cruzin Phillis

Yes! Glad I am able to catch this one at the start! I am always a couple of years behind your reviews. 

We caught up with you all in Costa Maya. I was on Adventure of the Seas and saw the ship in port! 

I will be on the Celebration in 16 days for her 1st trip to the ABC Islands!

1 hour ago, tqc_cruiser said:

Sunonfire posted the following:  https://cruiseradio.net/carnival-retracts-prematurely-released-cruise-protocols/

 

Apparently some of you haven't read that Carnival retracted the "policy."   Which doesn't mean it or something similar won't be reinstated.  

 

I don't know if it really was the case that Carnival accidentally posted something they were still working on and had not yet finalized (which is what the article says) or if they actually reacted to all the negative feedback and threats from passengers.  

  

Yes, I just saw they took it down. They claim it has not been finalized yet.

17 hours ago, Jamesatgsu said:

Honestly wouldn't be a big adjustment for me. I hope to go in May. 

Is a stretch but i don't see cruises resuming in May. My guess is fall 2021.

19 hours ago, Linda the Book Lover said:

Sadly the unhappy customer reports more than than the satisfied one. We met many nice and enjoyable employees on POA. I was hesitant at first base on some of the reviews to book but since my DD and DGD wanted to give it a try, we did. We had the best time! True, it is pricer than non US flagged ships but then food items etc are more to replenish in Hawaii. We did not meet any employee who did not smile or try to find an answer and most of all there was always a good morning etc. Though this has nothing to do with the original title of this post, I did feel I wanted to share my POA experience. And we will sail again on POA in 2022 with masks if it is required.

Thank you for sharing. I'm booked on this so for next year. 

4 minutes ago, 80sGal said:

Is this information ONLY on the booking page?   They didn't want to tell all of us that are ALREADY booked?  Even searching on the web for an exact match of the wording does not lead to a link to this statement anywhere on their page.   If someone has the direct link, can you please post it?  

I only saw it on the booking screen where you enter the credit card info. I copied it from there. I didn't see it anywhere else.

1 minute ago, kdr69 said:

I am just glad to see protocols being acknowledged and posted finally instead of the guessing game.

I doubt that its the end of what they will require. Too much speculation of mandatory vaccines. Hopefully, they will be able to sail with those that want to.

3 minutes ago, kdr69 said:

Plus if they are US Flagged they can only hire US personnel and must pay US wages.  In the case of the Pride of America that was based in Hawaii it also meant the loss of the Casino

 

its a huge lost indeed but the fact its Hawaii makes up for the difference in some way I hope!

33 minutes ago, ledges1 said:

As mentioned earlier in a post above, these new requirements are not surprising. The cruise lines are in fight for survival. If these are the rules to get the ships moving, the industry will probably strictly enforce. Another ship with a COVID outbreak will sink the industry. The CDC will shut it down. If that happens, credit will dry up and some cruise lines will have to file bankruptcy. 

The industry has always flown foreign. They may not pay corporate taxes but it does contribute significantly to the economy. All the parking decks would be empty in the cruise ports. Municipalities count on this revenue to repay the bond issues and generate a positive cash flow. Transportation companies transport supplies to the ship. Cruise lines purchase the products that are delivered to the ships. The airline industry moves passengers across the country to the port cities for cruises. Dock workers in in all the embarkation ports service the ship, etc.... This and many others (individuals and US corporations) depend on the industry. If the tax issue bothers any one, US land based vacations are available.

my comment has nothing to do with the issue of Carnival paying or not paying taxes.  My comment was directed as a clarification to the poster about the type of taxes and also to say that with land based vacation on an up tick and Asian cruises under way, I can not see why the CDC does not allow for some type of conditional sail for cruise lines. They seem to be very lenient to other forms of travel and as another poster stated, it will hard for any cruise line to sail 100% covid free. 

Just now, pc_load_letter said:

 

Oh vey....unless you want your cruises to start costing $5000 a trip...be glad they are foreign flagged....https://emmacruises.com/cruise-ships-fly-foreign-flags/

It still is not. POA is the only ship that sails under US and they can not do as other ships registered differently. You go book a hawaii trip see how much it is. Paying port taxes and employees Paying taxes out of pay checks is nothing if Carnival were to register just 1 ship in the US. They are no different than companies that based themselves in out countries but work in the US.

5 minutes ago, pc_load_letter said:

I really wish people would stop with this ridiculous internet trope.

 

YES, they pay taxes. And lots of them

 

https://cruiseradio.net/fact-check-do-cruise-lines-pay-us-taxes/

Its not ridiculous at all, yes they pay port taxes to the US and other ports in other countries as well. Yes, they have corporate offices in the US but again... my point is proven because they do not pay corporate taxes nor do they have to abid by most federal wage and employment laws. 

Its like saying non US citizens pay taxes when they buy something from the store 🙄

2 hours ago, Linda the Book Lover said:

Well said neighbor to the south of us. I recently said about the same thing to my friend and we both could not figure out why the brouhaha when it comes to cruising. We continue on traveling on city public transportation along with planes, trains etc to other states and there is not the same amount of scrutiny as cruise ship travel. Agreed we are on a floating hotel with the same people for a length of time, and I agree with monitoring the outside contact while on board but sometimes I wonder why the CDC is treating cruise ships differently than other modes of transportation.

