Cruising choices with an active Pandemic

[drron]

Though the benefit would have been very much fewer cases in contacts.North West Tasmania may have been spared.Maybe the Tasmanian Government could sue the NSW Government?

 

[moa999]

Maybe the Tasmanian Government could sue the NSW Government?

Or the Tassie Doctors who rumour has it had a dinner party and spread the virus.
Or the NZ Government who only conducted a few spot Covid tests on the ship in Wellington where flu symptoms had been reported before allowing it to go to Napier (where a cluster has formed) and then back to Sydney.

Or CCL or Aus Govt for not cancelling the cruise on 8 March, knowing the inbound cruise had flu symptoms on board.

No doubt some bad decisions were made in the early hours of the 19th, but they were simply the last holes in the Swiss Cheese

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The 62 year old woman from SA had no other health issues. Just sadly very unlucky I guess. While a moot point now if those cruisers could have been put into quarantine in Sydney once the positive results were found - why didn't they wait for those tests to come back? - then maybe she and those others who died would have received faster medical care and not flown back to Adelaide.

The only real difference with respect to quarantine is any cases that come from local transmission for the disembarked passengers as these would not have happened with quarantine.

All Australian passengers have had access to medical care if required and so it is very unlikely that there would have been any real difference to the health outcomes of any of the passengers.

Those that needed fast care received it.

 

[Anna]

Unfortunately it would not have made any difference. COVID-19 follows a fairly typical course.
There is no early medical care that could prevent death in this group of patients.

That sounds very scary. Could you please explain a bit more what you mean by 'this group of patients'?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

That sounds very scary. Could you please explain a bit more what you mean by 'this group of patients'?

Eldery with comorbidities is not good when mixed with CV19.

It is also why aged care homes and CV 19 is not a good mix and have been the subject of deadly clusters.

 

[Anna]

Eldery with comorbidities is not good when mixed with CV19.

It is also why aged care homes and CV 19 is not a good mix and have been the subject of deadly clusters.

But the point about the 62 yo SA woman who died was the lack of comorbidities, and 62 is not really terribly 'elderly' is it? (Although a friend of mine was dubbed by medicos 'elderly prima gravida' when she got pregnant at 34 )

 

[lovetravellingoz]

But the point about the 62 yo SA woman who died was the lack of comorbidities, and 62 is not really terribly 'elderly' is it? (Although a friend of mine was dubbed by medicos 'elderly prima gravida' when she got pregnant at 34 )

I thought the comment was on " those cruisers" ie a group of patients (ie Ruby Princess passengers) rather than just one patient.

Young and fit people have died of CV 19. But deaths have mainly been elderly and/or those that have comorbidities.

 

[tgh]

To look on the bright side, someone like Coral Expeditions with it's nice new ship could start trans tasman trips later this year and even do runs to mcq island and other outliers that have remained clean.
No International pollution, all in house.. just us and the sheep huggers…back and forth... how cosy...

 

[drron]

And the Silver Explorer for the coming season is mainly cruising the NZ sub Antarctic islands,Macquarie Island and the Ross sea.
Now the Explorer did have a positive Covid pax on it's last Antarctic cruise but as with the other 2 Silversea ships with covid cases there was only the one.Obviously the smaller ships are an advantage but compare that with the Greg Mortimer with 128 pax 70% of whom were Covid positive.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

And the Silver Explorer for the coming season is mainly cruising the NZ sub Antarctic islands,Macquarie Island and the Ross sea.
Now the Explorer did have a positive Covid pax on it's last Antarctic cruise but as with the other 2 Silversea ships with covid cases there was only the one.Obviously the smaller ships are an advantage but compare that with the Greg Mortimer with 128 pax 70% of whom were Covid positive.

They would need to have an all Kiwi/Aussie crew though.


Though within a "Kiwi/Aussie Bubble" there would be also sorts of interesting travel possible including specially crewed cruises.

 

[drron]

No not necessarily.They have had this program on the books for a few years so the logistics have almost certainly be worked out.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

No not necessarily.They have had this program on the books for a few years so the logistics have almost certainly be worked out.

I am not sure they would have factored in the need for a CV 19 free crew. Plus if it sails within Australian and NZ territorial waters those governments may not permit international crews. It is feasible to create CV19 free crewed ships.


On the other hand sea-freight is continuing as we speak in both Australian and NZ territorial waters. Though that does not have the people-mixing element which is the nub of the problem.

 

[drron]

Well no member of the crew when they had a Covid pax tested positive.I don't think it will be hard to cet a Covid free crew.
In past winters Silversea have cruised the Kimberleys using their same crew.All they had to do was leave Australian waters every so often.

For their upcoming cruises if they go ahead they often start in NZ and end in Australia or vice versa so they leave the territorial waters of both countries frequently.

 

[Pushka]

Well no member of the crew when they had a Covid pax tested positive.I don't think it will be hard to cet a Covid free crew.
In past winters Silversea have cruised the Kimberleys using their same crew.All they had to do was leave Australian waters every so often.

For their upcoming cruises if they go ahead they often start in NZ and end in Australia or vice versa so they leave the territorial waters of both countries frequently.

The New Zealand - Australia Cruise doesn't really excite me all that much. Not sure I'd venture.

 

[drron]

Ah but Macquarie Island is a real gem.Ask @JohnM.

 

[p--and--t]

The New Zealand - Australia Cruise doesn't really excite me all that much. Not sure I'd venture.

If around Australia and AU-NZ-AU cruises are the only ones available to AU citizens in the next 3 years, cruise enthusiasts will have to make a choice, stay home, catch a Sydney ferry or........

 

[Princess Fiona]

That sounds very scary. Could you please explain a bit more what you mean by 'this group of patients'?

The 5% who go on to develop severe disease.

 

[Pushka]

If around Australia and AU-NZ-AU cruises are the only ones available to AU citizens in the next 3 years, cruise enthusiasts will have to make a choice, stay home, catch a Sydney ferry or........

I'll pass. Love my cruises but itinerary is important too.

 

[tgh]

Coral Expeditions crews are all Australian so no problems there.
The ship complies with (very high) Au maritime standards , crew training standards are also very high.
Master and 1st mate had both done comprehensive para medical training

The new ship is probably not ice rated but could still do a loop to Mcq Island as presumably no ice rating needed there.

 

[Anna]

I know it's the Grauniad but this is quite sobering reading

Should passengers return to cruise ships after the pandemic? No | Adrienne Matei

Cruise ships have become floating dungeons where the unlucky have been confined – ideal incubators of infectious diseases

www.theguardian.com

I didn't know cruise ship emissions in a day = 1 million cars