Royal Caribbean reverses, won’t require passengers on U.S. cruises to be vaccinated

[read2learn]

1 hour ago, RCIGUY said:

Too bad you caved to Desantis. Looks like no cruising in the immediate future for us!

I will go on my Bahamas cruise this summer but after that I am back to Celebrity or Azamara. To thank that attention getting gov. disgusts me. This quote from Michael Bayley  “We also thank Governor DeSantis of Florida, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Broward County Mayor Steve Geller and Chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority board Wayne Justice and board commissioners for their steadfast support of our industry and for providing access to vaccines to the thousands of crew on our ships off the eastern seaboard. " 😡

[Goodtime Cruizin]

3 minutes ago, cured said:

They had an official position last month where their website clearly said that all cruises originating from the US and the Bahamas would require everyone 16 and up would be required to be vaccinated and after August 1, all passengers 12 and up would need to be vaccinated. It was published, announced, and they were selling cruises under those guidelines.

 

They have now changed the requirements to cruise.

 

Nothing says they can't change it again.

 

They never said this for US ports. 

[cured]

15 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I dont remember them saying one way or another. I got vaccinated and feel safe cruising. If they said vaccinated I missed it. I've seen people show some port that requires it and claim it would apply to the usa. Never once heard one way or another. 

 

If you have a link showing rcl said vaccinated for usa then ok but I'd want to see it in writing. 

 

 

It was on their FAQ page under Do I need a vaccine to cruise. It was also published on the Healthy Sail page.  They changed the FAQ page last week to only include sailings from the Bahamas and Seattle.  If you look at the myriad of covid threads, the pages were screen shot and posted ad nauseum when it first came out.

 

This was their FAQ page on May 21. The same information was on the website on their Healthy Sail page.

 

𝗤 𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗-𝟭𝟵 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲?

A For Cruises Departing from the U.S. or The Bahamas

For sailings departing on or before August 1, all Royal Caribbean guests age 16 and older must complete all doses of their COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before their sailing. For sailings departing after August 1, the age requirement for vaccination will change from 16 to 12 years of age.

Guests under the age of this requirement don’t need to be vaccinated and will receive a SARS-Cov-2 test before boarding. If a guest younger than the age requirement happens to be fully vaccinated, they should bring their original vaccination record card to board, will not require a test, and should follow all vaccinated guest protocols throughout their vacation.

All guests must present proof of vaccination as well as all required travel documents upon arrival at the ship. Acceptable proof of vaccination must be in the form of the original vaccination record document issued by the country’s health authority or healthcare provider that administered the vaccination (e.g., U.S. CDC's Vaccination Record Card). The vaccination record submitted must show that the guest is fully vaccinated. This means that the guest has completed the full cycle of required doses for the vaccine administered (e.g., received the second dose in a two-dose series) and that the guest has received the final dose at least 14 days before arriving in The Bahamas or at their cruise departure terminal in the U.S.

[xpcdoojk]

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

If everyone cancels who says they will cancel, might be some bargains on rcl. I was thinking keep a eye out for last minute deals. Agree either way either families disappointed or the adults who wanted vaccinated only and to heck with the kids. Both sides werent getting their way. 95% set by cdc wasnt going to fly. Bring on the deals.

Bingo....  as a vaccinated person, I do not understand why those who are also vaccinated are concerned.  We are told we are 99.99% safe (or some such other made up number) and even if we get Covid after being vaccinated it will be just like we caught a super mild cold, no worries.  Right?????  😂

 

So, the danger should only be for those unvaccinated people, and yet I am seeing fully vaccinated people telling me they are going to cancel their sailing.  

 

I am trusting what I am told by the super heroes that are saying if we are vaccinated we can go places without masks and we can get together with our family for the first time since February 2020.  I am so happy. 

 

Why O Why aren’t they?😇🤣

 

On a serious note...  I think Covid19 is scary as heck, but if people get covid on a cruise it will not be like February/March of 2020.  We know what it is, and some will die, but 98.5 to 99.5% won’t.  No port is going to make the people stay on the ship.  That is like being afraid of the Vikings because once upon a time they raped and pillaged the shores of Ireland/Scotland/Wales and England.  It is no longer a shock if someone gets Covid 19.  We know how to deal with it.  We don’t know how to cure it, but....  

[cured]

3 minutes ago, Goodtime Cruizin said:

 

They never said this for US ports. 

