What Criteria Will You Use to Conclude It Is Safe To Cruise Again

[flossie009]

Back to the useful question posed by the TS.

 

The following are the prerequisites to us cruising again:

1. Our bookings are not cancelled by the cruise line
2. There is a reasonable chance of the itinerary we chose remaining as booked, with the countries & ports to be visited accepting cruise ships and their passengers
3. The UK FCO removes its advice to avoid cruising
4. Flights to the port of embarkation and returning from the port of disembarkation are available 
5. Countries to be visited will accept us & no requirements for us to quarantine or isolate either when visiting that country  or returning to the UK
6. Items 1 to 5 above are likely to remain stable during the period we will be overseas
7. The cruise still appears to offer value for money i.e. the necessary virus prevention restrictions do not severely hamper our enjoyment of our travel arrangements, the on-board experience, excursions or our ability to socialise 

 

Whether our criteria will be met by the end of this year (6 months), next Spring (9 months) or next Summer (12 months), we are unable to predict. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

If the criteria are not met by next Summer then it is likely to be curtains for the cruise industry anyway.

 

We do not expect a cruise to be totally risk free. We also recognise that there will be risks from this pandemic associated with any international travel and overseas vacations for months to come. 

In our opinion it is an unachievable target to ensure that every passenger and every crew member on every ship remains virus free.

We will take appropriate precautions and have confidence that the officers, crew and other passengers on board will adhere to the protocols in place at the time.

 

Safety on the ship is not our primary concern; we are more worried about becoming “imprisoned” on board or stranded overseas as happened to some passengers earlier this year - often not just caused by cases of the covid infection but also driven by hysteria in the press putting undue pressure on the port officials involved. 

 

 

We recognise that others may be more bold and others more cautious than we are, but let us hope that the cruise industry, and Regent in particular, survives this crisis to serve all our needs in the future.

[lprp]

I don’t want anyone to be wrongly accused - it was me who obviously misread and misunderstood the term “these people refuse to social distance and wear masks when around others.  It seems to be the anti-mask, anti-social distance folks” .
I added er to mask and r to distance, so it was letters not words I was putting in your mouth. Apologies.
 

[Isklaar]

10 minutes ago, lprp said:

I don’t want anyone to be wrongly accused - it was me who obviously misread and misunderstood the term “these people refuse to social distance and wear masks when around others.  It seems to be the anti-mask, anti-social distance folks” .
I added er to mask and r to distance, so it was letters not words I was putting in your mouth. Apologies.
 

 

So many of us apparently misread and misunderstood it! 

 

 

[Travelcat2]

4 minutes ago, Isklaar said:

 

So many of us apparently misread and misunderstood it! 

 

 

 

Like I said - it happens.  It should not be a big deal

[tennis]

22 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

Tennis, I respect your perspective. I think we will get answers all over the spectrum. One question: If other cruise lines that are out there testing the waters are still experiencing COVID outbreaks (like the couple that are making news) in November would you still go on that Nov 6th cruise?

Absolutely yes if the staff wears masks.

[Travelcat2]

2 minutes ago, tennis said:

Absolutely yes if the staff wears masks.

 

And we would be onboard happilyy with you!

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

6 hours ago, flossie009 said:

 

 

Whether our criteria will be met by the end of this year (6 months), next Spring (9 months) or next Summer (12 months), we are unable to predict. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

If the criteria are not met by next Summer then it is likely to be curtains for the cruise industry anyway.

 

 

We recognise that others may be more bold and others more cautious than we are, but let us hope that the cruise industry, and Regent in particular, survives this crisis to serve all our needs in the future.

If cruising is shut down for another year, the whole cruise industry will collapse. It will be gone...
Unfortunately, those of you who are waiting until a vaccine proves 100% safe, or until this virus is gone, or not wearing masks etc., you  may never be able to cruise again. 
Even if there are other companies who will buy up some of the ships, who can tell what cruising might be like with a ghost fleet. 
Personally, I am rooting for a plan from the CDC that is workable, within the next three to six months. Not just for me but all folks who love cruising. 
sheila

[Dolebludger]

It was our general plan to book a cruise as soon as my wife recovered from spinal neck surgery in early February, 2020. She recovered rather rapidly, and we began cruise shopping late that month. And then in March, before we had put a deposit on anything, it all “hit the fan”. We stopped  the cruise search, and haven’t resumed it. 
 

