Vaccinations required

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

I disagree - I think all the media onboard will be invited guests and WILL have been vaccinated.  But we'll see.

How will all the media and guests be vaccinated?  The vaccination programme in the UK  does not allow individuals to jump the queue. I assume you mean that only those that have been vaccinated will be invited.

[Honolulu Blue]

58 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I assume you mean that only those that have been vaccinated will be invited.

That's exactly what I meant.

[Windsurfboy]

I would much prefer this route where we can socalise. To a sterile keep to your bubble socially distanced cruise

[nosapphire]

27 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I would much prefer this route where we can socalise. To a sterile keep to your bubble socially distanced cruise

Hate to say this, but the vaccination requirement is in addition to the social distancing and mask wearing (unless exempt) requirements.

 

[Kohima]

Saga is being brave in leading the way on vaccinations but for older, wiser, more sensible people it’s the best way passengers can have confidence to travel. Yes there are all sorts of possible hiccups and difficulties but it’s definitely a positive way forward. Where Saga leads others may be forced to follow. For those who don’t wish to comply, feel free.......We don’t want to travel with you anyway!!

[nosapphire]

Saga, and maybe later Fred Olsen, are able to do this because they do not cater for youngsters.

I cannot see that they are "leading the way" for all cruise lines, much as they would like us to think that.

Making vaccinations mandatory for all passengers on all cruise lines would immediately mean that families with under-18s, and those who are medically unable to have the vaccines currently available, would not be able to cruise, which is probably not the intention of family-oriented cruise lines.

 

 

 

[Kohima]

I was rather thinking of a much broader range of situations where vaccination is ultimately going to be required in future.

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, Kohima said:

I was rather thinking of a much broader range of situations where vaccination is ultimately going to be required in future.

But, again, until vaccines are available to the entire population, very, very few business will be able to demand that their customers must have been vaccinated. Saga can do it, because of the age profile of their customers, but there are not many other businesses dealing entirely with the over 50s.

[ace2542]

17 hours ago, nosapphire said:

Saga, and maybe later Fred Olsen, are able to do this because they do not cater for youngsters

Maybe they are also doing this in this fashion because they can't last much longer unless they get going again. And maybe they are more desperate than other lines are to do so?. After all Cruise/Maritime went bust didn't they.

[Windsurfboy]

18 hours ago, nosapphire said:

Hate to say this, but the vaccination requirement is in addition to the social distancing and mask wearing (unless exempt) requirements.

 

 

Then unless things have changed by time to pay balance on May 2022 cruise , I will  postpone before paying out for a miserable experience. I will most probably tell them I'm not vaccinated and ask for money back.

[ace2542]

12 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I will most probably tell them I'm not vaccinated and ask for money back.

I like that. But I will be surprised if you get it back as that is your choice not be vaccinated and nevermind the fact you are lying. I can see travel agents not refunding just sticking fcc on you and you either having to like it or lose the money.

[Windsurfboy]

22 hours ago, nosapphire said:

 

3 hours ago, ace2542 said:

I like that. But I will be surprised if you get it back as that is your choice not be vaccinated and nevermind the fact you are lying. I can see travel agents not refunding just sticking fcc on you and you either having to like it or lose the money.

 

 

The FAQs make it very clear if you choose not to be vaccinated you can't go on cruise but are entitled to a full refund.  They must refund you as they are adding terms and conditions after you've booked and refusing to let you board.  May be different if you book after this announcement. 

[nosapphire]

2 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

The FAQs make it very clear if you choose not to be vaccinated you can't go on cruise but are entitled to a full refund.  They must refund you as they are adding terms and conditions after you've booked and refusing to let you board.  May be different if you book after this announcement. 

That is my understanding - people who booked prior to January are entitled to rebook or take a full refund, and there is no obligation to prove whether you have been unable to be vaccinated, or have decided against being vaccinated (although I will have the jab(s), I can understand why some people are wary and prefer to wait a year or so).

For new bookings, they have updated their terms and conditions to include mandatory vaccinations for all cruises departing 2021 and 2022, plus anyone who declines to provide proof, answer the questions, or undergo the covid test prior to boarding will be treated as if they (the passenger) has cancelled.

 

 

[MBP&O2/O]

They want the second dose two weeks before sailing?

 

This comes in force on 1st May?

 

I am 71 yrs old. My first vaccine, if I am lucky will be in February and the second three months after that. Maybe perhaps?

 

Add the two weeks that they want and we are looking mid May at the earliest.

 

That date will be much later for the 50’s and 60’s and Mrs B falls into that category.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I can see where they are coming from but the dates don’t make sense for UK citizens when we are told there are no private facilities to get the vaccine ... it is all regulated by the NHS. Unless you live in an area where some key workers are forwarding on emails to friends which will give them access to the booking calendars .... allegedly 🧐

[Kohima]

The reality is that it is highly unlikely that the UK Goverment ban on cruising will be lifted by the beginning of May. 

