NCL to allow unvaccinated children beginning March 1

[jerseygirl3]

On 2/7/2022 at 7:18 PM, MsTabbyKats said:

If anything, because there will be unvaccinated kids, it'sll probably be stricter.

I wonder if they will allow people to cancel.  I signed up for a "no kids, no mask, completely vaccinated/tested cruise".  Not happy!

I read that along  with their new policy, they are allowing passengers who have recovered from Covid in the previous 90 days and are asymptomtic to forego precruise testing. They must provide documentation from a medical professsional that they have recovered fully.  This also applies to those that are unvaccinated. If they are doing that, they should allow those who are vaccinated and boostered to forego testing as well. 

[ggTexasGal]

On NCL site, as of 7:50 CST:

 

Cruises with embarkation dates through February 28, 2022:
All guests will be required to take a COVID-19 antigen test, administered and paid for by the cruise line, prior to boarding and receive a negative result. Any positive antigen test will be confirmed with a PCR test. Guests are also responsible for complying with all local health and safety requirements which may include additional testing.

In addition, while guests will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival at the terminal pre-embarkation, we highly recommend that guests self-test at home prior to departure.

Cruises with embarkation dates beginning March 1, 2022:
At time of check-in, all guests will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test result administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test (i.e. https://www.emed.com/ or BioReference's Scarlet service - BioReference sends a trained Scarlet Health Professional to your home to collect your COVID-19 test specimen), within two days prior to boarding for cruises originating in a U.S. port and three days prior for voyages departing from a non-U.S. port. Guests are also responsible for complying with all local health and safety requirements which may include additional testing.

Locate a Covid-19 Testing Provider Prior to Your Cruise:

Should you need to locate a testing provider prior to beginning travel or while traveling prior to your cruise, please visit TestForTravel.com, an easy-to-use online tool for locating COVID-19 testing providers around the world. Simply enter your zip code, or city and country, and the website will display locations, contact information, and testing hours. It also allows you to search by test type – PCR or Antigen.

Additionally, the following services offer a verified third party or medically supervised at home testing: https://www.emed.com/ or BioReference-Scarlett Concierge testing service.

Laboratory-Certified Testing from the Comfort and Convenience of
Your Own Home:

For guests that prefer to test prior to travel in the comfort of their home or while traveling, we have partnered with Inspired Diagnostics to provide FDA-approved, proctored, in-home antigen testing for our guests. Inspired Diagnostics is a subsidiary of Inspire Health Alliance, a leader in best-in-class health services. Testing at home is safe, simple, and convenient. Purchasing in-home testing kits takes just five simple, easy steps at: https://inspirediagnostics.com/ncl/.

[Hutcha]

11 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

No.  On Carnival, everyone that's unvaccinated must go through the exemption process regardless of whether they're recovered or not.  Exemptions are NOT guaranteed to be granted.  Disney ONLY allows unvaccinated children under the age of 5.  No exceptions are made for anyone else regardless of recovered status.

From Disney's site

Guests Recently Recovered from COVID-19
In some cases, people who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may still test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If Guests have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within 11 to 90 days of their sail date, they may qualify to be considered as “90-Day-Recovered.” With the appropriate documentation and subsequent approval, Guests considered “90-Day-Recovered” are not required to participate in COVID-19 testing during the Pre-Sail, Embarkation or Disembarkation phases of their voyage.

[MsTabbyKats]

9 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

I read that along  with their new policy, they are allowing passengers who have recovered from Covid in the previous 90 days and are asymptomtic to forego precruise testing. They must provide documentation from a medical professsional that they have recovered fully.  This also applies to those that are unvaccinated. If they are doing that, they should allow those who are vaccinated and boostered to forego testing as well. 

Agree!

Step by step......it's gonna be an evolution, not a revolution to get back to normalcy.

[Hutcha]

14 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

No.  On Carnival, everyone that's unvaccinated must go through the exemption process regardless of whether they're recovered or not.  Exemptions are NOT guaranteed to be granted.  Disney ONLY allows unvaccinated children under the age of 5.  No exceptions are made for anyone else regardless of recovered status.

 

From Carnival...

