Patience Wearing Thin....

[Mrs. Thomas]

Warning: This is mostly rant.

I want to say that I'm not upset at RCCL. It isn't their or any of the cruise lines fault as to how they are being treated. They are doing their best to roll with the punches. The media was all too happy to make them look like "floating petri dishes" as if they are the ones that brought this mess over to the US in the first place. HOWEVER, the CDC is starting wear on my patience. They don't have power over much of anything except the cruise industry. They are saying one thing one day and something different the next about this virus. I'm not trying to downplay the virus, I have seen the numbers. But I also know that this is something that will be a part of us from now on. We are going to have to start learning how to live with it in our world as we did the flu in the early 1900s. I understand that getting things ready to go isn't easy, but how is it that everything else seems to be on a one way track to normalcy and the cruise lines are being told to just "hurry up and wait"? Most, if not all, of the cruise companies are trying their best to do what the CDC wants and yet they are still told that they must continue to lose money on a daily basis and the rest of us are stuck at home. If they cancel to many more cruises a few of these companies may never recover. There are small businesses in my area closing for good due to all of this. I'm usually a pretty perky and optimistic person, but all this is starting to get to me. It ticks me off when people try give others the run around.

[DunwoodyDad]

Just posted something very similar a few minutes ago.

[ehw51]

I agree, at least the CDC is supposed to meet with the cruise lines this Thur, Just HOPE they give the lines some guidance and DATES. I am trying to be optimistic. They need to get their poop together. 

[Jill]

1 minute ago, DunwoodyDad said:

Just posted something very similar a few minutes ago.

And I just posted to your post! 

[Jill]

Here’s what I posted in @DunwoodyDad’s thread: 

 

At what point do we passengers grab our torches and pitchforks? I’m about ready to start making some noise. 

If you can sit in a movie theater on land, you should be able to sit in a theater on a ship. 

If you can sit in a restaurant on land, you should be able to sit in a restaurant on a ship. 

If you can fly on an airplane that can have upwards of 1,000 passengers in a day, all smooshed together breathing recirculated air, why not a cruise ship? 

So if we all did start being squeaky wheels, WHO do we complain too?Senators/Representatives/Governors of port states? 

Inundate the CDC phone lines and socialmedia? 

I think it’s time they hear from US! 

•  

[jaredhamburg]

The CDC seems to be hanging out and leading by just waiting, which is not leading at all.  This is so annoying as they have a chokehold on cruising.  It would be nice if the CDC would publish more and give some more guidance.  As it is part of the executive branch, I hope that the cruises can use lobbyists to get some pressure placed on them for leadership.  I generally hate the idea of lobbyists, but it would probably be okay with me in this case....

[twangster]

It is frustrating but I'm not sure following virtually all states that decided to ignore CDC guidance is wise either.

If cruising restarts and there are mass infections that won't bode well for the industry.  Same with school but schools don't get the media attention that cruise ships do.  They need to restart cruising but they need to be very careful how they do it and ignoring the CDC like states have isn't the answer.  By working with the CDC that wisdom can be applied on ships around the world.  That's a good thing, let's get this right.

[Ampurp85]

I am frustrated by the lack of, how do I say this...junk holding a lot of agencies and people in power are doing. I totally agree that if you let something like Disney or Vegas open, cruise lines should be considered. But let's be real, there are news, well think-pieces, everyday about how those states who opened up early and/or disregarding the CDC/WHO recommendations are fairing. I can speak only for Chicago but a whole chunk are ignoring the guidelines. We are at phase 3: outside dining, no more than 10 people gathering. Yet when I go for my walks I see full inside dining at small restaurants. My mother attended a funeral that had more than 50 people inside, while allowing 10 people at a time to view the body. People are choosing what they want, a cruise line doesn't have the luxury of that. It is weird that states only have to post the CDC guidelines while cruise lines must obey them...I think it is both an optics issue and a flex of power. Even if the "floating petri dish around the world" hadn't happen, I am sure cruise lines would still be suffering as this is the only thing the CDC has control of.

[Ogilthorpe]

2 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

.I think it is both an optics issue and a flex of power. 

I agree ... and the cruise lines are their last whipping boy ... and they aren't about to give that up. Everyone else has stood up to them, and like all bullies, they ran and hid. I hope the cruise line exec's have that leverage to bring to bear on them to.end this insanity.

[DunwoodyDad]

Also please look past the headlines that say states opened too early. Look at the underlying data... not infections which is what the lazy news outlets are quoting, but of hospitalizations and deaths. Infection numbers can and are rising with more testing.  If the infections keep going up, but the amount of people going into hospitals isn’t rising, then the states opening hasn’t created a problem. 

[Poolside]

6 minutes ago, DunwoodyDad said:

Also please look past the headlines that say states opened too early. Look at the underlying data... not infections which is what the lazy news outlets are quoting, but of hospitalizations and deaths. Infection numbers can and are rising with more testing.  If the infections keep going up, but the amount of people going into hospitals isn’t rising, then the states opening hasn’t created a problem. 

I watch the news every day. The "lazy news outlets" are reporting infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

[Ampurp85]

I know a few of the states had rises in hospitalizations but that could be for a number of reasons. Chicago has been posting the lowest amounts of deaths since March, even though we have been protesting for weeks and we also had a long shelter in place. In phase 3 some travel options have opened up and people left. Being some of the first to open, meant people traveling there to enjoy the comforts. Since we are WFH until next year, two of my coworkers left to Jacksonville, a few weeks ago, and Vegas,  next week. People moving about can affect the numbers.

[DunkelBierJay]

People who cruise are so spread out, I doubt we would have any effect on decision making in the endless federal bureaucracy. They will affect disproportionate responses all they want, and letters to congress people are ineffective while people are rioting around the country. I'm beginning tho think they just want to kill the industry. Safety can't be micromanaged even in as litigious a society as the US.

[Mrs. Thomas]

2 hours ago, Jill said:

Here’s what I posted in @DunwoodyDad’s thread: 

 

At what point do we passengers grab our torches and pitchforks? I’m about ready to start making some noise. 

If you can sit in a movie theater on land, you should be able to sit in a theater on a ship. 

If you can sit in a restaurant on land, you should be able to sit in a restaurant on a ship. 

If you can fly on an airplane that can have upwards of 1,000 passengers in a day, all smooshed together breathing recirculated air, why not a cruise ship? 

So if we all did start being squeaky wheels, WHO do we complain too?Senators/Representatives/Governors of port states? 

Inundate the CDC phone lines and socialmedia? 

I think it’s time they hear from US! 

•  

Love this! I agree. Maybe it is time to be a squeaky wheel.

[Scrumps]

4 hours ago, twangster said:

If cruising restarts and there are mass infections that won't bode well for the industry.

I would go as far as to say that if they restart and there is a mass inflection, you will likely see no cruises way into 2021 and the cruise industry lifeline hanging by a thread.  

[rtread]

35 minutes ago, Scrumps said:

I would go as far as to say that if they restart and there is a mass inflection, you will likely see no cruises way into 2021 and the cruise industry lifeline hanging by a thread.  

Agreed. Remembering back to PRE-Covid19, every time a cruise ship anywhere had a large number of infections of ANYKIND, the media was on it like a duck on a june bug. If any ship POST-Covid19 had an outbreak of anykind, especially Covid19, it will be a huge media circus.