RCCL Explorer cruises into Covid zones. Ridiculous rules. Spoiler Alert!

[mauicruiser]

Booked on Explorer, whole family for Thanksgiving week out of San Juan.  All vaccinated except 11 year old granddaughter.  Email from RCCL today outlines restrictions.  We expected some but these are ridiculous.  We all must arrive at ship with valid Covid test taken 48 hours prior.  (Puerto Rico does not require test if vaccinated.)  Our granddaughter will be tested for entry into Puerto Rico and retested again at the boarding.  
They advise three islands require ship tours only—Barbados, St Lucia, and St Kitts.  These islands require Covid tests on entry because they are dark red Covid zones.  Two have state dept “do not travel” warnings because of high Covid infection rates.  How does RC get tour exemptions?  Kids are treated like they are high Covid carriers while passengers on tour in these dark red ports are exposed to local adults and then come back to the children who are not allowed off the ship.  Who is the greater risk?  Interesting note that St Thomas and St Croix require Covid tests to enter yet RCCL says vaccinated guests can visit on their own.  ?? Will they drop that shoe next?  Below is part of the notice.

I believe that Royal Caribbean knows that this cruise itinerary should be cancelled.  Thanksgiving week the ship will have lots of families onboard, many with kids under 11.  Some may have first vaccination.  These kids are being relegated to the ostracized class.  We are not willing to leave our granddaughter behind.  The whole point of the cruise was to share travel experiences with the whole family….go to the beach, have a local food lunch….three generations together..11 to 81.

Bucks are the bottom line apparently.  Change the itinerary or cancel the cruise.
We want out and we want our fare refunded.  We are diamond plus members and are really disappointed with the lack of full disclosure by RCCL.

[Jimbo]

Why not just cancel if you aren't happy with the protocols? I believe you can receive a full refund as per the CWC clause.

[smokeybandit]

Rules are no different there than they have been the last month plus.

 

Blame the CDC for holding the cruise lines hostage for another couple months

[adolfo2]

Practically EVERYWHERE is unfortunately a COVID Zone!

[cruiselvr04]

I personally would not plan an extended family cruise right now.  For us its too risky.  Only one person in your group needs to test positive and what happens?  Do the rest go or does everyone stay home?  Although our family loves cruising, right now is not the time for us yet.  

 

We are resuming cruising as a couple.  We can isolate prior and if we can't go we're only disappointing ourselves.  Testing is important to prevent spread on ships.  Accept the way it is right now or don't go.  Is this fun?  Nope.  I'm over it too but it is what it is.

 

 

 

 

[nelblu]

33 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Why not just cancel if you aren't happy with the protocols? I believe you can receive a full refund as per the CWC clause.

In my case, the protocols have to be announced before I can take any action(s).  I simply wanted to be pro-active as to my available choices.  The group also has some $2k+ in FCCs emanating from the Harmony sail and needed options.  I wish I could use them as I'm able to sail without any restrictions.  I paid for these as they were Xmas gifts.

[DMWT Cruiser]

I'm not sure what the complaint is here.  Those protocols have been in place for an extended period of time.  Cruising right now involves compromise.  Surely as an experienced cruiser you didn't just expect it to be business as usual, did you??

[hotsauce126]

I mean frankly since cruising resumed it’s been pretty obvious that they’re trying to make it as unappealing as possible to travel with anyone unvaccinated so I’m not really sure why you would choose a cruise in this scenario over some kind of land based vacation

[AustinCruise]

My understanding is you can refund due cash at 100% or FCC at 125%.  But that’s just what I read here. 
 

[DMWT Cruiser]

3 minutes ago, AustinCruise said:

My understanding is you can refund due cash at 100% or FCC at 125%.  But that’s just what I read here. 
 

Nope.  100% FCC if canceled up to 48 hours before sailing. 

