So, What About Mexico Now?

[sail7seas]

I heard this morning that U.S. State Department has issued advisory for only essential travel to Mexico. What will the ships do? A number of days at sea?

[pms4104]

I heard this morning that U.S. State Department has issued advisory for only essential travel to Mexico. What will the ships do? A number of days at sea?

I can't answer that ... but noted Carnival stock down near 10% since Friday's close. My guess is that with the market "up" so far today, the impact on CCL may be due to swine flu and travel concerns.

[YXU AC*SE]

I love the apparatus of the US government. From the CDC's website, whom I would expect to be the lead agency on this file?

 

Source: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluMexico.aspx

 

Travel Health Precaution

Swine Influenza and Severe Cases of Respiratory Illness in Mexico

This information is current as of today, April 27, 2009 at 11:24

Updated: April 26, 2009

 

Revised April 26 9 a.m. to reflect updated guidance on antiviral use in travelers.

 

Current Situation

Since March 18, 2009, the Government of Mexico has reported an increase in the number of cases of influenza-like-illness. occurring in several areas of Mexico. Please visit the website of the World Health Organization, for further details about these cases.

 

CDC has confirmed that seven of 14 respiratory specimens from patients sent to the CDC by the Mexican National Influenza Center are positive for swine influenza virus and are similar to the swine influenza viruses recently identified in the US.

 

CDC and state public and animal health authorities are currently investigating 20 cases of swine flu in humans in California, Texas, Kansas, Ohio, and New York City. Some of the US cases have been linked to travel to Mexico. At this time only two of the 20 cases in the US have been hospitalized and all have recovered.

 

This investigation is still in the early stages. Further updates to this investigation and any related travel recommendations will be posted on http://www.cdc.gov/travel when available.

 

CDC Recommendations

CDC has NOT recommended that people avoid travel to Mexico at this time. If you are planning travel to Mexico, follow these recommendations to reduce your risk of infection and help you stay healthy.

 

 

Scott.

[nchank]

I heard this morning that U.S. State Department has issued advisory for only essential travel to Mexico. What will the ships do? A number of days at sea?

 

I think I would cancel now if scheduled during the next week or so. Probably cancel any cruise due to the confined area on board. I "think" some travel insurance will cover people if US declares a public health warning. Heard airlines are waiving penalty for canceling US-Mexico flights. My son in New Zealand said it is breaking out there from people who took spring vacation in Mexico.

[sail7seas]

Does anyone think cruise ships will lay in a stock of tamiflu and relenza to treat possible cases?

 

[YXU AC*SE]

Again, from the CDC. And I would expect that ships' dispensaries already stock one, if not both of these drugs.

 

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

 

Laboratory testing has found the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir and has issued interim guidance for the use of these drugs to treat and prevent infection with swine influenza viruses. CDC also has prepared interim guidance on how to care for people who are sick and interim guidance on the use of face masks in a community setting where spread of this swine flu virus has been detected. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide new information as it becomes available.

 

Scott.

[sizzle_sisters]

Good question, but I highly doubt it. I honestly think it would be a great idea, but you might have a doctor prescribing it for something he hasn't a clue what it is. Better to prescribe the good old fluids, antipyretics, hand washing. Hold off on the antibiotics until a secondary infection occurs (which it doesn't always). Antibiotics don't treat virus's.

Unless HAL has a protocol that institutes antiviral therapy, just incase.

I really hate CNN... look at the pics of Mexican's in masks, look at the red banner. All sensationalism.

Now go to countries with great health programs and see the approach they are taking. Calm, rational, and planned. The flu abounds world wide yearly. People don't just die from swine flu, they also die from the same flus we get in a shot yearly.

Ha, almost forget the question.... should the ships replace those ports?? Yes, and No. I would get a report prior to docking, if town is sick.... hasta la vista. But the responsibility lies within the pax too. If they are lax and don't hand wash (which should be do ALL the time in Mexico) then they put themselves and the other pax and crew at risk. If I had a trip planned to Mexico, I'd still be going, unless it was in an affected area. It's the airplanes that scare me..... the airlines should be made to increase their air quality on board during times like this. All filters on, and fresh air intake to the max.

[sail7seas]

That's the point. You're right.....people die from flu every year.

 

People, particularly those with lower immunity and other at risk conditions., are strongly encouraged to get flu shots annually for what they think will be that flu seasons strain.

 

There is, to date, no flu shot available to protect against swine flu.

