WHEN DO YOU THINK CRUISES WILL HAVE NO RESTRICTIONS

[TriumphGuy]

49 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

While I agree with your sentiments, you may not be cruising for a while.

Yep. So be it. We're hoping for fall 2022 but even then...who knows. I just know we're not spending thousands of dollars on a cruise, only to have to wear a mask on a ship if everyone has been vaccinated. It just doesn't make sense.

[mcrcruiser]

35 minutes ago, TriumphGuy said:

Yep. So be it. We're hoping for fall 2022 but even then...who knows. I just know we're not spending thousands of dollars on a cruise, only to have to wear a mask on a ship if everyone has been vaccinated. It just doesn't make sense.

We agree totally .  In lieu of taking a cruise for over $5000    ,we would simply take a wonderful land  trip  where we could be mostly free of masks  . Yes it is very different type of vacation  but ,when freedoms come under pressure from government  for long periods of time &  not essential ,we rebel like all Americans 

[mcrcruiser]

5 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I agree that if everyone is vaccinated, wearing a mask maybe overkill.  I think a few factors come into play.  The lines, under current guidelines are allowed some non-vaccinated crew and passengers.  Second, rules tend to be rather sticky once implemented.I will say it could take years before cruising returns to pre-pandemic experience.

Kirk does the CDC rule of 95% pax & 98% crew being vaccinated make any sense ? imo NO  . Regardless ,of what cruise it mat be ,we would not be on a ship  that allows that percentage & then making us wear masks to accommodate that ruling   .It simply makes no common sense .

 

 Another issue is long use  of  masks & other restrictive rules  for cruises ,imo would severely damage the  future of the cruise industry  .Yes there are die hards who will cruise under any circumstances but ,in reality to spend a lot of money & be restricted in so many ways is no fun even to the point of box lunches ?

[iancal]

How long is a piece of string?

[mcrcruiser]

35 minutes ago, iancal said:

How long is a piece of string?

Long LOL

[mcrcruiser]

imo as long as the CDC is using their current  95% pax & 98% crew  vaccinated formula , the cruise industry is in limbo   .  What then do the cruise lines do is to make it mandatory for all people on any cruise ship to be fully vaccinated ;which will shorten the window back  to normal cruising 

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Kirk does the CDC rule of 95% pax & 98% crew being vaccinated make any sense ? imo NO  .

 

Not Kirk, but I am fairly sure that the CDC is doing this to avoid being challenged regarding not allowing access to those who are ACTUALLY unable to take the vaccines (I am not referring to those who "say" they are unable, without proof) -- such as those who are allergic to its ingredients, young children, or people with certain immune disorders (or taking certain medications).

 

The exceptions list is fairly small and will keep getting smaller over time as the vaccines roll out to children of all ages.

 

If we expect "herd immunity" to kick in at 80% vaccination/immunity range, I can accept a 95% to 98% required vaccination rate as being very close to 100%.

 

Edited to add:  One caveat, though, is whether the destination countries will allow it.

Edited May 12, 2021 by cruisemom42

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Like Kirk, I think the restrictions will be phased out over time. We aren’t likely to go from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye. Some things may be with us forever, maybe temperature checks on reboarding the ship, or wearing a mask on crowded tenders or proof of vaccination. With luck, the days of sitting in the Mainstage Theater while someone behind you openly coughs and sneezes down the back of your neck for an hour are gone forever. Time will tell.

[KirkNC]

5 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Kirk does the CDC rule of 95% pax & 98% crew being vaccinated make any sense ? imo NO  . Regardless ,of what cruise it mat be ,we would not be on a ship  that allows that percentage & then making us wear masks to accommodate that ruling   .It simply makes no common sense .

 

 Another issue is long use  of  masks & other restrictive rules  for cruises ,imo would severely damage the  future of the cruise industry  .Yes there are die hards who will cruise under any circumstances but ,in reality to spend a lot of money & be restricted in so many ways is no fun even to the point of box lunches ?

