Senators Blumenthal & Matsui Urge Continuation of Sailing Restrictions

From Cruise Radio: 

"While the cruise industry and its supporters are loudly demanding that ships be allowed to resume sailing as soon as possible, opposition voices are making a case for keeping the current ‘Conditional Sailing Order’ in place.

At the heart of the debate? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is charged with making decisions crucial to the future of an embattled industry.

Two politicians, both frequent critics of the cruise industry, have sent a letter to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, urging the public health agency to maintain current restrictions.

“Prospect Of Premature Resumption”

“We write today with significant concern about the prospect of premature resumption of cruise ship operations that could threaten public safety and increase the spread of the coronavirus,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA). “Failing to adhere to this guidance could create unsafe conditions that jeopardize public health,” the politicians added."

I have a one word reply: "Balderdash." Senators, you have always campaigned against the industry in which I work.  This is more of your posturing.  Please provide some scientific evidence - ANY scientific evidence to backup your claims.  And then please shut down the casinos in your states that allow players to sit near each other for 8 hours and longer in close quarters so the gambling industry can thrive, and close the amusement parks again because although they are cleaner than they were they don't live up to the standards of cruise ships.  And if you think cruise ships threaten public safety and increase the spread of the coronavirus then you're not prioritizing well, because a heck of a lot more coronavirus came here by airplane than it did by ship, it's just that the ships make the headlines - they're sexier. 

Please stop picking on one narrowly targeted segment of the travel industry without good reason.  Stop being bullies - it has been 13 months.  Allow 450,000 Americans to go back to work, work that brings in over $55 billion to the US economy.  This is the most egregious misuse of bureaucratic power I could ever imagine witnessing.  You are causing basic hardworking American people to become desperate.  Desperate people will do desperate things.  Do you not envision the trouble you are brewing?  Does history need to continually repeat itself?  Are you deaf to the outroar? 

I am shaking my head in disbelief.  Is this the country of which I was once so proud?  I'm just horribly saddened. 😢🚢

 

392 Days

On March 13, 2020 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a Conditional Sail Order, at the time the CDC commended the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)for their willingness to voluntarily suspend cruise ship operations from U.S. ports of call. It was the right thing to do. It was a hard thing, but as an industry we had to put our profits aside and the safety of our passengers first.  At the time, my projected income for 2020 looked  something like this:  

 

It was livable.  Not grand, not poverty level.  Solid, hard-working, middle-class.  As the days rolled by the commissions became this: 

Ouch. But I was one of the lucky ones I told myself. 

1. I had always saved money for an emergency.
2. I had no dependents except for a 15 year old dog. 
3. My needs were modest.
4. My expenses were limited as both my home and my car were paid for.  No mortgage, no lease, no credit card debt, no student loans, no chronic illnesses.  I was BLESSED.  

This was just a bump in the road, it couldn't last forever.  That was 392 days ago.  It has lasted forever.  I've sewn over 700 masks.  I've cleaned my house several times, although it's hard to see under all the fabric remnants. 

 I've acquired a new puppy. He has my Mom's blue eyes.

I binge watched the Outlander series and binge reread the books.  I binge read James Patterson novels and Philippa Gregory novels and a whole buncha other novels. I pulled out 10 year old knitting projects (I put them away again after I got the puppy).  I started learning SEO and digital marketing.  I looked for jobs in other sectors of the economy.  I'm still getting job search results from Glassdoor and AARP and LinkedIn.  After over 25 years in the travel industry I don't really want to work for a 30-something maverick selling digital ads for bitcoins to leverage his involvement in scalable synthesis of nano-technology high density lithium ion battery packs.  I just want to return to selling travel.  It's been 392 days.

I'm glad that Governor De Santis has taken a public stand for Floridians affected by this continued Conditional Sail Order.  There's no scientific basis for it.  No data says that you are more likely to get Coronavirus on a well-maintained, state-of-the art cruise ship, sailing on the open ocean than you are on a commuter bus, subway or airplane. In fact, worldwide over 400,000 passengers have cruised since the outbreak with less than 50 instances of COVID-19 reported.  That's a lower percentage than anywhere else in the world.  All of those cases were successfully treated.  Show us some science based facts or let the ships sail again.  If there was evidence to support the CSO, it would have been available by now.  It's just not there.  The opposite has been proven.  Yes proven, by over 400,000 passengers.  By countries like Israel, Bermuda, The Bahamas, Singapore and Greece which are opening their ports to passenger cruising.

So, c'mon.  Blue needs puppy chow. I need to stop watching reruns of Law & Order.  I'm going to go process some more refunds now. 😟