Windstar Will Require Vaccine

[Petoonya]

It is disheartening to know some have disparaged WS for the vaccine policy. As time goes on it looks as if it's possible that there will be more than a few operations that will require vaccines. Flights, restaurants, bars, sports venues... If it does go this way it should set anyone on the fence back on the right side of mother earth.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Frankly I'd rather have a cruise line be over-protective to ensure that the cruise won't run afoul of local authorities, than push them to loosen up and then get barred from port!

[Doh15]

On 3/30/2021 at 4:15 PM, LewiLewi said:

What about the crew? Will vaccinations and testing be required of them as well?

I saw somewhere that crew will be required to get the vaccine when it is available to them, which is much less clear than I would hope for. 

[Pudgesmom]

24 minutes ago, Doh15 said:

I saw somewhere that crew will be required to get the vaccine when it is available to them, which is much less clear than I would hope for. 

What else could they say? They can't get a vaccine before it is available.

[milepig]

30 minutes ago, Pudgesmom said:

What else could they say? They can't get a vaccine before it is available.

The first sailings are approaching. I’d like to have heard that they’ve secured a source of vaccines for the crew. But clearly they can’t if they haven’t, but it would certainly reassure people. I hope they can say that soon. 

[Pudgesmom]

11 minutes ago, milepig said:

The first sailings are approaching. I’d like to have heard that they’ve secured a source of vaccines for the crew. But clearly they can’t if they haven’t, but it would certainly reassure people. I hope they can say that soon. 

 I hope so too.

 

My conclusion from their statement is that they don't know when they will be available. The vaccination rate in Indonesia is 2.3% and Philippines, .3%. So if the crew has to get them at home, it will be awhile. 

Edited April 2, 2021 by Pudgesmom

[milepig]

1 hour ago, Pudgesmom said:

 I hope so too.

 

My conclusion from their statement is that they don't know when they will be available. The vaccination rate in Indonesia is 2.3% and Philippines, .3%. So if the crew has to get them at home, it will be awhile. 

And the turnaround time, especially with the 2 shot version is several weeks which implies that they’d need to be received in the home country as WS flies the crew in close to departure. That’s a lot of arrangements to make and sources to be found. 

Edited April 2, 2021 by milepig

[Petoonya]

7 minutes ago, milepig said:

And the turnaround time, especially with the 2 shot version is several weeks which implies that they’d need to be received in the home country as WS flies the crew in close to departure. That’s a lot of arrangements to make and sources to be found. 

What if crew had a PCR test done 72 hrs before flying from home, a J&J vaccine on arrival at the port, and another test 4 days later? Then the ship wouldn't sail for 2 weeks after the J&J vaccine. No expert here, just a guess at what might work.

[Doh15]

3 hours ago, milepig said:

The first sailings are approaching. I’d like to have heard that they’ve secured a source of vaccines for the crew. But clearly they can’t if they haven’t, but it would certainly reassure people. I hope they can say that soon. 

Exactly. Obviously I don’t want them to make things up and I certainly understand if they can’t find a source of vaccines for crew, but there’s a big difference between sailing with a vaxed crew vs an unvaxed one— probably big enough to make me not consider sailing until it’s sorted out. 

[vmarq]

I welcome an all vaccinated cruise but I wholeheartedly disagree that masks be required.  What is the point if you have everyone vaccinated????

[new_cruiser]

7 hours ago, vmarq said:

I welcome an all vaccinated cruise but I wholeheartedly disagree that masks be required.  What is the point if you have everyone vaccinated????

The concern that prompts masks is the the vaccines aren't 100% protection. Frankly, I don't mind wearing a mask and a requirement for them wouldn't inhibit me from sailing. Because it seems like mask wearing will be around with us for an extended time and with being vaccinated I'm out where a mask is required more often, I recently bought some more masks. I found ones that are made of silk and have a better shape. I find the material and the better shape makes them pretty comfortable to wear even at the gym. 

 

I care more about excursions. I sincerely hope that they lift the requirement for taking a Windstar excursion to leave the ship as we enjoy doing our own thing in a port or booking a guide for a private excursion. 

 

Re: masks, I wonder how that works when one is having a cocktail in the lounge, a snack in the Yacht Club or eating a meal. 

[milepig]

6 hours ago, new_cruiser said:

The concern that prompts masks is the the vaccines aren't 100% protection. Frankly, I don't mind wearing a mask and a requirement for them wouldn't inhibit me from sailing. Because it seems like mask wearing will be around with us for an extended time and with being vaccinated I'm out where a mask is required more often, I recently bought some more masks. I found ones that are made of silk and have a better shape. I find the material and the better shape makes them pretty comfortable to wear even at the gym. 

 

I care more about excursions. I sincerely hope that they lift the requirement for taking a Windstar excursion to leave the ship as we enjoy doing our own thing in a port or booking a guide for a private excursion. 

