This just in: Vaccine Mandate To Stay in Place "Indefinitely" (NCL)

[binro01]

So Frank Del Rio just said he plans to keep the vaccine mandate in place. "Indefinitely" What do you think the rest of the industry will do? Follow suite with their current vaccination requirements "Indefinitely"?

 

This is the first domino to fall with an indefinite mandate for proof of vaccination in the cruise industry. I don't think it will be the last.

[Sobro]

I received an email today from NCL regarding my January cruise on Epic, the front end of a S2S with Explorer on the back end. 

 

My reading of "indefinitely" doesn't mean "in perpetuity", it just means "quit bugging us about when the Vax mandate will end".

 

My Magic 8- ball is in the shop so I can't answer your question. 

Edited November 3, 2021 by Sobro

[binro01]

@Sobro Not so sure about that. He also went on. Del Rio said. "I think that continues to benefit our three brands. It's something we want to build on."

He also said "We're not going to sacrifice the health and safety of anyone in order to add a point or two (to our overall load factor). We will continue to mandate vaccination for as long as the science tells us to."

That seems a bit more then signaling quit complaining.

[smokeybandit]

Just bizarre timing for such a statement. You'd think it'd be more like "we're glad to see families join us again" 

[binro01]

@smokeybandit I think he is timing it with the 5+ year olds able to get vaccinated news. Saying welcome back kids! Just get the shot and you are good with us.

[NCMtnBoys]

Yes, we're especially interested to see what RCCL will do beyond January 15th when the CDC guidelines become recommendations rather than requirements, as we are sailing ON January 15th. Hoping that vaccine requirements stay in place on RCCL beyond that date.

Edited November 3, 2021 by NCMtnBoys

[BirdTravels]

Yeah!!!

 

NCL is setting the gold standard for cruising. With a 100% vaccinated cruise and 100% testing at check-in, they do not require masks when sailing out of US ports. They have no social distancing requirements. They have self serve buffets. And cruising is as normal as normal can be. We have sailed on Royal twice since restart. And we sailed on NCL once..... let's just say we won't be back to Royal for a while. 

[binro01]

38 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Yeah!!!

 

NCL is setting the gold standard for cruising. With a 100% vaccinated cruise and 100% testing at check-in, they do not require masks when sailing out of US ports. They have no social distancing requirements. They have self serve buffets. And cruising is as normal as normal can be. We have sailed on Royal twice since restart. And we sailed on NCL once..... let's just say we won't be back to Royal for a while. 

 

I think what we will see is Royal and the other lines get closer to NCL's protocols as more and more children become vaccinated. They want to get back to the product they offered pre-pandemic and the only way to do that sooner or later is with vaccination requirements.

[zekekelso]

Indefinitely doesn’t mean forever. It means until we change our mind and it’s not required. Ok, whatever. 

[PhillyFan33579]

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Yeah!!!

 

NCL is setting the gold standard for cruising. With a 100% vaccinated cruise and 100% testing at check-in, they do not require masks when sailing out of US ports. They have no social distancing requirements. They have self serve buffets. And cruising is as normal as normal can be. We have sailed on Royal twice since restart. And we sailed on NCL once..... let's just say we won't be back to Royal for a while. 

The only standard NCL is setting is significantly increasing the likelihood of a COViD breakout on their ships. While I understand the desire to get back to cruising normally, I will stick with cruise lines like RCI that have protocols in place to protect everyone on board the ship. 

[CPT Trips]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

The only standard NCL is setting is significantly increasing the likelihood of a COViD breakout on their ships. While I understand the desire to get back to cruising normally, I will stick with cruise lines like RCI that have protocols in place to protect everyone on board the ship. 

Nonsense.
There is no difference between to two lines protocols for vaccinated passengers.

The only difference is that Royal Caribbean requires masking in areas of the ship where unvaxxed people can mix with vaxxed people. That’s something that can’t happen on NCL as long as they keep their 100% vaccinated mandate in place.

[ReneeFLL]

Really hoping Royal follows NCL. 

[PhillyFan33579]

4 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

Nonsense.
There is no difference between to two lines protocols for vaccinated passengers.

The only difference is that Royal Caribbean requires masking in areas of the ship where unvaxxed people can mix with vaxxed people. That’s something that can’t happen on NCL as long as they keep their 100% vaccinated mandate in place.

Wearing masks inside the ship is a huge difference! Being vaccinated does not mean you are 100 percent protected from catching or spreading the COVID-19 virus. 

[Rangers1982]

Hi, some of you maybe following my other thread where I am currently confined in a quarantine hotel after my daughter was tested positive on the Harmony. In this hotel it is predominantly cruise ship passengers held here but we are the only ones with children (mainly 40-70 year olds). The vaccines don’t really work against transmission but work well against severe disease, but children don’t really get severe cases (more chances of death by lightning) so I really don’t understand the requirements for them to have a vaccine that will where off in a few months anyway. I think NCL are almost marketing that they’re covid free well tell that to the passengers that have been confined here from the Epic. People have responded to my posts on my quarantine saying this is why I will only sail NCL! As if covid isn’t a thing on NCL, the incubation period of 5 days of the delta variant before it shows on tests means that every single cruise ship will still unfortunately get some cases.

