RCG sailing from St. Maarten in June

[DCGuy64]

4 minutes ago, broberts said:

Part of the reason CDC still discourages unnecessary travel is the uncertainty of variants. I am continually amazed by the number of expert epidemiologists posting contrary opinions in these forums. 

Well, if the CDC's guidance says it won't lift the sailing ban until every last variant of Covid is wiped out, then that effectively stops cruising from the US for all eternity.

[sugcarol]

Looking back on March 2020, we did not know what the disease was, how to treat it, people dying like flies. Cruise ships sailing around in circles not able to port. We now know what it is, how to treat, vaccine being administered. It is a very different world now than a year ago. I don't agree with CDC and  my doctors don't either. They say that the ships will not be full capacity with rules in place. They will know how to treat should someone be stricken. This is just nuts, enough is enough. I am very high risk and got my two doses two months ago. I am ready. At the very least have strict rules at first and then loosen to see how it goes.

Edited March 19, 2021 by sugcarol

[Ashland]

56 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

I found this regarding shore excursions:

 

"Celebrity will offer a range of tours at every port of call. Private Journeys and Small Group Discovery Tours will also be available for those who want to explore with only members of their family or traveling companions."

 

Can't find anything on masks. 

I can't imagine having to use a tour on these islands if that's going to be the only option to get off the ship.

[Vera/Lee]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

 

This CDC?

 

I understand the know nothing part, but where is his double masks?

[broberts]

15 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Well, if the CDC's guidance says it won't lift the sailing ban until every last variant of Covid is wiped out, then that effectively stops cruising from the US for all eternity.

 

The CDC guidance says nothing like that.

 

It seems that many vaccinated people feel they are bulletproof when it comes to covid-19. Sadly that isn't so. Metaphorically it's more like wearing a bulletproof vest, not a full suit of armour.

Edited March 19, 2021 by broberts

[Goodtime Cruizin]

43 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 
No. The CDC‘s mission is to protect public health. As much as we don’t like to hear it or are burnt out because of it, travel spreads disease. Cruising is high risk. Their current guidance does not stay (or any way require) you to simply not travel. It says don’t be an idiot and partake in high risk activities that we know contribute to spreading disease. The entity responsible for public health isn’t going to encourage high risk activities. Not happening. 

 

The CDC is a political bureaucracy. Period. It has established who & what is considered 'essential' and hides when it wishes to behind the name of .... 'science'. Domestic flights are flying full these days and at an 80% clip of pre-covid days. We stand in line 6 feet apart to get on a plane and then sit right next to someone... a full flight from anywhere to 1 to 4 hrs... all breathing the same air.  It's a damn joke.  

[nelblu]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

I'm solo and paying more on oasis, but then I realized you probably mean 4k pp, 1999 x 2. 

 

Sounded ok when I first read it lol. Now not so good.

If it includes airfare, it may be reasonable.  As an example, looking at United non stop Newark to Fort Lauderdale on Jan, 22, '22 and it's $620 pp.  Hoping it comes down.

[DCGuy64]

6 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

The CDC guidance says nothing like that.

 

It seems that many vaccinated people feel they are bulletproof when it comes to covid-19. Sadly that isn't so. Metaphorically it's more like wearing a bulletproof vest, not a full suit of armour.

OK, so I guess I misunderstood you when I assumed you meant that with variants of Covid-19 around, the CDC will not allow that to continually push back the resumption of sailing from US ports?

You see, I don't agree, I think the CDC, as a government entity that gets paid and keeps chugging along no matter what the effect of their policies on any given industry, has absolutely nothing to lose by keeping things shut down until God knows when. As it stands, that agency has absolute veto power over if/when we see cruising resume. All it takes is 1 outbreak onboard, however small, for them to stop everything again. And this despite the fact that the conditional sailing order (CSO) actually assumes there will be some incidence of Covid-19 onboard a sailing vessel. It's a classic Catch-22: the cruising industry can't restart until it gets the green light from the CDC, and the CDC won't grant the green light until it believes sailing is safe. Well, with no ships at sea (talking about the US here, with paying customers aboard), how will we know it's safe? I guess if Royal et al have successful sailings from the Bahamas or St Maarten, that might be a clue.