I have wondered when (if ever) we will consider a cruise again. Certainly, all involved governments must have lifted all restrictions, a vaccine and a medical treatment must be available and in use, and the infection and death rates must have dramatically fallen. Also, quality, reliable and uncrowded transportation must be available to and from the ports, without  too many connections.  And I must add that, even before the pandemic, we were hesitant to book a cruise because air travel required had become unreliable, resulting in missed connections and forced overnights — more often than not. And airports and planes had become overcrowded and just a mess, for us old folks. So like some posters above, our cruising days may be about over due to our old age.—  even if travel involved in a cruise becomes as free of hassles as it was pre pandemic. Bucause for us, that was becoming not good enough. Of course, as things were, once on a Regent ship all was well — until we had to get off!

[ArtsyCraftsy]

On 8/3/2020 at 6:05 PM, SusieQft said:

I look forward to sailing on this amazing line and gaining enlightenment.  I hope they treat first time Regent cruisers with the same "unique family feeling."  The bar has been set amazingly high.

 

My first cruise on Regent was in 2018:  a 28-day trip starting in Vancouver to Alaska, then down the west coast, Central America, through the Panama Canal, and ended in Miami.

 

I had sailed twice before that on Holland America including a 38-day North Atlantic cruise, both times in a Neptune Suite (I mention that only because the "amenities" and perks are similar to what is offered on Regent's Concierge suite although here's a size/square-footage difference).

 

I was so impressed by Regent that on day 10 of the cruise, I booked the 2020 World Cruise.  I couldn't tell if it was a function of the smaller ship size (HAL's Amsterdam was 1378 passengers; Mariner is 700) or just the general "vibe," but it fit and I knew I would be fine traveling alone on a much longer cruise.

 

I know that not every cruise line will appeal to every traveler, but Regent ticks all the boxes for me.  I'm hoping that you'll enjoy your time with them.  They'll certainly do their best to make it happen.

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

[Pcardad]

14 hours ago, fizzy said:

Yeah...... what's up with that?

Not taking sides but whats wrong with any person choosing how to spend their time? 

[ArtsyCraftsy]

On 8/3/2020 at 2:46 PM, pappy1022 said:

What specifically will it take for you to believe that it is safe to cruise again? 

 ...

 

I really do feel that the answer to this depends on your individual reasons for and expectations of cruise travel.  I'm single, no kids/grandkids, no pets, no houseplants, so my situation is probably a little different than most Regent travelers.  

 

For me, the onboard experience is more important than excursions and port calls.  I have some physical challenges that make walking even moderate distances tricky so a lot of excursions are just not possible.  I'm also in a "highly vulnerable" population (over 65, overweight, COPD & asthma).  So I tend to spend more time onboard than off.  COPD is progressive and fatal -- it will eventually kill me if I don't die of something else first.  So I know my time for travel of any kind is limited.  I want to maximize that time as much as I can and cruise travel allows me to do just that.  And Regent provides the best experience I've found so far under the circumstances.

 

At this point, I've lost 3 Regent cruises this year: the truncated World Cruise in March, a 15-day Alaska cruise last month, and the upcoming 68-day Grand Cape Horn Adventure scheduled to leave on Oct 29 that was just canceled last week.

 

I still have 6 Regent cruises on the books.  The next up is the Grand Arctic Adventure that leaves NYC on May 31, 2021 for 94 days -- almost 10 months from now.  I have every intention of taking that cruise unless it's canceled.  I figure that by that time, protocols will have been worked out to minimize risk.  I had a conversation with my cruise planner guy at Regent who said they're looking at a lot of things including reduced onboard population for both guests and crew as well as revamping the air circulation systems.  I would like to think that they'll take a hard look at crew quarters as that seems to be a fairly common denominator in recent outbreaks including the recent Hurtigruten situation.  

 

I have no problem at all wearing a mask while out and about onboard if it means the difference between cruising and not cruising.  I'm fine with social distancing, too.  I'm almost a textbook introvert so small groups work well for me while large groups do not, and staying in my cabin is fine.

