Has anybody heard news about simulated sailings?

[ChuckElias]

Just looking for any information about when cruise lines might be starting their simulated sailings with non-paying guests. I really expected that they would be running by mid-January, but I am not seeing any news stories about this.

Anybody know anything?

 

[marni1971]

Given the worldwide state of COVID currently it’s not much surprise things are quiet.

 

[ChuckElias]

Given the worldwide state of COVID currently it’s not much surprise things are quiet.

I gotta be honest. I really am surprised. This is an entire industry that's been shut down for an entire year. They have permission to prepare for re-opening their doors. I understand that they might not feel ready to actually run the simulated sailings yet, but I would have expected some kind of plan or tentative timeline by now.

 

[marni1971]

I gotta be honest. I really am surprised. This is an entire industry that's been shut down for an entire year. They have permission to prepare for re-opening their doors. I understand that they might not feel ready to actually run the simulated sailings yet, but I would have expected some kind of plan or tentative timeline by now.

Trust me I wish there were. I have a cruise booked for later this year. If it happens or not at the moment is up in the air. Europe is being savaged by Covid again - especially the new variant - and it’s starting to spread further afield.

Not to mention having “permission” may not be seen as the wisest decision at the moment.

 

[jme]

At this point I'd settle for a simulated sailing on my VR headset

 

[ChuckElias]

Trust me I wish there were. I have a cruise booked for later this year.

Me, too. I'm supposed to sail on April 8 and April 12, back-to-back. April 8 is paid in full because we used our 125% credit from a previous cruise that had been cancelled. The April 12 payment is due next week, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to cancel it. I was optimistic for a while, but now I highly doubt it will sail.

Not to mention having “permission” may not be seen as the wisest decision at the moment.

I'm not really sure what you mean by this. Do you mean that the CDC was unwise to give permission; or that the cruise lines would be unwise to begin the process yet? I don't see a problem either way, to be honest. I think it was actually good decision to lift the no-sail and let the cruise lines begin to test their protocols, etc. I think when the simulated sailings do begin, they'll be very limited in the number of passengers, so I don't see a huge problem with that either. Or they can just decide to wait longer.

 

[ChuckElias]

At this point I'd settle for a simulated sailing on my VR headset

Maybe take a look at this series on YouTube:

 

[marni1971]

Me, too. I'm supposed to sail on April 8 and April 12, back-to-back. April 8 is paid in full because we used our 125% credit from a previous cruise that had been cancelled. The April 12 payment is due next week, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to cancel it. I was optimistic for a while, but now I highly doubt it will sail.



I'm not really sure what you mean by this. Do you mean that the CDC was unwise to give permission; or that the cruise lines would be unwise to begin the process yet? I don't see a problem either way, to be honest. I think it was actually good decision to lift the no-sail and let the cruise lines begin to test their protocols, etc. I think when the simulated sailings do begin, they'll be very limited in the number of passengers, so I don't see a huge problem with that either. Or they can just decide to wait longer.

Personally knowing what I know because of where I’m from there’s no way I’d step on a ship in the short term. So I personally think the CDC was unwise.

 

[DisKid]

At this time according to cruisefever.net Disney is planning to restart sailings on April 2.
You can see the possible return to sailing for each cruise line they have a report for here:

https://cruisefever.net/when-each-cruise-line-is-scheduled-to-resume-cruises-in-2021/

But of course this is all subject to change.

 

[Monty]

At this time according to cruisefever.net Disney is planning to restart sailings on April 2.
You can see the possible return to sailing for each cruise line they have a report for here:

https://cruisefever.net/when-each-cruise-line-is-scheduled-to-resume-cruises-in-2021/

But of course this is all subject to change.

I’m fairly certain that’s just that they’ve only canceled sailings until the end of March. I doubt DCL will sail before fall, if this year.

 

[ChuckElias]

I’m fairly certain that’s just that they’ve only canceled sailings until the end of March.

This seems right. It looks like more of a compilation of "cancelled through" dates, rather than "resumption dates".

I doubt DCL will sail before fall, if this year.

I really hope it's sooner than that.

 

[DisKid]

That list is just when cruise lines are reporting they are going to try to restart. The article does say it is still likely it can and will likely change due to the virus. I am hoping the article is right about Disney's restart but am not going to count on it just like everyone else.

I do find it odd that Disney is offering discounts for April sailings if they were unsure of when they will resume their cruises.

 

[ChuckElias]

I do find it odd that Disney is offering discounts for April sailings if they were unsure of when they will resume their cruises.

Other cruise lines are still offering 7-night sailings, even though it looks like the CDC is saying only 3 or 4 nights will be allowed when starting back up.

 

[Magic Feather]

What's so rough is that it feels like every time some headway is allowed to happen in the Cruise Line industry, it's followed by a ridiculous spike in COVID numbers, which would make it PR suicide to get the propellors moving.

 

[KeithVH]

Methinks 4/1 is delusional thinking. Considering everything that has to happen per the CDC Conditional Sail Order, I can't see how that date is remotely possible. And that doesn't include re-hiring staff and training them in all the new procedures, rules, and regs. That's 30+ days right there. Until that happens, simulations will not happen. Not to mention - do you actually think DCL is going to lead the way and be one of the first (if not the first) line to actually resume sailing? They seem a bit too conservative to me to be the first in this challenging environment.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Furloughed crew member here, we’ve been told to be ready pretty much since October and it keeps getting pushed backed. Basically the restrictions in place by the CDC make it pretty impossible right now to get to the point we are allowed to sail. *my thoughts, not official* my gut feeling is Christmas cruises will be the earliest, at this point might as well wait for enough people to be vaccinated to make it worth sailing, but we shall see.

 

[aliceismad]

Furloughed crew member here, we’ve been told to be ready pretty much since October and it keeps getting pushed backed. Basically the restrictions in place by the CDC make it pretty impossible right now to get to the point we are allowed to sail. *my thoughts, not official* my gut feeling is Christmas cruises will be the earliest, at this point might as well wait for enough people to be vaccinated to make it worth sailing, but we shall see.

Thank you for the info, but I'm sorry you've been furloughed and this has affected the livelihoods of so many.

I've got the impression from other cruise line folks that fall is most likely as well, after vaccines are more available to the masses and some of the ports of call are willing to open to more guests again.

 

[LittleMerman]

What are simulated cruises? Volunteers for testing?

 

[ChuckElias]

What are simulated cruises? Volunteers for testing?

Pretty much, yes. The CDC lifted the No-Sail Order on December 1st, but one of the conditions of resuming full operations is that each cruise line must run "simulated sailings" with non-paying passengers (employees, family of crew members, etc) to test all their Covid protocols.

 

[LittleMerman]

Pretty much, yes. The CDC lifted the No-Sail Order on December 1st, but one of the conditions of resuming full operations is that each cruise line must run "simulated sailings" with non-paying passengers (employees, family of crew members, etc) to test all their Covid protocols.

Sign me up