https://gusskinnerconsulting.com/ Volume 4 – Issue #82 https://www.gphsconsulting.com/
The cruise industry has long acknowledged the cumulative negative impact of illness outbreaks. COVID-19 presents a frightful situation. From a public health perspective, though, we shift from Distress to Redress and Address. Leader-SHIP is the newsletter that interweaves media articles and cruise industry responses to provide guidance on actions being taken against the novel coronavirus. It negates forces of disruption and decline with measures for steadfastness ultimately having you enhance the practice of public health in your own life and of those around you.
PLEASE NOTE THIS ISN’T A COMPLETE LISTING OF MEDIA ARTICLES BUT A SNAPSHOT ONLY.
In this Issue: - Cruise ships not allowed in BC Canada for summer 2020 - Cruise Line Considers Ditching Traditional Buffet - Fincantieri Reports Q1; Resuming Production - Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley talks about when cruises will restart and other hot topics - Disney Cruise Line cancels all itineraries through July 27 - Cruise ships and coronavirus: Ship cluster together at sea with crew still stuck on board - Four Non-COVID Fatalities in Two Weeks Aboard Cruise Ships - Coronavirus: 75 cruise ship workers return to Canada, minister says - Residential Cruise Ship Conducts Exercise Off Western Australia - Cruise ship tied to U.S., Australia COVID-19 deaths sails into Manila Bay - Carnival Cruises: World’s largest cruise company lays off hundreds of employees
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https://gusskinnerconsulting.com/ Volume 4 – Issue #82 https://www.gphsconsulting.com/
17 May, 2020: Cruise ships not allowed in BC Canada for summer 2020 Cruise ship tourists will not be allowed to disembark if vessels arrive at the British Columbia ports this summer, the province's health officials announced. However, it is still unclear if the federal government will decide to resume the cruise season on July 1. On March 13, 2020, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Transport Canada announced (as a safety measure to stop the Coronavirus / COVID-19 outbreak) that the ship cruise season - which normally starts in early-April - would be delayed until July. There have also been questions over whether coastal port cities in BC Canada - including Prince Rupert (Kaien Island), Vancouver and Victoria - could see the arrival of international cruise lines this summer but according to Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, that would not be the case.
She said the province had made its position clear about the possible resumption of cruise ship calls. Henry added she had spoken to health officials in Alaska, Washington, and Yukon who felt similarly concerned about cruise liners which had seen some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks. She explained that federal government rules requiring people to self-isolate for 2 weeks after international travel would apply to cruise passengers, so if a cruise ship had somehow planned to come there, then they would "not be allowing people to come off the cruise ship for example." According to Tourism Vancouver, cruising season 2019 generated USD 840 million with 280+ ship calls at Port Vancouver. Port Vancouver said on its website: "We will continue to be in discussions with our cruise line partners over the next few months, as we actively monitor the Canadian and international response to this extraordinary circumstance." Source: https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/7088-cruise-ships-not-allowed-in-british-columbia-this- summer
17 May, 2020: Cruise Line Considers Ditching Traditional Buffet Could cruise ship buffets soon go the way of the long-extinct dodo bird? One cruise line executive said that seems likely, at least for the time being, during a chat with travel advisors. The Future Of Cruise Buffets The topic came up during Royal Caribbean’s most recent Coffee Chat, hosted by Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service, Vicki Freed. Special guest Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises, admitted that buffets were one of the areas being looked at as the cruise line makes modifications that will allow them to welcome back guests. “We’ve got teams working on every single element of the guest experience,” said Bayley, “and we obviously have a team working on the buffet.” Given that the typical cruise ship buffet is, at best, a social distancing nightmare, new ways of handling that aspect of foodservice need to be considered. “I think in the beginning,” Bayley opined, “there will not
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be a buffet.” The emphasis at this point is, of course, on “I think.” Because like everything else about the cruise industry at the moment, plans are still in development. Ultimately, ideas come up with by the various members of the Cruise Lines International Association will need to be put before and approved by the Centers for Disease Control, which will decide whether or not to lift its current no-sail order.
