New, as of June 17, US Rules--especially Florida!

[iamaqt2]

1 hour ago, mcgilldj said:

I can not believe this attitude.  People have the right to make their own decisions!  I hope no one would be so classless as to mistreat those who are continuing to wear masks.  Some vaccinated people have continued to wear them.  However, no one has the right to treat anyone disrespectfully.  

I have every right to swing a wide berth around anyone I choose to.  Their rights don't trump my rights.  And I won't be the only one avoiding them, I can pretty much guarantee that.

[Jazzbo]

1 hour ago, D C said:

Honestly, it's an understandable position.  Those who remain unvaccinated are the ones who, if they fall ill, could interrupt the holiday of the others.  If enough of them are sick, the cruise is over for everyone.

Exactly! DH and I are fully vaccinated, and I am convinced that will protect us, if not from becoming infected, from serious illness or hospitalization. But I would NOT want to be on a cruise with  a lot of unvaccinated passengers who could become infected on the way to the cruise or in port, who then spread it to enough other unvaccinated passengers that the ship would not be allowed in port or the cruise would have to be cut short.  That would also be disastrous for the cruise line.

[Cruising89143]

2 minutes ago, Jazzbo said:

Exactly! DH and I are fully vaccinated, and I am convinced that will protect us, if not from becoming infected, from serious illness or hospitalization. But I would NOT want to be on a cruise with  a lot of unvaccinated passengers who could become infected on the way to the cruise or in port, who then spread it to enough other unvaccinated passengers that the ship would not be allowed in port or the cruise would have to be cut short.  That would also be disastrous for the cruise line.

And the cruise lines know this. This is why most are demanding that all guests be vaccinated. They cannot afford to have sailings end mid cruise due to an outbreak. The cost of refunding all guests, bad publicity and the list goes on and on. They know that they have shot to get this right. 

[basenji56]

Someone on the second sailing of Millennium just posted the following on Facebook (in port tomorrow I believe):

 

"The Captain just announced that all COVID tests came back negative! This has been an awesome cruise with a great crew! Thanks #celebritymillennium"

Edited June 19, 2021 by basenji56

[amcb]

41 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

Someone on the second sailing of Millennium just posted the following on Facebook (in port tomorrow I believe):

 

"The Captain just announced that all COVID tests came back negative! This has been an awesome cruise with a great crew! Thanks #celebritymillennium"

That's wonderful news!!

[Cabana Girl]

We are (were) frequent cruisers and cannot wait to get back out there.....but this is nuts!  We are vaccinated and just moved to Florida.  I have been within a hair of booking voyages on the Allure and the Edge.  So happy that I did not.  
 

I will not be booking any of these crap-shoot voyages.  Testing, contact tracing and potential quarantine.  Sounds super fun.  
 

[bucfan2]

9 hours ago, Cabana Girl said:

We are (were) frequent cruisers and cannot wait to get back out there.....but this is nuts!  We are vaccinated and just moved to Florida.  I have been within a hair of booking voyages on the Allure and the Edge.  So happy that I did not.  
 

I will not be booking any of these crap-shoot voyages.  Testing, contact tracing and potential quarantine.  Sounds super fun.  
 

Good idea if scared to stay home.

[D C]

9 hours ago, Cabana Girl said:

We are (were) frequent cruisers and cannot wait to get back out there.....but this is nuts!  We are vaccinated and just moved to Florida.  I have been within a hair of booking voyages on the Allure and the Edge.  So happy that I did not.  
 

I will not be booking any of these crap-shoot voyages.  Testing, contact tracing and potential quarantine.  Sounds super fun.  
 

Hopefully they succeed in making the cruise experience unpalatable for the unvaccinated so as to minimise the number of them willing to cruise. 

[kirtihk]

2 hours ago, bucfan2 said:

Good idea if scared to stay home.

It is not scaring, it is a rejection of the invitation to go to an extremely expensive multi-day field trip to a hospital. Why anyone would enjoy it? I see zero reasons.

Edited June 19, 2021 by kirtihk

[CalTexCruiser]

11 hours ago, Cabana Girl said:

We are (were) frequent cruisers and cannot wait to get back out there.....but this is nuts!  We are vaccinated and just moved to Florida.  I have been within a hair of booking voyages on the Allure and the Edge.  So happy that I did not.  
 

I will not be booking any of these crap-shoot voyages.  Testing, contact tracing and potential quarantine.  Sounds super fun.  
 

