travel

Floating petri dishes? Coronavirus puts cruise industry in the dock

13 Comments
By Peter Stebbings

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I can’t say too loudly as I have friends who makes money out of it but cruise ships are quite ugly.

Optional anyone to explore what local can offer for you to buy?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Cruise ships have always been floating petri dishes. Not something new. You know who else could have told you that? All ships from hundreds of years ago. Just look to the past and you would see "duh."

Sure technology has changed but there is no telling what a person has come into contact with. Ships are uncontrollable areas and it's hard to properly quarantine an infected person or area.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Cruise ship is still a wonderful travel, however cruise company better provide virus/gas protection suits and masks besides evacuation boats on ship.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The author is actually minimizing the risks by focusing on the "elderly" on such cruises. In addition to the current grave crisis there have been several very serious outbreaks on on cruise ships focusing on the likes of chicken pox, samonella , general food poisoning, grippe etc. And these outbreaks are certainly not confined to the "elderly" who often have better vaccinations and acquired immunity to younger travellers. It was not so long ago that middle aged British husband and wife died suddenly from a mystery illness at Egyptian Red Sea resort and the cause still remains to "be determined". Many visitors have fallen seriously ill particularly in Egypt and our Japanese readers should be aware of this.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Interesting that this article triggers so little comments.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

U.S.-based Chiron says that the image of thousands of people crammed together on board -- ripe conditions for the spread of illness -- is also wide of the mark.

When things got out of hand on the Diamond Princess it was most likely due to the bungling of those in charge of the quarantine. Otherwise the industry stats aren't alarming.

Though I'd like to see the percentage for all illnesses caused by pathogens across the cruise industry, with a norovirus rate of .0003% as cited in the article, perhaps those figures are encouraging for the general population. Why? because they take extensive precautions and understand the measures necessary to clean properly.

Japan is, after all, very much like a cruise ship: densely populated and challenging to disembark. What is needed is a thorough campaign to educate the population as to the precautions which work, the proper use and disposal of masks and gloves (should you opt to use them), and the extra steps required to properly disinfect homes and public properties.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I imagine food poisoning to be the most common problem on cruise ships. In Japan, I met an Asian guy from Malaysia in early 30s who was covered with scabs and sores on his arms, and his teeth were almost all rotten like some people in Japan. He said he worked on a ship and some resorts as a cook, and I immediately thought no thank you.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Numan can you recall the cruise company's name please ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Stewart Chiron, a leading industry expert, says that cruise ships are nothing like the hotbed of viruses that they are painted out to be and cruise lines take "extensive precautions to keep ships clean".

Right, so even with the mild to useless help from Japanese health officials, this coronavirus outbreak proves that Stewart Chiron's claim is complete fantasy and there is NOTHING that can be done because it's the design of these floating Petri dishes that is the reason these viruses spread so quickly. Those ventilation systems blend air from all over the ship through room after room so the viruses spread like a fire.

At least during a real fire, those ventilation systems are supposed to close to prevent the smoke from spreading and force hallway air back into the suites to keep exits paths clear. During a quarantine scenario, like what happened in Yokohama, I seriously doubt they had any special air circulation program at work. It just isn't built into the ship because it would cut into the profits so Stewart Chiron is nothing but a 'lobbyist' peddling lies... possibly deadly lies.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Fear of disease isn't any reason NOT to take a cruise. Hundreds of thousands of people do an "annual cruise" for fun. People on the cruises have a little extra money, so the normal issues of crime onboard seldom happen.

Obviously. people do get sick and sometimes there is crime, but that doesn't stop people from living in Tokyo, London, NYC, Singapore or anywhere else.

If you have any interest in trying a cruise, you might enjoy it. I did a 7 day cruise and found it wasn't for me, but most people seem to really enjoy it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

we don't fit interlocking ventilation system between compartments on marine vessels.... Make up air to each compartment always come from outside.

Viruses on cruises are generally spread by people touching the same surfaces, not via air.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

We have booked a transatlantic cruise to Europe for this spring, but just read that the virus is spreading there now as well. As many as 50,000 people in Italy are under quarantine, according to the BBC. Tourism is a large part of the worldwide economy, and this virus is having a horrible effect. If our cruise is cancelled, that is a very minor inconvenience, compared to what so many others are going through.

Cruising isn't for everyone, but most people who have tried it really like it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Numan can you recall the cruise company's name please ?

No, I can't. This was about 4 and half years ago.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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