Inconsistent Celebrity on CDC guidance and bookings..................

[cruise wizard]

We were having our TA to make our final payment on our Edge sailing of 7/10, which was the second half of our booked B2B with the 7/3 cruise. He was told that Celebrity was cancelling the 7/10 in that it violated the CDC guidelines that prohibits B2B's and cruises longer than 7 days. "X" said because it was their fault that we would get our deposit back. OK - nice that they didn't catch that and let us or our TA know sooner.

 

I thought that I would look to do a side-to-side - so I looked at what was available out of Fort Lauderdale - nothing worked. I am thinking that our 7/3 won't sail so I looked at something for September and I found a nice Edge on 9/18 - stay a day in FLL and then go on Equinox on 9/26............perfect!!!! Well - here is the inconsistency...............the Equinox is a 12 night cruise. Celebrity is still offering 9 & 11 night cruises on the Equinox starting on 8/15 through 10/8 - way before the 11/1 deadline. How or why are they still selling cruises that are in violation of what they told us???????

[Jeremiah1212]

2 minutes ago, cruise wizard said:

How or why are they still selling cruises that are in violation of what they told us???????

 

Since they have become defiant of the CSO, the B2B rule shouldn't be an issue either. Not sure why they would comply with some parts and not others. No one really knows at this point. Royal removed longer sailings but Celebrity has always had those Equinox sailings available to book. 

[WestLakeGirl]

No one knows what their thinking is at-this point.

[cruise wizard]

1 minute ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Since they have become defiant of the CSO, the B2B rule shouldn't be an issue either. Not sure why they would comply with some parts and not others. No one really knows at this point. Royal removed longer sailings but Celebrity has always had those Equinox sailings available to book. 

 

Everything is just so confusing. I hope for some clarity and consistency within the RCCL family.

[cruise wizard]

1 minute ago, WestLakeGirl said:

No one knows what their thinking is at-this point.

 

Exactly!!!!

[jelayne]

Hope springs eternal.  What they feel they can do safely in July to restart is different from what they hope to be able to do as conditions hopefully will improve. 

[cruise wizard]

7 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Hope springs eternal.  What they feel they can do safely in July to restart is different from what they hope to be able to do as conditions hopefully will improve. 

 

I guess that I don't understand the logic in not allowing B2B's. The folks on the first cruise had to be tested before, during and at the end of the cruise - those folks have been really screened and should pose no threat for the second cruise. I would feel safer on the second cruise with the B2B'ers.

[HskrCrsr]

My best guess is that with the travel involved getting to the first cruise (airport, shuttle, hotel, what have you) plus any potential exposure during the cruise (on board, during excursions),  there is an increased chance of someone  getting COVID. Even with vaccines, I don't think we have proof that we can guarantee complete immunity or prevent all infections. So, if someone gets infected during that first week, where would you want them during a second week? Probably back home, not on a ship. Basically, if you do something riskier than staying home, they want you out of their hair when you are most likely to be contagious. An abundance of caution, if you will.

[Bruin Steve]

When you get on the ship, there are already over 1,000 people who have stayed on from the previous cruise....they are called.............................................the "crew".

[HskrCrsr]

The crew is a necessary constant who is not likely to go through airports between sailings, and I suspect they are not allowed off the ship at ports under conditions vastly different from passengers. So their risk is mostly confined to exposure to the passengers. I hope they are also regularly tested. However, from what I understand, the infections on Eclipse last year seem to have come through the crew via contact with port workers. I am not sure of that, though.

[sonnycruises]

Hopefully Governor DeSantis wins his suit and expeditiously.

[jelayne]

32 minutes ago, sonnycruises said:

Hopefully Governor DeSantis wins his suit and expeditiously.

isn’t he also proposing that vaccinations can not be required not be businesses in Florida ?  

[cruise wizard]

We will NEVER have a 100% vaccinations and a 0% threat of someone not getting the virus / flu. So do we wait until never???? There are all kinds of risks in this world - it is how we minimize the risk and the personal accountability we accept.

[sonnycruises]

24 minutes ago, jelayne said:

isn’t he also proposing that vaccinations can not be required not be businesses in Florida ?  

Hopefully that's just a bargaining chip by the governor. Overall the performance of the CDC Director is classic bureaucratic inaction.

[LuvCruzn4Evr]

Celebrity nor my TA has informed me that our B2B2B in July and also in August are 'invalid' and that we have to cancel one of them because B2B is not allowed.  I booked these last year prior to the CDC No Sail Order.  Guess they want our final payments before they tell me this is not allowed and I have to cancel one of them 🤬🤬🤬

[HskrCrsr]

8 minutes ago, cruise wizard said:

We will NEVER have a 100% vaccinations and a 0% threat of someone not getting the virus / flu. So do we wait until never???? There are all kinds of risks in this world - it is how we minimize the risk and the personal accountability we accept.