 

For someone from Vegas, you don't like crap shoots?

[yorky]

Maybe they could stamp something on peoples foreheads like “unclean”. Being serious I’m certainly not comfortable with different areas, to me it’s not something we should be considering in a modern society, I would actually find it embarrassing in truth. I would rather just cruise on a ship that’s 100% vaccinated rather than on a ship that’s going to bring out the absolute worst in some individuals, and it most certainly will. We love cruising because we get to meet new people and there is often a great at sea atmosphere.

Edited June 19, 2021 by yorky

[marieps]

22 hours ago, graphicguy said:

You asked....LOL!  

 

Honestly, I think he painted himself into a corner.  What he thought was a law that was going to herald him being a Governor trying to get the cruise industry sailing again by removing the CDC Vaccine restrictions has backfired and is now the biggest stumbling block in allowing the cruise industry to restart safely.

 

The cruise industry represents $7.7 Billion economic impact just to Florida alone.  Last figure I saw stated 80% of the cruising public wants cruises to sail fully vaccinated.  That's an overwhelming majority.

 

NCL and Carnival both have come out and said they'll sail 100% vaccinated, at least for the foreseeable future.  They understand that any misstep with an outbreak on board will likely doom, not only their cruises, but probably the entire industry, for a long, long time.  So, they are ignoring FL's mandates.  They are looking like the good guys in this (something they aren't used to).  The optics of sailing 100% vaccinated plays well.  The cruise lines come across as good stewards of their passenger's well being.

 

The vocal minority in this (anti-vaxers, "no one can tell me what I have to do", etc....those folks)  just come across like they're yelling at the sky.  

 

There's too much money at stake and an entire industry that would be shuttered if they can't sail vaccinated.

 

It may come down to the 11th hour, but I think the legislature and Desanits acquiesce and come up with a stay of the law for the cruise industry and make an exception so they can sail again.

 

As it stands, if they have to go through with the FL/Desantis mandate, we see what the restrictions will be.  Unvaccinated and/or those unwilling to provide proof of vaccination will incur additional charges for more testing, will have to wear a mask inside enclosed spaces on the cruise ship, likely be segregated.  It's onerous, but that's what will happen if there isn't a reprieve in FL for at least 95% vaccinated cruises.

 

The other "gotcha" is turning away passengers at the pier once the 5% unvaccinated quota is filled.  I can just imagine what that would look like on the evening news.  That would look badly for FL, Desantis, the cruise lines, everybody.

 

Royal is stating they strongly suggest everyone be vaccinated.  I can't even imagine what that will look like.  It would be a cluster, for sure!

 

Plus, the different ports will have their own places when it comes to COVID requirements.  So, FL's law won't even come into play with those ports.  I saw even the Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands wants only vaccinated passengers in his ports.  

 

I just can't see any sailings in the next 90 days the won't have the vast majority of passengers vaccinated (95%+).  And, I think the 5% unvaccinated will prioritize children under 12.  Still, I can't even imagine kids will want to mask up, and parents paying to have enhanced testing on them.

 

Again, the optics for Desantis on this do not look good.  And, they're getting worse by the day.

 

We're 2-3 weeks away from this coming to a head.  Celebrity sails the last week of June.  The FL law goes into effect July 1.  Stay tuned and watch how things shift from the FL Governor's office begin the shift shortly before then.

I have read the legislation and it does contain a provision which allows for "rule making" by the state agency responsible for enforcement, which I believe is the Emergency Management Agency.  I wonder if they could carve out something in the rule making for the cruise industry.  

[basenji56]

For information about a Covid positive test on a Bermuda cruise check out this topic:

 

1 COVID positive passenger and 4 quarantining on 6/15 Orion Bermuda Cruise - Viking Ocean - Cruise Critic Community

 

 

[TeeRick]

10 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

For information about a Covid positive test on a Bermuda cruise check out this topic:

 

1 COVID positive passenger and 4 quarantining on 6/15 Orion Bermuda Cruise - Viking Ocean - Cruise Critic Community

 

 

Test positive ?  Or COVID symptom disease positive?

[graphicguy]

10 minutes ago, marieps said:

I have read the legislation and it does contain a provision which allows for "rule making" by the state agency responsible for enforcement, which I believe is the Emergency Management Agency.  I wonder if they could carve out something in the rule making for the cruise industry.  

In the end, all the gov’t posturing, Federal or State, won’t mean a hill of beans.  It’s going to be up to the cruise lines to do what’s best for their passengers, because so far, all the CDC and the State of Florida are doing is posturing.

