Phase 2 CDC....Here We Go!

[Jadn13]

What everyone had been waiting for

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/instructions-local-agreements.html?fbclid=IwAR0OW6cYoKQaG-JrVrMbOyCZmMXnrJqYqI54PU8gw9yeNxzPA8x1VqZVMHk
 

 

Edited April 2, 2021 by Jadn13

[I object 2]

A step forward....hooray!!!!

[cr8tiv1]

Thank you for the link.  Could you please summarize the key points????  

[Tedferg]

1 minute ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Thank you for the link.  Could you please summarize the key points????  

Agree, I tried a quick scan 😞

[matadams4u]

Looks like vaccine and test requirements for passengers and crew are part of the directive.  I’m good with that.  

[NavArch64]

Very complex Technical Instructions. It will take a lot of work to meet these CDC requirements for the CSO. Each ship, each US port, each foreign port, almost each voyage will have to be described, explained and procedures agreed to by all parties, including the CDC, Port Authorities and USCG. The corporate staffs are going to be challenged to get this done. I don't think that a political process can replace the technical process. We shall see.

[Jadn13]

It will be summarized here tmrw...

 

[CynCyn]

Just now, matadams4u said:

Looks like vaccine and test requirements for passengers and crew are part of the directive.  I’m good with that.  

Me too.  Especially after watching The Last Cruise.

[Jadn13]

Found This

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/florida-cruise-guide/os-bz-cdc-cruise-guidance-return-to-sailing-20210402-abuqe3pj3rbwpekytc5gemke3y-story.html?outputType=amp

[caribill]

16 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Thank you for the link.  Could you please summarize the key points????  

 

Some excerpts:

The agreement must include the total number of ships (including maximum number of travelers (passengers and crew)) permitted to operate, make port, embark, or disembark. The parties to the agreement should jointly consider the number of ships (including maximum number of travelers (passengers and crew)) that can safely operate, make port, embark, or disembark at any one time without exceeding the ability of local public health, port authority, hospital, and other emergency response personnel to respond to an onboard outbreak of COVID-19. The agreement should briefly explain the factors relied upon by all parties in determining these numbers, including the potential for COVID-19 variants, which could undermine vaccine efficacy.

 

The agreement must be specific regarding the following:

• number of ships that will be permitted to make port, embark, and disembark,
• hours of the day, and days of the week, and during which these activities will occur, and
• maximum number of travelers permitted during those hours and on those days.

 

If the port authority intends to allow more than one cruise ship operator to operate at its port facilities, then the port authority and local public health authorities should jointly consider the numbers of ships and maximum number of travelers (passengers and crew) that can safely operate, make port, embark, or disembark at any one time. Specifically, the parties should consider whether allowing multiple cruise ships to operate at any one time would potentially overwhelm necessary medical supplies or the ability of local public health, port authorities, hospital, and other emergency response personnel to respond to an onboard outbreak of COVID-19, particularly if the jurisdiction experiences an unanticipated simultaneous surge of cases.

 

CDC recommends that all eligible port personnel and travelers (passengers and crew) get a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available to them.

 

Due to the international representation of cruise travelers, cruise operators must use either U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized vaccines or a vaccine product that has received emergency use listing from the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

The agreement must specify embarkation procedures that the cruise ship operator intends to use during simulated voyages and restricted passenger voyages. These embarkation procedures must be designed insofar as possible to minimize contact between travelers and port personnel.

 

The agreement must specify procedures for day-of-embarkation screening for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and laboratory testing of travelers, including testing locations and management of individuals who test positive and their close contacts.

 

The agreement must include emergency response plans in the event of a “worst case” scenario of multiple ships experiencing simultaneous outbreaks of COVID-19. If the port authority intends to allow more than one cruise ship operator to operate at its port facilities, then the port authority and local public health authorities should jointly consider emergency response plans involving a “worst case” scenario of multiple ships from multiple cruise ship operators experiencing simultaneous outbreaks of COVID-19.

 

The agreement must include clear protocols that avoid medical evacuations at sea to the greatest extent possible for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related medical reasons. Protocols must rely on commercial resources (e.g., ship tender, chartered standby vessel, chartered airlift) for unavoidable medical evacuation at sea and be designed to minimize the burden to the greatest extent possible on Federal, State, and Local government resources, including U.S. Coast Guard resources. All medical evacuations at sea must be coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard.

