2021 Cruising, Vaccines and protocols

[ael123]

With the Covid 19 vaccine coming out soon I have been pondering taking a cruise in 2021. I am an experienced cruiser who prefers longer cruises. My bucket list is Africa, Asia, and India. I am booked on a cruise/tour on Azamara from Dubai to Singapore in November 2021. My question to those of you who have sailed this route I wonder..... Typically passengers from all over the world sail in these destinations; also visiting these destinations to see all the sites there may be areas where people haven't been vaccinated. How do you think the cruise companies will respond if someone on board who is not vaccinated contracts Covid 19? My concern is although I may be vaccinated, is there a possibility the cruise ship will not be allowed in port if someone or a percentage of individuals contract Covid. I am planning cruises to ports that are very important for me to see, once in a life time adventures and am making a substantial financial investment. I would feel very bad if I spent a lot of money to travel to Africa, India, or Singapore only to have the ship not to be able to stop at the ports on the itinerary. Or worse yet if I am on a cruise and they institute a quarantine. What do you think? For shorter Caribbean itineraries I would not be that concerned I am thinking more about cruises that will embark far from the US. I am interested in knowing what are your thoughts.

[cruisemom42]

Assuming there is no particular reason that you have to do the cruise this year, I would reschedule it. In my opinion, 2021 is not the year to book a bucket list cruise. There are too many potential disruptors. Azamara may even decide on its own, given the conditions, to cancel or re-route or shorten the cruise. 

 

In cruises that have so far taken place in Europe (limited) and in expectations provided by the CDC to resume US cruises, one of the key parts is ensuring that all countries where the ships port are willing to allow disembarkation of sick passengers. So far, having ANY COVID cases aboard these short cruises has led to their termination.

 

It is going to take a while to roll out the vaccine everywhere and to develop protocols and guidelines that work. Why take a chance on doing this in 2021?

 

[sanger727]

I agree with cruisemom.  I don't think it's reasonable to expect things to be "back to normal" anytime in 2021. I would shoot for 2022. Yes, the current protocol is that if someone on the cruise catches covid, it's immediately cancelled, all passengers are quarantined, and the cruise returns to the home port. I wouldn't plan a cruise at all for 2021, but certainly not a bucket list cruise that represents a once in a lifetime trip.

[evandbob]

Way too soon, hold off for at least another year.  Too many unknowns and variables for 2021, which the OP is concerned with, or the post wouldn't have been written.

 

This advice holds even for shorter Caribbean cruises from a US homeport for the 1st half of 2021.

[ColeThornton]

I think the OP already knows what the responses will be.   Hang in there.  It will happen eventually, just not anytime soon.

[Heidi13]

Having been on a 2020 WC that planned to visit most of the places you mentioned, it was tough remaining onboard and either sailing past the ports, or even going alongside, but not permitted to go ashore. To ensure we remained onboard we had armed guards on the dock.

 

The vaccinations have already started in UK (7,000 to 9,000 per week initially) and Canada may have some next week. However, it will be many, many months before some of the areas you plan to visit will have citizens vaccinated.

 

Cruises may start in mid-2021, but under significant COVID protocols. Our preferred cruise line Viking has installed PCR labs aboard each ship with capacity to test each pax & crew daily. They also have expanded medical facilities and will maintain a bubble ashore, which means shore leave on a cruise line shore-ex only. Unfortunately no protocols are 100% effective and if past practice continues, once an infection is confirmed the cruise is cancelled.

 

Last month we postponed a May/June 2021 cruise to 2022 and yesterday further delayed it to 2023, booking the Viking World Cruise. Our hope is that by 2023, even lesser developed areas of the World will be vaccinated and cruising can get back to something closer to normal.

 

I certainly would not consider any of your proposed itineraries in 2021 and would even be hesitant in 2022.

[clo]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

It is going to take a while to roll out the vaccine everywhere and to develop protocols and guidelines that work. Why take a chance on doing this in 2021?

 

I couldn't agree more. At this point we know little and some of what we know isn't that great. With the billions of people on the planet it's going to take an enormous amount of "protocols and guidelines." Our next cruise is Fall '22 and who knows? That may well be the first time we fly intl. also.

[ael123]

Thank you all for your prompt response. I kinda figured that we should wait. But it is always good to get validation from other cruisers. Now I am wondering what to do with my cruise credit with Seabourn. We were supposed to do a world segment in Spring 2020 that was cancelled. I believe we only have a year to rebook. I guess I better take a look so I can think about what to do with my credit.

[Nachosdelux]

Once vaccine(s) are widely available, cruise lines will mandate them for passengers.

 

Expect this around 3Q 2021.

[upwarduk]

In the UK there is priority in the Vaccination queue.

At the moment it’s Health Care workers and the over 80’s.

