreak/#2fc5bacd1eb1

https://apnews.com/781a3fa3faabde06d44749bfe57139da

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 240,023 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[TLCOhio]

Not trying to be too negative.  Am just sharing, good and bad, what is being reported in the media from different parts of the world.  

 

From Barron's, the business source that is a sister publication to the Wall Street Journal they reported within the past hour this morning this headline: “Carnival Stock Falls as German Cruises Are Delayed” with these highlights: “The relaunch of Carnival’s AIDA Cruises from Germany, scheduled to begin Wednesday, has been delayed because Italy—the country where the affected ships are registered—has not granted final approval.  Carnival, the world’s largest cruise operator, was hoping to relaunch passenger voyages this week. It is another example of how fraught and complicated the situation is for the entire industry as it tries to resume operations.  AIDA Cruises, based in Germany, had planned to have its AIDAperla vessel set sail from Hamburg on Wednesday.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.barrons.com/articles/carnival-stock-falls-as-german-cruises-are-delayed-51596466955?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D14788742572603009082803826451550298116|MCORGID%3DCB68E4BA55144CAA0A4C98A5%40AdobeOrg|TS%3D1596467618

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 230,734 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[Silver Spectre]

11 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

 

Agree that there are many, many questions and varied options.  However, if we would need to arrive early and quarantine for a week or two before a cruise, that would be a "deal-breaker" from our perspective.  That would add too much time and cost to the challenges of cruising in the future. My guess is that this Hurtigruten failure will give the CDC even more reasons to be very careful and highly conservative as to how and when they approach allowing cruising to resume.  

 

From the Forbes business publication this morning, they had this headline: “Norweigan Cruise Line Hurtigruten Apologizes, Suspends Travel After New Coronavirus Outbreak” with these highlights: “Hurtigruten, a Norway-based cruise operator that was one of the first to resume operations as Covid-19 cases in Europe have fallen, apologized Monday and canceled its upcoming cruises amid a new Covid-19 outbreak onboard one of its ships, which potentially spread the coronavirus to dozens of Norweigan towns.  36 crew members and at least five guests who sailed aboard the MS Roald Amundsen have so far tested positive for Covid-19.  'A preliminary evaluation shows that there has been a failure in several of our internal procedures,' Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement Monday about the outbreak. Hurtigruten has now suspended its cruises on ships MS Roald Amundsen, MS Fridtjof Nansen and MS Spitsbergen 'until further notice,' after the company initially resumed cruises in June out of Hamburg and added the Svalbard route in July.  The cruise ship also 'acts like a local ferry,' the Associated Press noted, with potentially-infected passengers disembarking along the route—meaning that 69 towns in total may have been affected by the outbreak.”

 

From the Associated Press/AP within the hour this morning, they had this headline: “Outbreak hits Norway cruise ship, could spread along coast” with these highlights: “The infections on the MS Roald Amundsen raise new questions about safety on all cruise ships during a pandemic even as the devastated cruise ship industry is pressing to resume sailings after chaotically shutting down in March.  It’s not known how the outbreak began. Guests come from all over the world. The NTB said 33 infected crew members came from the Philippines and the others came from Norway, France and Germany.  Skjeldam said cruise ship officials did not know that they should have notified passengers after the first infection was reported Friday, adding that they followed the advice of the ship’s doctors.”

 

Full stories at:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2020/08/03/norweigan-cruise-line-hurtigruten-apologizes-suspends-travel-after-new-coronavirus-outbreak/#2fc5bacd1eb1

https://apnews.com/781a3fa3faabde06d44749bfe57139da

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 240,023 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

More weasel words from a cruise line CEO.

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, Silver Spectre said:

More weasel words from a cruise line CEO.

 "A preliminary evaluation shows that there has been a failure in several of our internal procedures" ~ Hurtigruten CEO 

My word... how could a company screw up the first voyage back so badly?

[QueSeraSera]

Agreed Stumbles and Silver.  Distressing.  Probably not fun to post TLC, but I thank you for doing so & hope you will continue to do so.  

[brimary]

TLC thanks for the updates from the States.Nothing in the Uk press and in response o telephone request for info on 2021 cruises.....Nothing! 

[TLCOhio]

2 hours ago, brimary said:

TLC thanks for the updates from the States. Nothing in the Uk press and in response to telephone request for info on 2021 cruises.....Nothing! 

