Royal Caribbean Says Unvaccinated Guests Will Face Restrictions, Higher Costs

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, sm3ds said:

I'd just like to find a cruise line that sets a policy and sticks with it.

That might be tough in the COVID era.

[Esmerelda]

Give it about 3-5 more months, this will all be a memory.  Many things are happening right now that will change all of this (of course not shown in MSM). 

[CRUISEFAN0001]

21 hours ago, gatorskin76 said:

Not everyone that hasn’t been vaccinated is an anti-vaxxer.  Stay classy.

No one said that so already "classy". DUH.  But most people who are anti-vaxxers reflect everyone else in that category other than the 1/10 of 1%  legitimate medical exempt folks. 

[CRUISEFAN0001]

20 hours ago, jrapps said:

If you want a ship with families and a mix of vaccinated and un-vaccinated people, then don't try to charge an arm & leg for a covid test as a discouragement. Lean into the demographic and make as safe a cruise as you can allowing unvaccinated people to sail.

No responsible cruise line would ever take that approach. Non-vaxers shouldn't be coddled - this is serious stuff, not a game for marketing purposes.

[jaredhamburg]

2 hours ago, Esmerelda said:

Give it about 3-5 more months, this will all be a memory.  Many things are happening right now that will change all of this (of course not shown in MSM). 

 

I really hope you are right.

[jrapps]

2 hours ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

No responsible cruise line would ever take that approach. Non-vaxers shouldn't be coddled - this is serious stuff, not a game for marketing purposes.

I am "personally" not disagreeing with you. My views with this are very much in line with yours. I also strive to be the type of person who listens, understands, and respects other views even if I disagree with them.

 

My point was there are two sides to this. People like you and I think the right way to go here is 95%+ vaccinated. I think it is the safest way to return, and gives the best user experience.

 

Obviously there is another perspective here, the mix of vaccinated and un-vaccinated on a ship. While I do not agree with that approach, it is the cruise lines to determine if that is a path to go and if they can sail safely that way and still cater to the demographic who WANTS that. 

 

My post you quoted was meant to highlight that what Royal is trying to do now is please everyone, and they can't. If they really want an unvaccinated ship, then go that route (I don't think that is what they really want, but hey, it's their business, not mine). But saying they want to go un-vaccinated, and then not-so-subtly discouraging them from coming anyway is just bad marketing and will piss off the people who do end up sailing. If they really don't want them on the ship, then just make the cruise 95%+ like everyone else and stop these games.

[sm3ds]

4 hours ago, Esmerelda said:

Give it about 3-5 more months, this will all be a memory.  Many things are happening right now that will change all of this (of course not shown in MSM). 

There's a percentage of people that enjoy this too much. They won't let this go they'll find another cause.  What are they going to do with their lives. They've been at it for over a year now. It started with lock downs, masks and now vaccines. They'll find something else to make them feel superior and self righteous.  

[fred30]

6 hours ago, Esmerelda said:

Give it about 3-5 more months, this will all be a memory.  Many things are happening right now that will change all of this (of course not shown in MSM). 

5 months puts us  close to the start of winter which helps Corona Viruses to thrive.   Hopefully the cases won't get out of hand with the majority of people being vaccinated. Being Global this won't be behind us.

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by fred30

[mauraoel]

Cruise industry news just announced Adventure of the Seas a "Fully Vaccinated Cruise" is 94% vaccinated with the last 6% as children under the age of 16.

 

Royal Caribbean Is Back Cruising in the Caribbean - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News

Edited June 14, 2021 by mauraoel

[kirtihk]

On 6/13/2021 at 7:29 AM, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Great!!

 

One has to wonder if there was a $1000 testing cost charged to each anti-vaxxer...how many would drop their excuses in 10 seconds flat..

Yep, great! I would send them to GULAG - it would be even greater!!! - What a crazy world we are living these days.  Unbelievable!  Coming to US in 1991 from Russia, I would never imagine in my wildest nightmare the reality that occurs here now within last 4.5 years and mostly in latest 7 months.  Absolute disgrace.  I escaped from total control and obedience, but history doesn't teaches us...  As result, everyone shall learn everything a hard way.

[tserface]

1 hour ago, BOOKBOOKBOOK said:

 

The cruise industry has been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic as opposed to its peers in the travel/hospitality sector. A private business requiring vaccinated folk for health and safety reasons is far different from the government stepping in to tell people what goes inside their bodies with the force of law. There's bipartisan movement against vaccine passports in the public sphere, so I see no reason why the anti-vax crowd needs to continue pushing this slippery slope Orwellian future that's ahead of us if we allow cruising to restart with vaccines in mind.

