Maybe good news for the future of cruising?

[cruiseypop]

I'm so hoping cruising starts up again soon.  I'm really hoping Covid-19 mitigation efforts will allow cruising start up up again sooner rather than later for U.S. ports.  

It's a lot of mitigation, but I will take it!

 

Just today, I read several new reports on starting back up.  Sorry if it is old news for you, it was too exciting for me not to post. From these articles and a radio story, I gathered:

 

• Crew will be quarantined for 14 days before starting their contract
• Crew will be tested at the beginning and middle of each cruise
• Crew will be required to wear face masks on board and practice social distancing
• Temperature checks regularly during the cruise

 

• Passengers will be required to take a test at home prior to arriving at port.
• Passengers will have assigned staggered loading times to have social distancing
• Passengers will take a Covid 19 rapid swab test right before boarding
• Passengers will be required to wear fase masks on board and practice social distancing
• Temperature checks regularly during the cruise

 

For more background here are some links for your flavor of news:

 

Team Blue (Fox News article)

 

Team Red (CNN News article)

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by cruiseypop

[memoak]

Don’t sound good to me. Vaccine here we come

[Lucky TGO]

2 hours ago, cruiseypop said:

I'm so hoping cruising starts up again soon.  I'm really hoping Covid-19 mitigation efforts will allow cruising start up up again sooner rather than later for U.S. ports.  

It's a lot of mitigation, but I will take it!

 

Just today, I read several new reports on starting back up.  Sorry if it is old news for you, it was too exciting for me not to post. From these articles and a radio story, I gathered:

 

• Crew will be quarantined for 14 days before starting their contract
• Crew will be tested at the beginning and middle of each cruise
• Crew will be required to wear face masks on board and practice social distancing
• Temperature checks regularly during the cruise

 

• Passengers will be required to take a test at home prior to arriving at port.
• Passengers will have assigned staggered loading times to have social distancing
• Passengers will take a Covid 19 rapid swab test right before boarding
• Passengers will be required to wear fase masks on board and practice social distancing
• Temperature checks regularly during the cruise

 

For more background here are some links for your flavor of news:

 

Team Blue (Fox News article)

 

Team Red (CNN News article)

 

Hi to all my Cruise Critic friends,

All these Precautions sound great but for me until there’s a vaccine going on a cruise is still Not Safe for me sorry.

I also would hate wearing a face-mask all the time. 
Tony 

 

 

[Ombud]

I'm thinking there are / were a few hurdles to cover:

1. Pause ✔ 

2. Reimburse ✔ 

3. Lighten fleets / payroll ✔ 

4. Trial restarts ✔ 

5. Limited restart 

6. New pathways forward until a vaccine or it disappears like Sars-cov-2

 

Its up to each of us to determine if we find those new pathways acceptable. FWIW I do. See some of you onboard 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Ombud

[bubbapuck]

That part that confuses me is taking a test 5 days up to 24 hours before you leave your home. 
 

I wouldn’t know where to get the test and be sure i got the  results back in time before I left. I know my local rite aid store has a COVID test but would they get the results to me in time?  A lot riding on where to get the test and when I get it back. 

[Ombud]

do you have a CVS or county health near you? 24-48° tests are plentiful in the Bay Area. Depending on where you are in SoCal you might need to go to San Diego, Riverside, or LA

Edited September 23, 2020 by Ombud

[bubbapuck]

8 minutes ago, Ombud said:

do you have a CVS or county health near you? 24-48° tests are plentiful in the Bay Area. Depending on where you are in SoCal you might need to go to San Diego, Riverside, or LA

i live in fontana and have tested before. It took a week to get the results. This was about 3 months ago. I have a Rite Aid within walking distance of my house that has tests. Maybe the test results are that fast now. I just have a nightmare that I have my whole vacation planned and rite aid doesn’t get me the results in time. You saw how crazy I was with the possible sale of the Sun. Imagine being that close to a cruise and Rite Aid loses the test? Argh. I don’t want to think about it. 

