MSC Grandiosa is at Sea

[Curt From Canada]

The next "Canary in the Cave" ... watching with great interest:

 "Second star to the right......and straight on till morning" Capt Kirk channeling his inner Peter Pan.

Curt from Canada

 

[krhardy]

Godspeed!

[monctonguy]

Saw some pics/vids ppl had posted..seemed pretty quiet and dead...must be operating at a greatly reduced capacity?!

[bretts173]

Reports are that people have been not allowed to reboard due to wandering off on their shore excursion. Good job MSC.

[Lovetocruise2002]

19 minutes ago, bretts173 said:

Reports are that people have been not allowed to reboard due to wandering off on their shore excursion. Good job MSC.

Saw this earlier:

https://cruiseradio.net/kicked-off-cruise-line-boots-guests-for-ignoring-new-protocols/?fbclid=IwAR2N2zsW3PW9e6sgg_rVJ737nZErrB3QyxTFyjJob41Tw-UHSg620_FhvBs

[Curt From Canada]

In my experience you:

"Don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off that ol' Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with Jim".

These are the basic tenets of life.

Oh yes ... do not flaunt a Captain's Regulation (I wish that line flowed properly into that fantastic Jim Croce song).

Curt from Canada 

[bretts173]

Exactly, we all want to cruise again but people like this risk the future trips of all of us. They are so blessed to be on this cruise in the first place.

[princevaliantus]

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Saw this earlier:

https://cruiseradio.net/kicked-off-cruise-line-boots-guests-for-ignoring-new-protocols/?fbclid=IwAR2N2zsW3PW9e6sgg_rVJ737nZErrB3QyxTFyjJob41Tw-UHSg620_FhvBs

I hope they learned their lesson AND for those who think they won't be caught on a RCCL ship, I have two words for ya ... 

[JLMoran]

18 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Saw this earlier:

https://cruiseradio.net/kicked-off-cruise-line-boots-guests-for-ignoring-new-protocols/?fbclid=IwAR2N2zsW3PW9e6sgg_rVJ737nZErrB3QyxTFyjJob41Tw-UHSg620_FhvBs

There's a sidebar article there discussing the passengers and basically slamming them as a trio of nimrods:

https://cruiseradio.net/meet-the-worst-cruisers-on-the-planet/

Quote

...MSC had put in place a series of protocols, including one which said that when the ship visited ports of call, guests could only disembark as part of a line-sanctioned shore excursion.

This was done to keep the passengers safe and make sure that they were, in essence, kept inside a bubble to reduce the chances of coming into contact with a virus and bringing it back aboard the ship.

But one family decided that their desire to explore on their own trumped the safety of not only their fellow passengers and the ship’s crew, but even the communities which they decided to visit. After booking a shore excursion through the ship, the family then slipped away from their assigned group and went exploring.

Thankfully, their absence was noted and, upon their return to the Grandiosa, they were denied permission to re-board.

Very glad to see that MSC more or less expected to have people like that on board, had the procedures in place to keep tabs on excursion members, and were absolutely willing to enforce the rules with zero tolerance. Let the example be set right now -- you try to act like the rules don't apply to you, and you will find out how wrong you are so fast it'll make your head spin.

Simultaneously, it's really depressing that they more or less expected to have people like that on board.

[SPS]

5 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

one family decided that their desire to explore on their own trumped the safety of not only their fellow passengers and the ship’s crew, but even the communities which they decided to visit. After booking a shore excursion through the ship, the family then slipped away from their assigned group and went exploring.

Thankfully, their absence was noted and, upon their return to the Grandiosa, they were denied permission to re-board.

Congratulations! Not only have you been kicked off the ship in a foreign country, but, now you have to find a way to travel home amongst severe COVID-19 travel restrictions!

(Queue the sad "you lost" tuba music from The Price Is Right)

[cruisellama]

20 hours ago, bretts173 said:

Reports are that people have been not allowed to reboard due to wandering off on their shore excursion. Good job MSC.

Heard a family "broke the bubble" and were not allowed back on.

