Recent email urging us to contact the "CLIA action center"

[OnTheJourney]

I disagree with what was proposed and so sent the following reply:

 

"As a loyal elite-level customer of Celebrity, I appeciate receiving this email. While I understand the sentiments expressed, I must admit to disagreeing with any sort of cruise restart as early as July and so unfortunately do not feel I can support the effort indicated. Given the number of virus cases surging in many parts of the US, along with the spread of covid variants, I do not feel it is the best time to restart cruising. I personally feel that the overall vaccination percentage, globally-speaking, needs to be considerably higher before the travel industry can safely begin to function again. I have a Celebrity cruise booked for next year, and am more than content to wait until that time."

 

Hate to appear like a scrooge, but I just feel we're not quite there yet.  

[Alakegirl]

Received today



View this email in your browser > CALL US AT: 1-877-202-4344   http://image.email.celebritycruises.com/lib/fe741570746504797615/m/22/318ed049-603f-498e-8894-ac0ff8087a5e.png Dear xxxxxxxxx   Yesterday we extended the global suspension for most of our ships around the world through June. Unfortunately, this includes our United States (U.S.) homeports: Fort Lauderdale, Seattle, Cape Liberty (New Jersey), and other vital ports across the country. Right now, we are unable to sail from the U.S. due to the CDC’s Conditional Sail Order. Cruising remains the only sector of the economy that is prohibited by the U.S. Government from operating at this time.  Together with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), we are petitioning U.S. policymakers and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to remove the Conditional Sail Order and allow cruising to resume along with other travel and hospitality industries. Over the past eight months, a highly-controlled resumption of cruising has taken place in Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific—with nearly 400,000 passengers sailing. Additional markets are scheduled to return in the spring and summer. It’s clear that as public health conditions have improved, our industry’s enhanced public health measures are working.  The cruise industry is a vital part of the travel and tourism economy. To date, over 300,000 jobs have been lost in the U.S. due to the suspension of cruises. The majority of those impacted are independent business owners or individuals employed by small- to medium-sized businesses. With the cruise industry supporting nearly 450,000 American jobs and contributing to over $55.5 billion annually, restarting cruises as part of the broader travel industry will provide a much-needed boost to our country’s economy.     TAKE ACTION: TELL CONGRESS TO HELP RESTART CRUISING Please visit the CLIA Action Center for easy-to-use tools to contact your elected officials in the House and Senate and ask them to make resumption of cruising an urgent priority and request that the Biden Administration lift the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) by this July.  We believe we can – and must – be part of the country’s re-opening this summer, sailing from U.S. ports in July. Vaccines are a game-changer and together with our robust, proven protocols allow us to operate with a high level of confidence in our ability to return to sailing safely.  As a loyal guest of Celebrity, we know you are eager to sail again aboard our beautiful ships. Thank you to those who have already booked your next exciting journey with us.   We can’t wait to welcome you aboard.   #ReadySetSail #CELEBRITYCRUISES MANAGE PREFERENCES | FORWARD TO A FRIEND | UNSUBSCRIBE     ©2021 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships' registry: Malta and Ecuador.   If you wish to change your preferences or opt to be excluded from future commercial e-mails from  Celebrity Cruises, click here or visit: Celebrity.com.  We hope you enjoyed this e-mail from:  Celebrity Cruises Inc.  1050 Caribbean Way  Miami, FL 33132  www.celebritycruises.com  Privacy Policy

[D C]

Why should those who are vaccinated not be permitted to congregate and sail with others who are also vaccinated?  

[KWW88]

15 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

I disagree with what was proposed and so sent the following reply:

 

"As a loyal elite-level customer of Celebrity, I appeciate receiving this email. While I understand the sentiments expressed, I must admit to disagreeing with any sort of cruise restart as early as July and so unfortunately do not feel I can support the effort indicated. Given the number of virus cases surging in many parts of the US, along with the spread of covid variants, I do not feel it is the best time to restart cruising. I personally feel that the overall vaccination percentage, globally-speaking, needs to be considerably higher before the travel industry can safely begin to function again. I have a Celebrity cruise booked for next year, and am more than content to wait until that time."

