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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.
What’s new in this Issue?
Industry Update: - EXPECT A POSSIBLE DECISION ON MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE CANCELLATIONS THIS WEEK - HOLLAND AMERICA CANCELS SAILINGS THROUGH JUNE; ALASKA SEASON CANCELLED FOR 5 SHIPS - NSW GOVERNMENT TO APPOINT COMMISSION FOR INQUIRY INTO RUBY PRINCESS - ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES SHEDS 26% OF U.S. WORKERS AS CORONAVIRUS CANCELLATIONS CONTINUE - SAGA COULD DELAY TRANSFER OF SAGA SAPPHIRE - PULLMANTUR CRUISES DONATES 13 TONS OF FOOD - CARNIVAL EXECS REPORTEDLY LET SHIPS SET SAIL DESPITE KNOWING CORONAVIRUS THREAT - DONALD: CARNIVAL PREPARED FOR ‘WORST CASE’ SCENARIO - CARNIVAL IS CONSIDERING CUTTING PASSENGER CAPACITY ON ITS CRUISE SHIPS AS IT LOOKS FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN WAKE OF CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKS, SOURCES SAY - CRUISE SHIPS HAVE ALWAYS STRUGGLED WITH OUTBREAKS. WILL THINGS CHANGE AFTER COVID-19? (Full Article) - CRUISE LINES CUT JOBS AND PAY TO STAY AFLOAT - CRUISE LINE DETAILS NEW SANITATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Passenger & Crew News: - WIFE SUES PRINCESS CRUISE LINES OVER HUSBAND’S DEATH FROM CORONAVIRUS - 27-YEAR-OLD ROYAL CARIBBEAN CREW MEMBER YOUNGEST TO DIE FROM COVID-19 IN SOUTH FLORIDA - PHILIPPINES TO ALLOW FOREIGN CRUISE SHIPS CARRYING FILIPINOS TO DOCK IN MANILA Media Updates - ‘NO SAIL’ RIPPLES THROUGH SITKA ECONOMY - CRUISERS NOT DETERRED BY CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, STILL BOOKING FUTURE VOYAGES, EXPERTS SAY - CRUISE LINE PREVIEWS THE FUTURE OF CRUISING - OLD MARITIME RULES POSE OBSTACLES TO LAWSUITS FROM PRINCESS CRUISE PASSENGERS - CANADIAN CREW MEMBERS 'FEELING DESPERATE AND HELPLESS' STUCK ON CRUISE SHIP
Plus, many more interesting articles…. ______
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17 April, 2020: EXPECT A POSSIBLE DECISION ON MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE CANCELLATIONS THIS WEEK Royal Caribbean has advised travel agents that a decision on more cruise cancellations could come in the next day or two. Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed spoke to travel advisors in a weekly webcast and started off the call with an update on the impact of future sailings being affected by the recent 100 day 'No Sail Order' by the CDC. Read more… https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2020/04/15/expect-possible-decision-more-royal-caribbean- cruise-cancellations-week
17 April, 2020: HOLLAND AMERICA CANCELS SAILINGS THROUGH JUNE; ALASKA SEASON CANCELLED FOR 5 SHIPS (Originally reported on the 14th April) Holland America Line announced that it has made the decision to extend its pause of global cruise operations and cancel all sailings scheduled to depart through June 30, 2020. This includes Alaska, Canada/New England and Europe cruises. The company cited continued port closures including Canada’s cruise ship suspension until July 1 and other travel restrictions resulting from global health concerns, In Alaska, Holland America Line is also cancelling all Alaska sailings for summer 2020 on Maasdam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Volendam and Westerdam. In addition, all Land+Sea Journeys are cancelled. A Land+Sea Journey combines a Holland America Line Alaska cruise with an overland tour to Denali and the Yukon. The McKinley Chalet Resort, McKinley Explorer rail cars and tour motor coaches will not operate this summer. Read more…. https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22783-holland-america- cancels-sailings-through-june-alaska-season-cancelled-for-5-ships.html
17 April, 2020: NSW GOVERNMENT TO APPOINT COMMISSION FOR INQUIRY INTO RUBY PRINCESS The Government of NSW has announced that it will appoint a special commission of inquiry to investigate the Ruby Princess cruise ship. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will name leading barrister Bret Walker SC to be the inquiry’s commissioner. The special commission of inquiry will give its report to the NSW Government within three to four months. Berejiklian said: “It is important that answers are provided quickly for the people of NSW. “As I have said before, we will leave no stone unturned until we find out exactly what happened.” Read more…. https://www.ship-technology.com/news/nsw-government-commission-inquiry-ruby-princess/
17 April, 2020: ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES SHEDS 26% OF U.S. WORKERS AS CORONAVIRUS CANCELLATIONS CONTINUE Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is reducing its U.S. workforce by 26%, with more than half of those workers in South Florida, the cruise line confirmed. “Earlier today, we told our employees the ______
