CDC Statement

[Ken at the beach]

This morning Cruise Week asked CDC spokesperson Jason McDonald to reply to the question, "Given that cruise lines are making headway in crew safety, what still needs to happen before simulated voyages can begin?"
McDonald replied: "On October 30, 2020, CDC issued a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order that remains in effect until November 1, 2021.
Returning to passenger cruising is a phased approach, and our current focus is on the protection of crew and working with cruise lines to implement the initial phase requirements of testing all crew and developing onboard laboratory capacity.
Future orders and technical instructions will address additional activities, to include simulated voyages, conditional sailing, and restricted voyages to help cruise lines prepare for and return to passenger operations in a manner that mitigates COVID-19 risk among passengers and crew members.
 
We anticipate the next phase of technical instructions (Technical Instructions for Port and Local Health Authorities Agreements) to be released in the next few weeks."

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

We anticipate the next phase of technical instructions (Technical Instructions for Port and Local Health Authorities Agreements) to be released in the next few weeks."

Admitting that the order until that is released has been a defacto No Sail Order.

[cublet]

Hello,

 

I can only presume that the tardy response by the CDC, in public at least, is down to someone having had an unfortunate experience on a cruise and so sees no reason to move with any urgency.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[molly361]

Maybe our December cruise will sail?😇 

[billf0401]

This leaves no reason for optimism with regard to any return to near normalcy....We fully expect that our cruises for 10/21 and 1/22 will either be cancelled or we will cancel ourselves due to the protocol.

[twangster]

I'm impressed they were able to get anything from the CDC.  Well done.  

[Eddie Wilson]

Starting to remind me of the movie National Treasure....you never get the final answer, just the next clue in the puzzle.

 

Eddie

[soloadventurer]

To summarise come back in 2022 

[PelicanBill]

I posted over in NCL some excerpts from the October order that explain the CDC's view of cruise risks, and shows some of the tremendous work ahead of cruise lines to meet the requirements. I think a lot of people think we are more ready to cruise than the CDC does.  Feel free to take a look:

 

 

[smokeybandit]

The CDC all but admitting that no matter what cruise lines did with the return to sailing framework, none would be allowed to start cruising any time soon.

[Vera/Lee]

9 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Returning to passenger cruising is a phased approach, and our current focus is on the protection of crew and working with cruise lines to implement the initial phase requirements of testing all crew and developing onboard laboratory capacity.

Did you see the pictures posted on another blog that showed Allure and Explorer in Port Canaveral recently? A large crane was loading something onto the ships (first Allure, then Explorer the next day). People were guessing what was being loaded on. My guess is it was something to set up the laboratory capacity needed to meet this requirement. 

 

[Biker19]

20 minutes ago, Vera/Lee said:

My guess is it was something to set up the laboratory capacity needed to meet this requirement. 

Any medical stuff would likely have been loaded via the side doors on deck 1 (near the medical facility).

[smokeybandit]

37 minutes ago, Vera/Lee said:

Did you see the pictures posted on another blog that showed Allure and Explorer in Port Canaveral recently? A large crane was loading something onto the ships (first Allure, then Explorer the next day). People were guessing what was being loaded on. My guess is it was something to set up the laboratory capacity needed to meet this requirement. 

 

Honestly, to me it looked like shower stalls.

[Vera/Lee]

19 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Any medical stuff would likely have been loaded via the side doors on deck 1 (near the medical facility).

That's a good point. 

[Vera/Lee]

25 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Honestly, to me it looked like shower stalls.

Hmm, maybe.... or something for social distancing?

[HaveWeMetYet]

11 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

This morning Cruise Week asked CDC spokesperson Jason McDonald to reply to the question, "Given that cruise lines are making headway in crew safety, what still needs to happen before simulated voyages can begin?"
McDonald replied: "On October 30, 2020, CDC issued a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order that remains in effect until November 1, 2021.
Returning to passenger cruising is a phased approach, and our current focus is on the protection of crew and working with cruise lines to implement the initial phase requirements of testing all crew and developing onboard laboratory capacity.
Future orders and technical instructions will address additional activities, to include simulated voyages, conditional sailing, and restricted voyages to help cruise lines prepare for and return to passenger operations in a manner that mitigates COVID-19 risk among passengers and crew members.
 
We anticipate the next phase of technical instructions (Technical Instructions for Port and Local Health Authorities Agreements) to be released in the next few weeks."

LOL "next phase" of instructions. How many phases are there I wonder.

That reply looks like it was read off a script.

Looks like cruising is going to be a miserable experience for a long time after it resumes.

[Ashland]

8 hours ago, cublet said:

Hello,

 

I can only presume that the tardy response by the CDC, in public at least, is down to someone having had an unfortunate experience on a cruise and so sees no reason to move with any urgency.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

The new CDC director has walked into a mess left by the last director....Why would you even think "someone" has this ulterior motive 

[voyager70]

Glad we're planning a couple more land vacations this year.  Actually really enjoying land trips as prior to 2020 we had stuck almost exclusively to cruising for 15 years.  Will make the next cruise, whenever that is, even more special.

 

[Wine-O]

10 minutes ago, Ashland said:

The new CDC director has walked into a mess left by the last director....Why would you even think "someone" has this ulterior motive 

Oh, please, don't start pointing fingers.  It's like Cuomo blaming his nursing home death squads on the past administration.

 

These guys are all political appointees, and the current director will take his marching orders from the current administration.  Ergo, cruising won't start for a long, long time.  They are making the cruise lines jump through hoops in order to cover their rear ends.  🍷

[bonsai3s]

Cruise lines are sailing and preparing to sail outside of CDC jurisdiction.

 

 

[Ronaldo807]

More reason to book one of those cruises out of Barbados...