Will the CDC extend the No Sail Order?

[STH Cruising]

CDC will take the plans submitted by the cruise industry and then develop and publish recommendations. CDC has done so for many many activities of daily life from travel and transport, restaurants and bars, to churches, to parks and recreation and so on. The recommendations include guiding principles and documents in some level of detail. I have read many of these and they are quite detailed. You can see how this works on the CDC web site at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html

However, for cruising there is an apparent cone of silence. We see strong evidence that the cruise lines have developed plans (a great example being Virgin Voyages), and EU Healthy Gateways has published a detailed advisory for resuming cruising. Thus, my disappointment in CDC.

My overall point is we just don’t know when CDC will respond to cruise industry plans, and speculation doesn’t solve that overall problem.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Most ships in US waters are still repatriating crew.

 

[auntlynne]

For me, this site is the perfect place for speculating on cruising. And reliving our cruise memories. And talking about our future in cruising - be it for the last decade when we didn’t even think about when or whether our ship would sail (maybe a bit of that in 2011) Or right now.

Many of us are angsty, considering how much time and effort can get put into these vacations. For many, cruising is part of normal, even if it is a luxurious non-necessity.

What friends and family indulge us so much in this unreal love we have for going out in the ocean in our pretty tin cans?

And so many people have bits of different info to share.

I am expecting to learn on this site that my November cruise is a no-go; DCL’s formal notice will show up some time later.

Besides, we don’t have so much to talk about here with no planning going on. We should be discussing Fall 2021 itineraries by now, wondering why they didn’t come up a cruise to South America yet, to enjoy their Spring.

 

[Marc D]

If CDC does extend the ban, could cruise lines just cruise in and out of non-US ports? I would be willing to fly to St. Lucia or somewhere else for embarkation day. St. Lucia goes to phase 2 opening on 08/01.

There are two problems with that. One is getting the cruisers to the ship through the small airports with very few connections in another country (hence requiring passports). Even Vancouver, which is a large international airport, offers challenges for a lot of Americans because of the few direct flights from major U.S. hubs it offers.

The other one, which is even more important, is the restocking of the ship. Per USDA rules, ships can only restock in determined ports. Those ports are supported by a massive infrastructure - trucks, refrigerated warehouses, supply chains, refueling stations - that allow ships to be autonomous for 14 days once they leave port. Outside of San Juan, there are no Caribbean ports that can turn around a ship.

 

[monkeydawn]

The thing is, if you do a ban or regulation, it has to span all industries and people equally if it is expected to work. As soon as you start handing out exemptions, the virus containment fails. The virus does not observe exemptions or essential businesses. Exhibit A = No cruising in Florida since March yet we have record high infection in Florida today. The cruise industry only ban is a dismal failure and it's time for the CDC to make tough, not popular choices and focus on other industries than just cruising.

The US simply isnt willing to do what is needed for containment, stopping cruising isnt containing COVID and I dont recall seeing claims that it would. It seems we are only willing to mitigate, and mostly half heartedly at that. For whatever reason the general public has decided that they are OK with the CDC regulating cruise stoppage for COVID. I cant really say anymore about effective solutions without becoming political but I dont see you be satisfied in th enear future. And if your Oct cruise is with DCL I think you had better make back up plans, even if the CDC will allow.

 

[Donna3271]

Well, I just PIF for Oct 22 Bermuda. I am hoping it is cancelled and I get the 125%. If not, we will go and hope for the best. At least we don't have to fly.

 

[ThinkTink1]

If I am correct... which I could be wrong... it has happened before.... I could’ve sworn that US citizens are being denied entry to almost every country out there... soooo I would assume even if they lifted the ban... which as much as this kills me because I missed 2 cruises already but I completely understand.... that we’d be not allowed off the ship.... I am ok with that but I do like the option of getting off

 

[WDWLODGE]

Has there been any talk by the cruise industry to limit the # of passengers on their ships? Just like the parks reopened with capacity limits couldn't they do something similar based on ship size? I realize cruise companies would need to calculate how many passengers they need to sustain operations. I don't have a clue what that number would be.

 

[Donna3271]

If I am correct... which I could be wrong... it has happened before.... I could’ve sworn that US citizens are being denied entry to almost every country out there... soooo I would assume even if they lifted the ban... which as much as this kills me because I missed 2 cruises already but I completely understand.... that we’d be not allowed off the ship.... I am ok with that but I do like the option of getting off

Bermuda is being very stringent. We shall see...

