7-28-20 - WTTC/Carnival COVID-19 Summit

[greykitty]

First, there will be a replay of the event here: https://www.covidsciencesummit.com/ for the next 24 hours.   I didn't see the very tail end as there was a broadcast glitch and I stepped away after a minute or two.  It's three panels, approximately three hours in length, with a break between sessions.  All science based, all experts in their fields as evidenced by their CV's.  

 

@Howie from MD, thanks for the original posting, and you were right - no special offers or recipes on this one!  And not specifically cruise or travel related.  But, as Arnold Donald described it:

 

"How do we in society deal with Covid-19, given the best knowledge and information available?"

 

As a lay person, it was a pleasure to listen to the panelists.  Their assessments and suggestions were sobering, but so nice to hear professionals of this caliber speak without, as far as I heard, pulling many, if any, punches.   I really give WTTC and Carnival kudos for the investment of time, energy and no doubt some funds into providing this platform to discuss the societal impact of COVID-19, with nary a word that I heard about signing up for a tour or a cruise 🙂  Good representation of the industry as a whole in my eyes.

 

I think there will be more travel focused webcasts in the future.

 

Honestly, I'm still absorbing what I heard.  I'm glad I was able to put the time aside to watch, and I think I'm going out to stock pile some more masks.

 

I do think the Regent webcast has a different focus and intent and the sessions are probably not directly comparable.  

 

[Travelcat2]

You do not need to stockpile masks.  There are tons of reusable (washable) masks on the market with removable filters.

 

I hope that future webinars are cruise line specific (or at least discussing ships of different sizes).

 

 

[pappy1022]

2 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

You do not need to stockpile masks.  There are tons of reusable (washable) masks on the market with removable filters.

 

I hope that future webinars are cruise line specific (or at least discussing ships of different sizes).

 

 

I’m sorry. Why can’t some people understand that the cruise industry is one industry that will be governed by the same rules no matter the size and no matter the status. One can get insight into what is to come by listening to and observing information about the industry and to be honest also about other similar industries. Regent is not different in terms of the basic services and functions that they provide. They may be better at providing those services and have a more luxurious product but they are still a ship and they go to the same places that other ships go to and they will have to follow the same rules. My listening to these webinars and reading articles you can start to see what the onboard experience will be even if what your reading isn’t specific to Regent. MY GOODNESS!

[greykitty]

Replay link now working - and shareable as anyone wishes.  Just got an email.

 

https://covidsciencesummit.com/

[Travelcat2]

As a reminder for posters looking for a webinar or information about Carnival or other cruise lines,  check out their board. It has tons of good information 👍

Edited July 28, 2020 by Travelcat2

[SusieQft]

You will definitely learn a lot more about Covid-19 from this one than the Regent marketing webinar.  But you won't really learn anything about Carnival, other than scientific information from some of their experts on Coronavirus.  😎

[greykitty]

  @susieqft and others in the field, would you described the panelists as being leaders in their fields?  I'm just a layperson, but the CV's seemed pretty impressive to me.

 

 

[SusieQft]

33 minutes ago, greykitty said:

  @susieqft and others in the field, would you described the panelists as being leaders in their fields?  I'm just a layperson, but the CV's seemed pretty impressive to me.

I agree that their CVs are impressive, but other than that I don't really have direct knowledge of any of them.  IMO they all sounded very knowledgeable and sensible (often but not always the same thing).  I have been following this subject (somewhat) in the medical press as well as the lay press, and I thought they did a good job.

 

The one thing that sticks in my mind as something new/surprising to me was the comment about multiple new testing options coming soon that will cheaper and quicker and much more widely available, to the point that some companies could test all their employees every day.  I hope that is true, and I wish he had gone into a little more detail about it.  If this is true, perhaps small cruise ships could test all their crew and passengers on a regular basis, not just on initial boarding.  We will probably (hopefully) have a vaccine before that is practical.  However, even if we do have a vaccine that fast, we will still be learning how effective it is.  So there still could be a role for frequent regular testing of everyone on the ship.

[greykitty]

I agree about the testing - I thought all the comments regarding when and how best to test to get the most info, depending on population tested, were really interesting and so applicable across all of society, if we have the will to do it.  

 

I keep thinking the ability to easily and frequently test, with very quick results, might be such a game changer in education, as well.  So many worried parents/teachers/students out there.  

 

I did think they got an awful lot of information into three hours - and the time flew by for me.  Delving even deeper into some areas would have been terrific, IMO.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Karen and greykitty.... can either of you provide a point by point description of the information you saw today, regarding steps necessary to receive CDC approval and resume cruising.  
Thanks

sheila
 

[greykitty]

As I recall, not one person on the Regent webinar described the approval process in any detail, nor ventured a guess at timing.  I got the impression they only briefly spoke on any health and safety issues due to  'popular demand'.  To be fair, I think the spokespeople were placed in a hard position.  What can they possibly say?  They did say the health & safety panel was to have recommendations by 'later in August' if I remember the wording.

 

All I know is that the cruise lines are supposed to submit plans to the CDC for review and approval before anyone sets sail to or from the US, unless there's a miracle and COVID-19 disappears from the earth.  

 

RCI and NCLH put together a health and safety panel " tasked with collaboratively developing recommendations for cruise lines to advance their public health response to COVID-19, improve safety, and achieve readiness for the safe resumption of operations."

 

"Fain and Del Rio said they initiated the panel to assure the plans they will submit to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other regulators apply the best available public health, science and engineering insights. The work of the panel will be shared with the entire industry and regulators. 

