New CDC Guidance 5/26, significant changes for masks and dining

[coffeebean]

On 5/27/2021 at 5:00 PM, rockmom said:

FYI, you CAN get it, the vaccine is to make sure you don't end up hospitalized or dead from it.  But you can definitely still get it.  

Breakthrough infection rate for fully vaccinated people is 0.009%. There is an extremely low chance of contracting Covid once fully vaccinated.

 

Read about it HERE.

Edited May 29, 2021 by coffeebean

[coffeebean]

On 5/27/2021 at 7:06 PM, jrapps said:

Unless you intend to wait, sail an Alaska itinerary, or sail Celebrity, you will be wearing a mask on Royal Caribbean ships (from all info currently available)

 

This may as always change in the future but as of now they have stated that all ships under the Royal banner will not apply for 95% Vaccination Approval so must require masks.

 

I'm not even going to address the whole "you can catch and transmit Covid-19 even if you are vaccinated" argument. It's not worth it.

With a breakthrough infection rate for fully vaccinated people of 0.009%, your "argument" doesn't really hold up very well. I just posted a link in a previous post regarding the breakthrough infection rate for fully vaccinated people.
 

[xpcdoojk]

Come on guys get a room, sheesh.  

 

Love it when crazy people find each other.

 

 

[3kidsncats]

3 hours ago, coffeebean said:

Personally, I will not mask up for those under 12. I will sail NCL or Celebrity with 100% vaccinated crew and passengers. That is  the cruise experience I much prefer and that is where I will spend our vacation dollars.

Your dollars, your choice.  It’s not that big of a deal to me, personally. 

[Coralc]

I don't think the recordkeeping is all that great. They didn't ask for our SS#. And even though we turned in our paperwork for both shots, the health dept. kept calling because they didn't have a record of us receiving our second shot. But we have had our shots and have our completed cards. 

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, Coralc said:

I don't think the record keeping is all that great. They didn't ask for our SS#. And even though we turned in our paperwork for both shots, the health dept. kept calling because they didn't have a record of us receiving our second shot. But we have had our shots and have our completed cards. 

It isn't. No SS# from me, address they have listed is Michigan, I'm in Az. Then Vaccine card they gave me had no personal info on it. Wrote name on it myself after shot when got home. Gave them my Dr info, they never received notification of Shots

[LXA350]

I doubt RCL will start cruising droping all the protocols. At the begining limited capacities and masks will be around and following a successfull launch with a positive track record we might see protocols be slowly adjusted. The system of having both vaccinated and non vaccinated adults onboard with seperate rules will not work in practice, so this we will not see.

[ace2542]

6 minutes ago, LXA350 said:

The system of having both vaccinated and non vaccinated adults onboard with seperate rules will not work in practice

Not unless they are prepared to turn ships in to George Orwells 1984 or a cross between person of interest and the movie silver. I doubt watching passengers that closely would be something people would approve of. And I don't see them giving passengers some way of showing visually that they have been vaccinated or not vaccinated?

[LXA350]

29 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Not unless they are prepared to turn ships in to George Orwells 1984 or a cross between person of interest and the movie silver. I doubt watching passengers that closely would be something people would approve of. And I don't see them giving passengers some way of showing visually that they have been vaccinated or not vaccinated?

 

You will then run into the "Discrimination" complaining, hence whatever rules will be decided it will be for the whole ship as then everyone who boards knows what he gets themselves into. Therefore I doubt that most of those relaxed policies of the CDC will actually be implemented for the time being.

[At Sea At Peace]

On 5/27/2021 at 7:06 AM, At Sea At Peace said:

 

A lot of good points.  Thanks.  Just a couple of light-hearted comments.

 

NH does not require seat belts for adults.  👍  

 

I don't think the decision is polarizing, rather the discussion is. Further, it gets worse when someone other than themselves want to (or orders) the decision for them.

 

If they can't cruise at this time then that is that.  It is what it is.

 

IMO, there is a category of the population that is fairly significant and the science is not settled, complete and cannot be at this time.  The estimated number of those previously infected is unknown but believed to be high.  The more research, over time, is coming to previously different conclusions. 