Oh yes they did. It was on both their FAQ page and their Healthy Sail page. It clearly said from US ports and the Bahamas. The pages are screen shot all over the threads here and in various facebook groups.  

[xpcdoojk]

2 hours ago, M8VER3 said:

I said I was going to avoid these Covid threads. Shame on me. 
 

We are both vaccinated. We don’t want to wear a mask. We are ready to sail no matter what Royal chooses to do. 

Yes sir.  Sir!  We will sail with you, especially if it is the Allure December 11, 2021.  Since, I already have it booked!😉

[ReneeFLL]

22 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I dont remember them saying one way or another. I got vaccinated and feel safe cruising. If they said vaccinated I missed it. I've seen people show some port that requires it and claim it would apply to the usa. Never once heard one way or another. 

 

If you have a link showing rcl said vaccinated for usa then ok but I'd want to see it in writing. 

 

 

A lot of the cruises were booked before covid was even a thing. Also, Royal did say it, but I’m not going to bother to look for a link. For you to say someone should have booked with another line is, well, never mind. 🙄

[Goodtime Cruizin]

1 minute ago, cured said:

Oh yes they did. It was on both their FAQ page and their Healthy Sail page. It clearly said from US ports and the Bahamas. The pages are screen shot all over the threads here and in various facebook groups.  

 

Seattle. But whatever. Go to Celebrity,  the Bahamas, or Alaska. See ya! 

[newcruzer2]

2 hours ago, kearney said:

my issues with this are less about vaccinated and non vaccinated... it is about what protocols will be in place.... I liked the idea of a totally or almost totally vaccinated cruise... because.. I don't want to have DH and his scooter stand in line for 30 minutes while 4 people at a time get in the elevator... or having to sit at a Diamond club event wearing a mask because they have no idea who is and who is not vaccinated.  If you are vaccinated you shouldn't be concerned about being on a ship with non vaccinated. Instead the non-vaccinated should be concerned about being on a ship with a bunch of other non-vaccinated.... I just don't want to go back to social distancing and masking if I don't have to.. Today I can go to a restaurant maskless or Costco... I want the same freedom on a ship...

Perfectly said 

[broberts]

1 minute ago, xpcdoojk said:

Bingo....  as a vaccinated person, I do not understand why those who are also vaccinated are concerned.  We are told we are 99.99% safe (or some such other made up number) and even if we get Covid after being vaccinated it will be just like we caught a super mild cold, no worries.  Right?????  😂

 

So, the danger should only be for those unvaccinated people, and yet I am seeing fully vaccinated people telling me they are going to cancel their sailing.  

 

I am trusting what I am told by the super heroes that are saying if we are vaccinated we can go places without masks and we can get together with our family for the first time since February 2020.  I am so happy. 

 

Why O Why aren’t they?😇🤣

 

On a serious note...  I think Covid19 is scary as heck, but if people get covid on a cruise it will not be like February/March of 2020.  We know what it is, and some will die, but 98.5 to 99.5% won’t.  No port is going to make the people stay on the ship.  That is like being afraid of the Vikings because once upon a time they raped and pillaged the shores of Ireland/Scotland/Wales and England.  It is no longer a shock if someone gets Covid 19.  We know how to deal with it.  We don’t know how to cure it, but....  

 

We were never told that the vaccinated were 99.9% safe.

 

We were never told that breakthrough infections were no worse than a super mild cold.

 

Are the vaccinated not allowed to decide who they cruise with?

[ReneeFLL]

23 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

And the cdc had nothing to do with it and the whole 95/98 policy? Ok. Blame whomever you want. I think the cdc had a hand in it. Probably both are to blame. Not just one. Who cares, as whatever the policy is, that's what we deal with going forward. Well goodnight. I'll let people point fingers if it makes them feel better. I am ready to cruise. Just tell us the protocols already. End the suspense. 

 

But I'm sure there are probably some testing and other protocols from what I've read. This isnt a black and white thing. Like get tested if not vaccinated...the article hinted more to come. 

The CDC had nothing to do with DeSantis saying Royal couldn’t require proof of vaccines which is what we were talking about. I think the 95/98 policy was a good one and it’s the totally opposite of what DeSantis is doing. Two completely different things.

 

Funny you say you will let people point fingers when you are wanting to point fingers at someone who had nothing to do with what DeSantis did. I think you are just wanting to blame the CDC regardless. 