 

https://ca.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/ncl-and-rci-create-healthsafety-cruise-initiative.html

 

Panel supposedly to present first set of recommendations by August 31 to the cruise lines. Then, plans are developed to submit to CDC.  CDC currently in processing of soliciting comments from the public via the Federal Register, as required by law as I understand it.  The comment period by law is 60 days, I believe.  

 

It's a heck of a long and careful process as I understand it.

Edited July 28, 2020 by greykitty

[greykitty]

The purpose and intent of the WTTC/Carnival seminar was not to discuss the cruise or travel industry  or CDC approval process.  It was to:

 

 share the latest scientific knowledge and evidence-based best practices related to prevention, detection, treatment and mitigation of COVID-19.

 

 

[pappy1022]

9 minutes ago, greykitty said:

The purpose and intent of the WTTC/Carnival seminar was not to discuss the cruise or travel industry  or CDC approval process.  It was to:

 

 share the latest scientific knowledge and evidence-based best practices related to prevention, detection, treatment and mitigation of COVID-19.

 

 

But Carnival is so different than Regent. How can whatever they say as a mass cruise line be of any value for what Regent believes and what it will do? Is my sarcasm obvious?

[pappy1022]

29 minutes ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

Karen and greykitty.... can either of you provide a point by point description of the information you saw today, regarding steps necessary to receive CDC approval and resume cruising.  
Thanks

sheila
 

CDC has not yet defined what the criteria will be for cruise lines to start taking on passengers

[SusieQft]

31 minutes ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

Karen and greykitty.... can either of you provide a point by point description of the information you saw today, regarding steps necessary to receive CDC approval and resume cruising.  

Very easy to summarize -- absolutely nothing.  Neither the Carnival scientific seminar nor the Regent marketing webinar addressed these issues.

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

Karen and greykitty.... can either of you provide a point by point description of the information you saw today, regarding steps necessary to receive CDC approval and resume cruising.  
Thanks

sheila
 

 

Sheila - as expected, there was no information regarding steps necessary to receive CDC approval so that we can resume cruising (did not watch/listen to the Carnival thing).  Think that I’ll leave this thread to the newbies as they seem to know more than you and I do about Regent.

[SusieQft]

16 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

Think that I’ll leave this thread to the newbies as they seem to know more than you and I do about Regent.

I don't know more about Regent, and I never will because you have personal connections and you are 34 cruises ahead of me.  But I just might know a little more about medicine and covid-19, which is the topic of this thread.  No one is talking about Carnival except you, and replies to your complaints.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

2 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

CDC has not yet defined what the criteria will be for cruise lines to start taking on passengers

That is not what I asked. Please reread my post. It was about the Carnival webinar. 

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

If I wasn’t clear, I was asking about the Carnival webinar. I watched the Regent one for 54 minutes. Not a word. 
We hear enough about covid from a hundred medical people a week in the media. Personally, I was more interested about what the newest information to be submitted to the CDC to get us cruising again. 

[SusieQft]

2 minutes ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

I was more interested about what the newest information to be submitted to the CDC to get us cruising again. 

So was I.  Unfortunately, we did not get it.  Since the CDC has not decided what it wants yet, no no cruise line (or person) can answer your question.  I agree that it is frustrating.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

What a waste of time for me. I hear enough every day here in  Florida. I read enough on this subject. I am not a doctor. I understand is happening. 
I thought these Cruise ship webinars and seminars would discuss what it will take to begin cruising again. 
End of subject for me....

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

2 hours ago, SusieQft said:

Very easy to summarize -- absolutely nothing.  Neither the Carnival scientific seminar nor the Regent marketing webinar addressed these issues.

Thank you

[diebroke]

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Sheila - as expected, there was no information regarding steps necessary to receive CDC approval so that we can resume cruising (did not watch/listen to the Carnival thing).  Think that I’ll leave this thread to the newbies as they seem to know more than you and I do about Regent.

What an insulting & demeaning comment - maybe even ignorant.

I hope it & my response will be deleted.

If you want to have a positive influence on this forum, you go first in posting respectful comments.

This thread is not about Regent or how much you know about Regent. It is informed by the intelligence & interest of the posters & readers in trying to understand what is happening with the COVID crisis. If that doesn't fit you, don't read it.

I hope all you well informed people keep posting. I, for one, am an interested reader even though I am a newbie.

Thanks to all for your constructive comments.

 

Edited July 29, 2020 by diebroke

[MightyQuinn]

2 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Sheila - as expected, there was no information regarding steps necessary to receive CDC approval so that we can resume cruising (did not watch/listen to the Carnival thing).  Think that I’ll leave this thread to the newbies as they seem to know more than you and I do about Regent.

 

The so-called "Carnival thing" had nothing to do with Carnival, Regent, CDC or any cruise line restarting post-covid. 

Carnival Corporation co-hosted a Global Scientific Summit with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) with the objective of participants becoming better informed on COVID-19’s impact on society, including travel and tourism.  The presentation was science-driven and not a marketing ploy.  The Summit considered best practices from world-leading scientists and health experts for mitigating the spread of the virus and living in a world with COVID-19.  There are lessons to be learned for cruise lines, whether it be Regent or Carnival, going forward.

You may be interested in a seeing what you missed before passing judgment: https://covidsciencesummit.com/

[fizzy]

8 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Sheila - as expected, there was no information regarding steps necessary to receive CDC approval so that we can resume cruising (did not watch/listen to the Carnival thing).  Think that I’ll leave this thread to the newbies as they seem to know more than you and I do about Regent.

Perhaps you might find it more personally palatable if you mentally blurred out the word "Carnival" and inserted Seabourn in it's place because, after all, Seabourn is luxury and part of your Big Four.