Miami Herald: "100,000 crew members remain in cruise ship limbo for months"

[vegs1]

There are many issues with this article, first and foremost in my personal opinion, is where do they come up with that 100,000+ number??

According to this article, the U.S. Coast guard indicated close to that number.
https://fortune.com/2020/05/12/coronavirus-cruise-workers-stuck-at-sea/
At any rate, I feel terrible for those stuck at sea. I’m sure it’s not much of a happy time when you just want to be working or get home to your family.

 

[Husker Mike]

Not this year

That's my take. With the effort Disney is having to take to get the crews home, I would assume that similar Herculean efforts will also be needed to restaff when the situation allows passengers to come back on board. Will some people not want to return? Will some have found other jobs? This effort makes it clear that cruises are months, not weeks, away from resuming.

 

[FightingIrishman]

I would assume Disney would have to train their entertainment CMs in Toronto prior to launching cruises again. I don't know how long it takes to be show ready but this would be a sign DCL was serious about returning. Canada would obviously have to be open to international travel for this to happen.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I would assume Disney would have to train their entertainment CMs in Toronto prior to launching cruises again. I don't know how long it takes to be show ready but this would be a sign DCL was serious about returning. Canada would obviously have to be open to international travel for this to happen.

While they DO train their entertainment CMs in Toronto, is there any reason the MUST train them there?

 

[FightingIrishman]

Good question. I assume they have stage nearly identical to the cruise ship theatre and probably sets/props to match. You can ship those somewhere else and makeshift with someone else's stage. I guess it depends on how much they need that particular stage, with trap doors and lifts.

 

[Donna3271]

I have so many thoughts on this topic haha.
I know many crew still onboard across 3 different lines, and they're all quite honest on social media.

As for crew wanting to go back, I'm on a few crew groups and there are more who want to go back than don't (even people who havent been on ships for a few years want to go back), whether the people currently onboard will go back I dont know, but everyone I've talked to onboard will go.
Obviously logistically no one knows. Countries are changing constantly over who can come and go.

As crew, I would be up for all crew having to go into a 2 week quarantine when arriving at their embark port (I wouldn't mind two weeks of room service and naps before a crazy contract haha) before boarding for a contract. Although, vaccines seem to be coming along, but I think it would be hard for a lot of crew to get them at first, unless the cruise line was to issue them, as they do with flu.

Now the pay, not one person I know onboard has complained about lack of pay. One I know even said he would rather stay onboard with no pay than go home as while they're not being paid, they're not spending anything (free food, internet, entertainment, limited alcohol) and once they go home they know they wont be able to get a job, but would have to pay to live.
From what I understand those whose contract has finished are the ones who aren't being paid (but most cruise lines seem to be paying $10-13 a day, not ideal, but better than those stuck at home), the ones whose contract has finished but they still have to work as they are essential crew are still being paid. I havent heard of any crew working and not being paid. All this sounds like a lot of people all over the world right now.

The crew I persoanlly see complaining about pay are the ones at home, who were due to go back and are now at home with nothing and are finding it impossible to get a job and the industry they know has shut down.

While I keep seeing articles like this (usually from the MH) actually talking to crew onboard, personally, and the comments/discussions on crew groups, the majority are as happy/understanding as they can be in the situation, if your quick enough you can read the positive comments crew leaving on a certain lawyers posts, before he deletes them and blocks them from his page.

Sorry for the essay.
I have so much more I could add, but I will hold myself back.

Thank you for this awesome insight. Very interesting.

 

[yowcruiser]

...Oh, I love the "absolutes" in this thread such as "never going to happen", "will definitely happen"... What we know for sure is that DCL is currently trying to send as many crew back as possible to their home country, while respecting CDC guidance which means having to sail most people to their home country... or use a spot like Europe where they may be able to unload crew from several nationalities to fly them back home. The one ship that is having more issues right now is the Wonder... being alone on the West Coast and having had a few new cases among crew a few weeks ago.

In normal fashion, it has been reported that it could take up to two weeks to bring crew back and somewhat resume operation. Then, we know that these are not normal times... Borders may or may not be open. CDC may or may not extend their no sail order. Crew may decide to renew... or not renew their contract... DCL may also have to temporarily significantly alter the cruise experience which may require more/less crew, or different type of crew. We may or we may not have a cure...

With the new leadership for DCL announced today, it is also going to be interesting to see which direction DCL, and the rest of the Signature group is taking.

We may be sailing by August of this year... or August of next year... but right now, there is no way to tell as everyone has their theories and wish list regarding vaccines, cures and potential containment measures... BTW, Royal Caribbean just announced no buffet whatsoever once cruise resumes...

 

[bbel]

Thanks for sharing the insider perspective. I'm familiar with the lawyer with the anti-cruise website that you're referring to. And yes, the Miami Herald's political orientation is something to keep in mind when you read a very one-sided article they publish about the cruise industry.

I mean I get it, they want to sell stories and make money and it's the dramatics that do that. The majority that are coping well (cant think of the right word for what I want to say) with it isnt what people want to read...
As with everything.

