New Cunard Emergency Notification concerning medical restrictions

[mcloaked]

I have just seen the news at https://issues.cruiseweekly.com.au/2020/Dec20/cw171220.pdf

 

Quoting: "CUNARD Line overnight issued an Emergency Notification to all guests with existing bookings, confirming it will be unable to accept future passengers with a range of pre-existing medical requirements. The update is part of Cunard’s enhanced protocols to protect the health and wellbeing of guests, crews, and the
communities it visits once sailing recommences. Guests who require supplementary oxygen (including via an oxygen concentrator), kidney dialysis, or mechanical
ventilatory support (apart from overnight CPAP for sleep apnoea) will no longer be able to cruise with Cunard. The cruise line will also bar passengers who, within 14 days prior to departure, have been unwell with confirmed or suspected coronavirus; have been in close contact with someone confirmed or suspected of having coronavirus infection; or have been advised to self-isolate under an official government contact tracing system.
“We are so sorry to have to make this change, but we need to follow new industry procedures for the protection of everyone on board,” Cunard said.
Any guests impacted by the requirement for supplementary oxygen, mechanical ventilatory support or dialysis will receive a full refund of monies paid to date for their bookings.
Passengers who have already completed a medical and accessibility questionnaire and advised of existing medical requirements that may prevent them from travelling under the new protocols have already been contacted by Cunard directly to discuss their options.MEANWHILE, new requirements
around face coverings and social distancing mean that guests travelling in a group are strongly advised to link their bookings.
The move will allow them to coordinate their onboard experience, with group sizes restricted to a maximum number allowed by UK Government guidelines at the time of sailing. The linking of reservations must be done at the time of booking, with requests for travelling groups to be linked not able to be made after sailings depart. Travel agents are being urged to make guests aware they need to ensure their bookings are linked with those of their travelling companions so that
they are treated as a single group on board when considering the requirements for masks and social distancing once Cunard sailings recommence.

 

I haven't seen this news on the Cunard website - has anyone else seen this direct from Cunard?

[ExArkie]

I have not received anything directly from Cunard about this, but I did go (just now) to check their Web site. On the US version of the Web site, acknowledging that there are frequently significant differences in content among different countries, the information regarding ventilators, etc., is posted (https://www.cunard.com/en-us/the-cunard-experience/sailing-with-confidence) on the "Sailing with Confidence" page, about half-way down the page, just after the link to "Health Advisory Letter."

Edited December 17, 2020 by ExArkie
corrected typo

[ace2542]

4 hours ago, mcloaked said:

The move will allow them to coordinate their onboard experience, with group sizes restricted to a maximum number allowed by UK Government guidelines at the time of sailing

Question. What happens if UK and U.S government guidelines clash for want of a better term? Do they follow UK guidelines on the crossing into NYC and U.S guidelines on the crossing back to Southampton? Or vice versa?

[newjoisey]

We just received a booking notification for 2021 x mass carib cruise and there was just standard health warning stuff .....we may need masks and social distancing per UK laws.  yawn.....i will decide in the fall if we are going by then i am sure we will have been vaccinated ,we have no interest in going if masks,distancing etc are required either onboard or in ports . 

[ace2542]

6 minutes ago, newjoisey said:

we have no interest in going if masks,distancing etc are required either onboard or in ports

We are mid Nov 21 and same here to be fair. Final payment date is August so I might dial it on for another year. Or just lose the money even we did 2x ship with agent so who knows what will happen. I may not have received my vaccine by then either.

[downsmead]

P&O have also issued the same notification, so probably a Carnival wide thing, though interestingly have not had one from Cunard for my September sailing yet 🤷‍♀️.

[mcloaked]

2 hours ago, ExArkie said:

I have not received anything directly from Cunard about this, but I did go (just now) to check their Web site. On the US version of the Web site, acknowledging that there are frequently significant differences in content among different countries, the information regarding ventilators, etc., is posted (https://www.cunard.com/en-us/the-cunard-experience/sailing-with-confidence) on the "Sailing with Confidence" page, about half-way down the page, just after the link to "Health Advisory Letter."

 

Yes it is the same on the UK version of the same page now.

[newjoisey]

We have done the x mass carib so many times that we really ran out of excursion picks [diamond 2 more cruises] but i am one of those people who cannot re-call a crew member from a past cruise ....and i am one of those ugly americans that tips in cash . Its Asian one year,african the next ,russian/polish back to asian. I just hope cunard trains and vets them as before ,their passenger service is one of the BIG things that bring us back [12 plus trips] . Although i do remember natasha was flirting with me .......i liked it  

[Bigmike911]

9 hours ago, mcloaked said:

I have just seen the news at https://issues.cruiseweekly.com.au/2020/Dec20/cw171220.pdf

 

