Who Is Going to Volunteer for a Simulated Cruise?

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Been trying to get to Houston to join my ship since Monday. Finally left Maine yesterday, and got as far as KC, with my bag going to Houston via Miami. Hoping to get there today, then a 2 hour drive, will see how Texans drive in snow. Sounds like a real mess there, that could have been avoided.

Be careful, as well as you may know how to drive in snow, there are going to be a lot of inexperienced drivers.

 

Not great here, though really hoping for better tomorrow when we are scheduled for our second Moderna shot. DW has been in school once this week. Monday was a holiday of course. Tuesday ended up a beautiful day, but it was preceded by an ice storm which came later than predicted. If it was as early as predicted, there would have been no problem for schools to open. Yesterday, there was school. Today, school was called off and she just had to send in assignments with no snow days left, and it will somehow count as a school day. Again hoping against hope that tomorrow is good.

[Roberto256]

5 hours ago, Roberto256 said:

This is meant only as a joke...

 

But, I think freezing texas is revenge for the 80's bumper sticker:

 

"Drive 80, Freeze a Yankee!"

 

That was my second favorite bumper sticker of the time.

 

The first place can't be quoted here, but it started with

Ayatollah, ...

 

I regret making this joke earlier today.

 

The last news I heard yesterday was the governor blaming the wind turbines.

 

The news today was much more serious, with more than a few deaths.

Not a joking situation.

 

- Bob

 

[Roberto256]

53 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

You may be right! I have participated in crisis responsiveness re-enactments to test emergency policies and procedures. That may be what they will be required to do for these test cruises. Everyone would be assigned some sort of "role" to play during the "crisis."

 

I still remember a fire drill when I was in collect.

 

As a role, a girl was standing, blocking an exit, screaming "I'm a fire! I'm a fire!",

so as part of the drill, the evacuating folks would have to find an alternate.

 

[HBCcruiser]

1 minute ago, Roberto256 said:

 

I still remember a fire drill when I was in collect.

 

As a role, a girl was standing, blocking an exit, screaming "I'm a fire! I'm a fire!",

so as part of the drill, the evacuating folks would have to find an alternate.

 

Ok THAT is funny! 🤣   Will someone be dressed up in a C19 costume tagging people on the ship? Sorry, If I offend - I am feeling a little punchy today. 

[voljeep]

1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

You may be right! I have participated in crisis responsiveness re-enactments to test emergency policies and procedures. That may be what they will be required to do for these test cruises. Everyone would be assigned some sort of "role" to play during the "crisis." 🤔.  I am ok with that!

I'm NOT ok with that at all - let Princess ( and other cruise lines ) do that with their employees in the role play ... I'm not going on a test cruise to be 'sequestered' in my cabin for a couple of days to test their protocols about sending me food and being able to walk out in 'the yard' for one hour a day

 

NOPE, not happening like that

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Be careful, as well as you may know how to drive in snow, there are going to be a lot of inexperienced drivers.

 

Not great here, though really hoping for better tomorrow when we are scheduled for our second Moderna shot. DW has been in school once this week. Monday was a holiday of course. Tuesday ended up a beautiful day, but it was preceded by an ice storm which came later than predicted. If it was as early as predicted, there would have been no problem for schools to open. Yesterday, there was school. Today, school was called off and she just had to send in assignments with no snow days left, and it will somehow count as a school day. Again hoping against hope that tomorrow is good.

Well, no second shot tomorrow. We got a call earlier today postponing our second shots until 3/1. So, it will be 5 weeks + (and longer if the weather screws it up again) instead of 4 weeks to receive our second Moderna vaccines.

[Bgwest]

37 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Well, no second shot tomorrow. We got a call earlier today postponing our second shots until 3/1. So, it will be 5 weeks + (and longer if the weather screws it up again) instead of 4 weeks to receive our second Moderna vaccines.

If I’m remembering correctly, when I got my first Moderna, they said the actual window for the second one was up to 42 days after the first. 
If my memory is accurate, sounds like you are still good even with the delay. 

[ontheweb]

39 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

If I’m remembering correctly, when I got my first Moderna, they said the actual window for the second one was up to 42 days after the first. 
If my memory is accurate, sounds like you are still good even with the delay. 

We would be going from 28 days to 38 days, and that is if the weather cooperates. March 1st is still the winter, and this winter has been brutal.

[Bgwest]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

We would be going from 28 days to 38 days, and that is if the weather cooperates. March 1st is still the winter, and this winter has been brutal.

Sounds like you are golden! Provided no further delays. 
4 days to spare. 😃

[caribill]

15 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Been trying to get to Houston to join my ship since Monday. Finally left Maine yesterday, and got as far as KC, with my bag going to Houston via Miami. Hoping to get there today, then a 2 hour drive, will see how Texans drive in snow. Sounds like a real mess there, that could have been avoided.

 

In the Houston area, the answer is they can't.

 

However, all snow in the Houston area was gone from roads by Thursday morning.

 

Below is a picture of the show we had this week near Houston.

[ontheweb]

12 hours ago, Bgwest said:

Sounds like you are golden! Provided no further delays. 
4 days to spare. 😃

Yes, as long as there are no further delays. However, it seems that the weather is unrelenting this winter. In fact as I look out the window as I type this, I see it is snowing.

[Grego]

19 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

You may be right! I have participated in crisis responsiveness re-enactments to test emergency policies and procedures. That may be what they will be required to do for these test cruises. Everyone would be assigned some sort of "role" to play during the "crisis." 🤔.  I am ok with that!