 

The agreement must specify procedures:

• to avoid congregating of embarking and disembarking travelers,
• to ensure disembarking and embarking passengers do not occupy the same enclosed or semi-enclosed areas (e.g., gangways, terminal waiting spaces, check-in areas) within the same 12-hour period, and
• to ensure disembarking and embarking travelers from different ships do not occupy the same enclosed or semi-enclosed areas (e.g., gangways, terminal waiting spaces, check-in areas) within the same 12-hour period.

 

The cruise ship operator must document that it has made contractual arrangements (or has corporate-owned shoreside housing facilities) in sufficient quantities to meet the shoreside housing needs of travelers (passengers and crew) for isolation and quarantine identified from the day of embarkation through disembarkation for each voyage. In determining sufficient quantities of shoreside housing for isolation and quarantine, the parties should consider the potential for COVID-19 variants, which could undermine vaccine efficacy.

 

The cruise ship operator must document that it has made contractual arrangements (or has corporate-owned shoreside housing facilities) in sufficient quantities as determined by the local health authorities to meet the housing needs of travelers until they meet CDC criteria to discontinue isolation or for the CDC-recommended quarantine period.

 

The cruise ship operator must document that it has made contractual arrangements (or has corporate-owned vehicles) in sufficient quantities to meet the transportation needs of all travelers from the ship to the shoreside housing facilities and from the shoreside housing facility to the contractual medical facilities or healthcare systems if needed with precautions in place to avoid exposure of vehicle operators.

 

Shoreside housing must meet CDC guidelines for isolation or quarantine including separate bedrooms, separate bathrooms, no shared living spaces for individuals who are not part of the same household, and the ability to separate infected persons within households from those not known to be infected.

 

 

 

 

[BSR]

 Thanks for posting the key points.

[beg3yrs]

It was clear to me there's a mask-wearing requirement when leaving a US port, within US waters and when entering US waters and ports. It wasn't clear if they are requiring masks outside US waters if the ship isn't coming back to the US on that particular voyage.

[GonzoWCS]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Thank you for the link.  Could you please summarize the key points????  

lol

[GonzoWCS]

1 hour ago, Jadn13 said:

It will be summarized here tmrw...

 

Go get em

[trbarton]

3 hours ago, Jadn13 said:

What everyone had been waiting for

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/instructions-local-agreements.html?fbclid=IwAR0OW6cYoKQaG-JrVrMbOyCZmMXnrJqYqI54PU8gw9yeNxzPA8x1VqZVMHk
 

 

I’ve been following this for a long time. Read what I posted where they say “shortly”. This word has been used for a long time by both the CDC & some cruise lines CEO’s. I’m hopeful that things will change too but there has been many promises made that never materialized when it looked like things would change. 
 

I listen to a number of YouTube sites about cruises usually every day & they have the same concerns that I have. Look at these for another opinion....https://youtu.be/quBzVmINE7E

 

 

Let’s keep our fingers crossed. 
 

Tom😀

Edited April 3, 2021 by trbarton

[GonzoWCS]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

Some excerpts:

The agreement must include the total number of ships (including maximum number of travelers (passengers and crew)) permitted to operate, make port, embark, or disembark. The parties to the agreement should jointly consider the number of ships (including maximum number of travelers (passengers and crew)) that can safely operate, make port, embark, or disembark at any one time without exceeding the ability of local public health, port authority, hospital, and other emergency response personnel to respond to an onboard outbreak of COVID-19. The agreement should briefly explain the factors relied upon by all parties in determining these numbers, including the potential for COVID-19 variants, which could undermine vaccine efficacy.

 

The agreement must be specific regarding the following:

• number of ships that will be permitted to make port, embark, and disembark,
• hours of the day, and days of the week, and during which these activities will occur, and
• maximum number of travelers permitted during those hours and on those days.