Edited June 5, 2021 by ReneeFLL

[xpcdoojk]

1 hour ago, 3kidsncats said:

I booked a cruise that clearly required all adult passengers to be vaccinated and therefore the risk was acceptably low — at this point, we don’t know if that will still be the case.  If the cruise had been sold as vaccine optional, we would NOT have booked it.

Cancel, you will get your money back.  As so many have said before it is just a vacation, you can take one next year or wait until covid is completely gone and you kids have given you grand babies.  Win Win!

[cured]

16 minutes ago, Goodtime Cruizin said:

 

Seattle. But whatever. Go to Celebrity,  the Bahamas, or Alaska. See ya! 

It was changed to Seattle on May 24th. Previous to that it said US Ports. You can easily find the screen shots. Even the Miami Herald article in the original post of this thread mentions that they changed it to Seattle on May 24th.

 

It took me less than 5 minutes to find a screen shot of the FAQ page before May 24th. Note that it indeed says the US and not just limited to Seattle

Edited June 5, 2021 by cured

[D C]

7 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

 

On a serious note...  I think Covid19 is scary as heck, but if people get covid on a cruise it will not be like February/March of 2020.  We know what it is, and some will die, but 98.5 to 99.5% won’t.  No port is going to make the people stay on the ship.  That is like being afraid of the Vikings because once upon a time they raped and pillaged the shores of Ireland/Scotland/Wales and England.  It is no longer a shock if someone gets Covid 19.  We know how to deal with it.  We don’t know how to cure it, but....  

What do you think will happen on a cruise ship with a less than stellar vaccination rate if there's an outbreak onboard?  Do you honestly think that the cruise will continue and that ports will welcome everyone with open arms? 

 

No, the cruise is ruined for everyone. The ship turns back. You might sit at sea for a while as they sort out who is/isn't vaccinated, test everyone just to be sure, etc...   

 

Then the cruise after that one is probably ruined as well. 

 

That's all aside from the diminished "masks required" experience. 

[xpcdoojk]

2 minutes ago, D C said:

What do you think will happen on a cruise ship with a less than stellar vaccination rate if there's an outbreak onboard?  Do you honestly think that the cruise will continue and that ports will welcome everyone with open arms? 

 

No, the cruise is ruined for everyone. The ship turns back. You might sit at sea for a while as they sort out who is/isn't vaccinated, test everyone just to be sure, etc...   

 

Then the cruise after that one is probably ruined as well. 

 

That's all aside from the diminished "masks required" experience. 

Have you heard of hurricanes, much the same, the cruise you book to Bermuda becomes a cruise to Canada or a return to port.  

[Iamcruzin]

Wondering where all of those who claimed they wanted to be on the first ship out before the vaccine was even approved are?

We are not any further along with or without the vaccine. Actually with all of the confusion I think we are even further behind.  But hay, keep doing those lift and shifts and taking those FCCs at 125% as the cruise lines continue to cancel.  I think we will see space travel vacations before a ship sets sail from the US.

Edited June 5, 2021 by Iamcruzin

[Iamcruzin]

4 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Have you heard of hurricanes, much the same, the cruise you book to Bermuda becomes a cruise to Canada .

Not this year.

Edited June 5, 2021 by Iamcruzin

[D C]

4 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Have you heard of hurricanes, much the same, the cruise you book to Bermuda becomes a cruise to Canada or a return to port.  

Surely you're not equating an act of nature like a hurricane to a 100% preventative situation. 🙄

[xpcdoojk]

1 minute ago, D C said:

Surely you're not equating an act of nature like a hurricane to a 100% preventative situation. 🙄

Actually, they are both nature, virus and hurricane both can ruin your day/life if given the chance.  Nice eye roll... my wife sticks her finger in my ear when I do that.  

[D C]

1 minute ago, xpcdoojk said:

Actually, they are both nature, virus and hurricane both can ruin your day/life if given the chance.  Nice eye roll... my wife sticks her finger in my ear when I do that.  

Which of these is preventable with resources we have at our disposal right now? 

A) A ruined cruise because of a covid outbreak on a ship

B) A ruined cruise because a hurricane happens to be arriving at your scheduled port at the same time as your itinerary shows you arriving? 

 

Clearly you recognise the immense difference between the two, but I suspect you'll continue to refuse to acknowledge that A is quite different than B. 

