CDC Replaces Expiring CSO on Jan 15 with new Voluntary COVID 19 Programs

[Ken the cruiser]

Here's an interesting Cruise Critic article that was just posted. One entry that caught my eye was the following:

 

Participating lines' ships will continue to receive red, orange, yellow or green color status based on the number COVID-19 cases below or above the CDC's investigation threshold, although the qualifiers for yellow, orange and red color status are being updated. Additionally, case thresholds were set at 0.1% under the current CSO but will rise to 0.3% in the new voluntary program.

 

We're also curious how long it will take for Celebrity to stop requiring negative antigen tests the day prior to transition day for folks on B2B cruises.

 

Lines that opt in to the program will continue to see masking and testing guidelines, and be able to dial back some of the onboard masking and other health protocols on ships sailing with at least a 95% vaccination rate among crew and passengers.

 

CDC Replaces Expiring Conditional Sailing Order with New Voluntary COVID-19 Cruise Program (cruisecritic.com)

 

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[PTC DAWG]

I see this as good news going forward..

[cbfb]

I’m amazed that part of the voluntary program includes going back to self serve buffets. This is just 2 weeks after the CDC elevated cruising to level 4. So inconsistent. 

[IBookHePays]

Happy to hear this, but I am also leery of things like the self serve buffets. We will continue to be cautious.

[Arizona Wildcat]

What will be most interesting to see is if the CDC releases reported covid cases on board from 12/29 to 1/12.  They should be released on Friday if consistent with before.

I would expect Celebrity to continue doing exactly what they are doing today until this wave passes.

The new report from the CDC should certainly change the color to orange or red on some ships.  Hard to see 5000+ cases in late December and supposedly only a couple ships over .1%.  That would mean 4 cases on a ship with 4000 people.   Hmmmm.

[Alakegirl]

It’s some poor writing and math skills in tandem

 

they mean to write 1% or .01

that’s 1 out of a hundred 

 

but what they wrote — .1% is simply wrong 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Alakegirl

[brownc424]

38 minutes ago, cbfb said:

I’m amazed that part of the voluntary program includes going back to self serve buffets. This is just 2 weeks after the CDC elevated cruising to level 4. So inconsistent. 

 

My guess is that this is part of the overall government strategy to acknowledge directly or indirectly that they expect everyone to get covid, and that as long as you're vaccinated they're OK with it. 

[MamaFej]

51 minutes ago, cbfb said:

I’m amazed that part of the voluntary program includes going back to self serve buffets. This is just 2 weeks after the CDC elevated cruising to level 4. So inconsistent. 

This is disappointing. I have appreciated the served buffets on my 4 post-shutdown cruises. On Millenium in September, I talked to the executive chef and told him how glad we were to have served buffets. He told me that he had heard that from a lot of passengers. I asked if there was less food waste. He said that was hard to guage with the reduced number of passengers, but he felt that there was definitely less waste.

 

Now, if there is enough reduction in food waste to overcome the staffing costs, I think they might continue it. However, I doubt that would be the case. Mind you, at reduced capacity, we never had a wait longer than 30 seconds for food. At regular capacity, waits would no dobut be longer, and passengers may not be happy about that. 

[PTC DAWG]

23 minutes ago, Alakegirl said:

It’s some poor writing and math skills in tandem

 

they mean to write 1% or .01

that’s 1 out of a hundred 

 

but what they wrote — .1% is simply wrong 

 

 

I thought the same thing…math is hard for some. 

[Virginia100]

I’m still waiting to my Beyond cruise on 8/8. Forget this Caribbean season with Omincron.

[RICCruisers]

This makes my decision easier. I will be canceling my cruise on 1/24. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

31 minutes ago, Alakegirl said:

It’s some poor writing and math skills in tandem

 

they mean to write 1% or .01

that’s 1 out of a hundred 

 

but what they wrote — .1% is simply wrong 

 

 

Alakegirl - it is correct.  The policy for green is .1% of passengers (1 out of 1000) and I was surprised that zero crew cases allowed.  That now changes to .3% or 3 out of 1000.

