CRUISE COVID TESTING

[botbot]

Has anyone heard about any Cruise line, especially Royal, re the controls they are looking at putting in place when they start cruising again.?

I'm a seasoned cruiser, but surely, if their plan is to control entry to the ships via the stupid questionnaire sheet of "have you had coronavirus in the last 14 days" type approach, surely this will enable the virus to spread again like wildfire on a cruise ship.

Surely they are putting plans in place to test everyone before getting on the ship, and then testing when people come back on at ports.....even to the point of testing everyone, even every day.....That way, the "cruising life" will be as normal.........

I can't find anything, I have looked and looked........they are talking about "social distancing", which we all know is impossible on a cruise ship.....is the plan to wait for the elevator for the whole cruise then.!....

Anyone with ANY REAL info.....??

[Milwaukee Eight]

Many threads here regarding these questions that nobody hear can answer. 

[Stick93]

OP - I think you have just summed up all the issues with restarting cruising at this point and why no ship are leaving with passengers.  
Nobody including the cruise lines know what they are doing and speculation is all we have. If they had a plan and it made sense they would have a real hard start date. 

[SRF]

Who is going to pay for the testing every day?

 

Are they going to build a lab on every ship?

 

 

[Milwaukee Eight]

6 minutes ago, SRF said:

Who is going to pay for the testing every day?

I think this has an obvious answer. 
 

Anyone who cruises will bare the expense of testing, if that is part of the process. 

[Milwaukee Eight]

48 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Many threads here regarding these questions that nobody hear can answer. 

Here not hear. Voice to text doesn’t always work properly. Better proof reading needed. 

[SRF]

9 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I think this has an obvious answer. 
 

Anyone who cruises will bare the expense of testing, if that is part of the process. 

 

Let's see.  Medicare is paying $100 per COVID test.

 

So for 2 person room, that adds $200 per day for cruising.  

 

Yeap, that will work.........

[JT1962]

We won’t know until cruises start sailing again. I think daily temperature checks will probably be in place, but I can’t see daily testing for the virus being feasible at this point. If they develop a test with almost immediate results, then I could see a test prior to boarding, but not daily.

[hazence]

48 minutes ago, botbot said:

Has anyone heard about any Cruise line, especially Royal, re the controls they are looking at putting in place when they start cruising again.?

I'm a seasoned cruiser, but surely, if their plan is to control entry to the ships via the stupid questionnaire sheet of "have you had coronavirus in the last 14 days" type approach, surely this will enable the virus to spread again like wildfire on a cruise ship.

Surely they are putting plans in place to test everyone before getting on the ship, and then testing when people come back on at ports.....even to the point of testing everyone, even every day.....That way, the "cruising life" will be as normal.........

I can't find anything, I have looked and looked........they are talking about "social distancing", which we all know is impossible on a cruise ship.....is the plan to wait for the elevator for the whole cruise then.!....

Anyone with ANY REAL info.....??

 

This is totally unrealistic...expecting an industry or a government to devise a way to make anyone’s life...risk free. As another thread says plainly, if a person needs that level of assurance, cruising is not mandatory...stay home.

 

My neighbor’s car  was hit by a drunk driver on a back road at 10AM in the morning a couple months ago. . He spent weeks in the hospital.
 

I’m glad that we take drunk drivers licenses away. I m glad police can do spot breathalyzer tests. I’m glad we sometimes jail those who cause harm to others. I’m glad that organizations like MADD do their best to raise awareness and that restaurants and bars are tasked to not over-serve. We do all we can but we can never make ourselves safe from drunk drivers.
 

There  will be drunks on the road this weekend...and on any and every possible day of the week.  No government or business can assure any of us that we won’t get slammed by a drunk on the road.
 

Every time we get in the car...we face a risk.

 

The pictures of the people out this weekend crowding beaches and bars...they seem to see life as “normal” now...even though they live in hard hit areas. If they can afford it, they’ll be on those short cruises, partying as they are this weekend. And therein lies RCCL’s dilemma. These customers will not cruise if they have to mask up, social distance, avoid pools and casinos, and be constantly tested.

 

Nor can RCCL devise a plan that will placate the COVID-terrified that think it’s the business of the cruiseline to find a way to let them do EVERYTHING they did before...but with no risk from the virus! That’s Mission Impossible and lawsuits waiting to happen.

