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Covid-19 at Sea

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Volkonski
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Covid-19 at Sea

#1

Post by Volkonski »

2 US Navy Warships in Mideast Affected by Coronavirus

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/coronavirus ... t_DFWBrand
Two U.S. Navy warships operating in the Mideast have been affected by the coronavirus, authorities said Friday, with one already at port in Bahrain and another heading to port now.

A dozen troops aboard the USS San Diego, an amphibious transport dock, tested positive for COVID-19, said Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. The ship is at port in Bahrain.

“All positive cases have been isolated on board, and the ship remains in a restricted COVID bubble,” Rebarich told The Associated Press. “The port visit and medical support have been coordinated with the host nation government and Bahrain Ministry of Health.”

The second ship, the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, has “several persons under investigation” for possible coronavirus infections, Rebarich said. The ship is expected to pull into port for further testing at a location she declined to name, citing “operational security.”
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#2

Post by Volkonski »

https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-fo ... 88b2d05c26

Florida to feds: Allow cruise ships to operate or we’ll sue
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ripped into the federal government’s continued pandemic ban on cruise ships using U.S. ports, threatening Friday to file a lawsuit if one of the state’s biggest tourism sectors is not allowed to resume operations soon.

Appearing at Port Canaveral with leaders from Carnival, Norwegian, Disney and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said they are exploring the state’s legal options if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not allow U.S.-based cruising to resume by summer.

The state is the nation’s cruise capital with three of the world’s busiest ports: Miami, Port Canaveral near Kennedy Space Center, and Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale. Millions typically cruise from Florida each year and the industry generates billions for the state’s economy.

DeSantis said the continued ban is only hurting Florida with no effect on the pandemic as cruising is resuming elsewhere in the world and Americans are flying to the nearby Bahamas to board ships.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#3

Post by AndyinPA »

Viking is starting cruising with a cruise around the British Isles, but only for British citizens. I think I saw that another cruise line (Caribbean?) is starting cruises that originate and end in the Caribbean.

People seem to be hopeful that international cruising will start by about June. I'm not so sure. I have a trip to Portugal and Spain in October, but I'm not really confident that's happening.

I am toying with the idea of taking a river cruise in this country. We could cruise from Pittsburgh to St. Louis and take the train to Chicago and then home.

Not cruising, necessarily, but Iceland is opening to US citizens who have been fully vaccinated.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#4

Post by FiveAcres »

AndyinPA wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 10:15 pm
Not cruising, necessarily, but Iceland is opening to US citizens who have been fully vaccinated.
Iceland is looking good right now. Direct flight to Reykjavik from Denver, hot spas and a volcano to visit! (We had a brief visit in 2019 and loved it.)
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#5

Post by AndyinPA »

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... table-main
Roughly 400,000 seafarers were stranded on ships around the globe at the peak of the “crew-change crisis” in late 2020, according to the International Maritime Organization; now, about 200,000 are stuck. Some have been at sea for as long as 20 months, though 11 months is the maximum time allowed by the IMO. The situation threatens to grow more dire in the coming months, industry experts say, as mariners desperately try to access coronavirus vaccines, their situation complicated by a web of complex logistics and workplaces often situated thousands of miles offshore.

World leaders have called the crew-change crisis a humanitarian emergency. It is also a cautionary tale about essential but oft-ignored global supply chains. Industry officials told The Washington Post there’s been an increase in severe injuries and mental health concerns — including suicide at sea — as mariners have yearned to leave their ships and return home.

The industry also is grappling with staffing shortages while seeing unprecedented demand for its services, a situation that worsened when a container ship ran aground last month in the Suez Canal and blocked the crucial waterway for nearly a week.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#6

Post by Lani »

The virus is showing us all the cracks and failures of society and business infrastructure worldwide. When this pandemic finally fades away, I don't want to go back "normal." We have a great opportunity to do better.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#7

Post by neonzx »

Test cruises with volunteer passengers are on the horizon as CDC issues new guidance
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/c ... 954043001/
The return of passenger-filled cruise ships sailing in U.S. waters is in sight.

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released additional guidance for cruise ships with instructions for trial voyages with volunteer passengers meant to take place in advance of sailings that include paying passengers.

"With the issuance of these next two phases, cruise ship operators now have all the necessary requirements and recommendations they need to start simulated voyages before resuming restricted passenger voyages and apply for a COVID-19 conditional sailing certificate to begin sailing with restricted passenger voyages," the CDC said on its website, noting it may adjust requirements and recommendations in the future.

Cruise ships with a vaccine requirement of at least 95% of passengers vaccinated and 98% of crew vaccinated will be able to bypass the test sailing requirement and go straight to sailings with paying passengers, Caitlin Shockey, CDC spokesperson, confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday, pointing to clarifications issued by the CDC to the cruise industry in a letter last week. :snippity:
I remember AndyinPA had a cruise booked for last summer that they were hoping to take.... hoping the crisis would be over in a few months. That wasn't going to happen in 2020. Maybe this year looks much better. :thumbsup:
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#8

Post by Lani »

Floriduh
If Florida won’t allow Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for passengers and crew, the company’s CEO says it will take its ships elsewhere.

