Almost home, thank you Corona :P

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darkchina811

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https://crew-center.com/why-cant-we-go-home-crew-members-puerto-vallarta-asks-mexican-government-permission-return-home

I am still on the mentioned ship, hopefully flying home in the next few days.

just to give you guys a little perspective... the company is american but apparently it just became too complicated (or expensive...) to fly out from US. so we came to Mexico to fly people home. well, not that easy even from here.

somehow the world believe cruise ships are a nest for the virus. we have been at sea for 65 days and doing temperature checks twice a day for over a month. we are all healthy.

DISCLAIMER: I am posting this just to start a peaceful conversation, to exchange opinions. this does not reflect HAL's opinion, the company I work for.
 
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Uwe

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There are good reasons why people look at cruise ships with suspicion, but yeah.. If you've been at sea for 65 days at sea with no cases on board, I'd say you're as unlikely to have the Mexican Beer Virus as anyone on the planet.

There was a story recently about someone who was doing a solo circumnavigation of the Southern Ocean in a sailboat. He landed in New Zealand, where they're normally not letting anyone in. He was greeted by a bunch of cops. They looked at his position logs and decided he's safe, 'cause he hadn't been ashore anywhere since before this whole thing started.

-Uwe-
 
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darkchina811

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there have been plenty of cases, and some deaths, on other ships, including some from our company. what I don't understand is the common opinion is "ships are sick. period."

I also don't get why we can't simply do the test and GTFO of here.

I am actually quite lucky because my regular contract end was 5/16, so just a few days ago, but there are people here who should have disembarked at the end of March, and still they're not sure what's gonna happen.

if you add that all contract have been shortened, lots of wages been cut, and we're all basically unemployed because nobody can predict when ships will sail again, the picture gets darker and darker...
 
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DV52

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darkchina: Sounds like you will be at more risk of infection from the "Mexican Beer Virus" (?) when you return home than on the cruise ship- but it's good to read that finally, you have been liberated from your impromptu incarceration.

It's now a cliche to say that every pre-COVID business model will need to be re-evaluated in a post COVID world! This is perhaps most true for the Tourism industry and in particular, luxury ship holidays. I understand your point about your boat becoming an effective isolation environment against infection.

However, as is especially the case for ALL industries that rely on digressional expenditure, customer perception is reality. I hope that I'm wrong, but I suspect that the now ubiquitous redefinition of luxury ships as floating Petry-dishes will persist for many years yet. It will be interesting to see how the industry will combat this perception

keep safe

Don
 
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Jack@European_Parts

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What no more unlimited prime rib & chocolate mountains on the cruise ships?
:p


Anyway hope OP makes it home safe and sound....
 
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darkchina811

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travel restrictions are changing sometimes on a daily basis and the company is facing an unprecedented challenge in sending people home, and let's not even think about the money involved.

I haven't heard anything yet and I don't believe rumors anymore. until I board a plane I don't believe shit anymore.
 
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PetrolDave

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until I board a plane I don't believe shit anymore.
Check where the plane is going to land .... in 2005 I was due to fly home with FlyBe from Bergerac (France) to Southampton (UK) but due to technical problems takeoff was delayed around 8 hours. AFTER we had taken off the pilot told us that we weren't going to Southampton but to Exeter and a fleet of taxis would transfer us to Southampton (around a 4 hour drive even at 2am when we landed).

I vowed never to fly with FlyBe again - it's not a problem now as they've ceased trading.
 
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darkchina811

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some people already disembarked, and it's been quite an interesting trip to say the least. we're basically being treated like criminals, all lined up outside the ship with armed military watching, waiting for dogs to check our bags.

we have to fly charter to Mexico City and some charter planes only allow one checked bag. we are crew members, when we leave home we leave for up to 8 months, all of us have two if not three bags. the excess bags will be shipped home... from Mexico, maybe to South Africa? good luck for finding all your stuff.

in Mexico City the layover for the commercial flight to next hop is minimum 15 hours, then some people arrived in Europe and has to wait 3-4 days in a hotel before a connection for the final destination is available.

let's not forget once you are home you'll be grounded 14 days...
 
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darkchina811

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Puerto Vallarta port shut down because one of the workers reported Corona-like sympthoms, so we had to leave for another port.

I think it's called LA PAZ, but it has a small airport with one runway too short for the size of planes we need.

so we'll have to take a bus to Cabo San Lucas... if they let us disembark.

the tale goes on...
 
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darkchina811

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nope, that info was wrong. La Paz actually has a (very small) international airport. I was supposed to fly on the 4th but after receiving the ticket from my company, the airline did not confirm the booking. how frustrating, they say it can happen.

I finally left the ship yesterday, I spent the night in a hotel in Mexico City.

tonight I fly to Amsterdam, then another night in a hotel.

last connection to Venice will be on wednesday morning.

almost home.

there are still over 200 crew on the ship, with no idea about when they will leave. some countries are still locked down, and some are just over complicating things even for citizens.
 
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Uwe

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Hah! You mentioned La Paz and I was wondering how the hell you got to Bolivia! La Paz in Bolivia It has an airport well known for being difficult due to its elevation above sea level -- more than 4000 meters! :confused:

-Uwe-
 
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darkchina811

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I didn't know that. fortunately this La Paz was Baja California.
 
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