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difficult news that we were laying off or furloughing approximately 26 percent of our more than 5,000 coworkers in the US,” the company said in a written statement. “We earlier announced the early conclusion of many crew contracts. The circumstances of the pandemic made this action unavoidable, and it hurts to part ways with so many good and talented people.” Most of the reductions are permanent layoffs, though some are 90-day furloughs with paid benefits. Read more… https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism- cruises/article242023321.html?fbclid=IwAR1PXnE2roANE3iUxK3eqNW- NqbYcQ__58aY1jzXGd7DijqjjoGJefSqFn8
17 April, 2020: ENCHANTED PRINCESS DELIVERY DELAYED Princess Cruises announced that the delivery of Enchanted Princess is delayed. A new delivery date has not been determined since the Fincantieri (Monfalcone, Italy) yard remains closed., the company said. Voyages through July 31 have been canceled. The delivery delay is due to the country-wide lock down imposed by the Italian government and public health officials in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The naming ceremony scheduled to take place in Southampton, England on June 30 has been canceled. Inaugural activities are under review in conjunction with changes to the ship deployment. Ref: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22787-enchanted-princess-delivery-delayed.html
17 April, 2020: WIFE SUES PRINCESS CRUISE LINES OVER HUSBAND’S DEATH FROM CORONAVIRUS A woman is suing Princess Cruise Lines for negligence, alleging in Los Angeles federal court that the company knowingly exposed her and her husband to the coronavirus and prevented the husband from leaving the ship, resulting in his death days later, according to court papers obtained Wednesday. On Feb. 21, Susan Dorety and her retired firefighter husband Michael boarded the Grand Princess cruise ship in San Francisco to celebrate their 40th anniversary. According to the suit, filed Tuesday, some passengers who had COVID-19 symptoms had just disembarked, while more than 60 others were allowed to remain on board after they had been exposed to the virus. The Santa Clarita-based company said that it does not comment on pending litigation. Read more…. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/wife-sues-princess-cruise-lines-over-husbands-death-from- coronavirus/2346742/
17 April, 2020: SAGA COULD DELAY TRANSFER OF SAGA SAPPHIRE Saga Cruises is looking to delay the transfer to the Saga Sapphire to her new operator, ANEX Tour. The 1981-built ship had been sold and was scheduled to leave the Saga fleet this summer, replaced by the new Spirit of Adventure. Amid the COVID-19 situation, plans could be changing, with cruise operations suspended for the British brand through June 1, 2020. "We have started discussions with Saga Sapphire's ______
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new owners about delaying the delivery of the ship to them," said Nigel Blanks, managing director, Saga Cruises. "Our hope is to postpone her farewell voyage until a little later in the year." The company said they plan to have a further update in early May. Ref: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22794-saga-could-delay-transfer-of-saga- sapphire.html
17 April, 2020: PULLMANTUR CRUISES DONATES 13 TONS OF FOOD Pullmantur Cruises has donated some 13 tons of food and beverages to the Malaga City Council (Spain) and the Government of the Colón Province (Panama). Pullmantur said in a prepared statement that the food, which included an assortment of cold meats and sausages, canned fish, olive oil, coffee and dairy products, has been distributed among different shelters, soup kitchens, homes and associations, benefiting an estimated 1,800 people. Explained President and CEO of Pullmantur, Richard J. Vogel: “It is food - perfectly fit for consumption - that we had onboard the Sovereign and Monarch and that we wanted to donate to help families facing difficult situations right now. “As a company it is always our duty to act in a responsible manner, taking people into account and adding value in one way or another. We will continue to look at possible opportunities to make new food donations." The Monarch and Sovereign have been docked in the Port of Colón (Panama) and Malaga (Spain) since 13 and 20 March, respectively. The company expects to resume its cruise operations on May 30, 2020. Ref: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22780-pullmantur-cruises-donates-13-tons-of- food.html
