Cruise not canceled yet with kids under 12

[Carla3]

We have 5 cabins booked for December 29th sailing to Mexico. The cabins with the kids who are under 12 and not able to be vaccinated have not been canceled yet by Princess. Final payment is not until September 30th. I’m curious as to why Princess has not yet notified those families that they can not sail? We are hoping that vaccine will be approved for younger children this fall and we can get them vaccinated just in time. Hopefully Princess is also thinking the same thing!

[LACruiser88]

We are also booked on this cruise with 5 cabins and our 7 yr old granddaughter.  I'm sure Princess has not canceled the kids on this cruise yet because there is still the possibility that kids under 12 can be vaccinated this fall.

[ontheweb]

The timing would have to be that the vaccines are approved early in the Fall. Remember Pfizer has a 3 week wait between the two doses and Moderna a four week wait. And then you are not considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after the second dose.

[pauon]

We are hopeful sailing December 19 as well and keeping our fingers crossed for our party as well.

 

 

[LACruiser88]

We are hoping for an early September approval for kids under 12.  This would allow sufficient time for a December cruise...🤞🙏

[ontheweb]

38 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

We are hoping for an early September approval for kids under 12.  This would allow sufficient time for a December cruise...🤞🙏

Good luck with that, but I expect it will take longer. 

 

The FDA (which is the agency that approves the vaccines) has asked for more safety testing.

 

FDA asks Pfizer, Moderna to test their vaccines in more children to help rule out safety issues - The Washington Post

[Wishing on a star]

More inconsistency and confusion and lack of clear policy by Princess.....

[john watson]

Princess have specified "All guests 17 years and below will need to have completed their vaccination course a minimum of 14 days prior to sailing OR they will require a negative PCR test within 72 hours prior to travel. All guests will also require a negative COVID-19 test at the terminal. The PCR test and COVID-19 test at the terminal will be provided on a complimentary basis."

 

These are the arrangements advised to me for a late October 2021 cruise ex-Southampton in the United Kingdom. They relate to boarding the ship not entering a foreign country so I should imagine similar arrangement would apply elsewhere in the world.  The National Health Service in the UK is free of charge to UK citizens and many people from specific foreign countries where reciprocal arrangements exist and the UK government have had a huge push on nil cost things to combat Covid-19 so charges may well apply elsewhere in the world.  Overall it appears to me that the cruise line is not effectively banning children but variations could be different round the world particularly if government has an input to boarding.

 

Regards John

[caribill]

22 minutes ago, john watson said:

Princess have specified "All guests 17 years and below will need to have completed their vaccination course a minimum of 14 days prior to sailing OR they will require a negative PCR test within 72 hours prior to travel. All guests will also require a negative COVID-19 test at the terminal. The PCR test and COVID-19 test at the terminal will be provided on a complimentary basis."

 

These are the arrangements advised to me for a late October 2021 cruise ex-Southampton in the United Kingdom. They relate to boarding the ship not entering a foreign country so I should imagine similar arrangement would apply elsewhere in the world. 

 

USA based Princess cruises have a different arrangement. No unvaccinated passengers allowed except for a few that cannot get the vaccine for medical/religious reasons.

[john watson]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

 

USA based Princess cruises have a different arrangement. No unvaccinated passengers allowed except for a few that cannot get the vaccine for medical/religious reasons.

 

If US families can get around the "entering the UK" problem they might start coming across to cruise in Europe out of Southampton.  Having said that some EU countries and others may move the goalposts later in the year affecting itineraries.

 

Regards John

[Bgwest]

9 hours ago, caribill said:

No unvaccinated passengers allowed except for a few that cannot get the vaccine for medical/religious reasons.

Exactly as it should be. Everywhere. Every cruise line. 100% vaccinated. 

Thank you Princess.  

[john watson]

1 hour ago, Bgwest said:

Exactly as it should be. Everywhere. Every cruise line. 100% vaccinated. 

Thank you Princess.  

 

Under the system mentioned for the US it is possible to travel unvaccinated due to medical/religious reasons. So 100% vaccinated is not how the ships are sailing.

 

In UK everybody is double jab prior to arriving at terminal with government proof of vaccination except children who have PCR test at terminal  All passengers take covid-19 test at terminal.

 

Remember that contrary to popular belief having full vaccinations does not mean you cannot get covid-19.  You can carry it and get it with minor symptoms.  So the cruise line is minimising risk enormously not completely eliminating it which is currently not possible whatever measures you take.

 

Regards John

Edited July 31, 2021 by john watson

[Bgwest]

On 7/31/2021 at 12:48 PM, john watson said:

 

Under the system mentioned for the US it is possible to travel unvaccinated due to medical/religious reasons. So 100% vaccinated is not how the ships are sailing.

 

No definitive data to backup my belief but it seems highly unlikely to me that the number of unvaccinated due to "medical/religious reasons" is so miniscule that sailings are essentially going out 100% vaccinated. Save, of course, for a tiny, tiny rounding error. 

 

Sailings from Southampton appear to be governed by a different set of rules for the sub-17 set. 

 

Are these cruises only available to COVID-19 vaccinated guests?

Yes. These cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination, in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and the dates given will be required and will need to be shown at the terminal prior to boarding. Failure to provide this evidence will result in denial of boarding.

There is no age restriction on this series of cruises but guests of all ages must be fully vaccinated. 

If you are unlikely to be fully vaccinated at the time of departure, please refer to our Book with Confidence Policy. 

Guests should always ensure they understand all requirements to travel from their home country and the destinations they plan to visit. Details continue to be updated regularly and official websites and apps developed by government agencies and tourism ministries are the recommended resources.

