Covid rules

[August2023med]

Hi all, I have a Marella cruise booked for 12th August 2023 to France, Spain and Italy. My daughter is 12 and at present unvaccinated for covid (myself and husband are fully vaccinated though). I’m wondering if the rules are likely to change in terms of covid vaccination for Marella cruises and wondered if anyone had any ideas please? I noticed the river cruises dropped covid vaccine requirements on 23rd December but they still remain for other cruises. Thanks 

[Brummijam]

Hi.Welcome to the forum.

As it stands at the moment………For sailings departing on or before 30 April 2023
• All customers aged 12 or over will need to have had all required doses of a World Health Organisation-approved vaccine to travel on these sailings.

 

They haven’t posted what they will require after 30 April as yet.

I would contact TUI/Marella nearer the sailing date for latest updates but giving yourselves time to organise vaccination if required.

 

[Coalman]

I rang them yesterday and was advised that they hope that ALL vaccination requirements will be dropped by 23rd April ( but it may have been April 2023 ). No one will need to be tested and the Vaccine Free folk will not be discriminated against any longer.  If you are not fully jabbed and boosted, you could book cruises for a date after April, BUT, they will penalise you financially if you can't go due to the company keeping these restrictions in place to a later and need a refund/credit.  

[August2023med]

Thanks both for the info- really helpful. 

[Tizzy-Jo]

6 hours ago, Coalman said:

I rang them yesterday and was advised that they hope that ALL vaccination requirements will be dropped by 23rd April ( but it may have been April 2023 ). No one will need to be tested and the Vaccine Free folk will not be discriminated against any longer.  If you are not fully jabbed and boosted, you could book cruises for a date after April, BUT, they will penalise you financially if you can't go due to the company keeping these restrictions in place to a later and need a refund/credit.  

Fingers crossed. 🤞

[Coalman]

Just a postscript to this post.....Marella RIVER cruises have dropped the jabs rule as from 1st March. RCL, HAL, Carnival Cruises and Princess Cruises have not had these rules in place since SEPTEMBER of last year! However, Cunard and P & 0, both part of Carnival Plc along with Carnival Cruises and Princess are still keeping their dates to drop the rules until at least 1st March 2023. Figure that one out!  🙄

[August2023med]

Just wondered if anyone had any more updates on this issue? I tried to call Marella about it but they couldn’t tell me when the policy was being reviewed….

[Coalman]

You've saved me  a phone call, Augustman. I was going to call to see what date they updated the Nov 2022 rule.  Before the April 2023 rule it was Nov 2022 and I thought that I may get some indication of how far prior to the end of November they altered it to April 2023. That may give me an indication of how far in advance they would be changing their rules...or not! 🙄

[Brummijam]

32 minutes ago, Coalman said:

You've saved me  a phone call, Augustman. I was going to call to see what date they updated the Nov 2022 rule.  Before the April 2023 rule it was Nov 2022 and I thought that I may get some indication of how far prior to the end of November they altered it to April 2023. That may give me an indication of how far in advance they would be changing their rules...or not! 🙄

Sorry you have lost me there mate.🤔🤔😳

[Coalman]

1 hour ago, August2023med said:

Just wondered if anyone had any more updates on this issue? I tried to call Marella about it but they couldn’t tell me when the policy was being reviewed….

WOWZER!!  I have just rang Tui (sometimes you get differing advice from different 'travel experts' !) and a fella called Dan has given me something to be happy about! 

So! He told me that they expect the Company to let the 'travel experts' know as early as the end of March 23 as to whats happening from April 2023 onwards.  Not only that, but contrary to my previous call to them, he said that if I made a booking today with the April 2023 date being part of the booking conditions then if THEY pushed it even further into 2023 ( gawd knows why they would do that, but.... ) then Tui would let me book another cruise or holiday and I would NOT lose my wonga.  I think that I will call into a Tui shop though and button-hole one of their travel experts to confirm . 🙂

Edited January 11, 2023 by Coalman

[August2023med]

Thanks for the update Coalman. Fingers crossed! 

[Janros]

Am I right in that currently if you have had 2 vaccinations and a booster that's all you need even if your booster was a year ago ?

[paulatsea]

9 hours ago, Janros said:

Am I right in that currently if you have had 2 vaccinations and a booster that's all you need even if your booster was a year ago ?