 

I don't expect any cruises to sail before January -- i just don't think they'll have protocols that all cruise lines can buy into before then.  I hope I'm wrong for those who are booked on November and December cruises.  But I'll be ready for May.

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

 

 

[Gcto]

what will it take for us to be cruising again ? Good question. 

We are currently booked on a few Regent Cruises and we are looking forward to travel again. Regent is one of our fav lines and we love the crew and most of the passengers :-)  Will those cruises happen ? We hope, but we are not sure. Australia is still iffy and so are many countries. 

 

But...and here is the big caveat. We cruise to have fun and to enjoy cruising, we don't cruise because we feel we have to. If it's not fun...why do it ? 

We wear masks because it helps, but mostly we stay at home. We wear mask when going shopping and to places we have to, but we don't wear masks at our home or back yard. We understand that masks help, but I don't consider masks or other restrictions to be fun. If wearing masks or having limited access to dining room or other restrictions become a requirement on cruises, it would make me think about the value of it. I love Regent because I think I get a good value for what I pay. But... I there are restrictions in the "value I get" ...would I cruise.  

We sailed on NCL and RCL, Celebrity etc in the past and the restrictions on dining time,  assigned seating, etc was not pleasant (once you realized what Regent provided). If cruising goes back to the model of assigned seating or assigned time, etc etc., I'm not sure I'd like it. We like Regent (or Cruising) because you have your hotel (aka the ship) getting you to your new place. But if it's cumbersome or inconvenient.. not sure it's worth it. Our alternative is getting a vacation home somewhere or traveling to different places and stay put. 

Another thing is fellow passengers. We enjoy meeting great people on our trips and have made live long friends with many. But if the restrictions with masks, limited seating (or only with people in your cohort :-) ) is implemented, meeting new "friends" will be difficult. 

Cruising, while fun, is not an essential thing. There are more important things to worry about. 

 

[cruiseluv]

On 8/3/2020 at 5:50 PM, irishwitchy said:

When I don’t need to wear a mask on the ship.  

 

Couldnt say it better myself. This encompasses many things

[cruiseluv]

On 8/3/2020 at 8:50 PM, Pcardad said:

There are always chair hogs but there are not as many as this forum would make you think. I never have an issue getting chairs AS LONG AS YOU GET THERE REASONABLY EARLY. Agree if you can't find a seat you can ask that it be enforced - the bar staff or the rest manager will help. The dress code is a give or take thing - if you are way over the line they will speak to you but if you are borderline, they won't. With the introduction of dinner around the pool you can now wear anything you want if you eat there...a nice option if you don't want to get dressed. PS - there is no dress code anywhere on the last night of a cruise...or there wasn't the last time I asked. 

No, they wont help. At least that was my experience when I asked , an officer that patrolled the pool told me she couldnt do anything. Frankly, its such a ridiculous concern compared to what were dealing now

[cruiseluv]

4 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

If cruising is shut down for another year, the whole cruise industry will collapse. It will be gone...
Unfortunately, those of you who are waiting until a vaccine proves 100% safe, or until this virus is gone, or not wearing masks etc., you  may never be able to cruise again. 
Even if there are other companies who will buy up some of the ships, who can tell what cruising might be like with a ghost fleet. 
Personally, I am rooting for a plan from the CDC that is workable, within the next three to six months. Not just for me but all folks who love cruising. 
sheila

Sheila, you're right , but really, with the expectations and security requirements for nobody to get sick ( unless theres a 100% vaccine effective and safe) it aint gonna happen. 

[Pcardad]

4 hours ago, cruiseluv said:

No, they wont help. At least that was my experience when I asked , an officer that patrolled the pool told me she couldnt do anything. Frankly, its such a ridiculous concern compared to what were dealing now

Possibly because there is no officer assigned to patrol the pool. You probably caught bridge staff on way to lunch and they don't get involved in the running of the hotel except when the staff captain wants someone off the ship. If it happens again let the bar staff know that you would like to speak to the head bartender. He or she will make sure it gets to the right ears.

 

I admit to being intrigued now. There are not that many women in uniform who are high enough rank to stroll the pool deck....i wonder who it was. 