For guests on voyages sailing from Southampton between September 30 and November 3, 2021 on Regal Princess and between October 5 and November 5, 2021 on Sky Princess, all guests 18 years old and over will be required to have completed their vaccination course a minimum of 14 days prior to sailing. All guests 17 years old and below will need to have completed their vaccination course a minimum 14 days prior to sailing or will require a negative PCR test within 72 hours prior to travel.

 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

On 7/26/2021 at 7:23 PM, Carla3 said:

We have 5 cabins booked for December 29th sailing to Mexico. The cabins with the kids who are under 12 and not able to be vaccinated have not been canceled yet by Princess. Final payment is not until September 30th. I’m curious as to why Princess has not yet notified those families that they can not sail? We are hoping that vaccine will be approved for younger children this fall and we can get them vaccinated just in time. Hopefully Princess is also thinking the same thing!

That is exactly what Jan Swartz is thinking. I was fortunate to be in the CC private function with her arranged by Duke our ED. I wrote about it in post #1363 9or there about) on the inaugural Alaska July 25 live from thread. She was very sad that many sailings with small children had to be cancelled. 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

On our July 25 sailing Jan told us at our meeting that 8 pax had applied for an ADA exception but several dropped out before sailing. She said she believed only 3 ended up on our sailing of 2286. She confirmed they were allowing a minimal amount of ADA exceptions from the vaccine. I don’t know any more about how they were tracked or what they had to do. 

[Bgwest]

3 out of 2286 is truly little more than a rounding error. 

[pms4104]

1 hour ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

On our July 25 sailing Jan told us at our meeting that 8 pax had applied for an ADA exception but several dropped out before sailing. She said she believed only 3 ended up on our sailing of 2286. She confirmed they were allowing a minimal amount of ADA exceptions from the vaccine. I don’t know any more about how they were tracked or what they had to do. 

I wonder ...

 

If, for instance, an individual is too immunocompromised to get vaccinated ...

 

Is it wise for them to be at sea for a couple to several days?

 

[caribill]

5 hours ago, pms4104 said:

I wonder ...

 

If, for instance, an individual is too immunocompromised to get vaccinated ...

 

Is it wise for them to be at sea for a couple to several days?

 

 

It could be allergic reaction to vaccine components and nothing to do with a compromised immune system.

[john watson]

Further to my post #8 where I discussed how 17 year old and younger passengers are under separate rules defined by Princess.  This morning the UK government have announced a relaxation in the requirement for all people from various countries, amber risk, which I understand includes USA to no longer have to quarantine on arrival in isolation.  Other requirements still remain in force.  It is nevertheless looking feasible to fly from USA and do a cruise ex-Southampton.

 

Regards John

[2 cruises a year]

On 7/27/2021 at 8:22 AM, Wishing on a star said:

More inconsistency and confusion and lack of clear policy by Princess.....

Do you have a consistent, not confusing clear policy that Princess can go by?

We are in a 100 year event without a rule book and a virus that is constantly changing.

I'm sure that Princess would love to be able to develop a clear consistent policy.

[Iamcruzin]

On 7/31/2021 at 12:23 PM, Bgwest said:

Exactly as it should be. Everywhere. Every cruise line. 100% vaccinated. 

Thank you Princess.  

All of the covid cases that I have been reading about on the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean boards have been from vaccinated cruisers. The positive results came back towards the end of the cruise when they were testing everyone before they returned to the disembarkation port.  There are no guarantees that you won't get Covid on a cruise even if vaccinated.

[pms4104]

8 hours ago, caribill said:

 

It could be allergic reaction to vaccine components and nothing to do with a compromised immune system.

There are two totally different types of vaccine technology, and I would hope that one's MD would direct people appropriately.  

 

And, if unable to get any of the vaccines, I doubt I would put myself in harm's way.

[caribill]

2 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

All of the covid cases that I have been reading about on the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean boards have been from vaccinated cruisers. The positive results came back towards the end of the cruise when they were testing everyone before they returned to the disembarkation port.  There are no guarantees that you won't get Covid on a cruise even if vaccinated.

 

Testing is done about 5 days into the cruise. With the time it takes for the virus to be detectable by a test, anyone found infected at that time was likely infected when they came to the cruise rather than being infected on the cruise.

[Iamcruzin]

7 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Testing is done about 5 days into the cruise. With the time it takes for the virus to be detectable by a test, anyone found infected at that time was likely infected when they came to the cruise rather than being infected on the cruise.

I'm not blaming the cruise as I think that with all of the extra cleaning and protocols it's more sterile than land.  The point I was trying to make to the poster who said all cruises should be 100% vaccinated was that all of  the passengers that I have been reading about who were diagnosed on board were vaccinated.  These pre boarding tests are useless.  I have not heard of anyone being turned away because they tested positive before boarding.

Edited August 2, 2021 by Iamcruzin

[Carla3]

On 7/26/2021 at 7:23 PM, Carla3 said:

We have 5 cabins booked for December 29th sailing to Mexico. The cabins with the kids who are under 12 and not able to be vaccinated have not been canceled yet by Princess. Final payment is not until September 30th. I’m curious as to why Princess has not yet notified those families that they can not sail? We are hoping that vaccine will be approved for younger children this fall and we can get them vaccinated just in time. Hopefully Princess is also thinking the same thing!

Update. We just received final payment reminder for September 30th for our family reunion cruise leaving December 29. Have two grandkids ages 2 and 7. Spoke with me PVP last week and she was looking to get clarification. Not sure why Princess has not automatically canceled the bookings with the cabins with kids. Other posters have mentioned that there cruises were canceled by Princess before final payment was due. Anyone else in the same boat? No pun intended