Cruising choices with an active Pandemic

[Pushka]

Well if there is a vaccine available I am reasonably confident I could source 2 courses for mrsdrron and I.
As to the actual ship we would not be allowed to board until we had 2 negative Covid tests.I presume they would do the same for the crew.
The ships we would sail are 600 pax and probably won't be booked out so plenty of places to hide.
The only problem would be going ashore at the various ports.That would depend on extra research closer to the time.

Quite frankly I would now not worry if our March 2021 cruise was cancelled with the same conditions with VS days and FCC of more than that paid.It would take us well over 400 days and gives us a fighting chance to get to 500 days and a second free cruise.
It would also mean no cruises until November 2021.

Someone in the family said today that the US manufacturers of the syringe containers, vials?, simply could not manufacture 12 million of them within the next 12 months for a vaccine if it was developed. Assuming it could be developed then manufacture and logistics of distribution then becomes the issue.

 

[p--and--t]

Someone in the family said today that the US manufacturers of the syringe containers, vials?, simply could not manufacture 12 million of them within the next 12 months for a vaccine if it was developed. Assuming it could be developed then manufacture and logistics of distribution then becomes the issue.

I suspect there is more than one manufacturer. And even if there wasn't and there are bucks to be made, there would soon be.

There must a a dozen new mask manufacturers (cloth) in Melbourne alone in the last month, small bickies to be sure, but just shows, where there's money to be made......

 

[Pushka]

I suspect there is more than one manufacturer. And even if there wasn't and there are bucks to be made, there would soon be.

There must a a dozen new mask manufacturers (cloth) in Melbourne alone in the last month, small bickies to be sure, but just shows, where there's money to be made......

And I did hear that the IP for the manufacture of the vaccine would be shared in light of the worldwide situation so that too is a good thing.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

And I did hear that the IP for the manufacture of the vaccine would be shared in light of the worldwide situation so that too is a good thing.

Some yes, some no.

Over 100 groups are seeking to develop a vaccine at present.

Worldwide cooperation is massive, but equal access to all is unlikely. And with some groups, more equal access is more likely than with others.


For companies in the race, there are some likely benefits: It’s a proving ground for vaccine technologies and a chance to burnish reputations and boost shares. While some large companies, including Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L), have said they plan to make the vaccine available at cost - at least at first - they may reap profits down the road if seasonal vaccination is needed and countries invest in stockpiles.



“We’re asking the American taxpayer to give a lot” to the vaccine effort, so it’s important to ensure U.S. access to any successful vaccine, said Bright, BARDA’s recent chief.


Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc (ARCT.O), a San Diego biotech, is receiving up to $10 million from the Singapore government to develop its mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine candidate in partnership with the Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School. If the vaccine is approved, Singapore gets first access, said Arcturus CEO Joseph Payne. Everything after that, he said, goes to “whoever pays for it.”

Special Report: Countries, companies risk billions in race for coronavirus vaccine

In the race to develop a vaccine to end the COVID-19 pandemic, governments, charities and Big Pharma firms are sinking billions of dollars into bets with extraordinarily low odds of success.

www.reuters.com

 

[OZDUCK]

Same sort of thing in the NY Times

A government official in France said on Thursday that it would be unacceptable for the French drug giant Sanofi to give the United States early access to any Covid-19 vaccine it develops, after comments by the company’s chief executive suggested that America would be first in line because it helped finance the research.
“For us, it would be unacceptable if another country had privileged access under a financial pretext,” Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the junior economy minister, told Sud Radio.
Paul Hudson, Sanofi’s chief executive, told Bloomberg News on Wednesday that “the U.S. government has the right to the largest pre-order because it’s invested in taking the risk.”

“I’ve been campaigning in Europe to say the U.S. will get vaccines first,” he said. “That’s how it will be, because they’ve invested to try and protect their population, to restart their economy.”

And

Coronavirus Sanofi: French drug giant rows back after vaccine storm

Sanofi's apparent readiness to favour the US market with any Covid-19 vaccine caused a row in France.

www.bbc.com

 

[ksthommo]

Celebrity finally cancelled our Honolulu/Vancouver Cruise was scheduled to depart 11 May, refund submitted.

Refund appeared in our credit cards accounts today, processed on 11 May, same day we were meant to sail.

 

[Pushka]

Same sort of thing in the NY Times

A government official in France said on Thursday that it would be unacceptable for the French drug giant Sanofi to give the United States early access to any Covid-19 vaccine it develops, after comments by the company’s chief executive suggested that America would be first in line because it helped finance the research.
“For us, it would be unacceptable if another country had privileged access under a financial pretext,” Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the junior economy minister, told Sud Radio.
Paul Hudson, Sanofi’s chief executive, told Bloomberg News on Wednesday that “the U.S. government has the right to the largest pre-order because it’s invested in taking the risk.”

“I’ve been campaigning in Europe to say the U.S. will get vaccines first,” he said. “That’s how it will be, because they’ve invested to try and protect their population, to restart their economy.”

And

Coronavirus Sanofi: French drug giant rows back after vaccine storm

Sanofi's apparent readiness to favour the US market with any Covid-19 vaccine caused a row in France.

www.bbc.com

So internal conflict in Sanofi as to who gets first bite.