Yes that’s classed as fully vaccinated - original 2 plus 1 booster regardless of how long ago.

(Probably because extra boosters were not pushed out to everyone like the first one)

[Coalman]

On 1/11/2023 at 6:45 PM, August2023med said:

Thanks for the update Coalman. Fingers crossed! 

So! I called into Tui shop on Wednesday. The girl behind the counter told me that Tui would NOT honour their commitments to give your money back if they moved the Discrimination Date further into the year. I asked her that if I asked the other 'Travel Experts' in the shop the same question, would they all give me the same answer.  She said they would. So! Whatever Dan had told me over the weekend had to be binned and it looks like we'll have to await confirmation on the Tui website that they are dropping the rule.  Sorry. 😪

[August2023med]

Oh no that’s not good Coalman! I’m hoping there is an update soon as otherwise will probably need to cancel and the next instalment of my balance is due in two weeks. Does anyone know if TUI might allow me to delay making the next instalment until we know if the vaccine rules are changing? Thanks 

[Janros]

I'm wondering if they will change the rules as thus morning the COVID booster vaccination is being stopped for under 50s???

[August2023med]

42 minutes ago, Janros said:

I'm wondering if they will change the rules as thus morning the COVID booster vaccination is being stopped for under 50s???

I really hope so! 

[August2023med]

Just to update I’ve messaged Marella cruises to ask if the rules will be reviewed in light of the new changes which were announced on the news yesterday (only two more weeks for under 50s to get the vaccine). They have replied saying they can’t give any more information about when a review might take place and to check the website. 

[Missdaisydo]

I'm desperate for an update! We have just booked to go on 3 April 2023 (last-minute trip planed with the whole family)and just discovered my son (age12) has not had two vaccines and we don't have enought time left before travel to get him jabbed! We need to take him off the booking but the longer we leave it the more money we lose 😭 if we cancel in the next 24 hours we lose 30%. 

If anyone gets a sniff of an update please let me know! 🙏 how sure are people on the 23 April date? If so it's not worth me holding any hope

[Brummijam]

1 hour ago, Missdaisydo said:

I'm desperate for an update! We have just booked to go on 3 April 2023 (last-minute trip planed with the whole family)and just discovered my son (age12) has not had two vaccines and we don't have enought time left before travel to get him jabbed! We need to take him off the booking but the longer we leave it the more money we lose 😭 if we cancel in the next 24 hours we lose 30%. 

If anyone gets a sniff of an update please let me know! 🙏 how sure are people on the 23 April date? If so it's not worth me holding any hope

Can’t you get him inoculated privately through your GP ?

[Missdaisydo]

1 hour ago, Brummijam said:

Can’t you get him inoculated privately through your GP ?

I wish I could! NHS are the only ones able to give the vaccines and they won't give him the 2nd one less than 8 before the 1st

[August2023med]

2 hours ago, Missdaisydo said:

I'm desperate for an update! We have just booked to go on 3 April 2023 (last-minute trip planed with the whole family)and just discovered my son (age12) has not had two vaccines and we don't have enought time left before travel to get him jabbed! We need to take him off the booking but the longer we leave it the more money we lose 😭 if we cancel in the next 24 hours we lose 30%. 

If anyone gets a sniff of an update please let me know! 🙏 how sure are people on the 23 April date? If so it's not worth me holding any hope

So Marella messaged me again as I asked to speak to someone who might be able to tell me more. They said they are monitoring this and will update their policy in line with government information but they don’t have  a set date to do this. They said if any updates these will go on their website. I would message them on their Facebook page and with your situation and see what they say. Good luck! 

[Missdaisydo]

1 hour ago, August2023med said:

So Marella messaged me again as I asked to speak to someone who might be able to tell me more. They said they are monitoring this and will update their policy in line with government information but they don’t have  a set date to do this. They said if any updates these will go on their website. I would message them on their Facebook page and with your situation and see what they say. Good luck! 

Thank you I will 

[August2023med]

Good luck! Let us know how you get on! I’m really hoping that if the government policy changes they will have to update too. 

[Rebel Rouser]

Most Cruise lines are slowly dropping the Covid rules,  Marella always seem to be the last to follow..fingers crossed that they do soon. Save a lot of hassles but as always safety comes 1st..