Where Is Celebrity Getting Its Staff From with Ban ?

[morpheusofthesea]

Since the ban on flights is now lifting on November 8, 2021 for foreign nationals, where has Celebrity been able to staff its ships. For that matter, where are the other cruise lines, plying and about to ply in November 2021 getting their staff? Another interesting point, is that many of these returning staff are being vaccinated here and many starting work with only their first jab/shot. This should matter more to the cruise lines than the fully vaccinated guests. The cruise lines can not afford to wait to employ fully vaccinated staff and crew. Am I missing something here ?

[Cruising is my passion]

We were on the Edge late August and according to our waiter, who was from Bali,  X houses the new crew in a Miami hotel, where they are given the 1st vaccination, quarantined for 14 days in their own, solo hotel room, then gives them the 2nd vaccination before taking them on board to train. Even now, on ship and working, they are masked when anywhere but their own cabin...whether that be on Deck 6 or Deck 2. For now, until the ship is up to full capacity with crew/guests, they are the only one in the room and when they eat, they are not allowed to eat with anyone else at the table. Even with all that, he was exceptionally grateful to be working on board.

[morpheusofthesea]

So the US travel ban does not include Indonesia? Or is a Celebrity charter to Miami?

[Cruising is my passion]

All I know is what our Waiter told us. Our Assistant Waiter was from Europe. 

[The_0neuk]

you have been able to travel to US for work all through this travel ban

 

the ban is basically on tourists

 

how do you think virgin got its staff over to Miami? on a dinghy?

 

most crew on virgin are europeans

Edited October 16, 2021 by The_0neuk

[jgmorgan]

12 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Am I missing something here ?

Possibly.  The Executive Order travel ban included exceptions for air and sea crew travelling with certain categories of visas:

 

(viii)  any noncitizen traveling as a nonimmigrant pursuant to a C-1, D, or C-1/D nonimmigrant visa as a crewmember or any noncitizen otherwise traveling to the United States as air or sea crew;

 

[Cruising is my passion]

I specifically asked our Waiter how he was able to get the vaccinations and he said X took care of everything and this was the system for all crew that was brought to the Edge. I am sure that once the crew is vaccinated in Miami that they would be spending a good amount of time on a ship that would have no guests, in order for the crew to , not only become acclimated, but for some time to pass after the 2nd tax and before having them interact with vaccinated guests. 

[morpheusofthesea]

Many new and seasoned workers from third world countries that took the vaccine available to them cannot now gain employment with cruise lines because those available vaccines are not approved. Fearful of catching covid they got those vaccines and are now unemployable by the cruise lines. Limited staffing may translate into service problems should cruise lines increase passenger capacity before adequately  staffing, which financially they must do. Now is the time to cruise with a 1:1 ratio of staff to guests. My guess is that the CDC will extend the November 1,2021 CSO with minor changes to protocols. They will not allow self policing of the cruise lines anymore (and CDC enjoys the power).

[cruisestitch]

Some of the crew stayed on the ship during the entire time it was without passengers, since a skeleton crew is required to keep the ship operational. The cruise lines took care of their vaccines.

[morpheusofthesea]

11 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

So the US travel ban does not include Indonesia? Or is a Celebrity charter to Miami?

I guess he is from Bali, Indonesia living and waiting out the pandemic in Europe. We got the same story from our waitress who has not seen her family for this whole 18 months. When the cruise industry shut down she decided it would be safer to 'stick it out' in London, and she was glad she did. She was one of the first called back.

[morpheusofthesea]

7 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

Some of the crew stayed on the ship during the entire time it was without passengers, since a skeleton crew is required to keep the ship operational. The cruise lines took care of their vaccines.

Yes, Captain Costas of the Edge did mention that during the pandemic the Edge had a skelton crew of 78 compared to our October 2021 sailing of 1023 staff and crew.

[morpheusofthesea]

18 minutes ago, Cruising is my passion said:

some time to pass after the 2nd tax and before having them interact with vaccinated guests.

That is exactly what I thought. But when the one staff member mentioned he had only his first jab, I was 'taken aback'.. This October sailing...

[morpheusofthesea]

27 minutes ago, jgmorgan said:

Possibly.  The Executive Order travel ban included exceptions for air and sea crew travelling with certain categories of visas:

 

(viii)  any noncitizen traveling as a nonimmigrant pursuant to a C-1, D, or C-1/D nonimmigrant visa as a crewmember or any noncitizen otherwise traveling to the United States as air or sea crew;

 

That explains it in a 'nut shell'. Thank you.

[cruisestitch]

13 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

That is exactly what I thought. But when the one staff member mentioned he had only his first jab, I was 'taken aback'.. This October sailing...

Could have been the J&J which is only a single jab.

[morpheusofthesea]

12 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

Could have been the J&J which is only a single jab.

Quite possibly, but his using the phrase "first jab" led me to believe otherwise ?

Edited October 16, 2021 by morpheusofthesea

[cruisestitch]

There will be boosters.

[Jim_Iain]

On both Equinox and Millennium a large portion of the staff are from Indonesia, Thailand and Philippians.  Many of the crew had J&J when they arrived on the ship and were immediately put into quarantine for 14 days.   Most I talked to said they had to be tested at home and upon arrival.

 

Staff are being tested with PCR about once a week while on the ship.

[AlbertaCruisers]

The ban was not on everyone.  For example, Canadians could fly into the US throughout the Pandemic (the land border with Canada has been closed and is opening Nov 8 as long as we had a negative COVID test within 3 days of flying (most of us didn't because we had to test and quarantine when we came back home though, until this summer).  I don't see Indonesia or the Philippians on the list.  This is what I could find about the countries that were banned (and I think maybe the list changed throughout the pandemic): 

 

With specific exceptions, several Presidential proclamations suspend and limit entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of noncitizens who were physically present within the following countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. For a full list of exceptions, please refer to the relevant proclamations in the links below.

• China external icon
• Iran external icon
• European Schengen area external icon (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City)
• United Kingdom external icon (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
• Republic of Ireland external icon
• Brazil external icon
• South Africa external icon
• India external icon

Edited October 16, 2021 by AlbertaCruisers