Will Carnival Follow Royal’s.Lead with Cruises Restarting Someplace Else

[cruisingguy007]

3 hours ago, dallasdan said:

how do you prove you were vaccinated.  A card with hand written date and vaccine name?  When reading about others that have been vaccinated it doesn't sound like there is a national data base.  Plus, because of HIPPA laws, how can a cruise line or custom agent access your health records?

 

Fair points of contention. Also the fact that it's only approved for emergency authorization. Everyone that suggests that it would be so easy to set up some "vaccine passports" or some complicated system that would have to involve many countries data and comply with their rules and reporting laws, not to mention the security risks of such a database, is simply not thinking this through. A lot of American cruisers don't even have passports. Then all this testing capability at several points and complying, again, with multiple countries rules/regulations. Plus the costs of all these "great ideas" that are easy to think up/imagine but much harder and costly to implement. Then once vaccine supply catches up everywhere and for everyone, there will be no need to continue with this complicated/costly scheme. 

 

I also feel that those who speak so vehemently about these idealistic policies and their enthusiasm to comply with any/all intrusions haven't really thought out how cruises will be with all these scared people, who probably won't feel safe unless everyone wears a hazmat suit, all on one ship. Some people are so wound up they believe covid is like fleas, just jumping off people and on to others, even outside. You can bet these cruises won't be anything close to normal with everyone skittish, standoffish, constantly scanning looking for danger, hyper paranoid etc. No thanks. Normal won't be normal until it's normal. I can wait but do wish the rest of you good luck in your efforts to return to sailing as quickly as possible. 

[jean87510]

4 hours ago, dallasdan said:

how do you prove you were vaccinated.  A card with hand written date and vaccine name?  When reading about others that have been vaccinated it doesn't sound like there is a national data base.  Plus, because of HIPPA laws, how can a cruise line or custom agent access your health records?

I assume you are from Texas so Im not sure how they do it there but in my area of NJ, we are entering information into state vaccine database (I am volunteering to do this).  So if your card is lost, there will be a record in the state database that can be retrieved by your PCP.  I am not sure if you have ever seen a printout of a vaccine record, but if not, the Covid-19 vaccine is listed there.  I dont believe there is a national database yet.  

[Tippyton]

24 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Fair points of contention. Also the fact that it's only approved for emergency authorization. Everyone that suggests that it would be so easy to set up some "vaccine passports" or some complicated system that would have to involve many countries data and comply with their rules and reporting laws, not to mention the security risks of such a database, is simply not thinking this through. A lot of American cruisers don't even have passports. Then all this testing capability at several points and complying, again, with multiple countries rules/regulations. Plus the costs of all these "great ideas" that are easy to think up/imagine but much harder and costly to implement. Then once vaccine supply catches up everywhere and for everyone, there will be no need to continue with this complicated/costly scheme. 

 

I also feel that those who speak so vehemently about these idealistic policies and their enthusiasm to comply with any/all intrusions haven't really thought out how cruises will be with all these scared people, who probably won't feel safe unless everyone wears a hazmat suit, all on one ship. Some people are so wound up they believe covid is like fleas, just jumping off people and on to others, even outside. You can bet these cruises won't be anything close to normal with everyone skittish, standoffish, constantly scanning looking for danger, hyper paranoid etc. No thanks. Normal won't be normal until it's normal. I can wait but do wish the rest of you good luck in your efforts to return to sailing as quickly as possible. 

Re your 1st half, spot on. 

 

2nd half- scared people should stay home 

[dallasdan]

I am 53 and do not have a record of any of the shots I have taken except the tetanus shot my PCP has given through the years.  It will be interesting to see the type of proof Celebrity and RCI require.  As for passports, I have been on 15 cruises with only a birth certificate without any issues.  Cost isn't the issue, as I have been meaning to get a passport but it is such a hassle.  I would have to take a day off work.  I will get one because a Mediterranean cruise is on my bucket list. 

[firefly333]

48 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

I assume you are from Texas so Im not sure how they do it there but in my area of NJ, we are entering information into state vaccine database (I am volunteering to do this).  So if your card is lost, there will be a record in the state database that can be retrieved by your PCP.  I am not sure if you have ever seen a printout of a vaccine record, but if not, the Covid-19 vaccine is listed there.  I dont believe there is a national database yet.  

That's interesting that you say there is a state database, but not a federal database. News to me.

 

I have my card in a drawer for safekeeping. 