 

Will I still need a pre-cruise COVID test before embarkation if I have recently recovered from COVID-19?

Guests who have recovered from COVID-19 within 3 months of their sailing date do not need the required pre-cruise test if they are at least 10 days past their positive test result date, have no symptoms and produce documentation of recovery from COVID-19.

Documentation of Recovery is accepted for both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated guests.

Documentation of Recovery consists of the following:

• Paper or electronic copies of the positive viral test result from a certified laboratory (dated no more than 90 days ago), and
• A signed letter, on official letterhead that contains the name, address, and phone number of a licensed healthcare provider or public health official, stating that the individual has been cleared to end isolation, is at least 10 days past their positive test result date, and can travel. The letter should include the date of the positive test and patient identifiers such as name and date of birth that match the passport or other travel documents.

Guests who present these documents will need to go through secondary screening at the terminal and boarding will be approved at the medical staff’s discretion.

If guests are not able to obtain documentation of recovery that fulfills the above requirements, they will need to take the required COVID-19 viral test and show a negative result.

[jerseygirl3]

16 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

I read that along  with their new policy, they are allowing passengers who have recovered from Covid in the previous 90 days and are asymptomtic to forego precruise testing. They must provide documentation from a medical professsional that they have recovered fully.  This also applies to those that are unvaccinated. If they are doing that, they should allow those who are vaccinated and boostered to forego testing as well. 

Oops. I think that applies to Carnival, not NCL. Sorry for my error. 

[kuku77254]

If it's fine to let unvaccinated kids on board, then it should be fine to open the kids clubs.

[PaperSniper4]

52 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

......If they are doing that, they should allow those who are vaccinated and boostered to forego testing as well. 

Sounds good, but that might require a "doctor's note" two days before sailing.....that might even be harder to schedule that the danged tests!😎

 

Doug

[mjkacmom]

59 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

I read that along  with their new policy, they are allowing passengers who have recovered from Covid in the previous 90 days and are asymptomtic to forego precruise testing. They must provide documentation from a medical professsional that they have recovered fully.  This also applies to those that are unvaccinated. If they are doing that, they should allow those who are vaccinated and boostered to forego testing as well. 

My daughter just tested positive (mandatory test to come back on campus). She had Covid over a year ago, and 3 shots. She does have symptoms.

[kitkat343]

On 2/8/2022 at 9:01 AM, footballbabe3 said:

We have a cruise paid for in April. If they do this we will be getting our money back 

By April, there is a chance that the vaccine will be available for kids under 5.  Once that happens, NCL will require it for boarding.  You might want to see how much time they will give you to choose whether or not to reschedule or cancel.

 

 

I'm also a parent of two vaccinated children, and one 3 year old.  We've taken our kids on a  lot of cruises, and love traveling with cruises because the kids club gives us a break, and we love taking private tours to explore new cities.  The problem for the cruise lines is that even if you allow unvaccinated kids, they are required to go on bubble tours (and a tour with an overtired toddler when you can't control the itinerary is my idea of hell) and the kids clubs either need to be moved outdoors or limited.  Although I'd love to sail again, I can't until the kids clubs are fully restored and we  have the ability to go on private tours so we can control the itinerary and minimize meltdowns (and keep our kids from ruining everyone else's tour)

 

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by kitkat343

[coffeebean]

On 2/8/2022 at 9:53 AM, PaperSniper4 said:

Thanks. Sometimes the obvious escapes me..............😳

 

I am probably more paranoid than many, but I'll still be wearing a mask pretty much all the time unless I'm in the cabin or eating, out of the deck outside a crowd, etc, etc. I know masks are not totally effective, but they do offer additional protection, and some of us old farts need all the protection we can get. I am encouraged by the latest numbers on new Covid cases, etc, but I have always tended to be pretty conservative. Hopefully those who choose to not mask aren't offended by me wearing my mask.

 

Doug

No one should ever be offended by seeing an individual wearing a mask, especially an N95 mask. I just hope everyone does understand that there are folks who are immunocompromised who should wear a protective mask. Personally, I don't need to mask up so I will not be wearing one.