Political. Cruise lines with the exception of Pride of America are registered in US so they evade paying taxes for the most part. 

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Cdc says it from what I've read. You are required fo do 1 before you board. Carnival will give you another one at boarding and at debarking. This is only until nov 1stt. After that I'm hoping cdc goes away and leaves cruising alone. I only have the one booking prior to nov 1st. After that I'm hoping vaccines count... idk what. One booking at a time.

wishful thinking... the CDC from the the looks of it will be in cruises life for a while

3 hours ago, trvlgirlmq said:

Excursions and masks are a no go.  I don't recall seeing this when I booked a cruise in December 2020 to sail summer 2022. I just moved all of my money from a cancelled cruise to this one too.  Will not be happy if I lose thousands of dollars.

It is only for sailings through October 2021 as of now.

11 minutes ago, crusinbanjo said:

Looks like very onerous conditions.  Just one example, if I read this correctly; if you exhibit symptoms, or come in contact with a suspected sick person, while in a distant port, you can be denied re-embarking and then what, left on the dock?  Not for me thank you.

That was my question as well. so they can just not allow you to get back on the ship with your family? also, a lot of symptoms a person may display may not be due to covid so will that be cause for the cruise lines to be over zealous in their protocols...

2 hours ago, NCbmwmom said:

Haha I’m totally fine with this. Looks like cruises won’t be full of non compliant people and that’s totally ok with me. 

Just because people do not want to cruise under these measures do not mean they are not compliant. For me with children, it would be an added stress and not very enjoyable when paying that amount of money.

2 hours ago, ledges1 said:

Where this notice on the carnival website. I have not been able to find it. I done searches on the carnival site and cannot find this notice. I must be blind.

It is on the payment screen where you enter your payment info. you have to check both boxes to process payment

10 hours ago, joeyancho said:

I would prefer the vaccine compared to these draconian measures.  I get the second dose on Saturday.  

I agree as well. I would prefer vaccine over having to be limited on the the things you can do and places you can go. 

9 hours ago, MikeandLinda2010 said:

I am ready to cancel our cruise in January now.  This sounds like a miserable vacation.  My husband wants to wait until we have to before our final payment.  

I have 3 for 2022 which is May, July, and Christmas. I was going to book a short Nov. this year until I saw the notice before paying a deposit. 

44 minutes ago, Cafedumonde said:

At least they didn’t say anything about vaccines

Yet....

1 hour ago, joeyancho said:

Sounds like a horrible vacation to me.  I'm going to see how it evolves before I cancel.  I have until final payment.  

What threw me is possible reservations for the pool and casino along with other public spaces?? I hope they are considering limiting the amount of guests that board the ship.

I called and was told this policy is for cruises up to October 2021 so here's to hoping for a better 2022.

59 minutes ago, joeyancho said:

Sounds like a horrible vacation to me.  I'm going to see how it evolves before I cancel.  I have until final payment.  

They did say this is for cruises up to October 2021 so perhaps better days for cruising in 2022

26 minutes ago, pamesacruisin said:

When I re-booked our cancelled cruise, I told the PVP I would not want to go on a cruise if we are required to sign up and pay for a shore excursion in order to get off the ship.  She said "oh that will not happen!"  Am I reading this right though?   We will not be able to walk around a port on our own?  We never go on ship excursions as we like to do our own thing.  At our age we aren't interested in swimming with the dolphins, ATV rides, or ziplining!  I wonder what capacity the ships will have with having to limit how many people can go to a show, eat, or even use the pool?  Having to possibly make a reservation to even go to a bar?  So we'd be spending a whole lot of our vacation trying to get reservations to enjoy the things we've already prepaid for.  I expected a lot of these things to happen, but some are really making me rethink how badly I want to cruise🤔

Yes. You read that correctly! We always go to Mr. Sanchos in Cozumel so I will hold off for 2021

I found this before I put my deposit down on the Carnival website :

Check-In

Only booked guests are permitted to enter the terminal and boarding area. Visitors are not permitted in these locations at any time. All guests must complete their online check-in and select an arrival appointment time no later than midnight (Eastern time) prior to their sailing date. Guests must arrive within their selected time to facilitate physical distancing during the check-in and boarding process. Guests arriving earlier than their scheduled time will not be allowed to enter the terminal until the time of their arrival appointment. This also applies to VIFP Diamond/Platinum and Casino guests.

Testing

As part of our efforts to keep our guests safe and healthy, every guest 2 years of age or older, joining a ship, regardless of method of travel to the ship, is required to take a SARS-CoV-2 test between 5 days to 24 hours prior to the date of embarkation and must receive a negative result. Guests must provide the original document confirming a negative test result that is legible, identifies the approved and licensed testing entity, sample collection date and type of test, and identity of the tested individual. Carnival reserves the right to reject any test result that does not meet these requirements. Per our privacy notice, test results will be shared only with Carnival personnel and/or contractually engaged third parties to facilitate our screening and mitigation protocols, or as required by health authorities. Carnival may perform additional testing at the terminal or on board the vessel. Any guest who fails to provide the required documentation or testing at the terminal or on board will be denied boarding or disembarked, and no refund or credit will be issued.

