Canadians Looking to Sail With Princess...Check The FAQs!

[nbsjcruiser]

33 minutes ago, tert333 said:

I know.  I did the same thing.  Contacted Princess and asked for customer service on June 25 and got the same answer as you.

 

Is your cruise in the US or Europe.  It seems there might be two different sets of rules, as pointed out earlier.   I am taking a cruise in September out of southampton and the vaccination rules are not as clear as the ones out of the US.   I have found on the UK public health website, that while rare, mixing doses are acceptable.   So we may have two different issues.

We were going out of Fort Lauderdale.

 

[canuckgrl82]

This is all so disappointing & frustrating. My cruise to Alaska is August 1st and I I have a mix of astra & moderna for vaccines ( which was recommended to me at the time) but this is now not recognized so technically I'm not vaccinated according to the cruiseline. This policy was just updated too because I did my due diligence beforehand and it wasn't an issue before and now is. So now I'm left with no cruise 2 weeks out. What a mess...

[Lady Arwen]

15 minutes ago, canuckgrl82 said:

This is all so disappointing & frustrating. My cruise to Alaska is August 1st and I I have a mix of astra & moderna for vaccines ( which was recommended to me at the time) but this is now not recognized so technically I'm not vaccinated according to the cruiseline. This policy was just updated too because I did my due diligence beforehand and it wasn't an issue before and now is. So now I'm left with no cruise 2 weeks out. What a mess...

You need to call Princess and tell them your story!  Totally unfair to you and many others.  To be treated like this two weeks before your cruise is not acceptable.  We all need to call our PVPs and TAs and let them know we do not support their decision.  So sorry for your predicament!

[tert333]

19 minutes ago, canuckgrl82 said:

This is all so disappointing & frustrating. My cruise to Alaska is August 1st and I I have a mix of astra & moderna for vaccines ( which was recommended to me at the time) but this is now not recognized so technically I'm not vaccinated according to the cruiseline. This policy was just updated too because I did my due diligence beforehand and it wasn't an issue before and now is. So now I'm left with no cruise 2 weeks out. What a mess...

I am sorry to hear that.  I completely understand your frustration.  I agree you need to contact Princess.   I did that this morning.  As I mentioned earlier, I contacted the pharmacy where I got the vaccines and they suggested that I send my MP a note, which I did, along with the MPP.   I am hoping I can get a second dose of AZ(which I should have ignored the health officials and do...).  I know your window is very tight, but you may want to call the MPP in your district and see if they can arrange an AZ vaccine.  So crazy, I saw in the news yesterday, PEI destroyed 3000 doses of AZ because nobody wants them...

[CruisinFinsUp]

3 minutes ago, canuckgrl82 said:

I just got my second vaccine 2 weeks ago, I don't think they'd allow another so soon plus I don't think it's healthy. I wouldn't want to compromise my health for a cruise. I also don't have the time, today would be my cut off to get a vaccine in time.  I did call the cruise line yesterday, I can get a refund but it all still sucks. It doesn't help my flight situation,  and all the planning that came with it. I hope for everyone else sake they change the policy, I'm sure they will in due time.

So very sorry.  This sucks that they've made this arbitrary decision, not based on any science that any of us have heard.  
Its ridiculous!!

[canuckgrl82]

50 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

You need to call Princess and tell them your story!  Totally unfair to you and many others.  To be treated like this two weeks before your cruise is not acceptable.  We all need to call our PVPs and TAs and let them know we do not support their decision.  So sorry for your predicament!

Thank you! I appreciate it. It's totally not fair...and I wonder how many others will show up at the terminal not realizing the change. If I didn't seek out the information I wouldn't have known until I got there, then what?   I did call Princess and got a refund, which is good but there's so much more that goes into the cruise than just the fare. Transportation, testing, flights, time off work - It leaves me scrambling two weeks out.

[qqwer123]

I was worried about our Dec cruise because I have the Astra vac. They are accepting any vaccines approved  by the WHO or the cdc. They also give you a free Covid test a day or so before you disembark because you need that test to re enter Canada as well. 

Edited July 16, 2021 by qqwer123

[nbsjcruiser]

I had a very long conversation this afternoon with someone from customer support/resolutions. I asked that she contact someone in management to review what I think was an improper decision. She asked that I follow-up with an email with some of the information I provided in our conversation. Following is the copy of the email sent:

====================

 

Thanks for taking my call. I appreciate your patience, I know I stretched it 😉

1. Regarding WHO recommendations on mixing and matching. Here is a link to the interim recommendations for the use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines:

    https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1351420/retrieve

    Page 3 references Pfizer's interchangeability with other vaccines.

