Coronavirus : general discussion focussed on the impact on the cruise industry

[Alex Tarry]

I think the implications of this for the cruise industry could be profound...

Princess Cruises have 18 ships and for this Thursday they have released an offer, enabling booking any of them for £1 deposit, and a free benefits package to boot.  Surely desperate stuff...

Their brand and the Diamond Princess ship are indelibly linked to this outbreak and could be permanently affected.

Currently the world is getting smaller for the cruise industry as a whole and may continue to do so, so less itineraries, lower demand and now we are seeing this kind of reaction from ports...worrisome stuff for the industry and all who are supported by it...

[Andy Holloway]

During one of the  many 'norovirus' alerts during my time onboard QE2 we were in Trieste for the day.
As usual the hand sanatisers were placed at the bottom of the gangway and one of the Security Staff was there monitoring to ensure everyone used the facility. We had been trying hard to get the  company to issue lanyards to all Passengers and crew to attache their cards to, but to no avail. However we had managed to get a large number that we issued to crew, plus quite a few also acquired one of their own.
It was approaching 'all aboard' time and i was on the jetty overseeing operations. Along the dock side came 3 crew members, i'll tell you the dept later, when they arrived at the gangway they obediently showed their crew cards to the Security and then, needing to sanatise their hands, immediately put their crew cards in their mouths!!!!
When i pointed out to them what they had done they were so embarrassed and had done it without thinking, it was a natural instinct!
It case you're still wondering what the problem was, just think it through. Dirty hands holding card, place card in mouth to sanatise hands - Oh yes!!

The Dept by the way was Medical! 1 Dr and 2 nurses!!  Needless to say they were at my office straight after sailing to ask if i had any lanyards, thereafter it was included in the Medical section of the training for new crew!!

Hence the reason i always carried my Crew card on a lanyard, and the fact it also held my Grand Master key!!!


     

[Rob Lightbody]

Cruise ship linked to coronavirus death held off coast of San Francisco

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/04/coronavirus-san-francisco-cruise-ship-grand-princess

[Chris Thompson]

The poor old cruise ships are becoming a bit of a pariah, I heard the Diamond Princess referred to as 'the virus of the seas' on a radio station in the US recently!

[June Ingram]

Planes did in Atlantic crossings - coronavirus doing in cruises ?  (especially Princess ships) ! 

[Rob Lightbody]

The poor old cruise ships are becoming a bit of a pariah, I heard the Diamond Princess referred to as 'the virus of the seas' on a radio station in the US recently!

Carnival UK share price for the last 5 years attached...

I can't see why this won't just continue to get worse.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I imagine airlines would also be affected. To my mind, it would actually be good for us and our planet if we all travelled a bit less.

[Peter Mugridge]

I imagine airlines would also be affected.

They are, and one ( FlyBe ) has already gone bust as a direct result of the fear of this virus putting people off from booking.

[Rob Lightbody]

Half the people tested so far on Grand Princess have tested positive, and vice President Pence is advising elderly Americans to consider not traveling on cruises, which was inevitable.

It's now 5 or 6 weeks since I started this topic, and my view remains that I wouldn't go near a cruise ship just now, and can't see how much longer they can continue to operate in the current emergency.

Workplaces with just 1 or 2 cases send everyone home for a week or two until they deep clean the office...

[Clydebuilt1971]

The cruise industry will take some time to recover from this - galling given it wasnt their doing in the first place!!

The almost hysterical reaction of some folks - panic buying irrelevant articles from supermarkets etc points to the way the media can manipulate situations.

This is an aggresive strain of the flu virus which will sadly take the ones with poor immune systems or with existing conditions. The common flu still kills more people every year than this version!

Be sensible and avoid getting caught up in the media hype!!!

Gav

[Thomas Hypher]

The cruise industry will take some time to recover from this - galling given it wasnt their doing in the first place!!

The almost hysterical reaction of some folks - panic buying irrelevant articles from supermarkets etc points to the way the media can manipulate situations.

This is an aggresive strain of the flu virus which will sadly take the ones with poor immune systems or with existing conditions. The common flu still kills more people every year than this version!

Be sensible and avoid getting caught up in the media hype!!!

Gav

Exactly my thoughts particularly regarding the media, provided COVID-19 doesn't mutate in the way the Influenza of 1919 did.

[June Ingram]

Well said, Gav and Thomas.  Interestingly, the three ships involved so far to any extent are Princess ships.  Is it coincidental or is some other factor in place ?  I was on Sky Princess in January, and I thought there was more emphasis on hand washing, etc. than there was on recent cruises on MSC or HAL. 

[Bruce Nicholls]

My mother and stepfather (92 and 93) were due to sail on the new Saga Spirit of Discovery on Monday last week. a severe outbreak of Novovirus on the previous 2 cruises (notified to them by Saga) and the Coronovirus threat lead to them cancelling on the Friday before. I thought wisely given their ages.

[Chris Hodges]

We are booked on QM2 return transatlantic in May and today received communication from cunard re the outbreak. They have massively revised their cancellation policy offering 100% refunds or future cruise credit up until 48hrs before departure. They have also added a further $400 onboard credit to our account which we aren’t to disappointed about 

[Rob Lightbody]

British nationals aged 70 and over and those with underlying health conditions are advised not to travel on cruise ships. #Covid_19

https://twitter.com/foreignoffice/status/1238173037830320128