 

It’s one thing to say...you should wear a mask FOR ME...if it’s in a grocery store or doctors office, etc. These are essential places. But wearing a mask on a cruise ship where no one NEEDS to be...that is a whole other conversation.

 

 

[botbot]

Testing has advanced in the last 4 weeks, and the projection is that there will be a "pregnancy" type test available for "If you have it", in exactly the same way as the current test they have for "if you have had it".

Emirates are trialling testing before you get on a plane, with an answer in 20 minutes.

 

Not forgetting of course, 8 weeks ago there wasn't a true test, now there is.

In another 8 weeks, the tests will be 99.99% accurate.

 

[botbot]

3 minutes ago, hazence said:

 

This is totally unrealistic...expecting an industry or a government to devise a way to make anyone’s life...risk free. As another thread says plainly, if a person needs that level of assurance, cruising is not mandatory...stay home.

 

My neighbor’s car  was hit by a drunk driver on a back road at 10AM in the morning a couple months ago. . He spent weeks in the hospital.
 

I’m glad that we take drunk drivers licenses away. I m glad police can do spot breathalyzer tests. I’m glad we sometimes jail those who cause harm to others. I’m glad that organizations like MADD do their best to raise awareness and that restaurants and bars are tasked to not over-serve. We do all we can but we can never make ourselves safe from drunk drivers.
 

There  will be drunks on the road this weekend...and on any and every possible day of the week.  No government or business can assure any of us that we won’t get slammed by a drunk on the road.
 

Every time we get in the car...we face a risk.

 

The pictures of the people out this weekend crowding beaches and bars...they seem to see life as “normal” now...even though they live in hard hit areas. If they can afford it, they’ll be on those short cruises, partying as they are this weekend. And therein lies RCCL’s dilemma. These customers will not cruise if they have to mask up, social distance, avoid pools and casinos, and be constantly tested.

 

Nor can RCCL devise a plan that will placate the COVID-terrified that think it’s the business of the cruiseline to find a way to let them do EVERYTHING they did before...but with no risk from the virus! That’s Mission Impossible and lawsuits waiting to happen.

 

It’s one thing to say...you should wear a mask FOR ME...if it’s in a grocery store or doctors office, etc. These are essential places. But wearing a mask on a cruise ship where no one NEEDS to be...that is a whole other conversation.

 

 

 

[botbot]

The challenge is, that if they do nothing, and have zero controls, as soon as the first case hits a cruise ship, all cruising will be stopped again.

Life is always a gamble, there are always challenges, and I agree that if people don't want to gamble then stay at home..

However, there is also a difference between gambling your house and savings versus gambling a few $$$'s worth.

 

Going on a cruise, with zero control, and zero checks, is the same as walking across an interstate blindfolded, with all the cars lights being switched off at midnight.

At least if there is traffic signals, headlights on, and not being blindfolded, you stand a reasonable chance of surviving (i.e. not catching Covid)

[hazence]

The big part of the picture is that no one MUST take that risk to cruise.  It’s a choice. It’s not like grocery shopping, visiting doctors. It’s a gamble that NO ONE is required to take. 

 

I wonder if the cruiselines will require legal waivers from all who board.

[rimmit]

15 minutes ago, hazence said:

The big part of the picture is that no one MUST take that risk to cruise.  It’s a choice. It’s not like grocery shopping, visiting doctors. It’s a gamble that NO ONE is required to take. 

 

I wonder if the cruiselines will require legal waivers from all who board.

Given everything happening, I wonder if “repatriation insurance” could become A thing and an add on to travel insurance and required For cruising??   May be some way for the cruise lines to reduce the cost of repatriation and quarantined.

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, botbot said:

 

I'm a seasoned cruiser, but surely, if their plan is to control entry to the ships via the stupid questionnaire sheet of "have you had coronavirus in the last 14 days" type approach, surely this will enable the virus to spread again like wildfire on a cruise ship.

Surely they are putting plans in place to test everyone before getting on the ship, and then testing when people come back on at ports.....even to the point of testing everyone, even every day.....That way, the "cruising life" will be as normal.........