 

Appreciate these great follow-ups and comments from brimary, QueSeraSera, Stumblefoot and Silver Spectre.  To be fair and honest, in my view, the cruise people are not responding well because they really do not know what happens next, when and how.  A few months back, they were wishing, hoping and spinning.  That did not work!!  Now they are just waiting until they know more.  They also know that the CDC and other government health experts are not going to believe and approve vague paper plans.  All of us know that it is going to take more time, patience, luck and scientific progress.  Why is it so unclear now?  Read some of the highlights from this one below story about the false starts and re-open mis-steps.  

 

From the Miami Herald through the MSN website in the past day, they had this headline: “COVID-19 infections trouble ships as companies try pandemic cruising in Europe, Tahiti” with these highlights: “Cruising during the COVID-19 pandemic is off to a rocky start.  Nearly a month after Carnival Corporation began promoting its first comeback cruises on AIDA brand ships in Germany scheduled to launch this week, the company canceled two cruises because it has not yet received necessary approvals from Italy, the ships’ flag state. The false start comes after 10 AIDA crew members tested positive for COVID-19 last week after traveling to Germany from the Philippines and Indonesia to begin working.  And they aren’t the only cruise companies affected. Three crew members on two of Carnival Corp.’s Costa Cruises ships off the coast of Italy tested positive over the weekend, and two had to be hospitalized.  TUI Cruises, partially owned by Royal Caribbean Group, canceled its July 31 German-based cruise to nowhere on its Mein Schiff 1 ship when it could not get enough crew to Germany to operate the ship following positive tests of five newly arrived crew members.”

 

In sampling the range of world-wide developments, here is more from their reporting: "A passenger on French cruise company Ponant’s Paul Gauguin cruise ship tested positive for the virus Sunday and the ship’s passengers and crew are now quarantined on board in Tahiti awaiting test results. The outbreaks call into question how effectively cruise companies can protect passengers and crew from COVID-19 before a vaccine is available. Seven cruise ships in and around U.S. waters with only crew on board are currently experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19 or COVID-like illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the companies that have restarted passenger cruising to date, AIDA Cruises, TUI Cruises and Hurtigruten have not required passenger testing prior to boarding. MSC Cruises, a Geneva-based company with U.S. headquarters in South Florida, announced Monday that it will test all passengers for COVID-19 using a rapid test before boarding as it prepares to resume cruises in the Mediterranean pending government approvals. AIDA received permission to begin cruises in Germany from port authorities in Rostock and Kiel; the cruises do not make any port stops. Europe does not have an agency regulating cruising’s return. Dr. Michael Callahan, director of the Clinical Translation, Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, said he is not surprised by the recent outbreaks. As the co-founder of Rescue Medicine,  he was deployed to the Diamond Princess and Grand Princess cruise ship COVID-19 outbreaks earlier this year. 'Once you have it on board, it is a perfect transmission environment,' he said. 'It’s protected from UV. It has air conditions that favor virus survival, and ship designs and activities that favor transmission.' "

 

Overall, this Miami Herald reporting gives a blunt sampling as to how the overall situation is very fluid, confused and like sailing into "UNCHARTED WATERS"!   Right or wrong?  For Silversea and Royal Caribbean not saying much now might actually be in the long run work out as smarter and more accurate.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/covid-19-infections-trouble-ships-as-companies-try-pandemic-cruising-in-europe-tahiti/ar-BB17x2mw

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!  Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture.  This posting is now at 88,280 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[TLCOhio]

From the Miami Herald yesterday afternoon, they had this headline: “Industry cancels U.S. cruises until Oct. 31, one month after CDC ban expires” with these highlights: “Cruise companies are canceling U.S. cruises until at least Oct. 31. The industry lobbying group Cruise Lines International Association announced Wednesday that its member lines won’t be coming back until at least that date. In June, the group agreed to cancel U.S. cruises through mid-September, before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention banned cruises until Oct. 1.”

 

Here is more from their reporting: "The announcement comes as cruise companies struggle to repatriate crew members, some of whom have been stuck at sea since mid-March when the industry first shut down, most without pay. Ships continue to experience outbreaks of COVID-19 among crew. Early Wednesday there were 15 cruise ships in and around U.S. waters designated as red by the CDC, meaning they have COVID-19 or COVID-like illness on board, have not quarantined recently arrived crew, or have missed a weekly health report to the agency. By the end of the day, twelve ships marked as red had left U.S. waters and were no longer reporting to the CDC.  Four cruise companies that have started cruising again this summer — Hurtigruten, Ponant, UnCruise and SeaDream — have been forced to cancel cruises after passengers tested positive this week."