 

[bbel]

I would assume Disney would have to train their entertainment CMs in Toronto prior to launching cruises again. I don't know how long it takes to be show ready but this would be a sign DCL was serious about returning. Canada would obviously have to be open to international travel for this to happen.

If it wasnt Canada, it would still have to be country outside of the US for all non-US cast due to visas, it think...

 

[Husker Mike]

I would assume Disney would have to train their entertainment CMs in Toronto prior to launching cruises again. I don't know how long it takes to be show ready but this would be a sign DCL was serious about returning. Canada would obviously have to be open to international travel for this to happen.

I wouldn't assume that. Disney has floating theaters going unused right now. All you have to do is get the cast on the ships with someone to train them.

 

[bbel]

I think it is one thing to say that the crew don't mind not being paid because they have a bed and 3 meals a day but what about the one's with family? It is widely known that the crew send their pay to their spouse or family to live. This means the wives/husbands and children are without income. That should be concerning to them I would think.

I get that, I do.
I think many of them see it as one less mouth to feed.
If they were home they wouldn't be paid either and many know there are very few jobs for them right now and a lot of competition for what is available.
All the crew that were on vacation wont have been paid for months unless they've got work back home.

As I say, I get it, I was due to go back in March, four days before I was due to go it was cancelled, I've had no money come in since early January. I've applied for jobs but they're rare and I have no experience for them. I'm lucky tho, I have no dependants, I can live out my parents box room and I've managed to save on ships, but if i had to pay 'real' bills, I wouldn't be able to.

If I didnt have my parents I'd much rather be on a ship right now not getting paid....

 

[bbel]

Wow, thanks for the responses on my post, I was a little apprehensive to look at it when I saw I had so many notifications.

If anyone thought my post was saying that the original article was one sided, I wasnt (actually, i didnt even read it ).

I didnt want it to come across that I was taking away from the crew that this is a really awful time, it is, and I know I'd really struggle, hell, last contract I nearly flipped my lid because I had 12 days stuck onboard...
I know most would want to be home with loved ones and in their own bed, with decent tv and reliable internet and fridge of food from home.
I just wanted to point out that most out there seem to understand what the world is like right now and appreciate that they are safe, fed, clean and warm. They're making that lemonade!

I see posts from guests on social media saying 'if this is how they treat their crew I'm never going back'
But really, most of the crew want to get back to cruising, and they need you guys there at the end of it. (And the ones protesting wont be there.) But the ones that have overcome this will come back and will come back better and stronger.


Thanks for listening to my Ted talks!

 

[accio]

I like what Doug Parker of Cruise Radio News said in his Facebook group in regards to this article:

The crew members I have spoken with (some in this group and still on ships) have told different stories. Three sides to every story: their side, the media's side, and the truth.

 

[BartmanLA]

I like what Doug Parker of Cruise Radio News said in his Facebook group in regards to this article:

The crew members I have spoken with (some in this group and still on ships) have told different stories. Three sides to every story: their side, the media's side, and the truth.

Exactly, I am sure there are some unhappy crew members on board the ships that don't want to be there. But as you said there are many sides to this story. Also I'd be interesting in the numbers of the crews that "won't return to cruise work" as opposed to those that understand the whole situation sucks but they know once things get safe they want to come back and share the unique and special experience that they provide that brings their guests returning year after year. I am personally hoping to let them know how grateful everyone is for all their sacrifices and all the hard work they do every cruise.

 

[Starwind]

Sorry for the essay.
I have so much more I could add, but I will hold myself back.

Thank you for your insights.

I have seen media reporting that at least one or two cruise lines have cut existing contracts short and stopped paying their crew [presumably except for the essential crew you described]; the articles I saw quoted one cruise line stating they were doing that. Many of those affected crew members are still on board as they haven't been able to repatriate them yet.

This contrasts with many other lines which seem to be allowing the existing contracts to naturally come to their end points. One of the DCL cast members implied this may be the case for at least some when they noted that because they still were on contract they were not going home yet while others of their countrymen whose contracts had ended had been transferred to another ship for repatriation.

I was discussing this issue with a friend recently. He has sailed only once [not DCL] and so is not loyal to any cruise line. I commented on how he may wish to learn how the various lines treated their crew during this as it may inform which line(s) he wishes to sail in the future.

SW

 

[MommyinHonduras]

As crew, I would be up for all crew having to go into a 2 week quarantine when arriving at their embark port (I wouldn't mind two weeks of room service and naps before a crazy contract haha) before boarding for a contract.

once they go home they know they wont be able to

The crew I persoanlly see complaining about pay are the ones at home, who were due to go back and are now at home with nothing and are finding it impossible to get a job and the industry they know has shut down.

Disney Dream dropped off Honduran cruise staff last week and several other ships will be bringing a few hundred more this week.
Those who come home to the Islands (not sure how mainland is handling it) have to pay to stay in a hotel for a 14 day quaretine.
There are no jobs. As soon as the cruiselines hire again, I would say most if not all will return to work and many more will be willing to be trained to be hired going forward.