 

[RedmondCruiser]

Im wondering what the Westerdam and the Zuiderdam will do they are both south of Mexico with four stops planned in Mexican ports. Seattle will have to decide soon since the Westerdam will be in Mexican waters in a little over a day. They may add two more Central American ports and then add two more sea days and skip Mexico.

[sail7seas]

Thus why I started this thread. :D

I am interested where HAL will go/what those ships will do. Does Statendam have one more Mexico port planned? They are in Acaupulco today.

 

[cruz chic]

Thus why I started this thread. :D

I am interested where HAL will go/what those ships will do. Does Statendam have one more Mexico port planned? They are in Acaupulco today.

 

If it is the same cruise I'm taking in Oct. they will be going to Cabo in 2 days.

[rubytue]

So far, looks like none of the lines are doing anything. But honestly, i would expect it to change if things keep progressing this week.

 

Here is what I posted on another board:

 

USA Today cruise log has it covered on their front page: http://blogs.usatoday.com/cruiselog/

Cruise lines: No plans to cancel calls in Mexico due to swine flu

 

 

FWIW, I have some friends that work in public health, and they said don't go there. Mexico isn't on my radar right now, as I'm planning for Alaska. But the EU has advised against travel to the US and Mexico (source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/27/AR2009042700814.html)

[Sage]

Sail, if I'm not mistaken, some of the travel insurance companies are not covering the Swine Flu if you purchase insurance after April 24 when it was announced. Fortunately, those people already on their cruises should be covered. I'm not sure that the ship would have enough medicine on hand to treat all the passengers.

[sizzle_sisters]

i beg to differ, but there is no formal EU travel warning, only suggestion not to travel to "certain" parts of the US. Which is nuts, as a closer exam will probably reveal that this flu is in all the states.

If anyone has hopes for a swine flu vaccine........... it will take 6 months to make.

[Typhoon1]

I saw travel expert Peter Greenberg on TV, he says keep your travel plans the same.

 

No need to change.

[mamaofami]

If it were me, I would prefer sea days to ports of call in Mexico. I doubt the ship's will stock the necessary meds for this situation.

[Frazfamof4]

I'd prefer they take sea days as well, LOL, as I'll be boarding one of these ships to go to Alaska next Friday! :) To be honest, altering travel plans at this point (unless you're going to Mexico City) is pointless. You could catch it from your co-worker or someone at the grocery store here in the US. If you're going to catch it, at least have fun doing it. :D

[ilovhywd]

I feel bad for the hard-working people in the tourist industry in the Mexican ports who might lose their jobs if the ships cancel their Mexican port visits. We had such a great shore excursion to Tulum and know that so many families are dependent on income from tourists.

[hammybee]

Stocks with travel or pork exposure are getting hammered, today.

Right now, CCL is down 14.7%, RCL is down 16.6% and UAL 15.73 %.

 

Carnival has, I think, 7 ships positioned for short cruises to Mexico, this summer and RCL has one.

 

No evidence exists that swine flu can be spread through the consumption of pork, yet shares of pork producers are also selling off.

[jhannah]

I would think that where enough time exists to make alternate port plans, stops in different countries could be arranged. Otherwise, additional sea days would be the safe bet until this nasty bug runs it course.

[DFD1]

Lord knows, the market is anything but rational.

[sail7seas]

Stocks with travel or pork exposure are getting hammered, today.

Right now, CCL is down 14.7%, RCL is down 16.6% and UAL 15.73 %.[/quote

 

 

Maybe today is a good time to Buy CCL stock.

[/b]

 

Carnival has, I think, 7 ships positioned for short cruises to Mexico, this summer and RCL has one.

 

No evidence exists that swine flu can be spread through the consumption of pork, yet shares of pork producers are also selling off.

 

 

A number of countries today banned the import of any portkor BEEF from U.S.

 

Yet, you cannot catch swine flu from pork and most certainly not from beef.

[scottjeanne]

Someone suggested that the ships may stock antiviral medicine. I just picked up a prescription for Tamaflu at my local pharmacist. It was $176.00 for two 10 pill prescriptions (one for my husband and one for me). I do not think they will be handing it out for free!

[scottjeanne]

Carnival stock went down, but Roche (who makes tamaflu) went way up!!! LOL

[Frazfamof4]

Scott and Jeanne,

 

Just out of curiousity, did you're doctors prescribe it because you are cruising to Mexico or have lowered immunity? I have two little ones and was thinking of calling to see if they'd give us a prescription before we left on our Alaska cruise, just in case. I'm not sure how they'd feel about that though.

 

D