 

Full story at:

https://www.miamiherald.com/article244740667.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 67,250 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[turtlemichael]

14 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

From the Miami Herald yesterday afternoon, they had this headline: “Industry cancels U.S. cruises until Oct. 31, one month after CDC ban expires” with these highlights: “Cruise companies are canceling U.S. cruises until at least Oct. 31. The industry lobbying group Cruise Lines International Association announced Wednesday that its member lines won’t be coming back until at least that date. In June, the group agreed to cancel U.S. cruises through mid-September, before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention banned cruises until Oct. 1.”

 

Here is more from their reporting: "The announcement comes as cruise companies struggle to repatriate crew members, some of whom have been stuck at sea since mid-March when the industry first shut down, most without pay. Ships continue to experience outbreaks of COVID-19 among crew. Early Wednesday there were 15 cruise ships in and around U.S. waters designated as red by the CDC, meaning they have COVID-19 or COVID-like illness on board, have not quarantined recently arrived crew, or have missed a weekly health report to the agency. By the end of the day, twelve ships marked as red had left U.S. waters and were no longer reporting to the CDC.  Four cruise companies that have started cruising again this summer — Hurtigruten, Ponant, UnCruise and SeaDream — have been forced to cancel cruises after passengers tested positive this week."

 

Full story at:

https://www.miamiherald.com/article244740667.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 67,250 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

To me, this is deeply disturbing.  I can hardly believe it is accurate and really hope it is not.

 

Have all possible efforts been made to get crew home regardless of cost?  Does a cruise line have any responsibility to crew families in these circumstances? Why are ships leaving US waters? So they don't have to report?  Covid illness is still occurring amongst the crew on ships without passengers? To worry about whether I'll get on a cruise ship in these circumstances seems very self-centered to me.

[QueSeraSera]

11 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

cruise companies struggle to repatriate crew members, some of whom have been stuck at sea since mid-March when the industry first shut down, most without pay.

 

This doesn't sound a little bit wrong, it sounds terrible and unethical.  Does anyone know why this is happening?  And is Silversea part of this?

 

11 hours ago, turtlemichael said:

Have all possible efforts been made to get crew home regardless of cost? 

 

I second tm's question.

[TLCOhio]

12 hours ago, turtlemichael said:

To me, this is deeply disturbing.  Have all possible efforts been made to get crew home regardless of cost?  Does a cruise line have any responsibility to crew families in these circumstances? Why are ships leaving US waters? So they don't have to report?  Covid illness is still occurring amongst the crew on ships without passengers? To worry about whether I'll get on a cruise ship in these circumstances seems very self-centered to me.

 

Many, many excellent questions, appropriate concerns and serious comments raised above by turtlemichael and QueSeraSera.   The following article from late this afternoon does not answer all of these questions, nor regarding Silversea and Royal Caribbean.  But, it does open up the curtains as to one of the key competitors, NCL, that controls Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, etc.  

 

From the Miami Herald late today, they had this headline: “Norwegian Cruise Line optimistic about future despite $666 million second quarter loss” with these highlights: “Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings reported $16.93 million in revenue for the second quarter, mostly from passenger ticket sales. The results marked a sharp fall from the $1.67 billion in revenue reported during the same period last year. In a financial filing Thursday, the Miami-based company reported an adjusted net income loss of $666.4 million.  Though grim, the update was more optimistic than the company’s previous filing. In May, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises, warned of possible bankruptcy and said there was 'substantial doubt' about its future.”

 

Many companies are now reporting their second quarter financial to Wall Street and investors.  Monday, August 10, at 10 ET, the Silversea parent, Royal Caribbean, will issue its financial details for this recent three-month period.  You can call in to 877/663-9606 to listen to these details and hear the questions (and responses) from top RCCL executives as to the inquires by stock analysts.  These experts follow the cruising industry closely.  Now is the time when the questions will be especially probing and pushing for more insights as to the next strategic steps being planned for the coming weeks and months to maintain their cash flow and minimize the "cash burn".  

 

For NCL, here are some additional story highlights that might be of interest: "On Thursday, CEO Frank Del Rio said he was surprised by how many people are still booking cruises. Bookings and pricing for 2021 are within historical ranges, including bookings made with future cruise credits, the company reported.  'If you had told me that we were going to be facing these set of circumstances, and your question is, ‘Frank, would you be taking any bookings?’ I would have laughed at you. I’ll say, ‘Of course, not, who would book? It’s crazy,’ ' Del Rio said. 'But people are booking. People are confident that we’re going to come back.'  Still, there is no telling when U.S. cruises, which bring in the most revenue for major companies, will be up and running again." 

