How, When and Where will Crewmembers be Vaccinated in time for June cruises?

[Goodtime Cruizin]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

I know many many people in the US who are struggling to get vaccinated. Vaccine is still very limited in many states.  It will be another month (May 1) for vaccines to be available for the general population in many states.  I know that it is now open in TX.  Great news.   You have 90% of your population still unvaccinated.  Only 3 million vaccinated out of 30 million people.  So you think Texas should immediately send vaccine to Celebrity in St. Maarten to vaccinate the crew there by June sailings?  

 

By the way- I do not think that my own adult kids, and my neighbors, and my relatives are doing anything wrong.  They just cannot even qualify for vaccine yet.  Then they will be in a very long line to get even an appointment.  I'm glad your part of the country is not facing this in your estimation.

 

To answer your question.... yes... send the vaccine to anybody, to any county, town, city, state or even country that knows how to get the vax out of viles and into arms. It's really that simple.  And your data is inaccurate... Texas has vaccinated just shy of 11 million arms.  And there are many people that simply do not want the vaccine at this time, thus making it available for those that do. In fact, starting tomorrow, all adults 16 years old and older can request an appointment. I have absolutely no idea why Pa is still on 1A requests only. Puzzles me. But that's only a problem for Pa residents to correct. Not mine and definately not RCG. 

[Goodtime Cruizin]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

I could speculate as much as anybody.  But what I hoped to hear is that some crew member or travel agent had some information.  That there was a plan for them to get vaccinated and give us some actual information.  The time is short.  Cruises are being sold.  There is a lead time (right now) that the crew needs to be vaccinated.  Somebody must know the plan or some crew must have been vaccinated by the plan.  Even if it is in their own countries (most likely).  

 

What or which cruise have you booked? What date?

[Goodtime Cruizin]

3 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

 

 

However with the US having an over abundance of supply in May.  "Enough for everyone in the USA to get vaccinated."  We will be oversupplied by then as there is a certain population that will not be vaccinated by their own choice.  We also have 2 more vaccines coming in the pipeline for FDA approval and production efficiency is improving every day.  Where will the excess US vaccines go?

 

I would suspect that the home port countries may help getting the crew vaccinated or at least verify that they have been with approved vaccines.  The local countries set the rules and not the CDC.

 

You do raise a good question though.

 

The getting cruise ship members vaccinated before Granny will not be an issue here in the US.  It may be in other countries though.  I am in a state that vaccinated prisoners before Granny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So... so.... true. If the county jail can get the vax, Millie's crew can too. 

[LGW59]

4 hours ago, TeeRick said:

LGW59 - I am struggling to understand what you are proposing with your comments.  That the HHS statement covering vaccines to illegal immigrants applies to crew members who are not even in the USA either legally or illegally?  They are on ships in St. Maarten, Bermuda, Greece, the Bahamas, Singapore.  None in the US.  Help me understand as the back and forth that you are having on my post with harkinmr is getting a bit heated.

No need to struggle.  In my state, any individual (do not need to be a resident) may get the vaccine, do not need a DL, SS card, health insurance.  So for example, a individual comes for vacation from X country, that individual may get the vaccine no questions asked. IMO all very good

[GerScot]

Any cruise line which sails without their crew being vaccinated would be a huge risk, so I believe them when they say all crew will be vaccinated, as to how when and where that happens I guess is their business and not something they might want to share.

[jelayne]

If we are talking about the couple of ships starting in June then we are not talking about thousands of crew members.  If the Millie sails at 50% capacity (1100) then it is likely  the crew would be at 65-70% or about 500.  Although we think of the crew as young, many of them are older and may have been vaccinated in their country already.   
 

As the cruise line call crew back those who have been vaccinated will most likely return first,  reducing the number needing shots.  As each month goes by more and more vaccine is available worldwide  asking it possible for more crew to get vaccinated in their country.  

[4774Papa]

I walk the neighborhood about 4-5 times a week and talk with many about the vaccine.   Almost everyone that I have talked to wanted to get the vaccine, especially Seniors.   A couple of people told me that they didn't want to get vaccinated, but once the J&J vaccine came out and they saw all the others in the neighborhood that were vaccinated without a problem, so now they want to be vaccinated.  It could be that the more people get vaccinated, fewer will decline.