    Note that Pfizer is referred to as a BNT162b2 vaccine while AstraZeneca is referenced as a ChAdOx1-S vaccine.

"It is currently recommended that the same product should be used for both doses. If different COVID-19 vaccine products are inadvertently administered in the two doses, no additional doses of either vaccine are recommended at this time. Heterologous (mixand-match) studies are ongoing with regards to the interchangeability of this vaccine with other COVID-19 vaccines. Preliminary results from a heterologous priming schedule where BNT162b2 was given as the second dose following a first dose of ChAdOx1- S [recombinant] vaccine showed a slightly increased but acceptable reactogenicity with superior or similar immunogenicity results, thus supporting the use of such a heterologous priming schedule in settings where the second dose for the ChAdOx1-S [recombinant] vaccine is not available due to vaccine supply constraints or other concerns (17, 18)".

 

In the case of Canada and other countries like Germany, Spain, UK (to a lesser extent) it was decided that side effects (blood clots) warranted the use of a different vaccine. This was a typical concern as referenced in the above paragraph.


2. Regarding mix and match of mRNA Vaccines - The following information is currently on the CDC site here:
   https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html

   You can read the entire document but I highlight this portion of it:

"Interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccine products"

"Any currently FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine can be used when indicated; ACIP does not state a product preference. However, COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable. The safety and efficacy of a mixed-product series have not been evaluated. Both doses of a series should be completed with the same product".

 

3. Summary - while I dont pretend to be an expert it would seem obvious to me that of all the mixed dosage regiments, only one of the mixtures has verifiable data from one of the CDC, FDA or WHO and that was the AstraZeneca/Pfizer mixed paradigm. If Princess is going to take a side then I would say taking the side of the only mixed dosage with verifiable data would seem to make sense.

 

I understand things may change but once again I want to highlight the fact that we purchased our cruise, airfare AND Princess travel insurance with the knowledge that our vaccines were approved to travel. Within the last few days (and after our purchase) Princess changed their approach. This has left me with a conundrum. Do I risk waiting past the final payment date, hoping something will change? Or do I cancel now and lose my non-refundable airfare? I would only ask that Princess have another look at their decision re:mixed vaccines and realize it needs to be changed to reflect the science of the situation.

 

We currently have 3 cruises booked with Princess. After our planned fall vacation we had booked a 12 day British Isles cruise for 2022. It would kill me to cancel this cruise of a lifetime for us but we need to book expensive airfare for this cruise. I can't risk that kind of money as long as this doubt is circulating.

I'd ask that my concerns be addressed and I thank you for the polite conversation of earlier this afternoon.

 

 

thank you

 

 

[Lady Arwen]

32 minutes ago, nbsjcruiser said:

I had a very long conversation this afternoon with someone from customer support/resolutions. I asked that she contact someone in management to review what I think was an improper decision. She asked that I follow-up with an email with some of the information I provided in our conversation. Following is the copy of the email sent:

====================

 

Thanks for taking my call. I appreciate your patience, I know I stretched it 😉

1. Regarding WHO recommendations on mixing and matching. Here is a link to the interim recommendations for the use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines:

    https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1351420/retrieve

    Page 3 references Pfizer's interchangeability with other vaccines.

    Note that Pfizer is referred to as a BNT162b2 vaccine while AstraZeneca is referenced as a ChAdOx1-S vaccine.

"It is currently recommended that the same product should be used for both doses. If different COVID-19 vaccine products are inadvertently administered in the two doses, no additional doses of either vaccine are recommended at this time. Heterologous (mixand-match) studies are ongoing with regards to the interchangeability of this vaccine with other COVID-19 vaccines. Preliminary results from a heterologous priming schedule where BNT162b2 was given as the second dose following a first dose of ChAdOx1- S [recombinant] vaccine showed a slightly increased but acceptable reactogenicity with superior or similar immunogenicity results, thus supporting the use of such a heterologous priming schedule in settings where the second dose for the ChAdOx1-S [recombinant] vaccine is not available due to vaccine supply constraints or other concerns (17, 18)".

 

In the case of Canada and other countries like Germany, Spain, UK (to a lesser extent) it was decided that side effects (blood clots) warranted the use of a different vaccine. This was a typical concern as referenced in the above paragraph.


2. Regarding mix and match of mRNA Vaccines - The following information is currently on the CDC site here:
   https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html

   You can read the entire document but I highlight this portion of it:

"Interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccine products"

"Any currently FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine can be used when indicated; ACIP does not state a product preference. However, COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable. The safety and efficacy of a mixed-product series have not been evaluated. Both doses of a series should be completed with the same product".

