New CDC Guidance for vaccinated travelers (CSO)

[lizord]

I saw this posted to the /r/cruise subreddit today and thought I'd repost here because I hadn't seen another thread on it.

 

CDC has updated their guidance to differentiate between vaccinated and un-vaccinated sailings! Here is the source (they did not highlight the changes, just kind of threw them in): https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/covid19-operations-manual-cso.html

Important changes below:

Fully Vaccinated Travelers:

Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise passengers and crew that—if they are fully vaccinated—they may engage in self-guided or independent exploration during port stops, if they wear a mask while indoors. The cruise ship operator is additionally advised that foreign jurisdictions may have their own requirements.

Fully Vaccinated Travelers:

Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise passengers and crew that—if they are fully vaccinated—they may gather or conduct activities outdoors, including engaging in extended meal service or beverage consumption, without wearing a mask except in crowded settings.

 

Thank you Reddit user /u/imnotagirl_janet for bringing this to my attention as I would have not noticed it otherwise.

Edited May 12, 2021 by lizord

[Lee Cruiser]

Looks like good news. Thanks for sharing. 

[bluesman0711]

Great news!!!

[xDisconnections]

@Seago2

 

[kleibo]

Yes - they have definetely changed some of the guidelines and included areas for Fully Vaccinated Travelers

[kleibo]

Fully Vaccinated Travelers

• Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise passengers and crew that—if they are fully vaccinated—they may gather or conduct activities outdoors, including engaging in extended meal service or beverage consumption, without wearing a mask except in crowded settings.

Fully Vaccinated Travelers

• Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise passengers and crew that—if they are fully vaccinated—they may engage in self-guided or independent exploration during port stops, if they wear a mask while indoors. The cruise ship operator is additionally advised that foreign jurisdictions may have their own requirements.

 

[Stallion]

so we wasted a week over arguing what was predictable based on previous CDC guidance changes related to on land application. Sometimes it does take awhile to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s. Nevertheless headed in right direction

[ProgRockCruiser]

3 minutes ago, Stallion said:

so we wasted a week over arguing what was predictable

But that's what we do here!

 

I am glad to see it finally getting sorted to some level of sensibility, though.

[Lee Cruiser]

After going to the link and reading the whole thing, the vaccinated mask part is the only good change.  Looking at the physical distancing section, cruise lines are just about going to have to reduce their capacities greatly.  There is no way to stay within these rules otherwise.

[bdever]

Yay! Thanks for sharing the good news with the link. Happy to hear! 

[ricka47]

This is only logical. Yet, I'm sure that there were great debates within the CDC about whether to grant us back even this degree of freedom.

[joeyancho]

Very encouraging.  

[ProgRockCruiser]

40 minutes ago, Lee Cruiser said:

After going to the link and reading the whole thing, the vaccinated mask part is the only good change.  Looking at the physical distancing section, cruise lines are just about going to have to reduce their capacities greatly.  There is no way to stay within these rules otherwise.

MDRs will be interesting.  Reduced capacity will help, but they might have to go to three seatings anyway.  5pm, 7pm, 9pm?

 

The possible solution is to say that the cruise line has implemented all the things to "facilitate" social distancing, but whether the pax choose to stay six feet apart is not within their control.  Only in the show theaters and comedy clubs could they have a chance at enforcement, and that just might mean multiples of shows throughout the day (fine by me, but killer on the performers).  And I guess they could enforce spacing in the casino.

 

Anyway, I also expect this to modify between now and July to three feet (to match current guidance for schools, etc), and maybe just go away if all (or 95% or whatever) pax are vaccinated.

[Anyislandwilldo]

I'm waiting on my January cruise.  Lots can happen between July and Jan.

[jsglow]

I think the net result of this for Carnival is that they will immediately go to a 'vaccinated only' policy along the lines of NCL.  Assuming we're not all walking around with our vax cards on deck, the logistics of dealing with separate rules for the vaxxed and unvaxxed pax on the same cruise is a nightmare.  And required outdoor mask wearing and required ship sponsored excursions (as would be the case on a cruise where proof of vaccination isn't required) would not be a competitive product offering up against the competition.  With this guidance, there's zero chance I as a fully vaccinated person would accept the greater restrictions.  They know that.

[BoozinCroozin]

8 minutes ago, jsglow said:

I think the net result of this for Carnival is that they will immediately go to a 'vaccinated only' policy along the lines of NCL. 

