How do under 12 kids can apply for spots?

[Eli_6]

This articles says under 12 children can apply for spots on the cruise to consume the 5 percent:

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Carnival-allowing-kids-on-ships-in-Texas-with-restrictions

 

Anyone know how we go about doing that?

[ProgRockCruiser]

Link was on the Carnival announcement.

 

I just clicked on one of the links to get to the 5% exemption, and the page says not available to accommodate requests due to demand.

[Eli_6]

10 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

Link was on the Carnival announcement.

 

I just clicked on one of the links to get to the 5% exemption, and the page says not available to accommodate requests due to demand.

What sailing was this on?  

[ontheweb]

If you use a TA, I would let him or her try to take care if this. I have a feeling that even if you can find the how to part, it may very well be time consuming.

[TNcruising02]

They must have had a huge response, because the link used to bring you to a page where you could put in your cruises information.  

New page:

VACCINATION EXEMPTION COMMUNICATION

 

vaccination-exemption-overview

Our apologies. Given the small number of potential spots that might be available, we are not able to accommodate any more requests.

Old page:

VACCINE EXEMPTION COMMUNICATION

The CDC’s guidelines for operating a highly-vaccinated cruise provide the ability to accommodate a small number of unvaccinated guests (children under 12 who cannot be vaccinated and exemptions as required by federal law) on restricted voyages, based on the total number of vaccinated guests on board. If you would like to be considered because a member of your traveling party is unvaccinated and meets this criteria, please complete the information below to receive a follow-up communication with the requirements to be considered and the specific protocols you will be required to observe.

https://www.carnival.com/vaccine-exemption-update?utm_source=bg&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=060821&fbclid=IwAR2CFNg6nOkqGveacR4li7dyYtiqJg4q4hTQ0kWEzlTgBmnVoccKaw9MrZc

 

[Eli_6]

Thanks @TNcruising02!

[bdever]

Well that was quick. Glad that was taken care of. Moving on to August sailings now hopefully. 

[Eli_6]

4 minutes ago, bdever said:

Well that was quick. Glad that was taken care of. Moving on to August sailings now hopefully. 

What do you mean?  That they ran out of "child" spaces quickly?  They have not sent anything out yet about the August cruises as far as I know because I have one booked.

[bdever]

1 minute ago, Eli_6 said:

What do you mean?  That they ran out of "child" spaces quickly?  They have not sent anything out yet about the August cruises as far as I know because I have one booked.

Yes, ran out of availability for July so now hopefully 🙏🏻 Corporate can quickly and efficiently address August sailings and availability. 

[TNcruising02]

16 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

What do you mean?  That they ran out of "child" spaces quickly?  They have not sent anything out yet about the August cruises as far as I know because I have one booked.

If I were you, I would fill out the form as soon as you receive the email.

[Eli_6]

1 minute ago, TNcruising02 said:

If I were you, I would fill out the form as soon as you receive the email.

I plan to. But I have not received it for August yet.  I was thinking about trying to get in a July cruise, but now that they are booked up for kids, I will probably just keep my August date.  I am currently booked for August 7th. 

[Raysgirl]

Part of the problem is adults without medical reasons have been applying for the 5%.  It was my understanding that the 5% was for children under 12 or adults with medical exemptions, not just for people that do not want to get the vaccine.   I have seen so many post by people applying just because the want to cruise unvaccinated. 

[TNcruising02]

I would be surprised if any adult who sent in a request to be part of the 5% unvaccinated cruisers will be approved.  That makes no sense.  If they have such health issues that they can't get a vaccine, then it seems like they would be higher risk for a covid infection.  I think only children will be approved.

[Eli_6]

12 minutes ago, Raysgirl said:

Part of the problem is adults without medical reasons have been applying for the 5%.  It was my understanding that the 5% was for children under 12 or adults with medical exemptions, not just for people that do not want to get the vaccine.   I have seen so many post by people applying just because the want to cruise unvaccinated. 

Unfortunately, I think you are correct.

[Raysgirl]

8 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

I would be surprised if any adult who sent in a request to be part of the 5% unvaccinated cruisers will be approved.  That makes no sense.  If they have such health issues that they can't get a vaccine, then it seems like they would be higher risk for a covid infection.  I think only children will be approved.

I agree with you completely, but if the computer system was programmed to take a certain amount of request, they may have overloaded it, leaving the ones that it really applied to locked out.

 

[lancerTXST]

As someone that filled out the from, I am a little worried that it doesn't really tell Carnival much.  I filled it out with the intent to have our 5yo daughter be able to cruise with my wife and I who are both vaccinated.  I can't remember the exact fields, but I am pretty certain the form was universal to the entire booking (primary name, booking number, etc), and didn't ask who specifically needed accommodation or what that accommodation was (if someone else that filled it out remembers differently, feel free to correct me).  So they of course Carnival knows our booking has a 5yo on it, but they don't know that if my wife and I are or are not vaccinated and if our submission was for all three of us, two of us, or just her.

 

There is going to have to be continued follow up to determine that, which sucks because if she is not cleared we want to postpone rather than go without her, but if we don't learn the details or status by 6/14, we would be SOL to make that decision unless they grant a further extension.  I will likely call Carnival/my PVP early Monday if there is no update on this form submission status.

[Jamesatgsu]

Hoping that by November this isn't an issue. CSO will expire, but could (and probably will) get extended in some form. Of course also hoping my younger 2 will be vaccinated by then.

