Frank Del Rio’s wrong. Serious cruising COVID problems make it a risk today.


Frank Del Rio, the Norwegian CEO, complains the cruise industry is being unfairly singled out. He fails to note cruising COVID problems that make cruising a risk.


cruising COVID problemsSince January 4, new cases of COVID-19 throughout the world have exceeded 2 million per day. Recently, they’ve exceeded 3 million. This year, in the U.S. alone, new cruising COVID problems have averaged more than 690,000 per day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reporting on the COVID status of more than 100 cruise ships, with 92 of them having enough COVID cases to be tagged “yellow.” That means they need investigation and continued observation.

Since December, the CDC has recommended that people “avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status.” That qualifies as cruising COVID problems in anyone’s book.

CLIA says COVID cases on board ships are few and are mild or asymptomatic, but doesn’t say they’re causing cruise cancellations and ports refusing passenger entry.

Irritated by hotel resort fees?The cruise industry’s trade group, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), called the CDC’s warning “particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard.” CLIA said that their cases are mild or asymptomatic and complained that the cruise industry was being singled out compared to other travel sectors.Frank Del Rio, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO, complained that the media is unfairly targeting the cruise industry and is using the industry’s extensive testing and contract tracing program against it for “cheap headlines” to gain readers.

Del Rio rightly points out that other travel industries haven’t been required to do extensive COVID-19 testing and contact tracing of their guests. On the other hand he doesn’t acknowledge COVID problems that are shaking the confidence of cruisers.

Recently, I said,

“Even if you’re fully vaccinated and boosted, I don’t think it makes sense to book or take a cruise leaving in the near term.”

Let’s reexamine that recommendation in light of Frank Del Rio’s charge that the cruise industry is being unfairly targeted and singled out.

The CDC threshold for declaring a cruise ship yellow seems extremely low, but ships with just a few infected passengers and crew are encountering serious problems due to COVID.

Infections:
To designate a ship as “yellow” for COVID, the ship must have at least 0.1 percent of its passengers or more than one crew member infected with COVID-19, according to the CDC. That’s a very low threshold. To put it in real-world terms, on Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Odyssey of the Seas, as few as 5 infected passengers on the 4,180 (double occupancy) passenger ship can trigger a “yellow” designation.

At the end of December, however, at least 3 guests and 55 crew members on the ship were infected with COVID. On the Symphony of the Seas (5518 passengers, double occupancy), 48 guests were infected with COVID on a December cruise. Yes, there are cruises that haven’t had any infections, some that have had very few, and some with many, like the two examples.

Passengers can’t depend on their ship visiting the ports they paid to see if there are COVID infections among passengers or crew. If missed no compensation will be available.

Missed ports of call:
When I cruise, it’s to visit specific ports of call with interesting shore excursions. While the ship needs to be comfortable and enjoyable, it’s the destinations the ship visits that draw me and many others. Recent cruises have disappointed many passengers due to missed ports.

With COVID cases on board, the Carnival Freedom wasn’t permitted to stop in Bonaire and Aruba. The same was true for Holland America’s Koningsdam at Puerto Vallarta. Regent’s Seven Seas Mariner wasn’t permitted to stop at Cartagena due to COVID infections on board the ship. The same happened to the MSC Seashore at its private island of Ocean Cay, and on another cruise, Carnival Freedom at Grand Turk.

Exacerbating the problem for passengers who missed their favorite ports of call and excursions, due to COVID, is that the cruise lines aren’t liable for changes in their cruise itineraries. If you miss a port, you have no financial recourse.

Passengers can’t depend on their cruise sailing, even if it’s still scheduled just a week ahead. One sailing was cancelled the day before embarkation.

Canceled cruises:
Canceled cruises, whether last minute or with some warning are occurring during the pandemic due to infected passengers and particularly infected crew members. Right now, cancellations aren’t numerous, but that could change. A cruise on Symphony of the Seas was canceled the day before it was to leave. Vision of the Seas has now canceled cruises until early March. Serenade of the Seas canceled sailings from January 8 through early March and now it will dry dock until then end of April. Norwegian Cruise Line, Mr. Del Rio’s company, is also cancelling sailings, some until late April.

Isolation if you’re infected:
When a cruise passenger tests positive for COVID they are understandably, immediately taken to isolation to prevent other passengers and crew from becoming infected. Typically, ships have staterooms specifically used for isolation. In them, meals are brought to the cabin. The cabin television and Internet access (hopefully it’s fast and high quality) will become the isolated passenger’s main entertainment and link to the outside world. All direct contact with others on board will be cut-off, along with activities, excursions, everything. This will likely last for the remainder of the cruise. Some cruise lines may try to send infected passengers home quickly, but many will require them to stay in isolation until the end of the cruise, which could be many days.

Passenger isolation is expected for those infected with COVID. On some ships, passengers who were in close contact, but not infected may also be isolated for the rest of the cruise.

Isolation from contact tracing:
On ships they will typically “contact trace” to attempt to limit additional infections. Those who are in close contact with someone on a cruise who tests positive for COVID-19 are likely to be put in isolation themselves, even if they test negative and are asymptomatic. What “close contact” means is apparently inconsistent from cruise line to cruise line and from ship to ship, however, if a passenger has been in close contact with an infected passenger they shouldn’t be surprised when they are sent to isolation. Their isolation will be the same as if they’re infected.

The problem for all cruisers is the risk and uncertainty to their cruise that COVID-19 infections on their ship can bring, whether or not they are vaccinated or infected themselves.

If you become infected on your cruise, the cruise will effectively end the moment the COVID-19 test result is positive, even if it’s the first day of the cruise. If you were in close contact with someone who became infected on the cruise, it’s likely the cruise will be over for you too.

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Even those not infected and not in close contact with someone infected with COVID on their cruise can have their cruise ruined by COVID infections on their ship.

Even if you’re not infected, nor in contact with someone who’s infected during the cruise, you could have your cruise ruined by COVID-19. Your cruise could be totally canceled, perhaps even on the day you leave home to begin the cruise. Even with insurance, you could be stuck with considerable travel expenses. Your cruise may miss the port or ports for which you chose the cruise.

Mr. Del Rio, I don’t think I’ve at all overstated the serious problems COVID-19 has created for cruising, at this time. I think I’ve made the case that, as of today, with the Omicron COVID variant’s infectiousness, it doesn’t make sense to book or take a cruise leaving in the near term.

(Image: Celebrity Summit docked at Juneau, Alaska – Copyright © 2019 NSL Photography. All Rights Reserved.)


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