[Ombud]

(April 2021 cruise).  Supposed to be 24° turnaround now according to Gov Newsom. So that means 48°

Edited September 23, 2020 by Ombud

[wallyj]

The testing protocols are only recommendations at this point for cruising, nothing is definite yet. I am watching closely the pre travel test protocols for the reopening of travel to Hawaii to avoid 14 day quarantine scheduled to be implemented October 15 after being delayed from August 1, September 1, and October 1. Hawaii announced they secured 'contracts ' with CVS and Kaiser and looking at adding additional vendors to do testing. Assume the cruiselines will have similiar and additional testing may become available. Costs of testing is the responsibility of the passenger and your insurance may or may not cover. The current estimated cost of the required 'molecular ' test (not antibody or antigen) is $140. Hawaii is hoping more affordable and quicker testing becomes available. Hawaii requires testing to be done no earlier than 72 hours before travel , so 3 days.

 

I heard MSC offers a very reasonable insurance product to cover any Covid related issues, and currently is bearing the cost of testing at embarkation. Current signs are in the US, the passenger will be responsible for getting the test up to five days before sailing and assume would be charged at the port if testing done at the port of embarkation.

 

Protocols will be in place if the tests results are not available. Hopefully measures to not have you miss your cruise if you are negative. Seems like if MSC can do additional more accurate testing at port after rapid test at port, if that returns positive result, something similar can be implemented for those who have not received thier test results. This number of people who do not have results should not be a large number. Passengers have to be willing to plan and follow protocols.

I can see cruiselines turning away passengers who do NOT attempt pretest if required , and hope to test at port. Systems will have to be implemented to verify test results are not fake/doctored.

 

So far, the successful cruising in Europe is encouraging. Expect bumps in the road when cruising restarts in the US.

[MaineCruiser243]

All well and good if you are departing from the US, but what if your point of departure is for example Europe? Next year we are planning to spend a few weeks in Britain then departing on a TA back to Ft. Lauderdale. So we would have to find a location in the London area that does the tests as we will be there more than 5 days. I am hoping that by the time our cruise happens these restrictions will be lifted otherwise this could be a big hassle.

[skynight]

Doesn't sound like the kind of vacation we would enjoy. But, if some are willing to cruise within these guidelines that would provide cruise lines with some revenue for a year or so. 

[voljeep]

we would not FLY to take a cruise at this time ... and a fly cruise for us needs to be a couple of days pre-cruise - then about a 10 day cruise would be fine - or better a cruisetour in Alaska - sometime in 2022 or after - there were our pre-Covid-19 plans as well.

 

However, a drive to cruise, a little 5-6 day getaway in the Caribbean - sure, why not - as long as there is something in place to not have to quarantine for 14 days in the event of an outbreak ... 

 

stay safe

stay hydrated

[muffydawg]

These published aspirational goals will no doubt be comforting to some potential passengers. I'm curious how they plan to deal with the legal liability of requiring US passengers, as a condition of passage / boarding at US ports, to contract away their right to informed consent. 

 

 

[gardenbunny]

I have determined that my word of the year 2020 is IF!  I seem to start every sentence with it no matter the subject. 😂

I have always been a bottom line kind of person...tell me what I need to deal with and I’ll take it from there!

A friend told me she was at an event recently that guests were given wrist bands - red, green, yellow. They all naturally wore masks.

Red - I am scared of getting the virus so do not approach me.

Yellow - I am sort of OK with talking one on one at a safe distance

Green - I am fine and want to get on with my life so you can talk to me!

As I see it, those are basically our 3 choices until vaccinations are common place.

On the positive side, if they determine the elderly should get vaccinated in the first wave along with medical workers, we could all start cruising sooner!! 😊

[rocklinmom]

After a lifetime of cruising, these protocols, while necessary, don't sound like my beloved Princess cruise experience. I will wait until things get back to as close as possible to my cruise memories. For those willing to cruise under these protocols, please post here on CC. I assume that won't be until sometime next year. 

[Steelers36]

14 hours ago, cruiseypop said:

I'm so hoping cruising starts up again soon.  I'm really hoping Covid-19 mitigation efforts will allow cruising start up up again sooner rather than later for U.S. ports.  

It's a lot of mitigation, but I will take it!