Rethinking Familiar Concepts “I think the key focus on dining,” said Bayley, “is making sure that our guests have plenty of choices. But now, that plenty of choice has to be put through the lens of distancing, and safety and health, etc., in a more acute way.” With that in mind, he says “there will be changes for sure, and I think the word “buffet’ will diminish and we’ll replace it with a new concept.” As of now, Royal Caribbean is planning to resume sailings for the majority of its ships on June 12. The company has been working toward securing additional liquidity to carry it through this difficult period. Source: https://cruiseradio.net/cruise-line-considers-ditching-traditional-buffet/
17 May, 2020: Fincantieri Reports Q1; Resuming Production Fincantieri has reported revenues of 1.3 billion euros for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020, compared to 1.4 billion euros for the same quarter last year, despite a 20 percent reduction of production time due the temporary suspension of operations because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Production has resumed gradually since April 20 with all the necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of employees and subcontractors, the company said in a prepared statement. Read more… https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22948-fincantieri-reports-q1-resuming- production.html
17 May, 2020: Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley talks about when cruises will restart and other hot topics Royal Caribbean International President & CEO Michael Bayley spoke to travel agents on a webinar on Wednesday and commented on a number of commonly asked questions surrounding the current situation and the cruise line's recovery. Mr. Bayley answered a series of questions that travel agents had submitted prior to the webinar about a variety of concerns related to the timing and plans to resume cruises. The questions were all about the current situation Royal Caribbean is facing in the midst of no sailings and the global health crisis. Read more… https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2020/05/13/royal-caribbean- ceo-michael-bayley-talks-about-when-cruises-will-restart-and-other-hot
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17 May, 2020: Disney Cruise Line cancels all itineraries through July 27 DCL-Disney Cruise Line extended its suspension of departures through July 27, 2020, the company announced on Wednesday, May 13. DCL had previously suspended fleet operations through June 18. All bookings on the cancelled itineraries will receive either FCC (future cruise credit) within 15 months of the suspended travel or full (10)%) monetary refund. Booked customers will be emailed for more details. Customers with bookings through travel agents are encouraged to refer questions to the agencies. DCL decided to cancel all itineraries due to the CDC's guidelines based on the agency's no-sail order for cruises visiting ports in the USA. Source: https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/7091-disney-cruise-line-cancels-all-sailings-through-july-27 17 May, 2020: Cruise ships and coronavirus: Ship cluster together at sea with crew still stuck on board Dozens of cruise ships are still stuck at sea, clustered in groups in the Caribbean, the Atlantic Ocean and the South China Sea, tracking sites show. The cruise industry has been closed down globally due to the COVID-19 virus, with notable outbreaks on board several ships including the Ruby Princess in Australia and the Australian-owned Greg Mortimer. Seventeen ships, including the world's largest, Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, are at sea close to Coco Cay in the Bahamas, cruise ship tracking site Cruise Mapper shows. Coco Cay is a private island leased by Royal Caribbean and features a $345 million attraction for cruise passengers, including a giant water park. Eighteen ships are anchored off Manila in the Philippines, including many of the ships that sail Australian waters during our summer cruising season, such as Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and Celebrity Solstice. Read more…. https://www.traveller.com.au/cruise-ships-and-coronavirus-ship-cluster-together-at-sea-with-crew-still- stuck-on-board-h1nynb
17 May, 2020: Four Non-COVID Fatalities in Two Weeks Aboard Cruise Ships On Saturday, the body of a crewmember from the cruise ship Regal Princess was found in the water, according to Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs. The death marks the fourth non-COVID fatality reported aboard a large cruise ship within the past two weeks. The ministry's consular services director, Sergey Pogoreltsev, said that local police in Rotterdam believe that the death was likely a suicide. The deceased's relatives have been informed of the incident and the body will be returned to Ukraine for burial. Regal Princess arrived in Rotterdam on May 7 as part of Carnival Corporation's crewmember repatriation operation. With access to commercial flights restricted, multiple major cruise lines are using idled vessels
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to carry their crewmembers’ home. According to Ruth Emmerink, the Netherlands consul general in Miami, Regal Princess carried crewmembers from 46 nations, including 14 Dutch nationals.
Multiple fatalities The non-COVID fatality involving Regal Princess was the fourth involving a cruise ship crewmember in recent weeks. On Sunday, a Chinese national who recently signed on as a crewmember aboard Mariner of the Seas was reportedly found dead in his cabin by his crewmates. The news was based upon statements from other members of the crew and was reported by a plaintiffs' lawyer; it could not be independently confirmed. Mariner of the Seas is currently under way off the Bahamas and reporting her destination as Coco Cay. On Friday, a 29-year-old crewmember from the cruise ship Carnival Breeze was found dead on board during his voyage home. The individual, a Hungarian national who worked as an assistant excursion manager, is reported to have committed suicide. Carnival has confirmed the fatality but not the cause. “Sadly, we can confirm the death of a male team member who was on guest status on Carnival Breeze’s repatriation sailing to Europe” a Carnival spokesperson told cruise industry media. “His death is not related to COVID-19, but out of respect for his family, we will not be providing additional details.” Carnival Breeze is currently under way in the Atlantic, bound for Southampton. She is scheduled to arrive Friday. On April 29, a 27-year-old electrician from the cruise ship Jewel of the Seas fell into the sea while the vessel was moored in the Saronic Gulf. The Greek Coast Guard launched a search but did not locate the victim. Royal Caribbean has confirmed the incident. Jewel of the Seas is currently under way in the Mediterranean, bound for Gibraltar.