Quoting: "CUNARD Line overnight issued an Emergency Notification to all guests with existing bookings, confirming it will be unable to accept future passengers with a range of pre-existing medical requirements. The update is part of Cunard’s enhanced protocols to protect the health and wellbeing of guests, crews, and the
communities it visits once sailing recommences. Guests who require supplementary oxygen (including via an oxygen concentrator), kidney dialysis, or mechanical
ventilatory support (apart from overnight CPAP for sleep apnoea) will no longer be able to cruise with Cunard. The cruise line will also bar passengers who, within 14 days prior to departure, have been unwell with confirmed or suspected coronavirus; have been in close contact with someone confirmed or suspected of having coronavirus infection; or have been advised to self-isolate under an official government contact tracing system.
“We are so sorry to have to make this change, but we need to follow new industry procedures for the protection of everyone on board,” Cunard said.
Any guests impacted by the requirement for supplementary oxygen, mechanical ventilatory support or dialysis will receive a full refund of monies paid to date for their bookings.
Passengers who have already completed a medical and accessibility questionnaire and advised of existing medical requirements that may prevent them from travelling under the new protocols have already been contacted by Cunard directly to discuss their options.MEANWHILE, new requirements
around face coverings and social distancing mean that guests travelling in a group are strongly advised to link their bookings.
The move will allow them to coordinate their onboard experience, with group sizes restricted to a maximum number allowed by UK Government guidelines at the time of sailing. The linking of reservations must be done at the time of booking, with requests for travelling groups to be linked not able to be made after sailings depart. Travel agents are being urged to make guests aware they need to ensure their bookings are linked with those of their travelling companions so that
they are treated as a single group on board when considering the requirements for masks and social distancing once Cunard sailings recommence.

 

I haven't seen this news on the Cunard website - has anyone else seen this direct from Cunard?

I received an updated confirmation today which talks about linking the bookings for groups traveling together, but nothing on medical conditions. 

[canoncruiser]

I am booked on QM2 and QV for August ’21; I have not heard boo from my TA. I am a solo traveler and I do not fall under the travel prohibitions-YET- so I may be really SOLO for all the trips. Hope to get vaccinated well before☺️

[BlueRiband]

Under the current circumstances the new medical restrictions make sense as a person with impaired lung function or undergoing peritoneal dialysis is at high risk for needing hospitalization should they get infected.  Unfortunately for them once the pandemic fades they may remain excluded.  

 

In reply to canoncruiser, I too sail solo and won't book until the "old normal" can return.  Dining alone and being unable to socialize is no fun for me.  Until the situation changes all of us have to assume that our sailing will be cancelled or the on board restrictions will make the experience substantially different from what we encountered before.

[canoncruiser]

I hear you BlueRiband, but I want to sail ASAP-so I’ll mask and distance if necessary. I am curious about

dining arrangements for us solos-but if I can sail, I’ll manage-curious about Commodore Club and Chart Room - but I’ll manage-just to be on the Atlantic😊😊

[oskidunker]

Once everyone is required to have the vaccine, the other measures will probably go away.. i would guess by fall 2021. 

[ExArkie]

On 12/17/2020 at 4:07 PM, Bigmike911 said:

I received an updated confirmation today which talks about linking the bookings for groups traveling together, but nothing on medical conditions. 

I received an updated confirmation about linking bookings yesterday afternoon (Friday, 18 December). Actually, I received two updated confirmations. The first one included the language on medical conditions, the second one did not. Both were time-stamped at 4:47 PM. I did not identify any other difference between the two notices.

[FredT]

10 hours ago, oskidunker said:

Once everyone is required to have the vaccine, the other measures will probably go away.. i would guess by fall 2021. 

You "really" think that the US government would ever mandate everyone take a vaccine?   I dont think so, and I dont see more than 60% of the US population getting it.   (Especially with the mass media playing up every sneeze and hiccup anyone has after getting the shot)  Having said that, my shoulder is ready as soon as they have the needle ready for me!

 

[North West Newbie]

6 minutes ago, FredT said:

You "really" think that the US government would ever mandate everyone take a vaccine?   I dont think so, and I dont see more than 60% of the US population getting it.   (Especially with the mass media playing up every sneeze and hiccup anyone has after getting the shot)  Having said that, my shoulder is ready as soon as they have the needle ready for me!

 

 

No, but Cunard could make it a condition of sailing on their ships which is what I suspect @oskidunker was actually meaning.

[FredT]

1 minute ago, North West Newbie said:

 

No, but Cunard could make it a condition of sailing on their ships which is what I suspect @oskidunker was actually meaning.

OK... Looking at it that way, I am all on board!  (In other words I hope you are right!)

[newjoisey]

i am in for the shots when it is available 

[ExArkie]

2 hours ago, ExArkie said:

I received an updated confirmation about linking bookings yesterday afternoon (Friday, 18 December). Actually, I received two updated confirmations. The first one included the language on medical conditions, the second one did not. Both were time-stamped at 4:47 PM. I did not identify any other difference between the two notices.

Slight correction - the first notice addressed the medical conditions, the second one about linking bookings. My first post incorrectly indicated both included the notice on linking bookings when only one did.