The actual restart date will be....(according to us)...Poll!

[soniam]

If cruising does start before a vaccine, here's my worry.

Will other counties allow US citizens into their country.

I'm sure the Sturgis motorcycle rally made the news all around the world. Crowded bars while colleges open back up, crowded beaches before summer is over. A wedding here in MN had 275 guests, not socially distancing, not wearing masks and 56 people came down with COVID-19 directly related to the wedding. There are many other stories like this every day in the news.

Too many people are not taking this seriously, not following precautions to slow it down. Why would other countries allow us to disembark?

I voted for March 2021. I hope that with so many labs in so many countries working on a vaccine; there will be a vaccine by the end of 2020. And they will be able to produce enough of it and they will come up with a method to distribute it globally for this to happen.

No one has to go if DCL starts back up. If it doesn't appear to be safe, relatively speaking, then I would choose to not go. It doesn't mean that DCL won't try to start anyway. I think islands in the Caribbean will allow people from the US; some of these islands are already US territories. European cruises are totally different ballgame, as well as Alaska cruises that hit Canada. I wouldn't let people from the US in for a long time if I were Europe or Canada.

Just because another country finds a vaccine, it doesn't mean that they would offer to sell it here before providing it to their own country/continent first. It's not rude; it's just common sense on their part to protect themselves and their most important trade/economic partners with whom they have close physical contact. I also am not convinced that they will have a viable, relatively safe, decently tested, plentiful vaccine anytime this year or even in the Spring. If they follow the priority plans set out to disperse a vaccine, my husband and I would be in the very last group. Our son, since he's school age, would actually get it before we would. They are proposing 4 groups, with the last group comprising about 10-20% of the population. We would almost be at herd immunity, not quite, before we could even get it. I am not disagreeing with their distribution priority, just being practical about where I lie in that.

 

[Amunet]

I voted May
I doubt DCL would open up cruising while the Bahamas have quarantine restrictions, since Castaway is kind of their special island.

 

[bbel]

I voted February, I think they may get the go ahead December/January time. But a big part of me thinks later if though I dont want it to be.

I also think it would only be 1 maybe 2 ships.

But I know of crew who have been given contracts to replace skeleton crew, and were actually never able to make it onboard due to travel restrictions.
I also know of a US crew member who has been waiting 6 weeks, floating in the Caribbean, to make it home and just got back this last weekend.

Cruising might get the go ahead but travel restrictions could be hard, I see a lot of charter flights for crew if they can and want to get back at it soon...

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I think islands in the Caribbean will allow people from the US; some of these islands are already US territories.

Alaska, Hawaii, PR and the US I have out travel bans in place for mainlanders, with quarantine requirements. So just being US states or possessions doesn't track to accepting ships.

Islands have the ability to control their borders and may continue to do so if they feel the economic benefit of opening is lower than the economic and social impacts of infection on small islands with weak medical infrastructures. (Or, in AK, a piece of land that is far bigger than maps even suggest with highly distributed medical infrastructures, that is limited in port towns particularly. Maps suggests AK is smaller than TX and rillyno.)

 

[tvguy]

Someone at work had an interesting observation. DCL operates mostly out of Florida. Florida has had some of the fewest restrictions due to covid-19. Florida, based on it's population, currently has infection rates that are near the top of the list.
If you are the Bahamas,(for example) how would you feel about welcoming cruise ships traveling out of Florida based on that?

 

[lizzyb]

I think January 2021

 

[Garyjames220]

Any guesses when we might hear the next announcement, as it’s been over a month since the last one

 

[disneygeek401]

Any guesses when we might hear the next announcement, as it’s been over a month since the last one

They will play chicken for as long as they can. They already pulled November cruises from the site so those are likely a goner. I'd imagine in the next week or so, I would have said late this month since the CDC is no longer accepting feedback starting in two weeks but that would not give a lot of notice to those who booked Nov. cruises

 

[JM23457]

What will happen when (not if) someone gets Covid onboard? Will the ship quarantine everyone and change course in the middle of the ocean to disembark those infected?

This kind of extreme reaction to a virus that is nonthreatening to the large majority of people who get it, is the reason why we're having trouble restarting cruising (and normal life in general).

The best course of action would be for only low-risk people to cruise: no elderly, obese, or other immune-compromised individuals, until the pandemic is over. Then when someone gets it, it doesn't become an emergency as most people outside of the high risk groups are either completely asymptomatic or have very mild cases.

 

[n2mm]

I chose summer 2021....no reason other than gut and dcl seems to be overly cautious so far. I feel dcl has one shot at starting up and they want it to go well and doesn’t want to go backwards. If crew gets sick, again, then we would see another stoppage. Their reputation is on the line. I’ve got 4 cruises booked, but am ready to move my April 2021 cruise, which was moved from January 2021. I also have a September 2021 and two November 2021 cruises booked.

 

[AquaDame]

This kind of extreme overreaction to a virus that is nonthreatening to the large majority of people who get it, is the reason why we're having trouble restarting cruising (and normal life in general).

The best course of action would be for only low-risk people to cruise: no elderly, no obese, etc. Then when someone gets it, it doesn't become an emergency as most people outside of the high risk groups are either completely asymptomatic or have very mild cases.

