Update to protocols for 5-11 year olds??

[denas]

We are sailing in the Anthem over Christmas. Out 11-year-old gets his first vaccine dose in a few days and will be fully vaccinated by our cruise. 
 

Amy idea when RCCL will start to address the changes to health requirements for this group- especially the bubble tours in Nassau and the testing requirements?  I

[AustinCruise]

Just now, denas said:

We are sailing in the Anthem over Christmas. Out 11-year-old gets his first vaccine dose in a few days and will be fully vaccinated by our cruise. 
 

Amy idea when RCCL will start to address the changes to health requirements for this group- especially the bubble tours in Nassau and the testing requirements?  I

No. We have no idea. 

[not-enough-cruising]

7 minutes ago, denas said:

We are sailing in the Anthem over Christmas. Out 11-year-old gets his first vaccine dose in a few days and will be fully vaccinated by our cruise. 
 

Amy idea when RCCL will start to address the changes to health requirements for this group- especially the bubble tours in Nassau and the testing requirements?  I

If your child is fully vaccinated by the date of embarkation, they will be treated the same as any other fully vaccinated passenger; regardless of age.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, not-enough-cruising said:

If your child is fully vaccinated by the date of embarkation, they will be treated the same as any other fully vaccinated passenger; regardless of age.

I would not assume that.

[orville99]

No one knows for sure, but when 12-17 YO's became eligible, it took RCL quite awhile (~2 months) before they added their vaccination status to the protocols. Our youngest grandson (8YO) just got his first jab yesterday, so presuming he gets his second jab in 21 days and it takes another 14 before his vaccine is fully effective, he won't be considered fully vaccinated until ~Christmas. I doubt RCL or any of the other cruise lines will act on their protocols until well after the new year - IMO probably not before February.

[denas]

11 minutes ago, orville99 said:

No one knows for sure, but when 12-17 YO's became eligible, it took RCL quite awhile (~2 months) before they added their vaccination status to the protocols. Our youngest grandson (8YO) just got his first jab yesterday, so presuming he gets his second jab in 21 days and it takes another 14 before his vaccine is fully effective, he won't be considered fully vaccinated until ~Christmas. I doubt RCL or any of the other cruise lines will act on their protocols until well after the new year - IMO probably not before February.

That stinks. I really don’t like the “bubble tour” options in Nassau. And having to do the testing on different time intervals is a bit painful too. 
 

Edited to add-

 

part of the problem is that RCCL didn’t divide groups into “vaccinated” and “unvaccinated”. They divided by age too and specifically separate 5-11 year olds with different rules. Carnival didn’t do that which gives them a lot more flexibility to allow vaccinated children the same freedoms as vaccinated adults. 

Edited November 7, 2021 by denas

[comfixit]

If your child is fully vaccinated (14 days from the second shot before they board the boat) then I believe the vaccinated passenger rules apply to that age group.

 

In the FAQs etc it says unvaccinated children in terms of the provisions. So depending on the timing of the last shot and your departure you may be good.

 

As of January 16 it looks like RCCLs Covid 19 protocols will be voluntary (ie CDC and RCCL will come up with the protocols but will ultimately be up to RCCL) according to the latest stock meeting communication.

 

That of course doesn’t help for a Dec sailing for this year.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

Our youngest grandson (8YO) just got his first jab yesterday, so presuming he gets his second jab in 21 days and it takes another 14 before his vaccine is fully effective, he won't be considered fully vaccinated until ~Christmas.

mine got his first shot yesterday, next shot - Dec 4 (only because we are cruising at 21 days), so fully vaxxed by Dec 18. Definitely fully vaxxed BEFORE Christmas.

 

Just because RCI doesn't require 5-11 kids to be vaccinated at this time, doesn't mean they can't be fully vaccinated and considered to be so before they cruise at the end of December. IMHO.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Itchy&Scratchy

[orville99]

25 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

Definitely fully vaxxed BEFORE Christmas.

You do realize what “~” means….

And the original question was not whether they would be considered fully vaccinated, but whether they would be REQUIRED to be fully vaccinated.

Edited November 7, 2021 by orville99

[Sunshine3601]

2 hours ago, denas said:

That stinks. I really don’t like the “bubble tour” options in Nassau. And having to do the testing on different time intervals is a bit painful too. 
 

Edited to add-

 

part of the problem is that RCCL didn’t divide groups into “vaccinated” and “unvaccinated”. They divided by age too and specifically separate 5-11 year olds with different rules. Carnival didn’t do that which gives them a lot more flexibility to allow vaccinated children the same freedoms as vaccinated adults. 

Right now you are simply assuming they will not count a vaxxed child as being vaxxed suggest you wait till you actually find out from royal on their protocols for a vaxxed child.

 

Last I heard carnival was only allowing a certain number of unvaxxed children onboard.  Did they announce new protocols for children 5 thru 11?

[not-enough-cruising]

3 hours ago, Biker19 said:

I would not assume that.