17 April, 2020: DON’T GO BARGAIN HUNTING ON CARNIVAL STOCK QUITE YET Few companies have been battered as hard as Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) by the coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdowns. Along with hotels and airlines, Carnival has the misfortune of being a travel and leisure company with high overhead and effectively no income for the foreseeable future. In mid-January, when COVID-19 was hitting the Chinese economy hard but seemed a world away from Europe or the United States, CCL stock traded around $52 per share. But as the virus spread and investors started to appreciate how quickly the virus had spread, Carnival’s shares went into freefall, dropping all the way to $7.80. At the time of writing, shares were trading at $12.42, 76% below the mid-January levels. After a drop like that, the bargain hunters start sniffing around. After all, on paper the stock looks cheap, trading at 4.5 times trailing earnings, 0.37 times sales and 0.36 times book value. Read more…. https://investorplace.com/2020/04/dont-go-bargain-hunting-on-ccl-stock-quite-yet/
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17 April, 2020: SEABOURN CANCELS MORE CRUISES, THROUGH JUNE Seabourn announced today that it will extend the voluntarily pause of global operations for its five cruise ships to voyages scheduled to depart through June 30, 2020, according to a press release. The brand had previously announced a pause in its global ship operations from March 14 - May 14, 2020, effectively cancelling all voyages scheduled to operate during that timeframe. The decision is a proactive response to the unpredictable circumstances evolving from the global response to the COVID-19 situation, the company said. Read more…. https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22781-seabourn-cancels-more-cruises-through- june.html
17 April, 2020: PHILIPPINES TO ALLOW FOREIGN CRUISE SHIPS CARRYING FILIPINOS TO DOCK IN MANILA Foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino seafarers will be allowed to dock at ports in Manila, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Thursday as the Philippines continues to repatriate its people displaced by the COVID- 19 pandemic. The government will also allow the use of ships as quarantine facilities subject to the guidelines on the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers, Nograles said. Ref: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/16/20/pinoy-seaman-ofw-repatriation-covid-19-coronavirus- related-articles-coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR1wFPGnPad7h0T6- ccV7Wz_VDjdHi9UvMCEOAbPqYPX0QTzAmP6mRga9hs https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/734258/foreign-cruise-ships-carrying-filipino-crew- allowed-to-dock-in-manila-iatf/story/
17 April, 2020: 27-YEAR-OLD ROYAL CARIBBEAN CREW MEMBER YOUNGEST TO DIE FROM COVID-19 IN SOUTH FLORIDA Through the passageways of the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship, if anyone heard the word “Dab” yelled from behind them, they knew it was Pujiyoko calling out for them, using his special term of endearment for “friend.” The 27-year-old joined Royal Caribbean in the housekeeping department in 2016 because he could make more money at sea than at home in Indonesia, and he wanted to help his family, friends say. He also wanted to see the world. On April 12, Pujiyoko became the youngest person in South Florida to die from COVID-19, one of at least three crew members who have died in South Florida hospitals after being evacuated from coronavirus-infected cruise ships weeks after the industry shut down in mid-March. Read more…. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism- cruises/article242042881.html?utm_source=pushly&intcid=%7B__explicit:pushly_508903%7D ______
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17 April, 2020: ‘NO SAIL’ RIPPLES THROUGH SITKA ECONOMY With a “No Sail” order for cruise ships extended through mid-July, Sitka businesses and city officials are looking for solutions and calculating projected losses. The original No Sail order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went into effect March 14. The new order, published Thursday, extends the No Sail time line until July 16. These orders came on top of the previously announced decision by the Canadian government to close its ports to cruise ships. Under American law, an intermediate stop in a foreign port is required of foreign-flagged vessels traveling between U.S. ports. On March 17, the CDC recommended that “all travelers defer cruise ship travel worldwide based on the widespread ongoing transmission of COVID-19,” while issuing the order that removed that option for anyone planning to leave from or travel to an American port.
