When will cruise lines drop the vaccine requirement?

[logan25]

We need further details to emerge before I could say whether cruise ship passengers are tested in between each Canadian port stop.  Each time the ship sets sail, it “leaves” Canada.  I do agree the ship is not visiting any other country in between. 

[chengkp75]

17 minutes ago, logan25 said:

We need further details to emerge before I could say whether cruise ship passengers are tested in between each Canadian port stop.  Each time the ship sets sail, it “leaves” Canada.  I do agree the ship is not visiting any other country in between. 

While the ship exits Canadian territorial waters in between ports, if there is no non-Canadian port in between two Canadian ports, then that voyage is considered "domestic", and entirely within Canada.  The high seas are under no jurisdiction, it is the act of entering a foreign port that makes the voyage "international", and requires immigration and customs clearance when re-entering Canada.  Similarly, a cruise between Los Angeles and Hawaii, does not "leave" the US if there are no foreign ports in between.  The port call in Mexico at the end of the voyage is what makes the voyage "international", and the only "entry" into the US is from Mexico.

Edited March 12, 2022 by chengkp75

[logan25]

4 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

While the ship exits Canadian territorial waters in between ports, if there is no non-Canadian port in between two Canadian ports, then that voyage is considered "domestic", and entirely within Canada.  The high seas are under no jurisdiction, it is the act of entering a foreign port that makes the voyage "international", and requires immigration and customs clearance when re-entering Canada.  Similarly, a cruise between Los Angeles and Hawaii, does not "leave" the US if there are no foreign ports in between.  The port call in Mexico at the end of the voyage is what makes the voyage "international", and the only "entry" into the US is from Mexico.

I bow to your expertise.  
 

But I still think Canada can do any ‘ole impractical thing it wishes.  Cruise ships and passengers can choose to abide or forgo.  I am cancelling a back to back Alaska cruise because I am not willing to put up with even more inconvenience.

[ChiefMateJRK]

6 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

I believe it is only required before the first entry into Canada.

That's the problem.  It's all just speculation at this point.  Everything that I've found published on the new Canadian rules seem to just deal with beginning or ending a cruise in Canada (and really don't explain what is required for a B2B turnaround in Quebec City.  Final payment date will fall in June, so that's months before those Eastern Canada cruises resume (at least for NCL).  My fallback is a fall AK cruise.  Since those resume in April, we'll have a lot of answers by that point.  

[BermudaBound2014]

This is a few weeks old now, but new information to me and relevant in that more and more countries are dropping vaccine requirements for entry.

 

Anyway, Iceland is added to the list of countries no longer having any covid related requirements to enter. No vaccine. No test. It's only a matter of time, and the dominoes are falling fast.

 

https://ca.travelpulse.com/news/impacting-travel/iceland-opens-wide-dropping-all-covid-entry-restrictions.html

 

PS: Pure opinion, but I think Canada will also relax restrictions for the Alaskan cruise season given the economic report on how much money Vancouver lost last year.

[ChiefMateJRK]

58 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

PS: Pure opinion, but I think Canada will also relax restrictions for the Alaskan cruise season given the economic report on how much money Vancouver lost last year.

I hope you're right.  I used to think that Canada had some odd quirks (the Gov, not the fine Canucks), but, as the saying goes, "it's getting weirder."  I personally think it is just plain nuts to require everybody on a cruise ship to be Covid tested (again) in order for the ship to stop in Victoria for an evening.  What happens when a single passenger tests positive?  What happens when a single passenger can't be found and tested?  Is the ship banned from docking?

[BermudaBound2014]

7 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I hope you're right.  I used to think that Canada had some odd quirks (the Gov, not the fine Canucks), but, as the saying goes, "it's getting weirder."  I personally think it is just plain nuts to require everybody on a cruise ship to be Covid tested (again) in order for the ship to stop in Victoria for an evening.  What happens when a single passenger tests positive?  What happens when a single passenger can't be found and tested?  Is the ship banned from docking?

 

It is nuts. Did you see the article I linked to about BC changing covid restrictions? They seem pretty 'done' with covid too. I don't think that those who govern Vancouver are going to allow another season of lost revenue and the current ridiculous hoops will lead to that. Of course, Truedeau is a different matter entirely, but just like here in Hawaii, Ige and Victorino were all about adding restrictions in February and did a complete 180. So quickly that all restrictions will be lifted in Hawaii 2 short weeks. Talk about slamming on the brakes and reversing course. The tide is turning. Canada will to. It's business. 