 

[T & R]

And if your Oct cruise is with DCL I think you had better make back up plans, even if the CDC will allow.

I'm fine with that but DCL wont cancel our cruise and we're concierge. So right now we're locked in and cannot cancel.

 

[T & R]

If I am correct... which I could be wrong... it has happened before.... I could’ve sworn that US citizens are being denied entry to almost every country out there... soooo I would assume even if they lifted the ban... which as much as this kills me because I missed 2 cruises already but I completely understand.... that we’d be not allowed off the ship.... I am ok with that but I do like the option of getting off

I was hopeful the cruise lines could do a deal with the Bahamas Government where they could dock at their private islands like Coco or Castaway Cay. This way Bahamas could still get their millions in port fees revenue (which they could use right now) and there would be no contact with cruisers and locals. On CC there are some locals that come in as vendors but if they cut that out, then there would be no cruiser to locals contact if done at private islands. This would be a win for all and would mitigate any fear of Covid spread from cruise ship to Bahama locals. Would also satisfy the PVSA requirement to dock.

 

[Sleepyluke]

The problem I still have with the cruises on lockdown, is that we are still hand selecting what can and can't operate. The airlines are running, the subways are running, nasty germ factories everywhere are operating. Let me decide if I want to chance it on a ship. Most cruises (except TA) are within hours of land anywhere they are anyway, so it is not like we are mid ocean with no ability to contact civilization.

 

[Chemist]

The problem I still have with the cruises on lockdown, is that we are still hand selecting what can and can't operate. The airlines are running, the subways are running, nasty germ factories everywhere are operating. Let me decide if I want to chance it on a ship. Most cruises (except TA) are within hours of land anywhere they are anyway, so it is not like we are mid ocean with no ability to contact civilization.

The problem is that subways are necessary for people to get to work. Airplanes are also necessary forms of transportation.

There is NOTHING necessary about a cruise.

And the thing is, if YOU chance it on a ship, YOU can bring the virus back to your family, who then brings it to school, which causes school to close.

Its not just YOU and YOUR choices. Your choices affect the rest of your community.

(I'm a little twitchy about the fact that we may not have school next year. And angry about people making stupid choices causing it to happen.)

 

[Sleepyluke]

The problem is that subways are necessary for people to get to work. Airplanes are also necessary forms of transportation.

There is NOTHING necessary about a cruise.

And the thing is, if YOU chance it on a ship, YOU can bring the virus back to your family, who then brings it to school, which causes school to close.

Its not just YOU and YOUR choices. Your choices affect the rest of your community.

(I'm a little twitchy about the fact that we may not have school next year. And angry about people making stupid choices causing it to happen.)

I dont disagree with you in theory, but it is something necessary for everyone associated with the cruise industry. The cruise ships employ thousands of people, and contirbute to millions of people and worldwide economies that are currently not feeding their families due to the ships sitting idle. Airplanes are a germ factory, and used for business and pleasure, but they were not mandated to close. I get that it is splitting hairs, but jsut an observation that the industry as a whole seems to be singled out, but also not typically US based tax purposes, so the lobby is not there for them as the airlines have.

I do my best to be safe and keep everyone else safe and follow the rules that are there. But unless you lock yourself in a room, we are all subject to the random picking it up anywhere we choose to go and bring it home. We like to think that locking everything down again is the answer, but as long as any of us want to go get something to eat, groceries, insert anyting here, we are relying on someone else to put themselves at risk for our benefit.

Stay safe out there and protect each other best we can.

 

[mmmears]

The problem is that subways are necessary for people to get to work. Airplanes are also necessary forms of transportation.

There is NOTHING necessary about a cruise.

And the thing is, if YOU chance it on a ship, YOU can bring the virus back to your family, who then brings it to school, which causes school to close.

Its not just YOU and YOUR choices. Your choices affect the rest of your community.

(I'm a little twitchy about the fact that we may not have school next year. And angry about people making stupid choices causing it to happen.)

Totally agree with you. It's not essential. I keep thinking about the flights and rides and hotels where so many "wanna be cruisers" would go and potentially spread their germs, as well as the communities they would return home to.

I get that people want to travel. I want to travel, too. But not at the cost of inflicting pain and suffering on others or prolonging an epidemic.

As for the CDC, who knows what they will do. But I honestly don't see DCL setting sail in the next few months in any event, especially when so many of those sailing would originate in an epidemic hot spot.

 

[T & R]

The problem is that subways are necessary for people to get to work. Airplanes are also necessary forms of transportation.

There is NOTHING necessary about a cruise.