[3kidsncats]

22 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Cancel, you will get your money back.  As so many have said before it is just a vacation, you can take one next year or wait until covid is completely gone and you kids have given you grand babies.  Win Win!

Thank you for the encouraging comment 🙂. They are still requiring vaccines, as promised, on our sailing so we are good to go. We have an NCL cruise with the whole family and a bunch of friends in December— and happily everyone in the group of roughly 20 people is vaccinated.  My oldest and her fiancé just bought a house in Marin (Napa wine country area) so we are told kids are going to be a while, lol.  But they are only 25/26, so there is plenty of time.

[ReneeFLL]

21 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Have you heard of hurricanes, much the same, the cruise you book to Bermuda becomes a cruise to Canada or a return to port.  

When there’s a hurricane they normally change the ports. Big difference in changing ports over being returned early and the rest cancelled.

[Russ Lomas]

1 hour ago, jptoz said:

If you look at the cancelation, they coincide, in the northeast, cruises are canceled till Sept. In Florida  most ships canceled till mid Aug. Don't know for sure, but I thought that's when school started back up for kids in the southern U.S. states.

I cannot speak for kids in the southern US states.  All I know is that there are a fair number of states  and provinces where school does not resume until September (we also are in schools until the end of June).

 

1 hour ago, cured said:

How are they going to distribute the correct color of tracelet if they are not allowed to ask for vaccination status while in port?  Are they going to call everyone to the theater in the evening once the ship is in international waters to show their proof of vaccination?

I have no clue of the actual wording of the Governor's law.  I am wondering if the cruise line can request that you upload a copy of proof of vaccination prior to cruising if you wish to - totally voluntary.  This would mean you would not have to do so when on the ship.  I am sure you will say that they cannot, but I am sure a lawyer would be happy to argue either side of that argument.

 

1 hour ago, cscurlock said:

The way the law is written they don't care if you present it voluntarily.  As far as they are concerned the cruise line asked and they will charge the cruise line $5000 since its a requirement to board.  But I don't think they have the authority so by end of this month we will see what a judge will say once the first ship comes back.

But if they ask, it would not be a requirement.  Passengers without vaccinations could still cruise, there would just be some restrictions placed upon those individuals that are not placed on vaccinated individuals.  Still another month for them to try to figure all the details out, and I am sure there will be many more changes before the first cruise sails from the US.

[3kidsncats]

39 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Bingo....  as a vaccinated person, I do not understand why those who are also vaccinated are concerned.  We are told we are 99.99% safe (or some such other made up number) and even if we get Covid after being vaccinated it will be just like we caught a super mild cold, no worries.  Right?????  😂

 

So, the danger should only be for those unvaccinated people, and yet I am seeing fully vaccinated people telling me they are going to cancel their sailing.  

 

I am trusting what I am told by the super heroes that are saying if we are vaccinated we can go places without masks and we can get together with our family for the first time since February 2020.  I am so happy. 

 

Why O Why aren’t they?😇🤣

 

On a serious note...  I think Covid19 is scary as heck, but if people get covid on a cruise it will not be like February/March of 2020.  We know what it is, and some will die, but 98.5 to 99.5% won’t.  No port is going to make the people stay on the ship.  That is like being afraid of the Vikings because once upon a time they raped and pillaged the shores of Ireland/Scotland/Wales and England.  It is no longer a shock if someone gets Covid 19.  We know how to deal with it.  We don’t know how to cure it, but....  

if you read through the whole thread, you will see that catching Covid is actually not the concern regarding whether or not vaccines are required.  Surprisingly, that sentence seems to work for both sides, but I’m specifically referring to why vaccinated people care 🙂

[shellster1]

1 hour ago, read2learn said:

I will go on my Bahamas cruise this summer but after that I am back to Celebrity or Azamara. To thank that attention getting gov. disgusts me. This quote from Michael Bayley  “We also thank Governor DeSantis of Florida, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Broward County Mayor Steve Geller and Chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority board Wayne Justice and board commissioners for their steadfast support of our industry and for providing access to vaccines to the thousands of crew on our ships off the eastern seaboard. " 😡

You nailed it. That was the first thing that just enraged me. I'm booked out of Nassau as well, and if my (vaccinated) son wasn't so excited, I'd cancel and just do a land vacation. Here I thought RCI was willing to protect their guests and stand up to him. What a joke.