Coast Guard: Cruise ships must stay at sea with sick onboard

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: ABC

The U.S. Coast Guard has directed all cruise ships to prepare to treat any sick passengers and crew on board while being sequestered “indefinitely" offshore during the coronavirus pandemic.

The new rules require daily updates on each ship's coronavirus caseload for vessels in U.S. waters, and come with a stiff warning: Any foreign-flagged vessels “that loiter beyond U.S. territorial seas" should try first to medically evacuate the very sick to those countries instead.

Many of South Florida's cruise ships are registered in the Bahamas, where hospital capacity is limited and people are still recovering from last year's Hurricane Dorian. The rules, which apply to any vessel carrying more than 50 people, were issued in a March 29 safety bulletin signed by Coast Guard Rear Admiral E.C. Jones, whose district includes Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Puerto Rico.

Dozens of cruise ships are either lined up at Port Miami and Port Everglades or waiting offshore due to the coronavirus pandemic. Most have only crew aboard, but the Carnival Corp., which owns nine cruise lines with a total of 105 ships, notified the SEC Tuesday that it has more than 6,000 passengers still at sea.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/coast-guard-cruise-ships-stay-sea-sick-onboard-69914072

[Me.]

1. I'm Horrified

[Bayard]

2. The phrase, "Ghost Ship",

Comes to mind.

[groundloop]

3. That's a death sentence for many people who don't (yet) have the virus

By staying on the ship more people will certainly contract the virus that otherwise wouldn't have.

[magicarpet]

27. Those are big ships,....

If the cruise line was smart they would immediately commence an on board quarantine program. Separate the healthy from infected.

These big companies will not carry the American flag as registry so they can avert taxes, wage, labor, and safety laws. They would rather registry be in Panama.

When economic times go bad they are the first in line with requests for hand outs and bailouts by the American tax payers.

[totodeinhere]

36. So you want to let them off the ship and put them in a position to infect others?

Wouldn't a better solution be to leave them on the ship and provide the ship's medical personnel with the equipment they need to treat the sick passengers?

[Phoenix61]

4. Sadly not surprised. They ripped babies

out of their mother’s arms, they put children in cages. These are foreign flagged vessels looks like they are getting the same treatment.

[UpInArms]

5. Those foreign flagged ships

Did not want to pay US taxes or aide by US employment regulations

http://www.crew-center.com/why-cruise-ships-sail-under-foreign-flag’s

Working for a cruise line which is registered under a flag other than the American can be complicated, especially when there is a need to address certain rights, such as workman's compensation, discrimination, abuse and/or harassment, as well as other work related issues and problems.

In the entire cruise line industry there is only one cruise line company which has its ships registered under the American flag, all others are registered in foreign countries such as Panama which are more lenient with big corporations, but not to individual employees.

The Cruise Lines International Association explains the reason behind the fact that 90% of the cruise liners register their ships under a foreign flags due to the “capabilities of the flag to deliver the services needed; representation and reputation of the flag in the international shipping community; the performance of the flag state, which dictates how a ship is prioritized by port states; the pool of seafarers able to meet the need of the flag; and the flag’s fees/charges and taxes.”

Many cruise line companies deem that the regulations which follow registration under the U.S. flag are unattractive, therefore they lean towards a country which has regulations and laws which benefit the company and its operation. Some claim that the corporations which sail under a foreign flag do so simply to avoid the American safety and consumer protection regulations and laws. The Federal Maritime Commission also understands and acknowledges this fact by giving the following statement “it is important to know that the Commission has no authority over: passenger line vessel operations, safety issues, amenities onboard vessels or fare levels.”

[Me.]

8. And....

we just let them die a terrible death?

[UpInArms]

9. We need to actually have a plan ...

That would require having actual leadership ..

It is all an horrific problem

[Me.]

12. Agreed

The problem is the leadership we have doesn't value any life but their own. Iy brings to mind that point in history when we refused a ship loaded with Jewish people and sent them off to die.

[magicarpet]

28. Southern Red States are soon to be inundated with covid infected patients.

The hospitals will be overloaded to the max.

I don't think Florida, Texas, Mississippi, or Alabama can handle or their hospitals handle waves of sick people.

Are these cruise ships barred from boarding anymore new passengers. Or are these idiot ReThug governors still saying the magic hand of free market capitalism will take care of all in a very magic way

[magicarpet]

32. China is giving their new covid patients...

... the antiviral drug I think used on Aids patients, it is called oseitamivir. I saw that in a JAMA article out just yesterday.

Put that on a helicopter and air drop that antiviral on to the cruise ship at sea.

We desperately need a drug to help the infected stay alive until the vaccine is available.

[Me.]

33. What Makes It Worse Is That Disantis Encouraged Floridians to Take Cruises

indicating it was safe

[magicarpet]

34. True that,... so true.

DeSantis is a Fascist Hyper-Capitalist Meat-head....

They think the magic hand of the free market capitalists system will swoop down and save us from our stupid selves. Un-regulated free markets function best when left alone.

It is all hocus pocus,... Fascist Christian Nazis think like this too. Some big magic hand from above will reach from the sky and right all the wrongs. Divine intervention or something,.. bud out or butt out,... do not meddle in the Will of the Lord.