At the moment I haven’t heard any information about private vaccination, which would certainly be necessary for Cruise ship passengers.

[TeaBag]

ael, we are booked on the May 13, 2022 Singapore to Pireaus cruise and we hope for the best on this one.  It does not go to Dubai. It is also included in their up to 40% off sale.  We were allowed to reprice the other day and saved $5000.  Very pumped about this.  hopefully by this time we will be vaccinated. 

[Grandma Cruising]

14 hours ago, upwarduk said:

In the UK there is priority in the Vaccination queue.

At the moment it’s Health Care workers and the over 80’s.

At the moment I haven’t heard any information about private vaccination, which would certainly be necessary for Cruise ship passengers.

I presume you mean a private vaccination would be necessary if you haven’t had the chance to get your ‘public’ vaccination before your cruise.  

[excitedofharpenden]

As I understand it there will be only one way to get the vaccine. By joining the queue. There won't be an opportunity to pay for it privately. If that is what upwarduk means. 

 

Phil 

[uktog]

That is my understanding in Scotland it’s a license condition and the right one. Money shouldn’t let you jump the line in this situation. 

[mdpa]

I'm cautiously optimistic about our May 29th Med cruise. The US just officially approved the vaccine and hoping I can get ours by May.

 

IMHO, I don't need every country I visit to be vaccinated, only my family...then we plan to travel extensively while hoping it gets distributed to everyone else who needs it.

 

The flexible cancel and reschedule policies made it easy to make the bet for 2021. We have mentally planned for the delay if necessary.

[Nachosdelux]

 

(Norwegian Cruise Line)

 

Rich Duprey, The Motley Fool

Fri, December 11, 2020, 11:08 AM PST

 

 

CEO Frank Del Rio told Travel Leaders Group that his company would definitely require ship crews to get the vaccine before returning to work, and said its lawyers were looking into whether it was possible to require a so-called "immunity passport" from customers, too. The policy is being discussed in many industries as the arrival of multiple effective coronavirus vaccines looks imminent. A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee just recommended the agency grant emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and smaller German biotechnology player BioNTech.

Edited December 12, 2020 by Nachosdelux

[Grandma Cruising]

10 hours ago, uktog said:

That is my understanding in Scotland it’s a license condition and the right one. Money shouldn’t let you jump the line in this situation. 

That’s what I thought, which is why I wanted to check what upwarduk meant. I certainly think that we may well need a record of our vaccinations. I’m hoping our GP will be able to annotate our current vaccination record cards.

Edited December 12, 2020 by Grandma Cruising

[uktog]

52 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

That’s what I thought, which is why I wanted to check what upwarduk meant. I certainly think that we may well need a record of our vaccinations. I’m hoping our GP will be able to annotate our current vaccination record cards.

Our friend who is front line in NHS as a chaplain had his first vaccination yesterday- certainly in Scotland he got a record card which is marked up with yesterday’s date the batch number and an indication of where given etc. He proudly showed it online thanking the person who gave him the vaccination which he did not feel (he’s someone who usually feels them). 

[Grandma Cruising]

13 hours ago, uktog said:

Our friend who is front line in NHS as a chaplain had his first vaccination yesterday- certainly in Scotland he got a record card which is marked up with yesterday’s date the batch number and an indication of where given etc. He proudly showed it online thanking the person who gave him the vaccination which he did not feel (he’s someone who usually feels them). 

That’s reassuring to hear. Thanks.

[KirkNC]

17 hours ago, Nachosdelux said:

 

(Norwegian Cruise Line)

 

Rich Duprey, The Motley Fool

Fri, December 11, 2020, 11:08 AM PST

 

 

CEO Frank Del Rio told Travel Leaders Group that his company would definitely require ship crews to get the vaccine before returning to work, and said its lawyers were looking into whether it was possible to require a so-called "immunity passport" from customers, too. The policy is being discussed in many industries as the arrival of multiple effective coronavirus vaccines looks imminent. A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee just recommended the agency grant emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and smaller German biotechnology player BioNTech.

I think it is vital to the success of cruising that they require vaccinations for anyone on board.

[upwarduk]

On 12/12/2020 at 7:35 AM, excitedofharpenden said:

As I understand it there will be only one way to get the vaccine. By joining the queue. There won't be an opportunity to pay for it privately. If that is what upwarduk means. 

 

Phil 

I was trying to indicate that in the UK, there is no way to pay for a vaccine to enable anyone to cruise. It’s provided by the NHS, who have a priority list.

Not sure about the USA, as their Health Care is so different to ours.

[KirkNC]

Yea testing has worked so well in the cancelled start back cruises 🙄🙄

[Trend]

Canada has a public only system and it was made clear that no private organization will be able to get stock to charge for.

It is free to our citizens and that is how it should be.