[italgal24]

Back to self serve buffet after telling vaccinated people not to cruise?  CDC has little credibility with their mixed signals.

[PTC DAWG]

12 minutes ago, RICCruisers said:

This makes my decision easier. I will be canceling my cruise on 1/24. 

What are you reading that has you worried?  Genuinely curious..

[bEwAbG]

Most of this was probably written before the latest variant.  If ships go back to self-serve buffet and cases skyrocket, then they will have to deal with that. 

[asnaleah]

23 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

What are you reading that has you worried?  Genuinely curious..

Me too. Celebrity doesn’t have to return to self serve buffets or get rid of the mask mandate. CDC just allows them to do it if they choose. 

[hcat]

We mostly avoid the buffet.

Only exception..Waffles!

[Peery5]

Going from silhouette to apex on 15th.  Hope Celebrity keeps doing what it’s doing for at least one more week.  If my cruise was a month from now, would probably cancel.  But since it is in 3 days, hopefully won’t be much change.  I personally think it is a mistake to just go back to cruising like it used to be. At least for now.  

[Dancing Shoes]

2 hours ago, brownc424 said:

 

My guess is that this is part of the overall government strategy to acknowledge directly or indirectly that they expect everyone to get covid, and that as long as you're vaccinated they're OK with it. 

I think this was quoted on the national news tonight.  I am waiting for my 4th booster.....

[RICCruisers]

2 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

What are you reading that has you worried?  Genuinely curious..

Probably jumped the gun on this one. I’ll wait to see what type of relaxation X might make on what I view as important safety protocols. The issue is our cruise is 1/24 and it doesn’t leave much time to decide. 

[RichYak]

3 hours ago, Alakegirl said:

It’s some poor writing and math skills in tandem

 

they mean to write 1% or .01

that’s 1 out of a hundred 

 

but what they wrote — .1% is simply wrong 

I only see one reference to 0.1% in the article. It is correct.

[jelayne]

Since Celebrity’s  CWC and Covid assistance is in place until the end of April I doubt there will be any significant changes to the protocols for awhile.  They don’t want a major outbreak.  The Covid assistance aside a major outbreak would hit crew as well making it difficult to operate, not to mention a public relations disaster.
 

 

[cangelmd]

10 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Since Celebrity’s  CWC and Covid assistance is in place until the end of April I doubt there will be any significant changes to the protocols for awhile.  They don’t want a major outbreak.  The Covid assistance aside a major outbreak would hit crew as well making it difficult to operate, not to mention a public relations disaster.
 

 

Cruiselines are still very financially strapped, different lines have different passenger bases, with varying vaccination rates - it’s going to be months before the under 5s can get a shot, for example- but Celeb is a line that I don’t see dropping vaccination requirements, masking yes, vaccines no. If infection rates stabilize, they might make some changes to attract more families over the summer, but I rather doubt it. There is also the issue of keeping crew safe, requiring vaccines of passengers and providing boosters to crew seems like it will be important even after omicron subsides.

 

The CDC color levels have been a little extreme the whole time, and yes I think it has been 1 in 1000 the whole time. I think they set it that low for detection purposes, it’s not like they have taken action against a ship that moved to the highest level, they just started an investigation.

[canderson]

@cangelmd

Agreed ... X would be crazy to drop their vaccination requirement unless they're going to change up and start dealing in antibody levels.  Having some confidence that the likely near term increase in symptomatic cases won't overwhelm their medical staff with more seriously ill pax is their only option.  

[PTC DAWG]

11 minutes ago, canderson said:

@cangelmd

Agreed ... X would be crazy to drop their vaccination requirement unless they're going to change up and start dealing in antibody levels.  Having some confidence that the likely near term increase in symptomatic cases won't overwhelm their medical staff with more seriously ill pax is their only option.  

I don’t see the vaccine requirement going away for quite some time myself.