 

Re: masks, I wonder how that works when one is having a cocktail in the lounge, a snack in the Yacht Club or eating a meal. 

I get the not 100% part, but nothing in life is 100%. I could be run over by a bus tomorrow morning. We will never be 100% safe but life will return to normal. The vaccine also makes symptoms much less if you do get infected. That’s what I think our new normal will be. 

[Petoonya]

7 hours ago, new_cruiser said:

Re: masks, I wonder how that works when one is having a cocktail in the lounge, a snack in the Yacht Club or eating a meal. 

I live in an area where masks are required in all businesses, public transportation etc, including restaurants. But we can remove masks for dining, and enjoying a cocktail in a restaurant with social distancing being observed. We wear masks upon entering and departing. My guess is it'll be the same on our WS cruises.

[Barrycat]

Petoonya outlined a very reasonable scenario for getting the crew vaccinated using the J&J vaccine as the key. Two obvious problems for Windstar are first, getting the vaccine, and secondly paying a full compliment of crew for two weeks on a ship with no passenger revenue.

It makes no sense to require passengers to be fully vaccinated and not require the same of the crew who typically have the same degree of proximity to passengers as other passengers do. Windstar is going to need to make their crew vaccination policy clear before people feel comfortable getting on board.

[Doh15]

2 hours ago, Barrycat said:

Petoonya outlined a very reasonable scenario for getting the crew vaccinated using the J&J vaccine as the key. Two obvious problems for Windstar are first, getting the vaccine, and secondly paying a full compliment of crew for two weeks on a ship with no passenger revenue.

It makes no sense to require passengers to be fully vaccinated and not require the same of the crew who typically have the same degree of proximity to passengers as other passengers do. Windstar is going to need to make their crew vaccination policy clear before people feel comfortable getting on board.

Crew have more proximity to passengers than other passengers— I can (shameful confession) more or less go an entire day without talking to another passenger, but I talk to crew at meals, at the bar and they are in my stateroom at least once a day. 
 

Plus crew are IIRC about 40% of the entire ship population?  
 

 

[vmarq]

I realize nothing in life is 100% but if we have been fully vaccinated, it should be our choice whether to wear a mask or not.

Edited April 4, 2021 by vmarq

[milepig]

1 hour ago, vmarq said:

I realize nothing in life is 100% but if we have been fully vaccinated, it should be our choice whether to wear a mask or not.

Agreed. That would make it our choice. As I doubt anyone would be stopped from wearing one. 

[Barrycat]

Everybody is entitled to their opinion but they are not entitled to their facts as the saying goes. My guess is that the CDC is in the best position to decide if mask wearing is recommended in various situations. Hopefully Windstar will be following CDC guidelines and not IMO positions.

[marinaro44]

On 4/4/2021 at 12:45 PM, vmarq said:

I realize nothing in life is 100% but if we have been fully vaccinated, it should be our choice whether to wear a mask or not.

No.  You can infect others.  And, if someone is infected, the cruise will shut down.

[Cometman]

This topic is so fluid right now, no one can say what the limitations will be by 2022.

 

Our next cruise is in February 2022- hopefully it's just having the vaccine will be all that's needed. But who knows.

[minidonuts85]

17 hours ago, Cometman said:

This topic is so fluid right now, no one can say what the limitations will be by 2022.

 

Our next cruise is in February 2022- hopefully it's just having the vaccine will be all that's needed. But who knows.

Ditto. We rebooked Tahiti for aug 2022 and just gonna see what things are like as time goes on. 

[Love.II.Cruise]

On 4/1/2021 at 3:40 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Frankly I'd rather have a cruise line be over-protective to ensure that the cruise won't run afoul of local authorities, than push them to loosen up and then get barred from port!

I completely agree!  We'd hate to become a hostage on a ship with problems getting home and going back to work.  They need to figure out a way to get the crew vaccinated too.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

21 minutes ago, Love.II.Cruise said:

I completely agree!  We'd hate to become a hostage on a ship with problems getting home and going back to work.  They need to figure out a way to get the crew vaccinated too.  

That is now happening, in Florida, Texas, Europe.  The nay-sayers were wrong on that.

[Donald]

Many of the first cruises will be in the Med, especially in the Greek Islands.

Most Asian crew flying into the Shengen zone (Eurozone) are required to have a 14-day quarantine after arrival, and before joining any ships.

Greece and Italy have already agreed to vaccinate those crewmembers while they are in quarantine.

[LewiLewi]

Just spoke with Windstar about PCR or antigen test prior to boarding. I asked what would happen if a passenger, who was fully vaccinated tested positive on the preboarding test. The answer was “We don’t know”. This concerns me. It is possible that a fully vaccinated person could test positive. What do you do, especially if you are in a foreign country and this happens to you? There are still so many unknowns.