[NYcruzzer]

Not trying to stir anything up. I heard that NCL  made casinos non-smoking when they instituted a mask mandate.  On March 1st do you think they will allow smoking in the casino ?

[bigrednole]

1 minute ago, NYcruzzer said:

Not trying to stir anything up. I heard that NCL  made casinos non-smoking when they instituted a mask mandate.  On March 1st do you think they will allow smoking in the casino ?

I thought the casinos were non-smoking to begin with except the special smoking casino.

[BermudaBound2014]

4 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

By April, there is a chance that the vaccine will be available for kids under 5.  Once that happens, NCL will require it for boarding.  

 

I don’t believe this to be true. Cruise lines are easing protocols in order to attract more consumers. It is estimated that only 20% of adults will choose to vaccinate their children who are under 5. It’s business. 

[BermudaBound2014]

6 hours ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

That is handy now, but in 3 or 4 months the vast majority of the population will be outside of that 3 month range.

As more research is done on the effectiveness of natural immunity, it is possible (likely) the 3 months could be extended.

[mjkacmom]

56 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

As more research is done on the effectiveness of natural immunity, it is possible (likely) the 3 months could be extended.

I know SO many people who are getting it again, and those unvaccinated getting hit just as hard as the first time they got it.

[elcuchio24]

Booked two NCL cruises in the past 72hrs. Whole family if vaxx'd already, but the no mask thing is a game changer! Can wait

[FlGoodShips]

2 hours ago, bigrednole said:

I thought the casinos were non-smoking to begin with except the special smoking casino.

Just got off Joy and smoking part of casino was open. Literally doors open and NO smoking at all in casino. It all was considered non-smoking.

[elcuchio24]

6 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

My daughter just tested positive (mandatory test to come back on campus). She had Covid over a year ago, and 3 shots. She does have symptoms.

 

Fully Vaxxed, had it a year ago the OG version and just had Omicron late '21. First was a crappy cold, second time was a weak cold. I'm sure I'll get it again eventually, hear to stay, live your life! Hope your daughter is well soon!

[mjkacmom]

7 minutes ago, elcuchio24 said:

 

Fully Vaxxed, had it a year ago the OG version and just had Omicron late '21. First was a crappy cold, second time was a weak cold. I'm sure I'll get it again eventually, hear to stay, live your life! Hope your daughter is well soon!

I think this cold is equal to her first unvaccinated cold.

[BermudaBound2014]

17 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I know SO many people who are getting it again, and those unvaccinated getting hit just as hard as the first time they got it.

The cdc is severely lagging in natural immunity data, but international data suggests that natural immunity provides protection equal to vaccination for a similar timeframe. We know that vaccination has a shelf life (as indicated by booster recommendation). There is also a trend called “super immunity” which comes from a combination of both.  Perhaps take a look at the study published a few weeks ago from the New England Journal of Medicine. 
 

 

[lixogab]

There is one thing that drives me crazy:

We are sailing on Feb 27th. So the ship will be still fully vaccinated and everybody will be tested at the port.

Still we will have to wear masks.

A hypothetical Mar 1st sailing would have unvaccinated people and less reliable 48 hours testing but  not forced to wear masks.

Where is the logic?

[Hutcha]

3 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

I know SO many people who are getting it again, and those unvaccinated getting hit just as hard as the first time they got it.

Where? Where do you get this stat from. I can give you a study that say natural immunity has proven to be more effective than the shot.

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/prior-covid-infection-more-protective-than-vaccination-during-delta-surge-us-2022-01-19/

 

[Hutcha]

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

The cdc is severely lagging in natural immunity data, but international data suggests that natural immunity provides protection equal to vaccination for a similar timeframe. We know that vaccination has a shelf life (as indicated by booster recommendation). There is also a trend called “super immunity” which comes from a combination of both.  Perhaps take a look at the study published a few weeks ago from the New England Journal of Medicine. 
 

 

Protection is greater from natural immunity than the shot.

[jerseygirl3]

9 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

My daughter just tested positive (mandatory test to come back on campus). She had Covid over a year ago, and 3 shots. She does have symptoms.

So obviously she's been infected again. Probably a new variant. Possibly the new Stealth variant?  I hope she has a swift recovery