Royal reverses policy on proof of vaccination. Will Celebrity follow suit?

[elaineb]

1 hour ago, keels81 said:

In this video from Richard Fain, it sounds like Celebrity is keeping the vaccination requirement at at least 95 percent, and that Royal Caribbean is looking into ways to make it cost-prohibitive for unvaccinated adults to cruise (ie. having to pay for the expense of testing, etc.). 

 

 

Keels - thank you for sharing this!  It makes me feel more optimistic we will be cruising safely in November.

[NantahalaCruiser]

1 hour ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

I'm not so sure about that...it sure sounds like he is trying to find a way to meet the 95% rule for Celebrity sailings while still satisfying the "no vaccine passport" Florida law.

 

I think making it cost prohibitive for unvaccinated cruisers would discourage them from booking Celebrity, while he can still say he is not requiring vaccination documentation, just that passengers can choose to show their vaccination cards to avoid paying for tests.

Why even bother with the testing.  Just price the cruise for those unwilling to show proof of vaccination at $10,000 per person per day for an inside cabin (even higher for other categories) and regular fares for those willing to show proof of vaccination.  That should pretty much get them to over 95% vaccinated.

[Auntiemomo]

2 minutes ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

Why even bother with the testing.  Just price the cruise for those unwilling to show proof of vaccination at $10,000 per person per day for an inside cabin (even higher for other categories) and regular fares for those willing to show proof of vaccination.  That should pretty much get them to over 95% vaccinated.

Yeah, do you think that will work?  

[ItsADryHumor]

39 minutes ago, Auntiemomo said:

Yeah, do you think that will work?  

I mean, that’s how free markets work. Spots are limited. Similar to car dealerships currently charging above MSRP due to an inventory shortage. 

[keels81]

1 hour ago, elaineb said:

Keels - thank you for sharing this!  It makes me feel more optimistic we will be cruising safely in November.

You're welcome! I always appreciate hearing directly from the voices that are in the rooms behind closed doors making the decision, even though the speculation can be a little fun. I do appreciate them taking the time to be transparent and knowing that it all IS confusing -- not just to us, but to them as well.

 

I feel like my July Edge sailing is 60-40 at this point, my August in Alaska is almost 100 and my October Mardi Gras sailing is also looking pretty good at this point.

[graphicguy]

Saw the video, too.  Not going to dissect it word for word.  The points that jumped out at me….

 

-Everyone wants cruising to start…passengers, cruise lines, Federal Gov’t, State Gov’ts, Minicipal Gov’ts.

 

-Passenger safely is extremely important.  As such, the way forward is with the COVID Vaccine(s).  Those who aren’t vaccinated will pay more (in the form of more testing).  And, unvaccinated passengers will be more restricted while on board.  He understands some will not be vaccinated, but he feels the vast majority of their Passengers want to sail with the CIVID Vaccine requirement and that all Royal brands should be able to hit the 95% vaccinated rate, or more.

 

-They will sail with a passenger experience which will meet, and hopefully exceed, the experience had before the COVID shutdown.

 

-He expects cooperation between the cruise lines and Gov’t entities with the same goals of sailing safely.

 

-There will be changes.

 

Personal opinion (we know what that’s worth)…I gave Royal grief for flip-flopping and being wushu-washy on their protocols.  Now, it makes more sense.  They want passengers vaccinated and will discourage those who are unvaccinated by having extra charges for more testing on board as well as more restrictive experience.  Do I agree with that?  Not necessarily, but that’s one way of controlling the demand for their cruises by those who aren’t vaccinated.

[shiphound]

On 6/5/2021 at 9:19 PM, voyager90265 said:

Royal has reversed itself and will no longer require proof of vaccination for sailings out of Florida. If Celebrity does the same are you comfortable sailing?  

no

[lovetravel63-65]

Instead of posting on this site write to chief executive  and say you will not cruise if vaccinations not compulsory and vote with your feet.We will not cruise if unvaccinated are allowed we have 6 more cruises booked with them why should the minority put the majority at risk and how will the ports of call react.
 

[marylander2]

I am reading this thread with a great fascination for about 4-5 days or so now.

Most of the posts are spot on in terms of the X or RCCL policies and so on, about how to handle the vaccinated vs non-vaccinated cruisers etc etc.

I want to drag all of you back to the story of the Diamond Princess.
Yes, then (and there) there was no vaccination/testing/safe measures etc. ... That's not the point.