Why would a fully vaccinated 11 year old be viewed any differently that a fully vaccinated 20 year old? 
If Royal is taking the stand that vaccines are the vector by which we gauge safety, then there can be no segregation of “fully vaccinated” based on age; that kills the narrative. 

[not-enough-cruising]

24 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Right now you are simply assuming they will not count a vaxxed child as being vaxxed suggest you wait till you actually find out from royal on their protocols for a vaxxed child.

 

Last I heard carnival was only allowing a certain number of unvaxxed children onboard.  Did they announce new protocols for children 5 thru 11?

Royal already has protocols for a vaccinated child; they are the same as protocols for a vaccinated adult. There can be no age distinction. Vaccinated is vaccinated, regardless of age. 

[not-enough-cruising]

30 minutes ago, orville99 said:

You do realize what “~” means….

And the original question was not whether they would be considered fully vaccinated, but whether they would be REQUIRED to be fully vaccinated.

 No, that is not the original question. 

[LuCruise]

Don't they still give wristbands?  That way, they can tell who is vaccinated and who is not.  Age shouldn't matter....only if you have received your final dose  2 weeks before cruise date.

[denas]

6 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Royal already has protocols for a vaccinated child; they are the same as protocols for a vaccinated adult. There can be no age distinction. Vaccinated is vaccinated, regardless of age. 

Except when I go to the required testing it says “children 5-11” and lists additional testing requirements. It actually doesn’t say “vaccinated guests” and “non-vaccinated guests”. And on the shore excursions it says guests with children under 12 must take an RCCL excursion. Again it doesn’t say “unvaccinated” and “vaccinated”. What I don’t want to have happen is me to follow the rules for a fully vaccinated guest regarding testing or being able to leave the ship in Nassau and find out we can’t board (or go in our own excursion) because my son is 11 and they are breaking down requirements for children by age. 

[smokeybandit]

No matter your view on kid vaccines, RC really needs to update their stuff to acknowledge 5-11s that are fully vaccinated as such.

[denas]

6 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

No matter your view on kid vaccines, RC really needs to update their stuff to acknowledge 5-11s that are fully vaccinated as such.

This. Which was why I asked in the first place and compared to Carnival who simply state “vaccinated and unvaccinated” and don’t add ages. And it’s not like they didn’t have all of the last month when we all knew approval was just around the corner to think about this!!  Here’s hoping there next Covid protocol updates and clarifies this a bit.

 

I mostly just don’t want to do a bubble tour and do want to get off the ship in Nassau. So trying to decide if I should book both and then cancel after I get more clarification. 

[AustinCruise]

11 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

No matter your view on kid vaccines, RC really needs to update their stuff to acknowledge 5-11s that are fully vaccinated as such.

I fully agree that is the question. When will Royal make this change?  The answer is still we just do not know. 

[orville99]

27 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

 No, that is not the original question. 

 

Actually, it was exactly what the original question was:

 

”Any idea when RCCL will start to address the changes to health requirements for this group”

[not-enough-cruising]

20 minutes ago, denas said:

Except when I go to the required testing it says “children 5-11” and lists additional testing requirements. It actually doesn’t say “vaccinated guests” and “non-vaccinated guests”. And on the shore excursions it says guests with children under 12 must take an RCCL excursion. Again it doesn’t say “unvaccinated” and “vaccinated”. What I don’t want to have happen is me to follow the rules for a fully vaccinated guest regarding testing or being able to leave the ship in Nassau and find out we can’t board (or go in our own excursion) because my son is 11 and they are breaking down requirements for children by age. 

Those protocols were written when their was no possibility of an unvaccinated guest between the ages of 5-11 (and that still isn't possible due to timing), give it a month and things will change

[not-enough-cruising]

3 minutes ago, orville99 said:

 

Actually, it was exactly what the original question was:

 

”Any idea when RCCL will start to address the changes to health requirements for this group”

Sorry but you are incorrect, the question is regarding requirements such as "bubble tours" (quote taken from the original post, and nothing to do with vaccine requirements. The OP is asking about when their child is vaccinated, of their own choice, not mandated by the cruiseline line.

[Biker19]

46 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Why would a fully vaccinated 11 year old be viewed any differently that a fully vaccinated 20 year old? 

Because RCI is slow in adopting policies which makes sense. Yes, eventually RCI will adopt those rules, but if you try to take a fully vaccinated 11 year on a cruise tomorrow, you are bound to have issues. 

[csnarpy]

I asked my Royal strategic account manager this and this was her reply:

i was asking about my 10yr old becoming fully vaccinated while on the cruise.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by csnarpy

[Merion_Mom]

13 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Because RCI is slow in adopting policies which makes sense. Yes, eventually RCI will adopt those rules, but if you try to take a fully vaccinated 11 year on a cruise tomorrow, you are bound to have issues. 

 

An 11 year old could not be fully vaxxed tomorrow.

[Biker19]

Just now, Merion_Mom said:

 

An 11 year old could not be fully vaxxed tomorrow.

Of course they could, one of the ones that was part of the trials.