[NMTraveller]

2 hours ago, Goodtime Cruizin said:

 

To answer your question.... yes... send the vaccine to anybody, to any county, town, city, state or even country that knows how to get the vax out of viles and into arms. It's really that simple.  And your data is inaccurate... Texas has vaccinated just shy of 11 million arms.  And there are many people that simply do not want the vaccine at this time, thus making it available for those that do. In fact, starting tomorrow, all adults 16 years old and older can request an appointment. I have absolutely no idea why Pa is still on 1A requests only. Puzzles me. But that's only a problem for Pa residents to correct. Not mine and definately not RCG. 

I just checked your states requirements.  We might just get a Texas vaccine.  Colorado was looking to be our other option.

[PTC DAWG]

2 hours ago, Goodtime Cruizin said:

 

To answer your question.... yes... send the vaccine to anybody, to any county, town, city, state or even country that knows how to get the vax out of viles and into arms. It's really that simple.  And your data is inaccurate... Texas has vaccinated just shy of 11 million arms.  And there are many people that simply do not want the vaccine at this time, thus making it available for those that do. In fact, starting tomorrow, all adults 16 years old and older can request an appointment. I have absolutely no idea why Pa is still on 1A requests only. Puzzles me. But that's only a problem for Pa residents to correct. Not mine and definately not RCG. 

Well said...

[NMTraveller]

3 hours ago, LGW59 said:

No need to struggle.  In my state, any individual (do not need to be a resident) may get the vaccine, do not need a DL, SS card, health insurance.  So for example, a individual comes for vacation from X country, that individual may get the vaccine no questions asked. IMO all very good

Which state?

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Which state?

MA

[cl.klink]

On 3/27/2021 at 8:40 AM, TeeRick said:

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are offering cruises out of St Maarten, Bahamas and Greece early this summer.  All passengers 18+ must be fully vaccinated by two weeks before boarding a ship.  And all Q&A and information on these cruises state "fully vaccinated crew".  So how, when and where will that take place?  Presumably to meet the timelines- they need to start soon.  Cruise lines have opened booking and are taking deposits.  They must have plans to quickly vaccinate crew.

 

I am not looking for speculation.  I am looking for facts and verifiable information from the RCG corporation, Travel Agents, or official sources.  It would be great if any crew members who read these boards could give us information on what is happening with them vaccine-wise in order to get cruising started by June. 

 

I have a response, and it is wise, I think, but it is speculative.

 

So, ... I guess I have to end there.

 

- Joel

[LGW59]

8 minutes ago, cl.klink said:

 

I have a response, and it is wise, I think, but it is speculative.

 

So, ... I guess I have to end there.

 

- Joel

GOOD because speculation is NOT allowed here!

[TeeRick]

19 hours ago, LGW59 said:

No need to struggle.  In my state, any individual (do not need to be a resident) may get the vaccine, do not need a DL, SS card, health insurance.  So for example, a individual comes for vacation from X country, that individual may get the vaccine no questions asked. IMO all very good

I grew up in MA and have most of my relatives living there.  A number of them have been vaccinated and others are still trying.  I was curious about your statement that anybody traveling to or just visiting MA from another country could get the vaccine in MA.   The Mass.gov website Q&A says the following:

 

Will people who live in another state or country part time (e.g. students, retirees, people with dual citizenship) be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts?

Yes. The Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccination program is intended for individuals who live, work or study in the Commonwealth.  

 

 

[jalves]

On 3/27/2021 at 5:27 PM, wrk2cruise said:

Since the vaccine supply is being paid for by the federal government is it legal for any of these doses be provided to non US residents?

The virus doesn't discriminate as to who it infects.  It doesn't first check for official residency before infecting a body.  There's no reason to restrict the vaccine to just US residents, legal or otherwise.  

[CroozFanatic]

New article up on Crew Center about RCCL crew vaccinations...

 

http://crew-center.com/royal-caribbean-group-latest-vaccine-information-crew

[TeeRick]

4 minutes ago, CroozFanatic said:

New article up on Crew Center about RCCL crew vaccinations...

 

http://crew-center.com/royal-caribbean-group-latest-vaccine-information-crew

CroozFanatic- Thank you so much for posting this.  I was seeking in my Post #1 exactly this type of information that you just provided.  Given the short time frame I was pretty sure the crew had to have some official communication about their vaccines.  Simple question and now a direct answer provided.   Keep us up to date if you see anything else on this.   They talk about providing evidence of the two shots of the vaccine.  Plan B is vaccinating every crew member directly on the ship.  That presumably might be a one shot J&J vaccine which they would have to provide by mid-May for the end of June sailings.