CEO Frank Del Rio made the threat during an earnings call Thursday, just days after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill passed by the Republican-controlled state Legislature that bans businesses, schools and government entities in Florida from asking anyone to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is the world’s third largest cruise company, parent to cruise brands Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas. Miami-Dade County spent $263 million building a terminal for Norwegian at Port Miami that finished construction last year.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/busine ... rylink=cpy
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#9

Post by Volkonski »

Good for the Norwegian Cruise Line! :thumbsup:
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#10

Post by neonzx »

Good on them... avoid Floriduh.

I'm not into cruising on a big boat on their own schedule. What happens if something comes up? Can you open your Uber app? -- I don't think Uber does boats yet. :lol:
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#11

Post by p0rtia »

Watching DeSantis passing insane laws over the past years has been an education in totalitarianism.

He has gone from "I'm not passing any sciencey laws; let the local communities and businesses do what they want" to "Fuck you, I won't have any of that science stuff in my state at all--it's now illegal for local communities and business to do what they want; they have to do what _I_ want!"

Of course there is no use in pointing out to him that actual, y'know, people, mainly prefer to have vaccine-only cruises.

I hope the Norwegians stick to their guns.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#12

Post by neonzx »

p0rtia wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 11:27 am Watching DeSantis passing insane laws over the past years has been an education in totalitarianism.
Watch for him in 2024 -- he's a Trump disciple.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#13

Post by Lani »

Out of curiosity, I read the Norwegian Cruise Line safety requirements. https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe The best part - there won't be any anti-maskers or anti-vaxers on the cruise! :thumbsup:
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#14

Post by AndyinPA »

Hopefully, no Covid-19 at sea. We are going on a cruise around Iceland in August. It's only eight days with six on the ship. The ship is at half capacity, everyone has to be vaccinated, all crew and all passengers. All meals are with reservations; there are no buffets. You can get off the ship only with an organized small tour. There are no deviations. We wanted to stay a week after, but the agreement between Viking and Iceland doesn't allow it. We can get around that by flying in ourselves, but we've decided not to. Iceland is open to US citizens with vaccinations, so that is allowed by Iceland if we want to do it. Following my Iceland groups on FB, I know that there are plane issues with cancellations, so we are better just staying with Viking. We will have to take a test on the ship when we arrive, and we will have to take a test before we leave to be able to get back into the states. Viking has a lab set up on their ships, so that part is easy.

The trip is cruising around the island from Reykjavík to Reykjavík. We have a cabin next to a friend, so we will make our own fun if we have to, and we will obey all the rules. By the end of August, the days will be getting longer, so I'd say we have a good chance to see the new volcano and, if we're lucky, the northern lights.

Viking is also doing Welcome Back cruises in Greece and Malta, but that's too far to fly for the length of time. They are also doing cruises around Bermuda, but we've been there more than Iceland, so this makes more sense.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#15

Post by Slim Cognito »

That sounds amazing. I don't know if I'll ever do a cruise again, but I'd wanted to go to Cuba on a cruise ship. Neighbors took the cruise, I think Norwegian?, and, if he hadn't been such a tightwad, they'd have had a great time. I mean, who cashes in $20 for tourist units and expect it to last you a full, freakin' day? As soon as they ran out, he pushed her back to the ship for the buffets.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#16

Post by sad-cafe »

neonzx wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 8:09 pm Test cruises with volunteer passengers are on the horizon as CDC issues new guidance
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/c ... 954043001/
The return of passenger-filled cruise ships sailing in U.S. waters is in sight.

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released additional guidance for cruise ships with instructions for trial voyages with volunteer passengers meant to take place in advance of sailings that include paying passengers.

"With the issuance of these next two phases, cruise ship operators now have all the necessary requirements and recommendations they need to start simulated voyages before resuming restricted passenger voyages and apply for a COVID-19 conditional sailing certificate to begin sailing with restricted passenger voyages," the CDC said on its website, noting it may adjust requirements and recommendations in the future.

Cruise ships with a vaccine requirement of at least 95% of passengers vaccinated and 98% of crew vaccinated will be able to bypass the test sailing requirement and go straight to sailings with paying passengers, Caitlin Shockey, CDC spokesperson, confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday, pointing to clarifications issued by the CDC to the cruise industry in a letter last week. :snippity:
I remember AndyinPA had a cruise booked for last summer that they were hoping to take.... hoping the crisis would be over in a few months. That wasn't going to happen in 2020. Maybe this year looks much better. :thumbsup:

Our cruise last year was postponed. We rebooked for June this year-postponed again GRRR
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#17

Post by AndyinPA »

I know a lot about Viking. They have been cancelling cruises one-to-two months at a time. They started out with setting up these cruises in Iceland and Bermuda in June and July. I knew if they cancelled for August, new around-island cruises would open up in August, and that's what happened. They had one ship in Iceland, now they will have two. A lot of people have been frustrated by all the cancellations, but most seem to understand that it's out of Viking's control.

