Cruise superfans are eager to set sail again

Gail Raines, of Royal Palm Beach, has been on over 30 cruises and has no plans to stop. She hasn’t been scared by tragic tales of ships stranded at sea while passengers die on board. And she thinks people are overreacting when they compare ships to floating petri dishes.

Raines, 55, is among a loyal contingent of South Florida cruisers who book trips like clockwork each year, rack up rewards and enjoy onboard perks like free champagne. For them, a cruise is not a one-off vacation. It’s a way of life. “It’s just what we do,” she said.

That’s a breath of fresh air to Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises, the three largest lines who face an uphill battle to win back trust from passengers and recover from massive revenue shortfalls.

First, they must win over ports, health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, convincing them that setting sail in August will be safe. In recent weeks, the companies have issued statements highlighting their work with experts to develop enhanced safety protocols onboard to protect against the coronavirus.

But few details have been shared publicly about what those protocols will

look like and health professionals question how effective they will actually be.

As vacant ships in South Florida bob alongside ports, some speculate how well South Florida’s cruise industry will rebound. Enthusiasts like Raines, give executives hope.

“Despite everything that has gone on, people still want to cruise,” said Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio in a May 14 earnings call. “That’s the best indication we have that there is a future.”

Eager to head back to sea

Raines’ last cruise was in January. She hasn’t booked the next one, but is actively sifting through deals from Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. “September or October,” she predicted.

She is an administrator at a funeral home in Palm Beach County — a job that you might expect to scare her from cruising so soon. But she said her funeral home hasn’t had to deal with as many COVID-19 deaths as she thought they would, giving her the impression that things aren’t so bad. Dealing with death on a daily basis also makes her impervious to it. “If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.”

Raines said fears about cruising may have been blown out of proportion because of the relatively few cruise ships who found themselves with stranded passengers and outbreaks and covered extensively in the news.

However, Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, professor of medicine and public health sciences at the University of Miami, said the risks are very real. “Things in a confined space spread very quickly,” he said.

Among the many things cruise lines will have to address will be developing ways to keep passengers socially distanced and the surfaces they touch clean, which he said will be extremely difficult. “All it takes is one infected person on a cruise ship for the virus to spread.”

A spread that could lead to an outbreak, and another round of stranded ships and passengers.

‘I would go again’

Joan Lipinsky Cochran does not take cruises very often, but found herself stranded on a Celebrity cruise ship in March. Oddly enough, the experience gave her a newfound appreciation. “I would go again,” she said.

Cochran, 67, an author from Boca Raton, had a flight to Thailand canceled in early March because of the coronavirus. She replaced it with a cruise departing from Argentina because coronavirus cases were limited and she didn’t think it posed a risk. When the cruise pulled up in Chile, two weeks later, the coronavirus had spread rapidly and the government denied the ship entry.

For 15 days, Cochran remained at sea as the ship made its way to San Diego, California, where it finally disembarked on March 30 — a month after she first set sail.

Cochran said she spent her days going to shows, working out and eating in dining halls because the captain of the ship made it clear no one on board had the coronavirus. In the weeks since the ship disembarked, dozens of passengers and crew have tested positive.

Just how stealthy the virus can be — infecting others without anyone knowing about it — was “a shock,” she said. Cochran never developed symptoms. Two weeks ago she said she was tested for antibodies and the test came back negative.

Although many have criticized Celebrity for a lack of transparency about infections on the ship — criticism all three major cruise companies faced in March — Cochran doesn’t believe the captain or crew intentionally misled people because the virus was so new and there weren’t any tests available.

She said the staff adjusted well to the abrupt change in plans, giving her trust in the industry’s future. But she won’t go on another cruise this year. Maybe in a year or two, she said. “I assume they will make some adjustments in the meantime.”

Confidence from other viruses

While on a Norwegian cruise in March, Christine Sheflin, a regular cruise-goer, heard about the coronavirus beginning to spread. A day after she disembarked and went home to Coral Springs, ports began to close. Still, Sheflin, 48, purchased two certificates for future cruises before leaving the ship and plans to cash in on them in the next year.

“Even though I knew the coronavirus was out there, I also knew I was going to go on another cruise,” she said.

Sheflin said her confidence comes from having seen cruises adapt to other viruses — like the highly contagious norovirus, which can spread easily through close contact with infected persons, contaminated food or contaminated surfaces.

The norovirus claims less than 1,000 lives a year, according to the CDC. Perhaps the greatest threat is diarrhea. The coronavirus can be deadly, already claiming over 2,000 lives in Florida and nearly 100,000 across the country.

Still, Sheflin said she is encouraged by Norwegian staff who spray the hands of passengers with sanitizer before they hit the buffet and afterward. She expects protocols like this to be enhanced and cruisers themselves to be more vigilant about their cleanliness.

While on her cruise in March, she already noticed staff members making changes, like continuously wiping down stair railings and surfaces in common areas. “That will be the new norm.”

Carrasquillo said he believes cruises will truly do their best before setting sail, but isn’t confident the efforts will be sufficient. “I don’t know that their best will be good enough when there is still a lot of virus floating around.”

Thus far, cruise lines have kept details about new cleaning protocols tight to the chest.

Van ce Gullik sen, a spokesman for Carnival Corp., said the company has submitted plans to the CDC after consulting with government officials and public health experts but did not elaborate on them. “Over the coming weeks and months we’ll be sharing more details,” he said.

Del Rio, of Norwegian, said, “it’s still too early to talk about specifics,” in the company’s earnings call. He said the goal will be to preserve elements passengers expect — multiple destinations, a wide array of dining and entertainment options — but “modified as necessary as to the many changes we are becoming accustomed to in our daily lives.”

Earning back confidence

Ruth Berge, 61, has been on 10 cruises and also has faith in the industry. But not enough to re-book her recently canceled trip anytime soon. “This is not the year for it.”

Berge, a paralegal and author in Jupiter, said that a change in safety protocols is one sign she’ll be looking for before getting on board. She also hopes to see a big reduction in coronavirus cases. “To the point where it is similar to a normal flu or even less than that.”

Berge predicted the industry likely won’t have a problem drawing back frequent passengers like herself in the future. Where she sees the potential for lost business is among lay cruisers, who perhaps take one every few years or have never have been on one.

To get those passengers, cruise lines will have to earn their trust.

Del Rio, the CEO of Norwegian, acknowledged as much, saying he expects the initial process of getting back on the sea to involve

“fits and starts” as the crew and passengers adapt to new protocols and learn what works.

Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain said how well the industry adapts, “will play a critical role in keeping our guests and crew safe,” in a press release announcing a $1.4 billion dollar loss in revenue this past quarter.

Gulliksen said Carnival plans to initially roll-out itineraries for eight ships departing from Miami, Port Canaveral and Galveston, Texas in August, but stressed those trips aren’t guaranteed. Norwegian also plans for a small roll-out of ships in the summer and fall, before building up to a full fleet within five to six months, according to Del Rio.

In the remaining months of 2020, Del Rio said he expects overall demand for cruising to remain low. He hopes that will eventually change, “as people regain confidence in the cruise industry and our ability to keep them healthy.”

CHRISTINE SHEFLIN Christine Sheflin, 48, of Coral Springs, nearly got stuck on a cruise in March. Before disembarking she purchased certificates for two future cruises that she plans to use within the next year. Like other long time cruisers, she said the coronavirus will not stop her from enjoying the seas.

GAIL RAINES Gail Raines, 55, of Royal Palm, has been on more than 30 cruises in her life and has no plans on stopping anytime soon. She is actively looking for deals to set sail as early as September if ships are allowed to sail by that point.