New CDC Guidance 5/26, significant changes for masks and dining

[jrapps]

For those thinking that these changes will be abused by the unvaccinated, I don't think that will happen.

 

Nowhere does it say unvaccinated can walk around without a mask on anything other than a 95% cruise. In fact the only place that even mentions that is with regards to outdoors.

 

This is the line that's important:

"Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may designate areas only accessible to fully vaccinated passengers and crew where masks and physical distancing are not required"

 

Areas only accessible.

 

They would have to have wristbands, or have your vax status on your card somehow to do that. Or maybe a separate dining or show time for vax vs non vaxed.

 

I don't see this as a blanket ability for vaccinated to walk around without masks on a mixed cruise.

[cruiserking]

13 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

is any testing required before/after/during a cruise?

If you're vaccinated, No. 

 

Jonathan

[A&L_Ont]

Sounds very promising.  Let’s get these trial cruises going and more ships as available up and running. Fingers crossed there are no hiccups along the way and maybe I’ll be booking a January 2021 cruise later this year. 🙂

[Tree_skier]

56 minutes ago, Marygracie C. said:

what percent of vaccine is RCL stating for their ship passengers and crew?

The Alaska cruises are 95%

[Tree_skier]

11 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Sounds very promising.  Let’s get these trial cruises going and more ships as available up and running. Fingers crossed there are no hiccups along the way and maybe I’ll be booking a January 2021 cruise later this year. 🙂

What's your guess on the border?

[Jeremiah1212]

15 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

Here’s an article about it that a lot of people seem to be quoting…

 

https://*****.com/CDC-Cruise-Article

 

They really flubbed that article big time.

 

These changes only apply to cruises meeting the 95% vaccinated threshold. 

[dswallow]

1 hour ago, lovrccl said:

Good question as I read that RC won't be able to do 95 percent of vaccinated guests because of kids. 

 

Well, if they keep to the 95% they apparently can choose to just do away such requirements. But if they go below, they could do something like separate based on age groups, requiring everyone who can be vaccinated to be vaccinated. Then they'd simply need to do things like require small kids wear masks at the buffet area, and things such as that. Much easier to police that than when you have a mix of adults where some are supposed to wear a mask and others don't have to wear one.

[dswallow]

The source material: COVID-19 Operations Manual for Simulated and Restricted Voyages under the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order | Quarantine | CDC

 

[jrapps]

Just now, dswallow said:

 

Well, if they keep to the 95% they apparently can choose to just do away such requirements. But if they go below, they could do something like separate based on age groups, requiring everyone who can be vaccinated to be vaccinated. Then they'd simply need to do things like require small kids wear masks at the buffet area, and things such as that. Much easier to police that than when you have a mix of adults where some are supposed to wear a mask and others don't have to wear one.

My guess is they will start WITHOUT the 95%, but with vaccines required for 16/12+ (doing test cruises to get started) this way, as you said they can try to ease a few of the mask rules but having to still keep to most of the restrictions. I give that 2, maybe 3 months at most. As soon as the vaccine becomes available to ages 5+, they will shift the requirement to that age, and also make the cruise 95% vaccine, and all restrictions will be gone.

[coldflame]

The way this all reads now is that it's all up to the cruise lines. There are now recommendations, not requirements -- including vaccinated/unvaccinated experience differences.

[harkinmr]

4 minutes ago, coldflame said:

The way this all reads now is that it's all up to the cruise lines. There are now recommendations, not requirements -- including vaccinated/unvaccinated experience differences.

Well, they are at the discretion of the cruise lines for vaccinated passengers only.  There is no discretion (masking/social distancing) when it comes to unvaccinated passengers, unless they are going with 95% fully vaccinated sailings.  It will be different protocols for vaccinated/unvaccinated cruisers and that will be hard to manage.

Edited May 27, 2021 by harkinmr

[taglovestocruise]

Fake cards are becoming a booming business. Two weeks ago.. May not be perfect but good enough to hit 95%+

A California bar owner has been arrested for allegedly selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in what's believed to be the first thwarted scheme of its kind.

Undercover agents with the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control bought the bogus cards for $20 each during multiple visits to the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, a small town in San Joaquin County.

The agents were told to write their names and birth dates on sticky notes and watched as employees cut the cards, added phony vaccination dates and laminated them, the Associated Press reported.

"On the back where they put the two dates when you were vaccinated, they used two different color pens to make it look like it was two different times," supervising agent Luke Blehm told the AP. "So they went to some effort to make it look authentic."

[coldflame]

18 minutes ago, harkinmr said:

Well, they are at the discretion of the cruise lines for vaccinated passengers only.  There is no discretion (masking/social distancing) when it comes to unvaccinated passengers, unless they are going with 95% fully vaccinated sailings.  It will be different protocols for vaccinated/unvaccinated cruisers and that will be hard to manage.

 

IMO it will be too expensive and unpredictable if they go vaccinated cruise vs partially vaccinated cruises. So JMO, they're going to try to get as close to 95% as possible on every trip, and then just have same rules for everyone.

[BOOKBOOKBOOK]

Just now, taglovestocruise said:

Fake cards are becoming a booming business. Two weeks ago.. May not be perfect but good enough to hit 95%+

A California bar owner has been arrested for allegedly selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in what's believed to be the first thwarted scheme of its kind.

Undercover agents with the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control bought the bogus cards for $20 each during multiple visits to the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, a small town in San Joaquin County.

