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

[billslowsky]

1 minute ago, smokeybandit said:

And the ventilation on a cruise ship is superior to your house, workplace or favorite bar/restaurant

So don't expect to be invited over without your vaccine card and proctored negative COVID test any time soon.

[time4u2go]

34 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

That is a cruise line decision. 

Absolutely! 

[Another_Critic]

15 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

Yes, and the ventilation on planes is superior to that on areas on cruise ships like dining rooms.  

How's the ventilation in a jammed packed airport?

[Ourusualbeach]

36 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Cruise lines are still required to meet the requirements regarding, vaccines, testing etc from every other port they operate from/to worldwide. Testing may well be stopped but I believe vaccination will be required for some time.

Absolutely and I have said that in other posts.

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I'd rather the other way around. Vaccinated guests are low risk and even if we get it, are highly unlikely to require major (if any) medical assistance. I'm willing to risk being on a ship with fully vaccinated passengers who have not been tested, but I think having unvaccinated people onboard could cause a big scare if they got deathly ill and required an emergency port stop or medical evacuation. And those scares could put the cruise lines right back to requiring testing as a way to make everyone feel a sense of security, no matter how real or false that security may be.

 

If there's still people out there unwilling or unable to get vaccinated, let that be their own problem, not everyone else's. I paid my vaccination and masking dues, I'm ready to have unrestricted vacations. Let the unvaccinated continue their stubborn anti-science protests at home by themselves.

 

*And sorry for those who are unvaccinated because you're unable due to medical conditions, but it's probably not safe for you to be taking that risk anyway.

 

 

I agree. It would remove a source of major stress for a lot of people and it would probably increase the demand for cruising.

[ECCruise]

Just now, time4u2go said:

I agree. It would remove a source of major stress for a lot of people and it would probably increase the demand for cruising.

The ships are sailing virtually full now.  They don't need alot more demand for cruising.

[notscb]

2 hours ago, hazeleyes46 said:

What does this actually mean?

 

It means that a lot of grown adults are going to be throwing temper tantrums when some cruises still require pre-cruise testing depending on the regulations of the countries they are visiting.

[time4u2go]

4 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

The ships are sailing virtually full now.  They don't need alot more demand for cruising.

They don't need it but they'd probably like to have it. They could raise prices, bringing in more cash. Not good for us customers, but good for the cruise lines. 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

Except for their poor crew members.  We still don't know what most of them look like.

On Harmony this week, very few masked crew members 

[billslowsky]

57 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

How's the ventilation in a jammed packed airport?

Can't be any worse than in a cruise ship terminal.

[jerseygirl3]

Im all for ending the testing.  I just wonder how many will still board even if they know they are positive for Covid. 

[ECCruise]

28 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

They don't need it but they'd probably like to have it. They could raise prices, bringing in more cash. Not good for us customers, but good for the cruise lines. 

True.

But what is good for us customers trumps what is good for the cruise lines in spades.

Give me good service, a good itinerary and a fair price and I will add to the 19 we have booked now. Otherwise?  Sayonara. 

[Vibe]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

And the ventilation on a cruise ship is superior to your house, workplace or favorite bar/restaurant

In theory yes but in practice no. I have been one 4 cruises since the restart. I called maintenance on each of those cruises complaining about air flow. I watch the maintenance tech remove the air filter, every time they were filthy and looked liked that haven’t been changed in years. 

[Ashland]

2 minutes ago, 2flacruisers said:

It is nobody's business whether someone is vaccinated or not...I am, but my husband is not...and I respect his decision, just as he didn't harass me when I got mine.

Well it's been the cruiseline's business to know 

[time4u2go]

5 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Well it's been the cruiseline's business to know 

And some of the countries the cruise ships visit.

[Lorey2007]

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

NO, I hope not.    I hated those bands.

I hated those bands also. Then one week after we cruised with masks in February they dropped masks.😕

[RoperDK]

I wonder if the requirement to move from your cabin to quarantine will go away?  That has been a worry of mine.  I like my balcony and fresh air!

[biggieboy]

36 minutes ago, mianmike said:

 

I don't fear the unvaccinated affecting my health, it's when the unvaccinated 80+ year olds get covid and require immediate advanced medical care necessitating a medivac which will disrupt the cruise and ports.  This is entirely predictable and easily mitigated by a current vaccine mandate.  

My other concern is that some countries may decide to be stricter about not allowing ships to dock with cases, especially with high unvaxxed patients. I don't want to miss ports for this reason.

[coach softball]

3 hours ago, Project-College said:

How about before 8/1...I have an 8/5 sailing and that would mean your in the clear too lovescats5!

8/1 doesn't work for me, I sail on 7/31.

[A&L_Ont]

1 hour ago, mianmike said:

 

I don't fear the unvaccinated affecting my health, it's when the unvaccinated 80+ year olds get covid and require immediate advanced medical care necessitating a medivac which will disrupt the cruise and ports.  This is entirely predictable and easily mitigated by a current vaccine mandate.  

 

26 minutes ago, biggieboy said:

My other concern is that some countries may decide to be stricter about not allowing ships to dock with cases, especially with high unvaxxed patients. I don't want to miss ports for this reason.

IMO these two points above will be what the cruise lines will hang their hat on for their next decisions. I see vaccinated on board without testing for a while, and then go from there after the islands lessen up on restrictions.  Just my thoughts. 

[coach softball]

3 hours ago, We Be Floatin ! said:

This would be wonderful if Pre Cruise testing would be dropped !!  But, I need it by July 31 sailing on Miss Allure !!!!!   

 

 

 

Same here

[bcwife76]

3 hours ago, Ashland said:

We cruise out of Amsterdam next Tuesday the 26th....hoping pre-cruise test will stop but doubtful RCI will make the change that fast.

 

But maybe for our Sept 18th cruise out of Vancouver.

Almost zero chance there will be any changes to your cruise out of Vancouver unfortunately. Those fall under the PHAC (public health agency of Canada) and in their return to cruising rules, testing is a part of that. Considering our CDN govt is holding onto ArrivCAN with a death grip and bringing back 'mandatory random testing' at major airports, they won't be making any changes to cruises that leave from Canadian ports this year, no matter what happens in the US. 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

On Harmony this week, very few masked crew members 

On Ovation last week and the only ones not wearing masks were sports staff outside. 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, mianmike said:

 

I don't fear the unvaccinated affecting my health, it's when the unvaccinated 80+ year olds get covid and require immediate advanced medical care necessitating a medivac which will disrupt the cruise and ports.  This is entirely predictable and easily mitigated by a current vaccine mandate.  

That is precisely why I dont see the cruise lines rushing to drop the vaccine mandate.

 

When they do I think they will drop it for shorter cruises to start then gradually increase the length of cruise based on how actual events play out.  

[Rusty_lock]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

Cruise lines are still required to meet the requirements regarding, vaccines, testing etc from every other port they operate from/to worldwide. Testing may well be stopped but I believe vaccination will be required for some time.

Mexico doesn't require a vaccine to enter and neither does Roatan Honduras. Honduras requires a test for unvaccinated but no vaccine requirement. I don't believe Jamaica requires vaccination to enter.  That leaves only the Cayman Islands as a typical western Caribbean itinerary that actually requires vaccination prior to entry.

 

I can easily see the vaccination requirements dropped very quickly.

 

The sooner the better.