NCL cancelling cruises.

[OVgirl]

Pearl Heading Back to Miami as Sailing Cancelled due to Crew Cases https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2822139-pearl-heading-back-to-miami-as-sailing-cancelled-due-to-crew-cases/

 

Hope I added the link correctly.

You can check the link and add comments there.

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by OVgirl

[PROCRUISE]

Beginning to wonder if our HAL Panama Canal Transit cruise starting 2/13/22 will actually ever leave FLL. Time will tell. Hopefully HAL will decide to cancel, if needed, before we fly to FLL on 2/11/22.

[LouChamp]

kudos for ncl. otherwise the rest is full of fools

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, PROCRUISE said:

Beginning to wonder if our HAL Panama Canal Transit cruise starting 2/13/22 will actually ever leave FLL. Time will tell. Hopefully HAL will decide to cancel, if needed, before we fly to FLL on 2/11/22.

I was booked on that cruise but I canceled right before final payment.  I’m happy I did the way things are going. This is my personal feeling only.  Not speaking for others.

[*Miss G*]

19 minutes ago, LouChamp said:

kudos for ncl. otherwise the rest is full of fools

 

NCL created their own problems by sailing mask free.  By all accounts their crew didn’t take masking seriously either.  Actions have consequences.

[KirkNC]

3 hours ago, PROCRUISE said:

Beginning to wonder if our HAL Panama Canal Transit cruise starting 2/13/22 will actually ever leave FLL. Time will tell. Hopefully HAL will decide to cancel, if needed, before we fly to FLL on 2/11/22.

We are on that on the Zuiderdam but continue on to Hawaii.  I hope they don’t cancel one without canceling both.

[nocl]

Keep in mind that NCL is the smallest of the 3 main cruise line companies.  RCL and CCL  have a number of cruise ships that have not yet restarted  that they are using as quarantine ships  (with each companies lines sharing ships) For example HAL off loaded crew to Quarantine on the Crown Princess.  Celebrity and Royal are doing the same with Royal ships. Those ships also provided some surplus crew to move to the ships that lost crew.

 

Not sure that NCL has the same surplus capacity.

 

Stories are showing that the other lines are having problems finding hotels on land for quarantining passengers in Florida.

 

So if they do not a ship to quarantine crew, and no ships getting ready to start up from which to get more crew.  About their only choice is to start canceling individual cruises.  Not a surprise that they would run out of extra resources first.

Edited January 5, 2022 by nocl

[nocl]

1 hour ago, HappyInVan said:

Doubtful that NCL would take ships out of service just to be quarantine ships. The Pearl has disappointed pax on board. The Getaway is being cancel one day before embarkation.

 

BTW, have you guys noticed that NCL has two ships (Sky and Sun) listed as crew only. One is green and the other orange...

 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/cruise-ship-color-status.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Ftravelers%2Fcrew-disembarkations-commercial-travel.html

 

However, the star is heading south to do Antarctic and South American cruises.  Though with the issues there is might be coming back north.  The Sky is starting short cruises in Feb. Since it is the one that is orange maybe they have shifted some crew to it for quarantine.

 

Never said that they were taking them out to be quarantine ships. The point is unlike the others they do not have the number of ships sitting around for quarantine.  As a result when they have cases on board they do not have the resources that RCL or CCL has where they have spare crew idle ships. Thus if they do not have any place to offload ill crew and they run out of quarantine space.  Their only choice is to cancel individual cruises like they are doing.

 

 

The Coral and the Crown Princess were both supposed to start up this spring.  Princess made the decision about a month ago to cancel all cruises on them to April.  Crown is now using that ship as its west coast quarantine ship.  Both RCL and CCL are moving sick crew to idle ships, and taking crew that was original intended to start up those ships to fill in as crew is moved to quarantine.  Those crew members will start coming back in a week or so.

 

With the new quarantine rules the crew quarantined on the NCL ships will only be there for a week so should be back available for the next cruise.

