NCL/Royal Caribbean Partner on Safety Protocols

[Cruising89143]

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23190-royal-caribbean-and-norwegian-ink-deal-on-health.html

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/07/06/two-cruise-giants-assembled-panel-health-experts-give-them-path-back-sailing/

[TSUmom]

It is great seeing two competitors working together!

[njhorseman]

40 minutes ago, cruisingator2 said:

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23190-royal-caribbean-and-norwegian-ink-deal-on-health.html

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/07/06/two-cruise-giants-assembled-panel-health-experts-give-them-path-back-sailing/

It shows that the "protocols" NCL introduced with a lot of fanfare a few weeks ago were little more than another PR attempt to convince people that it would be safe to put their hard-earned money down for a cruise.

 

Obviously the cruise industry has not come up with plans adequate to meet the requirements of the CDC's No Sail Order, which is why they "voluntarily" suspended US cruising far beyond the July 24 expiration date of the CDC order.

 

We can only hope that the collaborative effort just announced will result in the development of meaningful plans that pass CDC muster rather than just signalling just more cruise industry eyewash PR .

[Gershep]

I'm glad they are working together to make cruising safe.

[jaja]

Good to see this.  

[hallux]

Reading the paragraph from the WP article about the panel sharing the findings with other cruise lines, it seems that Royal and NCLH are just taking the bull by the horns and doing what CLIA probably should have done months ago.

[BSR]

Good to see them working together.

[OzCanuck]

Groundwork laid for merger/consolidation. 

[njhorseman]

Here's the Cruise Critic article on the topic. I think FDR's comment on the "protocols" previously announced pretty much confirms that they were just superficial eyewash:

 

"The move by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. comes on the heels of new health and safety recommendations put forth by the European Union, and by Norwegian Cruise Line's own health and safety protocols that were released in June. Those, Del Rio told Cruise Critic, are still a part of the relaunch plan for the line.

"What Norwegian put out were things that were very obvious," Del Rio said."We are in a rush to get back to work. There are 130 million people a year who cruise who are being denied the pleasure of cruising. But we don't want to get back until we are confident we've done everything we can to reduce the risk of the virus affecting our guests, our crew, the communities we visit. We have every confidence that this panel is the right group to do just that."

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5438/

[jaja]

4 hours ago, OzCanuck said:

Groundwork laid for merger/consolidation. 

The thought crossed my mind...but I have dismissed it for now 😉

[Sand and Seas]

Thanks to OP for posting!   It's good to see that they are working on getting this industry sailing again.

[mamkmm2]

11 hours ago, njhorseman said:

It shows that the "protocols" NCL introduced with a lot of fanfare a few weeks ago were little more than another PR attempt to convince people that it would be safe to put their hard-earned money down for a cruise.

 

Obviously the cruise industry has not come up with plans adequate to meet the requirements of the CDC's No Sail Order, which is why they "voluntarily" suspended US cruising far beyond the July 24 expiration date of the CDC order.

 

We can only hope that the collaborative effort just announced will result in the development of meaningful plans that pass CDC muster rather than just signalling just more cruise industry eyewash PR .

You should look at what the EU is requiring. It is awful. 

[ew101]

I was pestering ChengKP on the HAL board to increase the percentage of outside vs recirculated air in public areas. And make other changes to help the droplets and possibly aerosols leave as soon as possible vs being recirculated.  This topic has just appeared in the EU documents.   It took 40 years for the simple proven cure for Scurvy to be adopted by the Royal Navy - I hope the CLIA moves a little faster.  

[Zippeedee]

2 hours ago, mamkmm2 said:

You should look at what the EU is requiring. It is awful. 

“Awful” as in not requiring enough safety precautions to keep people from being infected?

[chengkp75]

19 hours ago, njhorseman said:

It shows that the "protocols" NCL introduced with a lot of fanfare a few weeks ago were little more than another PR attempt to convince people that it would be safe to put their hard-earned money down for a cruise.

 

Obviously the cruise industry has not come up with plans adequate to meet the requirements of the CDC's No Sail Order, which is why they "voluntarily" suspended US cruising far beyond the July 24 expiration date of the CDC order.

 

We can only hope that the collaborative effort just announced will result in the development of meaningful plans that pass CDC muster rather than just signalling just more cruise industry eyewash PR .

Here's what I wrote on the Celebrity board:

 

 

[mamkmm2]

9 hours ago, Zippeedee said:

“Awful” as in not requiring enough safety precautions to keep people from being infected?