 

3. Summary - while I dont pretend to be an expert it would seem obvious to me that of all the mixed dosage regiments, only one of the mixtures has verifiable data from one of the CDC, FDA or WHO and that was the AstraZeneca/Pfizer mixed paradigm. If Princess is going to take a side then I would say taking the side of the only mixed dosage with verifiable data would seem to make sense.

 

I understand things may change but once again I want to highlight the fact that we purchased our cruise, airfare AND Princess travel insurance with the knowledge that our vaccines were approved to travel. Within the last few days (and after our purchase) Princess changed their approach. This has left me with a conundrum. Do I risk waiting past the final payment date, hoping something will change? Or do I cancel now and lose my non-refundable airfare? I would only ask that Princess have another look at their decision re:mixed vaccines and realize it needs to be changed to reflect the science of the situation.

 

We currently have 3 cruises booked with Princess. After our planned fall vacation we had booked a 12 day British Isles cruise for 2022. It would kill me to cancel this cruise of a lifetime for us but we need to book expensive airfare for this cruise. I can't risk that kind of money as long as this doubt is circulating.

I'd ask that my concerns be addressed and I thank you for the polite conversation of earlier this afternoon.

 

 

thank you

 

 

We’ll said and well presented.  I sincerely hope you are taken seriously and something can be done to preserve your booking.  Thank you from all of us Canucks who are literally in the same boat.  Please let us know how you make out.

[lolo11]

On 7/15/2021 at 7:35 AM, ceilidh1 said:

I hope I am not breaking any rules by posting this, but I just found it out yesterday and thought it important for other Canadians who may not know!

 

If you received a mixed dose for your vaccination, please be sure to check the FAQs on Princess to see if you are considered fully vaccinated. I was about to book a summer sailing to Alaska for a client and am so glad I read every piece of fine print. Princess are not accepting those with Astra Zeneca followed by Moderna/Pfizer. This could potentially impact MANY Canadians who were "urged" to accept whatever vaccine was offered. (On further investigation, I have found that NCL and Carnival also have similar restrictions).

 

Sorry if this is old news...I hadn't heard/seen it before yesterday!

Thanks for posting. This changes my plans to cruise in October unless something changes by then. So sad for all those who've already booked and can't travel now.

[CruisinFinsUp]

2 hours ago, nocl said:

Actually it is based upon the fact that the combination of two different vaccines is a therapy which has not completed the normal clinical trial process for vaccines or other medications.  As so it is not listed as having received emergency use authorization by any of the primary drug review agencies (FDA, EMEA, WHO) that are used by many countries to based their approval decisions on.  Which are also the same ones used by the cruise lines to determine what represents full vaccination.

 

In those places where it was used it was approved because of need, without clinical trials fully testing the efficacy and safety of the combinations.  

Well our Canadian government insisted mixing was fine, and that mixing is better against variants, and continues to encourage mixing. They got that from somewhere other than the dark side of their moons, I hope.  
 

So here we are, and many of us have booked cruises on Princess, NCL, Carnival etc and are facing cancellations.  Some of these cancellations are last minute. 

My travel agent is part of a huge Canadian cruise agency and she got this news from me, not from Princess. 
 

Whatever the rationale, the cruiselines need to communicate these rules asap and loudly - otherwise people are going to show up at the ports and be denied boarding.  
 

 

 

[caribill]

11 hours ago, canuckgrl82 said:

Thank you! I appreciate it. It's totally not fair...and I wonder how many others will show up at the terminal not realizing the change.

 

One thing we do not know is how carefully the proof of vaccination will be examined when checking-in for the cruise.

 

Posts from people checking in in Galveston, Texas for a Carnival cruise said that the proof was barely looked at certainly not closely examined.

[Daniel A]

2 hours ago, mabt said:

Most adults in Ottawa who had Pfizer for a first dose are getting Moderna for the second. . . .  I made a big point of checking vaccine deliveries and booking an appointment shortly after a large shipment of Pfizer arrived, but when it came down to it, I was informed that "we're a Moderna clinic today". 

You should be good to sail on Princess.  Anyone who got a mix of Pfizer and Moderna is good enough for most cruise lines (except NCL.)  From the Princess FAQs:  "Guests who have received one single dose of a vector vaccine (e.g. AstraZeneca) and one single dose of a mRNA vaccine (e.g. Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna) will not be considered fully vaccinated. Guests who have received two single doses of mixed vaccines that are the same type (e.g., mRNA) will be considered fully vaccinated and will be permitted to sail, so long as the final dose is received at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise."