[firefly333]

9 minutes ago, dallasdan said:

I am 53 and do not have a record of any of the shots I have taken except the tetanus shot my PCP has given through the years.  It will be interesting to see the type of proof Celebrity and RCI require.  As for passports, I have been on 15 cruises with only a birth certificate without any issues.  Cost isn't the issue, as I have been meaning to get a passport but it is such a hassle.  I would have to take a day off work.  I will get one because a Mediterranean cruise is on my bucket list. 

Maybe its posted a few pages back or elsewhere, but you bring the card you got when you were vaccinated to board. ..at least for these cruises leaving from the Caribbean on rcl and celebrity. 

[jean87510]

58 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

That's interesting that you say there is a state database, but not a federal database. News to me.

 

I have my card in a drawer for safekeeping. 

Amazon actually sells a plastic holder for the card.  We have been also telling vaccine recipients not to laminate the cards also.

 

I haven't heard yet that these will be in a federal database.  It would make my job much easier if I could retrieve vaccine records via a federal database rather then just my state.

[TNcruising02]

It looks like my state is recording the covid vaccinations for everyone in the state:
 

"COVID-19 vaccine information is collected through TennIIS. The TennIIS vendor, STC, produces a daily file following the COVID-19 Vaccine Reporting Specification (CVRS). The VPDIP epidemiologists pick this file up from the STC SFTP server and upload the data to the CDC IZ Data Clearinghouse. The longer term plan is to send this data to the CDC via the IZ Gateway." and "It is our goal to build these connections with all of Tennessee’s neighboring states and eventually with all states in the US."

Edited March 25, 2021 by TNcruising02

[Tippyton]

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

That's interesting that you say there is a state database, but not a federal database. News to me.

 

I have my card in a drawer for safekeeping. 

I have the card I made ready for filling out...😬

[SNJCruisers]

4 hours ago, dallasdan said:

 I would have to take a day off work.  I will get one because a Mediterranean cruise is on my bucket list. 

All you need is a birth certificate with a seal, two pictures, a filled out form and your payment. All can be done on your own time and no need to take off from work.

[bitemyfly]

The vaccination cards that both my wife and received have the bar code/ uni code , date , time  and lot number of the Pfizer vaccine , two entries. I assume those were traceable back . Not clue if all locations in Florida do that .

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, SNJCruisers said:

All you need is a birth certificate with a seal, two pictures, a filled out form and your payment. All can be done on your own time and no need to take off from work.

First time applications need to be done in person.

[SNJCruisers]

31 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

First time applications need to be done in person.

Got my first passport almost 20 years ago and don't remember having to take off work to get it.  Just needed a sealed birth certificate from Harrisburg PA since I was born in Philadelphia.

[firefly333]

Texas does first time passport applications at designated post offices. You can make the appointment ahead of time online. 

 

Renewals now are only by mail. No choice on this anymore either.

[BlerkOne]

4 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Got my first passport almost 20 years ago and don't remember having to take off work to get it.  Just needed a sealed birth certificate from Harrisburg PA since I was born in Philadelphia.

It is possible, but depends on lines. You can apply at Post Offices, for example. My first passport was over half a century ago and I don't remember squat.

[SNJCruisers]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

It is possible, but depends on lines. You can apply at Post Offices, for example. My first passport was over half a century ago and I don't remember squat.

If you can do it at the post office, then you certainly don't have to take time off from work, which was the gist of my original post.

[asalligo]

I am surprised at this point that Carnival has not announced cruises from Cozumel or the Bahamas. I suspect both are in the works. 

 

Interesting how those cruises from the Bahamas on RC are not selling quickly. This is why cruise lines will drop the vaccine requirement as soon as possible. People who rushed to get the vaccine are not ready to fly to another country and get on a cruise ship. They are often those in the most fear of Covid. They talk a big game online, but when it comes to actually cruising, they are not ready. 

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, asalligo said:

 

Interesting how those cruises from the Bahamas on RC are not selling quickly. This is why cruise lines will drop the vaccine requirement as soon as possible. People who rushed to get the vaccine are not ready to fly to another country and get on a cruise ship.

Could you link me to this information as it doesnt square with what I saw. Prices came out about now yesterday, to book, 24 hours ago. People were reporting price jumps of 150 in 5 minutes and sold out and then blocks would reappear, some IT issues as prices climbed during the day. When it came out yesterday morning prices started at 749 for sept, now sept starts at 806 per person (so x 2). If prices werent jumping all days due to high demand, how would this equal not selling well. Every place I've read says they sold like hot cakes. 

