Thanksgiving cruisers and exemptions

[gigem_aggies]

Just curious--if you are booked on a Thanksgiving cruise and needed a vaccine exemption for a child, have you received anything yet?  We are a large extended family traveling together and have 15 people sailing in 4 cabins.  4 of the family members are not eligible for the vaccine due to their age--all under 10.  And, unless a miracle happens and they approve vaccines for kids by this week, there won't be enough time for them to get vaccinated.

We booked in late June (just before the restart), paid in full in August, and submitted the exemption form on the day it became available for our sailing (September 3--when they announced the protocols for the rest of 2021).  We still haven't received anything regarding our exemption status.  

I have called, emailed, tried resubmitting the form again (it won't let me--says already have made a request for this booking) with no luck on an update from Carnival.  Several people in our FB cruise groups have received them and I've seen them for sailings after ours as well.  

Not losing hope, but the wait is agonizing.  

[mommysoncruiser]

We got ours within 4 days. I only needed 1 for a 4 year old though. We booked last month.

[tallnthensome]

Because there will be many kids on your cruise and the fact that carnival will only grant so many exemptions not like to surpass their unvaccinated threshold percentage it doesn’t look good. 

[BoozinCroozin]

I am in a Thanksgiving cruise. Yes, tons of people waiting and a lot will be upset. Also, 3 of 4 pets went have bubble tours. That means they will be on the ship the whole time. Summer ports can even stop ships from coming to port if there are any unvaccinated onboard. There are too many moving parts to accommodate everyone. 

 

I suspect many of you will find out around November 15 you will or won't be sailing. Thanksgiving is the first big holiday after the restart where a bunch of kids may sail. I recommend having a backup plan in case something happens. Refunds will be slow and insurance is not helpful.

 

The other part with your group is some may get exemptions while others don't. You have to figure out as a group how you manage that. Refund policies will be whatever they are. You could use covid as an excuse by saying you were in close contact within 14 Days. 

Edited October 11, 2021 by BoozinCroozin

[gigem_aggies]

Well, it's our entire family so if one kid doesn't get it, we all cancel.  Or we will try to reschedule for next Summer.  I've been told that yes--if someone is denied the exemption in our party then we will be able to get a full refund.

What is frustrating is the number of people who booked well after us that received their exemptions almost right away!  I don't understand that process.  

I'm currently on hold (again) to ask (yet again) for an update or for someone to at least look into this for us.

[BoozinCroozin]

It has to be frustrating. I was reading one from one in our group that got a great deal the other week. 500 people cancelled within 3 weeks of the cruise. They were going to have to cancel exemptions if they didn't get more cruisers. I also think it is not fair some getting theirs right away and the rest being strung along for weeks. At least if you knew you could make other plans. I think the issue is Carnival won't know until around 11/17 on the exact number they will allow.

[crewsweeper]

2 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

I I think the issue is Carnival won't know until around 11/17 on the exact number they will allow.

You can't check in and get a terminal arrival time until 14 days before your cruise (maybe 16 days for Diamond and Platinum), so the 17th for a 27th sail date would probably be close, but they could find out before. 

 

If the earliest terminal arrival time check-in date has changed, please respond with updated information. .  

[gigem_aggies]

3 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

It has to be frustrating. I was reading one from one in our group that got a great deal the other week. 500 people cancelled within 3 weeks of the cruise. They were going to have to cancel exemptions if they didn't get more cruisers. I also think it is not fair some getting theirs right away and the rest being strung along for weeks. At least if you knew you could make other plans. I think the issue is Carnival won't know until around 11/17 on the exact number they will allow.

Yes, that's where I am feeling most frustrated--the lack of transparency in the process and the being strung along.  Especially when other cruise lines are not requiring exemptions.  Or not in the manner Carnival is.  When I called today, the guest relations agent (who was very kind) couldn't tell me why others on our sailing booked after us, paid in full after us, completed their exemption request after us, yet still got the exemption already.

We actually sail out November 20, so probably will most definitely know something by November 6.  But, still--that's pushing it.

I love Carnival.  I'm very loyal to Carnival.  I sell a ton of Carnival each year.  I've personally sailed on 2 cruises since the restart and have another 2 cruises on Carnival booked for the next 3 months.  But, I'm perplexed by this pieces of it.

[twinkster]

We are on the Sunrise, leaving 11/20 and do not have the exemption letter yet. We are just “patiently” waiting until 11/6. Carnival says we will know by this date. I’m getting back-up plans lined up just in case. Like you, I’m mostly frustrated with the transparency seeing that some people have received theirs already (or very quickly after they filled out the form). I too went back in and refilled out the form and it said I already had a request submitted. 

[gigem_aggies]

Update:  We received our exemption letters!  Such a huge relief.

[gtalum]

I applied for our 7 year old the day the email came with the protocols and the link to the form, and the exemption approval email showed up the next day.  For some reason I got that approval email every day for like 10 days, but we got it.

[gigem_aggies]

1 hour ago, gtalum said:

I applied for our 7 year old the day the email came with the protocols and the link to the form, and the exemption approval email showed up the next day.  For some reason I got that approval email every day for like 10 days, but we got it.

We did too, but didn't get it until today (about 45 days later and 35 days til sailing).

[gtalum]

13 hours ago, gigem_aggies said:

We did too, but didn't get it until today (about 45 days later and 35 days til sailing).

 

I don't know why ours showed up so quickly.  I had been worried it would come a week before the cruise or not at all.

[Jamesatgsu]

We got ours pretty quickly. Hate it for those still waiting. 

[cruisequeen4ever]

I was wondering about the holiday sailings. Flights are so hard to get and expensive typically around the holidays; it would be difficult to have to cancel and find an alternative at the last minute.

[BusyBlond]

We booked this cruise before COVID was even a thing as our family Thanksgiving get together. Paid in full and requested our exemption in August. STILL haven't heard anything and many people in our online group that shall not be named booked in September and got their exemptions right away. Every time I call, I get the same old "they don't do the exemptions until 14 days prior" which is apparently not true. I don't mind waiting if that's the rule, but it's frustrating when it isn't the rule for everyone.