New CDC guidelines for simulated cruises

[sandebeach]

Reading about them on social media, wondering if test cruises will go in July. 

[mook1525]

2 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

Reading about them on social media, wondering if test cruises will go in July. 

I thought they can bypass test cruise if 98% of crews and 95% of passengers have been vaccinated?

 

 

[sandebeach]

Yes, they can but they can also do test cruises, which could include vaccinated persons. 

May 5, 2021 Update

On May 5, 2021, CDC released the next two phases of the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) for cruise ships operating or seeking to operate in U.S. waters. CDC published technical instructions for cruise ship operators preparing to conduct simulated (“trial”) voyages in advance of restricted passenger voyages under a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate. With the issuance of these next two phases, cruise ship operators now have all the necessary requirements and recommendations they need to start simulated voyages before resuming restricted passenger voyages and apply for a COVID-19 conditional sailing certificate to begin sailing with restricted passenger voyages. CDC may adjust these requirements and recommendations based on public health considerations and other factors.

[sandebeach]

• All volunteer passengers must be at least eighteen years old or older on the day of the simulation and at the time that their consent to participate is obtained.
• The cruise ship operator must ensure all volunteer passengers have either:
  • Proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 using an S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized vaccine or a vaccine product that has received emergency use listing from the World Health Organization (WHO); or
  • If not fully vaccinated, written documentation from a healthcare provider or self-certified statement that the volunteer passenger has no medical conditions that would place the volunteer at high risk for severe COVID-19 as determined through CDC guidance.
• The simulation must be conducted with the signed informed consent of all participants and not as a condition of employment or in exchange for consideration or future reward. 

[theLCC1]

If you need the crew vaccinated anyway seems like test cruises will add time onto getting sailings going. Unless the lines want to test out their own processes it seems like they would vaccinate and go.....

[smokeybandit]

They're still an absolute joke. The CDC is still saying vaccinations don't matter and it's still March 2020.

[Stallion]

16 minutes ago, mook1525 said:

I thought they can bypass test cruise if 98% of crews and 95% of passengers have been vaccinated?

 

 

Option in Lieu of a Simulated Voyage

In lieu of conducting a simulated voyage, cruise ship operator responsible officials, at their discretion, may sign and submit to CDC an attestation under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 that 98 percent of crew are fully vaccinated and submit to CDC a clear and specific vaccination plan and timeline to limit cruise ship sailings to 95 percent of passengers who have been verified by the cruise ship operator as fully vaccinated prior to sailing.

[harkinmr]

8 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

They're still an absolute joke. The CDC is still saying vaccinations don't matter and it's still March 2020.

No. Test cruises are only required if the cruise lines do not choose to proceed with vaccinated sailings.  Something tells me that short of "ok you guys, off you go no requirements or protocols" would be a "joke".  So predictable.

[Jeremiah1212]

14 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

They're still an absolute joke. The CDC is still saying vaccinations don't matter and it's still March 2020.

 

Quite the opposite really. It says you have two options for simulated cruises. 

 

If you'd like to skip the simulated cruises step, you need to attest to having 95% of your passengers vaccinated and 98% of your crew vaccinated. Otherwise, you are agreeing to do simulated cruises. Your passengers are either vaccinated or you provide a letter from a doctor or yourself stating you are not someone at high risk of COVID in order to participate in the simulated cruise.

Edited May 5, 2021 by Jeremiah1212

[harkinmr]

Here's a link:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/ti-simulated-voyages-cso.html

 

And absolutely nothing that should not have been anticipated based on the terminology in the CSO.

Edited May 5, 2021 by harkinmr

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, harkinmr said:

No. Test cruises are only required if the cruise lines do not choose to proceed with vaccinated sailings.  Something tells me that short of "ok you guys, off you go no requirements or protocols" would be a "joke".  So predictable.

 

The test cruise requirements still use March 2020 assumptions.  That's why they're a joke.

 

Also, the vaccinations allow cruise lines to go without test cruises, not completely scrap the CSO completely. And the CSO says cruises have to occur using March 2020 assumptions, at least through the end of October.
 

[sandebeach]

Well I am hoping to cruise soon out of Miami or Fort Lauderdale. I am hoping that Florida cruises will be allowed with vaccinated passengers even though “vaccine passports” have been banned by the Governor. 