Edited January 5, 2022 by nocl

[Crazy For Cats]

8 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

NCL created their own problems by sailing mask free.  By all accounts their crew didn’t take masking seriously either.  Actions have consequences.

They started requiring masks on 12/19.

[*Miss G*]

2 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

They started requiring masks on 12/19.

 

But the culture had already been defined and influenced the behavior.  Florida is a minefield and the crew and passengers are jumping in.  Without masks.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

11 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

NCL created their own problems by sailing mask free.  By all accounts their crew didn’t take masking seriously either.  Actions have consequences.

Makes sense.

[cruisemom42]

11 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

NCL created their own problems by sailing mask free.  By all accounts their crew didn’t take masking seriously either.  Actions have consequences.

 

I'm not sure it can be laid at the door of lax protocols. AIDA has also had a ship on a New Year's cruise that had to end early due to COVID among (mainly) crew and a few passengers. AIDA has had fairly strict protocols since restarting. 

 

Passengers leave COVID-hit cruise ship after 5 days stuck in Lisbon | Reuters

 

One wonders, given they seem particularly vulnerable, whether the crews of ships were given the one dose J&J vaccine?  Or for that matter other viable vaccines not currently US approved? The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines seem to have held up slightly better in the face of new variants -- not as well as we'd like, but better than some other options....

 

And what about boosters for crew?

 

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Probably best if NCL does not sail. 

Holland crew have had the booster .

Edited January 5, 2022 by Gail & Marty sailing away

[sassy~one]

10 hours ago, nocl said:

Keep in mind that NCL is the smallest of the 3 main cruise line companies.  RCL and CCL  have a number of cruise ships that have not yet restarted  that they are using as quarantine ships  (with each companies lines sharing ships) For example HAL off loaded crew to Quarantine on the Crown Princess.  Celebrity and Royal are doing the same with Royal ships. Those ships also provided some surplus crew to move to the ships that lost crew.

 

Not sure that NCL has the same surplus capacity.

 

Stories are showing that the other lines are having problems finding hotels on land for quarantining passengers in Florida.

 

So if they do not a ship to quarantine crew, and no ships getting ready to start up from which to get more crew.  About their only choice is to start canceling individual cruises.  Not a surprise that they would run out of extra resources first.

Hi there, can you please let me know, if someone leaves the ship and need to be in quarantined, how do they get to a hotel? Who finds the hotel? Who pays for the hotel?  I have not seen anything about this.  I'm b2b2b in a few days, and have a healthy amount of fear about being kicked off the ship in the middle of my sailing with limited amount of FLL hotel info. Thanks so very much.  Debbie

[Mosaic]

Maybe they should not be allowed back in the USA---per the previous idiocy.🥺

Remember, the hospitals in southern Florida are overwhelmed.....

[jabcruiser]

38 minutes ago, sassy~one said:

Hi there, can you please let me know, if someone leaves the ship and need to be in quarantined, how do they get to a hotel? Who finds the hotel? Who pays for the hotel?  I have not seen anything about this.  I'm b2b2b in a few days, and have a healthy amount of fear about being kicked off the ship in the middle of my sailing with limited amount of FLL hotel info. Thanks so very much.  Debbie

You might want to review info on HAL site regarding Covid Protection Plan:  

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/worry-free-promise/COVID-19-protection-program.html

 

Doubt if anyone on this board knows anything more than this.

Jane

[*Miss G*]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm not sure it can be laid at the door of lax protocols. AIDA has also had a ship

 

 

 

I am unable to respond as I am unfamiliar with the situation in Europe.

[albingirl]

Lots of speculation here, but covid is everywhere, even in strict environments.  Mask or no mask, vaccinated or unvaccinated.  I do feel very badly for the cruise industry.  The staff were all so happy to be back.  It was difficult for them during the shut down.

[Coffeeluvr05]

My family sailed on a recent Zuiderdam cruise and still got Covid.  Isolation had to continue off ship after disembarkation at a hotel that was less than stellar accommodations because it was the only hotel, actually MOTEL, willing to take Covid patients.  No room service.  Find food delivery on your own.  So, you should consider that if you decide to cruise.  This could be the grand finale to your cruise vacation.    

