Florida Looking to Push Back Against CDC

[AncientWanderer]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

My most serious concern tonight is the data that keep reading about the percentage of Americans who are or expect to refuse accepting the vaccine.  Are these people dooming me to having to wear a mask and being socially distance from others for the rest of whatever life span I have?  As a senior citizen, this is a major concern of mine.  

 

 

 

Just with reference to this part of your post, there are some experts now who believe that with those vaccinated, plus all the asymptomatic cases, plus those who know they've had covid, but recovered, we in the U.S. are at or near herd immunity anyway -- as evidenced by cases dropping in states like Texas that have opened up in a pretty loud way. 

So hopefully we won't have to rely on the kindness of strangers to get vaccinated and protect us.

This is my hope.  Where there's life, there's hope.  Although why anyone would want to deprive themselves of the vaccine, and the safety and comfort it provides, just totally escapes me.

I had Dose No. 2 today and am jubilant about it.

 

🌺  And please...don't ask me for sources, Anybody.  This stuff is out there in various news outlets.  If I start citing sources, y'all will have a quarrel with the quality of the sources.  I try to keep a peaceful life here in these trying times. 🌺 

 

 

[Sir PMP]

5 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

 

Hmmm? Looks like MSC is. Actually this would be pleasant with the reduced number of passengers.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTyG9Qt9BoQ

 

Looks like no ports and nowhere to go to and nobody on board except a few pax..

[Aquahound]

1 hour ago, tallyho8 said:

Miami and Fort Lauderdale need to follow the lead of the Conch Republic in the Florida Keys and secede from the Union as they did about 40 years ago. Maybe this would bring enough attention to the situation these areas are facing with cruising being shut down.

 

 

 

 

Only the Conch Republic can get away with seceding, declaring war by hitting a Navy commander with a loaf of Cuban bread and then immediately surrendering.  Those northerners could never pull it off. 

 

(I'm a conch, by the way 😉)

[nocl]

6 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

Only the Conch Republic can get away with seceding, declaring war by hitting a Navy commander with a loaf of Cuban bread and then immediately surrendering.  Those northerners could never pull it off. 

 

(I'm a conch, by the way 😉)

Sounds like something from a Monty Python skit

[idiebabe]

5 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Nothing is working in Europe..

There’s been over 400,000 who have Cruised in ten Major markets since  Cruises resumed.  Fewer than 50 reported Cases.  They have been successful mitigating the spread of Covid with the new Protocols they have in place.  
 

@iancal   We would also go on a Cruise tomorrow!  

[cruisemom42]

18 minutes ago, idiebabe said:

There’s been over 400,000 who have Cruised in ten Major markets since  Cruises resumed.  Fewer than 50 reported Cases.  

 

I don't see how they get to that 400k number. I totted up the numbers for Costa, MSC, TUI and the RCCL ship in Singapore (keeping in mind ALL are sailing about 50% full) and I only get to about 200k.  Of course I didn't count the staff and crew -- but then I wouldn't think it is kosher to count them on every cruise out...

 

Also you do not mention several cruises cut short, some canceled either as a result of suspected COVID (RCCL) or due to increased cases/watchfulness during the holiday period in Europe. 

 

Perhaps it is telling that Costa had 2 ships sailing pre-holidays but after a (lengthy) shut-down plans to restart with one. Same with MSC although they had a shorter holiday "pause".  Could it be that demand is not so high?

 

[idiebabe]

3 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I don't see how they get to that 400k number. I totted up the numbers for Costa, MSC, TUI and the RCCL ship in Singapore (keeping in mind ALL are sailing about 50% full) and I only get to about 200k.  Of course I didn't count the staff and crew -- but then I wouldn't think it is kosher to count them on every cruise out...

 

Also you do not mention several cruises cut short, some canceled either as a result of suspected COVID (RCCL) or due to increased cases/watchfulness during the holiday period in Europe. 

