It's finally the news you have been patiently waiting to hear.

[Christine Frances]

13 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

 

OK. I'll bite. Let's say Celebrity allows folks to start checking in 2 weeks out via the online check-in process. At that point they should know how many passengers are booked.

 

For example, lets say 1,000 passengers have PIF. That would equate to 950 "vaccinated" slots and 50 "unvaccinated" slots. Now, regarding the "unvaccinated" number. That number would automatically be reduced by the number of children booked on the cruise that would not qualify for getting vaccinated. In this example, let's say that number is 10 children. That would leave 40 first come, first serve "unvaccinated" slots available. What am I missing?

When you book you can say you won’t be vaccinated and they would add you to the booked 5% along with the children of vaxxed pax.  The variable is the pax that say they are not vaxxed but will be by sailing.   At this point they are put in the 95% subject to providing proof at port. 
 

it’s these people that are the unknown.  If for sone reason they do not get vaxxed they get moved from the 95% to the 5%. 

But what if at that point the 5% is at capacity?    I guess that’s why the X rep said that people in this situation shroud get to the pier check in as early as possible. 

[Jeremiah1212]

15 hours ago, cscurlock said:

What is the cutoff time for online check in?  I always check in as early as I can since I usually drive to port.

 

Online check-in normally closes 72 hours ahead of the cruise.

[Cruising89143]

This is the news that I’m waiting for. 

 

It will be interesting to see if the judge’s decision is any way swayed by what transpired on the Millennium yesterday. One way or the other it has to be on his mind regardless or trying to possibly block it out in order to make his decision.

 

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2021/06/10/ruling-coming-soon-in-florida-s-cdc-cruise-lawsuit

[graphicguy]

I think some are getting all tied into knots about this.  I think Celebrity has been really clear on all of this.  95%(+) will be vaccinated on cruises out of FL or TX....matter of fact...all of their cruises throughout the Summer will be vaccinated cruises.

 

Children under 16 do not need to be vaccinated, but will be tested more frequently, at no charge.  Starting August 1, that drops to age 12.

 

Anyone over 18 who will not volunteer their vaccine status (or sharing that they ARE NOT vaccinated) will be considered un-vaccinated.  A different set of protocols will be enforced for them, including (but not limited to) mask wearing indoors and additional testing at the passengers' expense.

 

There is no distinction in Class.  You could book the highest suite or the least expensive inside cabin on board and those same rules apply.  Everyone is open to cruising and subject to the cruise contract we all have to accept as put forth by the cruise line.

 

To get to at least 95% vaccine (presumably the other 5% will be reserved for children under 16) the cruise line will take those who are volunteering their vaccination status and following that up with their normal boarding requirements.   Those over 16 who aren't vaccinated or anyone not willing to offer their vaccine status will be considered un-vaccinated and subject to the above scenarios.

 

Get to the pier, and unwilling to provide vaccine status?  Hope you're there early enough to fall into the 5%.  If the 5% is filled, it's like trying to force your way on a flight that's totally booked.

 

How Celebrity does this is the big question.  I can see vaccinated passengers getting a wrist band showing they're vaccinated.  No wrist band?  Put on your mask and report to Medical Bay for costly additional testing.  

 

Maybe get a different cabin key which shows you vaccine status.  We all use those when we get a drink, check into the dining venues, check into a show. So, pretty easy to track that way, too.

 

Who enforces it?  I would imagine anyone without a mask and no wrist band would be reported by crew, and probably just about any vaccinated passenger on board to security for enforcement. We've all encountered those folks getting on and off the ship.  They are a pretty humorless bunch.  So, I guess you can raise a stink with them.  That's probably not in your best interest and probably wouldn't end well for you.

 

 

[graphicguy]

2 minutes ago, cruisingator2 said:

This is the news that I’m waiting for. 

 

It will be interesting to see if the judge’s decision is any way swayed by what transpired on the Millennium yesterday. One way or the other it has to be on his mind regardless or trying to possibly block it out in order to make his decision.

 

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2021/06/10/ruling-coming-soon-in-florida-s-cdc-cruise-lawsuit

I would think it's based on law and not current events.

[bajathree]

So OCI for the Edge June 26th sailing is open. There is a health questioner that you can't fill out till 24 hrs prior to sailing. Other than that its pretty much same as it always has been...passport CC and picture upload....nothing about uploading your Covid vaccine card. So either thats going to happen when you fill out health questioner or when you get to the port.

Edited June 11, 2021 by bajathree

[ipeeinthepool]

32 minutes ago, bajathree said:

So OCI for the Edge June 26th sailing is open. There is a health questioner that you can't fill out till 24 hrs prior to sailing. Other than that its pretty much same as it always has been...passport CC and picture upload....nothing about uploading your Covid vaccine card. So either thats going to happen when you fill out health questioner or when you get to the port.

 

Thanks.  I think we're all still looking for the process to guarantee 95% vaccinated passengers.  It will be interesting.  Maybe it's a game of chicken, go ahead and fine us.

