Yikes! Over age 70 passengers need doctor’s note (Merged threads)

[JonnyCT81]

Hello All,

 

TA here - have gotten a lot of questions pertaining to this new policy.   Celebrity is aware that some people might not be truthful with the policy and have been told to look for prescription medications at the pier.  They also will be signing a form stating they don't have anything, on risk of being denied boarding with forfeit of fare.

 

I know no one wants to risk not being able to to go on their vacation - however I strongly recommend everyone abide by this new policy, as you risk not only being denied boarding, but losing your money as well.  While I agree that the policy is vague at best, should you take any daily medication for any reason I'd consider that to fall under "chronic" and cancel.

[tiggy85]

2 minutes ago, JonnyCT81 said:

Hello All,

 

TA here - have gotten a lot of questions pertaining to this new policy.   Celebrity is aware that some people might not be truthful with the policy and have been told to look for prescription medications at the pier.  They also will be signing a form stating they don't have anything, on risk of being denied boarding with forfeit of fare.

 

I know no one wants to risk not being able to to go on their vacation - however I strongly recommend everyone abide by this new policy, as you risk not only being denied boarding, but losing your money as well.  While I agree that the policy is vague at best, should you take any daily medication for any reason I'd consider that to fall under "chronic" and cancel.

Excellent advice! Thank you for sharing your insight with us. 

[B113]

Now Canada is refusing cruise ships entry until July so there goes the Alaskan cruise. They would have to amend the Jones Act for any ship going to Alaska.

[hcat]

4 hours ago, Fouremco said:

The International Diabetes Federation and the CDC both specifically warn diabetic patients are at an elevated risk with COVID-19. No reputable doctor is going to sign a form, note or letter saying that a diabetic patient is fit to cruise. 

 

From the IBF website:

 

Older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the COVID-19 virus. When people with diabetes develop a viral infection, it can be harder to treat due to fluctuations in blood glucose levels and, possibly, the presence of diabetes complications. There appear to be two reasons for this. Firstly, the immune system is compromised, making it harder to fight the virus and likely leading to a longer recovery period. Secondly, the virus may thrive in an environment of elevated blood glucose.

 

Thanks for posting this I had difficulty  copying it out when I made my post.

 

I am not a super senior in age   but am Type 2 Diab.  I have been on Metformin for manys yrs and have done very well with control including the meds, diet, weight control ( not so easy) and  exercise including weights, walking, biking and swimming. But I  never take for granted that I have a progressive disease that has  known and unknown consequences!   Nervous too if  drug  supplies ever get cut off

 

We will be taking a break from cruise ships til Jan 2021, when we hope things are better and  I would be able to get  clearance from my physician. Have 2 great cruises booked from Tampa on Connie.. 2021 in a suite and 2022 back to AQ Class.

 

As they say know your numbers and your risks!

 

Some stats I read ( sorry can't recall source) showed worse Corona outcomes for diabetics..but did not sep out type 1, 2 or other  factors!

Edited March 13, 2020 by hcat

[bEwAbG]

Some of you need a reality check.  Health authorities have wide latitude to work under expanded powers to curtail normal activity.  The cruise industry was basically told "come up with some solutions to keep the government from having to shut you down" and this was their proposal.  They will be the ones on the hook for future quarantines.  The last thing they want is for people in the highest risk groups to end up there.  It's not about if you'd be fine sailing on a ship but what has the potential to happen should the whole ship need to be quarantined.  Knowing that those who fit a certain profile have the greatest risk of running into extreme trouble should they be exposed (this is based on current science), they're limiting the population of who is eligible to be on a cruise right now.  You might have a case to argue for age discrimination if this was their permanent policy, though that of course would depend on the circumstances at hand, too.  In the midst of a health crisis, all bets are off.

[JuliaMS]

The celebrity web site has a form for Doctors clearance. 

[Caribbean Chris]

8 minutes ago, JuliaMS said:

The celebrity web site has a form for Doctors clearance. 

 

I think a lot of doctors will not want to sign this.