I also get a lot of information from Princess and Norwegian. Because of the much smaller ships, it's much easier for Viking to make these agreements than larger cruise lines with these mega ships. It may be awhile before many people are willing to get back on those. That's not a bad thing.

I got a confidential survey from Princess a few weeks ago. They asked me not to disclose any of the questions. No problem. I don't really remember any specifics, but I will say that they are very aware of the problems they face. They seem to want to do the best they can for themselves and their passengers.

In the general scope of things, getting passengers back on ships is a very minor problem, not even a blip on the radar. Even if things go well on the Viking cruise, we will still have to reconsider how things go from here.

For us, getting back to sort of normal means being able to travel again. We'll just have to see how it all shakes out. I've taken each day at a time for the last year plus. It's how we move forward.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#18

Post by Foggy »

By the end of August, the days will be getting longer ...
Only in the Southern Hemisphere.

In Iceland, as in Pennsylvania, the longest day of the year is June 20, from then on the days will be getting shorter. They'll be shorter at the end of August than they will in early August.

This message brought to you by Mr. Anal Astronomy Amateur. :blackeye:
Out from under. :thumbsup:
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#19

Post by AndyinPA »

Foggy wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 7:04 am
By the end of August, the days will be getting longer ...
Only in the Southern Hemisphere.

In Iceland, as in Pennsylvania, the longest day of the year is June 20, from then on the days will be getting shorter. They'll be shorter at the end of August than they will in early August.

This message brought to you by Mr. Anal Astronomy Amateur. :blackeye:
Oops! :oopsy:

I meant that the nights will be getting longer as that's the best time to see the northern lights. :lol:

And now the volcano is lighting up the skies at night, too. I saw a few photos a month ago of the skies simultaneously being red and green from the lights and the volcano. That would be awesome, but I'm not counting on it. But I do know that the lights can be out as early as late August over Iceland. :pray:
I got to see them in late August once flying out of Anchorage. They were above the curve of the earth. It was a-maz-ing!
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#20

Post by tek »

Off Topic
Where does one go to study Anal Astronomy?
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#21

Post by sugar magnolia »

Off Topic
And what is required of one to become a professional?
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#22

Post by johnpcapitalist »

tek wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 4:14 pm
Off Topic
Where does one go to study Anal Astronomy?
Not sure. But this documentary might offer a few clues.

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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#23

Post by neonzx »

Slim Cognito wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 12:31 pm That sounds amazing. I don't know if I'll ever do a cruise again, but I'd wanted to go to Cuba on a cruise ship. Neighbors took the cruise, I think Norwegian?, and, if he hadn't been such a tightwad, they'd have had a great time. I mean, who cashes in $20 for tourist units and expect it to last you a full, freakin' day? As soon as they ran out, he pushed her back to the ship for the buffets.
I think we'll be okay. I've never taken a cruise. When I take a vacation, I want to do what I wanna do -- and be free to change-up as needed. You can't do that on a cruise. There are pluses and minus and you weight them out.
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#24

Post by Foggy »

Off Topic
tek wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 4:14 pmWhere does one go to study Anal Astronomy?
Out from under. :thumbsup:
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Re: Covid-19 at Sea

#25

Post by RTH10260 »

Royal Caribbean delays trip after 8 crew test COVID-19 positive
Agence France-Presse
June 16, 2021

Royal Caribbean is pushing back the maiden voyage of a new ship by a month after eight crew members tested positive for Covid-19, the company's chief executive said.

"Two steps forward and one step back!" Chief Executive Michael Bayley said in a Facebook post Tuesday night that announced the delay for the inaugural trip of "Odyssey of the Seas."

"During routine testing, eight crew members received a positive test result for Covid-19," Bayley said.

"The eight crew members, six of whom were asymptomatic and two with mild symptoms, were quarantined and are being closely monitored by our medical team."

All 1,400 crew members were vaccinated on June 4 and will be considered fully vaccinated on June 18.

The test results came after the staff was vaccinated but before the shots were fully effective, Bayley said.

The Odyssey voyage, is now set to depart from Port Everglades, Florida on July 31 instead of July 3.

The delay comes just days after Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Millennium trip had two cases of Covid-19.

The trip, which had departed from the Caribbean island of St. Maarten on June 5, was the first by a major cruise ship to depart North America since the pandemic.

Everyone on the cruise had been vaccinated, including all crew, the company said.



https://www.rawstory.com/royal-caribbea ... -positive/
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