Cruise Cancels at Sea, Stranding Passengers

[Demovictory9]

Cruise Cancels at Sea, Stranding Passengers
Norwegian Gem was nearly halfway through its itinerary when COVID issues hit


Kim Newton and Matt Daly, of Surf City, N.C., wait for a taxi after the Norwegian Cruise Line canceled their cruise on the Getaway last week in Miami. They were on their honeymoon. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)


Four days into a 10-day cruise, the trip was canceled because of COVID issues. That leaves the passengers who left New York on Sunday floating, stranded at sea, USA Today reports. Any hopes Aimee Focaraccio, the day in St. Maarten, had for an early return were dashed by an announcement to passengers. "We will arrive as per schedule on the 19th in the morning," it said. Focaraccio is not looking forward to the rest of her birthday trip on the Norwegian Gem. "I really can’t imagine four more sea days back to back without much to do," she said.

The line said Friday evening it isn't sure when the Gem will reach New York again, attributing the cancelation to "COVID-related circumstances." Other cruises, by Norwegian and other lines, have been canceled or suspended over the past week or so. Another Gem passenger said he has no complaints. "It was not the exact itinerary we signed up for but has still been an absolutely amazing cruise," Anthony Bivona told USA Today. Norwegian's total cancelations during the spike in COVID cases has reached 12. The Gem's passengers will receive a full refund, per Cruise Industry News.

https://www.newser.com/story/315695/cruise-passengers-sit-on-ship-after-cancellation.html

[choie]

1. What the hell did they think would happen?

n/t

[Demovictory9]

9. probably booked before the Omicront variant hit

[NurseJackie]

17. I'd have cancelled. Even without trip insurance...

... but trip-insurance certainly does make it easier.

[pwb]

2. A cruise at their age with Covid?

Yeah that makes sense.

[LiberalFighter]

3. I have no sympathy for any of them.

[Indykatie]

4. Ditto on the No Sympathy. How Stupid Do You Have to Be to be Cruising Now?

[Deuxcents]

7. Yep. What's wrong with some people?

[madville]

5. The cruise line stocks have been interesting

They rise and fall regularly with COVID news, I was messing with them a bit in my Roth IRA that can trade individual stocks. Bought a few hundred shares of Norwegian around $15 a share and sold months later when it hit $30 as they were booking cruises when the vaccines appeared more effective at preventing infection, at $22 a share now. Did similar with Royal Caribbean and Carnival.

You couldn’t pay me to physically take the chance of going on vacation on one though but their value has had good volatility to trade around a bit.

[Demovictory9]

11. That up and down pattern seems about right. Optimism then pandemic pt 2

[RockRaven]

6. Boo-hoo...

My well of empathy/sympathy/pity/etc for any asshat who would take a cruise during a airborne/respiratory virus pandemic is entirely dry.

[FakeNoose]

8. Dumb and Dumber's honeymoon is ruined

[Skittles]

10. people stupid enough to take a cruise during a pandemic

[brooklynite]

12. My high school friend used to be Captain of the Norwegian Getaway.....

[brooklynite]

13. Isn't "sea days back to back without much to do" the whole point?

[drmeow]

22. Cruises are all about the ports of call

Boat travels at night to the next island or coastal city. We were supposed to go on one in 2020 which would have started near Rome and stopped, in part, in Montenegro, Croatia, Venice, and (I think) Nice before returning to Rome.

[Blue Owl]

14. Sounds like a Ted Cruise

[malaise]

20. You win the thread

[malaise]

21. You win the thread

[onethatcares]

15. they could have stayed

at home and watched re-runs of "The Love Boat" and saved a bunch angst.

Hell, toss in a day of "Gilligans Island" and it would have been a honeymoon for the aged.

[Emile]

16. My neighbor son is home from the Navy. He told me almost

everyone on his ship in Norfolk has or had covid. He said its really bad aboard ships in the Navy.

[IzzaNuDay]

18. We have a cruise planned for this summer

And prepared to pull the plug if the pandemic is not improving.

[Vinca]

19. Cruise ships are little more than floating petri dishes at this point. I wouldn't want to

be trapped at sea with a bunch of strangers under the best of conditions, but this is insane.

[maxsolomon]

23. I have some empathy for cruisers, if not the industry.

It IS possible to go on a cruise and not have an outbreak. Or it was before Omicron.

My SIL, who is an industry professional, just completed a 7-day cruise in the Galapagos. No Covid outbreaks. Strict protocols.

That said, I don't go anywhere in the last 2 years.