How will CDC CSO affect Mardi Gras?

[TomCruise48]

The Mardi Gras inaugural cruise is scheduled for February 6, 2021 from Port Canaveral.   The CDC Conditional Sail Order requires a simulated cruise as a prerequisite for obtaining a Conditional Sailing Certificate.  Assuming that it is not possible to accelerate the schedule, it would appear to me that at least the first sailing, and likely some subsequent sailings are in jeopardy.  I did not see anything in the CDC order that says that the simulated sailing must originate from a US port, but I doubt that the CDC would approve one that did not.  

[RWolver672]

This is what Cruise Critic's article said about start ups:

 

Much like Royal Caribbean chairman and CEO Richard Fain had suggested, the CDC will first want operators to conduct simulated (mock) voyages with volunteers playing the role of passengers to test the line's ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk.

 

Once operations are approved, passengers and crew will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing at both embarkation and disembarkation.

 

I would guess after reading that article that after the first simulated voyages take place and are approved, all future sailings will begin.   If they are done in December or January, the February cruises should be good to go.  Now it just depends on when the simulated ones will start.

[JT1962]

Prior to the latest CDC update, most of the cruise lines indicated they will use a phased approach to resume sailing again by starting with a few ships and adding more if all goes well. I believe it will take 4-6 months to get back to a full schedule once cruises resume, so there will still be many cancellations over the next 6 months. Carnival may want Mardi Gras to sail as soon as possible or hold off until they know there are no issues. An outbreak on their newest ship would definitely make news and not be a good look.

[TomCruise48]

3 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

I would guess after reading that article that after the first simulated voyages take place and are approved, all future sailings will begin.   If they are done in December or January, the February cruises should be good to go.  Now it just depends on when the simulated ones will start.

The point that I was trying to make about the Mardi Gras is that it is in a shipyard in Finland receiving its final touches.  The current schedule is that it will arrive in the US in early February.  If the simulated test must be from a US port, I do not see how an inaugural cruise on February 6, 2021 is possible. 

[toocruisin2]

Hi all, we have a party of four booked for May 8th and I'm not feeling too optimistic at this point. Fortunately we will be able to drive to the port from SC, so I don't need airline tickets or hotel reservations. Keeping our fingers crossed! Paul

[lobster1313]

1 hour ago, TomCruise48 said:

The point that I was trying to make about the Mardi Gras is that it is in a shipyard in Finland receiving its final touches.  The current schedule is that it will arrive in the US in early February.  If the simulated test must be from a US port, I do not see how an inaugural cruise on February 6, 2021 is possible. 

Sometimes with new ships they do a pre inaugural cruise for vip's so they could replace that with the mock cruise.

[RWolver672]

1 hour ago, TomCruise48 said:

The point that I was trying to make about the Mardi Gras is that it is in a shipyard in Finland receiving its final touches.  The current schedule is that it will arrive in the US in early February.  If the simulated test must be from a US port, I do not see how an inaugural cruise on February 6, 2021 is possible. 

 

I don't believe each ship has to go through the simulated tests.  It's just a few to see if all of their safe guards put into effect are going to work.  Once they know that, then they'll start adding more ships.  The article never said each ship has to go through that.  If they start the simulated cruises in December or January, February should be good to go.

 

[shof515]

1 hour ago, TomCruise48 said:

The point that I was trying to make about the Mardi Gras is that it is in a shipyard in Finland receiving its final touches.  The current schedule is that it will arrive in the US in early February.  If the simulated test must be from a US port, I do not see how an inaugural cruise on February 6, 2021 is possible. 

I think the Mardi Gras is already finished and is simply staying at the shipyard as a like a layup port. I think in late January the Mardi Gras will move to the states

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, TomCruise48 said:

The point that I was trying to make about the Mardi Gras is that it is in a shipyard in Finland receiving its final touches.  The current schedule is that it will arrive in the US in early February.  If the simulated test must be from a US port, I do not see how an inaugural cruise on February 6, 2021 is possible. 

There is a list of things to do before the simulated test. About 3 months worth. Someone said they would have to start yesterday to make it by feb 1st. Crew isolated 2 weeks on land and then 2 weeks on the ship, and then they have to take it out and it has to get inspected. Lots of hoops I hope carnival has started. I haven't seen much from to indicate progress. Plus the one month from the miami judge problem. Every ship has to be inspected for that order and the cdc. 