 

For example, natural immunity "fades faster" is now challenged by the research for those that had mild symptoms that concludes 'of course it does, after its job is done and it lies in wait to defend again (perhaps forever).

 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210524110135.htm

 

""People with mild cases of COVID-19 clear the virus from their bodies two to three weeks after infection, so there would be no virus driving an active immune response seven or 11 months after infection," Ellebedy said. "These cells are not dividing. They are quiescent, just sitting in the bone marrow and secreting antibodies. They have been doing that ever since the infection resolved, and they will continue doing that indefinitely."

 

We have adult family members who've had it, little to no symptoms, and despite others lamenting, Doctors at very high end Boston hospitals have advised not to get the vaccine at this time (and recently referenced the above study).  Other adult family members and spouses have been vaccinated as well as my wife and I.

 

 

 

16 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

"New Hampshire is the only U.S. state that does not by law require adult drivers to wear safety belts while operating a motor vehicle. ... If a driver commits a primary violation (e.g., for speeding) they may additionally be charged for not wearing a seat belt."

 

 

 

 

 

15 hours ago, At Sea At Peace said:

 

That quote is from Wikipedia.  

 

No adult has 'ever' been charged and convicted of not wearing a seat belt.

 

None.

 

Again, the point was pleasantly made in regard to the statement that 'seat belts are required in all 50 states.

 

Such is not, as in NH they are not required.

 

 

 

14 hours ago, dswallow said:

 

NH does have a seat belt law. It's just that it applies only to those under 18, and those under 7 must use a child restraint system. They still let some folks under 18 drive, too, right? 

 

Wow.  

 

OMG.

 

The OP had so much worthy of valuable discussion, yet . . . 🙄

 

So, I guess I'll have to correct such . . .

 

[BecciBoo]

6 hours ago, Coralc said:

I don't think the recordkeeping is all that great. They didn't ask for our SS#. And even though we turned in our paperwork for both shots, the health dept. kept calling because they didn't have a record of us receiving our second shot. But we have had our shots and have our completed cards. 

And how do you think they knew that?  The facility where you were vaccinated made that mistake.

[BecciBoo]

4 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

It isn't. No SS# from me, address they have listed is Michigan, I'm in Az. Then Vaccine card they gave me had no personal info on it. Wrote name on it myself after shot when got home. Gave them my Dr info, they never received notification of Shots

Wow, not only did Wally World ask all of that info, the card was completely filled out by the tech. I still think the info you did give was recorded for the feds.  How else can they make the numbers claims for vaccine they have been giving...

[bucfan2]

15 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

How else can they make the numbers claims for vaccine they have been giving...

Perhaps by using the same method used for number of covid cases.

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

How else can they make the numbers claims for vaccine they have been giving...

By counting how many doses have been administered?

[ONECRUISER]

5 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

And how do you think they knew that?  The facility where you were vaccinated made that mistake.

Rite Aid

[Coralc]

5 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

And how do you think they knew that?  The facility where you were vaccinated made that mistake.

We were vaccinated by the county health department. 

[kearney]

18 hours ago, coffeebean said:

Personally, I will not mask up for those under 12. I will sail NCL or Celebrity with 100% vaccinated crew and passengers. That is  the cruise experience I much prefer and that is where I will spend our vacation dollars.

I don't understand... if you are vaccinated...why do you have to vaccinate for those under 12. Once fully vaccinated you can go without masks or socially distancing... the ones at risk are the unvaccinated...and the more vaccinated people around them ..the less chance they will get it.. Here is a nice writeup from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/new-data-on-covid-19-transmission-by-vaccinated-individuals.html.. they were several weeks ahead of CDC... I assume CDC got even more data to make them feel comfortable making the changes

[kearney]

I too wonder about centralized data. Those receiving medicare will be captured in their database... but those with private insurance, I am not sure..that data may be in the county and state databases. I could be possible to combine all of that..but not sure that is being done. They may simply be reporting numbers by age groups on a daily basis...without the underlying details... but given that medicare is a Federal program..I would be surprised if that is not in a larger database...very surprised..

[mikaula]

Really hopping the test cruises go well. 