 

If the port authority intends to allow more than one cruise ship operator to operate at its port facilities, then the port authority and local public health authorities should jointly consider the numbers of ships and maximum number of travelers (passengers and crew) that can safely operate, make port, embark, or disembark at any one time. Specifically, the parties should consider whether allowing multiple cruise ships to operate at any one time would potentially overwhelm necessary medical supplies or the ability of local public health, port authorities, hospital, and other emergency response personnel to respond to an onboard outbreak of COVID-19, particularly if the jurisdiction experiences an unanticipated simultaneous surge of cases.

 

CDC recommends that all eligible port personnel and travelers (passengers and crew) get a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available to them.

 

Due to the international representation of cruise travelers, cruise operators must use either U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized vaccines or a vaccine product that has received emergency use listing from the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

The agreement must specify embarkation procedures that the cruise ship operator intends to use during simulated voyages and restricted passenger voyages. These embarkation procedures must be designed insofar as possible to minimize contact between travelers and port personnel.

 

The agreement must specify procedures for day-of-embarkation screening for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and laboratory testing of travelers, including testing locations and management of individuals who test positive and their close contacts.

 

The agreement must include emergency response plans in the event of a “worst case” scenario of multiple ships experiencing simultaneous outbreaks of COVID-19. If the port authority intends to allow more than one cruise ship operator to operate at its port facilities, then the port authority and local public health authorities should jointly consider emergency response plans involving a “worst case” scenario of multiple ships from multiple cruise ship operators experiencing simultaneous outbreaks of COVID-19.

 

The agreement must include clear protocols that avoid medical evacuations at sea to the greatest extent possible for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related medical reasons. Protocols must rely on commercial resources (e.g., ship tender, chartered standby vessel, chartered airlift) for unavoidable medical evacuation at sea and be designed to minimize the burden to the greatest extent possible on Federal, State, and Local government resources, including U.S. Coast Guard resources. All medical evacuations at sea must be coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard.

 

The agreement must specify procedures:

• to avoid congregating of embarking and disembarking travelers,
• to ensure disembarking and embarking passengers do not occupy the same enclosed or semi-enclosed areas (e.g., gangways, terminal waiting spaces, check-in areas) within the same 12-hour period, and
• to ensure disembarking and embarking travelers from different ships do not occupy the same enclosed or semi-enclosed areas (e.g., gangways, terminal waiting spaces, check-in areas) within the same 12-hour period.

 

The cruise ship operator must document that it has made contractual arrangements (or has corporate-owned shoreside housing facilities) in sufficient quantities to meet the shoreside housing needs of travelers (passengers and crew) for isolation and quarantine identified from the day of embarkation through disembarkation for each voyage. In determining sufficient quantities of shoreside housing for isolation and quarantine, the parties should consider the potential for COVID-19 variants, which could undermine vaccine efficacy.

 

The cruise ship operator must document that it has made contractual arrangements (or has corporate-owned shoreside housing facilities) in sufficient quantities as determined by the local health authorities to meet the housing needs of travelers until they meet CDC criteria to discontinue isolation or for the CDC-recommended quarantine period.

 

The cruise ship operator must document that it has made contractual arrangements (or has corporate-owned vehicles) in sufficient quantities to meet the transportation needs of all travelers from the ship to the shoreside housing facilities and from the shoreside housing facility to the contractual medical facilities or healthcare systems if needed with precautions in place to avoid exposure of vehicle operators.

 

Shoreside housing must meet CDC guidelines for isolation or quarantine including separate bedrooms, separate bathrooms, no shared living spaces for individuals who are not part of the same household, and the ability to separate infected persons within households from those not known to be infected.

 

 

 

 

Pretty straight forward thks

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, caribill said:

to ensure disembarking and embarking passengers do not occupy the same enclosed or semi-enclosed areas (e.g., gangways, terminal waiting spaces, check-in areas) within the same 12-hour period, and

Woah - this one seems to prevent same-day turnarounds.  Let's say all pax are gone from a terminal by 9:00am (which is earlier than now).  Next voyage pax cannot enter terminal until at least 9:00pm???

Ship not leaving until after midnight?  This is over-the-top IMO, but not likely the only thing. 

 

How about having a plan to deal with every cruise line in PE or Miami port having simultaneous Covid outbreaks?  They may as well have included a simultaneous lightning strike on all ships in port, or a meteor strike in the port basin.

