First (small) ship in the Caribbean - already 1 pax COVID pos

[KashasMom]

This is so disappointing. A small ship started sailing Saturday - several COVID tests/ precautions in place and already 1 passenger tested positive. There are less than 120 passengers on board. How are they ever going to handle several thousand passengers/crew?

https://thepointsguy.com/news/caribbean-cruise-covid-scare-seadream/

 

[o&smom]

The crazy thing with that cruise was that they were not requiring masks once onboard. I understand that they all had to have multiple negative tests, but that just seemed silly in the current situation.

 

[o&smom]

Just read the article and saw that they had to start wearing masks two days in.

 

[Chemist]

Given that the virus surges all over the country, this isn't exactly shocking.

Best chances of cruising coming back are when numbers go down, not when they are dramatically increasing all over the country.

 

[Intr3pid]

They are sailing out of Barbados, but most of the guests are from the US.:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/tracking-cruising-restart-news-and-updates.3809664/post-62452794
We have seen COVID cases on the European cruises earlier, but those ships were larger. The issue with these smaller boats is that you don't have enough room for isolation if a few test positive.

From the article, it sounds like the COVID patient felt ill before the test, and the ship was operating with the assumption that there was a possible case or two on board. That would not fly under CDC's new rules.

 

[pumpkinqueen93]

Just read the article and saw that they had to start wearing masks two days in.

Why did they say no mask in the first place? Did they think mask wearing would turn people away?

 

[pumpkinqueen93]

They are sailing out of Barbados, but most of the guests are from the US.:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/tracking-cruising-restart-news-and-updates.3809664/post-62452794
We have seen COVID cases on the European cruises earlier, but those ships were larger. The issue with these smaller boats is that you don't have enough room for isolation if a few test positive.

From the article, it sounds like the COVID patient felt ill before the test, and the ship was operating with the assumption that there was a possible case or two on board. That would not fly under CDC's new rules.

I think best thing to do would be to do a covid test and a temperature test. Anyone ill shouldn't be on board, just for precautions.

 

[Starwind]

Why did they say no mask in the first place? Did they think mask wearing would turn people away?

I watched a vlog about the transatlantic sailing the ship did. Apparently the cruise line felt that with their testing protocol and physical distancing that masks wearn't necessary because they had created a "bubble" on the ship.

 

[KVH]

So, even after all the Sea Dream's precautions, including testing 3 days before AND the day of departure, at least one virus case is now forcing them to return to port early from their first sailing.

Two thoughts - after reading about their boarding process, do you think the other lines will mirror those procedures? Even if they're not 100% effective? The procedures seem to be a little more than I think some people are expecting. Secondly, I'm wondering about whether DCL will cut cruises short if infections do pop up, especially for the impact to longer sailings (like a PC or TA).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So, even after all the Sea Dream's precautions, including testing 3 days before AND the day of departure, at least one virus case is now forcing them to return to port early from their first sailing.

Two thoughts - after reading about their boarding process, do you think the other lines will mirror those procedures? Even if they're not 100% effective? The procedures seem to be a little more than I think some people are expecting. Secondly, I'm wondering about whether DCL will cut cruises short if infections do pop up, especially for the impact to longer sailings (like a PC or TA).

Well, initially, when/if cruises actually get going, there probably won't be Panama Canal or Trans Atlantic cruises with passengers, since those both are longer than 7 nights.

Personally, I think people should even BE cruising until there's a vaccine (IF there's a vaccine) and the disease is under control. IMO, that's not for at least a year.

As to how the various cruise lines are going to handle things - no one really knows, yet. One of the biggest mistakes they did on that cruise was not requiring masks until 2 days out.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I watched a vlog about the transatlantic sailing the ship did. Apparently the cruise line felt that with their testing protocol and physical distancing that masks wearn't necessary because they had created a "bubble" on the ship.

Except that the bubble was broken when they boarded the new passengers.

 

[AquaDame]

One of the biggest mistakes they did on that cruise was not requiring masks until 2 days out.

I wonder what the thought was..? If anything I would think the first few days would be the most important, not the least.

 

[gotomu212]

So, even after all the Sea Dream's precautions, including testing 3 days before AND the day of departure, at least one virus case is now forcing them to return to port early from their first sailing.

Two thoughts - after reading about their boarding process, do you think the other lines will mirror those procedures? Even if they're not 100% effective? The procedures seem to be a little more than I think some people are expecting. Secondly, I'm wondering about whether DCL will cut cruises short if infections do pop up, especially for the impact to longer sailings (like a PC or TA).

What happens when there’s a known infection on board is one of my big questions. Given how you become infectious before symptomatic and given how close an environment you have on board (even with masking and distancing and reduced passengers, it’s a very dense space 24/7), the ability for it to spread are high. Do you isolate and stay at sea knowing you may be incubating it already or do you cut the cruise short? With shorter cruises you have the benefit that people infected on board won’t show up sick on board but then you also become a super spreader on steroids as you debarked passengers for planes and back home.

And, what happens when you get back to shore. Even as testing improves, testing 2k people is a huge undertaking. Are they going with the assumption that even though they have shared space on a cruise they aren’t suspected of close contact that requires additional isolation?

While I don‘t think every cruise will have a problem, the possibility that someone is going to have widespread event is high, and what does that do to the industry?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I wonder what the thought was..? If anything I would think the first few days would be the most important, not the least.

The cruise prior was a TA cruise. Since they had no one testing positive on that one, they thought their bubble was safe. No thought to the fact that the people onboard that cruise were, basically, quarantined.

Someone didn't think about the fact that they were now going to board new passengers, who hadn't been isolated from the general population.

 

[randumb0]

That's pretty disappointing. A negative test 3 days prior as well as a negative test prior to boarding? There's nothing else that you can do if you are a cruiseline.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That's pretty disappointing. A negative test 3 days prior as well as a negative test prior to boarding? There's nothing else that you can do if you are a cruiseline.

A negative test 3 days prior (at home? before flying to port city?) And then a negative test upon boarding won't show an infection if the person was exposed on the flight. Or in the taxi from airport to ship.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Oh my, this puts a stop to my daydreams of being able to cruise sooner rather than later! I don’t think my March cruise will sail.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Oh my, this puts a stop to my daydreams of being able to cruise sooner rather than later! I don’t think my March cruise will sail.

I am afraid you are right. None of us cruising anywhere, anytime soon...

 

[_auroraborealis_]

And, what happens when you get back to shore. Even as testing improves, testing 2k people is a huge undertaking. Are they going with the assumption that even though they have shared space on a cruise they aren’t suspected of close contact that requires additional isolation?

Under CDC return to sail, DCL has to be able to test everyone embarking, everyone disembarking at every port, and everyone at final disembark. Everyone. So the scale is large. Even with rapid tests and assuming low capacity on board, the other thing to consider is how LONG it takes to do this each time.

 

[lanejudy]

As to testing 2000 folks -- colleges have been doing that plus more on a regular basis this fall, so it's clearly possible. The logistics of how, where, when will come into play - such as staggered arrival and boarding as well as staggered debarkation. Not sure how that works in port, though maybe fewer people will debark in port especially with only cruiseline-led excursions.