Can Royal be far behind as NCL freezes voyage bookings until Sept. 1, 2021

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

Well that stinks.  100% vaccinated and masks still required

What's the point of requiring 100% vaccinations if you're still going to treat the cruise like it's 100% unvaccinated?

[Ashland]

14 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

What's the point of requiring 100% vaccinations if you're still going to treat the cruise like it's 100% unvaccinated?

Their toys their rules...I'll abide by what policy is necessary once my particular cruise sails.

I have no doubt nothing will be hard set in stone and rules will become flexible as we travel forward.

[dianajo67]

The CDC is unlikely to approve until they are convinced that current vaccines are effective at preventing covid variants picked up in less vaccinated countries from being brought back to the USA.  There is so much debate on how long current shots remain effective, whether they can handle the variants, and the political risk of allowing a tiered society where the vaccinated get to live it up, while everyone else stays hunkered down.  
 

I have 9 cruises booked and ever hopeful.  I just don’t think the CDC will back off until way more people have the shots and there is a years worth of data showing that the vaccines remain effective against current and emerging variants.

 

Remember — this is all Emergency Use Authorization.  It’s not like the vaccines are fully meeting CDC requirements for regular use.

Edited April 5, 2021 by dianajo67
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[mek]

2 hours ago, Heymarco said:

 Vaccine requirements should not limit those it’s not available to. 

Of course they should.  A non vaccinated person exclusion means exactly that - including people under 16 not being able to cruise because they can't get the shot(s.)  Why is it so hard to understand that?  IMO, it's necessary for cruising to start back up from the US that ships only allow vaccinated people on board with no exceptions.

My opinion only - only time will tell what the CDC finally agrees to.

[taglovestocruise]

A little blip about Ncl and others as the cruise industry is becoming fed up with the CDC.

One reason is that Norwegian Cruise Line could be about to extend its suspension on cruise operations until September 2021.  

In recent weeks the cruise line has canceled sailings for at least five ships as far forward as November. In fact, impacted guests have already revealed a letter about those cancellations due to redeployments. NCL has said that an announcement would be coming soon regarding ship redeployments.

Nothing is yet fully known until the cruise lines release an announcement. Still, it’s looking like NCL could be suspending regular operations and instead will introduce new alternative sailings for some of its ships.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises have already started shifting ships away from the U.S. for the summer. Several new homeports have recently been announced between the two cruise lines, and there are rumblings that Norwegian Cruise Line may be planning the same. With  UK domestic cruises being allowed from May 17, we could see sailings from there or even some alternative homeports in the Caribbean or Mediterranean. Carnival has stated they are not currently looking for new home ports, but some insider executives think this could be a grave mistake.  Hopefully, we’ll know very soon.

[smokeybandit]

23 minutes ago, mek said:

Of course they should.  A non vaccinated person exclusion means exactly that - including people under 16 not being able to cruise because they can't get the shot(s.)  Why is it so hard to understand that?  IMO, it's necessary for cruising to start back up from the US that ships only allow vaccinated people on board with no exceptions.

My opinion only - only time will tell what the CDC finally agrees to.

 

CDC already said in their updated guidance that vaccines aren't required.

[mek]

2 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

 

CDC already said in their updated guidance that vaccines aren't required.

But they still aren't allowing ships to sail from the US - so what is the hold up?.  Again, just my opinion, but I think if the ships only allowed fully vaccinated passengers and crew on board, sailing could start back up from the US.

[jptoz]

4 hours ago, Stallion said:

Desantis executive order with regard to the cruise industry is a political stunt. He has no jurisdiction over the requirements for international or interstate travel. ZERO

I actually think Desantis is doing more harm then good to the cruise industry. The cdc wants a vaccine mandate, the cruise lines need to give it to them. 

[mek]

9 minutes ago, jptoz said:

 The cdc wants a vaccine mandate, the cruise lines need to give it to them. 

Exactly - people either want cruising to resume in the US or they don't and if that is what it takes then so be it.  It is pointless to argue how cruising is starting up in foreign ports - that really doesn't solve the problem here or help out all of the businesses and people who are cruise dependent for income.

[firefly333]

21 minutes ago, jptoz said:

I actually think Desantis is doing more harm then good to the cruise industry. The cdc wants a vaccine mandate, the cruise lines need to give it to them. 

Another person allowing politics to confuse them. So many confused on here.

 

There is a vaccine mandate. I have a little card to show as proof. I think you are equating some proposed vaccine passport with a national data base with the vaccine mandate. 

 

Thanks but I'm happy with my card as proof. 

 

PS the cdc doesnt say they want it either. The cdc last friday actually said vsccines arent required. 

 

Nothing has been said by desantis to stop cruises. Hes on the cruiselines side. 

[BSocial]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

 

CDC already said in their updated guidance that vaccines aren't required.

Vaccines recommended.    But by NCL requiring vaccines through the end of the NSO, It requires CDC to stand by their “fully vaccinated can travel” , and now relates it to travel by cruise ship.  
 

  A lot of CDC objections to cruise travel (mass CoVid  cases flooding port hospitals, etc)  disappear in light of “fully vaccinated” cruise ship.   Along with the upgrades NCL state they have achieved onboard  to take care of any random cases by themselves. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by BSocial
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[DCGuy64]

11 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Hes on the cruiselines side.

I took that as a given for this whole site, but it isn't always the case, sadly.