I partially agree. The part I agree with vaccinated only except those too young to be vaccinated. 12-15 year olds can now be vaxxed. I expect much younger than that in the next 4-5 months. But families should not be punished because their kids cannot be vaxxed.

 

With that said and cruising not starting until after the Summer breaks, I don't expect too many young kids to be cruising until November with schools that have Fall break and Thanksgiving.

[TNcruising02]

1 hour ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Good progress, but a few days late to get July going. 

 

One thing I fail to see from the CDC anywhere is elimination of smoking. They should ban smoking and vaping anywhere onboard because it carries the droplets farther than breathing. 

"Does CDC’s Order allow removal of a mask while on the premises of a transportation hub for the purpose of smoking or using tobacco products in areas where tobacco use is otherwise allowed?

No. CDC’s Order does not include an exception for tobacco use"

[TNcruising02]

2 hours ago, kleibo said:

Fully Vaccinated Travelers

• Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise passengers and crew that—if they are fully vaccinated—they may gather or conduct activities outdoors, including engaging in extended meal service or beverage consumption, without wearing a mask except in crowded settings.

Fully Vaccinated Travelers

• Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise passengers and crew that—if they are fully vaccinated—they may engage in self-guided or independent exploration during port stops, if they wear a mask while indoors. The cruise ship operator is additionally advised that foreign jurisdictions may have their own requirements.

 

It's good to see some things that many of us have figured are common sense.  I will definitely have to look for a vaccinated cruise if the removal of the crazy restrictions aren't also allowed with unvaccinated cruises.  My husband and I are fully vaccinated, so we are good to go.  This gives me hope again for my August cruise.  I wouldn't even mind carrying my vaccine card with me, if that's what it takes to be able to cruise like a normal person.

Edited May 12, 2021 by TNcruising02

[jsglow]

5 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

I partially agree. The part I agree with vaccinated only except those too young to be vaccinated. 12-15 year olds can now be vaxxed. I expect much younger than that in the next 4-5 months. But families should not be punished because their kids cannot be vaxxed.

 

With that said and cruising not starting until after the Summer breaks, I don't expect too many young kids to be cruising until November with schools that have Fall break and Thanksgiving.

There are lots of things families with young children can't do.  Now assuming there's no CDC carve out for kids (I don't know this to be true), I consider it HIGHLY unlikely that Carnival will say 'mask up everywhere everyone because we want kids onboard'.  That would be a huge money loser.  What they might do is run some select 'family friendly' cruises where the more restrictive rules apply to accommodate that segment of the customer base.

[jsglow]

I'll predict the next big shoe to drop. The CDC will only require those Americans without proof of vaccination to present a negative Covid test upon entering the country from certain 'authorized' locations.  (Think Caribbean cruise ship versus a flight from a hot spot such as India.) 

[bdever]

Hi everyone, can someone help me interpret the following. Does this only apply to al fresco dinning? If so I pray the ship 🛳 God answers my prayer for additional al fresco dinning options fleet wide for a win-win 🙏🏻

 

[BoozinCroozin]

1 hour ago, Cowboys4ever said:

How about you just stay out of the all the areas that are deemed smoking areas.. if you do that, what is the problem?  There isn't one.  Just an excuse to ban something you don't like in the name of safety.  Im a non smoker by the way but give it a rest.. don't like the smell or scared of the droplets.. stay home.  

I guess we don't care about covid safety. I guess if you are ok with it traveling much farther in smoke and vape good for you.

[Don Kehote]

32 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

I guess we don't care about covid safety. I guess if you are ok with it traveling much farther in smoke and vape good for you.

I shall now smoke twice as much on my next cruise since it is good for me.

[harkinmr]

5 hours ago, Lee Cruiser said:

After going to the link and reading the whole thing, the vaccinated mask part is the only good change.  Looking at the physical distancing section, cruise lines are just about going to have to reduce their capacities greatly.  There is no way to stay within these rules otherwise.

Reduced capacity was always the plan.  Cruise lines have been doing it for months on sailings outside the US. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

3 hours ago, bdever said:

Don’t enter smoking section. 
I have seen casinos on European ships non-smoking with separate enclosed smoking rooms in casinos for smokers. 
 

Why doesn't Carnival do this?  Cage them all in the Cone Of Silence.