LaTerrazza

[AtMaui]

Even though I cancelled my June cruise and don't have another one booked until next July, a friend and I were discussing how the buffets will be handled once sailing starts again.

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

[crusinbanjo]

27 minutes ago, AtMaui said:

Even though I cancelled my June cruise and don't have another one booked until next July, a friend and I were discussing how the buffets will be handled once sailing starts again.

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

I suspect with much caution.  Everything will be handled by crew, similar to when Noro virus is present.  Until the cruise lines restart, liability issues are clear and things just generally calm down significantly there will be much caution.  Hoping this all happens sooner rather than later.  Being homebound is less exciting.

[Stumblefoot]

In addition to crusinbanjo’s escort idea, I could see where passengers would have to form a socially distanced line, in addition to allowing only a minimum number of passengers into the buffet room at one time.  For example, one at the cold table, one at the hot line, and one at the bakery/pantry at any one time.

[zqtchas]

That don't sound like fun!!!

[Observer]

1 hour ago, AtMaui said:

Even though I cancelled my June cruise and don't have another one booked until next July, a friend and I were discussing how the buffets will be handled once sailing starts again.

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

I think a lot will depending on the circumstances "once sailing starts again."  

 

If there is an effective vaccine and all passengers are required to be vaccinated, if there is an accurate, easily administered test, etc., the buffets may be much the same as before the suspension of cruising. 

 

If sailing resumed this month, major changes would be necessary in La Terrazza.

[zqtchas]

2 hours ago, AtMaui said:

Even though I cancelled my June cruise and don't have another one booked until next July, a friend and I were discussing how the buffets will be handled once sailing starts again.

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

There will be no buffets.

[Stumblefoot]

55 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

That don't sound like fun!!!

😆😆😆

 

I didn’t know you took breakfast or lunch in Terrazza. 😉

[zqtchas]

we can be flexible. besides if push comes to shove there is always a menu.

also depends on tours & sleeping habits etc, etc.😷

Edited May 10, 2020 by zqtchas
added more stuff.

[FauxNom]

I've read lots of suggestions that there will be no self-serve options on cruise ships generally. On my last cruise (in March) I was fanatical about hand sanitizing. I used it before going to the buffet and then after I had filled my plate. I still got COVID 19. I share this tidbit just to say that even if we can control one thing, like the risk of a buffet, other risks--like airborne sneeze germs-- are much harder to control.

[Tothesunset]

To be honest, if someone were asked to come up with a social setting best guaranteed to spread a virus you'd probably end up with something resembling a cruise ship. 

 

I'm not convinced that any amount of on board changes can eliminate the risk; modify it, yes, but eliminate? No way. 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Tothesunset

[zqtchas]

not to sure i'd want to be among the 1st to get the vaccine either.🤢

[Herman The Cat]

18 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

To be honest, if someone were asked to come up with a social setting best guaranteed to spread a virus you'd probably end up with something resembling a cruise ship. 

 

I'm not convinced that any amount of on board changes can eliminate the risk; modify it, yes, but eliminate? No way. 

I think that’s a common perception. However, the scientific papers I have read say otherwise, and here is an excerpt. Though of course at the end of the day people have to go where they are comfortable going.

 

So now let’s get to the crux of it. Where are the personal dangers from reopening?

 

When you think of outbreak clusters, what are the big ones that come to mind? Most people would go to the cruise ships. But you would be wrong. Ship outbreaks don’t even land in the top 50 outbreaks to date.

 

Ignoring the terrible outbreaks in nursing homes, we find that the biggest outbreaks are in prisons, religious ceremonies, and workplaces, such a meat packing facilities and call centers. Any environment that is enclosed, with poor air circulation and high density of people, spells trouble.

 

Some of the biggest super-spreading events are:

• Meat packing: In meat processing plants, densely packed workers must communicate to one another amidst the deafening drum of industrial machinery and a cold-room virus-preserving environment. There are now outbreaks in 115 facilities across 23 states, 5000+ workers infected, with 20 dead. (ref)

• Weddings, funerals, birthdays: 10% of early spreading events

• Business networking: Face-to-face business networking like the Biogen Conference in Boston in March.

 

The above being said, they may have buffets behind a barrier for display purposes, but no one will be serving themselves. Dining venues will have to have appropriate social distancing. They will have to expand outdoor seating as much as possible.

 

[Tothesunset]

Diamond Princess? 

[UKCruiseJeff]

54 minutes ago, Herman The Cat said:

I think that’s a common perception. However, the scientific papers I have read say otherwise, and here is an excerpt. Though of course at the end of the day people have to go where they are comfortable going.

 

So now let’s get to the crux of it. Where are the personal dangers from reopening?

