CDC ends all restrictions as of July 18th (TODAY!!)

[Ourusualbeach]

.Over the past two years, CDC has worked closely with the cruise industry, state, territorial, and local health authorities, and federal and seaport partners to provide a safer and healthier environment for cruise passengers and crew.

CDC has determined that the cruise industry has access to the necessary tools (e.g., cruise-specific recommendations and guidance, vaccinations, testing instruments, treatment modalities, and non-pharmaceutical interventions) to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 on board.

Therefore, CDC’s COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships is no longer in effect as of today.
 
Going forward, CDC will continue to publish cruise-specific guidance so cruise ships can continue to provide a safer and healthier environment for crew, passengers, and communities. Individual cruise lines will determine their own specific COVID-19-related requirements for cruise travel, as well as safety measures and protocols for passengers traveling on board based on CDC recommendations for reducing the risk of COVID-19.

Cruise travelers should contact their cruise line directly for more information regarding the protocols and procedures for COVID-19 safety, which may vary among cruise lines.
 
While cruising poses some risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers can make their own risk assessment when choosing to cruise, much like they do in other settings. CDC continues to recommend that cruise travelers remain up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines and get tested for COVID-19 before and after they travel, and after any known exposure to a person with COVID-19.

CDC also continues to recommend mask wearing in indoor travel settings.

 

Edited July 18, 2022 by Ourusualbeach

[hazeleyes46]

Where did you see this?

[firefly333]

The way is paved to discontinue pre cruise testing!

[molly361]

Tick Tock Tick Tock let's see what happens and when  sooner rather  than later I hope at least for the end of  testing. 😇

Edited July 18, 2022 by molly361

[BND]

I'll celebrate as soon as they drop pre cruise testing.

[BND]

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/index.html

 

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

Where did you see this?

Internal travel agent communication

[hazeleyes46]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Internal travel agent communication

What does this actually mean? Does RCCL have to come out and say what guidelines they are following as of today?

[molly361]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Internal travel agent communication

Do you think they will stop the vaccine mandate?  I think the testing may stop but not the vaccine mandate for now

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Do you think they will stop the vaccine mandate?  I think the testing may stop but not the vaccine mandate for now

I do not believe that the cruise lines will completely stop everything.  Maybe I'm wrong but that's just my opinion.

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

What does this actually mean? Does RCCL have to come out and say what guidelines they are following as of today?

The CDC has said that as of today it is up to the cruise lines to decide on protocols.  My guess is that it will take them a few days or more to make an announcement about what the new protocols will be

Edited July 18, 2022 by Ourusualbeach

[hazeleyes46]

Just now, Ourusualbeach said:

I do not believe that the cruise lines will completely stop everything.  Maybe I'm wrong but that's just my opinion.

Right now I am just interested in the testing to stop since I already had to get the vaccine to cruise 🙂

[Biker19]

It's kind of funny that they announce this on the day all of the ships sailing from US ports which were reporting to the CDC were all orange. This means this thread will no longer be updated:

 

 

[Biker19]

7 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

What does this actually mean?

At the very least, they can maybe drop the required detailed reporting to the CDC on their COVID numbers - they probably still need to report over some threshold (like they do for other outbreaks).

Edited July 18, 2022 by Biker19

[flamingos]

3 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I do not believe that the cruise lines will completely stop everything.  Maybe I'm wrong but that's just my opinion.

 

I'm not going to get excited about it until they actually send the email saying pre-cruise testing is discontinued. 

[Babr]

I’m wondering what impact that will have on COVID assistance plans. No need to reimburse if quarantine is no longer required. 
 

Does that mean plans expire, and we return to standard cancellation policies?

[John&LaLa]

1 minute ago, Babr said:

I’m wondering what impact that will have on COVID assistance plans. No need to reimburse if quarantine is no longer required. 
 

Does that mean plans expire, and we return to standard cancellation policies?

 

Yep, all those things should go away soon enough. That's a bit of a bummer

[smokeybandit]

I would imagine we see some pretty rapid changes

[molly361]

Maybe I should start a poll on what changes everyone thinks will happen and when😇

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I would imagine we see some pretty rapid changes

A lot will depend on other countries requirements.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

It may not come soon enough for us.  We cruise July 31 from Stockholm.  It would be such a bummer to get all the way there and then test positive.  Just getting there this summer is a challenge. 

 

We have been wearing a mask everywhere for the last 2 weeks.  That is not our norm. . . but, we have been stressed over the testing requirement.

[John&LaLa]

1 minute ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

It may not come soon enough for us.  We cruise July 31 from Stockholm.  It would be such a bummer to get all the way there and then test positive.  Just getting there this summer is a challenge. 

 

We have been wearing a mask everywhere for the last 2 weeks.  That is not our norm. . . but, we have been stressed over the testing requirement.

 

August 10 from Copenhagen for us. 

 

Probably not going to go to your extreme, but may avoid human contact😉

[molly361]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

August 10 from Copenhagen for us. 

 

Probably not going to go to your extreme, but may avoid human contact😉

Does that mean you don't want to come over lunch 😂?

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

Probably not going to go to your extreme, but may avoid human contact😉

I just need to avoid my daughter for the next 3 weeks.  She was the one who gave us Covid for a Christmas gift and gave us all a cold from the Ovation last week....at least hoping its a cold, we've tested for the last 3 days and still negative.

[rudeney]

I've heard some rumblings on "other places" that RCCL CSR's are saying that pre-cruise testing would end as of Oct 1.  Of course RCCL CSR's are not exactly reliable, but it's about 5 people saying this.  So, that make me wonder that since RCCL's protocols are listed as being through Sept. 2022, if they will just keep everything that way and then let it expire as of Oct. 1.