Edited March 12, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[brightfeather]

On 3/10/2022 at 7:56 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

I think this is a bad idea. Let’s say someone unvaccinated tests positive 3 days Into their cruise. That means you (a vaccinated person) could end up locked in a quarantine room just because you sat next to the infected person during the comedy show. 
 

I believe tests and quarantine are best saved  for those who are actually symptomatic. 

Umm, cruise ship passengers right now, who are vaxxed (duh), are still getting it from other vaxxed passengers/crew and those cruise ship  passengers are being quarantined.  It doesn't make any difference.  And yes, if you go on a cruise tomorrow, you will get quarantined if you test positive.  Sounds like great fun to me.  Not.

[MoCruiseFan]

On 3/11/2022 at 6:06 PM, Diane67B said:

It is only a pain with regards to the timing of it all. Perhaps I should have been more clear.

 

 

Go to CVS or Walgreens site and make two clicks, yeah it is a real pain in the neck!

Edited April 6, 2022 by MoCruiseFan

[BermudaBound2014]

5 hours ago, brightfeather said:

Umm, cruise ship passengers right now, who are vaxxed (duh), are still getting it from other vaxxed passengers/crew and those cruise ship  passengers are being quarantined.  It doesn't make any difference.  And yes, if you go on a cruise tomorrow, you will get quarantined if you test positive.  Sounds like great fun to me.  Not.

 

The Possibility of getting quarantined is the #1 reason I have elected other types of vacations the last few years and will likely continue to do so even though I love cruising (and I especially love the last minute bargain fares being offered). Case in point, The Ruby Princess just has a bit of an outbreak and they were back to heightened quarantining and all passengers wearing masks at the flick of a switch. 

 

[Debde]

With the CDC dropping the travel health notice-could this mean this pre-cruise testing may possibly go away in the near future???

I know it's just conjecture but even a little chit chat about it maybe going away could spring some hope, at least for me!!  😏

[Thenagers]

On 3/7/2022 at 4:45 PM, 1025cruise said:

The islands the ships sail to have to drop the requirement first.

I am not sure about the islands yet but you have to be boosted to cruise in Europe.  Might just be a global thing for the near future even if US does not require the 3rd shot.

[BermudaBound2014]

5 minutes ago, Thenagers said:

I am not sure about the islands yet but you have to be boosted to cruise in Europe.  Might just be a global thing for the near future even if US does not require the 3rd shot.

This is not accurate. You do have to be boosted to visit some countries in Europe, but others (Iceland, Ireland, Norway to name a few) have dropped ALL vaccine requirements and all testing requirements and all masking requirements.
 

It’s as if half the world is opening up while the other half is doubling down. Cruisers must be very diligent about staying informed as the requirements seem to be changing daily. 

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, Thenagers said:

I am not sure about the islands yet but you have to be boosted to cruise in Europe.  Might just be a global thing for the near future even if US does not require the 3rd shot.

 

I just came across this article which lists 22 countries who have removed all vaccine mandates and testing requirements to enter. That doesn't mean a cruise ship won't have special requirements, but many countries are no longer requiring vaccines, masks, testing, or boosters.

 

• Montenegro
• Moldova
• England
• Romania
• Ireland
• Hungary
• Jordan
• Bahrain
• Switzerland
• Norway
• Costa Rica
• Mexico
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Argentina
• Curacao
• Poland
• Denmark
• Sweden
• Slovenia
• Grenada
• Mongolia

https://www.travelinglifestyle.net/countries-without-covid-travel-restrictions-no-test-no-quarantine/

 

[At Sea At Peace]

On 4/6/2022 at 2:47 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

The Possibility of getting quarantined is the #1 reason I have elected other types of vacations the last few years and will likely continue to do so even though I love cruising (and I especially love the last minute bargain fares being offered). 

 

 

The same for us.  We miss our 10-12 weeks a year on the new ships but simply we are also not ready to accept the risk of getting quarantined, possibly separated and having to go through the whole ordeal.

 

We've enjoyed and been enticed by the CC members with live cruise sharing @BennyBrun  @John&LaLa @snj cruisers and the like.

 

We have stepped out of the lockdown protocols, have visited and have been visited by all three of our sons, families (four grandkids) through airports, hotels, etc.  We did not do that in 2020 and incrementally increased such in 2021 and, except for cruising, have plans for return to pre-pandemic socialization and family togetherness for 2022.