The crew need better working and living conditions to stop disease

[Loreni]

My understanding is that COVID-19 was spread on the Diamond by sick crew involved with food prep and delivery.  This may have been true on other ships too.  The crew needs to know that they can take sick days without fear of job loss.  
 

Going forward, some passenger cabins should be converted to crew cabins so the crew don’t need to sleep 4 to a tiny room.  This would reduce disease spread and also increase the crew to passenger ratio so the crew can have civilized and healthy sleep schedules.  My waiter told me she had to sleep in two 4 hour shifts.  I believe her because I couldn’t sleep one night and after a late dinner, I  saw her opening the buffet in the very early morning.  This is not good for her immune system.

 

the cabin stewards need fewer cabins so they can clean them well.
 

will this increase the cost to cruise.  Probably.  But at least cruising will still exist.

[chrysalis]

Didn't know that crew were 4 to a cabin.

[Loreni]

Yes, I think this is true in some cases.  I hope someone who knows will chime in.

[c-boy]

o p so what your saying is crew are sharing racks ?

Edited May 12, 2020 by c-boy

[chrysalis]

Where did you get that info?

[Belle]

I think at one time was 4 to a cabin.  The crew I have talked to say it's 2 to a cabin with

a bathroom in between 2 cabins that the 4 share.  Think there was a sink in the cabin

but not sure.  They say not to bad because they have different hours.

[voljeep]

11 minutes ago, Belle said:

I think at one time was 4 to a cabin.  The crew I have talked to say it's 2 to a cabin with

a bathroom in between 2 cabins that the 4 share.  Think there was a sink in the cabin

but not sure.  They say not to bad because they have different hours.

sounds like a typical quad dorm room, smaller ?

[Loreni]

Perhaps I was misinformed about 4 to cabin.  I hope I was also misinformed about crew having to sleep in two 4 hour shifts...that is so unhealthy.

 

I am concerned if crew felt in was necessary to work in food prep and delivery on the Diamond while they were sick with Covid.  I believe tHat is what the investigators found.  I think the leadership needs to clearly communicate that sick days are OK.

[patrickmoran]

Until there is an effective vaccine in wide use worldwide, ships will be a challenge for minimizing the spread of virus. There is not a configuration possible with the ships to prevent the spread of the virus.   

[txjim09]

Please don't think this is a "go google it" statement but you might want to search Youtube for crew videos.  There are several interesting ones showing cabin tours from all staff levels.  I found the ones from DavidColaDrums pretty entertaining but there are many more.  Have to dig a bit deeper to find videos from the staff positions such as housekeeping but you should still get a good overview.

[MTJSR]

Once the ships were disembarked of passengers, I was told by a friend in the know, crew were dispersed into passenger cabins to help with onboard distancing. 

 

Also, modern cruise ships are two crew per crew cabin and have been for a long time, as stated by others. 

[SharkieRools]

[npcl]

4 hours ago, Loreni said:

My understanding is that COVID-19 was spread on the Diamond by sick crew involved with food prep and delivery.  This may have been true on other ships too.  The crew needs to know that they can take sick days without fear of job loss.  
 

Going forward, some passenger cabins should be converted to crew cabins so the crew don’t need to sleep 4 to a tiny room.  This would reduce disease spread and also increase the crew to passenger ratio so the crew can have civilized and healthy sleep schedules.  My waiter told me she had to sleep in two 4 hour shifts.  I believe her because I couldn’t sleep one night and after a late dinner, I  saw her opening the buffet in the very early morning.  This is not good for her immune system.

 

the cabin stewards need fewer cabins so they can clean them well.
 

will this increase the cost to cruise.  Probably.  But at least cruising will still exist.

You have to separate the Diamond incident into 2 parts.  Before quarantine and after quarantine started.  Prior to quarantine the transfer mechanism was primarily passenger to passenger, though the waiter at the table of the initial source did contract the illness.

 

It was only after quarantine started, when people were in their rooms, that it is thought that some continued to get infected, even during the quarantine, due to the members of the crew that was doing the food service.  That is based upon the number and timing of symptom development, as well as the testing of crew members and their assignments.

 

At least according to the Japanese report on the incident.

Edited May 12, 2020 by npcl

[azbirdmom]

3 hours ago, Belle said:

I think at one time was 4 to a cabin.  The crew I have talked to say it's 2 to a cabin with

a bathroom in between 2 cabins that the 4 share.  Think there was a sink in the cabin

but not sure.  They say not to bad because they have different hours.