 

When you think of outbreak clusters, what are the big ones that come to mind? Most people would go to the cruise ships. But you would be wrong. Ship outbreaks don’t even land in the top 50 outbreaks to date.

 

 

Hi Herman,

 

With respect I think this is a bit of an unintended wishful thinking abuse of both common sense and stats.  To remove all doubt I do know you mean no harm.  But let us apply a bit of common sense.

 

Go back far enough and you could say that the safest place to be is the wet-markets in China because there has only been a handful of direct deaths reported from people that originally visited them.  However as a consequence of that single market, 285,000 have died and there are 4.3m confirmed people with the virus and that is if you believe that all have been accurately and honestly reported by all governments that even the most positive would find difficult to believe.  And the world has also been economically decimated. 

 

Also, as a further data point at this moment Australia believes it's outbreak was at least in great part caused as a result of a cruise ship and is litigating as a result. 

 

You can use those stats to prove that cruise ships are safe if that is what you wish.  But to use infection and death rates on cruise ships as proof that they are safe seems to me to be the same logic as stating that the wet markets of China was/is safe to visit and shop and eat because only a handful ever died from the result of visiting them and seems a rather negletful logic.  I do accept that this post puts me in trouble again but there you go ..... 🙂

 

Safe travels all.

 

Jeff 🙂

Edited May 11, 2020 by UKCruiseJeff

[nowornever]

Regarding buffets in La Terrazza.  This Japanese experiment on the spread of "bugs" on a buffet was kind of scary, although we all realize the hazard even during the good old days (when was that, 3 months ago?)  Pretty sure buffets will be a thing of the past for the foreseeable future which will be more of a problem for the larger ships.  I know that I wouldn't dream of it.

 

https://www.9news.com.au/world/japan-experiment-shows-how-virus-spread-in-buffet-through-contact-coronavirus/907de8a5-b03e-4437-9f91-25c2646cfd2b

[Daveywavey70]

. 

45 minutes ago, nowornever said:

Regarding buffets in La Terrazza.  This Japanese experiment on the spread of "bugs" on a buffet was kind of scary, although we all realize the hazard even during the good old days (when was that, 3 months ago?)  Pretty sure buffets will be a thing of the past for the foreseeable future which will be more of a problem for the larger ships.  I know that I wouldn't dream of it.

 

https://www.9news.com.au/world/japan-experiment-shows-how-virus-spread-in-buffet-through-contact-coronavirus/907de8a5-b03e-4437-9f91-25c2646cfd2b

Good, I despise buffets. There are too many greedy people that are more interested in how much they can load onto their plate than worrying about hygiene at most of them. Granted Silversea isn’t generally as bad as most but after some of the sights I’ve seen over the years such as people picking things up, sniffing them and putting them back, people in vests with sweaty armpits reaching over food etc etc, I will only eat from a buffet as a very last resort. 

[Fletcher]

6 hours ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 . . . you could say that the safest place to be is the wet-markets in China because there has only been a handful of direct deaths reported from people that originally visited them.  However as a consequence of that single market, 285,000 have died and there are 4.3m confirmed people with the virus

There is a theory/suspicion that Covid-19 did not originate in one of those wet markets but escaped from the vast viral research lab in Wuhan.  The fact that such a lab exists in that city cannot be mere coincidence . . . 

 

and as for those disgusting wet markets, the world needs to force China to close them down and also to stop the trade in endangered species and 'products' from them such as rhino horn.  This wretched virus has apparently resulted in an increase in poaching in Africa which sickens me and makes me ashamed to be a member of the human race.  

[Daveywavey70]

My submitted question to Downing St today was exactly about this Fletch. I Asked what was the global policy being formed with regard to wet markets to ensure that this is never allowed to happen again. I Never got got call.

Edited May 11, 2020 by Daveywavey70

[UKCruiseJeff]

2 hours ago, Fletcher said:

There is a theory/suspicion that Covid-19 did not originate in one of those wet markets but escaped from the vast viral research lab in Wuhan.  The fact that such a lab exists in that city cannot be mere coincidence . . . 

 

and as for those disgusting wet markets, the world needs to force China to close them down and also to stop the trade in endangered species and 'products' from them such as rhino horn.  This wretched virus has apparently resulted in an increase in poaching in Africa which sickens me and makes me ashamed to be a member of the human race.  

 

Hi Fletch,

 

Yes there's lot's of theories doing the rounds.  Trying to join them all together to make sense of it all is I guess one way to use all this free time.  My understanding is that concensus is that this is a natural virus and not man made. The lab may have been simply a lab interested in vaccines rather than as some suggest weaponising it.  That is if the lab theory is right.  I also saw something which had said that this virus had been picked up some time ago from bats ie I mean a couple of years by those WHO funded scientitst who go out and collect viruses and decide which should have vaccine investment but it was decided that the chances of transfer to humans was so small that it didn't get to next stage.