That is ignoring the fact that spreading the virus will still mean the susceptible are more likely to come into contact with someone infected. All of these people who catch it go home and go back to their normal lives all over. It is very unlikely that these people will choose to quarantine on their return. Regardless, trying to enforce a health panel on who is and is not healthy enough to cruise on the part of the provider would be a sticky wicket. I don't see how they could do so without risk of backlash or litigation both from people who want to cruise and can't due to their line in the sand, and from people who DO cruise and happen to be one of the unlucky ones. They cannot ignore that some otherwise healthy young people are having severe complications from the virus, however small that number may be. This is no longer an unforeseen circumstance, or a random "act of god": these companies know there is a risk with every sailing at this point in time. Whether some of us think this is an overreaction or not is moot; they want this so much more than we do, they will sail as soon as they can.

 

[soniam]

That is ignoring the fact that spreading the virus will still mean the susceptible are more likely to come into contact with someone infected. All of these people who catch it go home and go back to their normal lives all over. It is very unlikely that these people will choose to quarantine on their return. Regardless, trying to enforce a health panel on who is and is not healthy enough to cruise on the part of the provider would be a sticky wicket. I don't see how they could do so without risk of backlash or litigation both from people who want to cruise and can't due to their line in the sand, and from people who DO cruise and happen to be one of the unlucky ones. They cannot ignore that some otherwise healthy young people are having severe complications from the virus, however small that number may be. This is no longer an unforeseen circumstance, or a random "act of god": these companies know there is a risk with every sailing at this point in time. Whether some of us think this is an overreaction or not is moot; they want this so much more than we do, they will sail as soon as they can.

I agree. Not to mention that studies have seen what looks like permanent heart and lung damage amongst the young that were either pre-symptomatic or not severely affected, especially amongst high school and college aged sports participants. I think there are going to be some bad long term effects, even from mild cases, that we just don't know about yet. With some of the rational, I wonder if people would say that smoking shouldn't be as restricted as it is, because the odds of actually dying from it are not really that high

 

[Snowwhyt]

I voted February, I think they may get the go ahead December/January time. But a big part of me thinks later if though I dont want it to be.
I also think it would only be 1 maybe 2 ships.

I voted for November, but I too think that the Wonder and the Fantasy will sail first. Since they have discussed a plan at the Texas port, I think they will be first. They all will sail in January I think

Any guesses when we might hear the next announcement, as it’s been over a month since the last one

I'm thinking after the next earning report. Then they can start refunding money again for most or all November and part of December cruises.

This kind of extreme reaction to a virus that is nonthreatening to the large majority of people who get it, is the reason why we're having trouble restarting cruising (and normal life in general).

The best course of action would be for only low-risk people to cruise: no elderly, obese, or other immune-compromised individuals, until the pandemic is over. Then when someone gets it, it doesn't become an emergency as most people outside of the high risk groups are either completely asymptomatic or have very mild cases.

I had this super fast thought come to mind;


Excuse me sir could you step over to the exit with us we would like to talk to you for a moment.

 

[DisneYE]

This kind of extreme reaction to a virus that is nonthreatening to the large majority of people who get it, is the reason why we're having trouble restarting cruising (and normal life in general).

The best course of action would be for only low-risk people to cruise: no elderly, obese, or other immune-compromised individuals, until the pandemic is over. Then when someone gets it, it doesn't become an emergency as most people outside of the high risk groups are either completely asymptomatic or have very mild cases.

I'm all for it
But I don't think DCL or any other cruise lines operate on the assumption that most ppl are asymptomatic...clearly they are worried about outbreaks & how to handle them, otherwise you'd see lots of ships sailing right now.

 

[soniam]

This kind of extreme reaction to a virus that is nonthreatening to the large majority of people who get it, is the reason why we're having trouble restarting cruising (and normal life in general).

The best course of action would be for only low-risk people to cruise: no elderly, obese, or other immune-compromised individuals, until the pandemic is over. Then when someone gets it, it doesn't become an emergency as most people outside of the high risk groups are either completely asymptomatic or have very mild cases.

Man, barring obese is going to cut down on a lot of DCL and Disney fans. Just sayin' As I go get a cookie Also, what do you consider elderly? The risk category increases with age. Is it 50s, 60s, 70s? 50s and 60s is also a good portion of DCL customers, I presume.

 

[wombat_5606]

Man, barring obese is going to cut down on a lot of DCL and Disney fans. Just sayin' As I go get a cookie Also, what do you consider elderly? The risk category increases with age. Is it 50s, 60s, 70s? 50s and 60s is also a good portion of DCL customers, I presume.

I was just going to post that I'd read somewhere recently that 45% of Americans have at least one chronic condition, which is about 133 million people.

I agree that obesity in Disney fans is very evident if you've ever spent any significant time in the parks.

Years ago, Carnival had a ship that was just for non-smokers (it was before it's time, IMO), but maybe DCL could market themselves as the Fit and Under Forty Cruise line and see how that works out for them.

 

[AquaDame]

It seems both sides have had their say - please lets allow this thread to get back on track now, with no further argument about the CDC.

 

[wombat_5606]

It seems both sides have had their say - please lets allow this thread to get back on track now, with no further argument about the CDC.

Please delete all recent comments that mention the CDC.

 

[DCLMP]

I feel like were getting close or at least close to getting some information about when they will start up again. I voted January. I think sometime in the next month we'll start hearing about what protocols will be in place. What's going to be interesting is how they are going to handle guests that don't want to sail because of the protocols. Will they let them cancel with a full refund?

 

[DCLMP]

Years ago, Carnival had a ship that was just for non-smokers (it was before it's time, IMO), but maybe DCL could market themselves as the Fit and Under Forty Cruise line and see how that works out for them.

That would be one way to cut capacity. I'm not sure they would hit the breakeven 30% though. LOL