[mek]

3 hours ago, Heymarco said:

If CDC requires vaccines for those that aren’t available to cruise, then I’m going to start a petition to get a doctors note for those over 70 again. All in the name of safety for the overall population of course.

What a crock of crap that is.  We are talking about fully vaccinated people cruising - it doesn't need to go any further than that.

 

 

[mek]

2 hours ago, Heymarco said:

Ah, so you are still OK with sacrifice to get sailing started, just as long as it doesn’t impact you. Loud and clear, thanks for confirming! 

You are very much mistaken.  I have a 6 year old grandson who will not be able to sail with me for a while and I'm more than willing to comply with that if it gets cruising started back up.

 

Don't even go there about sacrifice because I like many others did sacrifice this past year by staying away from friends and family in order to protect ourselves and others. I'm now fully vaccinated so I can now be with my family again but the world certainly won't end if I can't take my grandson on a cruise this year.

 

All of the talk last spring concerning people 70+ was when everyone was discussing how cruising might start back up w/o any vaccines and has no practical application to getting cruises started back up  as long as everyone on a ship has been vaccinated.

 

 

Edited April 6, 2021 by mek

[A&L_Ont]

 

15 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

CDC already said in their updated guidance that vaccines aren't required.

This is what I find concerning.  If vaccines aren’t required how does the CDC expect the “safest” set of guests prior to the ship sailing.  It feels like they are setting it up for failure by not having the best baseline start. That being said, I am sure they would love to have all guests and crew vaccinated but don’t want to say it out loud. You know, they wink while they say “it isn’t needed”.😉😉😉
 

I want it to be as safe as possible but I wouldn’t pay to sail with mask wearing being mandatory.  I am certainly not going to pay for a cruise when I am vaccinated, while others on board are not vaccinated making my cruise experience lessened.
 

If the ship goes into outbreak the vaccinated guests will be quarantined along with those that haven’t been because the vaccine only lessens the severity of ones case. When the ship comes into port in lock down, who if anyone will be allowed off the ship?  Will the vaccinated be allowed off or do they have to stay on board until the outbreak is declared over?  
 

IMO until the CDC sees longer lasting evidence of the vaccine and further information gained over time they aren’t going to let the ships sail. They claim they are for protecting the health of the citizens of the States, yet letting a ship sail at this day and age with unvaccinated guests is counterproductive to their mandate.

 

 

[sandebeach]

Just read that NCL will have ships going out of Jamaica, DR and Greece starting in August. 

[Ourusualbeach]

14 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

Just read that NCL will have ships going out of Jamaica, DR and Greece starting in August. 

Saw that as well.  Must take NCL shore excursions though if wanting to go ashore for sailings in July and August.

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24713-norwegian-cruise-line-sets-restart-plan-with-three-ships.html

 

 

[sandebeach]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Saw that as well.  Must take NCL shore excursions though if wanting to go ashore for sailings in July and August.

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24713-norwegian-cruise-line-sets-restart-plan-with-three-ships.html

 

 

And I think that you will have to be vaccinated. So essentially an adults-only cruise. 

[Encore37]

2 hours ago, sandebeach said:

And I think that you will have to be vaccinated. So essentially an adults-only cruise. 

 

Perfect!

[smokeybandit]

Norwegian is now an anti-child and anti-family cruise line. You know RC (and Carnival?) won't let that go unnoticed.

[hallux]

6 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Norwegian is now an anti-child and anti-family cruise line

They're anti-unvaccinated people.  They did that in an effort to re-open cruising from US ports, but I don't see it as a long-term decision.

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, hallux said:

They're anti-unvaccinated people.  They did that in an effort to re-open cruising from US ports, but I don't see it as a long-term decision.

But the new non-US homeports have the same requirements.

[Iamcruzin]

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Saw that as well.  Must take NCL shore excursions though if wanting to go ashore for sailings in July and August.

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24713-norwegian-cruise-line-sets-restart-plan-with-three-ships.html

 

 

I think that's the only island that I would take a ships excursion. We even had a bad experience on a Princess excursion in Jamaica.  We have managed to avoid that port of call since 2006. We don't care much for Western Caribbean itineraries anyway. No way that I would board a ship from that port.

[Iamcruzin]

31 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Norwegian is now an anti-child and anti-family cruise line. You know RC (and Carnival?) won't let that go unnoticed.

If that's the only way they can feel fit to start then so be it. This is all temporary. They may even gain new passengers who only want to sail on a fully vaccinated  ships.  NCL and Carnival do not provide the level of service I want. I would rather take a risk on Royal, Celebrity or Princess.  I think Pfizer is close to producing a vaccine for children.  The percentage of children who are getting covid is rising in comparison to adults since adults have be getting vaccinated.  

[firefly333]

11 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I think that's the only island that I would take a ships excursion. We even had a bad experience on a Princess excursion in Jamaica.  We have managed to avoid that port of call since 2006. We don't care much for Western Caribbean itineraries anyway. No way that I would board a ship from that port.

Lol from Galveston jamaica is on the eastern. Western is cozumel, belize and Honduras or a 2nd mexican port. I usually also try and avoid eastern to avoid jamaica. Seen all I can for one thing. Done all the good excursions and not a port i enjoy wandering around. 

 

The vaccine for 12 to 16 age group just waiting on fda approval. 

Edited April 6, 2021 by firefly333