 

Hate to appear like a scrooge, but I just feel we're not quite there yet.  

So because you are not ready to get on a ship, others should not either? 

[HS2BS]

This is wrong of Celebrity to ask the sailing community for this! Where was Celebrity last year when ships like the Eclipse could not find a port to except them?

The CDC is responsible for the health of the UNITED STATES, has nothing to do with the economy. If Celebrity wants a say in US politics then their ships should be registered here!!

The CDC says make arrangements in each US port to support medical emergencies, and not depend on governments(local & federal). We’ve all been on board when a medical emergency necessitate a passenger removal by Coast Guard; does that cost the ship or is it the taxpayers picking up the tab? Why is that so difficult, just costly to the cruise lines.

 

Hal

[Redtravel]

Asking Captains Club guests to get involved in political actions is WRONG!

if the cruise company has issues with politics,  do not ask potential guests too fight your battles.  
Celebrity should respect the CDC.  CDC is protecting Americans.  

[mom says]

42 minutes ago, Alakegirl said:

Vaccines are a game-changer and together with our robust, proven protocols allow us to operate with a high level of confidence in our ability to return to sailing safely

Show us those robust, proven protocols. Or better yet, show them to the CDC.

[KWW88]

1 minute ago, Redtravel said:

Asking Captains Club guests to get involved in political actions is WRONG!

if the cruise company has issues with politics,  do not ask potential guests too fight your battles.  
Celebrity should respect the CDC.  CDC is protecting Americans.  

that's just it, they are "asking", not "telling".  I am not ready to get on a ship, but many fully vaxed people are, who am I to tell them no.  I submitted my support via the CLIA link.

[cruisestitch]

I am actually rather stunned that Celebrity would send such a letter. It is, at the least, and unfocused effort. Which senators and congressmen sit on relevant committees? Where lies the power to force the CDC to allow Cruising?  Who are cruising’s legislative allies?

 

we might as well stand on the corner and shout “we want to cruise” for all the good this will do.

 

 

[HskrCrsr]

 

41 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

I personally feel that the overall vaccination percentage, globally-speaking, needs to be considerably higher before the travel industry can safely begin to function again.

 

I can't say you are wrong, and different people certainly feel different levels of risk. We all must do our part to protect ourselves and to stop the spread, so a shipload of infected passengers disembarking in my town wouldn't be fun. (Guess where Eclipse offloaded after her last cruise. Yep, my town.)

 

The letter from Celebrity says they want to start in July: "We believe we can – and must – be part of the country’s re-opening this summer, sailing from U.S. ports in July." In the next three months I would hope the vaccination percentage is indeed considerably higher. If Celebrity only allows vaccinated people on board, and if vaccinated people cannot contribute to spread, what global vaccination percentage do you think is needed to safely function as a cruise line? Understanding protection may not be 100%, of course.

 

I should note that I give Celebrity credit enough to assume they will avoid COVID hotspots and not just offload passengers willy nilly. They do not want any positive cases on board and will do everything they think they can to avoid ending a sailing early. I may be overestimating them.

[TMLAalum]

I signed and sent the email with a short note stating that there should be no reason not to sail if passengers and crew were fully vaccinated.

 

However, I highly doubt my 2 senators and 1 congresswoman will even read it based on their past form letter replies to previous emails I've sent over other issues of import to me.

 

Hopefully a deluge of these emails might have an impact. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

[MarkWiltonM]

3 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

I signed and sent the email with a short note stating that there should be no reason not to sail if passengers and crew were fully vaccinated.

 

I also signed and sent the email, writing that I support the immediate resumption of cruises from U.S. ports with fully vaccinated passengers.

[wrk2cruise]

28 minutes ago, mom says said:

Show us those robust, proven protocols. Or better yet, show them to the CDC.

 

This is where I'm at.  Document the plan and make it public.   While I agree with most of what I've seen with the MSC, TUI, and RCL Sinagpore protocols I'm not even seeing anything close to that detail being provided for the  Millie and Apex sailings.    In addition I want to know what happens if I ( yes fully vaccinated ) happen to test positive onboard or if I've been deemed a close contact with someone that is?   The approach of we'll let you know later or "trust us" is not sitting well with me a very loyal Celebrity cruiser.