[LandC]

I agree.  We’ve booked for Romantic Ireland in June, and are resigned to the fact that it probably won’t go ahead either.  In any case, I’m in Group 5 so am unlikely to have received my second Vaccination by then.  

[ann141]

1 hour ago, LandC said:

I agree.  We’ve booked for Romantic Ireland in June, and are resigned to the fact that it probably won’t go ahead either.  In any case, I’m in Group 5 so am unlikely to have received my second Vaccination by then.  

We are interested in that cruise but are unlikely to have had both vaccines +14 days by then so we will wait and see

[Windsurfboy]

6 hours ago, Kohima said:

The reality is that it is highly unlikely that the UK Goverment ban on cruising will be lifted by the beginning of May. 

 

This is not a ban on cruising just FCO advice, but this invalidates insurance for most policies.  However SAGA has the potential to offer an insurance policy that covers you despite FCO advice, they are on sale for land based holidays . Clearly it can't do anything till lockdown is lifted

[nosapphire]

19 hours ago, LandC said:

I agree.  We’ve booked for Romantic Ireland in June, and are resigned to the fact that it probably won’t go ahead either.  In any case, I’m in Group 5 so am unlikely to have received my second Vaccination by then.  

Saga say that they brought in the revised terms/condition of sailing after a survey of 2,000 customers resulted in 98% saying this is what they wanted.

Did they not include people who have already booked cruises for 2021?

I would have thought that if they were going to change the existing terms, people with confirmed bookings should have been the first people to ask.

 

[LandC]

We booked the cruise pre-Covid. I’m pretty sure we completed an online questionnaire last year, and are in favour of all passengers being fully vaccinated.  If we’re unable to go on the cruise, because we can’t meet this requirement, so be it.  We will cancel or move the booking, depending on the incentive offered at the time.  .

[Windsurfboy]

I did a dummy  booking , you can get through to payment without being told you must have vaccination. 

[nosapphire]

13 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I did a dummy  booking , you can get through to payment without being told you must have vaccination. 

One thing with Saga, (unless they have changed it), is that you have not immediately entered into a contract when you pay the deposit - they give you 14 days from the day you receive the paperwork before the binding contract starts.

[Denarius]

On 1/22/2021 at 12:15 PM, ace2542 said:

Maybe they are also doing this in this fashion because they can't last much longer unless they get going again. And maybe they are more desperate than other lines are to do so?. After all Cruise/Maritime went bust didn't they.

Possibly, but I doubt it.

More likely, the online survey which they conducted indicated strong support and led them to believe that they would gain significantly more bookings than they lost. Also, there has been speculation in the press that some countries may start only admitting travellers who have been vacinated. Already requiring this as a condition of travel would put them ahead of the curve so to speak, and give them a competitive edge over competitors unable or unwilling to follow suit. Seems like a good busness decision to me.

[ArthurUSCG]

On 1/21/2021 at 1:38 PM, nosapphire said:

Saga, and maybe later Fred Olsen, are able to do this because they do not cater for youngsters.

I cannot see that they are "leading the way" for all cruise lines, much as they would like us to think that.

Making vaccinations mandatory for all passengers on all cruise lines would immediately mean that families with under-18s, and those who are medically unable to have the vaccines currently available, would not be able to cruise, which is probably not the intention of family-oriented cruise lines.

 

 

 

In the USA, the Pfizer vaccine is approved for 16+. Moderna has recently started trials for 12-17 and Pfizer had a small cohort (100) as part of the data submitted to the FDA for approval.  I suspect there will have enough data for a decision to be made by the start of the school year for the 12-17.

But I due believe Saga is leading the way for future cruising on all lines for the next few years. Especially since the islands are low on the pecking order to get the vaccine. Having 100% of 16+ will go a long way in reducing the number of potential infected passengers. I could also see DCL being able to restart the 3/4 day cruise from Port Canaveral to  Nassau and Castaway Cay (private island) but with only allowing those that are vaccinated off the ship at Nassau and everyone allowed off at Castaway Cay. So as the vaccine is approved for the younger ages, then it will be required and then they can get off the ship.

[ArthurUSCG]

25 minutes ago, Denarius said:

Possibly, but I doubt it.

More likely, the online survey which they conducted indicated strong support and led them to believe that they would gain significantly more bookings than they lost. Also, there has been speculation in the press that some countries may start only admitting travellers who have been vacinated. Already requiring this as a condition of travel would put them ahead of the curve so to speak, and give them a competitive edge over competitors unable or unwilling to follow suit. Seems like a good busness decision to me.

Yep, If your already vaccinated and want to go on a cruise, would you chose a company that has a potentially viable plan in place or a company that hasn't made larger changes to the cruising plans.