 

[OZDUCK]

So internal conflict in Sanofi as to who gets first bite.

Yes, and later the Chairman of the Board completely backpedaled from what the CEO had said - including the old canard that "words had been distorted"

Coronavirus Sanofi: French drug giant rows back after vaccine storm

Sanofi's apparent readiness to favour the US market with any Covid-19 vaccine caused a row in France.

www.bbc.com

 

[tgh]

I just posted this somewhere else, but it may be of interest the folks here with current bookings, fcc's and waiting for refunds (me)

It seems to me that there is this useful postulation : Almost all the established cruise companies need to/will go broke.
When the industry seeks to recommence they would be easy meat for fast moving well funded start ups as the pre-existing debt load would be crippling
If they fold thoughtfully , most of the structure can be quickly refinanced and remarketed with bright shiny new clothes.
The petri dish odium will be buried with the old names and marketing will send out a clean fresh healthy spin
Welcome to the new Silversea, Seabourn et al ; welcome to healthy green clean sustainable ( your adjective) cruising

The sooner the first one moves to call in the cleaners , the sooner the rest can follow and the whole debt tsunami can be flushed down the gurgler
In business , rolling over when the debt load gets out of hand is common , however in this case there may be a lot of noisy hand wringing by their newly fleeced and previously loyal , well heeled vociferous, customer base.

Yes they will lose a large percentage of their fleeced previous clientele, but they can also change the target demographic to a younger , less experienced group with no memory of past cruising glories.

So that's my spin … wishin' and hopin' arguments welcomed as rebuttals so we can grasp them and continue to live in hope…

 

[p--and--t]

For those putting down their deposits or final payments for cruises anywhere this year, maybe you shouldn't be doing that...

Cruising this year? Depends who you ask
The industry was shut down as coronavirus spread across the world, with high levels of infections connected to ships that docked on the east and west coast of Australia.

Just months later, some operators are planning on setting sail in September and are offering special deals to lure customers.

But Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth has made it clear Australians should not be booking such a holiday yet.

"There will be an opportunity and time to consider whether cruise ships are the right place to go, but I would suggest it is too early at this point in time," he said.

and

Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham urged Australians not to book holidays that are currently banned.

"There are no guarantees about when any of the activities will restart," he told the ABC.

"Certainly no guarantees about international travel and definitely no guarantees about international cruise shipping."

Senator Birmingham said he would rather people stay onshore.

"The most important focus of our tourism recovery will be on attracting visitors to stay in our towns, supporting Australian businesses to get back on their feet," he said.

"I will be urging them [Australians] to firstly get in their cars and drive across regional Australia wherever they can and when we get to point state borders are opened, to hopefully get on planes and head to some of the other great destinations around the country."



Source ABC News 17 May 2020

 

[Bindibuys]

For those of us with cruises booked for next year..... where would you “watch” for news of cruise lines going under (financially not literally) cruise critic??
Booked on Celebrity for end of April next year.

 

[Pushka]

For those of us with cruises booked for next year..... where would you “watch” for news of cruise lines going under (financially not literally) cruise critic??
Booked on Celebrity for end of April next year.

Cruise Critic. I’d hope Celebrity survives. Just.

 

[k_sheep]

My Ruby Princess Alaska cruise in 7 weeks apparently still going ahead Beginning to think I should just cancel and claim the deposit back on travel insurance.

Desperately hoping my Antarctica cruise mid January 2021 is safe ... but I strongly suspect there will be no international travel until at least after school goes back 2021

 

[k_sheep]

Update: After trawling cruise critic I learned that my cruise (and indeed all Alaska 2020 cruises) HAVE been cancelled. I was not notified of this by the travel agent (booked via Qantas).

Wonder when they were planning on telling me? Because there are only 13 more days to elect to receive a refund rather than Future Cruise Credit.

 

[tgh]

Wonder when they were planning on telling me? Because there are only 13 more days to elect to receive a refund rather than Future Cruise Credit.

That's a no brainer.. they plan to tell you when you can only accept a future cruise credit….

 

[Pushka]

Wonder when they were planning on telling me? Because there are only 13 more days to elect to receive a refund rather than Future Cruise Credit.

That's a no brainer.. they plan to tell you when you can only accept a future cruise credit….

It was supposed to be final payment date for our July cruise today but I deferred the cruise last week. Still on sale though. I guess some might pay.

This day last year we had just arrived into Vancouver for our Alaskan cruise. Woke up that morning in Flagstaff Arizona to hear that Morrison had won the election.

Two years ago we arrived into Venice.

Facebook memories have a lot to answer for.

 

[Bindibuys]

Disembark from cruise in Vancouver 9 May next year.

 

[Pushka]

Disembark from cruise in Vancouver 9 May next year.

I would go back in a heartbeat. Must go to Butchart Gardens next time. If there is one for us.

 

[Bindibuys]

Was going to ask for Vancouver suggestions, but did not want to hog the thread.

 

[Pushka]

Was going to ask for Vancouver suggestions, but did not want to hog the thread.

Knock yourself out! Vancouver is a classic cruise port. The drrons are the experts. Allow more than four days. I wish we had! It's a wonderful place just to walk around the boardwalk and into the parks. We went up Grouse Mountain and also the skywalk.