 

On the plus side I guess having been terrified about my rapid progress in years, I now find myself rather selfishly thinking how lucky I am not to be placed in the position of having to go out and expose myself to the virus to feed dependants.  I'm not a real bloke in the accepted sense because I find myself getting so deeply emotional and upset when I read of the terrible decisions ordinary folk make each day that places them at risk often in the service of others and far too often it seems to be a gamble that was unfortunate.  I was stunned to see how many London bus drivers have been lost to the virus.  People of our age have an awful lot to be thankful for aside from cruise talk and perhaps we should talk of that more than we do.  Counting blessings is something we are rarely able to do as much as we can do now.

 

A few weeks ago a whole lot of plants arrived on my doorstep with no note attatched and a week or so later there was some more.  It transpired that a fairly local family nursery had to close and it had decided to give  all their plants away to resideints in local villages.  On the seond batch there was a note saying that contributions would be welcome and we paypaled an amount that more then covered what we thought was roughly the retail value of a couple of dozen lovely mature plants.  We received a lovely note back from "Derek". The guy was on UK BBC TV tonight and it was lovely to see how moved he was by the support he received.  In my village we have on-line concerts, and a whole army of volunteers who shop for people and collect medications.  It has brought out the nicer side of people. The village is now closer than it ever was before.  My only contribution is that I seem to be remarkably skillful in getting food delivery slots and therefore to share my food deliveries with neighbours so that every gets fed.  I know I tempt fate by saying that!   I also offer to make bread and pizza for anyone feeling the munchies as I bought a stock of flour and yeast.  This is a terrible time but from it might come closer communities. 

 

Safe days all.

 

Jeff 🙂

 

 

[QueSeraSera]

55 minutes ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

People of our age have an awful lot to be thankful for aside from cruise talk and perhaps we should talk of that more than we do.

Hear hear.

The bad ones here in the US get the press, protesting stay at home etc.  With guns even.  Their numbers are small.

The far more numerous good ones follow what they are asked to do, as best as they can, knowing that although they are not immune, it is the more elderly around them that are most vulnerable.  So they put up with so much, for us.

So Jeff, as you suggest, I want to talk of them.  Their unselfishness speaks volumes, and I am so grateful...even if they are not on the evening news.

[brimary]

UK Cruise Jeff...Thanks for your moving contribution in the present circumstances.

My wife and I are well into the vulnerable age group and feel so fortunate not to have to go out to put food on the table.Our two eldest married children live nearby and willingly do our food shopping etc.Garden has never looked better but thank goodness we have a garden.Many don’t!

our thoughts are for those having to work ,risking their lives for the benefit of others and the passing of so many as you described is the major tragedy of this unprecedented situation.

Thankfully for the first time in 22 years we have no Silversea booking and do not face the problems detailed on CC of many in obtaining substantial refunds .Who knows what will be when the money in the Bank of the Cruise companies runs out prior to everyone receiving the refunds they are due!!

Hope the Pandemic goes quicker than than the three years predicted by ‘experts’ on the BBC news at lunchtime today.

Stay safe and cross fingers in hope!

[rojaan19]

I have never been  a fan  of buffets, too many people think  they have sterile hands !  I rarely  go  to La Terrazza  for breakfast or lunch,  so I  for one would be very happy to  see the buffets go.

That video that  nowornever   posted up thread  should be compulsory viewing  before  the lifeboat drill  IMO  !! 

 

[Stumblefoot]

31 minutes ago, rojaan19 said:

That video that  nowornever   posted up thread  should be compulsory viewing  before  the lifeboat drill  IMO  !! 

Seeing is believing!

[Aussieflyer]

I think there needs to be some sense about wet markets - as a 'wet' market is not the problem. Most of us have shopped at them (and still do).

It's a catch-all term for places that run individual stalls selling fresh food, quite often under one roof.

And in countries where big supermarket chains aren't as widespread, it's common to get fruit, vegetables and butchered meats from different vendors at a wet market.

Pretty similar to your average farmers' market so most people will have visited and shopped at one,

 

Where the difference is, is the selling of exotic (often live) animals in some wet markets in some countries. That is where there is the potential for a virus to jump species.

 

Now in relation to buffets, SS is head and shoulders about the pig troughs/bun fights on some other lines. I will be very interested to see how it pans out.

[RachelG]

I hate buffets and would be happy to avoid them altogether.  My husband, OTOH, loves them, so I get dragged there when we are onboard more often than I would like.  So I would be thrilled for the buffet to go away.