 

The other issue for RC is the majority of the rest of the world aren’t vaccinating children yet like the U.K. and that’s a big market for them. RC are a family cruise line so it’s a really difficult decision for them. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Wearing masks inside the ship is a huge difference! Being vaccinated does not mean you are 100 percent protected from catching or spreading the COVID-19 virus. 

And wearing masks is?  The way people wear their masks, and the types of masks they wear, you still don't stop people from spreading & catching the virus. 

[alfaeric]

Do people honestly think that the cruise lines will lift the requirements in Jan?  I VERY much don't see that- more that the cruise lines will continue to have the same requirements, for the most part, just without the constant oversight by the CDC.

 

Remember, once the plans were put into place, the cruise lines explicitly wanted the requirements laid out by the CDC- they fought plans to not require them.  It's in the best interest of the cruise lines to minimize any COVID spread on a ship, as they are one of the fastest "this is just a petri dish spreading death" in all of the news.  They can not handle more bad news- as governments all over the world would be forced to shut them down- or at least prevent them from stopping at ports.

 

IMHO, RCL will do exactly what NCL has done.  The one thing they will stop ASAP is masking- but it will be a while.

[binro01]

I believe @alfaeric hit it on the head. I see cruise lines wanting to get to an experience on board as close to how it was pre Covid. And they believe that the way to get there is higher vaccination rates.
 

You will see Royal move their vaccination requirement to ages 5+ And make a similar announcement that this requirement will be with us for an Indefinite period of time.

 

Families who will not vaccinate their eligible children will want to look at other options for a family vacation until that requirement is lifted. So if you have kids under twelve, and have a cruise planned to sail soon. Like from Jan 2022 out. Prepare to vaccinate them, or prepare to cancel. One of the 2 will most likely happen. 

Edited November 4, 2021 by binro01

[hotsauce126]

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Wearing masks inside the ship is a huge difference! Being vaccinated does not mean you are 100 percent protected from catching or spreading the COVID-19 virus. 

 

Being vaccinated makes 1000x the difference that masking makes. I can't believe this is even an argument

[UNCFanatik]

Good luck with this business strategy with the family market

 

Edited November 4, 2021 by UNCFanatik

[binro01]

All mitigation steps reduce the spread. The effective rate of a different for each. But any good military strategist will tell you, a layered defense is the best. The 2 things that get you the most protection is testing and vaccination in this war. With those 2, you can keep outbreaks to a minimum. The next is distancing and quarantining of positive testers and close contacts. Finally proper use of good masks such as N95 masks and hand sanitation is your last lines of defense.

 

I believe we will see vaccination, pre cruise testing, and capacity limits below 80% for some time. We might also see mandatory testing for everyone on day 4. The only reason we have not seen that yet it logistics and cost. But if lines want to get to 100 percent capacity and removal of the masks, we might see it.

[binro01]

4 minutes ago, UNCFanatik said:

Good luck with this business strategy with the family market

 

General population is not the cruising population. Just the vaccination rate of the cursing population is 2 standard deviations higher than the general population. I would like to see the numbers for parents who got their vaccination right away and what they will do with their children. I’m sure they will do the same with their children. Remember most of the cruise community did get their vaccination as soon as it was available to them. That’s the population the lines are targeting. Not the general population.

[PhillyFan33579]

24 minutes ago, hotsauce126 said:

 

Being vaccinated makes 1000x the difference that masking makes. I can't believe this is even an argument

 
If you read my posts, I didn’t say people should wear a mask instead of getting vaccinated. I said vaccinated people should still follow protocols like mask wearing and social distancing. NCL is implying their ships are 100% safe because everyone is vaccinated and that simply is not true. 

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, binro01 said:

Not the general population.

CEO Fain may disagree with you - he needs first timers to fill the ships.

[UNCFanatik]

2 minutes ago, binro01 said:

General population is not the cruising population. Just the vaccination rate of the cursing population is 2 standard deviations higher than the general population. I would like to see the numbers for parents who got their vaccination right away and what they will do with their children. I’m sure they will do the same with their children. Remember most of the cruise community did get their vaccination as soon as it was available to them. That’s the population the lines are targeting. Not the general population.

Time will definitely tell. I would just hope that going on a cruise is not the number one reason for a parent to get a 5-11 year old vaccinated. 

 

It is a strange business strategy though to limit your potential market. You may be right that the general cruising population has higher vax rates but the cruise lines want more than just current customer base. They run commercials on TV showing small children having fun to draw new people in not to appease their base. 

[travelwide]

2 hours ago, Rangers1982 said:

Hi, some of you maybe following my other thread where I am currently confined in a quarantine hotel after my daughter was tested positive on the Harmony. In this hotel it is predominantly cruise ship passengers held here but we are the only ones with children (mainly 40-70 year olds). The vaccines don’t really work against transmission but work well against severe disease, but children don’t really get severe cases (more chances of death by lightning) so I really don’t understand the requirements for them to have a vaccine that will where off in a few months anyway. I think NCL are almost marketing that they’re covid free well tell that to the passengers that have been confined here from the Epic. People have responded to my posts on my quarantine saying this is why I will only sail NCL! As if covid isn’t a thing on NCL, the incubation period of 5 days of the delta variant before it shows on tests means that every single cruise ship will still unfortunately get some cases.

 

The other issue for RC is the majority of the rest of the world aren’t vaccinating children yet like the U.K. and that’s a big market for them. RC are a family cruise line so it’s a really difficult decision for them. 

What is the name of the thread. Would love to follow it.