 

By the looks of it, it seems most of the cruise lines are going the vaccinated route, or making it so hard to cruise without one, no one will pay the extra in order to cruise without the vaccination, or showing proof of vaccination.  Further, I know I wouldn’t want to cruise if I must wear a mask 75% of the time, which unvaccinated passengers would have to do, or not be allowed into some venues because they’re not vaccinated.

[basenji56]

3 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Test positive ?  Or COVID symptom disease positive?

Positive test for one fully vaccinated guest.  Asymptomatic.  The others were sent to quarantine at own expense for 15-16 days even though they tested negative and were fully vaccinated.

[marieps]

4 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

In the end, all the gov’t posturing, Federal or State, won’t mean a hill of beans.  It’s going to be up to the cruise lines to do what’s best for their passengers, because so far, all the CDC and the State of Florida are doing is posturing.

 

By the looks of it, it seems most of the cruise lines are going the vaccinated route, or making it so hard to cruise without one, no one will pay the extra in order to cruise without the vaccination, or showing proof of vaccination.  Further, I know I wouldn’t want to cruise if I must wear a mask 75% of the time, which unvaccinated passengers would have to do, or not be allowed into some venues because they’re not vaccinated.

I agree.  I hope the cruise lines continue to favor vaxed passengers long after the CSO expires, or at least until the fear dies down.

[TeeRick]

26 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

Positive test for one fully vaccinated guest.  Asymptomatic.  The others were sent to quarantine at own expense for 15-16 days even though they tested negative and were fully vaccinated.

Others tested negative.  Fully vaccinated.  Quarantined for 2 weeks.  Does not sound right.  Or just overkill?  

[basenji56]

19 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Someone on the second sailing of Millennium just posted the following on Facebook (in port tomorrow I believe):

 

"The Captain just announced that all COVID tests came back negative! This has been an awesome cruise with a great crew! Thanks #celebritymillennium"

 

About another cruise:

 

"Cruiser Sunny is just off the Adventure of the Seas.

"Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas first cruise out of Bahamas. Ship was 1/3 full & cruise was awesome and a success. No virus cases from start to finish!"

 

[basenji56]

4 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Others tested negative.  Fully vaccinated.  Quarantined for 2 weeks.  Does not sound right.  Or just overkill?  

They appealed to Viking and Viking was able to get Bermuda to relent and allow them back on the ship!

[Cabana Girl]

8 hours ago, kirtihk said:

It is not scaring, it is a rejection of the invitation to go to an extremely expensive multi-day field trip to a hospital. Why anyone would enjoy it? I see zero reasons.

Thank you, well said.  Who needs the stress and worry?  Vacations are supposed to be fun, not worry and annoyance.

[Cabana Girl]

8 hours ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

For someone from Vegas, you don't like crap shoots?

Vegas was a crap shoot, or just crap.  Tried to live there....so much crime.  Need to update my profile!

[Cruising89143]

17 hours ago, Cabana Girl said:

Vegas was a crap shoot, or just crap.  Tried to live there....so much crime.  Need to update my profile!

😊 Just got back from Vegas. It’s a great place to visit but no way could I live there. We visited the downtown area for a few hours. Interesting and I will leave it at that. Good luck in FL. I was born there and spent the first thirty-five years there but do not miss it. 

[marieps]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

News flash, FL law only applies in FL

Absolutely correct.  Google Florida SB 2006.  It's clear the law only applies to businesses while conducting business in Florida.

[BrendaJ]

I personally would prefer to sail with 100% vaccinated passengers and crew.   Azamara will require 100% vaccination which is pretty easy for them as they don’t sail much if at all from Florida, and very few children sail with them.
 

I am fully vaccinated.  I am not afraid of dying from COVID by catching it from an unvaccinated passenger; what I am afraid of is asymptotically testing positive and being quarantined, having my port visits curtailed and my flight home delayed.   Catching enough of the virus to test positive could cost me a lot of time and money.  
 

I currently have 5 cruises booked (1 Celebrity/4 Azamara).  None visit the U.S so the main concern will be what the foreign ports allow.   Frankly, I’d be surprised if Iceland allowed unvaccinated people to visit and I don’t blame them.   Ships that allow any unvaccinated passengers to board will face different levels of scrutiny and access to foreign ports.  It will probably be much easier for them to just sail with 100% vaccinated passengers, and avoid troublesome states with conflicting rules altogether.