[bajathree]

8 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Thanks.  I think we're all still looking for the process to guarantee 95% vaccinated passengers.  It will be interesting.  Maybe it's a game of chicken, go ahead and fine us.

We shall soon see in a couple weeks

 

[Ken the cruiser]

To get our August Edge bookings updated with our "Vaccinated" status, as Celebrity is now requesting that information from folks who are currently booking cruises, we sent an email to our X PVP letting him know we are fully vaccinated. Within 5 minutes our bookings were updated and we just confirmed that by requesting copies of the updated confirmations using their automated phone system. The nice thing was we didn't have to wait on hold or for a call back to get this done. Then, on top of that we were able to check in to our 3 Edge cruises. It was definitely a fun "doing cruising stuff" day today!! 😎

 

Special Services   VACCINATED-YES   VACCINATED-YES

[bajathree]

21 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

To get our August Edge bookings updated with our "Vaccinated" status, as Celebrity is now requesting that information from folks who are currently booking cruises, we sent an email to our X PVP letting him know we are fully vaccinated. Within 5 minutes our bookings were updated and we just confirmed that by requesting copies of the updated confirmations using their automated phone system. The nice thing was we didn't have to wait on hold or for a call back to get this done. Then, on top of that we were able to check in to our 3 Edge cruises. It was definitely a fun "doing cruising stuff" day today!! 😎

 

Special Services   VACCINATED-YES   VACCINATED-YES

Yes....you can add this to reservation under special services on the Celebrity side. On the Royal side that option is not available.

[PAGA]

32 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

To get our August Edge bookings updated with our "Vaccinated" status, as Celebrity is now requesting that information from folks who are currently booking cruises, we sent an email to our X PVP letting him know we are fully vaccinated. Within 5 minutes our bookings were updated and we just confirmed that by requesting copies of the updated confirmations using their automated phone system. The nice thing was we didn't have to wait on hold or for a call back to get this done. Then, on top of that we were able to check in to our 3 Edge cruises. It was definitely a fun "doing cruising stuff" day today!! 😎

 

Special Services   VACCINATED-YES   VACCINATED-YES

If you call in, make sure the confirmation they email you is correct before you hang up. Our celebrity customer service rep said she had added the vaccination codes, but the supposedly updated confirmation she emailed me did not show anything on the Special Services line or elsewhere to indicate we had provided our vaccination status. Fortunately caught it before we hung up. Been on hold now for about 8 mins while she tries to figure out how to get me a properly updated confirmation…

[Jeremiah1212]

1 hour ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Thanks.  I think we're all still looking for the process to guarantee 95% vaccinated passengers.  It will be interesting.  Maybe it's a game of chicken, go ahead and fine us.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/celebrity-healthy-at-sea-protocols.pdf

 

This chart was just released. They are really making no reservations about saying vaccines are required for 16+. Several online TA’s are using a prompt that says the same thing before booking. But, can’t or won’t volunteer to show it? Good luck to you. 
 

 

[Cruising89143]

2 hours ago, bajathree said:

So OCI for the Edge June 26th sailing is open. There is a health questioner that you can't fill out till 24 hrs prior to sailing. Other than that its pretty much same as it always has been...passport CC and picture upload....nothing about uploading your Covid vaccine card. So either thats going to happen when you fill out health questioner or when you get to the port.

I was told by my X agent that at this time it would be presented at the pier. Maybe they’re working on something so that we can add during OCI.

[Ken the cruiser]

Just went into my online Celebrity account and found the phone number for my Emergency Contact after we did the Check In on the app was also placed in My Contact information, probably because the app didn't provide a field for me to add it in. I'm sure they'll fix that oversight in version 2.0. Also, since my DW actually completed my Check In process on her app after finishing hers, her Contact E-Mail Address was also magically listed as my Contact E-Mail Address.

 

These issues were easily corrected while I was logged into my Celebrity account on my desktop computer in the Check In information section of the booking. But I thought I would mention it and suggest you may want to verify your Check In information via your online Celebrity account if you did it using the app.

 

Edited June 12, 2021 by Ken the cruiser

[harkinmr]

19 hours ago, graphicguy said:

I would think it's based on law and not current events.

Although I agree with this in theory, and believe it is the way he will make his decision, he was heavily questioning the government lawyers on Thursday concerning the CDC’s decision making and guidance on infection control. I think that the Millennium’s well publicized event goes directly to that line of questioning and could have some impact. How much?  Who knows, but it sure supports fully vaccinated sailings and the CDC’s guidance in that regard. JMO.  

[KKB]

People are segregated all the time on cruises--I can't go to Luminae or the Retreat.

The courts would say of course I can--I just have to pay.

 

Other businesses (schools, medical facilities) have required vaccines for years--due to the nature of their businesses. 

This history plus the outbreaks of COVID on cruise ships last March provides a very strong case for cruise lines to do the same--as well as the CDC regulations.

