Future of Fish Extender Exchange etc

[2Bnºoºt2B]

As we were contemplating how cruising would look like in the future, a few questions popped up in regards to DCL. Will the Fish Extender Exchange be allowed to continue on future Disney cruises when cruising does resume … with decorations hanging off your stateroom door and the exchange of gifts from many passengers occurring in the era of enhanced sanitization and the limiting of 'cross-contamination' with single-use disposable items and such? Will DCL allow passengers to forward packages anymore to the cruise ship prior to the commencement of their cruise? Will Animation Magic continue at Animators Palate where everyone submitted drawings of their very own character which entailed the use of reusable markers and the handling of hundreds of drawings by the wait staff? Just a few of what we loved about cruising with Disney ...

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I guess anything is possible. I do not see they preventing FE's, if people voluntarily elect to indulge in them. It's not like you are forced into it.

The drawings are another interesting one. At the moment, there have not been restrictions from exchange pieces of paper. Right now, people hand you receipts to sign, and paper copies of things, and all kinds of paper. One would hope that people are washing their hand during these transactions. It's true that - for example - I am using my Apple Wallet and contactless payment where I can. But if we get to where we cannot hand each other paper, we are in a heap load more trouble.

Again, nothing is certain until Disney figures it out. But don't panic.

 

[lklgoodman]

They stopped allowing the shipment of packages to ships a few years ago. As much as there is a reason to limit how many people touch items, it is going to be impossible on a cruise ship. If handling markers or anything else on a ship is that worrisome, than the ships probably wouldn't be sailing yet. It will be interesting to see what changes are made once sailings begin again.

 

[monkeydawn]

I guess anything is possible. I do not see they preventing FE's, if people voluntarily elect to indulge in them. It's not like you are forced into it.

The drawings are another interesting one. At the moment, there have not been restrictions from exchange pieces of paper. Right now, people hand you receipts to sign, and paper copies of things, and all kinds of paper. One would hope that people are washing their hand during these transactions. It's true that - for example - I am using my Apple Wallet and contactless payment where I can. But if we get to where we cannot hand each other paper, we are in a heap load more trouble.

Again, nothing is certain until Disney figures it out. But don't panic.

I'd think the problem with FEs and door decor would be that it would make sanitizing those surfaces harder. The CMs would be working aru=ound those things rather than quickly spraying and wiping hard, flat surfaces. I hadnt thought about it before but it does seem like it could be an issue with respect to enhanced cleaning.

With respect to the drawings at AP Id expect the problems to be from the markers more than the paper. How many places have made you sign something since this all began? At the places Ive been that have required a written response, they have all made a big deal about sanitation. Granted that's a small data pool because I havent been out much but that is what leads me to believe that they would want to take extra steps to sanitize the markers (this goes for trivia as well). Might take them a beat to figure out how to do this practically. Or maybe everyone will get issued one marker set in room and be required to BYO for such activities.

 

[leannak]

Maybe they could give you an individually wrapped marker at dinner? Lots of restaurants do that with crayons for kids. You could take it with you to use at trivia or wherever else it's needed. Especially if it's the washable Crayola kind, they aren't going to do a lot of harm.

 

[MomOTwins]

I think that with slowing the spread of the virus, there are best practices, and then there is some risk you just take because it is close enough. For example, my aunt who is high-risk disinfects all of her delivered groceries and everything she orders on amazon item by item. I know that is a good idea because those items could have been coughed on or handled by someone infected, but it's really just too much for me to do even though I know it is smart (with three boys, we go through a LOT of groceries, and I work full time from home). I just wash my hands after unpacking and shelving it all and was hands frequently when cooking. Not perfect, but okay.

I feel like these things are like that--DCL will do things to mitigate the risk, but can't 100% eliminate it. I doubt that doors are going to be disinfected top to bottom every day in a way that would prevent a door magnet or fish extender from being used (for people that still choose to engage in it; since it is has always been privately coordinated rather than DCL sponsored)--they'll probably just clean the door handles. I suspect they will manage the papers at AP by having servers wear gloves (probably will be required for other reasons too) rather than banning it outright. As for packages, as mentioned, it's no longer allowed for reasons unrelated to Covid, but not really any different from porters handling luggage, which will for obvious reasons have to be allowed (again, probably with gloves).

