Rules around child vaccination (UK)

[dritan]

Hi

 

I wonder if anyone can help.  I'm considering a Norwegian Jade cruise from Athens in April next year with my 2 kids ( 13 and 11).  However, as things stand, we wouldn't be able to board as vaccinations are not given to children in the UK.  The "mood music" in the UK at present indicates that government policy won't change anytime soon on this, although they may be offered to children with underlying health conditions ( my children wouldn't fall under this category).

 

I'm assuming that if I put a deposit down and neither NCL nor the UK govt change their rules, I would be able to get a future cruise credit for the value of that deposit?

I know a lot can change between now and April next year but we also said that last year and it's practically impossible to cruise outside the UK this summer due to travel restrictions and the Delta variant issues. 

Has anyone else come up against this issue and decided to book a cruise next year?

[KeithJenner]

Yes, we have this issue, and have booked the Jade at Easter and the Prima in August.

 

It is a slightly easier decision for us because we have just used cruise credits for our deposit, which will expire anyway, so there is no financial risk for us.

 

At the moment it is unclear what will happen if NCL don’t change their rules kids don’t get vaccinated. Again, for us of NCL don’t allow free cancellation in this situation then we haven’t lost anything other than a cruise credit which we can’t use anyway.

 

As it see it, the chances are that either kids will get vaccinated or NCL will change their rules before then. If the UK doesn’t vaccinate kids then NCL are missing out on a large portion of their European market if they effectively ban families from the UK (and likely other European countries as well).

 

The bigger risk as I see it is that things won’t have improved sufficiently by then and there will still be restrictions. I was thinking the same thing this time last year about 2021 and that has proved to be true.

Edited July 22, 2021 by KeithJenner

[dritan]

Thanks - I think I will hold fire until the early Autumn and see if anything changes.  That said, the deposit is really low so we wouldn't be losing out on much.Argh - what to do!