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-with-confidence

[Sunshine3601]

4 hours ago, mauicruiser said:

Booked on Explorer, whole family for Thanksgiving week out of San Juan.  All vaccinated except 11 year old granddaughter.  Email from RCCL today outlines restrictions.  We expected some but these are ridiculous.  We all must arrive at ship with valid Covid test taken 48 hours prior.  (Puerto Rico does not require test if vaccinated.)  Our granddaughter will be tested for entry into Puerto Rico and retested again at the boarding.  
They advise three islands require ship tours only—Barbados, St Lucia, and St Kitts.  These islands require Covid tests on entry because they are dark red Covid zones.  Two have state dept “do not travel” warnings because of high Covid infection rates.  How does RC get tour exemptions?  Kids are treated like they are high Covid carriers while passengers on tour in these dark red ports are exposed to local adults and then come back to the children who are not allowed off the ship.  Who is the greater risk?  Interesting note that St Thomas and St Croix require Covid tests to enter yet RCCL says vaccinated guests can visit on their own.  ?? Will they drop that shoe next?  Below is part of the notice.

I believe that Royal Caribbean knows that this cruise itinerary should be cancelled.  Thanksgiving week the ship will have lots of families onboard, many with kids under 11.  Some may have first vaccination.  These kids are being relegated to the ostracized class.  We are not willing to leave our granddaughter behind.  The whole point of the cruise was to share travel experiences with the whole family….go to the beach, have a local food lunch….three generations together..11 to 81.

Bucks are the bottom line apparently.  Change the itinerary or cancel the cruise.
We want out and we want our fare refunded.  We are diamond plus members and are really disappointed with the lack of full disclosure by RCCL.

These protocols have been in place for a couple of months.   

The islands set their rules to protect their citizens.

I would love to cruise for thanksgiving or christmas but we have no desire to board a ship when they will be at their fullest since they began sailing.

 

I recently booked b2b sailing for january for 22 nights on anthem as I prefer these islands and will be content with ship excursion to beach, etc if that's my only option.   Much rather go to these islands than bahamas or cozumel.  

 

If you are unhappy with the protocols in place you may cancel and get full cash refund.  

[ZoeyVictoria]

I was booked on the December 5 sailing of the Explorer.  It was a cruise that required more expense and effort  than other cruises because it required flights and two hotels (we live within four hours of four Florida ports).  I was concerned about the ports being canceled or having protocols that I did not want to follow, as well as testing the day after the cancellation dates for the expensive hotels.  So on September 1 I gave up on this cruise and rebooked the Allure out of Florida for the same week.  My mind is at ease, I am looking forward to the cruise I booked, and I still look forward to the San Juan itinerary in the future.  Everyone has a point where the end does not justify the means.  I reached that point and took action to improve my situation.  It sounds like your family may have also reached that point.

[AustinCruise]

5 hours ago, mauicruiser said:

We are diamond plus members and are really disappointed with the lack of full disclosure by RCCL.

These are basically the rules that have been in place since our cruise in August. The writing has been in the wall for a long time. 

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, DMWT Cruiser said:

I'm not sure what the complaint is here. 

Welcome to CC, where being critical is the norm.

[kjenaz]

2 hours ago, DMWT Cruiser said:

I'm not sure what the complaint is here.  Those protocols have been in place for an extended period of time.  Cruising right now involves compromise.  Surely as an experienced cruiser you didn't just expect it to be business as usual, did you??

Totally agree - This has been in place for Celebrity for mutliple months.

[PCHENG]

First of all the State Department advisories don't make a whole lot of sense.  India with its 7 day average of 15k Covid cases per day was listed as level 2, while Taiwan with average of 6 cases per day was at level 3.  That doesn't even make sense.

 

Also, most of the cruise ports in the Caribbean are level 4 including British Virgin Islands, Aruba, Curacao, Cuba, Dominica, Haiti, Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Belize, St. Kitts, Antigua, Barbados and St. Vincent.  If Royal follows your advice it will have to cancel pretty much all Caribbean cruises.

Edited October 26, 2021 by PCHENG

[suzyluvs2cruise]

4 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Why not just cancel if you aren't happy with the protocols? I believe you can receive a full refund as per the CWC clause.

No Refund.....FCC only per CWC

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-with-confidence

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, kjenaz said:

Totally agree - This has been in place for Celebrity for mutliple months.