 

[undertheradar]

The elimination of FEs is realistic. There is no way to control where these items have been or who has been in contact with them. It is a small sacrifice to make for the safety of everyone else on board.

 

[gotomu212]

It really depends on how they try (or dont) to socially distance people onboard. I could see it being a concern if people who would otherwise distance are now sharing items and passing things to other staterooms and it does put more people in the stateroom hallways.

I do know that DCL thinks they are a pain in the butt- people complain about stealing, they get knocked around by housekeeping carts, and other than trying to sell the FEs they really don’t capitalize on any of it... If they were looking for a way to stop them this gives them an opening.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

FEs do not cause DCL a problem. I've done them on 5 cruises and the FE's just hang there next to the door. They do not obstruct the door handle, which is what is needs to be regularly sanitized. FEs are only done by a small percentage of passengers, so they do not contribute to hallway traffic in any noticeable way at all.

There are inevitably going to be things onboard that multiple people touch: door handles, elevator buttons, stair railings, chairs, tables, etc. Those are high traffic items, as opposed to FEs, which are touched by a much smaller number of people.

If DCL is at the point where they feel the need to be so zealous that they're banning door decorations and FEs, they shouldn't be sailing.

 

[FigmentSpark]

FEs do not cause DCL a problem. I've done them on 5 cruises and the FE's just hang there next to the door. They do not obstruct the door handle, which is what needs to be regularly sanitized. FEs are only done by a small percentage of passengers, so they do not contribute to hallway traffic in any noticeable way at all.

There are inevitably going to be things onboard that multiple people touch: door handles, elevator buttons, stair railings, etc. Those are high traffic items, as opposed to FEs, which were only touched by the creator/deliverer before getting to the recipient.

If DCL is at the point where they feel the need to be so zealous that they're banning door decorations and FEs, they shouldn't be sailing.

What about door decorations, particularly doors done by those of us who can't decide which of their great creations is better, so they all just get put on... all 40...

 

[Chemist]

The elimination of FEs is realistic. There is no way to control where these items have been or who has been in contact with them. It is a small sacrifice to make for the safety of everyone else on board.

Realistically, if the threat to passengers from FE is so great, cruise lines won't be functioning.

(I also believe people who think they are cruising this fall are in denial.)

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I also believe people who think they are cruising this fall are in denial.

It is quite obvious that you think so. I've noticed that you have a habit of dropping into cruise threads to make gloom and doom statements, often out of context to the discussion. On the main Covid cruising thread I was just reading, people were talking about Europe cruise dates, and you dropped in with an article about unhappy cruise ship workers. No comment on the discussion, just a link to the article,

Could you please stay on topic and stop aggressively trying to rain on everyone's parade? It seems that you're mainly trying to get a reaction rather than participate in the discussions.

 

[MomOTwins]

The elimination of FEs is realistic. There is no way to control where these items have been or who has been in contact with them. It is a small sacrifice to make for the safety of everyone else on board.

The thing about FEs is that they don't affect "the safety of everyone else on board." Participation is voluntary, and each exchange usually limited to a small group of people (for our upcoming cruise, if it happens, there are four other cabins in my group). And if I felt like I had to avoid touching something because "there is no way to control who has been in contact with them", I wouldn't be able to eat takeout food, buy groceries, or open packages from Amazon.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

I doubt they’ll be banned-

The practicality with so many unknowns and cancellations by individual parties is the problem- we always have poor ‘receiving’ luck on a ‘normal’ voyage I bet the flake rate would be high both with cancellations and indifference.
We have a mid sept cruise booked and I won’t sign up for anything but ‘pixie dust’ because I’m not keeping track of whose cancelled etc

 

[undertheradar]

The thing about FEs is that they don't affect "the safety of everyone else on board." Participation is voluntary, and each exchange usually limited to a small group of people (for our upcoming cruise, if it happens, there are four other cabins in my group). And if I felt like I had to avoid touching something because "there is no way to control who has been in contact with them", I wouldn't be able to eat takeout food, buy groceries, or open packages from Amazon.