 

About the "set-backs" in Europe, etc., the article shares: "Del Rio said COVID-19 outbreaks on ships that have resumed cruises in Europe — the largest affected 41 crew members and 21 passengers on a Hurtigruten cruise ship in Norway this week — are a learning opportunity.  'Look, there’s no way to spin the initial reemergence of COVID onboard vessels,' he said. 'But ... it’s an opportunity to learn from them. This virus teaches us something every day.'  Five doctors, including three who treated COVID-19 patients on cruise ships, interviewed by the Herald recommend cruise companies test passengers for the virus before boarding if they are going to resume operations before a vaccine is available.  "

 

In a story ending highlight, this major newspaper at the center of the cruising industry summarized: "A Miami Herald investigation found that 72 cruise ships — 28% of the global fleet — have been affected by COVID-19 since the pandemic began and at least 102 passengers and crew members have died from the disease."

 

Full story at:

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article244769022.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 49,957 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

[TLCOhio]

Here are some added details and article from that NCL Wall Street analysts call.  From USA Today this afternoon, they had this headline: “Norwegian CEO: Relaunch will take six months; fleet will 'return in earnest' in spring 2021” with these highlights: “The outlook for the rest of 2020 remains murky for the cruise industry. On Wednesday, most major lines extended their suspensions through at least the end of October. One day later, the head of Norwegian Cruise Line's parent company  predicted that its ships wouldn't be back in force until the spring of 2021. '[In the] last two months of 2020 [we] could see return of sailing with a very limited number of vessels,' Frank Del Rio, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, said on the company's second quarter earnings call.  And he expects those ships to begin sailing at lower capacity and ramp up as more vessels re-enter service.  Del Rio said he doesn't think that Norwegian will return to full capacity for quite some time.  'We expect to relaunch with a handful of ships at first at significantly reduced occupancy,' Mark Kempa, the company's executive vice president and CFO added. Del Rio estimated that capacity will start out around 50% or 60%. Del Rio expects the relaunch to take about six months once cruising resumes. Norwegian expects to finish repatriating its crew members within 45 days.”

 

Regarding another angle, from FOX News yesterday, they had this headline: “Cruise ship passengers forced to remain on boat in Norway after positive COVID-19 test” with this sub-headline: "Over 200 people are on board the boat".  Here are the story highlights: “The ship’s passengers have been ordered to remain on board, despite docking at a harbor in Norway. Authorities are reportedly concerned after a passenger on a previous trip tested positive for the virus after returning home.  SeaDream 1 is carrying 123 passengers and 85 crew members and docked at Bodo in Norway, the AP reported. The crew was reportedly tested for the virus and authorities are reportedly in contact with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health on whether the passengers will be tested as well.  According to the AP, there were no positive test results among the crew.  Passengers who were on the boat during the previous trip will have to quarantine for 10 days.”

 

Full stories at:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/08/06/norwegian-fleet-return-in-earnest-second-quarter-2021/3293105001/

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/cruise-passengers-seadream-norway-coronavirus

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Kotor/Montenegro:  Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 47,784 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

[TLCOhio]

As to those wanting to travel and cruise, the time-tables keep getting moved back. And, the "SCIENCE" is not always perfect and totally crystal clear.  Yesterday, our state's Governor, Mike DeWine, was to meet the President when he was arriving in Ohio.  DeWine tested positive for having Covid-19 from a "quick test" and thought he would have to quarantine for the next two weeks.  Our Governor has been a national leader during this crisis, including being among the first in the country in early March shutting down large events and sporting events.  But, later yesterday a more comprehensive testing revealed that DeWine did not have the virus.  Lots of questions and debates as to the qualities of testing, masks, social distancing, etc.  Personally, we, like our Governor, "get it" and continue to be very, very careful.  BUT, the future options for shutting down bars, how much to re-open schools, etc., etc., continues to be debated and somewhat unclear.  As I have detailed on the "SS Re-Opening"thread on this Silversea board, the cruise industry has had its recent major set-backs in Norway and sadly they do not even have all of their staff safely returned back home from when the shut-down started in mid March.  Nothing is clear, simple, quick and/or easy.   Especially for those of us who are "seasoned citizens" over a certain age and/or with some health histories like as my wife has.     