There was a guy who boarded the ship in Yokohama and disembarked in HK - a super-spreader - and while he has done this, nobody had a clue of what he had brought upon the multi-billion industry. 

ONE GUY.

So while we are talking endlessly about the ways of this-or-that decision maker could affect our upcoming cruise(s), I would like to bring upon a scenario when a passenger - fully vaccinated and tested negative -pre-cruise - comes ashore in, say, Sint Martin and catches a virus there. He then returns to the ship WITHOUT any signs of a disease and starts spreading it aboard for the next... ohhh... 2-3-4 days, if we get lucky and he develops symptoms - or not even that... So - per X policy - upon return to our beloved US of A - EVERY passenger needs to get tested negative before he/she is allowed to disembark... mind you - BEFORE!.

And here goes a Diamond Princess story again...

One can say - oh, they were not vaccinated. As a scientist who knows a thing or two about this, I can affirmatively tell you, that being vaccinated does not give you a PROTECTION. The vaccine will give you - if you catch the virus - an easy way out of it if you have enough antibodies against specific strain... but it might not be enough, and more so, this certainly will not get you a ticket to go ashore if you get tested positively. Additionally, you will be happily sharing the virus with all of us around...

Just a thing to think about.

I am not a doomsday dreamer, but it is fascinating to me how people easily take the vaccination as a piece-meal ticket to sail worry-free.

[downsmead]

I heard that the MSC Virtuoso was denied entry to Malta due to a case of COVID onboard. She sails without a vaccination policy but does testing routinely. Apparently the person tested negative for a couple of days then had a positive test. I have been trying to google to find reports but have had no luck 🤷‍♀️. 
 

PLEASE IGNORE ABOVE - Vituosa is sailing around the U.K. and nowhere near Malta, so heavens knows what (I thought) I read!,

Edited June 8, 2021 by downsmead

[downsmead]

Just now, gonecroozin said:

Here is a bit more information 

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/timesofmalta.com/articles/view/coronavirus-doctors-threaten-industrial-action-if-cruise-ship-docks-in.776117.amp

 

 

That is from 2020, the one I referred to was last weekend 

[downsmead]

20 minutes ago, downsmead said:

I heard that the MSC Virtuoso was denied entry to Malta due to a case of COVID onboard. She sails without a vaccination policy but does testing routinely. Apparently the person tested negative for a couple of days then had a positive test. I have been trying to google to find reports but have had no luck 🤷‍♀️. 
 

PLEASE IGNORE ABOVE - Vituosa is sailing around the U.K. and nowhere near Malta, so heavens knows what (I thought) I read!,

Found it - https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/cruise-ship-with-covid-positive-passenger-denied-entry-to-malta.877595

[4774Papa]

5 hours ago, marylander2 said:

I am reading this thread with a great fascination for about 4-5 days or so now.

Most of the posts are spot on in terms of the X or RCCL policies and so on, about how to handle the vaccinated vs non-vaccinated cruisers etc etc.

I want to drag all of you back to the story of the Diamond Princess.
Yes, then (and there) there was no vaccination/testing/safe measures etc. ... That's not the point.

There was a guy who boarded the ship in Yokohama and disembarked in HK - a super-spreader - and while he has done this, nobody had a clue of what he had brought upon the multi-billion industry. 

ONE GUY.

So while we are talking endlessly about the ways of this-or-that decision maker could affect our upcoming cruise(s), I would like to bring upon a scenario when a passenger - fully vaccinated and tested negative -pre-cruise - comes ashore in, say, Sint Martin and catches a virus there. He then returns to the ship WITHOUT any signs of a disease and starts spreading it aboard for the next... ohhh... 2-3-4 days, if we get lucky and he develops symptoms - or not even that... So - per X policy - upon return to our beloved US of A - EVERY passenger needs to get tested negative before he/she is allowed to disembark... mind you - BEFORE!.

And here goes a Diamond Princess story again...

One can say - oh, they were not vaccinated. As a scientist who knows a thing or two about this, I can affirmatively tell you, that being vaccinated does not give you a PROTECTION. The vaccine will give you - if you catch the virus - an easy way out of it if you have enough antibodies against specific strain... but it might not be enough, and more so, this certainly will not get you a ticket to go ashore if you get tested positively. Additionally, you will be happily sharing the virus with all of us around...

Just a thing to think about.

I am not a doomsday dreamer, but it is fascinating to me how people easily take the vaccination as a piece-meal ticket to sail worry-free.