[cruisellama]

On 8/19/2020 at 9:08 AM, monctonguy said:

Saw some pics/vids ppl had posted..seemed pretty quiet and dead...must be operating at a greatly reduced capacity?!

Good way to test the protocols.  From embarkation, port call, and return - hope for success.

[DunkelBierJay]

There are a few creative #mscgrandiosa hashtags on Instagram that are fun to watch...

[cruisellama]

On 8/16/2020 at 2:10 PM, Curt From Canada said:

The next "Canary in the Cave" ... watching with great interest:

 "Second star to the right......and straight on till morning" Capt Kirk channeling his inner Peter Pan.

Curt from Canada

 

Bones what's the prognosis?

[Curt From Canada]

1 hour ago, cruisellama said:

Bones what's the prognosis?

First ... I prefer "Status Mr. Spock".  Bones was an emotional wreck.

Second ... I failed to mention that Pickard was the best Captain ever.  Way beyond Kirk, Crunch and Kangaroo.

Third ... MSC Grandiosa is on its final leg.  We will only know in the next couple of weeks how she really did.  Still, it was a breath of fresh air for sails robbed for far too many months.

 

Curt from Canada

[whoa]

On 8/19/2020 at 6:45 PM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Saw this earlier:

https://cruiseradio.net/kicked-off-cruise-line-boots-guests-for-ignoring-new-protocols/?fbclid=IwAR2N2zsW3PW9e6sgg_rVJ737nZErrB3QyxTFyjJob41Tw-UHSg620_FhvBs

Congrats to MSC! Protocols are working as planned.

[Mike.s]

She's now moved on to Civitavecchia, not sure if she has passengers onboard, I assume she has as she's then heading to Naples. Not seen any feedback following last week's cruise, only what was shared during the cruise. Fingers crossed we only get positive stories.

[Auto]

On 8/22/2020 at 9:12 PM, Curt From Canada said:

Second ... I failed to mention that Pickard was the best Captain ever.  Way beyond Kirk, Crunch and Kangaroo.

Picard was a bit of pansy, always made Riker lead the away team. Kirk would throw a few punches and kiss a few aliens. Also, Capt Crunch > Capt Kangaroo. 
 

Concerning MSC cruises, I wonder if it was a one embarkation, one disembarkation cruise. They typically operate on the model that you can do a round trip from any of the ports of call (I.e. on and off in Genoa or Naples, etc). Made for an interesting dynamic on board since every night is someone’s first or last night. 

[Curt From Canada]

2 hours ago, Auto said:

Picard was a bit of pansy, always made Riker lead the away team. Kirk would throw a few punches and kiss a few aliens. Also, Capt Crunch > Capt Kangaroo. 
 

Concerning MSC cruises, I wonder if it was a one embarkation, one disembarkation cruise. They typically operate on the model that you can do a round trip from any of the ports of call (I.e. on and off in Genoa or Naples, etc). Made for an interesting dynamic on board since every night is someone’s first or last night. 

I will have to start a new thread for the Kirk ... Picard debate (that one could last for months).

I am fairly certain they picked up in Genoa and Naples.  They could very well be back on their way to drop off in Naples.  Since I really do not want to book an MSC cruise (much longer story), I have been too lazy to do any "mock bookings".

[Jill]

Has anyone heard news yet? I read on a Facebook group they had no cases of the virus. No link was given though. 

[cruisellama]

7 hours ago, Jill said:

Has anyone heard news yet? I read on a Facebook group they had no cases of the virus. No link was given though. 

https://cruiseradio.net/first-major-cruise-lines-emotional-return-to-service-photos/

Success

[Jill]

I just read this. Group of French passengers denied after one tested positive before embarkation. All 13 in the group were denied because they arrived in the same mini bus in Genoa. 

https://www.trvltrend.com/cruise/denied-boarding-to-msc-grandiosa/

[Mike.s]

13 hours ago, Jill said:

I just read this. Group of French passengers denied after one tested positive before embarkation. All 13 in the group were denied because they arrived in the same mini bus in Genoa. 

https://www.trvltrend.com/cruise/denied-boarding-to-msc-grandiosa/

It's the way forward, test all the passengers before they board the ship, Costa are doing the same when they recommence sailing

[Morganno]

On 8/26/2020 at 4:22 PM, Mike.s said:

It's the way forward, test all the passengers before they board the ship, Costa are doing the same when they recommence sailing

 

No insurance will cover this.