And I don't agree that most, or all vaccinated people feel like they are bulletproof. Do you have documented evidence of that? My wife just had her 1st injection and she still practices all of the stuff you're supposed to do. Hasn't changed her behavior whatsoever.

 

[PelicanBill]

US travel restrictions will ease by summer IF we see spread continue to reduce (are you listening, Texas and Michigan and others up 10% this week?)

 

St. Maarten is one of the few Caribbean ports that IS capable of the logistics support. But they will need to keep it in the port and not have trucks clogging the tiny road that needs to get everyone to/from the Airport and hotels.

 

And I just priced SXM for me and it's $650-$750 for each adult. That's a lot more than the $400 I can get to Florida airports. Expensive cruise. Expensive air.  Extra hotel nights probably since air will be even higher with demand close to the cruise.  Pass.

[Ken at the beach]

2 hours ago, Anton said:

It's air/sea pricing.  Passengers must fly using FlightsByCelebrity.

You do not have to book Flights by Celebrity.  Cruise only pricing is available.

[Ken at the beach]

10 minutes ago, PelicanBill said:

And I just priced SXM for me and it's $650-$750 for each adult.

Prices have already risen with the announcement.  Celebrity's rates are locked in through Flights by Celebrity

[Goodtime Cruizin]

I can assure you that Texas will increase. It has nothing to do w/ 'opening up & no mask mandate' either. The border is crazy flooding in with crossings. thousands upon thousands every week. It's a mess. 

[cured]

1 hour ago, broberts said:

Part of the reason CDC still discourages unnecessary travel is the uncertainty of variants. I am continually amazed by the number of expert epidemiologists posting contrary opinions in these forums. 

Exactly. The B1.1.7 variant is currently grabbing a hold of the US, being dominant in 25% of most of the US and 36% in Florida. The variant is more transmissable and hits children harder, and is possibly deadlier (jury still out on that.)  There is great concern that current mitigation efforts are not as effective with this variant, ie masks and all the money spent on upgraded ventilation.

 

If this strain does become the dominant variant in the US, there is the very real possibility another hard lockdown might have to happen just like it did in Europe. Europe is about 4 weeks ahead of us in viral strains and they are just emerging from a big lockdown due to variants.

 

It is prudent to hang on just a bit longer. We have all worked so hard for so long, we don't want to ruin it by opening up too soon and allowing the more contagious variants to spread and possibly create even more deadly variants that have learned how to circumvent the vaccines. Then we will be back to square 1 and none of us want that.

[Ken at the beach]

1 minute ago, cured said:

Exactly. The B1.1.7 variant is currently grabbing a hold of the US, being dominant in 25% of most of the US and 36% in Florida

Just topped 50% here in Ontario and with a whole lot less vaccinated it is a big concern

[Ashland]

2 minutes ago, cured said:

Exactly. The B1.1.7 variant is currently grabbing a hold of the US, being dominant in 25% of most of the US and 36% in Florida. The variant is more transmissable and hits children harder, and is possibly deadlier (jury still out on that.)  There is great concern that current mitigation efforts are not as effective with this variant, ie masks and all the money spent on upgraded ventilation.

 

If this strain does become the dominant variant in the US, there is the very real possibility another hard lockdown might have to happen just like it did in Europe. Europe is about 4 weeks ahead of us in viral strains and they are just emerging from a big lockdown due to variants.

 

It is prudent to hang on just a bit longer. We have all worked so hard for so long, we don't want to ruin it by opening up too soon and allowing the more contagious variants to spread and possibly create even more deadly variants that have learned how to circumvent the vaccines. Then we will be back to square 1 and none of us want that.

Well said....We have 2 new variants here in California.

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, broberts said:

It seems that many vaccinated people feel they are bulletproof when it comes to covid-19. Sadly that isn't so.