[TomCruise48]

25 minutes ago, RWolver672 said:

 

I don't believe each ship has to go through the simulated tests.  It's just a few to see if all of their safe guards put into effect are going to work.  Once they know that, then they'll start adding more ships.  The article never said each ship has to go through that.  If they start the simulated cruises in December or January, February should be good to go.

 

The CDC order is somewhat nebulous in regards to whether each ship must conduct a simulated test, or if a representative sample will suffice.  They may have done this on purpose to allow some reasonable leeway.  The only clue that I could find is the following statement "As a condition of applying for a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate, a cruise ship operator must have successfully conducted a simulated voyage or series of simulated voyages demonstrating the cruise ship operator's ability to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 onboard its cruise ship."  The fact that the word ship is singular could be interpreted that each ship must conduct a simulated voyage.

 

It is also likely that the CDC will accept a simulation for one vessel in each class to allow all vessels in that class to be certified.  The simulation for a vessel with a capacity of 2000 passengers would be different from a 6000 passenger vessel.  Since the Mardi Gras is the first vessel of its class, and has the highest capacity of all Carnival ships, the CDC may require a simulation specifically for this ship.

[RWolver672]

1 hour ago, TomCruise48 said:

 a cruise ship operator Carnival Cruise Line must have successfully conducted a I take that to mean one simulated voyage or series of simulated voyages demonstrating the cruise ship operator's Again, Carnival Cruise Line  ability to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 onboard its cruise ship."  The fact that the word ship is singular could be interpreted that each ship must conduct a simulated voyage.  Or it could mean the whole fleet.  (It says "Cruise ship operator which would mean the whole fleet)

 

 

 

If they can successfully do one or two trial cruises with one or two ships, the same results should be seen on all of their ships no matter what the size or class.  It's the protocols that they are looking for and they will be the same on all ships.

 

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

 

If they can successfully do one or two trial cruises with one or two ships, the same results should be seen on all of their ships no matter what the size or class.  It's the protocols that they are looking for and they will be the same on all ships.

 

This would be like saying that if the CDC inspects one or two ships for the VSP, then all the ships would pass the sanitation inspection.  Training and leadership varies on each ship, so I strongly suspect that each ship needs to make a simulated cruise.  As for whether the Mardi Gras could do a simulated cruise from Europe would depend on the EU's CDC, and whether the CDC wants to send an inspector overseas.  Though the use of third party auditors is also allowed.

Edited November 1, 2020 by chengkp75

[chengkp75]

The use of third party auditors is also allowed, in lieu of CDC inspectors.

[jimbo5544]

15 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

The use of third party auditors is also allowed, in lieu of CDC inspectors.

Interesting, have any thoughts on whom they could be?

[chengkp75]

34 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Interesting, have any thoughts on whom they could be?

The most likely candidates are the classification societies, which are also accredited by various certification bodies to be third party auditors.  This would be ABS, DNV, Lloyds Register, Bureau Veritas, as these would be the most familiar with ship's operations, but they would have to become knowledgeable with the CDC standards.  There are many auditor firms around the world.  Basically, they certify that the company is adhering to the published standards that they are tasked to check on.

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

The most likely candidates are the classification societies, which are also accredited by various certification bodies to be third party auditors.  This would be ABS, DNV, Lloyds Register, Bureau Veritas, as these would be the most familiar with ship's operations, but they would have to become knowledgeable with the CDC standards.  There are many auditor firms around the world.  Basically, they certify that the company is adhering to the published standards that they are tasked to check on.

Thanks

[firefly333]

On 11/1/2020 at 9:31 AM, RWolver672 said:

 

I don't believe each ship has to go through the simulated tests.  It's just a few to see if all of their safe guards put into effect are going to work.  Once they know that, then they'll start adding more ships.  The article never said each ship has to go through that.  If they start the simulated cruises in December or January, February should be good to go.

 

A blogger says each ship will be treated independently and each has to be inspected and if a case breaks out on one, it only affects that one ship. 

 

I think the cdc does say each ship has to pass inspection.