 

[Tolkmit]

The guidelines basically put in place so ridiculous of requirements as to guarantee cruise lines are unable to meet them.

 

If there was any doubt the CDC was playing politics before; it's completely gone now.

[DAllenTCY]

I was just about to comment on the same ridiculous requirements.

 

Port employees must have a TWIC card ($125/3 years).   

 

We cannot work overtime under our current contracts.

 

So CDC will require the cruise lines to hire three times as many employees and pay for 3x TWIC cards?

 

Will the ILWU (porters) be limited to just one ship?

 

As far as I know those who tie up lines and release them can work multiple piers.....but not any more?

 

David

 

PS  Tell airlines that they can't use the same gate and ramp for 12 hours.

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by DAllenTCY

[CineGraphic]

20 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Woah - this one seems to prevent same-day turnarounds.  Let's say all pax are gone from a terminal by 9:00am (which is earlier than now).  Next voyage pax cannot enter terminal until at least 9:00pm???

Ship not leaving until after midnight?  This is over-the-top IMO, but not likely the only thing. 

 

It all depends on what they define as "same area". Let's take Port everglades, Pier 2 as an example.

When disembarking, have you ever walked through the portion of the building where people are checking in for the next cruise and waiting to embark? Of course not. That would be bedlam.

However, it does look like they will have to use different gangways for embarkation and disembarkation, but that's an easy fix.

[Steelers36]

4 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

It all depends on what they define as "same area". Let's take Port everglades, Pier 2 as an example.

When disembarking, have you ever walked through the portion of the building where people are checking in for the next cruise and waiting to embark? Of course not. That would be bedlam.

However, it does look like they will have to use different gangways for embarkation and disembarkation, but that's an easy fix.

Yes, but how separate do they want it to be?  The parts of the building are not sealed from one another.  Staff and volunteers currently move about the different areas.  I was just thinking - they didn't specifically include the ship itself (I think).  Why wouldn't they include that in the 12 hour period? 

 

[zdcatc12]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Some excerpts:

The agreement must specify procedures:

• to avoid congregating of embarking and disembarking travelers,
• to ensure disembarking and embarking passengers do not occupy the same enclosed or semi-enclosed areas (e.g., gangways, terminal waiting spaces, check-in areas) within the same 12-hour period, and
• to ensure disembarking and embarking travelers from different ships do not occupy the same enclosed or semi-enclosed areas (e.g., gangways, terminal waiting spaces, check-in areas) within the same 12-hour period.

 

 

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Woah - this one seems to prevent same-day turnarounds.  Let's say all pax are gone from a terminal by 9:00am (which is earlier than now).  Next voyage pax cannot enter terminal until at least 9:00pm???

Ship not leaving until after midnight?  This is over-the-top IMO, but not likely the only thing. 

 

Sure this doesn't mean, say midnight to noon and noon to midnight, i.e. all disembarking pax need to be clear by noon and then embarking pax can occupy the terminal?

 

 Think that you are reading into it, that 12 hours is required between each event.

[SargassoPirate]

All of this, but it's OK to pack people cheek to jowl in a flying metal tube for 5, 6,7, or more hours.

 

 

[wallyworld583]

Think maybe some are jumping the gun.  This is not to allow the restart of cruising as we wish it was but rather, as it says in the very start of the document, to allow cruise lines 

".....to conduct one or more simulated voyages or restricted passenger voyages under a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate...... "  So this looks like the rules to test how things might work if the cruise lines are allowed to go back to business as usual.  It appears there are a lot of sticking points for the cruise lines and for the ports that are going to have to be negotiated before anything really happens.  

[jondfk]

Perhaps I'm just a glass half full sort of guy, but I see this as a huge step forward.  Could all of these restrictions be practical for ever more - NO.  But can they work on a limited basis while the lines demonstrate nothing terrible is going to happen on restart - YES.

 

All of the cruise line CEO's have said their restarts will be gradual, a ship or two, adding capacity over months.  It's easy to imagine Princess starting with two ships in FLL and one is say SEA or LAX.  Running that way for a few sailings and then getting some restrictions wound back as they demonstrate good results and add ships.  

 

In any case, a second ship can't sail until the first one does, so whatever it takes to get restarted.