Not sure how or why CDC came up with the 98/95%.  Thats a high enough percentage for us IF they can state the cruise will not cancel if one or two cases develop.  Another cruise killer for us is mandatory ship shore excursions.  Masks are not a big deal to us.  As I said on an earlier post, we have talked about wiring masks in more crowded venues like the theater as on almost every long cruise we do, one or both of us will invariably catch the cruise crud upper respiratory crap.  If a mask can stop that, I will strap one on.  Other social distancing aspects, particularly surrounding meals will hopefully fad out quickly.  I also wonder if trivia is dead for a while.

[KirkNC]

30 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Like Kirk, I think the restrictions will be phased out over time. We aren’t likely to go from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye. Some things may be with us forever, maybe temperature checks on reboarding the ship, or wearing a mask on crowded tenders or proof of vaccination. With luck, the days of sitting in the Mainstage Theater while someone behind you openly coughs and sneezes down the back of your neck for an hour are gone forever. Time will tell.

Amen!

[KirkNC]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Not Kirk, but I am fairly sure that the CDC is doing this to avoid being challenged regarding not allowing access to those who are ACTUALLY unable to take the vaccines (I am not referring to those who "say" they are unable, without proof) -- such as those who are allergic to its ingredients, young children, or people with certain immune disorders (or taking certain medications).

 

The exceptions list is fairly small and will keep getting smaller over time as the vaccines roll out to children of all ages.

 

If we expect "herd immunity" to kick in at 80% vaccination/immunity range, I can accept a 95% to 98% required vaccination rate as being very close to 100%.

 

Edited to add:  One caveat, though, is whether the destination countries will allow it.

You may be right but on some lines (not HAL), children make up a lot more then 5%.  I don't know how young they will end up with a vaccine, seems like I heard they were testing it on 2-3 year olds.  Hopefully those with a legit reason will be required to provide a medical form attesting to such.  I know, they can be forged.....

[KirkNC]

6 hours ago, TriumphGuy said:

Yep. So be it. We're hoping for fall 2022 but even then...who knows. I just know we're not spending thousands of dollars on a cruise, only to have to wear a mask on a ship if everyone has been vaccinated. It just doesn't make sense.

I said some time ago that I think many, in their exuberance to get on a ship, overlooked the impact the covid protocols will have on the experience.  Now I think more are reflecting on that.  You obviously have already thought it through.

[kazu]

A recent post on the boards and the affiliated link show that CDC has relaxed some of the “rules” for cruisesHopefully HAL goes along.

 

Here is the link https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24986-cdc-lightens-up-on-cruise-mask-and-shore-ex-rules.html

[lazey1]

On 5/11/2021 at 10:48 AM, mcrcruiser said:

We are hoping that our Feb 2 ,2022 Hawaii cruise aboard Koningsdam will  have no restrictions

As of today Hawaii has not opened up for cruise ships, not even inter-island cruises. There has been no indication as to when the governor of Hawaii will open the state for cruises nor what restrictions if any will be applicable.  I am just hoping that my Nov 2021 Hawaii cruise will  happen, restrictions or not.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

41 minutes ago, kazu said:

A recent post on the boards and the affiliated link show that CDC has relaxed some of the “rules” for cruisesHopefully HAL goes along.

 

Here is the link https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24986-cdc-lightens-up-on-cruise-mask-and-shore-ex-rules.html

That’s good news! We all know that vaccination certificates can, and will, be forged. We also know that the ship can, and will, put a passenger caught with forged documents off at the next port to find their way home at their own expense. After all, most cards have enough info on them to be traceable.

Edited May 12, 2021 by Horizon chaser 1957

[CruiserBruce]

51 minutes ago, lazey1 said:

As of today Hawaii has not opened up for cruise ships, not even inter-island cruises. There has been no indication as to when the governor of Hawaii will open the state for cruises nor what restrictions if any will be applicable.  I am just hoping that my Nov 2021 Hawaii cruise will  happen, restrictions or not.

Actually,  the last comment the Governor made on the topic was "later this year"...I took the comments to indicate no sooner than October.  But things are changing rapidly. 