[grandgeezer]

58 minutes ago, KWW88 said:

So because you are not ready to get on a ship, others should not either? 

She gave her opinion and why she felt that way. Everybody is entitled to their opinion on any subject, except on this board. You are not cruising because a majority of the people don't care about cruising and some of the ones that do, refuse to adhere to the guidelines submitted by the people that have the final say. Maybe it's time to change strategies before it's too late.

This e-mail plea just reeks with desperation and will have 0 effect no matter how it turns out. 

[KWW88]

10 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

I signed and sent the email with a short note stating that there should be no reason not to sail if passengers and crew were fully vaccinated.

 

However, I highly doubt my 2 senators and 1 congresswoman will even read it based on their past form letter replies to previous emails I've sent over other issues of import to me.

 

Hopefully a deluge of these emails might have an impact. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

That is because they are very busy with far more important matters...fund raising for their re-election

[KWW88]

1 minute ago, grandgeezer said:

She gave her opinion and why she felt that way. Everybody is entitled to their opinion on any subject, except on this board. You are not cruising because a majority of the people don't care about cruising and some of the ones that do, refuse to adhere to the guidelines submitted by the people that have the final say. Maybe it's time to change strategies before it's too late.

This e-mail plea just reeks with desperation and will have 0 effect no matter how it turns out. 

I just re-read the sentence, I think I must have missed the part where I apparently said she could not have an opinion.  I posed it as a genuine question, was not judging at all.

[Fouremco]

What's next, will BMW start asking its customers to write to their house and senate representatives in an attempt to obtain more favourable tariffs on their imported cars? Or will Celebrity start a ***** account to help defray the costs associated with their ongoing "negotiations" with the CDC?

[mahdnc]

We should get Power Up Points for this activity.

[excitedofharpenden]

This is such a bad move. We look to Celebrity to take the lead on this, not the other way round. Desperate and wrong to get their guests (who they have no idea of the knowledge they might have) to do this. I have to say I'm a bit shocked they've done it. 

 

Phil 

[C-Dragons]

48 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

This is such a bad move. We look to Celebrity to take the lead on this, not the other way round. Desperate and wrong to get their guests (who they have no idea of the knowledge they might have) to do this. I have to say I'm a bit shocked they've done it. 

 

Phil 

The link X provided in the email is the same link to CLIA that someone provided here on CC a few weeks ago that caused such an uproar. 

Free will, no one has to do it if they don’t want to. 

[C-Dragons]

58 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

We should get Power Up Points for this activity.

Too funny! 😁

[NantahalaCruiser]

I sent Celebrity back the following email reply:

 

Celebrity

 

We would be willing to contact our political representatives only if Celebrity would send us a detailed COVID response plan with specific plans on such things as exactly what type of requirements for boarding will be, what sailing conditions would be (e.g. masks or no masks requirements around the pool deck), what will happen to the cruise if a group of passengers comes down with COVID (e.g. would the cruise be terminated and if so would we receive a full reimbursement?), will ship sponsored shore excursions be the only allowed excursions, or will we be allowed to schedule our own, etc.  And what criteria will you use to determine when such restrictions will be reduced or eliminated?

 

Until your plans are more clear and transparent, how can you expect your loyal consumers to support you?

 

[jelayne]

A request nothing more.  If you don’t agree easy enough to delete the email.

I added my thoughts and submitted it.  

 

[grandgeezer]

1 hour ago, KWW88 said:

I just re-read the sentence, I think I must have missed the part where I apparently said she could not have an opinion.  I posed it as a genuine question, was not judging at all.

Your last sentence inferred that she was trying to speak for everybody else so cruising wouldn't start up. That comment is judgmental with a snooty side. Some things are better off not said.

[KWW88]

12 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

Your last sentence inferred that she was trying to speak for everybody else so cruising wouldn't start up. That comment is judgmental with a snooty side. Some things are better off not said.

There was no last sentence, It was just a once sentence question.  I inferred nothing, just asked a question.  Stop looking for a problem.