 

From a major maritime industry publication yesterday, they had this headline: “Cruise Ships Depart US Ports for European Lay-Up” with these highlights: “Since the beginning of the cruise suspension, one of the challenges for the cruise lines has been what to do with their ships. As the suspension has stretched on the cruise lines have taken different tactics, but Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is adopting a different strategy as it works to further lower costs and prepares for a longer period of lay-up.  The parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises had been very successful at finding docks for its ship while other cruise lines kept their ships at sea. This strategy led to cruise ships appearing in some unusual ports earlier in the year. Ports ranging from Eastport, Maine to Portsmouth, Virginia, Fernandina, Florida, and Oakland, California all provided locations for the cruise ships.  In recent days, however, NCLH’s cruise ships have quietly departed from most U.S. ports except for the moment Los Angeles. Currently, five of Norwegian Cruise Line’s ship, are all in the Atlantic heading to Europe.”

 

Here are more details from their reporting: "Speaking on the company’s quarterly conference call, president and chief executive officer Frank Del Rio discussed some of the company’s considerations in laying up cruise ships. One consideration, of course, was hurricanes, which had caused the early departure of some ships. Another consideration is lowering costs. 'Our goal during the lay-up period is to reach a minimum level of manning on each of our ships, while complying with all regulations, minimizing our cash burn rate and maintaining our vessels to be ready to reenter service in class and under short notice,' said Del Rio.  Many of the cruise ships that are en route to Europe will stop in Gibraltar which has been permitting fueling and provision calls. Because the U.S. authorities were not permitting crew to go ashore Norwegian is also using these repositioning trips as an opportunity to return additional crew members to Europe and complete crew changes for those at the end of their current contracts."

 

Full story at:

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/cruise-ships-depart-us-ports-for-european-lay-up

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Dubrovnik!  Nice visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic location. Over 47,416 views.    

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

[TLCOhio]

Airlines will be a key part of the "PUZZLE" as things are figured out regarding any type of return to cruising.  Unless you live in South Florida, for most of us, it will take airline flights before and after you can do any type of future sailing.  

 

From the Boston Globe this past weekend, they had this headline: “What will it take for airlines to persuade us to fly?” with these highlights: “Even with the extra measures that nearly every US airline has launched since COVID-19, is it enough to convince passengers that it’s now safe to travel? Alaska Airlines, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest Airlines are keeping the middle or adjacent seats blocked off until at least September. Others are capping the number of passengers on each flight.  American Airlines and United Airlines are selling all seats in each plane again. But they are notifying passengers when their flight is more than 70 percent booked and offering the opportunity to choose a different flight. Although few people have resumed flying since April, when passenger counts were down more than 90 percent over 2019, survey after survey has found that as much as they miss traveling, a majority of Americans are not yet ready to board a plane. A study released in late July found that 67 percent of respondents are not inclined to fly in the near future, with half of those saying they were 'very uncomfortable' with the idea, according to the survey conducted by the business news website the Manifest.”

 

Here is more from their reporting by this major newspaper: "It’s not just the general public that has reservations about flying again. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Market Watch last week that he would not fly, primarily because, at 79, he places himself in a high risk group for contracting coronavirus. The Globe reached out to 15 epidemiologists, COVID-19 researchers, and doctors across the country. All but two said they have no plans to get on a plane in the near future. 'I would fly only if it was extremely necessary,' said Dr. Daniel Fagbuyi, a biodefense and public health expert who was an Obama administration appointee to the National Biodefense Science Board. There are very few controlled scientific studies about the risks of contracting the disease on a plane. Hundreds of flight attendants have contracted the disease, and several have died from it, but it is unclear how many of those were attributed to infections contracted in airplanes.  A majority of the doctors interviewed for this story said their worry wasn’t cabin air, but direct contact with other passengers or surfaces where the virus can lurk. A statistical model compiled by Arnold Barnett, a management science professor at MIT, found that the chance of contracting COVID-19 as a passenger on a full flight is 1 in 4,300, compared to 1 in 7,700 on a flight with empty middle seats."

 

How do you like those odds?  Are you ready to gamble now in doing airline flights?

 

Full story at:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/08/01/lifestyle/ready-takeoff/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details from two visits in a city with great history, culture and architecture.  Now at 35,991 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

[tosteve1]

I have already flown. A relatively short 2 hour domestic flight. No traffic in the aisle or refreshments. Everyone masked. Hand sanitizer at the ready. It was fine and I felt safe.

[Lois R]

44 minutes ago, tosteve1 said:

I have already flown. A relatively short 2 hour domestic flight. No traffic in the aisle or refreshments. Everyone masked. Hand sanitizer at the ready. It was fine and I felt safe.

Nice that everyone followed the rules.  From what I have read, there are folks who still won't abide by them. People

banned from certain airlines, etc.