 

If you want cruising to restart in a year or two when this pandemic is finally "over", then that's your opinion. That's not the view that the majority of us cruisers on this forum hold. We want safe, normal cruising ASAP, and we're already seeing glimpses of it in the Caribbean with protocols that work.

I agree.  Just to add, we're talking about "cruising" right?  There is no life or death decision here.  If you do not like what the cruise lines are asking, then, it's simple... don't cruise.  There are lots of other vacation choices and, as  you say, in a couple of years, maybe we'll be back to total normalcy.  For now, this is where we live.  I think it's perfectly fair, and admirable, for the cruise lines to want their passengers to be as safe as possible and for us, the cruisers, to want the same.  

 

I fully support  the rights of some not to be vaccinated if they choose.  I don't agree, but I support that they have that right.  I also think it's fair to offer privileges to people who are willing to take that step and help us get out of this mess.

 

Tom

[FamilyCruiserUK]

The quickest way to shut down the cruise industry again is to have a large outbreak of covid on a ship or across a number of ships. As has been stated the cruise industry has been unfairly  treated by various countries and seems a lot of those countries want cruises to fail The cruise companies want to do all that they can to limit the risk of such an outbreak onboard and as such for now will have vacinated cruises. PR can make or break a company.....

[graphicguy]

17 minutes ago, tserface said:

I agree.  Just to add, we're talking about "cruising" right?  There is no life or death decision here.  If you do not like what the cruise lines are asking, then, it's simple... don't cruise.  There are lots of other vacation choices and, as  you say, in a couple of years, maybe we'll be back to total normalcy.  For now, this is where we live.  I think it's perfectly fair, and admirable, for the cruise lines to want their passengers to be as safe as possible and for us, the cruisers, to want the same.  

 

I fully support  the rights of some not to be vaccinated if they choose.  I don't agree, but I support that they have that right.  I also think it's fair to offer privileges to people who are willing to take that step and help us get out of this mess.

 

Tom

Smartest post I've read about his topic...well....in a long time.  Thank you!

 

Anyone trying to relate cruising/not cruising to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of worship, regardless of color, creed, gender or sexual preference has no concept  what freedom means in our country, and is perverting what it means to live here.

Edited June 14, 2021 by graphicguy

[coffeebean]

On 6/13/2021 at 3:14 PM, ace2542 said:

People think they won't get caught. Look at how many people lie on the health questionnaires. 

Of course they lie. BUT........health questionnaires do not equate to forgery of Federal documents. Not even close.

[mpk]

On 6/9/2021 at 1:34 PM, BigRoger said:

Re the title of the post... good.... if anti vaxers want to cruise they should be tested at their expense... I'mfinefor them to cruise if they can prove they are not carrying the virus, and they wear a mask wherever anyone else has to 

 

That could potentially mean repeated testing throughout the cruise, as they are unprotected during port stops

Edited June 14, 2021 by mpk

[DWBirdman]

3 hours ago, BOOKBOOKBOOK said:

 

The cruise industry has been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic as opposed to its peers in the travel/hospitality sector. A private business requiring vaccinated folk for health and safety reasons is far different from the government stepping in to tell people what goes inside their bodies with the force of law. There's bipartisan movement against vaccine passports in the public sphere, so I see no reason why the anti-vax crowd needs to continue pushing this slippery slope Orwellian future that's ahead of us if we allow cruising to restart with vaccines in mind.

 

If you want cruising to restart in a year or two when this pandemic is finally "over", then that's your opinion. That's not the view that the majority of us cruisers on this forum hold. We want safe, normal cruising ASAP, and we're already seeing glimpses of it in the Caribbean with protocols that work.

 

Not hurt by the pandemic, but rather the tyrannical emotional zealots.

Edited June 14, 2021 by DWBirdman

[BOOKBOOKBOOK]

56 minutes ago, DWBirdman said:

Then take away the CDC requirement and what would the cruises do being able to choose?

 

If we are going to discuss choices, let's at least make sure all parties have a choice.

 

Look at what they're doing in the Caribbean. The CDC has no bearing on what cruise lines do out there. Cruise lines have beat the CDC to the punch when it comes to requiring vaccines for them to be able to do business safely. Norwegian especially led this charge.

 

The CDC requirements also do offer cruise lines a choice. There are two paths to restarting cruises in the US. If we are going to discuss choices, then let's also discuss the hypocrisy of DeSantis's "vaccine passport" law.

 

Also, laws prevent businesses in food services from doing certain dirty practices. Going completely off the rails and allowing businesses to run under zero regulations is also not a viable solution the same way strangling them with arbitrary bureaucracy is.

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, DWBirdman said:

Then take away the CDC requirement and what would the cruises do being able to choose?