 

I believe no one is suggesting "never"*. I do not presume to know where you fall on the spectrum, but my experience is that people who ask that question also have a skewed sense of minimizing the risk. Some prefer to save lives, some prefer to save money. Some just want to appeal to voters, risk (to lives or money) be damned.

 

*Ok, there are some who never wants cruises restarted, but I am sticking with the COVID aspect.

[grandgeezer]

1 hour ago, sonnycruises said:

Hopefully Governor DeSantis wins his suit and expeditiously.

In your dreams on both points, wins and expeditiously.

Here's a unique idea, why doesn't everybody try following the CDC guidelines instead of looking for a way out or around. Imagine the CDC speaking to the judge or jury, We've been telling them for over a year on what we think it takes to get back to normal, but they don't listen." Until you do, the chance of you cruising in the near future is nil.

[cruise wizard]

1 minute ago, HskrCrsr said:

 

I believe no one is suggesting "never"*. I do not presume to know where you fall on the spectrum, but my experience is that people who ask that question also have a skewed sense of minimizing the risk. Some prefer to save lives, some prefer to save money. Some just want to appeal to voters, risk (to lives or money) be damned.

 

*Ok, there are some who never wants cruises restarted, but I am sticking with the COVID aspect.

 

My position is that I (and wife) have had our 2 vaccination shots - cruising with other folks that have had their shots is fine. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Since they have become defiant of the CSO, the B2B rule shouldn't be an issue either. Not sure why they would comply with some parts and not others. No one really knows at this point. Royal removed longer sailings but Celebrity has always had those Equinox sailings available to book. 

Just a thought:  when the entire cruise violates the CSO [e.g. > 7 nights], Celebrity will just cancel the cruise and refund everybody on it.  But if they allow B2Bs where each leg is OK but the B2B is not, they would have to cancel some passengers and not others.  Note: I'm not saying this makes a lot of sense, but it does seem to explain the discrepancy.

[Arizona Wildcat]

2 hours ago, cruise wizard said:

 

Everything is just so confusing. I hope for some clarity and consistency within the RCCL family.

We have a 14 day August TA on Summit.  It obviously cannot happen.  Celebrity said it was still on because Halifax was in Nova Scotia - not Canada.

Looking for clarity and good info?  The cruise industry is making decisions on the fly.  Often totally nonsense and contradictory.

[Arizona Wildcat]

Just now, Host Jazzbeau said:

Just a thought:  when the entire cruise violates the CSO [e.g. > 7 nights], Celebrity will just cancel the cruise and refund everybody on it.  But if they allow B2Bs where each leg is OK but the B2B is not, they would have to cancel some passengers and not others.  Note: I'm not saying this makes a lot of sense, but it does seem to explain the discrepancy.

Jazz - can you explain my post about the Summit August TA noted in my prior post?  

Was told they were hoping the 14 day limit would be changed by August.  Three different reps argued that Halifax was not in Canada.

Am about to take my refunds and give up on cruising for a year or two.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just now, Arizona Wildcat said:

Jazz - can you explain my post about the Summit August TA noted in my prior post?  

Was told they were hoping the 14 day limit would be changed by August.  Three different reps argued that Halifax was not in Canada.

Am about to take my refunds and give up on cruising for a year or two.

No, I wasn't a Creative Writing major so explaining that one is beyond me!

[cruise wizard]

2 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

We have a 14 day August TA on Summit.  It obviously cannot happen.  Celebrity said it was still on because Halifax was in Nova Scotia - not Canada.

Looking for clarity and good info?  The cruise industry is making decisions on the fly.  Often totally nonsense and contradictory.

 

Great answer by the agent...............although it is wrong. The answer reminds me of a flight I was on with Jet Blue. The cabin was getting warmer and warmer and I ask a flight attendant if there was something wrong - she said and I quote - the higher we go, the closer to the sun we get and it get hotter.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just now, cruise wizard said:

 

Great answer by the agent...............although it is wrong. The answer reminds me of a flight I was on with Jet Blue. The cabin was getting warmer and warmer and I ask a flight attendant if there was something wrong - she said and I quote - the higher we go, the closer to the sun we get and it get hotter.

Should we ask about her hair color?

[sonnycruises]

7 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

In your dreams on both points, wins and expeditiously.

Here's a unique idea, why doesn't everybody try following the CDC guidelines instead of looking for a way out or around. Imagine the CDC speaking to the judge or jury, We've been telling them for over a year on what we think it takes to get back to normal, but they don't listen." Until you do, the chance of you cruising in the near future is nil.

The CDC particularly the director is a bureaucrat of the highest order. They have done nothing since the paradigm shift created by the vaccine.