EU Releases Guidelines for Return to Cruising during Covid

[azbirdmom]

This is a very lengthy document that includes wearing masks, reduced capacity, and controversially a requirement of doctor's note and segregation for those 65+ / at risk.  Will be interesting to see how far this gets!  https://www.healthygateways.eu/Portals/0/plcdocs/EU_HEALTHY_GATEWAYS_COVID-19_RESTARTING_CRUISES.pdf?ver=2020-07-01-115942-557

[joeyancho]

That's not a vacation I would take. 

[HaveWeMetYet]

Forget cruising in Europe any time soon.

[azbirdmom]

There's a summary of the recommendations here as well:  https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/EU-issues-guidance-for-cruising-return?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=FBStories&fbclid=IwAR2v2A3ohaO1edpsdbcyW8AyGvzXcgfXiTYNs6xW5v1ehM4m49B38O2NdGM

[Geoffa30]

Sounds okay to me.

[caribill]

Cruise ships will have to report as a possible Covid-29 case anybody with any Covid-19 symptom.

 

However, it seems that Covid-19 symptoms now include just about any illness symptom including:

"any person with at least one of the following symptoms: cough, fever, shortness of breath, sudden onset of anosmia, ageusia or dysgeusia. Additional less specific symptoms may include headache, chills, muscle pain, fatigue, vomiting and/or diarrhoea."

 

 

So the first passenger on a cruise that is ill for any reason might make the ship regarded as a plague ship just in case that person has Covid-19.

[caribill]

Some of the fun parts:

 

a) "Passengers in high risk groups including people over 65years of age or people of any age with underlying medical conditions(chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases and immunocompromised individuals) should be advised to visit a doctor for pre-travel medical consultation to assess if they are fit to travel."  -- That should cover a great majority of passengers.

 

b) "Activities and services on board cruise ships could be organized according to age group, so that older individuals are separated from other age groups."

[caribill]

Also:

"It is also recommended that only persons staying in the same cabin and/or persons from the same household or same travelling unit dine at the same table."

 

Looks like most dining room tables will need to be tables for two with "A distance of 1.5 metres (or otherwise as per national/local health authority requirements of the home port or the port of call) between chairs of different tables should be maintained."

[HappyCruiserettu]

24 minutes ago, caribill said:

Some of the fun parts:

 

a) "Passengers in high risk groups including people over 65years of age or people of any age with underlying medical conditions(chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases and immunocompromised individuals) should be advised to visit a doctor for pre-travel medical consultation to assess if they are fit to travel."  -- That should cover a great majority of passengers.

 

b) "Activities and services on board cruise ships could be organized according to age group, so that older individuals are separated from other age groups."

Notice that it says "should be," and remember that this is just a proposal at this time. And, as far as separating the 65 and over, the rest can just go to the kid's camp. There are only a relative few on Princess.

 

[HappyCruiserettu]

4 minutes ago, caribill said:

Also:

"It is also recommended that only persons staying in the same cabin and/or persons from the same household or same travelling unit dine at the same table."

 

Looks like most dining room tables will need to be tables for two with "A distance of 1.5 metres (or otherwise as per national/local health authority requirements of the home port or the port of call) between chairs of different tables should be maintained."

It says they should eat together. It doesn't say they can't share with another family group.

 

[caribill]

1 minute ago, HappyCruiserettu said:

It says they should eat together. It doesn't say they can't share with another family group.

 

"only persons staying in the same cabin and/or persons from the same household or same travelling unit" means that other family group has to be part of the same traveling unit. In other words, not another family group you met on the ship.

[Ron the Rev]

Well  https://www.healthygateways.eu/Portals/0/plcdocs/EU_HEALTHY_GATEWAYS_COVID-19_RESTARTING_CRUISES.pdf?ver=2020-07-01-115942-557 was quite a read  I guess that a fair proportion of Princess passengers will fall into the section 

 

.2.High risk groups As long as the pandemic continues, special precautions may be applied to passengers and crew belonging to high risk groups. Passengers in high risk groups including people over 65 years of age or people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases and immunocompromised individuals) should be advised to visit a doctor for pre-travel medical consultation to assess if they are fit to travel. Activities and services on board cruise ships could be organized according to age group, so that older individuals are separated from other age groups. Crew members in high risk groups could work in positions where there is little or no interaction with other individuals. Moreover, advanced respiratory protection may be used specifically by crew members belonging to vulnerable groups.

 

Us 2 included. 