[CroozFanatic]

28 minutes ago, jalves said:

The virus doesn't discriminate as to who it infects.  It doesn't first check for official residency before infecting a body.  There's no reason to restrict the vaccine to just US residents, legal or otherwise.  

 

I have to agree with this...it really only works if you vaccinate everyone that surrounds you legal or illegal.

 

Still, what another glorious unintended consequence of illegal immigration...many illegal aliens won't get the vaccine for fear of future government contact...thus leaving all of us exposed.

 

[CroozFanatic]

TeeRick, no problem.

 

However, the RCCL communications to the crew look like an executive sitting in an office building in Florida talking as if all of the crew lived in Florida....yeah, make sure you get the second dose.

 

Huh? Second dose?

 

Still, to me, it looks like the strategy is put the onus on the crew: you wanna work here? get the vaccine. We don't care how. If you do, you'll get a job.

[TeeRick]

26 minutes ago, CroozFanatic said:

TeeRick, no problem.

 

However, the RCCL communications to the crew look like an executive sitting in an office building in Florida talking as if all of the crew lived in Florida....yeah, make sure you get the second dose.

 

Huh? Second dose?

 

Still, to me, it looks like the strategy is put the onus on the crew: you wanna work here? get the vaccine. We don't care how. If you do, you'll get a job.

Yes and that strategy might be ok for a while.  If we take Millennium sailing at 50% capacity then they presumably need less crew.  Normally about 1000, so perhaps 600?  APEX (based on Edge) normally about 1300 so perhaps 800?  So can Celebrity recruit maybe 1500 crew members for these two ships that have been vaccinated by end of June?  It seems very possible but it is country of their residence-dependent of course. I know that the specialized crew members (officers, maintenance, engine room, etc. are different than Housekeeping and Dining staff.  So there are subgroups of specialized crew needing vaccine that might be a potential bottleneck.  Anyway I am glad that RCG is communicating some aspect of the plan.  That was not the case in the You Tube in Post #2.

[Oceangoer2]

16 hours ago, LGW59 said:

GOOD because speculation is NOT allowed here!

Does that mean opinion isn't allowed either....😉?

[kwokpot]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5993/

 

And just like that Celebrity isn't mandating crew vaccinations for their  new Silhouette sailings from Southampton.

[Jeremiah1212]

8 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5993/

 

And just like that Celebrity isn't mandating crew vaccinations for their  new Silhouette sailings from Southampton.

 

No surprises there. I just don't see how this is feasible or would not be a big PR blunder. 

 

Not that it matters or can't be changed, but the Apex and Millennium sailings mention fully vaccinated crews in the press materials. The UK sailings do not. 

 

 

[TeeRick]

19 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5993/

 

And just like that Celebrity isn't mandating crew vaccinations for their  new Silhouette sailings from Southampton.

Here is a quote directly from the article here on CC that you posted.  It would be a definite concern to me to not have the crew vaccinated.  I would not go.

 

"All passengers over 18 must be vaccinated against COVID-19, and those under the age of 18 must present a negative PCR test result. The line is not mandating crew must be vaccinated."

[Ken the cruiser]

11 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Here is a quote directly from the article here on CC that you posted.  It would be a definite concern to me to not have the crew vaccinated.  I would not go.

 

"All passengers over 18 must be vaccinated against COVID-19, and those under the age of 18 must present a negative PCR test result. The line is not mandating crew must be vaccinated."

The first question that comes to my mind is what are the vaccination requirements for the other 7 cruise lines now offering Summer 2021 "Seacations" around the UK? It appears from the article I found there are a few that are not requiring any vaccinations at all.

 

Saga - full passenger vaccinations required. Crew ??

P&O - full passenger vaccinations required. Crew ??

Fred Olsen - Unknown

Cunard - full passenger vaccinations required. Crew ??

Princess - full passenger vaccinations required. Crew ??

Viking - Doesn't appear to be required for either passengers or crew

MSC - Both vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers. Crew ??

Celebrity - full passenger vaccinations required. Crew - vaccine not required

 

Cunard, Celebrity and Saga schedule UK cruises for summer 2021 (cruiseandferry.net)