The No Sail order has no impact on cargo vessels. The full text of the order can be viewed at cdc.gov. Thursday’s order states: “The Director of the CDC finds that cruise ship travel exacerbates the global spread of COVID-19 and that the scope of this pandemic is inherently and necessarily a problem that is international and interstate in nature, and has not been controlled sufficiently by the cruise ship industry or individual State or local health authorities.” Read more… http://sitkasentinel.com/7/2012-05-10-22-08-10/local-news/16414-no-sail-ripples-through-sitka- economy
17 April, 2020: CRUISERS NOT DETERRED BY CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, STILL BOOKING FUTURE VOYAGES, EXPERTS SAY While the coronavirus pandemic has put the cruise industry on hold, many cruisers aren't feeling deterred, even after watching multiple ships sail into chaos because of the virus. An April 8 Morgan Stanley industry note obtained by USA TODAY revealed customers are still booking cruises, primarily for 2021, though some cruisers are optimistic and are still booking from July onward. "Most of these (customers) are simply rebooking cancelled 2020 cruises using cruise credits. Around half of passengers whose bookings have been cancelled seem to be electing to take a future cruise credit rather than a cash refund, according to agents," the Morgan Stanley note reads. In a March 31 report on cruise lines, Swiss investment banking company UBS noted cruise bookings for 2021 were up 9% year over year , Quartz and the Maritime Executive reported. "Cruisers are eager to get back to their long-awaited vacation plans," Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners, told USA TODAY. Read more…. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/04/16/cruisers-still-booking-trips-spite- coronavirus-pandemic/2868160001/
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17 April, 2020: CORONAVIRUS AUSTRALIA: NEW BRISBANE CRUISE TERMINAL TO OPEN IN OCTOBER DESPITE INDUSTRY LOCKDOWN Brisbane’s new multi-million-dollar international cruise terminal will still open in October despite the industry being in lockdown because of the COVID-19 crisis. The $177 million terminal is slated to accept its first ship, the Carnival-owned Pacific Dawn, at 6am on October 3 at Luggage Point. A Port of Brisbane representative said it was too early to determine if the first cruise to depart from the port would need to be re-scheduled. “Given the fact that the government has introduced a temporary ban on cruising, as they have on international flights, with no indication as to when it will be lifted, it is too early to understand how this crisis will impact future seasons,” the spokesperson said. The cruise industry injected $5 billion into Australian tourism and provided 3.5 million passenger visit days in 2018-19, according to an Australian cruise industry economic assessment. Read more…. https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/coronavirus-australia-new-brisbane-cruise-terminal- to-open-in-october-despite-industry-lockdown-c-980119
17 April, 2020: CARNIVAL IS CONSIDERING CUTTING PASSENGER CAPACITY ON ITS CRUISE SHIPS AS IT LOOKS FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN WAKE OF CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKS, SOURCES SAY - Carnival Corp. may temporarily restrict the number of passengers on its ships when they begin sailing again, two sources close to the matter told Business Insider. - The company would do so by making certain cabins off-limits to passengers, the sources said. - Carnival also plans to continue checking passengers' temperatures before they board their ships, the sources said.
Carnival Corp. is considering temporarily limiting the number of passengers on its ships when they begin sailing again, two sources close to the matter told Business Insider. The company would do so by preventing passengers from booking certain cabins, the sources said. Two possibilities include allowing passengers to only book cabins with access to fresh air or making sure there are empty cabins between occupied ones, sources said.
Before Carnival halted new sailings in March, the novel coronavirus spread to over 1,000 passengers and crew members on Carnival-owned ships like the Diamond Princess, Ruby Princess, and Costa Luminosa. The company was in some cases criticized for the way its ships handled the virus, but Carnival's CEO, Arnold Donald, has argued that the company has consistently followed guidelines established by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read more…. https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-might-restrict-number-of-passengers-when-cruises-resume- 2020-4 ______
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17 April, 2020: CARNIVAL EXECS REPORTEDLY LET SHIPS SET SAIL DESPITE KNOWING CORONAVIRUS THREAT Executives at Carnival Cruise Lines were aware of the potential danger that the coronavirus posed to passengers and crew but let ships set sail anyway, an explosive new report alleges. The beleaguered cruise company, which has seen more than 1,500 positive diagnoses and 39 deaths on its fleet of ships, ignored warnings and didn’t take proper safety precautions until it was too late, according to Bloomberg. On the Grand Princess, which received notice on March 4 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was “investigating a small cluster” of cases in California that were linked to the ship, passengers were still treated to live shows, crowded buffets and all the shopping and amenities the ship had to offer. The next day, when a shelter-in-place was ordered by the ship’s captain, passengers rushed to shop and hit the buffet before returning to their rooms. Executives including CEO Arnold Donald knew about the virus’ spread in China as early as January, when Carnival’s innovation chief, John Padgett, was in touch with a manufacturer in Wuhan — the epicenter of China’s virus problem, according to the Thursday report. Read more…. https://nypost.com/2020/04/16/carnival-execs-let-ships-set-sail-despite-coronavirus-threat-report/
17 April, 2020: DONALD: CARNIVAL PREPARED FOR ‘WORST CASE’ SCENARIO Donald said recent fundraising efforts from Carnival Corporation has prepared the company for a “worst case scenario,” meaning capital to operate for some time without revenue. He noted the company was still seeking additional liquidity options in the form of stimulus packages from other governments. Donald said he was hopeful that existing debt could be extended as well. He noted the company is doing everything it can to take care of its crew and mange ships during the disruption. “We want to make sure we are in a position to succeed once cruising resumes,” he commented. As for as previously proposed industry regulations that said guests over 70 needed a medical waiver to board ships, Donald said he did not know what the future would hold in terms of new rules and regulations.
