CDC Changes For U.S Based Cruises

[Cruising89143]

Glad that we decided to cancel our fall cruises on Princess. This doesn’t sound like fun. Of course most of this was already general knowledge or expected. 
 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24942-cdc-will-eliminate-cruise-ship-buffet-require-organized-shore-excursions.html

[rkacruiser]

Thanks for posting this information.  Quite correct, not unexpected by this cruiser.  

[shipgeeks]

One item that is puzzling to me:  The article states that there will be no self-serve buffets.  On the MSC, and other, ships that have been sailing since last summer, the buffet is open, but the food and drink items are served by crew as passengers request them, not unlike many of the Lido items on HAL ships and others.

There is a big difference between closing a buffet entirely, and allowing a crew member to plate the food.

Which is it?  I guess we'll find out when the time comes.

We'll be sticking with our Fall cruises, as long as they are still happening, regardless.  None of the restrictions will dampen the joy of being on a ship again.

[Cruising89143]

I remember reading a comment from RCI about six months ago that the buffet as we know it would be gone at least in the beginning. The buffet would turn into a sit down full service restaurant with waitstaff taking your order from a menu. The space would be needed due to social distancing in the main dining rooms. I think that is what we will see but no self serve anything. 
 

Personally I think that the CDC wants everyone vaccinated and also with certain states fighting documentation of the vaccine will only make the CDC dig their heels in. The cruise lines are caught in the middle. Not going any further with my personal feelings. 
 

Our next cruise is a year away and it’s sailing in Europe. We did this on purpose to give time for the cruise lines to work things out. 
 

 

[Kruizin'Kath]

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

One item that is puzzling to me:  The article states that there will be no self-serve buffets.  On the MSC, and other, ships that have been sailing since last summer, the buffet is open, but the food and drink items are served by crew as passengers request them, not unlike many of the Lido items on HAL ships and others.

There is a big difference between closing a buffet entirely, and allowing a crew member to plate the food.

Which is it?  I guess we'll find out when the time comes.

We'll be sticking with our Fall cruises, as long as they are still happening, regardless.  None of the restrictions will dampen the joy of being on a ship again.

Agreed! I plan to stay on the ship if it sail 9/25 anyway! I've been to all the ports and will get off at Ocean Cay if we port there. If not, they can drift around for all I care...just want to be at sea!

[tallyho8]

And can you imagine pre-packed meals to go from the dining room that you bring to your cabin to eat? Microwaved? 

 

And the showroom able to only be 25% full when many people already don't get to see the shows on the larger ships?

 

People fight for poolside chairs now and they have to remove 3/4 of them.

 

Could they be in cahoots with the US airlines to sell more flights to bring people to out of the country cruises? That's where we will be heading.

[40yearcruiser]

It appears the CDC proclamations get crazier and crazier. Have any of them ever been on a cruise ship? First they say that the ships have to do test cruises--just what would that prove since every group of passengers is different? Then they offer the option to skip the test cruises if (almost) everyone is vaccinated to make it unlikely that the virus will spread. But then they add regulations that might have been appropriate before vaccines were available but are unreasonably restrictive if vaccinations are required. Nobody wants to become ill on a ship and we are aware that safety precautions are in order, but it doesn't need to be so extreme that it takes all the enjoyment out of the cruise. We have Sept. and Dec. cruises from Port Canaveral booked before we head to Europe next Spring and are still hoping all will go, even if these restrictions are enforced. We can only hope they ease up after a few months.

[sidari]

The CDC clearly Refuse to learn from others such as MSC who now have two ships sailing out of Italy, the Buffet has worked well on Grandiosa with staff adding items you ask for to your plate so no customers handling the food. Costa have resumed sailing from Savona this week with Costa Smeralda and I am waiting on a reply from someone on the sailing as to whether the Buffet is being used.

I now wonder if MSC will base their ships elsewhere in the Caribbean in order for them to keep the Buffet's open.