Have you actually read The 49 page report? They want to segregate everybody that is 65 and older away from everyone else including the people already in their party. They’re going to require 65 and older people to have a fit to travel form signed by a doctor. No more dining with friends. You can only dine with those in your family in the same state room. That means if you have family that are in different state rooms you will not be able to dine together. That’s only some of the restrictions they want to see instituted. 

[boatseller]

10 hours ago, Zippeedee said:

“Awful” as in not requiring enough safety precautions to keep people from being infected?

As that is completely unachievable, this is at least 50% Help the Regulators Look Like They're Doing Something then 50% Implement Practical Sanitation Measures.

 

The 65+ thing is meant to strongly dissuade older cruisers while not outright banning them.  Gee Granny, you'll have a terrible time hangout with the rest of the elderly, might as well stay at home.  If Granny does choose to sail, good luck keeping her out of every Bingo game.

[jaja]

2 hours ago, mamkmm2 said:

Have you actually read The 49 page report? They want to segregate everybody that is 65 and older away from everyone else including the people already in their party. They’re going to require 65 and older people to have a fit to travel form signed by a doctor. No more dining with friends. You can only dine with those in your family in the same state room. That means if you have family that are in different state rooms you will not be able to dine together. That’s only some of the restrictions they want to see instituted. 

 

 

WOW !!!   Guess my cruising days are over....😢

[onetimearoundtheworld]

Everyone knows what has to be done to reduce the risk and probably everyone in the industry knows that only very few cruise operators have a business model that supports it.

I am pretty sure all the major cruise lines are only waiting for a vaccine or another way of the pandemic to end and hope their money lasts long enough. The whole plans and panels are just a show for the public. If you look at the EU working group recommendations there is no way that a cruise like that would be anything like the mainstream cruise lines have offered the last years. Especially regarding medical treatment and quarantine ashore and repatriation plans, risk groups, social distancing and fixed groups onboard. There is no profit in that kind of cruise business. 

[mking8288]

14 minutes ago, jaja said:

WOW !!!   Guess my cruising days are over....😢

 

Jan ... 

Cruising days for many CC diehards, by these new definitions/interpretations .. could well be over.  We might still do a little cruising in 2021 or 2022 while still under the radar, should and if these safety protocols get sanctioned and incorporated into the new normal for the industry as a whole.  That will eliminate easily half of our own circles of cruise families & friends, by virture of age and other risk factors, sadly. 

 

To put a spin for the rest, more opportunity for bidding up to better cabins as there will be less competition for them - on top of social distancing rules, et. al.  Isn't that going to be nice to have mega/+ ships that aren't crowded and shorter lines to queue up for the elevators, LOL.

 

I am not that sure (personally speaking only as in "peace-of-mind") if some of the measures will take care of some of the airborne infection risks onboard, in whatever congested & crowded, closed quarters - cruise ships among the settings, in setting a higher bar and benchmarks on these public health & safety protocols.  

 

Now that we just sold our house (whew ... delayed closing finally happened), pocketed a good chunk of money and moving ahead to downsize to a smaller home ... given all the "stuff" spiking nearly everywhere, we are just going to put cruising on hold for a while -  staycation and closer to home will be the motto for us.  

 

I wonder what NCL is going to do with future CC Meet & Greet/Mingle on board ... and how it is going to be handled, or suspended until further notice. 

 

[jaja]

27 minutes ago, jaja said:

 

 

WOW !!!   Guess my cruising days are over....😢

And to add,  as other have said on other threads...doctors will be VERY reluctant to issue any "fit to travel" form for legal reasons.  This plus being segregated as a "over 65 " person is not my idea of happy cruising.

I think just this will surely affect the cruise lines bottom line..with so many senior making up many sailings...

[jaja]

@mking8288  

 

I had just posted again  before you did.     Yes--it will be a long time IF ever that we will sail again.  Our age will be a big factor.

 

[jaja]

Just wondering..  ..will they make all the 'old buggers '  wear a "scarlet letter" like  badge on a lanyard???🤔😟

(trying to find some humor in all of this!)

[logan25]

20 minutes ago, jaja said:

Just wondering..  ..will they make all the 'old buggers '  wear a "scarlet letter" like  badge on a lanyard???🤔😟

(trying to find some humor in all of this!)

No, maybe just a discretely different color cabin keycard.  (Just a joke, folks.)

 

Let’s not forget about grouping the cabins (low, medium or high risk).       

Edited July 7, 2020 by logan25

[jaja]

7 minutes ago, logan25 said:

No, maybe just a discretely different color cabin keycard.  (Just a joke, folks.)

 

Let’s not forget about grouping the cabins.       

😁

 

And Re: Cabin grouping....so then if I sail solo...and am doomed to eat and drink  alone ..with my "old person key card" of course. LOL