Donald said there was still demand and company was seeing bookings for this summer as well as for the rest of 2020 and 2021. “The (start-up) will probably be certain locations, certain destinations, certain times … it’s unlikely you’ll be sailing a full fleet right away or anything like that.” In terms of Carnival’s upcoming 18 new ships and orderbook extending to 2025, Donald said most of the newbuilds could be delayed with shipyards currently closed. Donald said the company was in dialogue with its shipyard partners on timelines, delays and event potential cancellations. Ref: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22797-donald-carnival-prepared-for-worst-case- scenario.html ______
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17 April, 2020: CRUISE SHIPS HAVE ALWAYS STRUGGLED WITH OUTBREAKS. WILL THINGS CHANGE AFTER COVID-19? When the new coronavirus began to spread in Canada in early March, the Public Health Agency of Canada recommended against “all cruise ship travel” due to the risk of contracting COVID-19. “The virus can spread quickly on cruise ships due to the close contact between passengers,” said chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam in a presser. There have since been multiple outbreaks of COVID-19 on cruise ships around the world — and yet, despite all of this, cruise bookings for 2021 appear to be on the rise. The cruise booking site cruisecompete.com had a 40 per cent increase in bookings for 2021 compared to 2019, the company told the Los Angeles Times, and a recent poll conducted by cruisecritic.com found that 75 per cent of people plan to book cruises at the same rate as before once the coronavirus outbreak is over.
But after facilitating the rapid spread of the new coronavirus, can cruise ships still be considered safe? “The short story here is that any place where you crowd lots of people together [is] prone to infectious diseases,” said Dr. Michael Libman, tropical disease expert and professor of medicine at McGill University. “The fact is that cruise ships are a little bit unique because you crowd a lot of people together in a fairly enclosed space, and it’s not just for … a few hours, it’s for days.”
Cruise ships have a long history of infectious disease outbreaks. In 2019, a cruise ship was quarantined in St. Lucia due to a confirmed case of measles. There have also been issues with respiratory infections like influenza and chickenpox as well as norovirus and E. coli. According to the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2019 alone there were eight confirmed outbreaks of norovirus on seven different cruise ships. Dr. Rachael Lee, infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at the University of Alabama, Birmingham Hospital, agrees with Libman. “Viral infections can spread whenever large numbers of people are in close proximity for an extended time, especially in a closed environment,” she said. “We’ve seen viral outbreaks on cruise ships before for that reason.” However, Libman says these problems have been addressed by most large cruise lines. “I think the industry learned from it and put into place extra sanitary, hygienic measures to try and stop that kind of thing,” he said. “You certainly don’t hear about it as much anymore.” Another factor that could play a part is the sheer amount of travel that happens during any one cruise. “That’s how things move. There’s no doubt about that.”
Libman, who is also the co-principal investigator of GeoSentinel, a global network for the surveillance of travel-related morbidity, believes something unique occurred when the new coronavirus landed on cruise ships. In his work, he attempts to track infectious diseases as they spread - something that has been ______
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relatively difficult with COVID-19. “The fact is that something happened on board several cruise ships,” Libman said. “The Diamond Princess [ship] saw some 700 people get infected, despite the boat being docked and some kind of quarantine measures going on.
Social Factors Cruise lines suffer from a “systemic issue” of inequality, according to Mathieu Poirier, a social epidemiologist and professor at York University. “I think a lot of people overlook that [cruise ships] essentially employ people at a very low cost,” Poirier said. “These cleaners [and food preparers] are often making well under $5 an hour, and these are the people we are relying on to clean surfaces, prepare food safely, report these diseases once they happen and deal with them.” In Poirier’s view, until cruise employees are paid more, hygiene will continue to be a concern. “The people that we’re relying on to make these cruises safe … aren’t getting paid enough to do the work that needs to be done in a meaningful way,” he said. “Until that gets taken care of, I think we’re going to see a continuation of what we’ve seen in the last few decades: a lot of these infectious diseases spreading and them not being controlled quickly or effective enough,” Poirier said.