And the thing is, if YOU chance it on a ship, YOU can bring the virus back to your family, who then brings it to school, which causes school to close.

Its not just YOU and YOUR choices. Your choices affect the rest of your community.

(I'm a little twitchy about the fact that we may not have school next year. And angry about people making stupid choices causing it to happen.)

Necessary or unnecessary is irrelevant. All industries could have additional regulations put in place by CDC to help. Just because your industry is necessary does not mean that additional regulation could not help against the Covid fight. I am truly shocked that not a single person on here finds it odd that in the worst pandemic in our lifetime, only one industry received additional regulation by the CDC and that's cruising. Nobody finds that odd, that not a single other business on the entire planet could have had some attention from the CDC other than cruising?

For example: cruising was banned by the CDC in April, airlines did their self imposed mask policy in May. That's a full month where the CDC/FAA could have stepped in and required masks on flights that would have helped fight the spread when it mattered but instead they stopped at cruise ban and nothing more. People come on here and reply that air travel is essential. That is irrelevant, CDC/FAA could have still regulated the industry and made a requirement to wear a mask on an essential flight that would help in the fight. The CDC chose to take no action against anything other than cruising and to me that is a failure that is still materializing to this day.

 

[mmmears]

Necessary or unnecessary is irrelevant. All industries could have additional regulations put in place by CDC to help. Just because your industry is necessary does not mean that additional regulation could not help against the Covid fight. I am truly shocked that not a single person on here finds it odd that in the worst pandemic in our lifetime, only one industry received additional regulation by the CDC and that's cruising. Nobody finds that odd, that not a single other business on the entire planet could have had some attention from the CDC other than cruising?

For example: cruising was banned by the CDC in April, airlines did their self imposed mask policy in May. That's a full month where the CDC/FAA could have stepped in and required masks on flights that would have helped fight the spread when it mattered but instead they stopped at cruise ban and nothing more. People come on here and reply that air travel is essential. That is irrelevant, CDC/FAA could have still regulated the industry and made a requirement to wear a mask on an essential flight that would help in the fight. The CDC chose to take no action against anything other than cruising and to me that is a failure that is still materializing to this day.

Whether or not the CDC has gone far enough wasn't the question here. I think they did the right thing as far as cruise ships.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Necessary or unnecessary is irrelevant. All industries could have additional regulations put in place by CDC to help. Just because your industry is necessary does not mean that additional regulation could not help against the Covid fight. I am truly shocked that not a single person on here finds it odd that in the worst pandemic in our lifetime, only one industry received additional regulation by the CDC and that's cruising. Nobody finds that odd, that not a single other business on the entire planet could have had some attention from the CDC other than cruising?

For example: cruising was banned by the CDC in April, airlines did their self imposed mask policy in May. That's a full month where the CDC/FAA could have stepped in and required masks on flights that would have helped fight the spread when it mattered but instead they stopped at cruise ban and nothing more. People come on here and reply that air travel is essential. That is irrelevant, CDC/FAA could have still regulated the industry and made a requirement to wear a mask on an essential flight that would help in the fight. The CDC chose to take no action against anything other than cruising and to me that is a failure that is still materializing to this day.

I don't find it odd. Primarily because, as I said before, the cruising industry is NOT a US company. The CDC can make requirements for foreign entities as necessary. Yes, there are jobs associated with cruising but, again, that industry is not necessary or essential. Lots of businesses deemed non-essential have people who work there losing money, even here in the US (think beauty salons, barbershops and restaurants).

 

[jcbftw]

I know this has been discussed elsewhere, but I'm guessing one of the reasons there isn't some major rush to on the part of the CDC to re-start the cruise industry (setting aside the debate over essential v. non-essential travel), is that many of these companies are not incorporated in the U.S. and do not directly employ a ton of U.S. citizens...though they secondary effect on the U.S. travel industry is not nothing.

 

[T & R]

I don't find it odd. Primarily because, as I said before, the cruising industry is NOT a US company. The CDC can make requirements for foreign entities as necessary. Yes, there are jobs associated with cruising but, again, that industry is not necessary or essential. Lots of businesses deemed non-essential have people who work there losing money, even here in the US (think beauty salons, barbershops and restaurants).

In the air (airplane) or in a port of entry (airports) is Fed territory (CDC Territory). Also, it would be very hard to find any company that didn't fall under interstate commerce clause this making them subject to Fed. I guess maybe some backwoods mom and pop store that does their receivables and payables out of a shoebox or non-fed member credit union may be exempt but that would be about it.