[seaoma]

4 hours ago, sassy~one said:

Hi there, can you please let me know, if someone leaves the ship and need to be in quarantined, how do they get to a hotel? Who finds the hotel? Who pays for the hotel?  I have not seen anything about this.  I'm b2b2b in a few days, and have a healthy amount of fear about being kicked off the ship in the middle of my sailing with limited amount of FLL hotel info. Thanks so very much.  Debbie

 

A suggestion I read about said to contact your travel insurance provider and/or credit card company. Lots of them will have some kind of concierge and they may be able to help with Covid information.

[bennybear]

19 minutes ago, seaoma said:

 

A suggestion I read about said to contact your travel insurance provider and/or credit card company. Lots of them will have some kind of concierge and they may be able to help with Covid information.

Excellent advice,  we found we are NOT covered for Covid medical or cancellation.  Caveat Emptor 

[nocl]

10 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

The Pearl is reported to have 50 infected staff. I doubt that NCL would turn the ship around from its Panama cruise (11D), just because they are short 50. Makes more sense to cancel Sky's season (ship 77k GT), if they needed a quarantine ship.

 

Lord knows how many pax have been infected on ships that are weak on testing. Finding quarantine hotels for pax would be mind boggling, if they ever did mass testing for debarkation. I wonder what the CDC's numbers will be for this fortnight?

 

Following the decisive actions in Brazil, and by AIDA and MSC in Europe. I'm hoping that NCL will also be decisive.

 

The crew is supposed to be quarantined on boarding, and tested regularly. So, maybe the outbreak was started by a passenger. Unless the crew is locked down and cleared, the contagion will just keep circulating among the crew, and infect pax.

Keep in mind that Panama has had very strict rules concerning covid.  They delayed a Princess ships earlier this year because the bridge crew had tested negative with antigen and Panama would not board the Canal Pilots, until the bridge and other key personnel involved in the canal passage tested negative with PCR.

 

Would not be surprised if with that number of cases on board that the canal authority would refuse passage through the canal.

[travelbug615]

Even more NCL cruises cancelled today

[nocl]

5 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm not sure it can be laid at the door of lax protocols. AIDA has also had a ship on a New Year's cruise that had to end early due to COVID among (mainly) crew and a few passengers. AIDA has had fairly strict protocols since restarting. 

 

Passengers leave COVID-hit cruise ship after 5 days stuck in Lisbon | Reuters

 

One wonders, given they seem particularly vulnerable, whether the crews of ships were given the one dose J&J vaccine?  Or for that matter other viable vaccines not currently US approved? The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines seem to have held up slightly better in the face of new variants -- not as well as we'd like, but better than some other options....

 

And what about boosters for crew?

 

 

From reports ships with tighter protocols seem to be doing better than those with looser protocols before Dec 15.   Cruises leaving from California seem to be doing better than those leaving from Florida.  Will make for an interesting retrospective paper a few months from now.

 

From what I have heard talking to officers the lines tended to use J&J on those that had not been previously immunized with an acceptable vaccine since it meant only having to quarantine for 14 days, instead of 5-6 weeks with Pfizer and Moderna.  On my last cruise the CD indicated that Princess is giving mRNA boosters to the crew.  He also indicated that if the crew has the slighest symptoms that could be they go into quarantine even without a positive test and have to have multiple negative tests to go back to work. The crew was also all wearing kn95 or n95 masks all of the time in public areas, even before Omicron really hit.

 

Might be why they seem to be having fewer problems.

[bennybear]

7 minutes ago, nocl said:

Keep in mind that Panama has had very strict rules concerning covid.  They delayed a Princess ships earlier this year because the bridge crew had tested negative with antigen and Panama would not board the Canal Pilots, until the bridge and other key personnel involved in the canal passage tested negative with PCR.

 

Would not be surprised if with that number of cases on board that the canal authority would refuse passage through the canal.

This seems wise in light of the failure of the rapid tests to often miss Omicron.