 

Just today, I read several new reports on starting back up.  Sorry if it is old news for you, it was too exciting for me not to post. From these articles and a radio story, I gathered:

 

• Crew will be quarantined for 14 days before starting their contract
• Crew will be tested at the beginning and middle of each cruise
• Crew will be required to wear face masks on board and practice social distancing
• Temperature checks regularly during the cruise

 

• Passengers will be required to take a test at home prior to arriving at port.
• Passengers will have assigned staggered loading times to have social distancing
• Passengers will take a Covid 19 rapid swab test right before boarding
• Passengers will be required to wear fase masks on board and practice social distancing
• Temperature checks regularly during the cruise

 

For more background here are some links for your flavor of news:

 

Team Blue (Fox News article)

 

Team Red (CNN News article)

 

 

I gather you are not very political as you have your colors swapped.  😉

 

I think the main problem with a test in advance of sail date is getting the test done and a result back in time.  We can get free testing in Ontario, but current wait times for an appointment are backed up in many areas with school recently opened.  Then it can take several days to receive a result.  Drive-thru's either want an appointment or you can wait in line for 3-4 hours.  Unless things change before winter season, there is no way to be sure to have a test done and results back within 3 days of sailing. 

 

Princess has had unofficial staggered times for years now, but I would not want to be arbitrarily assigned something later in the day.  We are Elite and arrive early to be among first to board - especially for Caribbean sector as we want to be able to book Sanctuary and that won't happen with an afternoon boarding time.

 

Not listed is what Princess is going to do about going ashore - and that is critical.

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Steelers36

[stevenr597]

Until there is a safe and effective vaccine, I cannot see the cruise lines starting up again.  To make matters worse, it does appear the the FDA for a variety of reasons, many of them political, is trying to delay the approval of a vaccine.

When will be get back to cruising,  if we are lucky the late Spring or early Summer. 

[TM]

And who is supposed to pay for all these Covid tests in advance of departing from home for a cruise?  Some will say that if you can afford to cruise you can afford the test.  Others will say medical insurance will pay for it.  But who pays for the dedical insurance and this "abuse" of insurance will do nothing but cause medical insurance rates to rise.  Cruising with the restrictions proposed, particularly wearing a mask, is not the way  I want to spend a vacation so even though we have 25+ cruises under our belt we will be foregoing this type of vacation until the restrictions are eliminated.

[voljeep]

rapid result testing is available ... or a major entertainment sector is spending a lot of money blowing smoke up the 'talent' and crew by testing on a Tuesday for work the next day

 

j/s

[EatonDoolittle]

10 hours ago, bubbapuck said:

That part that confuses me is taking a test 5 days up to 24 hours before you leave your home. 
 

I wouldn’t know where to get the test and be sure i got the  results back in time before I left. I know my local rite aid store has a COVID test but would they get the results to me in time?  A lot riding on where to get the test and when I get it back. 

 

I got this email last Thursday from my TA's parent company.  I even said to a friend, "Hmmm, they must know something is coming". 

Sure enough,  the now well publicized  "healthy sail" recommendations have the same 5 days to 24 hours wording about tests.  

I have replaced the agency name with (deleted), and removed any links for more info so as not to break the TA mention rules here. 

 

Agree, a lot would be banking on Fed EX and the lab to do their part correctly and timely. 

 

(Deleted) Your Expert in Post-COVID Travel As part of our ongoing commitment to the health and safety of our travelers, (deleted)  is now offering a suite of options for expedited COVID-19 testing.  Accessible COVID-19 testing is an integral part of the world's pandemic recovery. To ensure safety, many local governments are requiring travelers to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result. Effective immediately, you have access to an array of convenient COVID-19 PCR testing options and expedited results.