If at any time within 14 days prior to embarkation, or at any time during the cruise, a guest tests positive for COVID-19, exhibits signs or symptoms of COVID-19, has had close contact with a person confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19, or Carnival otherwise determines in its sole discretion that guest is unfit to board due to risk of any communicable illness, guest shall be subject to denial of boarding, denial of re-boarding, quarantine, isolation and/or disembarkation.

Health Screening

Carnival has the right to screen any guest to facilitate compliance with its health and safety protocols. All guests will be required to complete a health questionnaire beginning 72 hours before the date of embarkation to identify any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (or other infectious diseases) and any contact with individuals confirmed to have COVID-19 prior to the cruise. The questionnaire will be based upon the latest CDC guidance for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and guests will be required to reconfirm their responses at time of check-in. All guests will have their temperature taken as part of the boarding process.

Screening on Board

Guests may be required to undergo at least daily temperature checks and must submit to any requested medical screening during the cruise. Temperature checks may also be conducted prior to disembarking at a port of call and before participating in certain onboard activities.

Reporting COVID-19 Symptoms

Every guest has an important duty to immediately report any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 to the ship’s medical personnel. Failure to do so jeopardizes individual health and that of all those on board and others ashore.

Face Masks

In our continuing effort to keep our guests safe and healthy, all guests over the age of two will be required to wear a mask when indoors except when inside their own stateroom, while eating and drinking seated at a table and when using the cardio equipment at the gym and physical distancing is maintained. Guests are required to wear a mask outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained. Masks should have two or more layers and be worn over the nose and mouth. Gaiters and bandanas are not allowed, and face shields are permitted when used with a mask. These requirements apply during all aspects of the cruise, including embarkation, shore excursions and disembarkation. A limited supply of masks will be available in staterooms after boarding.

Physical Distancing

In our effort to maintain physical distancing on our ships, access to public spaces will be limited and venues/activities will operate at reduced capacity. We may use a reservation system for our public areas, such as pools, gyms, casinos, restaurants, bars, and entertainment. 🙄

Our physical distancing protocols will be in accordance with the CDC’s recommendations, which is defined at staying at least six (6) feet (2 meters) apart from other people who are not the guest’s cruise companions (family or immediate travel group).

Guests can expect appropriately distanced seating in theaters, dining facilities and other common venues, modified entertainment showings and meal services to control capacity as well as other measures to promote a healthy and safe environment. These measures will apply during all aspects of the cruise, including embarkation, shore excursions and disembarkation. Buffet service is modified to eliminate or severely restrict self-service items.

Contact Tracing

All guests may be required to provide identifying information and information about certain activities engaged in during the cruise so Carnival can perform contact tracing in the event any person on board is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. Various location tracking technologies may be used to assist in the collection of contact tracing information such as wearables, video surveillance, transaction data, and photographs taken during the cruise. Please refer to Carnival's Privacy Notice for more details.

SHORE EXCURSIONS

To help limit potential exposure and/or transmission to communities at destinations, during the initial return to sailing, guests will only be allowed to participate in excursions or activities executed and escorted by vetted tour operators who maintain Carnival’s level of COVID-19 controls. Shore side visits may be also limited to port areas that have no public access. Self-exploration or non-Carnival sponsored excursions will not be permitted. This policy applies to all sailings scheduled during the declared Public Health Emergency involving COVID-19.

Carnival may, in its sole discretion, avoid a pre-planned destination should a concern arise regarding the level of COVID-19 community spread in that destination or impose certain restrictions on shore excursions relating to capacity, participation, locations, times, eligible venues and persons with whom the guest may come into contact. Carnival may offer indoor excursions only if physical distancing, use of masks, and other recommended protective measures can be implemented.

We will have pre-arranged transportation from the ship to the venue and back again. Guests will be able to pre-purchase shore excursions through Carnival.com, the Carnival HUB app or on board, subject to availability and capacity restrictions. All guests will have to comply with our physical distancing, mask wearing and all other COVID-19 related requirements. Throughout the duration of the shore excursion, guests will be asked to remain with their cruise companions. There may be additional restrictions during shore excursions depending on local conditions.

Any noncompliance by guest or members of guest’s travelling party with Carnival COVID-19 Policies and Procedures shall be grounds for refusal to re-board after going ashore, or other steps deemed necessary in Carnival’s sole discretion to protect the health and safety of others. If a guest is denied boarding or disembarked due to failure to comply with Carnival COVID-19 Policies and Procedures, they will not be entitled to a refund, credit, or compensation of any kind. Guests will be responsible for all costs and fines, including without limitation travel expenses.

After a day of lounging, and tying qup loose ends, it was our final dinner of the cruise. Here is tonight's menu:

Here is the food!!!