[vintagegarage]

Once positive tests on board the ship don't cause cruise ships to abort the sailing, ports stop denying entrance to people testing positive to the virus, un-escorted walking around in the various port cities is permitted regardless of testing results, and planes allow those testing positive to fly, I'll be back to traveling..  I don't worry about catching the virus.  I just worry about not being able to get home after the trip, or not being able to visit all the ports on the cruise.  I'd cruise now if I thought I'd be able able to see most of the advertised sights and could be assured that I could promptly get home after the trip.   It sounds like it will be many years before I will be able to travel again, and at 72, "time's a waistin'".   I still have a lot of the world left to see.  Life is a risk, and for me at my age, seeing the world is worth the risk of catching a virus that I would most likely recover from.

[Kwaj girl]

2 hours ago, vintagegarage said:

Once positive tests on board the ship don't cause cruise ships to abort the sailing, ports stop denying entrance to people testing positive to the virus, un-escorted walking around in the various port cities is permitted regardless of testing results, and planes allow those testing positive to fly, I'll be back to traveling..  I don't worry about catching the virus.  I just worry about not being able to get home after the trip, or not being able to visit all the ports on the cruise.  I'd cruise now if I thought I'd be able able to see most of the advertised sights and could be assured that I could promptly get home after the trip.   It sounds like it will be many years before I will be able to travel again, and at 72, "time's a waistin'".   I still have a lot of the world left to see.  Life is a risk, and for me at my age, seeing the world is worth the risk of catching a virus that I would most likely recover from.

 

👍 Same here! We don't concern ourselves with 'catching' the virus... it's just the effects that it is having on life as we know/knew it and people as a whole that are upsetting to us.  

[Wendy The Wanderer]

3 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

We don't concern ourselves with 'catching' the virus

 

And why is the word "catching" in quotes?  Do you not believe that the virus is real?  Or just that you believe you're healthy enough to beat it if you do catch it?  So why those quotes?

Edited August 5, 2020 by Wendy The Wanderer

[Kwaj girl]

1 minute ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

And why is the word "catching" in quotes?  Do you not believe that the virus is real?  Or just that yu believe you're healthy enough to beat it if you do catch it?  So why those quotes?

 

Sure, it's real - and you have it correct that we feel we're healthy enough to beat it most likely due to our lifestyle and keeping our immune system challenged.  No need to be testy.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

2 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

Sure, it's real - and you have it correct that we feel we're healthy enough to beat it most likely due to our lifestyle and keeping our immune system challenged.  No need to be testy.

 

Not being testy, just wondering why the quotes.

[Travelcat2]

6 hours ago, Pcardad said:

Possibly because there is no officer assigned to patrol the pool. You probably caught bridge staff on way to lunch and they don't get involved in the running of the hotel except when the staff captain wants someone off the ship. If it happens again let the bar staff know that you would like to speak to the head bartender. He or she will make sure it gets to the right ears.

 

I admit to being intrigued now. There are not that many women in uniform who are high enough rank to stroll the pool deck....i wonder who it was. 

 

I know that the F&B Director walks the pool deck to check on things.  Daniella did that often.  Since Daniella is now working for Corporate, believe that her replacement is a female but not sure what her name is.

 

Kwaj girl - agree with your 100%.  

[Pcardad]

1 minute ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

I know that the F&B Director walks the pool deck to check on things.  Daniella did that often.  Since Daniella is now working for Corporate, believe that her replacement is a female but not sure what her name is.

 

Kwaj girl - agree with your 100%.  

 

True - but the F&B would have fixed it. Rico would have been on his radio in 2 seconds. At either 3 or 3.5 stripes, they are not going to put up with any crap. I am guessing someone from the Pursar's office enroute to lunch...or Medical/Engineering.

[Travelcat2]

Just now, Pcardad said:

 

True - but the F&B would have fixed it. Rico would have been on his radio in 2 seconds. At either 3 or 3.5 stripes, they are not going to put up with any crap. I am guessing someone from the Pursar's office enroute to lunch...or Medical/Engineering.

 

You are likely correct - I did not think of that.  I tend to recommend going to the G.M. He/she can direct the property department to take care of the situation.

[Pcardad]

Isn't that like to the Chairman of the JCS because a PFC was driving a supply truck too fast on base?  😃