[SWBTATTReg]

14. Absolutely. These cruise ships don't pay any US taxes and chose to not pay taxes like any other...

responsible entity would. Why should they reap the benefits then, of coming into a US Port? Why allow them the benefits of cherry picking the best out of a system, while ignoring the worst of a system (paying taxes like the rest of us do). Why overload US facilities w/ their passengers when they chose to pay taxes and register in other non-US ports?

They need to go where they are registered legitimately and have the authorities there deal w/ their passengers, after all, they are flagged under that country's flag and not ours, and they paid their taxes based upon that jurisdiction's laws. The passengers knew this too.

[mpcamb]

18. And trump wants a bail-out program for them!

[magicarpet]

35. Thanks we will take all the gold,...

... and very graciously leave the lead for you.
Or would you rather plastic or paper. The Coach brand bags are for us, the super rich only.

[BusyBeingBest]

6. A couple weeks ago they let a cruise ship dock in Miami and let

everyone off even though someone on it had the virus--they didn't quarantine the passengers on land, they just let them blow wherever the four winds took them, all over the US, Canada, etc. Very, very inconsistent rules and procedures. What a sick fucking joke this country has become. And trapping the passengers onboard is bullshit. If they have no symptoms/fever, figure out a way to get them quarantined and then get them home.

[Sunlei]

21. 2, almost 3 weeks ago my friends came off that ship. No refund for 'last 2 weeks' no flight home

They did self-quarantine in the room on board and after they got home. They just dodged a bullet didn't get sick. They were most worried about the flight home the airlines/airports were running the typical packed full of people.

[BusyBeingBest]

25. I'm glad they're ok, that's quite an ordeal.

[Turbineguy]

7. Those ships are going to run out of food.

They usually victual for a week and a bit more. The Zaandam and the Rotterdam are Dutch flag. Do they have enough fuel for the crossing to Europe?

[forgotmylogin]

15. I imagine when they're docked or near port they can be airlifted supplies.

Cargo *probably* doesn't go through the passenger routes. And they can refuel with passengers onboard surely.

[Turbineguy]

19. It would depend on sea conditions. Among other things.

A general rule on ships is when you are doing something new for the first time, things go wrong.

They fuel from a barge. As long as the water is nearly mirror-like, no problem.

Food is loaded through side ports about 6 to 8 feet above the water line. There is a store room deck just above the engineering spaces. There is a passageway (on the Florida based ships it's known as "I-95&quot that runs nearly the length of the vessel. There are large hydraulically operated water tight doors that have to be opened during food transfer operations. To open these while at sea degrades water tight integrity.

Food is loaded by forklifts that carry pallets to the correct stores room (freezers, cool boxes, un-cooled stores). Sea motion would make driving the forklifts a hazardous operation.

If food were loaded into refrigerated containers and placed on a barge with a freeboard compatible with the ship's side port, it just might work.

[MoonlitKnight]

29. Dutch territory in the Caribbean

Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius in the Caribbean

[IronLionZion]

10. There are no winners in this story and no solution in sight

Trying to separate people to send to their individual countries or states will be a logistical nightmare. Florida governor has already said he won't take non-Floridians, which would be most of them.

Who has capacity to take these people? Coast Guard and Navy could facilitate transferring people where they need to go?

[RobinA]

11. This Is Hideous

beyond words. I can't believe this can't be dealt with in some reasonable way.

[MosheFeingold]

13. Horrible BUT

These idiots got on board a cruise ship in the middle of a pandemic.

Other people should not die for their selfishness and stupidity.

[thucythucy]

17. That's rather harsh on whatever children might be on board. nt

[MosheFeingold]

20. You ever notice that

Lots of really bad people put children in bad situations and then expect to be rescued because children are at risk?

[thucythucy]

22. Not particularly, no.

But I'm sure it happens from time to time.

[RobinA]

37. Yes

Former Child & Youth Services worker here!

[HarlanPepper]

24. Reminds me of a scene in Airplane

[projectiboga]

16. any cruse ship selling to americans and docking here should face tougher regulations than domestic

I think those foreign flag boats should have to follow both sets of laws and be on the hook here for liability at triple damages and double penalties for any administrative or criminal offences. Then they will all see it in everyone's interest to fly our flag and follow stringent rules.

I never understood the desire to go under Admiralty laws that date to the time of slave ships, colonial plunder, and pirates, you get on one of those death traps you are under a dictatorship under the captain, with little civil rights. Maybe you need some limits to keep order on the ship, but the cruse companies need tight regulations.

[hardluck]

23. Raise the Yellow Jack. nt

[procon]

26. Now Trump can add Plague Ships to his legacy.

There are American citizens onboard, in any foreign country, in any other time of crisis our government would be working to get them safely back home. We moved Americans who were ebola patients back to the US. What is different, other than Trump?

[NoRoadUntravelled]

30. And Barely 3 Weeks Ago Pence and Fauci both said a cruise would be OK

if the passengers weren't old. Everything would be fine.

There could be many things about this virus that aren't known yet.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2020/03/09/fauci-says-cruising-is-ok-if-you-are-healthy/#362ca5d02d4d

[GeorgiaPeanut]

31. This is so inhumane

Those people deserve safety and treatment. Isolate them, quarantine them but bring them back to land.