 

 

[mabt]

6 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

You should be good to sail on Princess.  Anyone who got a mix of Pfizer and Moderna is good enough for most cruise lines (except NCL.)  From the Princess FAQs:  "Guests who have received one single dose of a vector vaccine (e.g. AstraZeneca) and one single dose of a mRNA vaccine (e.g. Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna) will not be considered fully vaccinated. Guests who have received two single doses of mixed vaccines that are the same type (e.g., mRNA) will be considered fully vaccinated and will be permitted to sail, so long as the final dose is received at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise."

 

 

Thanks.  Unfortunately I'm booked on RCL, who just changed their policy sometime in the last couple of days to explicitly disallow mixed doses.  Just checking related threads for other cruise lines to see which way the wind is blowing.  So to speak.

[mabt]

19 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

This is a good point.  We have two confirmations issued in Ontario.  Got one when received first shot and got another when received second shot.  It has been my assumption that we can simply show our second one.  Part of the text on this "certificate" (an 8.5"x11" PDF) states "You have received 2 valid dose(s)".  (The first one stated same with a "1").  

 

I wonder if other Ontario residents posting here have the same thing.  Unless Princess, or another company or country, requires to produce the first one as well, it may not matter so much.  Can someone who had AZ, followed by either mRNA share what your Ontario confirmation states.  I would think if it looks like mine, anyone looking at it is going to assume both doses were the same.

 

It is implied if your confirmation states you have had 2 valid doses, then you must have had a first one, even in the absence of a form.

 

 

That was my reasoning as well, but the issue for me is that we are sailing out of Nassau, and the Bahamian government requires travelers to apply for a "health visa" for entry.  The health visa application requires explicit proof of *both* doses, right down to the lot number for the dose.

 

We are sailing on RCL, not Princess, so kind of in the wrong forum.  But same topic and general problem, and I am trying to learn as much as I can from any source I can find. l'm working on the assumption that others reading the thread are doing the same.

 

The *really* stupid thing here is that I don't even need to be vaccinated to meet the Bahamian entry requirement.  Just a pre-departure PCR test, which RCL was requiring anyway.  But my worry is that RCL will have access to the Bahamian health visa, and see that I am considered "unvaccinated" according to Bahamian authorities, and refuse boarding on that basis.

[Steelers36]

4 minutes ago, mabt said:

 

That was my reasoning as well, but the issue for me is that we are sailing out of Nassau, and the Bahamian government requires travelers to apply for a "health visa" for entry.  The health visa application requires explicit proof of *both* doses, right down to the lot number for the dose.

 

We are sailing on RCL, not Princess, so kind of in the wrong forum.  But same topic and general problem, and I am trying to learn as much as I can from any source I can find. l'm working on the assumption that others reading the thread are doing the same.

 

The *really* stupid thing here is that I don't even need to be vaccinated to meet the Bahamian entry requirement.  Just a pre-departure PCR test, which RCL was requiring anyway.  But my worry is that RCL will have access to the Bahamian health visa, and see that I am considered "unvaccinated" according to Bahamian authorities, and refuse boarding on that basis.

I see.  So, here is an example of a foreign government wanting to see both documents.  

 

Not surprising.  I imagine we will encounter a whole range of varying travel requirements to meet in the next year or so before Covid-19 fades into the rearview mirror.  Let's hope more uniformity comes sooner than later.  Bit of the "wild west" these days as each doing their own thing.

[nbsjcruiser]

40 minutes ago, athibault said:

I received AZ and Pfizer. i have no plans to book a cruise any time soon. But lets keep in mind Princess need our money . They can t afford to loose our business for too long...

In reality, the wording of the FAQ on Princess indicates Pfizer, Moderna or a combination of both is really the only sure vaccine regimen that they are following and when you look at it, the vast majority of the world is not going to have that combination due to the difficulty in transporting and storing it. AstraZeneca or derivatives of it will likely be the main vaccine distributing world wide so in effect, Princess and the rest of the cruiselines are boiling their customer base down to US customers and a percentage of the 1M Canadians who cruise yearly. Do they really want to start limiting their customer base like this? Now? Its a point I made yesterday on the phone. They're closing out their markets at a time they can hardly afford to. For us, we're looking at a vrbo place in Florida for the month of November for not much more than a week on a cruise ship. Potentially, the cruise lines risk letting me see how the other half lives and enjoying it. A month in Florida vs a week on a cruise ship? I might decide I prefer a month away vs a week. Can't imagine I'd be the only one looking at options at this point. 