 

[JLMoran]

1 hour ago, Morganno said:

 

No insurance will cover this.

 

Assuming it's ultimately the 5-minute rapid test that was announced recently, I imagine that the cost of the test will be bundled into the cruise fare of every passenger. I'm also hopeful that the cost of that test will be in line with that of a home pregnancy test or other OTC rapid-result test.

[Mike.s]

On 9/2/2020 at 3:09 PM, JLMoran said:

Assuming it's ultimately the 5-minute rapid test that was announced recently, I imagine that the cost of the test will be bundled into the cruise fare of every passenger. I'm also hopeful that the cost of that test will be in line with that of a home pregnancy test or other OTC rapid-result test.

It's part of the cruise cost on the current MSC sailings, surely the cruise lines will look at it as a small price to pay if it restarts cruises, and we as the passengers will ultimately end up paying for it, it will just be hidden as part of out cruise fare.

[Morganno]

On 9/2/2020 at 4:09 PM, JLMoran said:

Assuming it's ultimately the 5-minute rapid test that was announced recently, I imagine that the cost of the test will be bundled into the cruise fare of every passenger. I'm also hopeful that the cost of that test will be in line with that of a home pregnancy test or other OTC rapid-result test.

I wasn't talking about the test.

If I pay $4000 for a weeks cruise from Barcelona and turn up at port to be denied boarding and have to arrange a quick flight home or 2 week's hotel quarantine my insurance won't cover it.

If they start testing before boarding this is  a red flag for me as I cannot be stuck in a foreign country.

 

[JLMoran]

4 minutes ago, Morganno said:

If they start testing before boarding this is  a red flag for me as I cannot be stuck in a foreign country.

I think "pre-flight" testing is going to be a fact of life, not just with cruising but any form of mass leisure travel / accommodation, once these rapid tests are being made at scale. And it will stay that way until we have a vaccine and whatever percentage of global population antibody-positive is finally agreed as enough to confer "herd immunity." And that will be in addition to daily / every other day follow-up testing on board, to catch any new cases that didn't get caught in the initial screening.

To be clear, this is my own thinking and not that of the Healthy Sail Commission at RCL. But other cruise lines are already establishing the pattern with their test sailings, and I'd be very surprised if it didn't end up being the official standard when finally announced.

[twangster]

I think we will see some regional differences between implementations for items such as testing.  Privacy laws may come to into play to differing degrees i.e. HIPAA in the USA.  

The Abbott 5 minute test involved a digital pass app.  The benefit to this is that Abbott is the organization that has to comply with HIPAA as they store your information in their infrastructure, not the baseball park, movie theater, hotel resort or cruise line that will ask to see your pass. 

If companies like a hotel resort or cruise line is acquiring and implementing the test they may be subject to HIPAA and that is no small undertaking.  Will airlines, hotel resorts, baseball parks or cruise lines partner with a 3rd party to be present at their facility so they are on site to perform a test upon customer arrival?  That doesn't sound cheap.  Will your health care provider pay for it?  Probably not (in the USA) - many providers don't cover elective procedures and only only cover items that they consider essential.  Going to a baseball game and requiring a test is not essential.  What will Abbott charge these companies so they can read your digital pass?

A pre-flight test for domestic flying works because it's domestic.  International flights are a different matter.  

So many details to work out.    What works in Europe may not work in the USA, Canada or Australia.  A ship visiting different countries may face a challenge getting all the countries to accept the same solution.  The EU may have a great advantage in this respect so cruising there may be easier to get going.

These are good problems to face as it means we are progressing.  It will be very interesting to see how this works out.  

[stevendom57]

54 minutes ago, twangster said:

Going to a baseball game and requiring a test is not essential. 

Many people here would argue about cruising being non-essential.