[BoozinCroozin]

Did anyone think this wasn't going to be the case. I thought it best to make it simple so there is no bias. It should have been none are able or all are able. From there it is a "lottery" type system. No exemptions or extra status based on cruise status level, I have two cabins with kids under 12, or anything else. If there are 100 spots available, 200 people put claims in, then it is a 50/50 shot at going. Unfortunate for people with 2 kids under 12 in a cabin when 1 gets in and one gets out, the family has to choose not to go or leave the one child home.

 

This is going to open CCL up to some serious issues by not having a fair system in place to determine who the 5% are. On top of that, you have age discrimination when 95 year old Maude didn't get the opportunity because she is over 12 and not vaccinated. Add to that all others over 12 that are not vaccinated. This is the nightmare situation the cruise lines didn't want to deal with. I am sure their Legal team is looking at it and saying...we need to scrap the idea and make it vaccinated only.

Edited June 10, 2021 by BoozinCroozin

[Eli_6]

11 minutes ago, lancerTXST said:

As someone that filled out the from, I am a little worried that it doesn't really tell Carnival much.  I filled it out with the intent to have our 5yo daughter be able to cruise with my wife and I who are both vaccinated.  I can't remember the exact fields, but I am pretty certain the form was universal to the entire booking (primary name, booking number, etc), and didn't ask who specifically needed accommodation or what that accommodation was (if someone else that filled it out remembers differently, feel free to correct me).  So they of course Carnival knows our booking has a 5yo on it, but they don't know that if my wife and I are or are not vaccinated and if our submission was for all three of us, two of us, or just her.

 

There is going to have to be continued follow up to determine that, which sucks because if she is not cleared we want to postpone rather than go without her, but if we don't learn the details or status by 6/14, we would be SOL to make that decision unless they grant a further extension.  I will likely call Carnival/my PVP early Monday if there is no update on this form submission status.

All the more this makes me think they are just going to ONLY allow the under 12 kids.  You don't need to do follow up or have a detailed form if you can simply look at the booking and tell who is and is not under 12.   I am willing to bet that all the over 12 folks will be told no on their exemption.  And, really, that makes sense because the under 12 kids pose the lowest risk for contracting, spreading or getting seriously ill if they do contract it.

[BoozinCroozin]

Blanket dismissal of people over 12 is age discrimination unfortunately. No where in the CDC orders, CSO, or anything else says anything about who makes up the 5%. If CCL chooses to do it, then they are opening a legal battle they may not want to. If there are enough people over 12 on all of those cruise ships, they could turn it into a Class Action age discrimination case. I am more than certain their Legal team will be all over this before they make a decision and tell them what they have to do.

[tm_aw_love]

1 minute ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Blanket dismissal of people over 12 is age discrimination unfortunately. No where in the CDC orders, CSO, or anything else says anything about who makes up the 5%. If CCL chooses to do it, then they are opening a legal battle they may not want to. If there are enough people over 12 on all of those cruise ships, they could turn it into a Class Action age discrimination case. I am more than certain their Legal team will be all over this before they make a decision and tell them what they have to do.

If that is the case how is RCCL doing it? They clearly state that ALL pax over 12 must be Vaxed. 

"For sailings departing before August 1, all Royal Caribbean guests age 16 and older must complete all doses of their COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before their sailing. For sailings departing on or after August 1, the age requirement for vaccination will change from 16 to 12 years of age"

[BoozinCroozin]

1 minute ago, tm_aw_love said:

If that is the case how is RCCL doing it? They clearly state that ALL pax over 12 must be Vaxed. 

"For sailings departing before August 1, all Royal Caribbean guests age 16 and older must complete all doses of their COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before their sailing. For sailings departing on or after August 1, the age requirement for vaccination will change from 16 to 12 years of age"

Because they made their declaration to sail that it was required as you quoted. CCL has not made that statement for sailings and has already shutdown the opportunity to be part of that 5% before they made the declaration. 

 

I know the situation is fluid. A lot of things are changing. RCCL and NCL did it right by making it very clear on criteria to board. CCL has not done that. They have been wishy washy and I think Christine Duffy made the statement on GMA, but they tried to hush hush it. I think she might have made the statement before it was to be public. Her statement is clear on what CCL should do and I expect that to be the case for the near term.

[mondello]

19 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Blanket dismissal of people over 12 is age discrimination unfortunately. No where in the CDC orders, CSO, or anything else says anything about who makes up the 5%. If CCL chooses to do it, then they are opening a legal battle they may not want to. If there are enough people over 12 on all of those cruise ships, they could turn it into a Class Action age discrimination case. I am more than certain their Legal team will be all over this before they make a decision and tell them what they have to do.

If Carnival has complete control over who gets in, all they have to do is notify all others that they didn't make the cut due to overwhelming demand. How would anybody know or be able to prove otherwise?

[txgranny]

But Carnival DID make the statement that July is all vaxxed 12 and over in Galveston. We're waiting to see if the same holds over for August. I'm sure they are sorting the 5% requests based on sailing, then age, then notify the guests they are approved. Possibly have 24 hr to respond with vaccinated info for those 12 and over.  They need to get the vaccine upload system up and running as soon as possible and change check in back to 60 to 45 days out to enable people to cancel, send in 5% requests or rebook.

[tm_aw_love]

33 minutes ago, txgranny said:

But Carnival DID make the statement that July is all vaxxed 12 and over in Galveston. We're waiting to see if the same holds over for August. I'm sure they are sorting the 5% requests based on sailing, then age, then notify the guests they are approved. Possibly have 24 hr to respond with vaccinated info for those 12 and over.  They need to get the vaccine upload system up and running as soon as possible and change check in back to 60 to 45 days out to enable people to cancel, send in 5% requests or rebook.

They already announced additional sailings that will require vax for August. Earlier today.