At-Home RT-PCR Saliva COVID-19 Test Kits Shipped throughout the United States In the comfort of your home, you can take a simple saliva test and receive reliable COVID-19 test results within 24-36 hours. Through (deleted), you can request a test to be shipped via FedEx 2-day delivery. Simply follow the included instructions to take the saliva sample and drop the completed test kit at a FedEx dropbox. Results from the FDA EUA approved test are available within 36 hours. PCR Nasal Swab Testing with 24- to 48-Hour Turnaround in New York & Los Angeles Individuals located in Los Angeles and New York have the following testing options available to them through (deleted): At-home testing performed by medical professionals Testing at health centers located in Manhattan & Beverly Hills Onsite testing for groups of 10 or more

 

 

 

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, EatonDoolittle said:

At-Home RT-PCR Saliva COVID-19 Test Kits Shipped throughout the United States

In the comfort of your home, you can take a simple saliva test and receive reliable COVID-19 test results within 24-36 hours. Through (deleted), you can request a test to be shipped via FedEx 2-day delivery. Simply follow the included instructions to take the saliva sample and drop the completed test kit at a FedEx dropbox. Results from the FDA EUA approved test are available within 36 hours.

 

Sooooo... Even though I'm feeling unwell I can have my wife, neighbor, daughter, random stranger, etc. spit into a test kit and get certified as virus free?

[dreaminofcruisin]

8 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Sooooo... Even though I'm feeling unwell I can have my wife, neighbor, daughter, random stranger, etc. spit into a test kit and get certified as virus free?

 

Yikes...excellent point...

[Ombud]

2 hours ago, TM said:

And who is supposed to pay for all these Covid tests in advance of departing from home for a cruise?  Some will say that if you can afford to cruise you can afford the test.  

I am. Just like I am responsible for paying for my own eVisa to go to Australia / NZ / China / soon Europe.  If I cannot afford the $140 test (per @TM) then I cannot afford the 5k trip either. 

 

2 hours ago, muffydawg said:

I'm curious how they plan to deal with the legal liability of requiring US passengers, as a condition of passage / boarding at US ports, to contract away their right to informed consent. 

Prospective employers require a negative test of various things, why would it be a cruising issue to present a negative Covid test?? 

 

I know some people are resistant to change but it's already here

Edited September 23, 2020 by Ombud

[cruiseypop]

3 hours ago, EatonDoolittle said:

 

I got this email last Thursday from my TA's parent company.  I even said to a friend, "Hmmm, they must know something is coming". 

Sure enough,  the now well publicized  "healthy sail" recommendations have the same 5 days to 24 hours wording about tests.  

I have replaced the agency name with (deleted), and removed any links for more info so as not to break the TA mention rules here. 

 

Agree, a lot would be banking on Fed EX and the lab to do their part correctly and timely. 

 

(Deleted) Your Expert in Post-COVID Travel As part of our ongoing commitment to the health and safety of our travelers, (deleted)  is now offering a suite of options for expedited COVID-19 testing.  Accessible COVID-19 testing is an integral part of the world's pandemic recovery. To ensure safety, many local governments are requiring travelers to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result. Effective immediately, you have access to an array of convenient COVID-19 PCR testing options and expedited results.

At-Home RT-PCR Saliva COVID-19 Test Kits Shipped throughout the United States In the comfort of your home, you can take a simple saliva test and receive reliable COVID-19 test results within 24-36 hours. Through (deleted), you can request a test to be shipped via FedEx 2-day delivery. Simply follow the included instructions to take the saliva sample and drop the completed test kit at a FedEx dropbox. Results from the FDA EUA approved test are available within 36 hours. PCR Nasal Swab Testing with 24- to 48-Hour Turnaround in New York & Los Angeles Individuals located in Los Angeles and New York have the following testing options available to them through (deleted): At-home testing performed by medical professionals Testing at health centers located in Manhattan & Beverly Hills Onsite testing for groups of 10 or more

 

 

 

 

I think they could come up with a variety of ways to make this work...

 

For example, the rapid covid test would be done in port at time of check-in, so they would see you, just before you enter the ship.

 

The pre-travel test could be done at a rite-aid or similar testing facility, and you would come to the port with your test results printed with your name, etc. 

 

Granted there are tons of issues/problems/one-offs with this approach as well.  But, this is what is so good about Cruise Critic forum, it is loaded with people who can think up all the issues/problems with things, so whomever is reading here can take the issues in account when coming up with the real plan 🙂

 

 

[memoak]

There is still the issue of false negatives and positives. It will only take one false negative and the virus could be on board