My take is more upbeat.  I prefer to cruise with all vaccinated or 95% with the rest children under 12.

Still, where we live, life has been close to pre-COVID in going out to restaurants (no more restrictions) or just shopping, etc.   I realize that when I go out, there the unvaccinated about about half of the population, however the senior, over 65 numbers are 86% with one dose and over 76% fully vaccinated.  

Without the vaccine, the fatality rate was less than 1% for my age group.  With the vaccine, the risk is extremely small.  There is probably more risk for death in driving on our highways.  

 

Going on a cruise, I am more concerned about someone getting COVID and that affecting the entire cruise or if I get the virus, being stuck in our cabin for many days.

I realize that life must go on, that I want to make the most of the rest of my life.  

[Jeremiah1212]

They are full steam ahead with vaccination requirement for US cruises....

 

More details coming.

 

Florida cruises - providing proof is optional. Unvaccinated cruisers must pay for their own tests. Still sticking to the 95% number though.

Edited June 8, 2021 by Jeremiah1212

[keels81]

[CalTexCruiser]

15 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

They are full steam ahead with vaccination requirement for US cruises....

 

More details coming.

 

Florida cruises - providing proof is optional. Unvaccinated cruisers must pay for their own tests. Still sticking to the 95% number though.

 

If providing proof is optional, how do they establish that 95% of passengers are vaccinated?

 

And what happens on day of departure they realize they are under the 95% threshold?

[Jeremiah1212]

On 5/27/2021 at 8:16 AM, Jeremiah1212 said:

An interesting take that I thought was a bit far fetched initially, but maybe not so much?

 

The law says documentation cannot be ''required'. So don't require it. If the passenger wants to volunteer it, that's their choice. I'll happily show them my card. But if you can't produce a vaccination record at check-in, you're set aside until they verify they have space in that 5% window to allow you on. If that 5% is full? Deny boarding due to the CDC guidance and/or the ticket contract that basically says they can deny you boarding whenever they want.

 

[cangelmd]

Just now, CalTexCruiser said:

 

If providing proof is optional, how do they establish that 95% of passengers are vaccinated?

 

And what happens on day of departure they realize they are under the 95% threshold?

Says in tiny letters, if guests opt to not provide proof, they will be considered unvaccinated.

[Jeremiah1212]

So not too toot my contacts horn, but his prediction from May 27th is exactly what they will be doing...

[Jeremiah1212]

2 minutes ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

If providing proof is optional, how do they establish that 95% of passengers are vaccinated?

 

And what happens on day of departure they realize they are under the 95% threshold?

 

She is emphatic they will control capacity accordingly. I assume they will work a question into check-in and reserve the right to deny boarding at the pier if that 5% threshold is met and you are unwilling to provide proof. I'm positive the testing will be very expensive also. They also will have to wear masks except when eating/drinking or in the cabin.

[Josie201]

Hopefully we will be able to pre register our proof of vaccine to be verified at check in so the capacity should be close to known ahead of time.  

[CalTexCruiser]

3 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

She is emphatic they will control capacity accordingly. I assume they will work a question into check-in and reserve the right to deny boarding at the pier if that 5% threshold is met and you are unwilling to provide proof. I'm positive the testing will be very expensive also. They also will have to wear masks except when eating/drinking or in the cabin.

 

Clever I guess.  Fain said their surveys show a vast majority wanted to go on vaccinated cruises so they must be confident that the folks they are basically telling to stay away would make up an insignificant portion of their customer base.

[Fouremco]

Good to see some progress, and a layout that is quite straight forward. I just wish that they would recognize the fact that most non-US passengers don't have a "vaccination card". They start off the final bullet nicely, saying they will require documentation, but then spoil it by saying "in the form of an original vaccination card."

[cltnccruisers]

28 minutes ago, Josie201 said:

Hopefully we will be able to pre register our proof of vaccine to be verified at check in so the capacity should be close to known ahead of time.  

Pre registering is in direct contradiction to DiSantis' law.  I agree it would seem the best way to go, but.....

[Josie201]

23 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Good to see some progress, and a layout that is quite straight forward. I just wish that they would recognize the fact that most non-US passengers don't have a "vaccination card". They start off the final bullet nicely, saying they will require documentation, but then spoil it by saying "in the form of an original vaccination card."

Call me Pollyanna but I assume this is being worked on in addition to opening our borders!