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CNN Saturday Morning News
Perspective on Cruise Industry Handling of Outbreaks
Aired November 23, 2002 - 07:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBOURNE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we're going to bring you some additional perspective on this now, along with some expertise on the cruise industry and their handling of the problem, both before and after the outbreaks.
George Holbica is syndicated travel columnist. He -- his column appears in "The San Diego Union Tribune," along with "The Boston Herald." He joins us now from New York.
Good morning to you, George.
GEORGE HOLBICA, SYNDICATED TRAVEL COLUMNIST: Good morning, Kris, how you doing?
OSBOURNE: Well, let's begin -- Very well, thanks.
Let's begin with this, The investigators will be looking at the ship today, medical examiners, trying to figure out more detail about what may have gone down, what may have happened. Your sense of what this means for Disney?
HOLBICA: Well, I think, you know, the cruise lines are really a repeat business, and they're going to do everything they can to make it right for the passengers, you know, as far as refunds or future cruises.
You know, one thing that I'm wondering, though, I spoke to people from Holland America who had a similar thing happen last week and also last summer on their Ryndam. You know, this happens once in a while, these outbreaks of Norwalk virus. And they maintain that it's not really a water-borne or a food-borne, you know, problem, it's really hand-to-hand, mouth-to-mouth contact.
And the best way to prevent it is to wash your hands a lot. I mean, you know, as a passenger.
OSBOURNE: Well, you mentioned wash your hands. So this means, perhaps, additional measures by way of health and sanitation standards.
HOLBICA: Well, you know, I question whether it's actually a question -- you know, a sanitation problem as far as something the cruise line could do, you know, to prevent it. I mean, people come on board all the time with viruses and illnesses, and it's a very confined environment. I think everyone will admit to that, the cruise lines and the CDC. It's -- you know, you're in a ship. And you know, on the Disney ship, you know, there were 3,200 passengers, and 100 people, 200 people, you know, so far, are -- you know, have come down with the virus, and perhaps more will come down later, you know, when they come off.
So, you know, I question whether it's actually a public health situation in the sense of, you know, food-borne or water-borne. We have a lot of reports about, you know, water. I, you know, I think it's more like a common cold, from what I've been able to gather, you know, the way it's spread. So that's something to consider. You know...
OSBOURNE: Also wanted to get your sense on the prospect of further and perhaps more detailed insurance policies for travelers who want to go on a cruise like this.
HOLBICA: Well, you know, there are insurance policies that you can, you can, policies you can buy, but the cruise lines, as I said, are such a repeat business that they're -- you're not going to have to use a -- you know, an insurance policy to get your money back. Holland America, for example, and I'm sure Disney's going to do the same thing, is offering a full refund, and they're also offering to, you know, take care of the air fare that people, people spent, you know, to get down there.
So they're really going to work with people, more than an insurance policy would. An insurance policy has a deductible, and they're going to, you know, nickel-and-dime you. But the cruise lines are going to really take care of people, because they don't want bad publicity. I mean, they're -- and it's such a repeat business. I mean, they want people to come back and back and back and tell their friends.
And Holland America, for example, is giving people a 10 percent credit for future cruises as well as refunding the price of the previous cruise and $150 shipboard credit, if, you know, if you come back. So they're going to treat people OK, I think.
OSBOURNE: Well, unless we touched on this, perhaps, the telling fact is that a majority of the passengers for future trips were given the option to stay at Disney World, take a compensation package, and yet many of them are just going to go right ahead and get on the ship.
HOLBICA: Right. You know, I think they're -- you know, they're -- maybe they're taking their chances. I -- you know, with some good advice about, if you're immunocompromised, if you're -- if you -- if you're elderly. You know, you should check with your doctor whenever you travel no matter what, what you do, whether it's a cruise ship or an -- or a plane ride or whatever.
And, you know, I think people are, you know, enjoy cruising. It's, you know, it's a -- it is a safe, wonderful experience. So I hope people aren't going to be, you know, you know, discouraged from cruising in the future. But I think, you know, the best advice is just wash your hands like, you know, 20 times a day, and don't shake the captain's hand.
OSBOURNE: Sanitation is key. George Holbica, syndicated travel columnist, thanks so much for talking to us this morning.