[dexddd]

So, just like the graduation announcement for our DD, the CDC is implying vaccine does not work or ignoring the vaccine.

Edited May 6, 2021 by dexddd

[MotownVoice]

Smart regulation of the biggest hot spot for the spread of disease on a cruise ship.  The buffet.

Start a conversation about whether you should be required to wash your hands before you can be allowed to enter a cruise buffet, and you'll quickly see why a large segment of the passenger population can't be trusted to act like responsible adults.

[KennyFla]

Are these restrictions for the vaccinated cruises, or the un-vaccinated cruises?

[MotownVoice]

8 minutes ago, KennyFla said:

Are these restrictions for the vaccinated cruises, or the un-vaccinated cruises?

Since when the industry is finally organized and up and running full again, and all cruises will entertain only passengers who have been vaccinated and can demonstrate it with a "Vaccination Passport"  ... there won't be any "un-vaccinated" cruises.

[Stevio]

3 hours ago, sidari said:

The CDC clearly Refuse to learn from others such as MSC who now have two ships sailing out of Italy, the Buffet has worked well on Grandiosa with staff adding items you ask for to your plate so no customers handling the food. Costa have resumed sailing from Savona this week with Costa Smeralda and I am waiting on a reply from someone on the sailing as to whether the Buffet is being used.

I now wonder if MSC will base their ships elsewhere in the Caribbean in order for them to keep the Buffet's open.

Surely the current MSC system of staff serving buffet food from behind the counter will precisely fit the new CDC requirement of no self serve buffets.

[sidari]

55 minutes ago, Stevio said:

Surely the current MSC system of staff serving buffet food from behind the counter will precisely fit the new CDC requirement of no self serve buffets.

Stevio ... You would hope so for sure, Costa have made their Buffet Restaurant service for the time being on the Smeralda which began sailing this week.

[sidari]

1 hour ago, MotownVoice said:

Since when the industry is finally organized and up and running full again, and all cruises will entertain only passengers who have been vaccinated and can demonstrate it with a "Vaccination Passport"  ... there won't be any "un-vaccinated" cruises.

Does the passport stop you passing on or getting the virus ? A true vaccine does both, clearly this stuff being dished out is nothing more than a Flu jab disguised as a covid jab..

[Jeremiah1212]

1 hour ago, KennyFla said:

Are these restrictions for the vaccinated cruises, or the un-vaccinated cruises?

 

There is no differentiation. There are simulated voyages and restricted passenger voyages.

Simulated voyages = test cruises 

Restricted passenger voyages = cruises with paying passengers operating under the CSO guidelines through (tentatively) Nov 1.

 

The guidelines listed in this document apply to both:

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/covid19-operations-manual-cso.html

 

You can choose to sail paid passenger cruises with 95%/98% passengers/crew vaccination and skip operating test/simulated cruises. OR you can opt to do test cruises, have your test cruises approved, then forego the 95%/98% vaccination guideline.

 

To be a 'volunteer' on a test cruise you have to be vaccinated or attest to the fact that you do not have a health condition that puts you at high risk for contracting COVID. 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Jeremiah1212

[KennyFla]

2 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

 

 

You can choose to sail paid passenger cruises with 95%/98% passengers/crew vaccination and skip operating test/simulated cruises. OR you can opt to do test cruises. To be a 'volunteer' on a test cruise you have to be vaccinated or attest to the fact that you do not have a health condition that puts you at high risk for contracting COVID. 

 

 

 

Yes.  Are the restrictions the same for the ships that decide to go the test cruise route, than for those that decide to go the vaccinated route.

 

Common sense says they should be different.  The fact that vaccinated cruises do not require test cruises affirms that.

[Jeremiah1212]

5 minutes ago, KennyFla said:

 

Yes.  Are the restrictions the same for the ships that decide to go the test cruise route, than for those that decide to go the vaccinated route.