 

Perhaps it is telling that Costa had 2 ships sailing pre-holidays but after a (lengthy) shut-down plans to restart with one. Same with MSC although they had a shorter holiday "pause".  Could it be that demand is not so high?

 

I took the numbers from CLIA who stated Passengers.  Even if there have been some hiccups with some Cruises that have sailed since Cruises resumed, less than 50 Covid cases  is successful  considering how many of those Passengers had not been Vaccinated and this number is due to the Protocols that were put  in place.  
 

When P&O opened for Bookings their system was overloaded with the number of people trying to Book Cruises. Even though Celebrity and RCL will only be Sailing at 50% Capacity for the Startup from Nassau and St. Maarten the Rooms were booking quickly and prices increased within hours for the same Category Stateroom.  If they don’t  fully book out, I’d blame the cost of the Air not due to lack of Demand.  
 

I’m in other Social Media Groups and the  majority are very anxious to get back to Cruising and not so nervous to do so especially since they are either now Vaccinated or soon to be Vaccinated.  
 

 

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, nocl said:

Sounds like something from a Monty Python skit

Actually it sounds more like the book The Mouse That Roared where a small country declares war on the US intending to quickly lose and ask for foreign aid to rebuild.

 

I think it was also made into a movie starring Peter Sellers.

Edited March 29, 2021 by ontheweb
added second paragraph

[richwmn]

11 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Actually it sounds more like the book The Mouse That Roared where a small country declares war on the US intending to quickly lose and ask for foreign aid to rebuild.

 

I think it was also made into a movie starring Peter Sellers.

It was

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053084/?ref_=tt_sims_tti

 

[KirkNC]

16 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Actually it sounds more like the book The Mouse That Roared where a small country declares war on the US intending to quickly lose and ask for foreign aid to rebuild.

 

I think it was also made into a movie starring Peter Sellers.

Yes, Peter Sellers was the king.  Funny stuff.

[Heartgrove]

9 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Looks like no ports and nowhere to go to and nobody on board except a few pax..

Seven day cruise on Sundays from Genoa with 1600-1800 passengers on ship with about 4300 capacity. Calling on Civitivvechia, Naples, Palermo, and Valleta, Malta. Only shipboard excursions currently allowed. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by Heartgrove

[Heartgrove]

33 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Actually it sounds more like the book The Mouse That Roared where a small country declares war on the US intending to quickly lose and ask for foreign aid to rebuild.

 

I think it was also made into a movie starring Peter Sellers.

 

Peter Sellers played three roles: the Queen, the Prime Minister, and the Gameskeeper.

[ontheweb]

40 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

 

Peter Sellers played three roles: the Queen, the Prime Minister, and the Gameskeeper.

He also had multiple roles in Dr. Strangelove.

 

They just don't make them like Peter Sellers any more.

[Sir PMP]

38 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

He also had multiple roles in Dr. Strangelove.

 

They just don't make them like Peter Sellers any more.

Ships included

 

 

[Sir PMP]

10 hours ago, idiebabe said:

There’s been over 400,000 who have Cruised in ten Major markets since  Cruises resumed.  Fewer than 50 reported Cases.  They have been successful mitigating the spread of Covid with the new Protocols they have in place.  
 

@iancal   We would also go on a Cruise tomorrow!  

Then why is Europe closing up again?

[Homosassa]

12 hours ago, tallyho8 said:

Miami and Fort Lauderdale need to follow the lead of the Conch Republic in the Florida Keys and secede from the Union as they did about 40 years ago. Maybe this would bring enough attention to the situation these areas are facing with cruising being shut down.

 

When the big push and ad campaign started last spring to let everyone know that Florida was open for business , Monroe County (Keys) promptly made it known that masks and social distancing were . required .

 

I don't know how strictly it was enforced.

 

 

[TriumphGuy]

If the cruise lines and travel industry in general simply required everyone be vaccinated before traveling, this would less of an issue. I would feel quite comfortable on a cruise knowing all (staff and pax) were vaccinated.