[not-enough-cruising]

44 minutes ago, kearney said:

I don't understand... if you are vaccinated...why do you have to vaccinate for those under 12. Once fully vaccinated you can go without masks or socially distancing... the ones at risk are the unvaccinated...and the more vaccinated people around them ..the less chance they will get it.. Here is a nice writeup from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/new-data-on-covid-19-transmission-by-vaccinated-individuals.html.. they were several weeks ahead of CDC... I assume CDC got even more data to make them feel comfortable making the changes

The rules on a cruise ship are different. 
 

Even if vaccinated you must mask, social distance, and follow capacity guidelines because of greater than 5% unvaccinated (children) on the ship. 
 

Until 95% vaccinated threshold is met, the entire ship is governed as if it is 100% unvaccinated. 

 

[kearney]

19 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

The rules on a cruise ship are different. 
 

Even if vaccinated you must mask, social distance, and follow capacity guidelines because of greater than 5% unvaccinated (children) on the ship. 
 

Until 95% vaccinated threshold is met, the entire ship is governed as if it is 100% unvaccinated. 

 

I see your point... I am sailing out of Bahamas..so I assume they will go by fully vaccinated rules..but we shall see.. I knew it was a gamble when we booked and the price was right on this sailing.  My other sailings are on Celebrity...late in the year and next year. I don't generally mind kids on a cruise...but if I had to mask up, socially distance and pay a hefty price to do so.. I would not be happy... particularly since I have been out and about today at restaurants etc and only staff was wearing masks and not in all places.. the mall was packed..

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, kearney said:

I see your point... I am sailing out of Bahamas..so I assume they will go by fully vaccinated rules..but we shall see.. I knew it was a gamble when we booked and the price was right on this sailing.  My other sailings are on Celebrity...late in the year and next year. I don't generally mind kids on a cruise...but if I had to mask up, socially distance and pay a hefty price to do so.. I would not be happy... particularly since I have been out and about today at restaurants etc and only staff was wearing masks and not in all places.. the mall was packed..

I agree 100% with your assessment. I will be cancelling any cruise I have upcoming if I have to play by those rules. 

[BecciBoo]

1 hour ago, Coralc said:

We were vaccinated by the county health department. 

Then I'd say they were at fault.

[travelhound]

On 5/26/2021 at 5:17 PM, jrapps said:

The CDC posted new guidance today (5/26) specifically for vaccinated travelers, and cruises with 95% vaccinated passengers). There are major changes in here. Buffets are back! Masks are gone!

 

Masks

• 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.
• Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise crew who are fully vaccinated that they do not have to wear a mask or maintain physical distance in areas of the ship that are inaccessible to passengers.
• Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may designate areas as only accessible to fully vaccinated passengers and crew where masks and physical distancing are not required (e.g., casinos; bars; spas; entertainment venues; and dining areas, including self-serve buffets).
• For ships with at least 95% of crew and 95% of passengers fully vaccinated, cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise passengers and crew that they do not have to wear a mask or maintain physical distance in any areas.

 

Physical Distancing

• Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may designate areas only accessible to fully vaccinated passengers and crew where masks and physical distancing are not required (e.g., casinos; bars; spas; entertainment venues; and dining areas, including self-serve buffets).
• For ships with at least 95% of crew and 95% of passengers fully vaccinated, the following requirements are recommendations only.
• I wont type it all here but basically if 95% vaccinated, no long er need to space out elevators, theaters, dining, etc. Also no more required restrictions for outdoor water facilities

 

Food Service (Buffets are BACK!)

• Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may designate areas as only accessible to fully vaccinated passengers and crew where masks and physical distancing are not required (e.g., casinos; bars; spas; entertainment venues; and dining areas, including self-serve buffets).
• For ships with at least 95% of crew and 95% of passengers fully vaccinated, the following requirements are recommendations only.\
• Same, I wont post the whole thing here but no longer need to limit or re-layout dining, they can have buffets, no barriers required, etc.

Back to normal 🙂

[kearney]

25 minutes ago, travelhound said:

Back to normal 🙂

What about ships with fewer than 95% vaccinated... eg Royals plans to have more families...?