 

Here is the price I happened to screen shot less than 24 hours ago and now. Again if you saw the opposite, please tell me where as its the opposite I read. Why raise the prices if it wasnt selling well?

 

Again note these prices are sept on adventure out of nassau. July of course has zoomed over 1k pp.

[asalligo]

5 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Could you link me to this information as it doesnt square with what I saw. Prices came out about now yesterday, to book, 24 hours ago. People were reporting price jumps of 150 in 5 minutes and sold out and then blocks would reappear, some IT issues as prices climbed during the day. When it came out yesterday morning prices started at 749 for sept, now sept starts at 806 per person (so x 2). If prices werent jumping all days due to high demand, how would this equal not selling well. Every place I've read says they sold like hot cakes. 

I am basing this on there still being many rooms available in all classes for the June cruise. The first cruise back in the Carribean should have sold out in hours if there was great demand. I am betting that a month from now, cabins will still be available. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by asalligo

[BlerkOne]

21 minutes ago, asalligo said:

 

Interesting how those cruises from the Bahamas on RC are not selling quickly. This is why cruise lines will drop the vaccine requirement as soon as possible. People who rushed to get the vaccine are not ready to fly to another country and get on a cruise ship. They are often those in the most fear of Covid. They talk a big game online, but when it comes to actually cruising, they are not ready. 

I suspect travel agents reserved large blocks of the rooms that are "sold" helping to raise prices.

[Earthworm Jim]

13 minutes ago, asalligo said:

I am basing this on there still being many rooms available in all classes for the June cruise. The first cruise back in the Carribean should have sold out in hours if there was great demand. I am betting that a month from now, cabins will still be available. 

 

For the initial June 12 cruise (7 days), insides are sold out. Oceanviews are still available but the price is very high at $1483 pp. Balconies and suites still available too. I'd guess they are selling reasonably well, but not crazy fast.

[firefly333]

8 minutes ago, asalligo said:

I am basing this on there still being many rooms available in all classes for the June cruise. The first cruise back in the Carribean should have sold out in hours if there was great demand. I am betting that a month from now, cabins will still be available. 

Idk since at various times yesterday different categories showed sold out. As of last night a ta reported on the first june sailing he saw no insides, and only a few ovs available. ..but it could have changed overnight. They were wondering if rcl was releasing cabins in blocks as they noticed it too, would say sold out, then cabins appear. Also I saw 2 travel agents posting some IT issues clicking on june and getting sept and had to click on sept to get june which you can read on rcl boards.

 

Hopefully today IT issues resolved. Travel agents were also having issues with the travel agent site cruising power they said. But I saw nothing to indicate people werent still trying to book, just had IT issues and cabins going in and out of sold out. Maybe it's like carnival, if I do a mock booking and click on a cabin, it takes it out of inventory for about 20 minutes. Could be a lot like me clicking around for fun.

 

I'm booked carnival for sept, so I'm just watching. 

[stellarose]

I am waiting too.  no way no cruises sail from the US ports this year.  M (aybe my New Years will be the inaugural voyage.....(I hope not)

[firefly333]

Just now, Earthworm Jim said:

 

For the initial June 12 cruise (7 days), insides are sold out. Oceanviews are still available but the price is very high at $1483 pp. Balconies and suites still available too. I'd guess they are selling reasonably well, but not crazy fast.

That's a lot. I checked for fun sept and total solo price for a balcony was $2047 with taxes, my D discount might have fed in, but a balcony was a few bucks over 2k solo with taxes and port fees. I didnt check june. I'd wait for kiddos to go back to school. Price is for sure higher now. 

 

It was $22 when I first saw prices extra for a balcony if you were D+, $50 more if you are D. For 75 extra I'd take the balcony for the extra space. ..havent checked lately but balconys were about same as insides, crazy pricing. I'm surprised insides sold out for june 12. 

 

It's a lot to do to cruise. Fly there, get some bahamian $60 health visa which covers you if you get covid, show up with a negative covid test. Many are flying in the day of, as departure is at 9 pm.

 

I guess carnival is watching to see how it goes. I am personally not booking, I can wait to see if carnival vista goes ..if not I have rcl liberty booked for December xmas cruising. After the cdc order hopefully expires. Just interested to see how it goes, too much bother for me.

[stellarose]

too risky to fly to the port out of the country. I will wait to fly to Florida first...