 

You are correct based on what I've been told.  I also think this was reported during the Diamond crisis.  Still there's no space to isolate and I do think that the cruise lines will need to allow space for this when they start cruising again.

[chipmaster]

4 hours ago, Loreni said:

My understanding is that COVID-19 was spread on the Diamond by sick crew involved with food prep and delivery.  This may have been true on other ships too.  The crew needs to know that they can take sick days without fear of job loss.  
 

Going forward, some passenger cabins should be converted to crew cabins so the crew don’t need to sleep 4 to a tiny room.  This would reduce disease spread and also increase the crew to passenger ratio so the crew can have civilized and healthy sleep schedules.  My waiter told me she had to sleep in two 4 hour shifts.  I believe her because I couldn’t sleep one night and after a late dinner, I  saw her opening the buffet in the very early morning.  This is not good for her immune system.

 

the cabin stewards need fewer cabins so they can clean them well.
 

will this increase the cost to cruise.  Probably.  But at least cruising will still exist.

 

User npcl already noted you are miss-informed.

 

Remember the crew on any cruise work and live in amazingly cramped quarters and probably ripe for transmission among themselves and to the passengers.  BUT WAIT where did they catch it?  In every port some are able to get off but are far lower likely hood then the thousands of passengers from all over the world traveling thru airports etc. and then mingle for days in buffets, theater, musterdrill.  All it takes is one person coming from some far corner and sharing an elevator and viola the huge load on a ship. 

 

Cruise ships place for festering and transmission of disease.

 

Regardless, I love and miss I won't cruise this year, but hopefully in a couple years.

[cruzsnooze]

I also think the Op is terribly mis-informed. No matter how the crew lives a contagious disease will spread due to lack of social distancing in most areas of a ship.  Crew loves their jobs and many are long term employees. It's none of my business how they live, what they earn, or any employee/employer issues.

[wolfie11]

2 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

I also think the Op is terribly mis-informed. No matter how the crew lives a contagious disease will spread due to lack of social distancing in most areas of a ship.  Crew loves their jobs and many are long term employees. It's none of my business how they live, what they earn, or any employee/employer issues.

Actually, the biggest negative to cruising for me is the way the crew live and work, especially the food workers and housekeeping staff.  They have nine-month contracts, are expected to work 10+ hour days (split shifts) and are paid a few hundred dollars a month.  They put up with nasty passengers and long hours.  They clean up poop, vomit, used condoms, and other nasty stuff.  They miss their families and their homes.  They don't get to see their kids' first steps or go to their graduations.  And they are always smiling and friendly.  Now many of them are trapped on ships around the world.  They're not getting paid.  They don't know when they'll see home and families again.  But, most of them will sign up for another contract because they have an extended family depending on them and they need the money.

[Loreni]

If improving working and living arrangements for crew won’t prevent or reduce disease spread and if more social distancing of passengers won’t prevent or reduce disease spread then how can the cruise lines possibly come up with a safe plan for returning to operation without a vaccine or an effective treatment.  Unless the virus just goes away on its own by mutating into a harmless form.  

 

 

 

[Linsifer]

9 hours ago, MTJSR said:

Once the ships were disembarked of passengers, I was told by a friend in the know, crew were dispersed into passenger cabins to help with onboard distancing. 

 

Also, modern cruise ships are two crew per crew cabin and have been for a long time, as stated by others. 

Yes, I’ve seen crew members on tv and they were in balcony cabins.  Makes sense to spread them out in passenger cabins. 

[RLK33853]

14 hours ago, SharkieRools said:

Absolutely love your reply.  Couldn't have said it any better.

[AF-1]

Keep the faith;  I am sure all the cruise lines are looking at new ways to provide sanitation and safety for crew and passengers.

[memoak]

People on naval ships are way more crowded together than cruise ship employees. 

[cruzsnooze]

17 hours ago, Loreni said:

If improving working and living arrangements for crew won’t prevent or reduce disease spread and if more social distancing of passengers won’t prevent or reduce disease spread then how can the cruise lines possibly come up with a safe plan for returning to operation without a vaccine or an effective treatment.  Unless the virus just goes away on its own by mutating into a harmless form.  

 

 

 

That is the million dollar question

[brisalta]

7 hours ago, memoak said:

People on naval ships are way more crowded together than cruise ship employees. 

 

Yes, and certain naval vessels have outbreaks of CovID-19

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

Yes, and certain naval vessels have outbreaks of CovID-19

But Dr. Fauci has not labeled them as "floating petri dishes". He has saved that label for cruise ships. He has not tried to stop the navy from sailing its ships.