HOLBICA: You bet, Kris.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 23, 2002 - 07:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBOURNE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we're going to bring you some additional perspective on this now, along with some expertise on the cruise industry and their handling of the problem, both before and after the outbreaks.
George Holbica is syndicated travel columnist. He -- his column appears in "The San Diego Union Tribune," along with "The Boston Herald." He joins us now from New York.
Good morning to you, George.
GEORGE HOLBICA, SYNDICATED TRAVEL COLUMNIST: Good morning, Kris, how you doing?
OSBOURNE: Well, let's begin -- Very well, thanks.
Let's begin with this, The investigators will be looking at the ship today, medical examiners, trying to figure out more detail about what may have gone down, what may have happened. Your sense of what this means for Disney?
HOLBICA: Well, I think, you know, the cruise lines are really a repeat business, and they're going to do everything they can to make it right for the passengers, you know, as far as refunds or future cruises.
You know, one thing that I'm wondering, though, I spoke to people from Holland America who had a similar thing happen last week and also last summer on their Ryndam. You know, this happens once in a while, these outbreaks of Norwalk virus. And they maintain that it's not really a water-borne or a food-borne, you know, problem, it's really hand-to-hand, mouth-to-mouth contact.
And the best way to prevent it is to wash your hands a lot. I mean, you know, as a passenger.
OSBOURNE: Well, you mentioned wash your hands. So this means, perhaps, additional measures by way of health and sanitation standards.
HOLBICA: Well, you know, I question whether it's actually a question -- you know, a sanitation problem as far as something the cruise line could do, you know, to prevent it. I mean, people come on board all the time with viruses and illnesses, and it's a very confined environment. I think everyone will admit to that, the cruise lines and the CDC. It's -- you know, you're in a ship. And you know, on the Disney ship, you know, there were 3,200 passengers, and 100 people, 200 people, you know, so far, are -- you know, have come down with the virus, and perhaps more will come down later, you know, when they come off.
So, you know, I question whether it's actually a public health situation in the sense of, you know, food-borne or water-borne. We have a lot of reports about, you know, water. I, you know, I think it's more like a common cold, from what I've been able to gather, you know, the way it's spread. So that's something to consider. You know...
OSBOURNE: Also wanted to get your sense on the prospect of further and perhaps more detailed insurance policies for travelers who want to go on a cruise like this.
HOLBICA: Well, you know, there are insurance policies that you can, you can, policies you can buy, but the cruise lines, as I said, are such a repeat business that they're -- you're not going to have to use a -- you know, an insurance policy to get your money back. Holland America, for example, and I'm sure Disney's going to do the same thing, is offering a full refund, and they're also offering to, you know, take care of the air fare that people, people spent, you know, to get down there.
So they're really going to work with people, more than an insurance policy would. An insurance policy has a deductible, and they're going to, you know, nickel-and-dime you. But the cruise lines are going to really take care of people, because they don't want bad publicity. I mean, they're -- and it's such a repeat business. I mean, they want people to come back and back and back and tell their friends.
And Holland America, for example, is giving people a 10 percent credit for future cruises as well as refunding the price of the previous cruise and $150 shipboard credit, if, you know, if you come back. So they're going to treat people OK, I think.
OSBOURNE: Well, unless we touched on this, perhaps, the telling fact is that a majority of the passengers for future trips were given the option to stay at Disney World, take a compensation package, and yet many of them are just going to go right ahead and get on the ship.
HOLBICA: Right. You know, I think they're -- you know, they're -- maybe they're taking their chances. I -- you know, with some good advice about, if you're immunocompromised, if you're -- if you -- if you're elderly. You know, you should check with your doctor whenever you travel no matter what, what you do, whether it's a cruise ship or an -- or a plane ride or whatever.
And, you know, I think people are, you know, enjoy cruising. It's, you know, it's a -- it is a safe, wonderful experience. So I hope people aren't going to be, you know, you know, discouraged from cruising in the future. But I think, you know, the best advice is just wash your hands like, you know, 20 times a day, and don't shake the captain's hand.
OSBOURNE: Sanitation is key. George Holbica, syndicated travel columnist, thanks so much for talking to us this morning.
HOLBICA: You bet, Kris.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