 

Common sense says they should be different.  The fact that vaccinated cruises do not require test cruises affirms that.

 

They are not different. The bulleted requirements in the document I linked apply to any cruise until at least Nov 1. Aside from that, the separate mask mandate also applies. 

 

There are different requirements specific to Simulated (test) cruises that are listed here:

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

 

 

[KennyFla]

8 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

They are not different. The bulleted requirements in the document I linked apply to any cruise until at least Nov 1. Aside from that, the separate mask mandate also applies. 

 

There are different requirements specific to Simulated (test) cruises that are listed here:

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

 

 

 

I read through the link.  That is insane.  According to the CDC, there is absolutely no difference between a fully vaccinated cruise and one that is not.   What the hell did we get vaccinated for?

[Shippy]

   We have a cruise booked for Sept. & another for next March.

Both have a high vacancy rate.

  Especially for the September cruise where the current CDC regulations will probably apply...I am sure they are going to limit the number of passengers. That means that the ship will not seem crowded even with social distancing.

AND...

remember 95% of passengers must be vaccinated,. That will cut down on the number of families with children under 12.

[Jeremiah1212]

2 minutes ago, KennyFla said:

 

I read through the link.  That is insane.  According to the CDC, there is absolutely no difference between a fully vaccinated cruise and one that is not.   What the hell did we get vaccinated for?

 

It's really two separate issues. COVID protocols (masks, social distancing, limited capacity, etc. etc etc.) were not simply going to go away or be largely lifted no matter how you cut it. And I don't think Nov 1 is the magic date for that to happen either but that's another topic. 

 

However, the second issue, If you choose to forego having a highly vaccinated pax/crew mix, you have to prove your protocols work at mitigating the spread of COVID. 

 

I do think if a true 100% vaccinated pax/crew requirement was actually mandated things would look much different, but that approach is looking very unlikely. 

[KennyFla]

3 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

It's really two separate issues. COVID protocols (masks, social distancing, limited capacity, etc. etc etc.) were not simply going to go away or be largely lifted no matter how you cut it. And I don't think Nov 1 is the magic date for that to happen either but that's another topic. 

 

However, the second issue, If you choose to forego having a highly vaccinated pax/crew mix, you have to prove your protocols work at mitigating the spread of COVID. 

 

I really don't understand this philosophy by the CDC.   If everyone on board is vaccinated (or the vast majority), we should be cruising like it is 2019.

 

Ok, for the unvaccinated cruise, I can see the restrictions, which is what MSC is doing in Europe.

 

I would rather go on a vaccinated cruise with no restrictions.

 

Either the vaccine works or it doesn't.

 

[MotownVoice]

1 hour ago, sidari said:

Does the passport stop you passing on or getting the virus ? A true vaccine does both, clearly this stuff being dished out is nothing more than a Flu jab disguised as a covid jab..

I've stopped giving conspiracy theorist garbage like this any creedence.

 

[kilkoyne]

I just can't imaging walking around outside on the cruise deck wearing a mask. 

 

Now the dilemma, do I cancel my upcoming cruise and lose my deposit or "hope" the mask mandate is less restrictive in the Fall? 😟

[jules815]

18 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

One item that is puzzling to me:  The article states that there will be no self-serve buffets.  On the MSC, and other, ships that have been sailing since last summer, the buffet is open, but the food and drink items are served by crew as passengers request them, not unlike many of the Lido items on HAL ships and others.

There is a big difference between closing a buffet entirely, and allowing a crew member to plate the food.

Which is it?  I guess we'll find out when the time comes.

We'll be sticking with our Fall cruises, as long as they are still happening, regardless.  None of the restrictions will dampen the joy of being on a ship again.

I have a feeling it will be like HAL, or how it is currently on MSC ships in the med. Buffet will be open, but not self serve, which is fine with me. (I'd actually prefer if it could stay this way.)