Pressures mount Since the cruise industry shutdown began in March, tens of thousands of cruise ship crewmembers have been effectively stranded on board their vessels, some of them without pay. According to a recent tally from the U.S. Coast Guard, as many as 120 cruise ships with 95,000 crewmembers are in or near U.S. waters - not including vessels in the rest of the world. (That number is gradually going down as the major cruise lines redeploy vessels for repatriation or layup.) Quarantine requirements, air travel restrictions, travel bans, charter flight costs and liability concerns have all added up to a difficult situation for crew transfers of any kind, and cruise ships face an added level of regulatory scrutiny due to perceived COVID- 19 risk. For crewmembers, this adds up to a high-pressure situation. “Many of these people have been isolated in their small cabins for 21 hours a day and they’re breaking down from the loneliness and stress,” said former NCL employee Krista Thomas, speaking to Bloomberg. Thomas operates a social media forum
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for crewmembers and says that she has received messages illustrating the strain they are under - including messages expressing suicidal thoughts. “Many have been told to pack quickly to leave, and then their charter flights get canceled. Those highs and lows are taking their toll," she said. Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/four-non-covid-fatalities-in-two-weeks-aboard-cruise- ships
17 May, 2020: Coronavirus: 75 cruise ship workers return to Canada, minister says originally published 09 May 2020 Canadian cruise ship crew workers who had been left stranded by the novel coronavirus pandemic have returned to Canada, the country’s foreign affairs minister says. In a tweet on Saturday, Francois-Philippe Champagne said officials worked with U.S. authorities and cruise ship lines Holland America, Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruises to assist with the return of the 75 Canadians.He said officials are “continuing to work with cruise lines and local authorities to ensure the safe return of remaining Canadian crew.” Read more…. https://globalnews.ca/news/6925079/coronavirus-canadian-cruise-ship-crew/
17 May, 2020: Residential Cruise Ship Conducts Exercise Off Western Australia originally published 15 April 2020 Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan has admitted he was unsure why the world's largest private residential cruise ship, The World, was following a star-shaped track of the coast. The World, with all guests evacuated and only a skeleton crew onboard, left Fremantle on April 6. “We don’t really know why she’s doing that,” he said. But a spokesman for vessel said the captain was having a bit of fun with a navigation training exercise. The five-pointed star is a holding pattern that covers the maximum distance in the smallest possible area. The vessel was due to spend two months circumnavigating Australia between February and March until delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. She was then ordered to leave Australian waters, and future trips have now been canceled until July. There have been no cases of COVID- 19 onboard The World, but other cruise ship passengers and their contacts make up about 40 percent of all COVID-19 cases in Western Australia. Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/residential-cruise-ship-conducts-exercise-off-western- australia
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17 May, 2020: Cruise ship tied to U.S., Australia COVID-19 deaths sails into Manila Bay Originally published 7th May, 2020 CAVITE, Philippines — A cruise ship being investigated in Australia for sparking coronavirus infections anchored in Manila Bay on Thursday to bring Filipino crew members home. Princess Cruise Line’s Ruby Princess joins at least 16 other cruise ships at anchor waiting for their more than 5,000 Filipino crew members to be tested for the coronavirus before disembarking. Coast guard spokesman Armand Balilo said 214 Filipino crew members on the Ruby Princess will be tested but may have to wait behind those from other ships.
The Ruby Princess has been linked to 19 deaths in Australia and two in the United States. The Australian investigation is trying to determine why 2,700 passengers and crew were allowed to disembark in Sydney on March 19 before the test results of sick passengers were known. Many passengers flew from Sydney overseas. Two died at home in the United States, including Los Angeles resident Chung Chen, whose family is suing Princess Cruises for more than $1 million in a lawsuit alleging it failed to alert passengers to the risk. Read more… https://www.post-gazette.com/life/travel/2020/05/07/Princess-Cruise-Line-ship-tied- to-U-S-Australia-COVID-19-deaths-Manila-Bay-ruby-pricess/stories/202005070094
17 May, 2020: Carnival Cruises: World’s largest cruise company lays off hundreds of employees Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, have announced they will be laying off hundreds of employees due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company’s CEO Arnold Donald said the combination of lay-offs and pay cuts were “necessary” as the pause on cruise travel enters its third month. The majority of affected employees in the US will be in Florida, California and Washington state, Carnival Corporation said in an email. The company is eliminating 820 positions and furloughing 537 employees (meaning employees will stay on the payroll, even though they aren’t working) for up to six months in Florida out of a workforce of about 3000 employees.
Carnival Corporation did not reveal the number of job eliminations in the other states or countries around the world. “Taking these extremely difficult employee actions involving our highly dedicated workforce is a very tough thing to do. Unfortunately, it’s necessary, given the current low level of guest operations and to further endure this pause,” Mr Donald said in a statement. Read more…. https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/carnival-cruises-worlds-largest-cruise- company-lays-off-hundreds-of-employees/news-story/c7305d5103c13d0ca8c6072916686875
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