Responsible Travel Given the concerns about the spread of infectious diseases on cruise ships, some experts worry travellers will be too eager to go aboard once the immediate threat of COVID-19 has passed. “I don’t criticize the people who have rebooked … but I would worry about [the safety of] cruises in the next 18 months or so,” said Kerry Bowman, bioethicist and professor in the faculty of medicine at the University of Toronto. “The problem would be you could be creating risk not just for yourself but other people.” Bowman recognizes that cruises are a relatively accessible way to see the world, especially for older people, but he anticipates that they will carry a lot of risk in a post-pandemic world. “It’s a similar issue to that of long- term care,” he said. “There are big similarities between the two — communal dining, enclosed spaces.”
The Fate of Cruises When public health officials first issued warnings about avoiding cruise ship travel in early March, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said the measures were “unwarranted.” In a statement on March 7, the CLIA said it has already taken proactive measures to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus, including stringent pre-boarding screening procedures. “With the proactive measures put in place by the cruise industry based on prevailing guidance from global health authorities, arbitrary restrictions are unwarranted and could have long-term detrimental effects on the Canadian people and economy,” the statement read. ______
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However, despite changing protocol on cruise ships, experts aren’t convinced the industry will bounce back right away. Libman hopes that once a COVID-19 vaccine is created, the new coronavirus will just become like another influenza — but until that happens, “it’s easily imaginable that people are going to be terrified of any kind of crowd.” Bowman agrees: “How comfortable are you going to be on a plane with 300 people for nine hours?” he said. “I think the whole travel front is going to be reconfigured.” For now, Libman says more research is needed before cruises can be considered completely safe again. “The transmission dynamics [of COVID-19 on cruise ships] aren’t completely understood at the moment,” Libman said. “I imagine as we learn more about it, we’ll be able to put in measures to try and prevent this kind of thing in the future because clearly, coronavirus is not going away anytime soon.” Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate. Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities. To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres (6 feet) from other people if you go out. Ref: https://globalnews.ca/news/6820248/coronavirus-cruise-ships-safety/
17 April, 2020: CARNIVAL SPIRIT OFFERING SOUTHEAST ALASKA CRUISE DESPITE STATE'S “NO SAIL” ORDER Despite the CDC's no-sail order, Carnival Cruise Line is currently offering a 7-day Southeast Alaska roundtrip cruise from Seattle WA on Carnival Spirit (departure July 7). According to Skagway AK's Mayor Andrew Cremata, the small town was virtually shut down trying to avoid a spike in Coronavirus (COVID- 19) cases. There are no confirmed Coronavirus cases in Skagway and the port town wants to keep it that way. The health clinic in Skagway has 2 ventilators. There is no hospital. However, the economy of the remote community is based on cruise tourism and planned for an all-time high number of cruisers this year. So did Ketchikan and Juneau, the other Alaska ports on the itinerary. Cremata said they wanted the cruise liners and their passengers to come - they needed them to, but we also wanted good partners. And they wanted "to work with people and cruise ship companies that respect the people in this community and, above all else, respect their health.” Ref: https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/6963-carnival-offering-southeast-alaska-sailing-despite-federal- no-sail-order ______
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17 April, 2020: CELEBRITY CRUISES - UPDATE Given global public health circumstances, we have decided to extend the suspension of sailings of our global fleet through June 11th, 2020. We are working with our guests to address this disruption to their vacations, and we are genuinely sorry for their inconvenience. We expect to return to service on June 12. Ref: https://www.celebritycruises.com/travel-alert
17 April, 2020: 10 MUST-KNOW THINGS ABOUT THE VANCOUVER CRUISE TERMINAL Vancouver cruise terminal is conveniently located for cruises to Alaska. It serves around 900,000 cruise passenger every year from late April through September. This top-rated port destination is the home base for many cruise ships during the summer season and has around 290 ship port-of-calls every year. It’s northern location, excellent amenities and natural beauty makes it a popular base for cruise lines offering one-way and round-trip Alaska cruise. They traverse the stunning Inside Passage along British Columbia’s west coast. We cover everything you need to know about Vancouver Cruise Terminal, from how to get there to what amenities are available. Check out the facts below before you sail! Read more… https://www.cruisehive.com/must-know-things-about-the-vancouver-cruise-terminal/39111