 

physician-fit-to-sail-form.pdf

[Barcelona17]

12 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

Some of you need a reality check.  Health authorities have wide latitude to work under expanded powers to curtail normal activity.  The cruise industry was basically told "come up with some solutions to keep the government from having to shut you down" and this was their proposal.  They will be the ones on the hook for future quarantines.  The last thing they want is for people in the highest risk groups to end up there.  It's not about if you'd be fine sailing on a ship but what has the potential to happen should the whole ship need to be quarantined.  Knowing that those who fit a certain profile have the greatest risk of running into extreme trouble should they be exposed (this is based on current science), they're limiting the population of who is eligible to be on a cruise right now.  You might have a case to argue for age discrimination if this was their permanent policy, though that of course would depend on the circumstances at hand, too.  In the midst of a health crisis, all bets are off.

I agree with you completely the cruise lines are very concerned about the real potential for quarantines. Given this fact, rather than admit it is unsafe to cruise right now, they decided they would eliminate one of the high risk groups in a high risk situation in hopes it would buy a little time. Guess what, it didn't, and they are all suspending service because the answer is not to cherry pick who might or might not be at risk. The answer, as always, is to go after the risk. 

[cruisingnewtoit]

Is hypertension and sleep apnea on the chronic list if you are under 70? 

[tiggy85]

Here is the questionnaire on their website right now.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/public-health-questionnaire-v2.pdf
 

 

[mafig]

Thank you for posting that questionnaire.

 

It's different from what people have been posting here.

 

It states that if a person answers yes, they will get an additional review but will be allowed to sail unless they have an "illness of international health concern."

That's a little different than if you have a prescription bottle on your person you'll have to forfeit your cruise fare.   

[downsmead]

13 minutes ago, tiggy85 said:

Here is the questionnaire on their website right now.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/public-health-questionnaire-v2.pdf
 

 

That form is dreadful, how can it be policed! It’s tantamount to a tick box exercise. The previous form at least asked for a stamp.

[JonnyCT81]

This questionnaire is the same thing that you get every cruise - the only addition is the travel history.   This was done BEFORE the new policy that was activated as of today which bars people with chronic conditions.

 

Again, you can choose not to abide by the policy, but you do so at risk of losing your cruise fare.  I cannot stress enough that the list Celebrity is providing is used to be a guide for chronic conditions, and not absolute.   If you take medicine for any chronic condition, there is a high chance that they will view it as "chronic" and deny you boarding.

 

I have been advising all my clients to cancel if they are on any daily medication.  I strongly you discuss all options with your travel agent or Celebrity before making any decisions.

[tiggy85]

13 minutes ago, mafig said:

Thank you for posting that questionnaire.

 

It's different from what people have been posting here.

 

It states that if a person answers yes, they will get an additional review but will be allowed to sail unless they have an "illness of international health concern."

That's a little different than if you have a prescription bottle on your person you'll have to forfeit your cruise fare.   

Agreed it’s a different tone  but I think the potential for people to get denied boarding for health issues that are fully controlled (eg diabetes) is still high. 
 

The form wasn’t online last night so I’m guessing they got a BUNCH of questions that the phone reps were not prepared to answer. It’s so fluid I think it’s best to still take a wait and see approach ... 

 

I live just over an hour from the LA where I hope to be cruising out of in 14 days but for those who have a ways to travel for their trips (and $$$ invested)  I hope Celebrity can provide a more defined answers on illness exclusions. 
 

Safe travels all!!

[Mr&MrsBee]

A non medical person is going to make the decision if you cruise.  What happens if you take daily medication but doctor feels you are fit to cruise?  Celebrity needs to more clearly define the policy and answer the concerns that people have expressed on this forum.  

[Quasar]

FCCs are only useful if the issuing company is still around when you want to use it. As the duration of COVID-19 is likely to be a concern for quite some time (unless a vaccine is implemented in an impossibly short time frame) the travel industry will take a huge financial hit. So I for one have no confidence in a FCC. 