 

As a seasoned cruiser you should realize that what you suggest is far from normal cruising life. Cruising will not be what it once was before Covid and probably won't return to what it was for a long time. I realize all of the suggestions on these types of threads are just speculation. However, if wearing a mask or having my temperature taken several times a day is the new normal, count me out. There are other ways to spend my disposable income even if it means buying things for the home where I have spent the last 3 months and counting.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Iamcruzin

[Ocean Boy]

56 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Let's see.  Medicare is paying $100 per COVID test.

 

So for 2 person room, that adds $200 per day for cruising.  

 

Yeap, that will work.........

You forgot to add on the 18%.

 

Just another thread that will be full of speculation and opinion as no one knows how cruising will open up.

[TheMastodon]

1 hour ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Here not hear. Voice to text doesn’t always work properly. Better proof reading needed. 

 

Thanks for the grammar correction Milwaukee.  Important stuff

[TheMastodon]

2 hours ago, botbot said:

Has anyone heard about any Cruise line, especially Royal, re the controls they are looking at putting in place when they start cruising again.?

I'm a seasoned cruiser, but surely, if their plan is to control entry to the ships via the stupid questionnaire sheet of "have you had coronavirus in the last 14 days" type approach, surely this will enable the virus to spread again like wildfire on a cruise ship.

Surely they are putting plans in place to test everyone before getting on the ship, and then testing when people come back on at ports.....even to the point of testing everyone, even every day.....That way, the "cruising life" will be as normal.........

I can't find anything, I have looked and looked........they are talking about "social distancing", which we all know is impossible on a cruise ship.....is the plan to wait for the elevator for the whole cruise then.!....

Anyone with ANY REAL info.....??

 

They can do all the testing they want, but it will still show up on board.  Hope they are ready!

[lifes-a-beach]

OP, you said “surely” three times in two sentences.  Surely that is indicative that surely nobody knows if any cruise line can surely safeguard every cruiser from what will almost surely be another outbreak aboard surely at least several ships.  

 

I win.

 

now let’s get to the important part; speculation about drink packages.

[Ocean Boy]

24 minutes ago, rimmit said:

Given everything happening, I wonder if “repatriation insurance” could become A thing and an add on to travel insurance and required For cruising??   May be some way for the cruise lines to reduce the cost of repatriation and quarantined.

One more thing for insurance companies to be licking their chops over with new sources of profit as people attempt to insure them selves for every possible loss they can think of.

[orville99]

2 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Here not hear. Voice to text doesn’t always work properly. Better proof reading needed. 

Then your first one should have said bear not bare😉

Edited May 25, 2020 by orville99

[time4u2go]

For the idea of testing people at embarkation and at every port, there's the inevitable question of what happens if someone tests positive at any of those locations?  Are they banned from getting on the ship?  Who would then be responsible for getting that person (and their family?) home?  What if it's at a place where getting them home is difficult to do?  Coco Cay and Labadee come to mind.

 

I know nobody has the answers to these question, but it's something to think about.

[TNcruising02]

2 hours ago, botbot said:

Testing has advanced in the last 4 weeks, and the projection is that there will be a "pregnancy" type test available for "If you have it", in exactly the same way as the current test they have for "if you have had it".

Emirates are trialling testing before you get on a plane, with an answer in 20 minutes.

 

Not forgetting of course, 8 weeks ago there wasn't a true test, now there is.

In another 8 weeks, the tests will be 99.99% accurate.

 

For the first cruises, I hope there is a test prior to boarding and would be fine with paying for it myself for my September cruise.  

[hazence]

Interesting...results of this study show asymptomatic  carriers ability to infect others may be weak.  This zombie theory may well soon go the way of the killer surfaces threat.

Conclusion: In summary, all the 455 contacts were excluded from SARS-CoV-2 infection and we conclude that the infectivity of some asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers might be weak.

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32405162/?fbclid=IwAR3lpo_jjq7MRsoIXgzmjjGREL7lzW22XeRRk0NO_Y7rvVl150e4CbMo0cg

[Tree_skier]

3 hours ago, hazence said:

Nor can RCCL devise a plan that will placate the COVID-terrified that think it’s the business of the cruiseline to find a way to let them do EVERYTHING they did before...but with no risk from the virus! That’s Mission Impossible and lawsuits waiting to happen.

Exactly right! The covid-terrified can stay home, the rest of us are getting on with our lives.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Tree_skier