 

Edited June 12, 2021 by KKB

[TeeRick]

3 minutes ago, harkinmr said:

Although I agree with this in theory, and believe it is the way he will make his decision, he was heavily questioning the government lawyers on Thursday concerning the CDC’s decision making and guidance on infection control. I think that the Millennium’s well publicized event goes directly to that line of questioning and could have some impact. How much?  Who knows, but it sure supports fully vaccinated sailings and the CDC’s guidance in that regard. JMO.  

The Millennium event was two vaccinated passengers who tested positive and all procedures were followed.  Nothing more.  Asymptomatic. And not surprising and even anticipated if you follow the science.  They were isolated and all other passengers and crew were negative.  This will happen over and over again on ships going forward, even fully vaccinated ones.  So I agree that the judge might(?) consider this information in evaluating the situation but it is not part of the actual case.  It supports the CDC position and they would need to introduce it to the judge as being relevant.

[harkinmr]

1 minute ago, TeeRick said:

The Millennium event was two vaccinated passengers who tested positive and all procedures were followed.  Nothing more.  Asymptomatic. And not surprising and even anticipated if you follow the science.  They were isolated and all other passengers and crew were negative.  This will happen over and over again on ships going forward, even fully vaccinated ones.  So I agree that the judge might(?) consider this information in evaluating the situation but it is not part of the actual case.  It supports the CDC position and they would need to introduce it to the judge as being relevant.

Understood and agree that Millennium is really a non-event in the grand scheme of things. Agree also on the legal practice applications as well. But it is positive in that it supports the CDC recommendations and the growing decision by cruise lines to have fully vaccinated sailings. Good all the way around from my perspective. 
 

I do believe that ultimately the judge will deny injunctive relief and send the case to trial.  Given the time required to get to a final determination, the state’s legal arguments will be effectively moot. 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, harkinmr said:

Understood and agree that Millennium is really a non-event in the grand scheme of things. Agree also on the legal practice applications as well. But it is positive in that it supports the CDC recommendations and the growing decision by cruise lines to have fully vaccinated sailings. Good all the way around from my perspective. 
 

I do believe that ultimately the judge will deny injunctive relief and send the case to trial.  Given the time required to get to a final determination, the state’s legal arguments will be effectively moot. 

I see it the same.  Cruises will start back up.  Any punitive attempts (like $5K/pp fines) will be delayed, cruises will have some cases here and there, but very few.  The “vaccinated” cruises will be deemed a success, and Desantis will not make another sound about it given it will be painted in negative light regarding his insistence that vaccine proof isn’t something the cruise lines should as for.

[AbbyCruiser45]

15 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/celebrity-healthy-at-sea-protocols.pdf

 

This chart was just released. They are really making no reservations about saying vaccines are required for 16+. Several online TA’s are using a prompt that says the same thing before booking. But, can’t or won’t volunteer to show it? Good luck to you. 
 

 

This feels like a dumb question—but for the homeport country requirements, for the Florida cruises it says a test 72 hours prior to flight departure. So this means for people flying to Florida from the US we do NOT have to get tested since we are already in the homeport country? 

[bajathree]

5 minutes ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

This feels like a dumb question—but for the homeport country requirements, for the Florida cruises it says a test 72 hours prior to flight departure. So this means for people flying to Florida from the US we do NOT have to get tested since we are already in the homeport country? 

That is correct for sailings departing from FL and Texas...at least for now.

Edited June 12, 2021 by bajathree

[Jeremiah1212]

43 minutes ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

This feels like a dumb question—but for the homeport country requirements, for the Florida cruises it says a test 72 hours prior to flight departure. So this means for people flying to Florida from the US we do NOT have to get tested since we are already in the homeport country? 

Right. Vaccinated US guests sailing from Florida won’t have any required testing before or after the cruise. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see them add in a rapid test at the pier for everyone like RCI did on Adventure. 

[Cruising89143]

4 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

Right. Vaccinated US guests sailing from Florida won’t have any required testing before or after the cruise. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see them add in a rapid test at the pier for everyone like RCI did on Adventure. 

I agree but I am not a fan of the rapid tests. Just don’t trust them.

[terrydtx]

3 hours ago, harkinmr said:

I do believe that ultimately the judge will deny injunctive relief and send the case to trial.  Given the time required to get to a final determination, the state’s legal arguments will be effectively moot. 

More likely the judge will not let Florida enforce this ridiculous law until the case does go to court. In the mean time the cruise lines will depart Florida with fully documented vaccinated passengers and there will never be any fines.

[harkinmr]

51 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

More likely the judge will not let Florida enforce this ridiculous law until the case does go to court. In the mean time the cruise lines will depart Florida with fully documented vaccinated passengers and there will never be any fines.

Was speaking to the state’s case against the CDC. I do not think the cruise lines will have to file a lawsuit concerning Florida’s vaccine proof ban. They will just proceed and go through the legal gymnastics necessary to get around it. As unfortunate as that is. 

Edited June 12, 2021 by harkinmr