That's exactly what will be in the protocol playbook.  They will be looking for a diverse demographic to do diverse activities and roleplaying.  They can do almost any scenario with respect to the cruise experience except the land portion of a ship's excursion where the passengers are controlled unless they do a mock tour of the ship as rehearsal for that activity.  All the rest including mock positive cases with quarantines, meals, ship tenders, shows, virtual muster drills, shopping, public area distancing, etc. can be done during this trial exercise.

We hope to be chosen since we are a short drive away and have given our notice that we are available.  If not, then we still will be there on the 15th of May if all systems are go.

[busterfla]

If we could get the vaccine shots here in South Florida, I'd pack my masks and make the 55 minute drive to Port Everglades. Anything from 2 - 7 days would be fine, just open the casino like normal. 🙂

Edited February 19, 2021 by busterfla

[geocruiser]

If during a simulated cruise, if someone really gets covid, does the cruise line have a shore side hospital ready to take the person?  Will the local port allow the ship to dock?  Does anyone know the answer to this?

[chengkp75]

11 minutes ago, geocruiser said:

If during a simulated cruise, if someone really gets covid, does the cruise line have a shore side hospital ready to take the person?  Will the local port allow the ship to dock?  Does anyone know the answer to this?

This is the next phase of requirements that the CDC is going to address, before allowing test cruises.  They have not issued the technical instructions yet, so no line has obtained the necessary agreements with ports and local health care/transportation/accommodation systems.  Things are still a long way from simulated cruises.

[Bgwest]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

This is the next phase of requirements that the CDC is going to address, before allowing test cruises.  They have not issued the technical instructions yet, so no line has obtained the necessary agreements with ports and local health care/transportation/accommodation systems.  Things are still a long way from simulated cruises.

Did you get where you were going in TX, Chief?

And did you and your luggage get reunited?

[chengkp75]

48 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

Did you get where you were going in TX, Chief?

And did you and your luggage get reunited?

Yep, I got to Orange, but still waiting on FEDEX to deliver the bag.

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Yep, I got to Orange, but still waiting on FEDEX to deliver the bag.

And if FedEx had done a better job delivering vaccines, we would have had our second shots earlier today.

 

I hope your bags get to you quicker than the poor HAL passenger bags left in Freemantle.

[GonzoWCS]

Sign  us up!

[trbarton]

On 2/14/2021 at 2:43 PM, Bgwest said:

chengkp75 reminds us, correctly I think, "I don't see that any cruise line will be scheduling simulated cruises for a couple of months at the earliest."

 

When this does happen and Princess sends out an email looking for volunteers, who is going to apply? We certainly will. 

Do you have the link for the “Test Cruise Sign Ups?”

 

Tom🤔

[Bgwest]

9 hours ago, trbarton said:

Do you have the link for the “Test Cruise Sign Ups?”

 

Tom🤔

Not been released by Princess yet for their sailings.  
Still waiting. 
 

I think it was RCCL that released theirs some time back. 

[azbirdmom]

9 hours ago, trbarton said:

Do you have the link for the “Test Cruise Sign Ups?”

 

Tom🤔

 

On one of the FB forums, a poster summarized highlights of a call that (mostly) TAs had with the Princess Marketing Director on January 7th.  Included was this question:  "When will the test voyages start and how do I sign up to be on one of those voyages?".  And the poster reported these comments in response (not sure how much has changed as this was over a month ago):

 

"They actually talked about this during the main presentation too as it's currently under discussion. They will likely roll out a registration process that will include preference of port. They don't know how many will be allowed on the ship - lots still under discussion and being worked on with the CDC. At this time they are expected to run 1 to 1.5 months before the ships return to sailing (so likely in April and early May). More to come - and they expect lots of volunteers!"

[janice2348]

On 2/15/2021 at 3:01 PM, ECCruise said:

I really feel as though some just see this as a "I'm vaccinated, so let's go on a free cruise."

A number of the suggestions I have seen expounded would include a simulated (or real) breakout on a ship.  All pax would be confined to cabins for a specified period. Services other than food would cease. There potentially would be some that would need to be evacuated mid-cruise, testing the ability to evacuate sick pax.

 

During the first phase, cruise lines must demonstrate adherence to testing, quarantine, isolation and social distancing. Subsequent phases will include mock cruises where volunteers play the role of passengers to "test cruise ship operators' ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk". That way problems can be identified and fixed before sailing resumes.

 

No thanks.

Not a pleasure cruise folks.  I’ll wait thank you.  

[ECCruise]

On 2/19/2021 at 3:54 PM, geocruiser said:

If during a simulated cruise, if someone really gets covid, does the cruise line have a shore side hospital ready to take the person?  Will the local port allow the ship to dock?  Does anyone know the answer to this?

They will need to have that arranged in advance.

 

Also, since they are going to be simulations, I have seen opinions that even if there is NOT an outbreak, one will be simulated.   Meaning quarantined in rooms.  All shipboard activities except food deliveries ceased.  Someone suggested that some selected pax may be quickly disembarked to simulate an evacuation.  

Man, I don't want to go on a cruise that much.  Have plenty booked.  I'll wait. 

[geocruiser]

18 hours ago, ECCruise said:

They will need to have that arranged in advance.

 

Also, since they are going to be simulations, I have seen opinions that even if there is NOT an outbreak, one will be simulated.   Meaning quarantined in rooms.  All shipboard activities except food deliveries ceased.  Someone suggested that some selected pax may be quickly disembarked to simulate an evacuation.  

Man, I don't want to go on a cruise that much.  Have plenty booked.  I'll wait. 

Not my idea of fun.  I have also waited to book.  While I do miss being on a cruise ship, I can wait.