The agents were told to write their names and birth dates on sticky notes and watched as employees cut the cards, added phony vaccination dates and laminated them, the Associated Press reported.

"On the back where they put the two dates when you were vaccinated, they used two different color pens to make it look like it was two different times," supervising agent Luke Blehm told the AP. "So they went to some effort to make it look authentic."

 

Is this sarcasm? Hard to tell tone over the Internet.

 

In any case, fake cards are far from being a booming business when anyone with a printer can fake them cosmetically (no need to pay someone to do it).

[BecciBoo]

Lovrccl's post says it all: 

The new guidance sets up a scenario that gives even more incentive for cruise passengers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, even if the ship itself doesn't have a requirement.

 

Who of the unvaccinated would want to even cruise with those restrictions, we've read about their refusal to cruise with masks for months.  Guess they won't be going or will give in to Vaccine.  Doesn't matter to us, we can't get it and can't give it either.

 

Right now we are having issues with one of the couples we're cruising with in September, she is quite reluctant to get vaccinated. 40 something.  We'd sure hate to miss them but whataryagonnado.

Edited May 27, 2021 by BecciBoo

[Jeremiah1212]

27 minutes ago, coldflame said:

The way this all reads now is that it's all up to the cruise lines. There are now recommendations, not requirements -- including vaccinated/unvaccinated experience differences.

 

Ehhh not really. They have two paths. If they committed to 95% vaccinated guests, many of the requirements are now recommendations. If you go the test cruise route and do not commit to the 95%, the vast majority of those requirements still hold and they have to be met.

 

I'm not the CFO, but I think they are taking a big risk on several fronts by not meeting the 95% number so they can allow kids on board until November. Which is after school has started. Mostly in the Caribbean. During hurricane season.

[BecciBoo]

6 minutes ago, BOOKBOOKBOOK said:

 

Is this sarcasm? Hard to tell tone over the Internet.

 

In any case, fake cards are far from being a booming business when anyone with a printer can fake them cosmetically (no need to pay someone to do it).

The key here is ....they were caught!  I don't think it will be easy to fake these with the tracking system of the administration sites.

[jrapps]

1 minute ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Ehhh not really. They have two paths. If they committed to 95% vaccinated guests, many of the requirements are now recommendations. If you go the test cruise route and do not commit to the 95%, the vast majority of those requirements still hold and they have to be met.

 

I'm not the CFO, but I think they are taking a big risk on several fronts by not meeting the 95% number so they can allow kids on board until November. Which is after school has started. Mostly in the Caribbean. During hurricane season.

Exactly. If there are 94% vaccinated people onboard, they still need to comply with all CDC rules. Masks, social distancing, etc. 

 

By November, not only will there be less kids, the vaccines will also be available for 5+ (or 6+)

[BecciBoo]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

Sounds very promising.  Let’s get these trial cruises going and more ships as available up and running. Fingers crossed there are no hiccups along the way and maybe I’ll be booking a January 2021 cruise later this year. 🙂

oops don't you mean January 2022...2021 has come and gone! 😁

[luckyinpa]

1 hour ago, harkinmr said:

Vaccinated cruisers no.  Unvaccinated yes.

 

Testing of Embarking and Disembarking Passengers for Restricted Voyages

Screening Testing of All Embarking and Disembarking Passengers for Restricted Voyages

	Not Fully Vaccinated Passengers	Fully Vaccinated Passengers
Embarkation Day Testing	Viral (NAAT or antigen)	Not Applicable*
Disembarkation Testing ^	Viral (NAAT or antigen)	Not Applicable
Back-to-Back Sailing¥ Testing	Viral (NAAT or antigen)	Not Applicable

* While embarkation testing is not required, international travelers arriving in the U.S. are recommended to be tested 3-5 days after arrival, including those who are fully vaccinated. Cruise operators may follow this recommendation at their discretion.

^ Disembarkation testing is only required for voyages of more than 4 nights.

 

thats great, i could have lived with any other restrictions (probably) but i really dont want anything up my nose. since no testing, no mask, i can do my own excursions ,i'm in...once the first few cruises go and come back safely. no way would i be a guinea pig

[BecciBoo]

I wonder if they'll make a way to enter your card information early like they did with your photos, so they could begin checking them with tracking way before check in at port.

[RFerrington]

1 hour ago, Heymarco said:

Here’s an article about it that a lot of people seem to be quoting…

 

https://*****.com/CDC-Cruise-Article

Nice work-around on that link.

[BecciBoo]

I think I found the answer in my cruise planner:

Check in with the Royal app

Within 90 days of your sail date, plus the chance to participate in our Expedited Arrival boarding trial at the port.

 

I can do that when we pay in full on the 14th.  If anybody on sooner sailings does this I would appreciate a post...

[suzyluvs2cruise]

2 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Had a good feeling things would get back to near normal quickly.  Went to the Bacchanal buffet at Caesars last week. Pretty much back to normal, every body sharing tongs and utensils, a few items served on small plates.  Here in CA we are slated to drop all protocols on June 15. happy cruising

 

I find it very interesting that the June 15 date was announced weeks ago. As a CA resident I'm happy this will happen but the county I live in has not moved to the least restrictive tier yet. 

[A&L_Ont]

28 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

oops don't you mean January 2022...2021 has come and gone! 😁

LOL, yup. Certainly not going back in time to live through these past few months.