Families Traveling with a Child under 12

[rjbagg]

Fingers crossed that the vaccine will be available for kids under 12 soon, but in case they are not...

We are booked on a cruise to Mexico in late December. I know things may change before then, but does anyone know how dining and show seating works when traveling with children who are not yet able to be vaccinated? Will we be required to sit in an area for unvaccinated guests? Assuming the occupancy is still reduced for our sailing, we still plan to cruise. We plan to spend a lot of time in our cabin and on our balcony enjoying family time, but we would like to eat in the main dining room and catch the shows onboard as well.

[canderson]

The primary difference for those <12 is required masking in all indoor venues, not permitted/denied venues.  Per the X web site:

 

"Following CDC Guidelines, masks will not be required for vaccinated guests. Masks are required for unvaccinated guests under 12 years old while indoors when not in their stateroom, eating or drinking."

 

Of course, as fluid as things have been, much could change in the next three months.  While X had hoped originally to be at or near capacity for the holidays, all have since acknowledged that this was a bit of an overreach once delta came on the scene.  So you can expect lowered occupancy by some %, even in December.  At a guess, I'd say it will depend upon whether the hoped-for fast downward trend of delta really comes to pass.  August didn't go quite as well for the UK as July, and as one of the original epicenters, the UK was considered a bellwether of sorts.

 

Hope you have a grand cruise!

 

[rjbagg]

I hope the main difference is just masking indoors. Our son is already used to doing that. We aren't interested in any of the 'vaccinated only areas' on this trip anyway with a 10 year old:-) 

[canderson]

There have been some shorex restrictions elsewhere (e.g., ABC islands) that require the <12 to take only X shore excursions and no private wandering about, but haven't noted this to be the case for 'Mexican' ports.  You may want to stay in tune with that possibility as you book shorex, though, just to be sure you don't wind up on the wrong side of any of those sorts of rules.

[rjbagg]

Thank you for that information! We were already leaning toward one of the dolphin experience shore excursions offered by Celebrity. Just to be on the safe side, we will probably go ahead and book it.