Unfortunately it's beginning to look like the travel industry doesn't want to go this route. Expect more delays and financial pain...

[Gracie115]

53 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

When the big push and ad campaign started last spring to let everyone know that Florida was open for business , Monroe County (Keys) promptly made it known that masks and social distancing were . required .

 

I don't know how strictly it was enforced.

 

 

 

That's true for many, maybe most counties in Florida.  

[kazu]

32 minutes ago, TriumphGuy said:

Unfortunately it's beginning to look like the travel industry doesn't want to go this route. Expect more delays and financial pain...

 

The cruise lines starting up with sailings out of the Caribbean have made vaccination mandatory.  Many lines have already announced vaccination is a required net like Viking and Crystal, etc.

[CruiserBruce]

46 minutes ago, TriumphGuy said:

If the cruise lines and travel industry in general simply required everyone be vaccinated before traveling, this would less of an issue. I would feel quite comfortable on a cruise knowing all (staff and pax) were vaccinated.

Unfortunately it's beginning to look like the travel industry doesn't want to go this route. Expect more delays and financial pain...

Big "if".  A still small portion of the cruising population is vaccinated. And not sure where the cruise lines are going acquire vaccine to do 100% vaccination of crew. I doubt they could start a crew vaccination program much before mid summer, at the soonest.

[kangforpres]

Florida's raw Covid-19 numbers for the last 4 days (New cases/deaths) According to Worldmeter

 

03-25                   03-26                    03-27                    03-28

5,773/101         5,750/158            5,883/42              4,943/38

 

The 03-28 numbers are Saturday stats reported on a Sunday. Florida is at a Plateau of caseload, like lots of states in the USA. Until these numbers come dramatically down no one is sailing from a Florida port before November 1.

 

-Paul

[TriumphGuy]

45 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

The cruise lines starting up with sailings out of the Caribbean have made vaccination mandatory.  Many lines have already announced vaccination is a required net like Viking and Crystal, etc.

We may be looking at a jump to Celebrity or other "vaccination required" line until CCL gets its act together. I do worry about the airlines though.
As a CCL stockholder I'm a bit disappointed CCL hasn't addressed this yet. I think it would go a long way to getting CDC approval if they and other US departure lines would adopt a "No Vacc, No Sail" policy.
Maybe I'm oversimplifying the issue but it doesn't seem like rocket surgery to me. 🙂

[KirkNC]

55 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

The cruise lines starting up with sailings out of the Caribbean have made vaccination mandatory.  Many lines have already announced vaccination is a required net like Viking and Crystal, etc.

I believe some, RCI for example are exempting those under 18.

[nocl]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Actually it sounds more like the book The Mouse That Roared where a small country declares war on the US intending to quickly lose and ask for foreign aid to rebuild.

 

I think it was also made into a movie starring Peter Sellers.

It was a good movie.

[nocl]

1 hour ago, TriumphGuy said:

If the cruise lines and travel industry in general simply required everyone be vaccinated before traveling, this would less of an issue. I would feel quite comfortable on a cruise knowing all (staff and pax) were vaccinated.

Unfortunately it's beginning to look like the travel industry doesn't want to go this route. Expect more delays and financial pain...

I do not think that CDC is quite ready to accept vaccination as the total answer on board ship yet

 

From recent comments made by Dr Fauci and others it would appear that the CDC is running a study in 12000 young adults looking at how well vaccines prevent transmission and asymptomatic infection. From what I have heard about the timing of that study it should be completed in about 5 months.

 

If it shows what everyone is hoping that it will.  That vaccines do greatly reduce transmission and asymptomatic cases, as well as symptomatic case then we should see the recommendations (masks, distancing, etc ) pretty much go away for vaccinated individuals and would also represent when the CDC would certainly accept vaccinations as an alternative to all of the other protective measures on board ship.