Lots of whining from folks about rules in place and rules that can and do change, cruise to cruise both before departing and while cruising.  Don't like it, just cancel.

[portseeker]

We are booked for  February 6 sailing on Explorer of the Seas.  Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to book 31 days out for everyone up to January 31, 2022, which would give us more time to access the current situation. 
We have been to all the islands numerous times in the past, and have our favorite spots.  We see nothing interesting for required RCCL tours (especially the train on St.Kitts).  We had private tours lined up.  Unless something changes in the next two weeks, we will be canceling.

 

[John Reid]

Non of these protocols should have come as a surprise. I received the same note for my 9/19 cruise and my upcoming 1/9 cruise that goes to the islands you mentioned. These are unpredictable times; to book a cruise based on what your expected protocols would be is ingenuous. To think that they may not change again is ingenuous.

 

You made a choice and, as the saying goes, Virus doesn't care what you think.

[Ashland]

3 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

CDC guidelines for cruising become optional on Jan 15th. Royal will certainly loosen some restrictions but probably not until Jan 15th has passed.

Our first post covid cruise sail's Jan 17th out of San Pedro so no flights for us...Both will have had our booster...We will have no problem with any policy change.

 

However March we have a B2B out of San Juan and hoping there will be no concerns about this one by the time she sails this southern itinerary.

 

 

[rockmom]

12 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Our first post covid cruise sail's Jan 17th out of San Pedro so no flights for us...Both will have had our booster...We will have no problem with any policy change.

 

However March we have a B2B out of San Juan and hoping there will be no concerns about this one by the time she sails this southern itinerary.

 

 

I have a cruise out of San Pedro in February, so much closer to home (Oregon/Washington) than Florida is for us.  However, when looking at the excursions, there isn't a single one that will allow a child under 12 and we will have a 10 year old with us. This is a short, 3 day cruise with just the one stop in Ensenada over the President's Day weekend.  We expect to have the 10 year old vaccinated by then and maybe if restrictions lift, we'll be able to leave the ship, but if not, pool, slides and arcade will be fine for us.  

[pcur]

OP:  Sorry for the rude and snarky comments.  They just add to the stress.  Seems to be getting to be the "new normal" here on CC.  

 

I suggest you keep the reservation for another 2 weeks, because the CDC and FDA are in current discussions about 5-11 year old children right now.  RCCL is going to want anyone sailing to be vaccinated at least 14 days before sailing, so that gives you until 11/11 to have her vaccinated.

 

Also, you don't have to cancel, you can transfer the booking to another cruise, keeping the booking number, so the monies follow.  The whole FCC and refund is if you want to CANCEL.  But, if you want to MOVE the cruise, then it's an easy process.  

 

I suggest you look at another holiday next year:  Valentines Day, Easter or Spring Break? Or, perhaps a combo trip of sailing the Navigator out of Los Angeles, and then add on Disneyland to the front or back of the cruise.  The Navi has a 7 day to Mexico, too.

 

I hope you find a solution, and I've been where you are recently.  I had to scramble to replace a Hawaii cruise that RCCL cancelled.  These are trying times for traveling.

[Lou33]

11 hours ago, mauicruiser said:

We want out and we want our fare refunded.

 

6 hours ago, DMWT Cruiser said:

Nope.  100% FCC if canceled up to 48 hours before sailing. 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-with-confidence

 

2 hours ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

No Refund.....FCC only per CWC

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-with-confidence

This doesn't fall under CWC.  If somebody doesn't agree with the November San Juan COVID protocols, which were just announced yesterday, they can get a full refund.  

 

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/07/01/royal-caribbean-will-refund-your-future-cruise-credits-if-you-dont-new-health-protocols

 

This is an older link, but I think the policy is still valid.  

[Psycho and Barb]

10 hours ago, mauicruiser said:

Bucks are the bottom line apparently.  Change the itinerary or cancel the cruise.

No way!  We are on this cruise with you and the week after...We booked it just for this itinerary.  We had this itinerary book last April on the Freedom but it got canceled due to Covid.  We are sorry your not happy with the protocols but we all knew there would probably still be some type of Covid restrictions when we booked.