[Barcelona17]

Think of how much disposable income 70+ seniors have. This requirement will not be permanent.

[wesport]

So. if you are over 70 and are a cancer survivor in remission, have paid 100 percent of your fare, and are unfit to sail, what good does a future cruise credit do you?

[helen haywood]

This topic was only to be in place for a short duration.  As Celebrity, along with Royal, has canceled cruises from midnight tonight for 30 days in the Caribbean the point is moot for most of us.

[garybraun]

18 hours ago, mlmbar said:

There are passengers younger than 70 with issues. What about them????

Over 70 also and in pretty good shape, Celebrity wants me to get a doctors note to allow me to board after I paid them for my Cruise. Well what about the 350-400 morbidly obese person that can hardly walk. Are they more fir to cruise than I. Put a scale atr the gang plank and start doing some testing.

[Snickersbockerglory]

I'm really shocked at some of the opinions expressed on this thread!

 

Cruise lines have opted to ask for medical notes not because they want to voluntarily bar the over 70s (why would they when that demographic make up a large section of their market) but because there are real concerns that if you are stuck on a ship and get sick with something like coronavirus, your odds for recovering are shortened. Those who are under 70 and have chronic illness are in the same boat (no pun intended).

 

It's not age discrimination, it's the simple fact that as you get older your immune system weakens.  If you got seriously ill with pneumonia on a ship you would not only create difficulties for the crew trying to manoeuvre the ship to somewhere you could get health care but also inconvenience the other thousands of passengers on board potentially. 

 

Also, to those having a go at celebrity for the policy, the situation is very rapidly changing day by day, and I very much doubt that they have had time to work out all the ins and outs, they are merely trying to respond to government policy, port closures and keeping passengers safe. No one else knows how long this virus is going to last so why would celebrity?  They're not out to get you personally and yet the tone of some of these posts feels like you're taking a global health crisis as a personal affront. 

 

The travel industry will have taken a huge hit this year. This time next year I would be surprised if the industry looked the same, I would imagine many companies may go bust or have to substantially change to survive this crisis. 

 

Given the desperation of Italy and other countries who are struggling to contain the virus and to cope with treating those infected this thread is in very poor taste. I say that as someone for whom the cruise I had booked was a once in a lifetime family cruise to celebrate my 40th birthday, with 4 generations. But the health of my grandmother and parents (and others who may become ill) comes above a holiday. Holidays and money come and go. 

[Momma Rene]

On 3/11/2020 at 10:00 AM, DebInAntigua said:

It's not just over 70... they also want to bar anyone considered high risk. Which medical experts say are people with high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma... wow.

Wow, that would eliminate a huge amount of people!  I'm wondering if it is temporary?  Cruise lines would lose a huge amount of business.

[airato]

6 hours ago, Barcelona17 said:

I agree with you completely the cruise lines are very concerned about the real potential for quarantines. Given this fact, rather than admit it is unsafe to cruise right now, they decided they would eliminate one of the high risk groups in a high risk situation in hopes it would buy a little time. Guess what, it didn't, and they are all suspending service because the answer is not to cherry pick who might or might not be at risk. The answer, as always, is to go after the risk. 

They have only suspended US cruises so far.  Cruises in the rest of the world are unaffected.  They have matched Viking on the FCC but only for the US.  Celebrity is trailing the pack!

 

I don't disagree about over 70s being a high risk group but they should provide a realistic incentive for them to cancel.  Everyone who cancels can get a FCC, why not offer a full cash refund to the over 70s?

[claudart]

From local newspaper today: 

"The College of Physicians warns that a so-called "certificate of good health"
for travel abroad is "of no value" and presents a misuse of medical resources."

Translated from original article in french.

Edited March 14, 2020 by claudart

[Cornus]

13 hours ago, HS2BS said:

Over 70, elite +, sailing b2b on Summit May 9, & May 19 - NO EMAIL!

 

Same here...I'm also 70+ and on the May 9 sailing and never got an email.