 

If we are going to discuss choices, let's at least make sure all parties have a choice.

Princess already tried that.  We all know where that leads.

 

This is about eradicating the worst Global Pandemic in our lifetime.  It still befuddles me why politicians have and continue to stand in the way of that when we’re so close to that success.

[mpk]

On 6/10/2021 at 10:55 AM, ArthurUSCG said:

Sounds like it, the kicker is the people in close contact did NOT test positive but where also removed.

 

Say an unvaccinated party tested positive...  but sat at the same Teppanyaki table next to a vaccinated party they do not know.

 

Do both parties get debarked at the next port?

[DWBirdman]

2 minutes ago, mpk said:

 

Say an unvaccinated party tested positive...  but sat at the same Teppanyaki table next to a vaccinated party they do not know.

 

Do both parties get debarked at the next port?

 

Does it matter if they're vaxed if positive? If you're a carrier you're a carrier.

[mpk]

4 minutes ago, DWBirdman said:

 

Does it matter if they're vaxed if positive? If you're a carrier you're a carrier.

 

Sure it does.  Vaccination reduces the odds.  Otherwise, why vax at all?   🙂 

 

This could explain why vaccinated cruisers want 100% vaccinated cruises.  They went to the effort of getting the shots to lower the chances.  But their efforts could be canceled out by another party.

Edited June 15, 2021 by mpk

[graphicguy]

1 minute ago, DWBirdman said:

 

So, for cruising, let's remove the CDC directives and let the cruise lines move forward. If the cruise lines choose, of their own will, to instantiate certain requirements, so be it.

 

1 minute ago, DWBirdman said:

 

Are they at risk? Is 1% statistically significant?

 

The dividing line here is "who decides". One side supports the individual as final arbiter. The other supports the mob as the final arbiter.

Hmmmmm.....600,000 deaths in the U.S. is something I'd consider extremely significant....statistically, morally, or any other way you want to phrase it.

 

Who decides what?  

 

Both the CDC AND the cruise lines have made it a point (and actually stated publicly) they want to sail.  Moreover, they want to sail safely.  As such, NCL and Carnival both are requiring 100% COVID Vaccine requirements.  Celebrity has stated they are going to sail with 95% of passengers with the COVID Vaccine (I think it will be closer to 98%-99%).

 

Royal has stated they STRONGLY RECOMMEND everyone sailing with them to have their full COVID Vaccines.

 

I don't know what the other cruise companies or subsidiaries are requiring, as I don't look at them.  So, there may be some deviations.

 

If you don't want the Vaccine, regardless of the reason, you would obviously choose to sail either Royal or Celebrity.  In Celebrity's case, you would hope you fall into the 5% of non-vaccinated cruisers who would sail. 

 

Royal, you can cruise unvaccinated, but as they state, you'll have to have more testing done (at the passenger's expense) and wear masks in public areas which are enclosed.

 

So, plenty of choices.

[DWBirdman]

4 minutes ago, mpk said:

 

Sure it does.  Vaccination reduces the odds.  Otherwise, why vax at all?   🙂 

 

This could explain why vaccinated cruisers want 100% vaccinated cruises.  They went to the effort of getting the shots to lower the chances.  But their efforts could be canceled out by another party.

 

Good question.

 

Even on the initial Diamond Princess, the odds were low.

[harkinmr]

18 hours ago, DWBirdman said:

Then take away the CDC requirement and what would the cruises do being able to choose?

 

If we are going to discuss choices, let's at least make sure all parties have a choice.

Here's a prediction about what they would do.  Exactly what they are doing now.  Vaccines and health  protocols, with or without the CDC.  The cruise line execs are not stupid, nor are the lines generally negligent.  They know what is required to safely restart, and they know that the negative passenger response and PR would be a death knell for them with any level of COVID-19 outbreaks on board. They also are not going to simply risk the health and welfare of their clientele because they aren't being directed to, no matter how greedy they seem to be.  Anyone on here who thinks that the cruise lines would cater to the screaming unvaccinated crowd (an INCREDIBLY small percentage of folks wanting to cruise right now) and that it would be some sort of free-for-all on board are seriously deluded.

[BSocial]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

...

Royal, you can cruise unvaccinated, but as they state, you'll have to have more testing done (at the passenger's expense) and wear masks in public areas which are enclosed.

 

So, plenty of choices.

It depends.  According to Royal’s website, 
For both Seattle and Galveston departures. Vaccines are required for all eligible guest based on sailing date (12+ as of August 1). * (Possibly medical or religious exemptions apply) .

 

select departure port from the “where are you sailing from box” in the link below .  Florida not listed there yet, 

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center/getting-ready-to-cruise

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by BSocial