[mcrcruiser]

2 hours ago, KirkNC said:

Not sure how or why CDC came up with the 98/95%.  Thats a high enough percentage for us IF they can state the cruise will not cancel if one or two cases develop.  Another cruise killer for us is mandatory ship shore excursions.  Masks are not a big deal to us.  As I said on an earlier post, we have talked about wiring masks in more crowded venues like the theater as on almost every long cruise we do, one or both of us will invariably catch the cruise crud upper respiratory crap.  If a mask can stop that, I will strap one on.  Other social distancing aspects, particularly surrounding meals will hopefully fad out quickly.  I also wonder if trivia is dead for a while.

Kirk I have had many bouts  respiratory illness ,to where i needed inhalation treatments in the  ships  infirmary . Then I learned about  Air Tamers that pilots use to  kill airborne virus from entering their nose of throat .  The devise is electronic in nature & rechargeable  using s USB cord .  Can get 5 to 7 days on one charge . The company is out of Texas. They are the USA distributor   .We have 3 of these devices .They cost $150 each . Ever since I wear this Air Tamer around my neck I have bot once come down with any Respiratory illness  .It really works & I thank my friend telling me about them  .So this os another reason for us not to be wearing masks  .

 Also ,working out in a gym with masks makes it harder to breathe

[mcrcruiser]

2 hours ago, kazu said:

A recent post on the boards and the affiliated link show that CDC has relaxed some of the “rules” for cruisesHopefully HAL goes along.

 

Here is the link https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24986-cdc-lightens-up-on-cruise-mask-and-shore-ex-rules.html

Glad to see  the CDC loosing up some of the restrictions  . We are very hopeful   that 2022 cruises will have few if any restrictions as long as every one is vaccinated  . We also must consider how long these vaccines  protect us  . Thus ,the question begs do we need a booster shot & when ,so that we stay compliant to cruise?

[KirkNC]

37 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Kirk I have had many bouts  respiratory illness ,to where i needed inhalation treatments in the  ships  infirmary . Then I learned about  Air Tamers that pilots use to  kill airborne virus from entering their nose of throat .  The devise is electronic in nature & rechargeable  using s USB cord .  Can get 5 to 7 days on one charge . The company is out of Texas. They are the USA distributor   .We have 3 of these devices .They cost $150 each . Ever since I wear this Air Tamer around my neck I have bot once come down with any Respiratory illness  .It really works & I thank my friend telling me about them  .So this os another reason for us not to be wearing masks  .

 Also ,working out in a gym with masks makes it harder to breathe

Interesting, I will check out the Air Tamer, thanks.

[sansterre]

Elevators - they are my only concern.

Someone mentioned limits for people in them.  Hotels generally ask that there be no more than two people in an elevator.  More people permitted only if all one family or traveling together.

For several reasons I really struggle with stairs.  And, on a cruise, getting an elevator is always a problem after boat drills.  Not only then, but elevators are often crowded at dinnertime and when going ashore or returning from port visits.  To make matters worse, one of every 4 elevators is often out of service for a few days, or longer.

My hope is that all elevators will work on future cruises and extra parts will be available for repairs in case of any breakdowns.   

[cscurlock]

I think all of the restrictions will be gone by winter with the exception of requiring vaccinations.  Requiring vaccinations will probably be the norm for a few years.  The only thing that would change that would be a mutation of the virus.

[ontheweb]

15 hours ago, KirkNC said:

You may be right but on some lines (not HAL), children make up a lot more then 5%.  I don't know how young they will end up with a vaccine, seems like I heard they were testing it on 2-3 year olds.  Hopefully those with a legit reason will be required to provide a medical form attesting to such.  I know, they can be forged.....

I believe I heard on the news that there have been infants as young as 6 months old in vaccine clinical trials.

[mcrcruiser]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I believe I heard on the news that there have been infants as young as 6 months old in vaccine clinical trials.

That would be news . However ,who would submit their baby to such trails ?

[ontheweb]

12 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

That would be news . However ,who would submit their baby to such trails ?

Here, I am not making up that clinical trials have been started by Pfizer for children as young as 6 months.

 

Covid vaccine: Pfizer begins trial on infants and young kids (cnbc.com)

[ontheweb]

14 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

That would be news . However ,who would submit their baby to such trails ?

And here's the answer to your specific question about what parents would submit their young children to these tests.

 

COVID vaccines and kids: five questions as trials begin (nature.com)