17 April, 2020: CRUISE LINES CUT JOBS AND PAY TO STAY AFLOAT In a move to save as much cash as possible during the voluntary suspension of service, cruise lines are making every move necessary to stay afloat. Back when the cruise lines took on a voluntary 30-day suspension of service, it became clear that each of the companies would be taking a financial hit. But as the crisis drags on and they are now looking at months of lost revenue — yet having to pay expenses associated with keeping their fleets in good shape — cost-cutting measures are having to be made. Unfortunately, some of those will have a major negative impact, especially on crew members. Read more….. https://cruiseradio.net/cruise-lines-cut-jobs-and-pay-to-stay-afloat/
17 April, 2020: CRUISE LINE PREVIEWS THE FUTURE OF CRUISING Princess Cruises has given us a glimpse at what the future of cruising holds. The details in their new “Cruise with Confidence” health policies outline what passengers can expect — from embarkation to disembarkation and everything in between — when cruising resumes later this year. Similar to guidelines released by Genting for Star Cruises and Dream Cruises earlier this month, the Cruise with Confidence policy not only serves as an outline to what passengers will experience on board, but offers valuable advice that will help them prepare. Because as has become increasingly clear, the cruise lines will be taking passenger safety and health very seriously, and that will begin before they set one foot on board. Read more… https://cruiseradio.net/princess-cruises-previews-the-future-of-cruising/
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17 April, 2020: CRUISE LINE DETAILS NEW SANITATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES One cruise line’s new policies and procedures might offer a glimpse into what passengers can expect when other companies begin sailing in the months ahead. Genting Cruises, the owner of Asia-based Dream Cruises and Star Cruises, revealed exactly what steps they’d be taking to keep passengers safe in the future. While their programs are not necessarily what we will see lines such as Carnival, Norwegian or Royal Caribbean implement, they do seem in line with many of the suggestions which have been made both to and by Cruise Lines International Association. The Asia Cruise Terminal Association endorsed the procedures created by Genting, and the cruise company plans to work with the China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association to author a “white paper” based on the policies to provide a comprehensive and unified response plan for the cruise industry. Read more… https://cruiseradio.net/cruise-line-details-new-sanitation-policies-and-procedures/
17 April, 2020: OLD MARITIME RULES POSE OBSTACLES TO LAWSUITS FROM PRINCESS CRUISE PASSENGERS (originally posted in March 2020) Those upset by the company's coronavirus response may be stymied by high-seas regulations passed more than 100 years ago. Read more…. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/old-maritime-rules-pose-obstacles-lawsuits-princess-cruise- passengers-n1185791
17 April, 2020: CANADIAN CREW MEMBERS 'FEELING DESPERATE AND HELPLESS' STUCK ON CRUISE SHIP Weeks after passengers disembarked, crew says they're in limbo, working without pay. Canadian crew members of a luxury cruise ship say they are effectively being held captive aboard the vessel, being assigned work without pay and threatened that their lines of communication will be cut off if they speak out — allegations the company denies. The crew members aren't sure when they'll be able to safely return home. They are worried about plans to merge their crew with other crews, including one that had a confirmed case of COVID-19, before sailing to the United Kingdom for eventual repatriation. The workers are aboard the Silver Cloud, a 254-passenger ship owned by Silversea Cruises, a luxury cruise line based in Monaco. Royal Caribbean, the world's largest cruise line by revenue, owns a two-thirds stake in Silversea. Read more… https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/silver-cloud-cruise-crew-covid-19-allegations-1.5533900
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17 April, 2020: CRUISERS NOT DETERRED BY CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, STILL BOOKING FUTURE VOYAGES, EXPERTS SAY While the coronavirus pandemic has put the cruise industry on hold, many cruisers aren't feeling deterred, even after watching multiple ships sail into chaos because of the virus. An April 8 Morgan Stanley industry note obtained by USA TODAY revealed customers are still booking cruises, primarily for 2021, though some cruisers are optimistic and are still booking from July onward. "Most of these (customers) are simply rebooking cancelled 2020 cruises using cruise credits. Around half of passengers whose bookings have been cancelled seem to be electing to take a future cruise credit rather than a cash refund, according to agents," the Morgan Stanley note reads. In a March 31 report on cruise lines, Swiss investment banking company UBS noted cruise bookings for 2021 were up 9% year over year , Quartz and the Maritime Executive reported. "Cruisers are eager to get back to their long-awaited vacation plans," Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners, told USA TODAY. Read more….. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/04/16/cruisers-still-booking-trips-spite- coronavirus-pandemic/2868160001/
17 April, 2020: ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CELEBRITY HALT CRUISES THROUGH JUNE 11; CARNIVAL, PRINCESS CANCEL THROUGH JUNE Royal Caribbean Cruises and Celebrity Cruises have extended their shutdowns through June 11. In statements Thursday, both cruise companies cited the public health circumstances around the coronavirus pandemic for the increased suspension of sailing. "We are facing truly unprecedented times as the coronavirus pandemic continues to have unexpected consequences," the Celebrity Cruises statement, posted on the company's official Twitter page, stated. "We are genuinely sorry for their inconvenience," Royal Caribbean said on its website. "We expect to return to service on June 12." Read more… https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/04/14/carnival-princess-cancel-cruises- through-june-amid-coronavirus-crisis/2991576001/
