Unvaccinated flying into Vancouver for Alaskan cruise

[Mom&MeCruiseAL]

We booked a year ago.  Requirements change all the time. It's really hard to keep up.   My husband and I are fully vaccinated so I didn't think twice.  It's just others in our group, including some that have never been on a cruise or out of the country, are not vaccinated.  I'm just trying to get information for them.  One of them doesn't have a computer and is not good with his smart phone either.   I appreciate the guidance.  

[Mom&MeCruiseAL]

13 minutes ago, Enzma said:

But the real issue from onset is/was cruise line offering exemptions.without advising of port/country rules and laws.this could possibly be inexperience or total lack of information

Exactly.  The cruise line and airline.  Nothing was noted when we booked the flights last summer.  And we have not received anything to say that there are requirements to board the plane or when we land.  

[familycruzinnewbie]

Princess does have the information listed on their website. Problem is they mention that Canada has a process for medical exceptions. We do but first it’s very stringent - for example you had a serious allergic reaction to your first dose of the vaccine such that you have been advised not to get the 2nd. Secondly - if you received a medical exception, you still have to follow a lot of regulations including limiting contact with others. So not really useful for cruising.

Canada’s border was closed for well over a year. It was opened to fully vaccinated and tested travellers last summer. Unvaccinated Americans have never been allowed in Canada since the start of covid. Canada is just allowing cruising now and they have a lot of regulations, including that all passengers be vaccinated and tested. Princess did drop the ball here giving an exception that they shouldn’t have. But really your friends should have check out the requirements of travelling to a foreign country. 

[middlehaitch]

@Mom&MeCruiseAL I'm sorry you are in this position. Your travel companions, if they still want to do this cruise, will need to get working on their vaccinations as soon as possible.

 

If they choose not to vaccinate, or it is too late for them to be fully vaccinated in time for the cruise, talk to Princes about moving the cruise to one they can do with the vaccine exemption they have granted them. Make sure you, and Princess, check on international requirements.

 

Since you are past final payment I am not sure what you will et in the way of a refund if you have to cancel outright. Again, talk to Princess about your options.

 

I see from your post #27 that some of your party have never travelled outside the USA. Do you all have passports? One cannot enter Canada by air without a passport. You need what Americans refer to a passport book to fly internationally, that includes Canada. (A  USA passport card is not accepted.)  

 

Good luck in trying to sort this out.

 

Cheers, h.

[Mom&MeCruiseAL]

7 minutes ago, middlehaitch said:

I see from your post #27 that some of your party have never travelled outside the USA. Do you all have passports? 

 

Cheers, h.

Yes, we do.  The two that have never been out of the country just received their passports last week.  Everyone is good to go as far as that is concerned.  

[DirtyDawg]

1 hour ago, Mom&MeCruiseAL said:

Yes, we do.  The two that have never been out of the country just received their passports last week.  Everyone is good to go as far as that is concerned.  

Best of luck sorting this out. Your four travel companions need to contact Princess to see if they can move the cruise to another time when they are vaccinated or move it to another itinerary which does not require vaccination. 🤞

[Lady Arwen]

45 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

Best of luck sorting this out. Your four travel companions need to contact Princess to see if they can move the cruise to another time when they are vaccinated or move it to another itinerary which does not require vaccination. 🤞

Can you fly anywhere without having to show proof of vaccinations? Can you even get on a plane without documentation of vaccination status?   I know some countries like Canada and the UK no longer require testing if you are fully vaccinated.  I agree, they should just get vaccinated if they want to cruise in the future.

[DirtyDawg]

7 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Can you fly anywhere without having to show proof of vaccinations? Can you even get on a plane without documentation of vaccination status?   I know some countries like Canada and the UK no longer require testing if you are fully vaccinated.  I agree, they should just get vaccinated if they want to cruise in the future.

The OP is from the States. Lots of cruise ports can be accessed without flying in that country.

[Lady Arwen]

6 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

The OP is from the States. Lots of cruise ports can be accessed without flying in that country.

Got it, thanks!  I just assumed they were flying and you know what happens when you assume! lol

[Enzma]

Many countries have their own covid restrictions for entering their country's by air/land and sea.Bermuda Barbados canada new Zealand the European union  etc. Best bet is research and good information before hand

[martincath]

One other (bad news) item for your traveling companions @Mom&MeCruiseAL - I see from other posts you plan to cruise in July but not exactly when, which means that the timeline to finish being vaccinated is already reeeaalllllly tight for any of the 2-dose vaccines (minimum time periods between doses apply, e.g. 4 weeks for Moderna, and only 2 weeks after the second dose is when you are deemed Vaxxed enough to come to Canada - so even if they got jabbed today it would be the very end of June before we'd deem then Vaxxed).

 

Since the CDC updated their guidelines for the 1-dose J&J vaccine, I believe it now needs a medical issue that would contra-indicate Moderna/pFizer for any age to receive J&J now instead of the mRNA vaccines. So even though 1 dose of J&J counts as fully-Vaxxed for Canada it may be impossible to get for your peeps - if they can be persuaded not losing out on all of this travel is worth a couple of jabs, they really need to go get that first dose ASAP.

 

 

[familycruzinnewbie]

Fairly certain that being vaccine hesitant would be enough to qualify for J&J. That’s mostly why it ended up coming here - folks saying they would only get one shot. I’m sure if OPs friends wanted to, they could connected with thar vaccine. 

[Heidi13]

11 hours ago, Mom&MeCruiseAL said:

 

Princess is following CDC guidelines for vaccination status.  They are allowed up to 5% of unvaccinated passengers. 

 

Princess may be following the US CDC requirements, but they do not apply in Canada. In Canada, Princess must comply with Transport Canada, which requires 100% vaccinations, with very few exceptions.