And you don’t know that either. Dr Flipflop never said that. They don’t know that. Nobody seems to know one way or the other.  It could be or the vaccine and having COVID19 might stop the variants. No data yet. 
 

M8

[cured]

11 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

And you don’t know that either. Dr Flipflop never said that. They don’t know that. Nobody seems to know one way or the other.  It could be or the vaccine and having COVID19 might stop the variants. No data yet. 
 

M8

Last I heard from a talk with an Epidemiologist this week is that we are in that final sprint to finish, we just need to get vaccines caught up so that we are at herd immunity.  So the CDC and immunologists are being cautious until there are a few more vaccines in arms.  Since we hit the 100 million vaccines in arms in 100 days, it won't be much longer.

Edited March 19, 2021 by cured

[Milwaukee Eight]

51 minutes ago, cured said:

Last I heard from a talk with an Epidemiologist this week is that we are in that final sprint to finish, we just need to get vaccines caught up so that we are at herd immunity.  So the CDC and immunologists are being cautious until there are a few more vaccines in arms.  Since we hit the 100 million vaccines in arms in 100 days, it won't be much longer.

The only fact is, and Dr Flipflop said, they don’t know. 

[broberts]

1 hour ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

And you don’t know that either. Dr Flipflop never said that. They don’t know that. Nobody seems to know one way or the other.  It could be or the vaccine and having COVID19 might stop the variants. No data yet. 
 

M8

 

Actually I do know that. There is no vaccine that is 100% effective. Simple logic.

[Milwaukee Eight]

2 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

Actually I do know that. There is no vaccine that is 100% effective. Simple logic.

And then that means masks forever. Is that your thing?  Not mine. 
 

It’s unfortunate that people treat their opinion as fact. 
 

M8

Edited March 19, 2021 by Milwaukee Eight

[ECCruise]

2 hours ago, Goodtime Cruizin said:

 

The CDC is a political bureaucracy. Period. It has established who & what is considered 'essential' and hides when it wishes to behind the name of .... 'science'. Domestic flights are flying full these days and at an 80% clip of pre-covid days. We stand in line 6 feet apart to get on a plane and then sit right next to someone... a full flight from anywhere to 1 to 4 hrs... all breathing the same air.  It's a damn joke.  

The CDC are modifying their suggestions almost daily.  Last week re: gatherings inside of vaccinated persons.  And unvaccinated persons in the same household.  Today changing the recommendations for spacing in schools.  With progress being made on vaccinations, I expect other reassessments going forward.

 

And if you think everyone on an aircraft is "breathing the same air" you know very little about aircraft filtration systems.  

[broberts]

1 minute ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

And then that means masks forever. Is that your thing?  Not mine. 
 

It’s unfortunate that people treat their opinion as fact. 
 

M8

 

I have no idea what you are talking about or how you got to mask wearing from my comment about some people's perception of the protection offered by vaccinations.

 

I'm also curious how one arrives at the conclusion that we will be wearing masks "forever" simply because the CDC sense of timing does not agree with yours.

[Ashland]

20 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

The only fact is, and Dr Flipflop said, they don’t know. 

Why isn't that a good thing? I would much rather hear the truth and that is we're moving forward and learning as we go.

[Milwaukee Eight]

29 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

I have no idea what you are talking about or how you got to mask wearing from my comment about some people's perception of the protection offered by vaccinations.

 

I'm also curious how one arrives at the conclusion that we will be wearing masks "forever" simply because the CDC sense of timing does not agree with yours.

You responded to my post #68, which was a response to post #67, which was a response to post #66,  and further back, which all seemed to be talking about yesterday hearings and the mask debate, and if people previously had COVID19 or the vaccine, if masks are required. 

Let’s move on. This is about sailing out of St Maarten. 

Edited March 19, 2021 by Milwaukee Eight

[DCGuy64]

16 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

It’s unfortunate that people treat their opinion as fact. 

Ain't that the truth!