[Stallion]

I think it was nice of the CDC to refer to passengers of the simulated cruise as "volunteers" rather than "Guinea pigs". I sounds so much better when the passengers or -- sorry volunteers try to sue the cruise lines
"

Edited May 5, 2021 by Stallion

[Jeremiah1212]

Did NCL read this part???

 

https://cruiseradio.net/norwegian-cruise-line-shore-excursion-rules-restrictions/

 

Shore Excursions & Transportation Services

To reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, cruise ship operators must:

• Prohibit self-guided or independent exploration by passengers during port stops.

[harkinmr]

1 minute ago, smokeybandit said:

 

The test cruise requirements still use March 2020 assumptions.  That's why they're a joke.

 

Also, the vaccinations allow cruise lines to go without test cruises, not completely scrap the CSO completely. And the CSO says cruises have to occur using March 2020 assumptions, at least through the end of October.
 

I think it has become abundantly clear that the CSO is not going to be completely scrapped.  Yes, the remainder of the CSO ,stays in place, including port agreements, plan approvals and ship certifications.  Given that no cruise lines have sailed from the US since March of 2020, it is not going to be a free-wheeling start.  And the cruises that are sailing already worldwide and those that will begin in the UK and out of Greece will be heavily regulated and watched by local authorities.  Why would it be any different here?

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

Did NCL read this part???

 

https://cruiseradio.net/norwegian-cruise-line-shore-excursion-rules-restrictions/

 

Shore Excursions & Transportation Services

To reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, cruise ship operators must:

• Prohibit self-guided or independent exploration by passengers during port stops.

even better, it says a "best practice" is to not allow any shore excursions for any country not at a Level 1 threat level (which is basically none right now)

[sandebeach]

CDC kept the part about wearing masks on the pool deck:

Requirements

To reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, cruise ship operators must:

• Provide passengers and crew with information on how to properly wear, take off, and clean cloth masks.
• Remind passengers and crew not to touch their masks when wearing them.
• Position posters educating passengers on how to properly wear masks in high traffic areas throughout the ship
• Ensure bathers wear masks while congregating outside of recreational water facilities (RWFs) and while seated on the pool deck area. Masks do not need to be worn in the water, e.g., in RWFs or while swimming in the ocean. A wet cloth mask can make it difficult to breathe and likely will not work correctly. This means it is particularly important for bathers to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet (2 meters) when in the water with others who are not traveling companions or part of the same family.

Edited May 5, 2021 by sandebeach

[Stallion]

Have fun everybody!!!

 

I think I'll wave Bon Voyage from the pier but I'll be pulling for a fully vaccinated cruise (NCL) to pull through with little incident. Otherwise, this will last until we hit herd immunity 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Stallion

[mayleeman]

The only "joke" is how many people who have been given instructions like these will still try to violate them. How the cruise lines handle those situations will likely be a part of evaluating opening cruising up.

Edited May 5, 2021 by mayleeman

[jrapps]

1 hour ago, sandebeach said:

All volunteer passengers must be at least eighteen years old or older on the day of the simulation and at the time that their consent to participate is obtained.

So no kids on test cruises? How is that a "test" of how a cruise would operate?

[JABTPS]

So if I read this all correctly, if cruise line goes the route of restricting vaccine requirements to crew and passengers, all these requirements are out and can continue as a normal cruise.

 

I find it a joke that their excursion requirement for the test sails says " only countries with level 1"!  They sure made it impractical as they quickly changed most countries prior to the release of this document.

[JABTPS]

Sorry, the level 1 was a recommendation.

[Stallion]

1 minute ago, jrapps said:

So no kids on test cruises? How is that a "test" of how a cruise would operate?

I don't think a kid under 18 can consent so they aren't really included in the contractual provisions. Parents can probably consent on behalf of their children

[jrapps]

Just now, Stallion said:

I don't think a kid under 18 can consent so they aren't really included in the contractual provisions. Parents can probably consent on behalf of their children

I guess that was the clarification I was asking..is it that no kids will be allowed, or they will but their parents must consent.

 

Seems it it's the former, then it isn't a valid test

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, Stallion said:

I think it was nice of the CDC to refer to passengers of the simulated cruise as "volunteers" rather than "Guinea pigs". I sounds so much better when the passengers or -- sorry volunteers try to sue the cruise lines
"

I think you said you're a lawyer, so what do you say the odds are that all of the Guinea, I mean volunteers will have to sign an indemnification for the cruise lines so nobody sues because, you know...