[cruiseryyc]

It is not up to either an airline or cruise line to inform passengers what the entry requirements are for each country they are visiting.  It is up to YOU the passenger to read the fine print, research and get the appropriate paperwork, vaccinations, etc. done well before you leave.

[Lady Arwen]

11 minutes ago, cruiseryyc said:

It is not up to either an airline or cruise line to inform passengers what the entry requirements are for each country they are visiting.  It is up to YOU the passenger to read the fine print, research and get the appropriate paperwork, vaccinations, etc. done well before you leave.

You are so right!  Some people have the idea that if they weren’t personally told about requirements then they’re good to go - until they get to the airport/cruise port.  Many people have been hugely disappointed when there vacation disappears.

[Enzma]

Sorry but looking at princess cruises site found this rather strange part 

Voyages that include Canada:
Please note that Canada is supporting a process for medical exemptions to vaccination with proper documentation. Cruises that begin, end, or visit Canada will require sailing guests who are not Canadian citizens, and ages 12 and above, be fully vaccinated, unless they are granted a medical exemption. Find out if you can enter Canada at travel.gc.ca^.

Fully vaccinated guests must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination (with the dates of doses received) at the terminal prior to boarding. Failure to provide this evidence will result in denial of boarding. If you are unlikely to be fully vaccinated at the time of departure, please refer to our Book with Confidence Policy.

Guests should always ensure they understand all requirements to travel from their home country to the destinations they plan to visit. Requirements are updated frequently and official websites and apps developed by government agencies and tourism ministries are recommended sources for protocols.

[quack2]

Please stay the hell away from my cruise. 

 

I don't understand the thinking in traveling with a group that includes unvaccinated persons.

Edited May 14, 2022 by quack2

[Minniebug]

the greater good of all shall supersede individual needs. Like JFK said.

[DirtyDawg]

14 hours ago, quack2 said:

Please stay the hell away from my cruise. 

 

I don't understand the thinking in traveling with a group that includes unvaccinated persons.

Simple solution for you. Just stay the hell away from any cruise lines that allow unvaccinated persons. 

 

[5waldos]

On 5/15/2022 at 6:34 AM, DirtyDawg said:

Simple solution for you. Just stay the hell away from any cruise lines that allow unvaccinated persons. 

 

Very good advise, although I might have put it differently. I would certainly avoid any cruise lines which easily handed out exemptions. 

[Minniebug]

simple solution, all or none. 

[lyannea]

On 5/24/2022 at 5:32 AM, 5waldos said:

Very good advise, although I might have put it differently. I would certainly avoid any cruise lines which easily handed out exemptions. 

On March 5th of this year, CDC changed their requirement for the unvaccinated - from 5% to 10% for those who can't medically take the vaccine. California is the only state which allows a religious exemption.

This is from Princess' website.

For cruises departing from the U.S., Princess Cruises continues to operate highly vaccinated cruises that meet the U.S. CDC requirement for sailing with at least 90% of guests fully vaccinated, excluding children under five years of age (who are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines). These cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of an authorized/approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination, in accordance with CDC guidelines. In addition, where local regulations allow, we’re managing an exemption process that supports religious, medical and other guest considerations, but children under five may be booked without an exemption.

[5waldos]

21 minutes ago, lyannea said:

On March 5th of this year, CDC changed their requirement for the unvaccinated - from 5% to 10% for those who can't medically take the vaccine. California is the only state which allows a religious exemption.

This is from Princess' website.

For cruises departing from the U.S., Princess Cruises continues to operate highly vaccinated cruises that meet the U.S. CDC requirement for sailing with at least 90% of guests fully vaccinated, excluding children under five years of age (who are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines). These cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of an authorized/approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination, in accordance with CDC guidelines. In addition, where local regulations allow, we’re managing an exemption process that supports religious, medical and other guest considerations, but children under five may be booked without an exemption.

This puts a cap on the number (percentage)  of non-vaccinated people on board. It says nothing about having to reach that number. So there is great latitude for cruise lines for how easy it is to get an exemption. From postings here on CC, some are very liberal, some very strict. And of course- any that visit Canada essentially require all to be vaccinated.  

[lyannea]

2 minutes ago, 5waldos said:

This puts a cap on the number (percentage)  of non-vaccinated people on board. It says nothing about having to reach that number. So there is great latitude for cruise lines for how easy it is to get an exemption. From postings here on CC, some are very liberal, some very strict. And of course- any that visit Canada essentially require all to be vaccinated.  

That's a good point . I haven't heard one word about how "liberal" or "strict" cruise lines have been in granting exemptions. If you or anyone has information or data, it would be great to see it.

I do know of one couple who have cruised 3x ( not on Carnival or Princess) since March 5th with a medical exemption and had a blast.

And, you're correct, US citizens have to be vaccinated in order to gain entry in to Canada. 

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, lyannea said:

On March 5th of this year, CDC changed their requirement for the unvaccinated - from 5% to 10% for those who can't medically take the vaccine. California is the only state which allows a religious exemption.

This is from Princess' website.

For cruises departing from the U.S., Princess Cruises continues to operate highly vaccinated cruises that meet the U.S. CDC requirement for sailing with at least 90% of guests fully vaccinated, excluding children under five years of age (who are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines). These cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of an authorized/approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination, in accordance with CDC guidelines. In addition, where local regulations allow, we’re managing an exemption process that supports religious, medical and other guest considerations, but children under five may be booked without an exemption.

 

The OP, as per the title, indicated flying into Vancouver (BC) to board a cruise. The US CDC requirements do NOT apply, as it is the requirements of Transport Canada that apply.

 

They require 100% fully vaccinated, with minimal exemptions, most of which are for kids that can't be vaccinated.