[ceilidh1]

18 hours ago, canuckgrl82 said:

Thank you! I appreciate it. It's totally not fair...and I wonder how many others will show up at the terminal not realizing the change. If I didn't seek out the information I wouldn't have known until I got there, then what?   I did call Princess and got a refund, which is good but there's so much more that goes into the cruise than just the fare. Transportation, testing, flights, time off work - It leaves me scrambling two weeks out.

I also wonder how many will show up for their cruise, believing they are fully vaccinated, and be turned away? Maybe the cruiselines screen this beforehand and contact those that don't meet the requirements? Who knows. I do know that the vast majority of TAs are unaware of these recent changes - most times if there is something significant it will come out as advanced notice to TAs so we can inform clients. All lines have been silent on it and just quietly updated their sites. In my opinion, this is just wrong. If the lines choose to have such requirements, that is their right, but they should at least be transparent and publicly announce the decision so that anyone affected can act on it before it is too late.

[dog]

8 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

I also wonder how many will show up for their cruise, believing they are fully vaccinated, and be turned away? Maybe the cruiselines screen this beforehand and contact those that don't meet the requirements? Who knows. I do know that the vast majority of TAs are unaware of these recent changes - most times if there is something significant it will come out as advanced notice to TAs so we can inform clients. All lines have been silent on it and just quietly updated their sites. In my opinion, this is just wrong. If the lines choose to have such requirements, that is their right, but they should at least be transparent and publicly announce the decision so that anyone affected can act on it before it is too late.

YES to everything you said. Thank you for posting. I was only going to carry my receipt for final dose, but now will be taking both receipts with me. We have a digital copy of both and our government has an app to put them in. 
 

thanks for alerting us. 

Edited July 17, 2021 by dog

[Host CJSKIDS]

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/announcement/473-please-read-covid-related-discussion/

[mabt]

38 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

I see.  So, here is an example of a foreign government wanting to see both documents.  

 

Not surprising.  I imagine we will encounter a whole range of varying travel requirements to meet in the next year or so before Covid-19 fades into the rearview mirror.  Let's hope more uniformity comes sooner than later.  Bit of the "wild west" these days as each doing their own thing.

 

And now the Bahamian government website has been updated to remove all reference to mixed doses.  I posted a screenshot last night of the language  explicitly stating that mixed doses would not be recognized.  That language was not there when I checked several days ago, and now appears to have been removed again.

 

I'd say the situation is fluid, but that feels like a massive understatement.    Too bad I can't get back the 6-7 hours of sleep I lost last night while my brain refused to stop spinning through all the ways this could play out.  😂

[Lady Arwen]

12 minutes ago, mabt said:

 

And now the Bahamian government website has been updated to remove all reference to mixed doses.  I posted a screenshot last night of the language  explicitly stating that mixed doses would not be recognized.  That language was not there when I checked several days ago, and now appears to have been removed again.

 

I'd say the situation is fluid, but that feels like a massive understatement.    Too bad I can't get back the 6-7 hours of sleep I lost last night while my brain refused to stop spinning through all the ways this could play out.  😂

Thank you for keeping us updated!  Seems things are now changing hourly, so how do we keep up?  And, I thought the Medallion app was my only problem!

[J-D]

What about AZ/Covishield?  Has anyone seen any recent information as to whether Princess is accepting the Covishield (Indian-manufactured) version of AstraZenica as being equivalent to AstraZenica manufactured in Europe or the U.S.?   Like numerous other Canadians, one of us was given the Covishield version of AZ when our authorities were saying "get the first vaccine offered".   We realize that, whether or not Princess eventually  accepts Covishield, some countries do not presently accept it.

[dog]

17 minutes ago, J-D said:

What about AZ/Covishield?  Has anyone seen any recent information as to whether Princess is accepting the Covishield (Indian-manufactured) version of AstraZenica as being equivalent to AstraZenica manufactured in Europe or the U.S.?   Like numerous other Canadians, one of us was given the Covishield version of AZ when our authorities were saying "get the first vaccine offered".   We realize that, whether or not Princess eventually  accepts Covishield, some countries do not presently accept it.

Yes, read US accepting 2 doses of it as fully vax. Not mixture 

[mabt]

2 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Thank you for keeping us updated!  Seems things are now changing hourly, so how do we keep up?  And, I thought the Medallion app was my only problem!

 

These kinds of forums are invaluable in situations like this.  Although my personal advice to anyone not cruising in the next couple of months is to forget about it for now and check back in a few weeks.  It'll probably have changed three times by then!