 

[caribill]

"Passengers should be advised to avoid the use of the elevators."

 

Great if you only need to travel a deck or two. Not so great if you eat dinner on deck 5 and your cabin is on deck 14.

[Esprit]

Sounds fair to me, but every passenger must comply or risk being "debarked" at the next port. 

[Ron the Rev]

39 minutes ago, caribill said:

"Passengers should be advised to avoid the use of the elevators."

 

Great if you only need to travel a deck or two. Not so great if you eat dinner on deck 5 and your cabin is on deck 14.

Hope that there will be a controller outside every group of elevators, marshaling people into them. "watch my wheelchair". Has cruising finished for lots of Princess passengers ?

[chengkp75]

First off, remember that the EU operates differently than the US.  This EU "interim guideline" is almost identical to the requirements in the "interim guidelines" set by the CDC in their "no sail order".  However, while the CDC can mandate requirements for ports in every state in the US, and enforce those requirements via the CBP and USCG, this EU guideline is part of an EU "decision" on public health and safety.  EU "decisions" are binding on member states, and private entities, to which it applies, but relies on the member nations to enforce them.  So, if the CDC had to rely on each state to enforce their no sail order, it would be similar to the EU.

 

Also, as noted, most of the requirements are the same as the CDC wants (though they seem to go into more detail), with the massive exception that the EU is willing to take infected or quarantined passengers and crew, with prior agreements and plans, to shoreside health facilities, and not require the cruise lines to handle their cases "offshore" on "hospital, quarantine, and accommodation" ships.

[dickinson]

Not a cruise I'm willing to take.  Not only that, but we have to pay higher prices to boot!

[Doubt It]

No chance of purchasing such an experience.

 

Cruising is not on.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

A few interesting things, although seems like most of the anticipated onboard experience is things discussed here on CC in many threads. I don't see us taking another cruise until it sounds more enjoyable, and it's still unknown how long these guidelines or any revised guidelines are going to be in place.

 

We originally took the option one, which at the time was 150% FCC. Then after thinking about if for a couple of weeks, we changed it to option two as not sure if we would cruise again. If we don't, at least we only lose $800 in a FCC compared to what would have been around $6K sitting out there. At the end of the day, we got all our money back and the FCC is just a big coupon to us, if we decided to use it before it expires.

 

Still hoping we can,  as have almost two years to use it.

 

 

[PrincessLuver]

11 hours ago, HaveWeMetYet said:

Forget cruising in Europe any time soon.

 

 

Well,  if you are American we can't go to Europe anyway because we are banned so it is a mute point.  I doubt the Europeans will have a problem following these guidelines but many Americans will just say they cannot do them for whatever reason....and then not do them!

Edited July 2, 2020 by PrincessLuver

[Mud_Shark]

The issue regarding "any person with at least one of the following symptoms..." is that it may promote a "don't tell, don't show" response from the cruiser.

 

If you develop a cough but no fever while you are cruising, would you report it and get dropped off  the cruise mid point?  I think this kind of tight "catch all' symptom watch will keep most from reporting any illness until it is too late.

 

Don

[caribill]

32 minutes ago, Mud_Shark said:

 

If you develop a cough but no fever while you are cruising, would you report it and get dropped off  the cruise mid point?

 

You do not have to report it. Someone observing you will report it for you.

 

The crew will be trained to look for (and report) people with Covid-19 symptoms.

[Cruise Raider]

Wow!  Some of this sounds like a total improvement to me.  However, I just don't know how the cruise lines will survive this, as they would have to limit capacity to about 25% - 50% to keep within the confines of all these restrictions.  I just don't see any sailings opening back up until there is a vaccine (if that ever happens) or this bug dies out on it's own.  

 

[HappyCruiserettu]

9 hours ago, caribill said:

"only persons staying in the same cabin and/or persons from the same household or same travelling unit" means that other family group has to be part of the same traveling unit. In other words, not another family group you met on the ship.

I'm sorry. You are right. My mistake. I somehow missed the "only."

Edited July 2, 2020 by HappyCruiserettu
Typo

[cherylandtk]

All of these quite understandable restrictions make cruising much less desirable for us in the next few years.  Add to that our personal disappointment in Princess’ communications, clarity and overall handling of refunds and we do not see ourselves planning a new cruise soon.  
 

When we do, it will be on much smaller ships. Until then we have several big land based trips we have wanted to take, but we won’t be planning those until there is a vaccine in widespread use.  (And the timeline for that is unknown...we might undertake the remodel project instead).