Norwegian Cruise Line and their dirty "20% off" trick for people who book future cruises with refunded cruise credit

[Dan Druff]

Eight cruise ships are stuck at sea, though 6 of the 8 are near Africa or Asia, and only one is near North America (Pacific Princess, which I have been on before).

There are lawsuits already on the way against Carnival, for allowing passengers to board on one of their subsidiaries' ships on March 5, despite the danger of COVID-19 being clear. Seven people died on that ship. Other lawsuits are also pending.

https://www.theguardian.com/environm...navirus-crisis

Some of these ships actually set sail in mid-March. Very dumb.

[Daly]

CDC issues indefinite no-sail order for cruise ships.

Except NCL/CCL/RCL stocks to take a beating on Monday (it's closed tomorrow).

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...?ocid=msedgdhp

Cliffs:

They can't sail until the Dept of Health and Human Services say that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency (likely not until 21), OR the CDC director rescinds the order (probably not for a long time), OR 100 days from the order's official publication passes (but then another order can be handed down).

So we are looking at what appears to be July or later until cruising happens again, and likely much longer.

Here's the full order: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/N...-encrypted.pdf

It will be interesting. I sold everything at the Bell yesterday so best case for me is a pullback but whatever happens I don’t think this news is going to move the needle much. Maybe I’m wrong but this is probably already priced in.

[TheXFactor]

Great article. You should NEVER go on a cruise ship. NEVER AGAIN. Also, many cruise ship workers are foreigners that are recruited from poor countries, they are mistreated and exploited and make about $600 a month. Does Druff give a fuck? Nope. He will go on a cruise ship just as soon as they are back in business.

Should passengers return to cruise ships after the pandemic? No

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...sengers-future

[Hockey Guy]

Great article. You should NEVER go on a cruise ship. NEVER AGAIN. Also, many cruise ship workers are foreigners that are recruited from poor countries, they are mistreated and exploited and make about $600 a month. Does Druff give a fuck? Nope. He will go on a cruise ship just as soon as they are back in business.

Should passengers return to cruise ships after the pandemic? No

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...sengers-future

Not sure why you felt the need to mention Druff. Your point was made without that.

[peter mcneil]

Great article. You should NEVER go on a cruise ship. NEVER AGAIN. Also, many cruise ship workers are foreigners that are recruited from poor countries, they are mistreated and exploited and make about $600 a month. Does Druff give a fuck? Nope. He will go on a cruise ship just as soon as they are back in business.

Should passengers return to cruise ships after the pandemic? No

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...sengers-future

Maybe it's a good article, maybe it's bullshit. What kind of wage would the workers from poor countries make if they didn't have this option, better/worse? Do they work under good conditions at home? I'm sure the cruise ships have plenty of room for improvement but maybe they're a fantastic option for their employees, it can be both.

[JimmyG_415]

Don't you tell him to "fuck off" in the radio chat room? like every week?

This could be a bad thing for the industry,

I heard it on the radio, so I can't back this up, but that future cruise sales were through the roof.
I've never been on one, and I never will, now.

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Not sure why you felt the need to mention Druff. Your point was made without that.

[Daly]

Great article. You should NEVER go on a cruise ship. NEVER AGAIN. Also, many cruise ship workers are foreigners that are recruited from poor countries, they are mistreated and exploited and make about $600 a month. Does Druff give a fuck? Nope. He will go on a cruise ship just as soon as they are back in business.

Should passengers return to cruise ships after the pandemic? No

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...sengers-future

Maybe it's a good article, maybe it's bullshit. What kind of wage would the workers from poor countries make if they didn't have this option, better/worse? Do they work under good conditions at home? I'm sure the cruise ships have plenty of room for improvement but maybe they're a fantastic option for their employees, it can be both.

I can’t say for sure as I’ve never seen it with my own eyes what happens to these people when they return home. What I have been told is that the waiters and room stewards on these ships that typically hail from SE Asia are hard working and are family men. My understanding is they work two contracts a year and they pick up between 15-20K USD each contract. In return they get a ticket back and forth to the ship and work with few breaks 5 straight months 10-15 hours a day.

Most of these guys work 3-4 years and bank 100-150k and are away from family the entire time. When they return they use the bankroll to buy houses and become land lords or open a restaurant or grocery stores.

It’s rare - but one out of five hundred get promoted to head water or head room steward and make triple. These guys go back “filthy rich”.

If I’m being honest it’s a shitty situation for several years but when it’s over they are well set up and are in a way better spot than the average person.

If I had to go back to my post grad years and someone offered me 4-5x my salary but I had to live in X place doing the shittiest part of my job I’d think I’d have to take it and build a big nest egg.

[Dan Druff]

Daly is correct.

These jobs are highly coveted in the third world. These workers do not feel exploited.

What does need reform is the dreadful and scammy way the cruise lines steal their tips. The mandatory "gratuities" most lines now charge are simply pocketed by the company and used to pay the workers' salaries. This was done as a trick to make cruise fare appear cheaper, since these "tips" are due at the end of the cruise, rather than beforehand. As long as the workers make maritime minimum wage after this is all done, it's legal.

People on cruise forums are in denial about this, because they all want to believe they tipped via the mandatory auto-tip. If you want to watch a lot of old people freak out, post on one of those forums that the cruise lines kepp the tips.

[Daly]

CCL up almost 200% from the bottom

[Sanlmar]

CCL up almost 200% from the bottom

Hertz up 700% at its peak today since lunch time Weds. Trash stocks are the nuts.

[Dan Druff]

It's baffling where the cruise stocks are right now.

I still see a day of reckoning coming for them soon, unless coronavirus just kinda fades out like the swine flu did. The Carnival brand might be okay, because that's very young-oriented, but the rest of CCL, as well of RCCL/NCL, are probably in trouble. They still don't have a real plan as to what to do if the coronavirus breaks out onboard.

Testing people boarding (30% false negative) and temperature checks aren't gonna cut it. Also, how are they going to stop people from picking up COVID-19 in port stops, and then passing it along to fellow passengers on 7-day cruises?