17 April, 2020: CRUISE SHIPS HAVE ALWAYS STRUGGLED WITH OUTBREAKS. WILL THINGS CHANGE AFTER COVID-19? Cruise ships have always struggled with outbreaks. Will things change after COVID-19? The cruise booking site cruisecompete.com had a 40 per cent increase in bookings for 2021 compared to 2019, the company told the Los Angeles Times, and a recent poll conducted by cruisecritic.com found that 75 per cent of people plan to book cruises at the same rate as before once the coronavirus outbreak is over. But after facilitating the rapid spread of the new coronavirus, can cruise ships still be considered safe? Read more…. https://globalnews.ca/news/6820248/coronavirus-cruise-ships-safety/ ______
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17 April, 2020: SUN PRINCESS FILIPINO CREW NOT ALLOWED TO DISEMBARK IN MANILA? The cruise ship Sun Princess which set sail from Australia in order to return its Filipino and Indonesian crew members back home is facing repatriation problems. Sun Princess is currently off the coast of Manila however some Filipino crew onboard report that they are not allowed to disembark the ship. According to them, the government is not allowing the disembarkation process to begin and they haven’t received any official announcement by the local authorities.
About 225 Filipinos aboard Sun Princess are waiting to disembark and start the mandatory quarantine in the Philippines before returning to their homes. The ship has not reported any positive case of the virus among the crew and all onboard are in good health. We received the following message: “The only thing that I know is that the Philippines Government started re-calling the repatriation of the Filipino Seafarers. Sun Princess came from Australia here in the Philippines just to bring home Filipino Crew. But what happening right now is some bad news came from their captain that they are not allowing to Disembark the Crew for unknown reason maybe they’re Afraid that maybe some Of the crew has a Virus. We just want our government to allow us to Disembark and start the Mandatory quarantine because we are already almost 30days at sea.”
According to some Filipino crew members who are waiting to be repatriated, the quarantine capacity for seafarers has reached the maximum level in the Philippines. Today the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a public notice regarding the return of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), whether sea- based or land-based:
“Foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino crew shall be allowed to dock in ports in Manila and may be used as quarantine facilities for said Filipino crew members, subject to the guidelines to be issued by the member agencies of the Sub Task Group for the Repatriation of OFWs. The use of the cruise ship as a quarantine site will be determined by the cruise ship's suitability as a quarantine facility and the cruise ship owners' willingness and capability to financially sustain the operation of the quarantine program in their ship. The above are pursuant to Resolutions No. 23 and 24 issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) dated 13 and 15 April 2020, respectively. While the DFA works hand-in-hand with various foreign governments and cruise ship companies with regard to the repatriation of OFWs, the quarantine facilities and program will be determined and facilitated by the Department of Health (DOH) and Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ)." Ref: http://crew-center.com/sun-princess-filipino-crew-not-allowed-disembark-manila
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17 April, 2020: TEMPORARY PAUSE OF GLOBAL OPERATIONS EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 30 SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – In continued response to the impact of the COVID-19 global outbreak and the recent order from the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Princess Cruises is canceling all voyages through June 30, 2020. The cruise line had previously announced a voluntary pause for two months (60 days), impacting voyages departing March 12 to May 10, 2020. In addition, Princess Cruises can confirm modifications to the Alaska season, which includes the cancellation of all Princess Alaska Gulf cruise and cruise tours. The five wilderness lodges, trains and buses operated by Princess in Alaska will not open this summer. We will continue round-trip sailings from Seattle to Alaska on Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess. "This global outbreak continues to challenge our world in unimaginable ways. We recognize how disappointing this is to our long-term business partners and thousands of employees, many of whom have been with us in Alaska for decades," said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises. "We hope everyone impacted by these cancellations – especially our guests, travel advisor partners, teammates, and the communities we visit – understand our decision to do our part to protect the safety, health and well-being of our guests and team. We look forward to the brighter days and smooth seas ahead for all of us." Read more…. https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/global-ship-operations-pause- extended.html
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