They are a health risk to everyone involved in the cruise, staff, porters, baggage handlers, fellow cruisers. With the changes that will become standard for travel, the idea that excess items being brought onboard pose no risk is false. The ships are full of people from allover the world, there is simply no better way to reduce risk than eliminating FEs.

 

[MomOTwins]

They are a health risk to everyone involved in the cruise, staff, porters, baggage handlers, fellow cruisers. With the changes that will become standard for travel, the idea that excess items being brought onboard pose no risk is false. The ships are full of people from allover the world, there is simply no better way to reduce risk than eliminating FEs.

Okay, this is just getting silly now. Are we going to ban people from packing everything non-essential but fun (e.g., no pirate costumes/formal night wear).

I guarantee that my luggage tally with FEs is still a heck of a lot smaller than most people because we pack light and use compression bags. On our 7-night year, we had two suitcases for our family of 5. My FEs were carried on and off the ship by me in a shoulder bag, along with my other carryon items (medicines, passports, etc). Nobody handled anything extra because of my FEs.

 

[2Bnºoºt2B]

Lot of 'food for thought answers.'

I think that the question about FE's is not the FE but the gifts themselves that are being exchanged; where dozens of gifts from all over, will be exchanged amongst multiple participants throughout the ship. You're literally counting on the fact that there are no asymptomatic participants in the exchange and that all the gifts handed out are free of any possible contamination so to speak. How comfortable would one feel about receiving items brought onto a ship from somewhere else in the world ...

In regards to the Animation Magic drawings, I am totally unsure as to how that process operates behind the scenes but assume that all those drawings are scanned by one or two people who will handle and scan everyone's drawings which are then handed back. When you have places on land now that are no longer accepting customer-filled lottery forms so they can limit the exchange of paper between vendor and customer …

A lot of unknowns …

 

[lanejudy]

I think that the question about FE's is not the FE but the gifts themselves that are being exchanged; where dozens of gifts from all over, will be exchanged amongst multiple participants throughout the ship. You're literally counting on the fact that there are no asymptomatic participants in the exchange and that all the gifts handed out are free of any possible contamination so to speak. How comfortable would one feel about receiving items brought onto a ship from somewhere else in the world ...

I don't know if DCL could actually control gift-exchanges like FE. I supposed they could say "no hanging anything in the hallway" but that doesn't stop FE exchanges from having meets or something and exchanging such items. I don't see a big public health hazard from the hanging FEs themselves or leaving items in them -- any virus that may hitch a ride on someone's FE/gifts is going to be on the clothes that person wears walking around the ship anyway. If it's safe enough for folks to cruise and interact in any manner, it's really just a personal decision whether to participate in an FE. Not something for DCL to restrict.

 

[Runaway Mickey & Minnie]

It's a cruise ship, not a hospital. People are going to bring unnecessary things, touch things, etc. It's a vacation. Freedom and whimsy are part of the experience. People will also touch pool deck loungers, sink handles, etc. There isn't going to be a plastic bubble level of sterility regardless of FEs.

 

[monkeydawn]

I don't know if DCL could actually control gift-exchanges like FE. I supposed they could say "no hanging anything in the hallway" but that doesn't stop FE exchanges from having meets or something and exchanging such items. I don't see a big public health hazard from the hanging FEs themselves or leaving items in them -- any virus that may hitch a ride on someone's FE/gifts is going to be on the clothes that person wears walking around the ship anyway. If it's safe enough for folks to cruise and interact in any manner, it's really just a personal decision whether to participate in an FE. Not something for DCL to restrict.

I dont believe these are the same. COVID hangs out for differing amounts of time on different surfaces so depending on what is in the FE, some items could have active virus contamination for longer. Beyond that I am rarely handling the clothing of other guests so those really arent comparable.

That said, if a guest has COVID then the expelled air/ touching of things by that guest is a far bigger concern than FEs would be. If DCL limits FEs (and door decorations) I still think it will be under the guise of being able to sanitize areas more completely. And hopefully not a permanent change because I have some super cute magnets!